President Donald Trump on Wednesday night signed a government funding bill, formally ending the record 43-day shutdown that had left hundreds of thousands of federal workers without pay, disrupted travel plans, and led to long queues at food banks across the United States.
The move closes the second shutdown under Trump’s presidency, one that deepened political divisions in Washington. During the standoff, the administration took extraordinary unilateral steps — including cancelling federal projects and attempting to dismiss workers — in a bid to pressure Democrats into softening their position on funding demands.
The bill’s signing came just hours after the House of Representatives approved the measure in a largely party-line vote of 222–209. The Senate had cleared it earlier in the week, paving the way for the federal government’s full reopening.
Surendra Koli, accused in the infamous Nithari serial killings, was released from Luksar district jail in Greater Noida on Wednesday evening, a day after the Supreme Court acquitted him in the final pending case related to the 2006 murders that had shocked the country, officials said on Thursday.
Jail superintendent Brijesh Kumar confirmed that Koli walked out of the prison at around 7.20 pm.
Wearing a blue shirt, black trousers and a navy-blue jacket, Koli left the jail premises accompanied by his lawyers. His family members were not present at the gate, and he declined to speak to the waiting media. It was unclear where he was taken after his release.
The Nithari case came to light in 2006 when skeletal remains, skulls and bones were recovered from the backyard and drains near a bungalow (D-5) belonging to businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in Sector 31, Noida.
The horrifying discoveries revealed the disappearance and killing of several children and women, sparking nationwide outrage.
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