WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Kerch Bridge strike, Thames Water woes, and how to create a healthy 'germier' home

 
today's international story

Ukraine strikes bridge connecting Russia to Crimea

What happened
Ukraine's security service, the SBU, has claimed responsibility for an underwater explosive attack on the Kerch Bridge that links Russia to occupied Crimea. This marks the third such strike on the key military supply route since the war began in 2022.

Who said what
"God loves the Trinity, and the SBU always sees things through to the end," said Vasyl Malyuk, the head of the SBU.

The bridge is a "hated symbol for Ukrainians", said the BBC. Vladimir Putin inaugurated the crossing point with great fanfare in 2018 and it serves as a key supply route for Russian forces in occupied areas of Ukraine. Consequently, it is "deeply symbolic" for Putin, said The New York Times.

What next?
The attack took place in the aftermath of peace talks in Istanbul on Monday at which Russia said it would only agree to end the war if Ukraine ceded significant additional territory and accepted restrictions on the size of its military – terms Kyiv has consistently rejected, saying they effectively amount to surrender.

Meanwhile, traffic on the Kerch Bridge was twice suspended yesterday before resuming in the evening. While the extent of the damage remains unclear, the attack is the latest example of "the SBU's attempts to blindside Moscow and demonstrate that there are costs to continuing its war", said CNN.

 
 
today's utilities story

Thames Water's future uncertain as investor exits

What happened
The survival hopes of Thames Water have suffered a fresh blow after US private equity firm KKR pulled out of a £4 billion rescue deal. The collapse of the agreement raises the risk that the UK's largest water supplier, already struggling with £19 billion in debt, could be placed under a government-managed Special Administration Regime. Thames Water, which services about a quarter of the UK population, had in March chosen KKR to inject urgently needed capital.

Who said what
The utility company called the news "disappointing", but said it would continue working with creditors on a last-ditch plan to avoid collapse. Environment Secretary Steve Reed told Parliament that the government was monitoring the situation and stood ready to intervene if necessary.

KKR pulling out represents a "major blow" to the company's hopes of securing its future, said the BBC. There are now very real "questions about the survival  of Thames Water", said Helia Ebrahimi on Channel 4 News. The withdrawal "raises the spectre of the government having to temporarily nationalise the UK's biggest water company".

What next?
Thames Water will now pursue a creditor-backed rescue plan. Water services will continue regardless of the outcome.

 
 
Today's research story

Coffee helps women 'age more healthily'

What happened
Regularly drinking coffee could help women maintain better mental and physical function in their later years, according to a long-running study. Women who consumed caffeinated coffee were significantly more likely to age well – defined as enjoying good bodily and cognitive health into the seventies and beyond – the research involving nearly 50,000 women over three decades found. The same link was not seen among decaffeinated coffee and tea drinkers in the results presented at the American Society for Nutrition's annual conference.

Who said what
The study's findings suggest that drinking coffee "may uniquely support ageing trajectories that preserve both mental and physical function", said Dr Sara Mahdavi, who led the research at Harvard University's TH Chan School of Public Health.

What next?
The study showed that women who had aged well into their 70s typically consumed an average of 315mg of caffeine a day, "roughly the equivalent of three small cups of coffee or one and a half large cups", said Sky News.

The research also lends weight to previous studies "showing coffee's potential role in lowering the risk of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers" in both women and men, said The Times.

 
 

It's not all bad

Bill Gates has pledged to donate most of his $200 billion fortune to improving health and education in Africa over the next 20 years. Speaking in Ethiopia, he said the focus would be on ending preventable deaths, eradicating infectious diseases and lifting millions out of poverty. His foundation will also support AI-driven innovations in healthcare and agriculture. Gates's announcement came just weeks after he publicly condemned the budget cuts to USAID by the Trump administration's Doge department, which he said were harmful to global health efforts.

 
 
under the radar

How to create a healthy 'germier' home

House-proud types may find this hard to process, but "germier" homes can actually be great for our health.

Although some bacteria and viruses are clearly bad news, the "vast majority of these microbes are harmless or actually beneficial", said The Washington Post, so some families are taking steps to welcome them through their doors.

We don't just share our home with "family or pets", said Samuel J. White and Philippe B. Wilson on The Conversation, we also exist alongside "millions of invisible microbes". House dust alone is "home to 9,000 different species".

This might sound terrifying, but exposure to a broad range of microbes can enhance our immune system, especially during childhood. The idea is "rooted in the hygiene hypothesis", which claims that early exposure to microbes helps train the immune system to "distinguish between harmful and harmless agents".

As our understanding deepens, there's "growing interest in intentionally shaping these microbial communities" in the home to "promote wellbeing".

Indoor plants can create a healthier environment because they nurture diverse microbial communities indoors. As long as you live in an area with good air quality, simply "opening the windows" can help, added The Washington Post, particularly if your home is within 500 yards of diverse plants, because plants and soil release immune-boosting microscopic organisms.

Buildings could be designed so they "naturally support a healthy microbiome", said White and Wilson. This could be done by using materials such as wood, which can harbour beneficial microbes, or by designing ventilation systems that enhance microbial diversity.

 
 
on this day

4 June 1913

English suffragette Emily Davison ran on to the racetrack during the Epsom Derby and was hit by King George V's horse. She died from her injuries four days later, a symbol of the struggle for women's rights. Yet the intention behind her actions – whether she wanted to martyr herself – is still disputed.

 
 
Today's newspapers

The UK will "stockpile military medical supplies for nuclear attacks", says The i Paper, after the Ministry of Defence was encouraged to "work closely with the NHS and military healthcare" for "the most extreme circumstances". At least 27 people were killed by Israeli fire as they waited for food at a distribution point in Gaza, says The Guardian, the "third such incident" in three days. "Now it's good weather to blame for boat surge!" says the Daily Express, after data from the Home Office data showed that the number of days with good weather conditions for migrants to cross the Channel this year has more than doubled.

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Macron's double takes a stand

A waxwork model of Emmanuel Macron has been stolen by environmental campaigners protesting about France’s business ties with Russia and climate change. The activists entered the Grevin museum as regular visitors, grabbed the statue and covered it with a blanket before rushing it out towards a waiting car, a Greenpeace spokesperson told Reuters. The waxwork then reappeared outside the Russian embassy, where the protest group criticised the French president's attitude towards companies that continue to do business with Russia.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Jamie Timson, Harriet Marsden, Sorcha Bradley, Ross Couzens and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Ukrainian Security Service; Leon Neal / Getty Images; Bryan Thomas / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images.