From inside a Salvadoran mega prison, more than one hundred alleged gang members sit in rows, wrists cuffed and ankles shackled, to watch court ​proceedings on a large screen that will decide the fate of all of them.

The U.S. Department of Justice said on Thursday it would immediately loosen restrictions on some marijuana products and move quickly ​to reclassify the drug as less dangerous, in one of the biggest changes to U.S. drug policy in decades.

Pope Leo has criticised the treatment of prisoners in Equatorial Guinea, ahead of a visit to a jail known for its dire conditions.

Iran seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, tightening its grip on the strategic waterway a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was indefinitely calling ​off attacks, with no sign of peace talks restarting.

Far-flung Pacific nations are reeling from the impact of a global fuel crisis as authorities scramble to manage energy supplies while families must grapple with fuel curbs and higher costs for food and access to healthcare.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he considered visits by US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow but not Kyiv “disrespectful”.

Donald Trump says he will extend the ceasefire with Iran until talks between the two countries have progressed.

Iran is considering attending peace talks with the United States in Pakistan, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday, following moves by Islamabad to end a U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports, a significant obstacle to Tehran rejoining peace efforts as the end of a two-week ceasefire approaches.

Pakistan is confident it can get Iran to attend talks with the United States, a senior Pakistani government official told Reuters on Monday.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan on Monday, as authorities urged residents to stay away from coastal areas where tsunami waves of up to 3 metres (9.84 ft) were expected.

Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said ​it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.

A 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect ​on Thursday and President Donald Trump said the next meeting between the United States and Iran may take place over the weekend, adding to optimism that the Iran war could be nearing an end.