Hours before America’s government was due to shut down, enough Senate Democrats joined Republicans to pass a spending bill that extends funding until the end of September. On Thursday Chuck Schumer, the Democrats’ leader in the upper chamber, surprised many in his party by announcing that he would vote for the bill, arguing that a government shutdown would cede more control to Donald Trump.
Mr Trump called talks between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff, America’s envoy to the Middle East, “good and productive”. Mr Witkoff met Russia’s president in Moscow on Thursday to discuss a ceasefire proposal for the war in Ukraine. Earlier a Kremlin spokesperson said Russia had a “number of questions” about the idea of a 30-day truce. Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Russia was deliberately slowing down negotiations.
In a joint statement, G7 countries, including America, offered “unwavering support” to Ukraine, and threatened Russia with more sanctions if “a ceasefire is not agreed”. After a meeting in Quebec, Canada’s foreign minister said that all G7 foreign ministers “agree” with the American proposal for a ceasefire. But the group emphasised the need for assurances that would guard against Russian aggression.
America declared South Africa’s ambassador in Washington to be persona non grata, in effect expelling him. Marco Rubio, America’s secretary of state, accused Ebrahim Rasool of “race baiting” and hating Donald Trump and America. Mr Rasool recently attributed MAGA’s popularity to the prospect of whites becoming a minority in America, and criticised Elon Musk’s support for hard-right parties in Europe.
Gold prices surged past $3,000 per troy ounce for the first time, driven by fears that Mr Trump’s tariffs will slow global growth. The metal has risen by 14% this year as investors seek a safe haven. Purchases by central banks and expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut rates have also fuelled demand (lower rates make non-yielding assets like gold more attractive).
Friedrich Merz, Germany’s incoming chancellor, reportedly agreed a spending plan with the Green Party. Earlier this month he proposed relaxing Germany’s constitutional “debt break” to boost spending by hundreds of billions of dollars, particularly on defence and infrastructure. Mr Merz needs the Greens’ support to secure a two-thirds majority when the package goes to a vote in parliament next Tuesday.
SpaceX launched a rocket with a new crew for the International Space Station. That should enable the return of two American astronauts who have been stranded on the ISS since June. Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were originally meant to be aboard for just eight days, but a capsule malfunction left them stuck.
Word of the week: Fulul, a term used by Syrians to refer to the remnants of the Assad regime. Read the full story.
Donald Trump’s return to the presidency has brought exceptional changes to American politics—with consequences for the rest of the world, too. Read The US in brief, a daily update of the domestic political stories that matter. Sign up here to receive it as a newsletter, each weekday, in your inbox.