Sri Lanka, Oct. 7 -- The US government shutdown entered its second week on Monday (Oct 6), with no sign of a deal between President Donald Trump's Republicans and Democrats to end the crisis.

Democrats are refusing to provide the handful of votes the ruling Republicans need to reopen federal departments, unless an agreement is reached on extending expiring "Obamacare" healthcare subsidies and reversing some cuts to health programmes passed as part of Trump's signature "One Big Beautiful Bill".

With the government out of money since Wednesday and grinding to a halt, Senate Democrats looked set to vote against a House-passed temporary funding bill for a fifth time.

The hard line taken by Democrats marks a rare moment of leverage for the ...