Mass grave uncovered near Syrian capital; most victims women and children
Syrian civil defence teams have discovered a new mass grave east of Douma, near the capital Damascus, recovering the remains of 20 people — most of ...
The U.S. government has shut down after Congress failed to approve funding. Non-essential services are on hold, thousands of federal workers are left unpaid, and both parties blame each other for the deadlock.
What is a government shutdown?
U.S. Congress is responsible for approving funding for 438 government agencies before 1 October, the start of the new budget year.
When the deadline to agree on the new budget plan is missed, lawmakers often pass short-term bills to keep the government open while continuing work on a full budget.
Democrats and Republicans frequently disagree on how the money should be spent, and talks often go down to the last minute. If no agreement is reached by the deadline, the government shuts down.
What happens now?
If no deal is reached, non-essential government work comes to a halt. Republicans blame the Democrats for blocking a “fair” bill, while Democrats say they were left out of talks and criticise the bill for excluding key healthcare programmes.
These political disputes have intensified under President Donald Trump, who has cut government agencies, reduced staff, and withheld funds approved by Congress.
Who is affected?
The consequences of a complete shutdown affects the entire country. Non-essential federal operations are suspended, and while essential workers remain on the job, they won’t receive pay.
Thousands more, including those in science, administration, and support roles, are on unpaid leave.
This week, more than 150,000 federal workers are also set to leave after accepting a buyout, the largest exit in 80 years.
Key services such as food aid, preschool programmes, student loan processing, food inspections, and national parks are now on hold. Airlines have warned of possible delays due to reduced staffing.
Republicans and Democrats trade blame
Democrats criticise Republicans for not including additional healthcare subsidies in the spending bill, while President Trump blamed the Democrats, warning that the shutdown could lead to what he described as “irreversible” actions.
Though he didn’t elaborate, Trump has recently discussed downsizing the federal workforce, a move that could materialize as the shutdown continues.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Syrian civil defence teams have discovered a new mass grave east of Douma, near the capital Damascus, recovering the remains of 20 people — most of them women and children.
China’s imports of Russian crude oil increased in September, highlighting Beijing’s continued energy cooperation with Moscow despite persistent pressure from the United States to desist.
Several countries and international organisations have welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan, describing it as a vital step towards easing tensions and fostering regional stability.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance was holding talks in Israel on Tuesday as Washington tries to stabilise the first, shaky, phase of the Gaza ceasefire and push Israel and Hamas towards the harder concessions asked of each side in coming talks.
Turkish nationalist leader Devlet Bahceli said the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state should hold a parliamentary vote to join Türkiye, two days after Turkish Cypriots elected a candidate in favour of restarting talks with Greek Cypriots.
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