Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed official talks in Baghdad last week, despite the ongoing political deadlock in Iraq and Riyadh's crackdown on Shiite opposition.
Why it matters: The talks were put on hold last November pending the formation of a new government in Baghdad. Iran last month also postponed a meeting after Saudi Arabia executed dozens of Shiite dissidents.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to visit Saudi Arabia Thursday in an attempt to repair the strained relations between the countries, Turkish media reported.
Why it matters: The visit will be the first major breakthrough since Turkey and Saudi Arabia's relations broke down over the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.
Israeli and Jordanian officials are expected to meet after Ramadan to try to agree on steps that will help mitigate possible future tensions over the Temple Mount\Haram al-Sharif compound and prevent violence around the Al-Aqsa Mosque, three sources with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios.
Why it matters: Violent confrontations between Israeli police and Palestinians at the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem this month threatened to spill over to the occupied West Bank and Gaza and led to a crisis between Israel and Jordan.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's chief said Wednesday that his organization is seeking access to Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which is currently under Russian control but in need of repairs.
Driving the news: Rafael Grossi told AP that his agency must reach the largest nuclear plant in Europe because "the situation as I have described it, and I would repeat it today, is not sustainable as it is."
Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed, who has been detained in Russia since 2019, has been released, President Biden said Wednesday.
Why it matters: Reed had been sentenced to nine years in prison by a Moscow court in 2020 after being arrested for allegedly assaulting two police officers. His family and the U.S. government said the charges were false and politically motivated.
DJI, the world's largest commercial drone manufacturer, said Wednesday it will temporarily halt business in Ukraine and Russia over concern that its drones are being used for military purposes.
Why it matters: It's a rare instance of a Chinese company ceasing business in Russia over the invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing is bracing for a potential lockdown in the face of a new COVID outbreak. Residents are stocking up on supplies, and authorities have ordered 20 million people to take three mandatory tests this week.
Why it matters: Sticking with President Xi Jinping's zero-COVID strategy effectively means leaving the entire country indefinitely on the edge of lockdown.
Russia's majority state-owned energy company Gazprom announced Wednesday morning that it has "fully" cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.
The latest: Gazprom said that it halted the deliveries to the two NATO and EU member countries for the first time since Russian forces invaded Ukraine in February "due to their failure to pay in rubles."
A Myanmar military court sentenced the country's ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to five years in prison on Wednesday, in the first of 11 corruption cases against her, per Reuters.
Why it matters: It's the latest verdict in a slew of cases brought by Myanmar's junta that could see the 76-year-old deposed leader imprisoned for the rest of her life.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) on Tuesday stripped Russia of hosting rights for the 2023 men's ice hockey world championship, citing "concern for the safety and well-being of all participating players, officials, media and fans."
U.S. diplomats have returned to Ukraine for the first time since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said Tuesday.
