What happened
US forces have intercepted and taken control of an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman, escalating tensions days before a temporary truce is due to end. Donald Trump said the USS Spruance had fired on the vessel, disabling it before American forces boarded. He claimed that the ship was sanctioned due to past illicit conduct. Iranian media acknowledged an encounter, but said the country’s forces had driven the Americans back.

Who said what
Trump said the strike on the Iranian-flagged vessel Touska involved “blowing a hole” in the ship before troops secured it. The US president warned Iran: “We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL,” adding that if Tehran didn’t agree to terms, “the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge.”

What next?
A US delegation led by JD Vance is expected to head to Pakistan for talks, although Tehran has not confirmed its participation. For America’s negotiators, “the fate of the Strait (of Hormuz) is top of mind”, said The New York Times. The very fact that the two sides are meeting shows that “diplomacy with Iran is not yet over”, said The Independent’s editorial board, “but it’s hanging by a thread”.

What happened
Attacks on the Jewish community are “gathering momentum”, the chief rabbi has warned, after another arson attack was reported at a north-west London synagogue. The latest incident targeted the Kenton United Synagogue, where a window was smashed and a burning object thrown inside, causing smoke damage but no injuries. It follows similar incidents at Jewish sites in Finchley, Hendon and Golders Green.

Who said what
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis (pictured above) described the latest attack as “cowardly” and highlighted a “sustained campaign of violence and intimidation”. Keir Starmer said: “This is abhorrent and it will not be tolerated,” adding that policing would be stepped up in response to the incidents.

Counter-terrorism police are “investigating whether they are linked to a group with possible ties to Iran”, said Adriana Elgueta on the BBC. At a press briefing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the various incidents had similarities and been claimed online by a group called Ashab al‑Yamin al-Islamia, which had also said it was responsible for attacks on Jewish targets across Europe.

What next?
Police have increased patrols and deployed additional resources across affected areas.

India has an “entrenched culture of outsourcing household work”, according to Reuters, with domestic help traditionally organised through word of mouth and paid for in cash. But new apps are changing the practice and turning the system digital.

Start-ups like Urban Company, Pronto and Snabbit make up a “vast, largely unregulated market” that boasts an estimated 30 million domestic staff working in an Uber-like model, said the BBC.

The numbers are currently attractive for both clients and workers: companies are “betting big” to “lure busy professionals” with charges of less than 99 rupees (79p) an hour, said Reuters. And in a country with a per capita income of about £2,200, workers on these apps can see annual earnings reach £3,700 by working eight hours a day.

So far, so good. But the “craze” is “tempered by concerns” about women’s safety in a ⁠country with “high rates of sexual harassment”. Unlike delivery drivers who spend “just brief moments at doorsteps”, the workers may spend hours inside private homes, “exposing them to greater risks”, added Reuters.

Pronto and Snabbit have an SOS button within the app that alerts area supervisors in case of emergency. Pronto also offers self-defence training for workers. Urban Company says it offers a women-only safety helpline and an SOS app feature.

But a women’s rights activist noted that while the companies run extensive background checks on workers before hiring them, they don’t vet the credentials of customers, who can simply log in on apps to book home help.