Tuesday, 1 October 2013
The US Congress has failed to agree a budget by this day being the 1st of October and a federal government shutdown has begun, sending more than 700,000 federal workers home and closing down national parks, museums, federal buildings and services.
The Republican-led House of Representatives insisted on delaying President Barack Obama's healthcare reform - dubbed Obamacare - as a condition for passing a bill.
More than 700,000 federal employees face unpaid leave with no guarantee of back pay once the deadlock is over.
It is the first shutdown in 17 years and the dollar fell early on Tuesday.
Goldman Sachs estimates a three-week shutdown could shave as much as 0.9% from US GDP this quarter.
