WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Assassination suspect caught, a plan for the driving test backlog, and the missing link-up

 
today's international story

Uzbek man held over killing of Russian general

What happened
A citizen from Uzbekistan has been detained and has confessed to the bombing that killed a senior Russian general in Moscow, according to Russia's Federal Security Services.

Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, who was the head of Russia's radiation, chemical and biological protection forces, was killed on Tuesday by a bomb hidden in an electric scooter outside his apartment building. Responsibility for the assassination was subsequently claimed by Ukraine's security service.

Who said what
The suspect has been identified by Russia's Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies as Akhmad Kurbanov of Uzbekistan. The FSB has not yet formally identified the man, but said he was born in 1995 and was recruited by Ukraine's security service.

Yesterday the FSB published a video of the suspect's interrogation. Speaking directly to the camera, the man says in Russian that he was offered $100,000 (£79,500) and a European passport in exchange for killing Kirillov. According to the BBC, "it is unclear whether the suspect's confession was made under duress".

What next?
Killing Kirillov "sends a message, but doesn't change the war", said Michael Schwirtz in The New York Times. It will "enrage the Kremlin and spread a degree of fear among the country's military and political elites", but on the battlefield "Ukraine's forces continue to steadily lose ground".

 
 
today's crime story

Judge enters not guilty pleas for 'mute' Southport suspect

What happened
Not guilty pleas have been entered for Southport stabbing suspect Axel Rudakubana, who has been charged with the murder of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.

Who said what
Rudakubana refused to speak during his appearance via video link at Liverpool Crown Court so the judge, Justice Goose, entered not guilty pleas on his behalf. Justice Goose said Rudakubana was "mute of malice", which is a "legal term for a defendant who wilfully refuses to speak", explained the BBC.

Adjourning the case, the judge said: “Axel Rudakubana, I don't need you to reply. Your trial will now take place on 20 January."

What next?
In total Rudakubana has been charged with 16 offences, including charges relating to the production of the biological toxin ricin and the alleged possession of an Al Qaeda training manual. The trial is expected to last up to four weeks.

 
 
Today's transport story

The plan to tackle the driving test backlog

What happened
The government is to recruit hundreds of driving examiners in a bid to cut the current "sky-high" waiting times for tests.

Due to a backlog from Covid, the number of driving tests taken reached a record level in the 12 months to the end of March, according to figures released by the Department for Transport.

Who said what
Future of Roads Minister Lilian Greenwood said passing a driving test was "a life-changing opportunity for millions", but "sky-high waiting times for tests in recent years have denied that opportunity to too many people".

What next?
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has now set out a seven-point plan to tackle the long delays that includes recruiting and training 450 driving examiners and increasing the period for changing or cancelling a test without financial loss from three to 10 working days prior in order to discourage last-minute cancellations.

 
 

It's not all bad

Pakistan and the Bahamas have joined a coalition of 16 nations backing a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty to equitably phase out coal, oil and gas. The treaty aims to halt fossil fuel expansion, with wealthier nations transitioning first. Pakistan, the first South Asian country to engage with the expanding coalition, emphasised the need for financial and technical support for vulnerable nations. "Momentum is growing," said The Guardian, with formal treaty negotiations expected next year, marking a step towards addressing the climate crisis.

 
 
under the radar

Scientists discover the missing link-up

Scientists have long agreed that early humans mated with Neanderthals, but a pair of recent studies have shed light on when exactly this DNA mixing occurred. Such a revelation could help geneticists learn more about our past and, crucially, our future.

The studies, published earlier this month in the journals Science and Nature, provide information about the timelines of Neanderthal and early human interactions, and reveal that ancient interbreeding left strands in modern DNA that can still be seen today. The fact that Neanderthals and early humans interbred has been known since the first Neanderthal genome was sequenced in 2010, but these studies suggest the interactions happened more recently than scientists once thought.

Researchers for the Science study "analysed genomes from 275 present-day and 59 prehistoric humans who lived between 2,200 and 45,000 years ago", said The Washington Post, determining that "Neanderthals and humans interbred for 7,000 years, starting about 50,500 years ago".

The new studies show that we may have this interbreeding to thank for modern immunity. Neanderthal genes "could have been crucial to our success by protecting us from new diseases we hadn't previously encountered," said the BBC. This Neanderthal DNA might have given us "better adaptive capabilities outside of Africa", Professor Chris Stringer, of London's Natural History Museum, told the outlet. Early humans "had evolved in Africa, whereas the Neanderthals had evolved outside of Africa", and "by interbreeding with the Neanderthals we got a quick fix to our immune systems".

 
 
on this day

19 December 1997

James Cameron's "Titanic", starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, was released. The award-winning movie of the "unsinkable" ship went on to become the third-highest grossing film of all time (when adjusted for inflation) and is the only entry in the top 20 US box office films released before 2000.

 
 
Today's newspapers

The European Court of Human Rights has allowed a "heroin kingpin" to stay in the UK, says The Telegraph, after the court chose not to deport a "Turkish crime boss" who is "one of Britain's biggest drug dealers", as it would breach his human rights. The Times leads on the prospect of UK soldiers being sent to Ukraine to help with training. "Protest grows for Starmer after 'betrayal' of Waspi women" says The i Paper, reporting that Labour MPs have warned the prime minister that they are ready to defy the government over its decision.

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Reproductive science takes off

Scientists unsure of how humans might survive long-term in space are putting their eggs in an unusual basket: freeze-dried mouse sperm, stored aboard the International Space Station. Scientists at the University of Yamanashi's Advanced Biotechnology Centre will eventually study them to ascertain whether they can be used to create healthy offspring. "Our aim is to establish a system for safely and permanently preserving the Earth's genetic resources somewhere in space," said Teruhiko Wakayama, "so that life can be revived even if the Earth faces catastrophic destruction."

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Jamie Timson, Harriet Marsden, Justin Klawans and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Sefa Karacan / Anadolu / Getty Images; Christopher Furlong / Getty Images; Sturti / Getty Images.