TAIWAN - Britain, France and Germany have issued a rare statement condemning Chinese activity near Taiwan. This month, China has mounted coast guard patrols off the island’s east coast, which the three countries said threatened regional stability and freedom of navigation. Beijing also sailed its newest aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait, where military drills preparing for a possible invasion by China are being conducted, for the first time on Tuesday, although the joint statement, issued on Wednesday, was not in direct response to the move. “We have noted with concern novel Chinese activity in the waters east of Taiwan,” the statement said. “These actions threaten regional stability and the freedom of navigation and safety of international shipping. We reiterate our opposition to any unilateral change to the status quo, particularly by threat or use of force or coercion.” While all three countries have previously warned against increasing Chinese aggression, joint statements such as these are rare.

EUROPE - Ukraine began its long journey out of Russia’s shadow and towards Europe in Kyiv’s historic Maidan square. More than 100 protesters were killed and over 1,000 injured on the barricades of Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) in 2014 as they demanded an end to Moscow’s malign influence. Some 12 years and an invasion later, more than 100,000 people have died fighting for freedom. And now, the EU has given Ukraine the green light to start formal membership negotiations with Volodymyr Zelensky’s government. It is a once-unthinkable step on a long and difficult road of deep reforms and painful scrutiny amid high-stakes diplomacy and an existential war. Ukrainians at the Maidan, where portraits of fallen protesters stand opposite a vast memorial to the war dead, told The Telegraph it was a fair reward for their sacrifice.

MIDDLE EAST - Iran has attacked a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, US officials said. In a major test of the fragile week-long peace deal, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) damaged the vessel’s bridge near the Omani coast, the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations said. The flare-up, which did not leave any casualties, adds to the growing dispute over the strait, with Iranian officials plotting to reap billions of dollars by charging fees against the wishes of the US. The Islamic Republic estimated that charging for security, safety and environmental services in the hairpin maritime artery could bring in $40 billion (£29 billion) each year. Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, told Gulf foreign ministers that Washington would not tolerate tolls being charged to cross the waterway. Yet Iranian officials are considering modelling a new levy on Turkey’s charge for ships passing through the Dardanelles, the Wall Street Journal reported. Tehran is trying to bring Gulf neighbours on board, suggesting they share the revenue, and is also seeking Chinese approval.

MIDDLE EAST - After nearly four months of grinding disruption since late February 2026, it looks like the Strait of Hormuz is slowly opening – commercial traffic is moving again. Yet anyone inclined to declare victory should pause. We have endured at least two false dawns and this could be another, with some ships turning back even as this is written. Eleven thousand mariners, many stranded for months and often the unseen victims in these situations, are finally leaving the Gulf. Fewer are entering, for now, presumably for fear of re-escalation and then getting trapped. Lloyd’s List notes that those moving first are, predictably, the vessels with the largest hull sections – the theory being that they are better placed to survive a mine strike that a smaller ship would not. That is a sobering way to measure confidence in a ceasefire.

DENMARK - Denmark’s immigration minister has announced plans to ban the Islamic call to prayer, claiming parts of the country felt like “a suburb of Islamabad”. Morten Bødskov, a member of the centre-Left Social Democrats party, said the new government would resume an investigation into the legality of imposing a ban. “The call to prayer should not be heard over Danish rooftops,” the minister told news outlet Ritzau. “It has no place in Denmark, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt whether you’ve ended up in a suburb of Islamabad when you walk around Denmark.” In parts of the country, such as Copenhagen, bylaws already forbid the call to prayer being broadcast from loudspeakers in minarets because of strict noise limits. Mr Bødskov also claimed that a creeping “Islamisation” in Denmark was “taking up too much of the public space”. The Adhan, or call to prayer, is performed five times a day to summon Muslim worshippers to their mosque, traditionally via loudspeakers in minarets.

UK - Labour is poised to encourage farmers to give up beef production and plant lentils to help combat climate change. On Wednesday, the Government’s long-awaited “farming roadmap” proposed helping landowners switch from high-emission farming – such as cattle – towards “growing oilseeds and pulses” to meet the increased demand for plant-based goods. “Farmers will play a critical role in delivering this transition by adopting practices that reduce emissions while sustaining productive, commercially viable businesses,” the Government said. The farming roadmap is intended to set out a long-term vision for British agriculture. It is seen as an attempt by the Government to win back support in the countryside after the family farm tax caused widespread rural unrest. However, farmers criticised the move, saying the land used by cattle would be inappropriate for growing lentils because it was too wet. He added that chemicals used on lentils could not be sprayed near water courses, such as in water meadows, where cattle often grazed.

ISRAEL - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his comittment to phase out American military assistance to Israel during a meeting with reservists at a combat officers' course in Gush Etzion last Thursday, the Government Press Office (GPO) announced on Tuesday. "Right now, we are standing against Iran and its proxies. We have dealt them blows. It is not over yet, but it depends on our strength. Where we will be 30 years from now depends on our strength. Therefore, what we are doing right now is building great strength," said Netanyahu. "I want armaments independence. I deeply appreciate the support we have received, and which I have also brought over the years, from our American friends. Today I say: We need our own independent armaments network. We must manufacture our own armaments," he added.

ISRAEL - According to sources, plans for the Shin Bet's Pride Month event were well underway when the organizers were notified of its cancellation, with no clear explanation provided. The Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) has canceled its annual Pride Month event, as well as a variety of other pride-related plans, under the orders of the Shin Bet head David Zini, N12 reported on Tuesday. Sources also listed to N12 the other pride programming planned to take place within the Shin Bet during Pride Month, which had been denied. These plans ranged from changes to the computer system's screensavers and the addition of a banner on the screens to the issuance of stickers and the hanging of pride flags throughout the event.

JAPAN - A powerful earthquake struck off Japan's northern coast on Thursday, but the country's meteorological agency said there was no danger of a tsunami. The quake had a magnitude of 7.2 and occurred off the eastern coast of Iwate, upgraded from an initial reading of 6.9, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. The quake had a depth of about 50 kilometers (30 miles), it said. The US Geological Survey also reported a magnitude of 6.9. The rattling occurred in an area where strong earthquakes have repeatedly been reported in recent months, including one that triggered a weeklong mega-quake caution advisory in December.

USA - A strong earthquake has struck the US West Coast, triggering urgent warnings for millions to shelter in place during the seismic shockwaves. The US Geological Survey said a magnitude 5.6 quake erupted in Northern California at 11.10am ET on Wednesday, marking the strongest tremor since 1940. While the strongest shaking was reported right at the quake's epicenter near Redwood Valley, the tremors traveled more than 600 miles up and down the West Coast, reaching Coos Bay, Oregon in the north and Salinas, California in the south and parts of western Nevada. The Maacama is a major active strike-slip fault capable of causing strong shaking and damage in areas like Mendocino and Sonoma counties, where it runs through rural communities and wine country. Making the fault even more of a concern to locals is the fact that it is part of the larger San Andreas Fault system, the infamous 800-mile-long fault running through much of California.