Ship attacked near Strait of Hormuz

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday calling for fewer childhood vaccinations, limiting core federal guidance to immunisations against 11 diseases. Trump stated the adjustments would offer children “gold-standard” protection while bringing US policies in line with foreign nations that recommend fewer routine shots. The executive directive advises breaking up the combined measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine into three distinct doses administered across separate clinical visits. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has long advocated for reductions in the pediatric vaccine schedule. Medical researchers and global health bodies have repeatedly debunked claims championed by Kennedy alleging a causal link between routine childhood vaccines and autism. The American Academy of Pediatrics and pharmaceutical manufacturer Merck sharply criticised the executive action. “We are evaluating our next steps,” stated Richard Hughes IV, lead legal counsel for the American Academy of Pediatrics. Merck noted there is no published scientific evidence demonstrating clinical advantages to unbundling the MMR vaccine, warning the mandate could induce delayed or skipped immunisations. Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, a practicing physician, publicly broke with the administration over the decree. “I’m a doctor. This executive order is wrong. The president does not have the expertise to make these changes,” Cassidy said. Cassidy cautioned that unbundling combination shots will force children to endure a higher volume of individual injections to secure identical protection.

At least seven people were killed and 15 others injured after a student opened fire at a school near Thailand’s capital Bangkok on Friday. The suspected shooter was among those killed after turning the weapon on himself, according to police. The incident took place at Debsirin Nonthaburi School in Nonthaburi province, northwest of Bangkok. Students rushed out of the school as emergency teams arrived at the scene. Several wounded people were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Teachers and students were reportedly among those killed and injured. A student at the school said he initially mistook the sound of gunfire for firecrackers or someone hitting an object. He later realised that several shots had been fired. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul described the incident as a terrible tragedy and questioned how such an attack could occur in the country. Emergency responders said they treated several students who had suffered gunshot wounds to their backs, chests and arms. A male teacher was found dead on an upper floor of the school, while a female teacher was also found with serious injuries. Rescue workers attempted to revive the injured teacher before rushing her to hospital, but she could not be saved. Following the shooting, traffic around the school came to a standstill as parents rushed to collect their children. Authorities also moved to provide assistance to students, teachers and affected families. Police identified the attacker as a student. The incident is the second school shooting reported in Thailand this year. Thailand has experienced several deadly shooting incidents in recent years. The country witnessed its deadliest mass killing in 2022, when a former police officer killed 36 people, including 22 children, in a prolonged attack at a childcare centre. Other deadly shootings have also taken place in Bangkok and other parts of the country, raising continued concerns over gun violence and firearm access.

Houthi missile and drone strikes killed at least 38 Yemeni government soldiers and injured 29 others on Thursday in one of the deadliest attacks in recent years, according to medical sources. The assaults targeted military camps in Marib and Hadramawt provinces, including positions near the Saudi Arabian border. Security officials said one of the missiles struck troops during their morning assembly at a military camp in Marib, causing heavy casualties. Military sources said the attacks hit camps in the Al-Ruwaik area of Marib as well as Al-Abr and Al-Wadiah in Hadramawt. The strikes left dozens of soldiers dead or wounded, with officials warning that the casualty toll could rise as some of the injured remain in critical condition. The latest violence comes as Yemen’s long-running conflict has intensified following recent regional tensions. Last month, the Iran-backed Houthi movement expanded its military actions after renewed hostilities involving Iran and the United States. The group resumed attacks after a period of relative calm, including strikes on government forces and maritime targets. In a separate incident last month, Houthi fighters killed 16 government-aligned soldiers during an attack south of the strategic port city of Hodeidah. Yemen has been devastated by conflict since 2014, when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognised government to relocate. The rebels continue to control much of northern Yemen, while government forces hold large parts of the south. Although a UN-brokered truce reached in 2022 significantly reduced large-scale fighting, the agreement eventually expired, and sporadic clashes have continued. The latest attacks highlight the fragile security situation and raise fears of further escalation in a war that has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.