WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
Welfare cuts rebellion, US-Iran talks, and how military service works for K-pop idols

 
today's politics story

No. 10 preparing concessions amid welfare cuts rebellion

What happened
Downing Street is ready to negotiate with Labour MPs in a bid to quell a revolt over the government's proposed welfare reforms. More than 120 Labour MPs are expected to support an amendment that would effectively kill the bill, which seeks to tighten eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and alter health-related top-ups to Universal Credit.

Who said what
Keir Starmer has defended the bill as a necessary step to create a "fairer and more efficient" welfare system, insisting the reforms align with Labour values. Speaking at the Nato summit, he brushed off internal criticism as "noises off", claiming his party remained "pretty united".

But there remains "division at the top of government over how to stem the growing anger", said The Guardian. Meanwhile, some rebels are calling for "regime change", according to The Times, with several demanding the head of Starmer's top aide Morgan McSweeney as well as those of other advisers.

What next?
Starmer flew back to the UK from the Nato summit yesterday with the "biggest rebellion of his premiership awaiting him at home", said The Telegraph. Concessions – likely to include adjustments to the PIP assessment criteria – are expected to be announced by tomorrow. Party whips hope this will defuse the issue before Tuesday's vote, but many MPs remain determined to oppose the bill unless substantial changes are made.

 
 
today's international story

Trump says US will hold talks with Iran 'next week'

What happened
Donald Trump has announced that American and Iranian officials are expected to meet next week, raising cautious hopes for renewed diplomacy as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran continues to hold. Iran has yet to confirm any upcoming talks.

Who said what
Trump declared the war between Israel and Iran "done", and claimed that US air strikes had "obliterated" Tehran's nuclear capability. Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei accused Washington of "torpedoing diplomacy", while US envoy Steve Witkoff said "direct and indirect" communication was already underway.

While announcing the talks, Trump "cast doubt on the need to iron out a deal with Tehran about its nuclear program", said The New York Times. The US president has continued to insist that the US attacks "obliterated" Iran's nuclear facilities despite a leaked Pentagon assessment indicating that core components of the program remain intact. Meanwhile, Israel and Iran have "moved to restore a sense of normalcy after nearly two weeks of Israeli air strikes".

What next?
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi has urged Iran to resume inspections and called the ceasefire an opportunity for diplomacy. Trump's team is aiming for a broader peace agreement, although the level of distrust between the parties remains high.

 
 
Today's crime story

UK paedophile charged over Disneyland 'child wedding'

What happened
The British man who has been charged in connection with a "mock wedding" to a nine-year-old girl at Disneyland Paris is a convicted paedophile. Jacky Jhaj, 39, appeared in a French courtroom on Monday charged with fraud, breach of trust, money laundering and identity theft. It has since emerged that he was found guilty of sexual activity with two underage girls in 2016.

Who said what
Jhaj was arrested after "park staff alerted authorities when they saw the child playing the role of the bride", said The Independent.

The YouTuber has "repeatedly staged productions involving children or young people", said the BBC. In one instance Jhaj hired "hundreds of children" as extras for a fake film premiere in Leicester Square in 2023, some of whom told the broadcaster they "had been asked to scream for him and try to touch him".

What next?
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that it was "in contact" with French authorities over a 39-year-old man wanted "for breaching a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and a breach of a Sex Offenders' Register notification requirement".

 
 

It's not all bad

The gates to Glastonbury 2025 have officially opened, welcoming more than 200,000 festival goers to Worthy Farm for a weekend of music and celebration. Festival founder Michael Eavis, soon to turn 90, joined daughter Emily in kicking things off with brass band fanfare. This year's headline acts include The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo, while Rod Stewart takes the legendary Sunday slot. Despite patchy weather, the atmosphere reportedly remains buoyant as fans arrive eager to, quite literally, soak it all in.

 
 
under the radar

How military service works for K-pop idols

Suga, a member of the K-pop mega band BTS, has been discharged from South Korea's mandatory national service – the last of the seven boy band members to finish their military duties. This is nothing less than a "momentous occasion" for the group's zealous fans, said The Independent, marking the end of a two-and-a-half-year break in the band's career.

All able-bodied South Korean men aged 18 to 28 are legally obliged to carry out 18 to 21 months of military service. This is a "source of grievance" for many young men, said the BBC, as they "begrudge it for taking them away" from their education, jobs and friends. There were initially questions about whether the members of BTS, the world's most successful boy band, would join the military or if they might receive an exemption.

At the Yeoncheon boot camp, where band member Jin began training in 2022, life isn't easy. Cadets told the BBC that the challenges included being "sealed in a gas chamber" – to experience the effects of tear gas – and detonating a live grenade.

Titles like "special warrior", "elite trainee" or "platoon leader" are given to soldiers who "excel in areas such as shooting, endurance, discipline or leadership", said the SportsKeeda news site. And V, Jin, j-hope and Jimin earned some of these "high-performance" honours, which suggested that they reached an "outstanding" level of performance.

But K-pop has "changed" while they've been away, added the BBC, so whether they can continue their success in the music industry is another question. Military service has proved "fatal" for some celebrity careers, but "if anyone can break the curse" it's BTS, said Kim Young-dae, music critic and author of "BTS: The Review".

 
 
on this day

26 June 1997

J.K. Rowling's debut novel "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" was first published in London. It has since sold more than 120 million copies. The series was adapted into one of history's most lucrative film franchises and HBO recently announced the cast of its hotly anticipated TV adaptation.

 
 
Today's newspapers

Keir Starmer is "in denial" about the scale of Labour MPs' welfare rebellion, says The Guardian, but The Telegraph says the prime minister is "set to back down on benefits". The "rebel MPs" want "regime change", reports The Times, as a "ringleader" MP tells the broadsheet they "hoped the revolt would lead to a clear-out of staff in Downing Street". "From Russia with shove", says The Sun, reporting a suggestion that Vladimir Putin "is pushing migrants to the UK" to "overwhelm border defences and sow division".

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Teacher's pet

A cat in Glasgow has been commended by the head of a local primary school for its "100% attendance" record. Kiki has gained praise for following 10-year-old Sonny and his friends to school every day – before waiting in the playground and then following them home. The two-year-old moggie has been nominated in the Connected Cats category of the National Cat Awards 2025. The judges praised Kiki for not only bringing the school community together, but for providing an important talking point and helping the children learn about cats and how to treat them.

 
 

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

Image credits, from top: Pierre Crom / Getty Images; Anna Moneymaker / Pool / Getty Images; Toni Anne Barson Archive / WireImage / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images.