Reuters World News - Has Ukraine’s counter offensive begun?

Episode Date: June 5, 2023

Russia says it’s thwarted a major Ukrainian attack in the Donetsk region – is this the long-promised counter-offensive? Saudi Arabia pledges big oil cuts in July. Plus, the ancient statues found after a tipoff from a garbage man, and smiling lessons in Japan after COVID mask-wearing declines. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt-out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Russia says it's thwarted a major Ukrainian attack. Saudi Arabia delivers a lollipop as it pledges big oil cuts. And the ancient Roman treasures unearthed with the help of a garbage man. Plus the latest on that late-night D.C. plane chase that shook the capital. This is Reuters World News, with everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, every weekday. I'm Kim Vinal in London. We start in the Donetsk region, where Russia says it has thwarted a major Ukrainian offensive. It says it's killed hundreds of pro-Kyiv troops.

Russia's defense ministry said Ukraine attacked with mechanized and tank battalions in southern Donetsk. It's not immediately clear whether this represents the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. Kiev has been promising for months to recapture territory taken by Russian forces. News editor at large Mike Collette White is monitoring events as they unfold. Mike, what do we know? The Russians are claiming 250 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed, several tanks destroyed. Of course, the big question then is, is this the beginning of the much-vaunted counter-offensive,

which the Ukrainians have been promising for many months? And the answer is, we just don't know. What's almost as interesting as what the Russians are saying is that there's absolute radio silence on the Ukrainian side. They have completely refused to comment. We've tried several times. The only response we've been given was the defense minister Alexei Reznikov was quoting from a Depeche Mode song and a very cryptic message on social media, which includes the words. Words are very unnecessary. They can only do harm. So that's it so far. We'll have all the latest from the ground as it happens. Download the Reuters app to keep up.

Now to breaking news around the world. A sonic boom shakes Washington, D.C. as the US scrambled fighter jets to chase a light aircraft. The plane with the unresponsive pilot violated D.C. airspace, leading to the late-night chase that rocked the capital. The plane crashed into the mountains of Virginia. No survivors were found. Trains in India have resumed running at the disaster spot just two days after the country's deadliest rail crash in decades. Sanjeev Miglani is our South Asia regional news editor. The government has promised in the next some kind of report in the next week or two. India has had its safety records issue in the railways in the past, but over the last 15 years, things have improved dramatically. But yeah, this is a certain.

come back with a ferocity that was pretty intense. The U.S. Navy has released a video of what it called an unsafe interaction in the Taiwan straight, showing a Chinese warship crossing in front of a U.S. destroyer. China's military rebuked the United States and Canada for deliberately provoking risk after the country's navies staged a rear joint sailing in the area. Meanwhile, Hong Kong police have detained scores of people as authorities tightened secure for the anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Restrictions have stifled Hong Kong's once large vigils,

marking the bloody crackdown by Chinese troops on pro-democracy demonstrators in 1989. Saudi Arabia have pledged big oil cuts in July, on top of a broader OPEC-plus deal. Our energy editor, Dmitri Jadhanakov is here. Dmitri, what's this Saudi lollipop? They always find some funny names to describe their action, But actually, their actions are always about supporting the oil price.

But essentially, the Saudi budget needs a price of oil of $80 per barrel. And lately, the prices have decreased to 70. So it's very worrisome for the Saudis. So they decided to take a unilateral cut of oil production, amounting to around 10%. How are markets reacting? Well, the markets are reacting in quite a modest way. Yesterday, everyone had been predicting a rally, but today oil prices are up only by slightly over a dollar, which is not a big deal when prices trade at $77 per barrel.

Essentially, the market is still wondering whether supply will tighten enough in the next few months because U.S. production keeps on growing and there are still signs of demand weakness in China. Preserved in mud for thousands of years and found with the help of a retired garbage. man. One of Italy's most astonishing archaeological finds, two dozen bronze statues left as offerings for good health at a spa. Alvizi Amalini in Rome saw the treasures ahead of them going on display in Rome. So what makes this discovery so remarkable? Discovery is remarkable just for the sheer size of it. It's 24 bronze statues from ancient Roman and Etruscan times, about 2,000 years of They stretch from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century AD.

It's also unique to have bronze statues from this area because normally they are extremely rare because they normally get fused to be reused for other purposes. And it's also extraordinarily rare to find them all in the original spot where they were originally laid by our ancestors. What does the garbage man have to do with it? The village garbage man was instrumental. he had the idea to alert the archaeologists to come round and look at a wall that couldn't be seen from the street.

And within this wall, there were bits of Roman columns built into it. But the man knew about them because he used to go into this garden which belonged to a dead friend of his. The man was the village greengrocer. So once the archaeologists went there, they started digging and underneath the vegetable garden found the shrine that was part of the ancient spa complex and inside the shrine all the statues and coins from 2000 years ago, which are now going on display in Rome. What else does the findings tell us about the people of the time? It kind of gives us an insight into how these people live the nexus between religions, spirituality and health because it shows how they would

turn to the gods looking for their recovery. with offerings that seem strange to our modern eyes. Some of the findings include pine kernels, a lock of hair, eggshells, which were apparently stuck on these bronze statues. Japan's government changed guidance back in March to make mask wearing up to the individual. But some people say they've used masks for so long that they've literally forgotten how to smile. Anton Bridge went to a smile education class in Tokyo for those trying to relearn the skill.

The session that we dropped in on basically consisted of an introduction to the personal and social benefits of smiling, how it's related to mood and health, what impact it can have on people around you. Before getting into a series of physiotherapy style exercises designed to stimulate, stretch, strengthen the facial muscles that are involved in smiling, with a view to getting closer to the perfect smile. The sorts of exercises that people are doing are made up of a range of stretches

that can include puffing cheeks, some strength work holding your mouth in place for different lengths of time. Egaoiku founder Keiko Kauauno had been working on radio and she noticed that when she left her job, her face muscles dropped a little and it was more difficult to produce a smile. So she looked into it, trying to find the causes of what makes you smile,

did some more research into what smiles do for you and for other people, health-wise, etc. So Kawanor has seen a surge in demand for her services since the government lifted its advice for mask wearing in public places and leaving it up to individuals. A lot of people in her classes report not having used the muscles, having spent a lot of time behind masks, feeling quite comfortable being behind Mars and now basically trying to relearn some of those practices. And at the same time, then, also learn some of the things that come with it.

So learning a bit more about the impact that a smile has on other people. That's it for this edition of Reuters World News. We'll be back tomorrow. To get all our shows in your podcast feed, make sure to follow us on your favourite platform or download the Reuters app.