The US government has shut down, after senators fail to agree on a last-minute funding bill.

The shutdown, the first since the end of 2018, is likely to bring some, but not all, US government services to a temporary halt.

Earlier, President Donald Trump threatened mass irreversible firings of federal workers if the shutdown went ahead.

While essential workers will continue working, some without pay, other government employees are now on unpaid leave, and politicians in Congress will still be paid.

Meanwhile, Republicans and Democrats are blaming each other for the failure to pass the bill, which needed 60 out of 100 senators to approve it.