The United States Senate has taken a crucial step toward concluding the most prolonged government shutdown in the nation's history, narrowly advancing a compromise funding bill.
Breakthrough in Washington
The Senate secured exactly the 60 votes required to move the legislation forward, with nearly all Republican senators and eight Democratic senators, many of whom were moderates or in their final terms, voting in favour. The bill emerged after days of negotiations between a small group of senators from both parties.
The measure aims to reauthorise government funding and reverse the furloughs of numerous federal employees. However, it notably excludes the healthcare subsidies that Democratic leaders had insisted upon for weeks.
Chuck Schumer, the Democratic Majority Leader, voiced strong opposition due to this omission. He stated, "This healthcare crisis is so severe, so urgent, so devastating for families back home, that I cannot in good faith support this [resolution] that fails to address the healthcare crisis." The amended package must now be passed by the House of Representatives and signed by the president to become law.
International Developments
In other global news, a television documentary featuring testimony from Israeli soldiers has shed light on the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza. Soldiers described a breakdown of military norms and legal constraints, with one tank unit commander, identified only as Daniel, claiming, "If you want to shoot without restraint, you can."
In a written response, the IDF defended its operations, stating it "remains committed to the rule of law and continues to operate in accordance with its legal and ethical obligations, despite the unprecedented operational complexity posed by Hamas’s systematic embedding within civilian infrastructure."
Meanwhile, Syria's President, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is scheduled to hold talks with Donald Trump at the White House. This marks the first official visit by a Syrian leader since the country's independence in 1946. Sharaa is expected to press for the full removal of remaining sanctions on Syria, arguing they are no longer justified after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
His media adviser, Ahmad Zeidan, confirmed that a primary goal of the visit is the repeal of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019, which imposed sweeping sanctions for human rights abuses during the civil war.
Other Headlines from the US and Beyond
In a separate event, Donald Trump promoted a fabricated claim that Barack Obama received $40 million in "royalties linked to Obamacare." This false assertion, which originated on a satirical website, has been repeatedly debunked since 2017.
On the world stage, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in an exclusive interview with the Guardian, dismissed suggestions that he fears Donald Trump. He also played down reports that their previous meeting in Washington was volatile.
In climate news, the chief of the Cop30 conference, Brazilian diplomat André Corrêa do Lago, asserted that wealthy nations have lost their enthusiasm for tackling the climate crisis, while China surges ahead in the production and use of clean energy technology.
Finally, a viral internet mystery was solved when the dapper "Fedora Man" spotted outside the Louvre after a jewel heist was revealed to be a 15-year-old schoolboy, not a detective or an AI creation as many had speculated online.
