Kuwait-India Defence Talks: Kuwait and India held the inaugural India-Kuwait Joint Defence Committee meeting in New Delhi, agreeing to deepen cooperation on training, joint exercises, military medicine, defence industry and R&D, with both sides stressing the step as a way to operationalise their 2024 defence MoU. Kuwait-Pakistan Defence Protocol: Pakistan and Kuwait signed “Protocol Agreement-2026” in Islamabad, expanding military training, capacity building and border management, plus cooperation in intelligence, communications and defence industries. Hormuz Shipping Update: US forces cleared internationally recognised shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and reduced Iran’s ability to disrupt tankers, while Gulf oil exports are reported to have rebounded to more than two-thirds of pre-war levels. Kuwait Security Sweep: Kuwait’s Ministry of Interior carried out a large Mahboula security campaign, recording 790 traffic violations and arresting 109 wanted people, 62 for expired residency, and others over ID, intoxication, and narcotics. Human Rights Warning: Amnesty International condemned Kuwait’s counter-terrorism law (Decree No. 47 of 2026) for broad terrorism definitions and expanded death-penalty scope, warning it could curb freedoms of assembly and expression. Regional Diplomacy: UN chief António Guterres urged the US and Iran to resume negotiations, saying diplomacy is the only solution as the conflict’s humanitarian and economic fallout grows.