In a significant political development, the United States Senate has voted to approve a funding package, bringing a record-breaking government shutdown to a close.
Cross-party Coalition Secures Deal
A coalition of Democrats broke from their party to vote with Republicans, securing the passage of the critical funding legislation. This move has, however, sparked considerable anger within the Democratic caucus, with many members calling for their leader in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, to resign over the matter.
Following the vote, Republican senator John Thune was photographed speaking with reporters, capturing the immediate aftermath of the decision.
Trump's Busy Day on the Sidelines
While the Senate vote unfolded, former President Donald Trump remained active. He took to Fox News to criticise air traffic controllers, formally asked the US Supreme Court to throw out the jury's finding in E Jean Carroll's lawsuit against him, and issued pardons for Rudy Giuliani and others for their roles in the plot to overturn the 2020 election result.
Other Key News Developments
The day's news cycle also featured several other critical stories from around the globe.
Aviation Safety Concern in Melbourne: An investigation is underway after planes came within metres of hitting airport workers at Melbourne airport. The incident was attributed to flight crews being unaware of a shortened runway.
Booker Prize Winner Announced: In literary news, author David Szalay won the 2025 Booker Prize for his "dark" novel, Flesh. The author revealed the book was "conceived in the shadow of failure" after he abandoned a previous project.
BBC Leadership Resigns: The BBC was embroiled in controversy, leading to the resignation of its top leaders. The scandal involved the editing of Donald Trump's speech from 6 January 2021, fuelling claims of media bias from the UK's right-wing press.
Roblox Safety Fears: A Full Story podcast episode delved into safety concerns on the popular online platform Roblox, with a senior correspondent reporting a "chilling experience" while posing as an eight-year-old girl on the site, raising questions about its safety ahead of new under-16s social media bans.
Anniversary of the Dismissal: On the anniversary of the dismissal of Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975, a column reflected on the event, noting that former PM Paul Keating advised Whitlam to put Governor-General John Kerr "under police arrest" during the constitutional crisis.
