US begins government shutdown as budget deadline passes

A midnight deadline passed without agreement despite an 11th-hour appeal by President Barack Obama.

More than 700,000 US government workers face unpaid leave with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over.

Republicans have insisted on delaying President Obama's health care reforms as a condition for passing the budget.

With less than one hour to go before midnight, the Republican-led House called for a bipartisan committee with the Senate to try to thrash out a deal, but Democrats said it was too late to avoid a shutdown.

The White House's budget office began notifying federal agencies to begin an "orderly shutdown" as midnight approached, Kazinform has learnt from BBC News.

It is the US government's first partial shutdown in 17 years.

Obama address

On Monday afternoon, the Democratic-led Senate voted 54-46 against a bill from House Republicans that would have funded the government only if President Obama's healthcare law - dubbed Obamacare - was delayed for a year.

The US stock market dropped amid fears of political deadlock, although analysts say serious damage to the economy is unlikely unless the shutdown lasts for more than a few days.

Early on Monday evening, President Obama went on national television to criticise Republicans for trying to refight the last election.

A shutdown would have "a very real economic impact on real people, right away," he said, adding it would "throw a wrench" into the US recovery.

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