SYDNEY, April 2 (Reuters) - Australia will provide up to A$1 billion ($693 million) in interest-free loans to critical ‌businesses, including transport operators and fertiliser producers, Prime Minister Anthony ‌Albanese will say on Thursday, as they grapple with surging fuel costs. The support package ​comes as the Iran war disrupts global fuel supplies, driving up prices and fuelling concerns of availability as Australia imports more than 80% of its fuel.

The Trump administration is overhauling the list of routine shots recommended for all babies and children in the United States, bypassing the government’s typical process for recommending vaccines and delivering on Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s longstanding goals to upend the nation’s pediatric vaccine schedule. Effective immediately, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend every child receive vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, meningococcal disease, re

The 2026 budget passed its first test, yet the battles over defense, taxes, and reforms expose a government more focused on managing crises than shaping policy. Israel’s state budget for 2026 passed its first hurdle on Friday, receiving approval from the government in the annual high-stakes process, which could potentially trigger early elections.