US Gov't now in partial shutdown

The United States (US) Government is now in a partial shutdown.

The partial closure took effect at midnight Saturday after lawmakers failed to break a budget impasse.

It means that the departments of State, Homeland Security, Transportation, Agriculture and Justice will begin to shut down their operations.

Federal national parks and forests will also be affected.

In addition, the partial shutdown -- the third this year -- means hundreds of thousands of federal employees will have to work unpaid or be put on temporary leave.

On Wednesday, lawmakers approved a stopgap spending bill that would keep federal agencies open until February 8 next year, but the agreement did not include funding for the wall Trump wants to construct along the Mexican border.

However, Trump, who has to sign off any bill, is insisting that at least US$5 billion be included for his long-promised wall.

Lawmakers adjourned last-minute talks on Friday evening.

In the absence of an agreement, funding for about a quarter of all US federal agencies lapsed at midnight.

Trump, in a video address published on Twitter shortly before the shutdown began, placed the onus on the Democrats to resolve the closure.

Senior Democrats have accused the president of provoking the situation with a "temper tantrum".

Under current rules, spending bills are approved in the House of Representatives with a simple majority vote.

Trump's Republican Party currently dominates that chamber, but the Democrats are set to take control of it on January 3.

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