The first grain ship to depart Ukraine since Russia invaded has been cleared to leave Turkish waters for its destination in Lebanon. A team of officials from Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the UN inspected the Razoni’s cargo of 26,000 tonnes of corn and its crew. The UN said the ship was free to leave for Lebanon on Wednesday. Russia has been blockading Ukraine’s ports since it invaded in February, intensifying global food shortages. Under a deal brokered by Turkey and the UN last month, which set up a Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) to oversee exports, both sides agreed shipments could resume. The Razoni, which left the Ukrainian port of Odesa on Monday, is bound for the Lebanese port of Tripoli. “The team carried out a three hour inspection and confirmed that crew and cargo are as authorised and consistent with the information the JCC received before the vessel sailed from Odesa,” the UN said on Wednesday.(BBC)…[+]