Why the US government has shut down and what happens now

The US government shutdown is still going on after Republican and Democratic politicians again failed to agree how to resolve a budget dispute.

It means that some, but not all, US government services are temporarily suspended, and 40% of the federal workforce - about 750,000 people - are on unpaid leave.

Although budget confrontations are common in US politics, this spending fight is especially tense because President Donald Trump has drastically reduced the size of the national government since taking office, and has suggested he may use the current impasse to make further cuts...