The Philippines and the US have a 12-year-old Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that allows a rotational presence of American military in Philippine bases without establishing a permanent presence.

Japan will ease decades-old arms export rules, the government's top spokesman Minoru Kihara said on Tuesday, paving the way for the sale of lethal weapons overseas.

"What the Asia-Pacific region most needs is peace and tranquility, and what it least needs is the introduction of external forces to create division and confrontation," Guo Jiakun, a ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press briefing in Beijing.

The warship passed through the strait, which borders Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, on Saturday, April 18, Indonesian Navy spokesperson First Admiral Tunggul told Reuters.

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Saturday intended to speed up access to medical research and treatment based on psychedelic drugs.

Banga's comments, on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, reflect growing recognition of the huge impact the war is already having on global growth and inflation, with developing countries likely to be hit the hardest.

Pope Leo warned of the risk of democracies sliding into "majoritarian tyranny" on Tuesday, in a letter issued by the Vatican two days after US President Donald Trump attacked the pontiff on social media.

Pope Leo sought to downplay his feud with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, saying reporting about comments he has made so far during his Africa tour "has not been accurate in all its aspects".

President Prabowo Subianto was hosted by counterpart Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace Tuesday, where they "discussed strengthening strategic cooperation," a statement from the government said.

"In view of the current situation, the government has decided to suspend the automatic renewal of the defence agreement with Israel," Meloni said on the sidelines of an event in Verona, according to Italian news agencies ANSA and AGI.

The United States and Iran on Monday each warned they were ready for war as the clock ticked on a ceasefire, with uncertainty on talks that President Donald Trump had announced would resume in Pakistan.

Among the vessels that made it through on Saturday, five of them last loaded cargoes from Iran ranging from oil products to metals. Three of them are liquefied petroleum gas carriers with one each heading to China and India.

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