Aug 11, 2026, 09:00 PM UTC

US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order scaling back federal childhood vaccination guidelines to cover 11 core diseases.

The directive, presented alongside Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., encourages spacing out immunizations and splitting combination shots—such as the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine—into individual doses across separate visits. Trump described the overhaul as a "gold standard" approach based on "common sense" to align the United States with other developed nations.

However, the initiative has drawn strong opposition from medical organizations and the scientific community, who warn that altering the schedule risks public health and revives unproven claims linking vaccines to autism. Legal hurdles and state-level authority over school immunization requirements may also impact the order's implementation.

Sources: Euronews Greece, Mediapool, ORF, Svenska Dagbladet, The Insider.

Uncertainty surrounding negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude oil prices significantly higher, with Brent crude climbing toward $90 per barrel.

The sharp rise in energy prices gave strong momentum to the Oslo Børs, led by advances in major energy equities including Equinor, Aker BP, and Vår Energi. Tanker shipping stocks also posted gains due to elevated geopolitical risks in key shipping lanes.

Conversely, U.S. stock markets opened lower on Monday following record highs last week. Wall Street indices fell as 10-year Treasury yields rose to 4.7 percent alongside an uptick in market volatility.

Sources: Dagens Industri, Dagens Næringsliv, E24, Finansavisen, VG

US President Donald Trump was secretly transported out of Turkey aboard a military plane last month due to a credible assassination threat from Iran, according to media reports citing information from US newspapers.

While official statements from the White House indicated that Trump was travelling aboard Air Force One following a NATO summit in Ankara, he was secretly moved to an alternative aircraft. Reports indicate the operation involved using the primary presidential plane as a decoy, with some outlets reporting that Trump was transported across the tarmac hidden inside a catering cart to board the secondary flight. The security measures coincided with heightened tensions following American military strikes on targets in southern Iran.

Sources: Euronews Greece, France24, ORF, Sitel TV, The Guardian

A Syrian criminal court in Damascus has sentenced ousted president Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the country's 14-year civil war.

The Fourth Criminal Court delivered the verdict, which also condemned key figures from the former administration. Among those sentenced alongside Assad were his younger brother, Maher al-Assad, and cousin Atef Najib. Judge Fakhr al-Din al-Uryan cited convictions for premeditated murder, torture, and severe human rights violations linked to the brutal crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations that began in Daraa province in 2011.

Assad, who was removed from power in December 2024 following a rapid rebel advance, currently resides in exile in Russia. The ruling marks the first significant legal judgment handed down against the former leader by Syria's post-regime judiciary.

Sources: Ziarul de Gardă, HotNews, Adevărul, Newsmaker, Digi24.

Southern and central Europe continue to endure severe summer conditions as a fourth heatwave spreads across the continent. Italian health authorities expanded red alerts to cover all 27 major cities, including Messina and Reggio Calabria, as temperatures approaching 40°C persist and at least four heat-related deaths were reported.

In Austria, meteorological service GeoSphere registered a preliminary record temperature of 40.8°C in Stammersdorf, north of Vienna, surpassing the previous national high set in 2013. Meanwhile, countries including France and the United Kingdom are bracing for rising temperatures near 40°C, alongside ongoing concerns regarding drought and heightened wildfire risks following unusually hot July conditions across several regions.

Sources: Aftenposten, Berlingske, DR, TV 2 Nyheter, VG (Verdens Gang)