You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

Hello, I'm Oliver Conway.

This edition is published in the early hours of Saturday the 13th of May.

The boss of the Russian mercenary group Vagna accuses the regular army of fleeing a Ukrainian

advance near Bachmout, saying they'd been routed.

So has the Ukrainian counteroffensive started.

Pope Francis has again criticised couples who have pets rather than children.

He said that the practice is a denial of fatherhood and motherhood and diminishes us.

It takes away our humanity.

And Mexico says it will only allow a thousand people a day to be deported into its

territory from the US after an American rule change at the border.

Also in the podcast, the desperate situation facing residents trapped in Sudan,

nearly a month into a brutal battle between two warring generals and disappointment

for Taylor Swift fans.

Stay tuned to hear why.

It was only a few days ago that President Vladimir Zelensky told the BBC that Ukraine

was not yet ready to launch its much anticipated counteroffensive, as it was still waiting

for some supplies.

However, Ukrainian attacks around the battlefield city of Bachmout have already pushed back

some Russian forces.

Ukraine says its troops have advanced about two kilometres.

After first denying it, Russia later admitted that some of its soldiers had indeed

...