The Chinese military staged a second day of exercises around Taiwan on Wednesday, launching live-fire strikes in the East China Sea and practicing blockade operations near crucial shipping lanes to the east and west of the island.

Britain on Wednesday joined the U.S., European Union and Japan in expressing concern over Chinese military exercises around Taiwan, calling for restraint and to avoid actions that undermine peace in the region.

China has conducted military drills around Taiwan for a second day focusing on the Taiwan Strait separating the self-governing island democracy from China that is a crucial conduit for international trade.

China's military concluded two-day war games around Taiwan in which it held long-range, live-fire drills in the East China Sea, marking an escalation of exercises around the island.

The People's Liberation Army said Wednesday it had carried out live-fire strikes on targets simulating Taiwanese infrastructure.

Taiwan's defence ministry said on Wednesday that in the previous 24 hours it had detected 76 Chinese military aircraft and 15 Chinese military ships operating around Taiwan.

A military aircraft is seen on a giant screen showing news footage about joint army, navy, air and rocket forces drills around Taiwan by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), outside a shopping mall in Beijing,

One analyst called China’s large-scale drills a “pre-invasion operation” as it ramps up attacks on Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te, calling him a “parasite.”

China, which views democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, regularly holds exercises around the island, including one begun on Tuesday it said was to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence".

Israel’s military operation in the Gaza Strip is expanding to "crush" the area of Hamas and seize "large areas," Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday a major expansion of the military’s operation in Gaza involving the seizure of large areas of land that would be “incorporated into Israel’s security zones.

Israel’s defense minister said the military is taking control of significant territory to establish security zones.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz announced a major expansion of the military operation in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to the security zones of Israel.

At least 19 people are reported killed in Jabalia as Israel's defence minister says it is expanding ground operations.

Israel plans to establish another security corridor that divides the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. "We are conquering the Morag corridor," he said in a video address.

The spring call-up for a year's military service came several months after Putin said Russia should increase the overall size of its military to almost 2.39 million and its number of active servicemen to 1.

Russia is expanding the size of its military through the biggest draft its head in more than a decade as the war in Ukraine continues.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has ordered 160,000 Russians be called up for military service, marking the country's highest number of conscripts in 14 years. The new order is to be carried out from April 1 to July 15 and applies to Russian men aged 18-30.