• Pakistan’s government is seeking to extend former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s detention on corruption charges, which Khan claims are politically motivated. Khan’s arrest triggered violence as Pakistanis protested the arrest of the popular former cricket world champion, and some in the government are calling for the army to be deployed to control unrest in Pakistan’s most-populous state, Punjab. (The Wall Street Journal)
• Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations are holding urgent talks in Istanbul aimed at salvaging the grain export deal that Moscow has threatened to abandon unless demands over its own agricultural exports are met. Ukrainian exports dipped significantly in April with the fate of the deal unsettled. (The New York Times)
• Ukrainian forces say they have taken back some ground in the fight for the city of Bakhmut, claims reinforced by Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose forces have spearheaded the Russian offensive. Prigozhin in recent days has vacillated on whether his forces will withdraw from the fight, and Ukrainian commanders appear to be exploiting the chaos. (The Wall Street Journal)
• A meeting yesterday between U.S. President Joe Biden and congressional leaders over raising the U.S. debt limit yielded no breakthroughs, but they agreed to meet again this week to try to avert the looming risk of the United States defaulting on its debt. (The Associated Press)

Happening today (all times Eastern):

• 9:45 a.m. State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development leadership testify on the conflict in Sudan before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Most Brazilians Are Not Aligned With Lula da Silva’s Approach to the Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Morning Consult

SCO Foreign Ministers Meet in India

Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, The Diplomat 

With India’s ties with China and Pakistan under strain, it is difficult for New Delhi to pursue whatever limited agenda it may have with the SCO.

Bangladeshi PM Swings Through Japan, US and UK

Mubashar Hasan, The Diplomat 

Hasina’s trip to the U.S. was limited to meeting officials at the World Bank and the IMF. No official meeting took place between her and the U.S. government.

ASEAN’s patchy economic growth suggests long road to recovery

Dylan Loh, Nikkei Asia 

At regional summit, leaders discuss how to push bloc past COVID pains.

G-7 to help emerging economies move up supply chains for EVs, solar panels

Mariko Kodaki, Nikkei Asia 

Partnership with World Bank intended to develop manufacturing, cutting reliance on China.

Ukraine war puts spotlight on tech-led defence companies

Sylvia Pfeifer, Financial Times 

Conflict shakes up arms industry dominated by long-established contractors.

Exclusive: China to name Li Yunze as head of new financial regulatory body-sources

Julie Zhu and Kevin Huang, Reuters 

China will appoint Li Yunze as the head of a new financial regulator as part of a broader restructuring of its financial regulatory regime, three sources with knowledge of the matter said on Wednesday.

China’s foreign companies on edge after ‘state secrets’ raids

Erin Hale, Al Jazeera 

Business groups say probes into firms’ handling of information has raised uncertainty about operating in China.

French Polynesia’s New Pro-Independence Leadership

Paco Milhiet, The Diplomat 

The coming political transition in the island territory will have national and international consequences.

Biden to be first sitting US president to visit Papua New Guinea 

Al Jazeera 

Announcement comes as Washington has increasingly sought to shore up influence in the Pacific to counter China.

Russian mercenary chief says he’s been told to stay in Bakhmut or be branded traitor

Andrew Osborn, Reuters 

The head of Russia’s Wagner mercenary force fighting in eastern Ukraine said on Tuesday he had been told he and his men would be regarded as traitors if they abandoned their positions in the city of Bakhmut.

Meloni opens talks on constitutional reform, long a mirage in Italy

Angelo Amante, Reuters 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday began meetings with opposition parties to discuss her plans to reform the constitution and end chronic political instability in the euro zone’s third largest nation.

Staffing level is latest peril facing Ukraine nuclear plant

Susie Blann, The Associated Press

Russia plans to relocate around 2,700 Ukrainian staff from Europe’s largest nuclear plant, Ukraine’s atomic energy company claimed Wednesday, warning of a potential “catastrophic lack of qualified personnel” at the Zaporizhzhia facility in Russia-occupied southern Ukraine.

Ecuador legislature moves forward on president’s impeachment

The Associated Press

Ecuador’s opposition-led National Assembly voted Tuesday to move forward with impeachment proceedings against President Guillermo Lasso over embezzlement allegations, while his defense team argued that the procedure violated the legislative body’s own rules.

Venezuelan Migrants Set Sights on U.S. After Finding Hardship in Colombia

Juan Forero and Kejal Vyas, The Wall Street Journal

Obstacles to getting legal residency in Colombia are prompting thousands of Venezuelans to U.S. as Title 42 ends.

Colombia doubles down on shift away from oil and mining

Joe Daniels, Financial Times 

Colombia wants to restore industries such as textiles, fertilisers and metalworking as it seeks to cut its account deficit and wean the country off oil and mining, Bogotá’s new finance minister said.

Sudan’s death toll rises as warring sides continue talks

Noha Elhennawy, The Associated Press

The death toll from the ongoing clashes in Sudan has risen to 604 people, including civilians, the U.N. health agency said on Tuesday. The new figures come as representatives of the warring parties are holding talks in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia, Syria restore diplomatic ties after nearly a decade

AFP via France24 

Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad cemented his return to the Arab fold Tuesday when leading Sunni power Saudi Arabia, which long supported Syria’s opposition, said its diplomats would resume work in the country.

U.S. eyes Mideast-India transport network to counter China

Yukihiro Sakaguchi, Nikkei Asia 

Saudi Arabia joins talks with Washington following Beijing-brokered detente with Iran.

Sudan conflict delivers fresh blow to China’s African lending strategy

James Kynge and Andres Schipani, Financial Times 

Beijing’s loans to Sudan at risk as Chinese lenders hit by series of defaults across continent.

Saudi-backed group explores launch of English news channel to rival Al Jazeera

Daniel Thomas and Ivan Levingston, Financial Times 

Gulf kingdom aims to expand its media influence around the world.

As more women forgo the hijab, Iran’s government pushes back

Nasser Karimi and Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

Billboards across Iran’s capital proclaim that women should wear their mandatory headscarves to honor their mothers. But perhaps for the first time since the chaotic days following Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, more women — both young and old — choose not to do so.

Trump Loss in Sexual-Abuse Case Casts Another Legal Cloud Over 2024 Bid

Alex Leary and Lindsay Wise, The Wall Street Journal

Former president to hold CNN town hall as verdict draws mixed GOP reaction.

Canada ‘will not be intimidated’ by China, PM Trudeau says

Al Jazeera 

Canada-China relations hit a new low amid tit-for-tat diplomat expulsions linked to alleged Chinese interference.

Florida’s Ron DeSantis signs bills limiting Chinese land ownership, TikTok at schools

Robert Delaney, South China Morning Post 

Citing a threat from China, the governor moved to curb real estate purchases by Chinese nationals and ban Chinese apps from school and government servers

US inflation expected to have remained stubbornly high in April 

Nicholas Megaw, Financial Times 

CPI forecast to have risen 5% in test of Fed’s efforts to tame price pressures.