Trump's 60-day Iran war deadline expires with no deal as he threatens to bomb Oman

Background

The UK job market has been cooling. Fewer companies are hiring than they were a few years ago. The Office for National Statistics tracks how many job openings exist at any given time.

What happened

Job vacancies fell to 707,000 in the May-to-July period. This is the lowest number in more than five years. Small businesses said they are cutting back on hiring due to labour costs and operating costs. The unemployment rate stayed at 4.9%.

Why it matters

Fewer job openings means more people competing for each position. Job seekers may have a harder time finding work. For now the unemployment rate has not risen much, but people looking for jobs will likely face more competition.

Background

The Trump administration has threatened to impose 50% tariffs on about $20 billion worth of Canadian imports. The tariffs are set to take effect on Wednesday. This would make Canadian goods much more costly for US buyers.

What happened

Canadian negotiators have spent a week in Washington trying to reach a deal before the deadline. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the talks are "very delicate and intense." He refused to share details on Monday, saying it is not the time to negotiate in public.

Why it matters

Higher tariffs on Canadian goods typically raise prices for Americans who buy them. If the tariffs go through, costs could go up on many everyday items. The deal talks suggest this outcome is not certain yet.

Background

Disabled people in England currently get free bus passes. But there are limits on when they can use them. On weekdays, the passes only work between 9:30am and 11pm. Some councils pay extra to remove those limits, but most do not. About one million people have these passes.

What happened

Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the weekday limits will end on April 1, 2027. Disabled people will then ride free on local buses at any time, day or night. Burnham introduced this policy when he led Greater Manchester. He is now applying it across all of England.

Why it matters

The change helps people with disabilities who work late shifts or want to travel in the evening. It also helps them attend events after 11pm. For people on tight budgets, removing these barriers makes it easier to get around. The move is part of the government's effort to reduce living costs.

Background

The United States is in a military conflict with Iran. A 60-day window to negotiate a peace deal between the two countries has now expired. Oman, a neighboring country in the Middle East, has been working as a mediator to help both sides reach an agreement.

What happened

President Trump responded to the expired deadline by lashing out at U.S. allies on Monday. He threatened to bomb Oman for its role in mediating the negotiations. Trump also called for military exercises with South Korea to be reduced, citing South Korea's refusal to join the war as a reason.

Why it matters

The failed deadline means the path to ending this conflict remains unclear. Trump's threats toward allies and pressure on countries to join the war could reshape U.S. relationships and pull more nations into the conflict. This affects where American military resources go and which countries stand with the U.S.

Background

The US and South Korea have run joint military exercises together for decades. These drills are a core part of their military alliance. Trump has sought closer ties with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, and that shift is now changing how the US plans military moves in the region.

What happened

Trump ordered the Pentagon to cut back this week's joint drills with South Korea. He said North Korea has been "unthreatening and respectful" and cited his "very good" ties with Kim Jong Un. Trump also noted that South Korea had declined to join the US in efforts to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons.

Why it matters

Scaling back these exercises worries US military officials. They warn that North Korea is learning new battle tactics while helping Russia fight in Ukraine. South Korea's president is now pushing to control his own military during wartime instead of relying on US coordination.

Background

Germany has become a staging post for smugglers. Criminal networks buy and store boats and equipment there. They move them west to launch crossings toward the English Channel. This spring, Germany passed a new law. It gave police stronger powers to raid suspected smuggler bases.

What happened

The UK, France, and Germany launched a joint operation. German police raided suspected smuggler locations in North Rhine-Westphalia. They seized more than 9,000 life jackets. They seized dozens of dinghies with engines and 360 pumps. The seized boats could have carried more than 2,000 migrants across the Channel illegally.

Why it matters

Disrupting smuggling operations in Germany makes the route harder and more expensive. This could reduce dangerous boat journeys. The cooperation between three countries shows they are treating the issue as a shared problem. For now this affects the supply of boats available to smugglers.

Background

Schools require kindergarteners to get certain vaccines, including measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). When rates stay around 95 percent, communities have enough protection to stop disease outbreaks. Vaccination rates in the US were at that level in the 2019–2020 school year but have been slipping ever since.

What happened

The CDC released data Monday on vaccination rates for the 2025–2026 school year. Only 92.4 percent of kindergartners got the MMR vaccine. That is down from 92.5 percent the year before.

Why it matters

As rates fall below 95 percent, more children stay unprotected. Infants and people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons also become vulnerable to outbreaks. The US is moving further from the protection level that stops measles and related diseases from spreading.

Background

Attention shapes how we sense pain and discomfort. Focusing away from an injury can ease what we feel. Scientists wanted to know if this mental control goes deeper. Could attention affect the body's immune response itself, not just what we notice?

What happened

Researchers ran three planned experiments with volunteers. They gave each person mild skin inflammation. Some focused on their sensations. Others distracted themselves. Those who focused had smaller immune responses. The effect was strong. About 90 percent of people showed it.

Why it matters

Your mind may help control how your body reacts to injury or illness. This could change how doctors think about pain and healing. For now, the finding is new and needs more testing before doctors use it.

Background

Apple sends alerts to customers when it suspects spyware attacks. Spyware is software designed to secretly monitor devices. Norm covered the initial notifications on August 14, when Apple alerted users in 110 countries about suspected attacks. This week, an unprecedented number of customers reported receiving these alerts.

What happened

Apple sent out a new batch of threat notifications on Friday. The alerts reached customers in 110 countries. Users reported receiving the warnings over the weekend. The alerts warned that iPhones, iPads, or Macs might be compromised with government-grade malware.

Why it matters

If you get such an alert, Apple suggests reviewing your device security. You should also change passwords for important accounts. These notifications are rare and signal a serious threat. Most people will not see these alerts, but those who do should take them seriously.

Background

GitLab is a platform that helps developers build and manage code projects. It comes in two versions: Community Edition, which is free, and Enterprise Edition for larger organizations. GitLab released an emergency security patch on August 17, 2026, outside its normal schedule.

What happened

A critical flaw in GitLab's GraphQL system could let attackers delete or change public projects and user data without logging in. The flaw, tracked as CVE-2026-19478, was rated 9.4 in severity. Only self-managed installations, where teams run GitLab on their own servers, need to update.

Why it matters

If you run GitLab on your own servers, attackers could wipe out your projects and data without any credentials. If you use GitLab's hosted version instead, you are not at risk from this particular flaw.