Good morning. Here’s your Monday, September 1, 2025 brief: Congress faces a shutdown fight, Houthis strike an Israeli-linked tanker, Sweden pushes for space independence, Ukraine arrests suspect in Parubiy killing, Afghanistan reels from a deadly quake, SCO summit spotlights Xi, Putin, and Modi’s growing alignment, and Kim Jong Un prepares to join Beijing’s military parade.

—Congress Returns to Budget Showdown, Nomination Fights, and High-Stakes Oversight

Congress reconvenes after the August recess with a packed agenda dominated by a looming September 30 government funding deadline.

Republicans, fresh off passing President Donald Trump’s sweeping tax and spending cuts, must secure Democratic support to avoid a shutdown, though disputes over rescinded foreign aid threaten negotiations.

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