U.S. to send precision rockets to Ukraine

The Reuters Daily Briefing Wednesday, June 1, 2022 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. Russian forces tighten their grip on the city of Sievierodonetsk, Shanghai revives after a two-month lockdown, and Singapore's national dish is under threat Today's biggest stories A police officer checks a home during an evacuation of local residents between shelling in the village of Antonivka, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, May 31, 2022. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva RUSSIA AND UKRAINE AT WAR Russian troops pressed their assault on a factory city targeted in their push to grab a swathe of eastern Ukraine, while the United States said it would supply advanced rockets to Kyiv to help it force Moscow to negotiate an end to the war. Ukraine's General Staff said Russian forces, now 98 days into their invasion, were pounding infrastructure in eastern and southern regions including the symbolically important industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, the main focus of Moscow's offensive in recent days. Russia sharply criticised the U.S. decision to supply advanced rocket systems and munitions, warning of an increased risk of a direct confrontation between the two superpowers. Meanwhile, Germany said it will supply Ukraine with the IRIS-T air defence system. Pope Francis appealed to authorities to lift a block on exports of wheat from Ukraine, saying the grain could not be used as a "weapon of war". Here's what you need to know about the conflict right now Children play outdoors at a riverside park in Shanghai, China, June 1, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song WORLD Shanghai sprung back to life after two months of bitter isolation under a ruthless COVID lockdown, with shops reopening and people going back to offices, parks and markets. At least 106 people have died and 10 are still missing in Brazil, the government said, as heavy rains tore through urban towns in the northeastern part of the country for a sixth consecutive day. At least three people were confirmed dead and at least five others reported missing after record-breaking storm Agatha battered southern Mexico. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing the growing threat of a confidence vote as two more lawmakers suggested they had lost faith in his government over the 'partygate' scandal and a former party leader said he could be challenged next week. Here's how Johnson could be ousted. Turkish police clashed with protesters around Istanbul's main Taksim Square and 170 people were detained as they gathered to mark the anniversary of nationwide anti-government demonstrations that began nine years ago in nearby Gezi Park. U.S. The U.S. Supreme Court blocked a Texas law that bars large social media companies from banning or censoring users based on "viewpoint," siding with two technology industry groups that have argued that the Republican-backed measure would turn platforms into "havens of the vilest expression imaginable." Two Black Minneapolis residents filed federal civil rights lawsuits against Derek Chauvin, the white former police officer convicted of murdering George Floyd, alleging he had dealt with them similarly in the past. Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin lost her bid to have the judge who oversaw her unsuccessful defamation lawsuit against the New York Times disqualify himself and order a new trial. Bill Cosby's civil trial on allegations that he assaulted a woman when she was a teenager in the mid-1970s is scheduled to begin in Santa Monica, California, though the former actor is not planning to attend. Jurors considering the opposing lawsuits from actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard deliberated for hours without reaching a verdict in the multimillion-dollar defamation fight that aired unsettling details about their troubled marriage. BUSINESS U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that she was wrong in the past about the path inflation would take, but said taming price hikes is President Joe Biden's top priority and he supports the Federal Reserve's actions to achieve that. Manufacturing growth in the euro zone slowed last month as factories faced supply shortages, high prices and a fall in demand, according to a survey which suggested consumers were switching their spending to tourism and recreation. A scorching rally in U.S. energy shares has left investors facing a tough decision: hold on despite growing worries that global growth will slow or lock in profits in one of the few areas of the stock market that has thrived this year. Singapore is bracing for a shortage of its de-facto national dish, chicken rice, as major supplier Malaysia halts all chicken exports amid a global feed shortage. Restaurants and street stalls in the city-state are faced with hiking prices of the staple food or shutting down altogether. U.S. investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has agreed a $1.3 billion deal to buy Italian soccer champions AC Milan and is aiming to challenge the elite of the European game again. Quote of the day "To quote Charles Dickens: it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" Asoka Woehrmann Outgoing CEO Head of Deutsche Bank's DWS steps down after 'greenwashing' raids Video of the day Goat-shaped robot helps transport heavy loads Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries has developed its first quadruped robot that it believes can help with labor shortages in the country's aging society. And finally… Nadal beats Djokovic in epic clash Talk of an end to Rafael Nadal's reign proved premature once again as the claycourt king stayed on course for a record-extending men's 22nd Grand Slam title by beating arch rival Novak Djokovic in a vintage French Open quarter-final clash. More from Reuters COVID The Great Reboot Sustainable Business Legal News Breakingviews Thanks for spending part of your day with us. You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036