US Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avert government shutdown ahead of midterms

• The bill also bars the Trump administration from shifting federal funds to the Border Patrol from other programmes.
• The US Senate on Saturday passed a temporary spending bill to keep the federal government funded through December 11, in a bid to avoid a shutdown ahead of the November midterm elections.
• The bill passed 90-6, with one senator voting present, and keeps federal agencies funded at current levels after the existing funding expires on September 30.