A ship carrying nearly 100 tonnes of food and essential goods arrived in Cuba from Colombia on Friday. This aid comes as the US continues its energy embargo, with recent sanctions targeting Cuba's state-owned oil company and officials, exacerbating power outages and hindering humanitarian aid distribution.
South Korea's government met with activists detained by Israeli forces en route to Gaza and heard testimonies of alleged beatings. Seoul is demanding an investigation and accountability from Israel.
Eight foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar issued a joint statement condemning Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's "shocking, humiliating, and unacceptable" actions towards individuals detained from a ship heading to Gaza. They called for accountability and measures to prevent recurrence.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung strongly condemned Israel's seizure of an aid ship bound for Gaza and the detention of four individuals, including a South Korean. He questioned the legality of the seizure and referenced the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu.
India is experiencing significant increases in fuel prices and shortages of cooking gas, with citizens like Ranjan and Sushmita Sankar reporting tripled costs for LPG and reduced car mileage due to ethanol-blended petrol. The government is exploring higher ethanol blending in vehicles and has banned sugar exports to ensure local supply and raw material for ethanol production.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has stated that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian navy, amidst reports of a ship being seized near a UAE port. Iran claims the strait remains open for commercial ships under its naval oversight. This comes after the US imposed a counterblockade on Iranian ports, stranding thousands of ships. Araghchi, speaking at a Brics meeting in India, denounced US and Israeli actions, calling them violations of international law, and urged Brics nations to condemn these violations. He also warned the UAE that cooperation with Israel would not ensure protection. Meanwhile, a new UN Security Council resolution, sponsored by Bahrain and the US, condemning Iran's blockade is set for discussion, with Iran facing potential rebuff. However, Iran claims a deal with China has allowed oil tankers bound for China to pass through the strait since Wednesday, with China agreeing to limited charging, potentially undercutting US opposition.
The Russian Red Cross Society has delivered five metric tons of humanitarian aid to Iran, including medical supplies and basic necessities. The aid was collected by the Dagestan regional branch and other local branches with support from authorities, and sent to the Iranian Red Crescent Society. This assistance follows Iran's announcement in late March that over 105,000 civilian facilities were damaged by US-Israel strikes.
