World News Roundup: Ukraine hopes for grain exports breakthrough as Istanbul talks resume; Sri Lankan president flees to the Maldives, protesters storm prime minister's office and more

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Biden will make the case for greater oil production from OPEC nations to bring down gasoline prices when he meets Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia this week. Veteran Hong Kong activist jailed for unlawful assembly A Hong Kong court sentenced a 66-year-old activist known as "Grandma Wong" to eight months' imprisonment on Wednesday, in the second jailing of a veteran Hong Kong democracy campaigner in as many days.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs.

Ukraine hopes for grain exports breakthrough as Istanbul talks resume

Ukraine said on Wednesday that a deal to resume grain exports blocked by Russia appeared very close as four-way talks prepared to resume, raising hopes of an end to a standoff that has exposed millions to the risk of starvation. More than 20 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain are stuck in silos at the Black Sea port of Odesa and dozens of ships have been stranded due to Russia's blockade, part of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine but which Kyiv and the West say is an unjustified war of aggression.

Sri Lankan president flees to the Maldives, protesters storm prime minister's office

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives on Wednesday, bringing to an apparent end his family's near two-decade dominance of the country after a massive popular uprising brought on by an economic collapse. But his decision to leave his ally Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in charge as acting president triggered more demonstrations, with protesters storming the premier's office demanding that he go too.

U.S. calls for immediate halt to Russian deportations in Ukraine

The United States called on Russia to immediately release Ukrainians it has forced out of their home country and allow outside observers, citing reports Moscow was putting Ukrainian children up for adoption and "disappearing" thousands of others. "The unlawful transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and is a war crime," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.

Belarus jails journalist for eight years on treason charge

A Belarusian court sentenced a journalist to eight years in jail for treason on Wednesday, handing her a new prison term on top of one she was already serving on protest charges, the Vesna-96 human rights group said. Katsiaryna Andreyeva, 28, a journalist for Polish broadcaster Belsat TV, was arrested when reporting on mass protests in Minsk in 2020 and was sentenced to two years in jail for organising mass unrest, a charge she denied.

Biden lands in Israel at start of high-stakes Middle East visit

U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Israel on Wednesday, kicking off a high-stakes trip to the Middle East dominated by efforts to persuade Gulf allies to pump more oil and bring Israel and Saudi Arabia closer together. Biden will spend two days in Jerusalem for talks with Israeli leaders before meeting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday in the occupied West Bank.

Eight hopefuls wanting to be next UK PM face first vote to narrow field

Conservative lawmakers will vote on Wednesday to narrow the field of eight candidates hoping to succeed Boris Johnson as party leader and prime minister, in an increasingly fractious contest marked by the hopefuls trading barbs. Three of the 11 initial challengers for the premiership fell away on Tuesday after failing to secure enough support from their colleagues, but the contest remains crowded.

Italy's government faces collapse if 5-Star pulls out

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi's broad coalition government faced the risk of collapse if the 5-Star Movement carried out its threat to pull out, raising the prospect of an early election. Senior figures in 5-Star, led by former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, were meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to remain in the coalition, having issued a series of policy demands ahead of a vote of confidence on Thursday.

Kremlin hopes Biden will not seek to turn Saudi Arabia against Russia

The Kremlin said on Wednesday that it hoped President Joe Biden's visit to Saudi Arabia would not be used to try to foster anti-Russian relations, just as the United States seeks to convince Riyadh to boost oil production amid soaring prices. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Monday that Biden will make the case for greater oil production from OPEC nations to bring down gasoline prices when he meets Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia this week.

Veteran Hong Kong activist jailed for unlawful assembly

A Hong Kong court sentenced a 66-year-old activist known as "Grandma Wong" to eight months' imprisonment on Wednesday, in the second jailing of a veteran Hong Kong democracy campaigner in as many days. Alexandra Wong Fung-yiu had been charged with two counts of unlawful assembly from 2019, when millions had taken part in months of protracted pro-democracy protests against a perceived tightening of Chinese Communist Party control over the city.

China says it 'drove' away U.S. destroyer that sailed near disputed isles

A U.S. destroyer sailed near the disputed Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on Wednesday, drawing an angry reaction from Beijing, which said its military had "driven away" the ship after it illegally entered territorial waters. The United States regularly carries out what it calls Freedom of Navigation Operations in the South China Sea challenging what it says are restrictions on innocent passage imposed by China and other claimants.