US Senate today <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/us-government-shutdown-to-begin-at-midnight-as-senate-adjourns-32283">passed a bill in a&nbsp;bid to end</a> the government shutdown after the senators failed to get the funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline earlier.

After the shutdown, the house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government&#39;s second shutdown in three weeks.

The bipartisan vote was passed with 71 to 28 margin and is now headed to the House of Representatives for a pre-dawn Friday vote. After it is passed by the lower chamber of Congress it will then be signed by President Trump which will officially bring the shutdown to an end.

The fate of the bill remains uncertain in the lower chamber with both liberals and conservatives against each on several Budget proposals including the issue of allowing undocumented immigrants from deportation.

US Senate today passed a bill in bid to end the government shutdown

US Senate today passed a bill in a bid to end the government shutdown after the senators failed to get the funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline earlier. After the shutdown, the house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government's second shutdown in three weeks. The bipartisan vote was passed with 71 to 28 margin and is now headed to the House of Representatives for a pre-dawn Friday vote. After it is passed by the lower chamber of Congress it will then be signed by President Trump which will officially bring the shutdown to an end. The fate of the bill remains uncertain in the lower chamber with both liberals and conservatives against each on several Budget proposals including the issue of allowing undocumented immigrants from deportation.

Senate clears bill in a bid to end US shutdown

US Senate <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/congress-votes-to-end-us-shutdown-trump-claims-victory-30415">failed to break the deadlock on Thursday</a> as the Trump government shutdown with no funding vote&nbsp;beyond the 12:00 am deadline.

The senators were unable to pass a stopgap spending bill before midnight.

The house&nbsp;opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am.

This is the US government&#39;s second shutdown in three weeks after a senator in President Trump&#39;s own Republican Party blocked a vote on a bipartisan budget deal before a midnight deadline.

The closure could be shortlived&nbsp;as the Senate is&nbsp;expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am and, if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives and then to President Trump&nbsp;for his signature as early as Friday.

Earlier, White House&#39;s Office of Management and Budget(OMB) told Reuters that the Budget &quot;is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations&quot;.

The bill, which extends government funding for six weeks, raises the federal debt ceiling and increases federal spending limits for the next two years, would break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what is set to be a bruising campaign for November&#39;s mid-term elections.

The closure could be shortlived as the Senate is expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am

US Senate failed to break the deadlock on Thursday as the Trump government shutdown with no funding vote beyond the 12:00 am deadline. The senators were unable to pass a stopgap spending bill before midnight. The house opted to close and then reopen at 12:01 am. This is the US government's second shutdown in three weeks after a senator in President Trump's own Republican Party blocked a vote on a bipartisan budget deal before a midnight deadline. The closure could be shortlived as the Senate is expected to schedule a vote on the measure at 1:00 am and, if it passes, send it to the House of Representatives and then to President Trump for his signature as early as Friday. Earlier, White House's Office of Management and Budget(OMB) told Reuters that the Budget "is currently preparing for a lapse in appropriations". The bill, which extends government funding for six weeks, raises the federal debt ceiling and increases federal spending limits for the next two years, would break the cycle of government funding crises in time for what is set to be a bruising campaign for November's mid-term elections.

US government slides into second shutdown in three weeks

President Donald Trump heaped pressure on Democrats Friday to yield in an acrimonious funding showdown that threatens to shut down the US government when money runs out at midnight -- a year to the day after the Republican president took office.

&quot;Shutdown coming?&quot; Trump tweeted, seeming to revel in the chaotic, high stakes brinksmanship.

The president has put on hold plans to fly to Florida for an anniversary dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate to be close by for what was expected to be a night of down-to-the-wire votes in the US Senate.

A White House official said the president would remain in Washington &quot;until we pass a government funding measure.&quot;

The Republican-controlled House of Representatives pushed through a measure late Thursday, 230-197, to extend funding for the federal government through February 16.

But Democrats appeared determined to block it in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slender majority and may need as many as a dozen Democratic crossover votes to reach a 60-vote majority.

&quot;Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate - but they want illegal immigration and weak borders,&quot; Trump said on Twitter.

White House budget director Mick Mulvaney put the odds of a shutdown at &quot;50-50.&quot;

&quot;We were operating under sort of a 30 percent shutdown&quot; assumption on Thursday, he told reporters. &quot;I think we&#39;re ratcheting it up now.&quot;

Political risks&nbsp;

With mid-term elections looming later this year, Democrats and Republicans both risk being blamed by voters if the government grinds to a halt over lack of funds.

The finger-pointing already has begun as the sides maneuver to lay blame and put their own role in the best possible light.

There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave.

Essential functions like the military, law enforcement, the White House and Congress would continue working but with reduced staff. Some agencies, museums and national parks, would shut down altogether.

The Pentagon issued a guidance confirming that active duty military, including those in combat, would work without pay as will essential civilians. But others in the massive bureaucracy will be sent home without pay.

&quot;The Department will, of course, continue to prosecute the war in Afghanistan and ongoing operations against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, including preparation of forces for deployment into those conflicts,&quot; said Patrick Shanahan, the Pentagon&#39;s number two.&nbsp;

Shorter extension

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said if agreement is not reached by Friday night, Democrats would support a shorter-term funding measure that would &quot;give the president a few days to come to the table.&quot;

But House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was quoted as telling reporters the chamber would adjourn as planned on Friday afternoon -- all but guaranteeing a shutdown unless a last-minute deal is struck on the existing bill.

Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican Majority Leader, said the House bill provides for four weeks of funding, enough to allow talks to continue &quot;without throwing the government into disarray for no reason.&quot;

Schumer wants to &quot;hold the entire country hostage,&quot; McConnell said.

&quot;The leader is looking to deflect blame, but it just won&#39;t work,&quot; said Schumer.

Democrats are hoping to force a compromise that would protect from deportation the so-called &quot;Dreamers,&quot; the more than 700,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally as children and are now in a legal limbo.

Negotiations with the White House on a bipartisan compromise blew up last week after Trump reportedly referred to African nations and Haiti as &quot;shithole countries.&quot;

Friday morning, Paul Ryan hit out at the Democrats on Twitter, accusing them of &quot;taking funding for the government and funding for our troops hostage&quot; over &quot;unrelated policy.&quot;

&quot;They are treating our men and women in uniform like bargaining chips,&quot; he fumed.

Like a Sphinx

Trump&#39;s unpredictable Twitter outbursts and sudden changes of position also have bedeviled Republican leaders as they maneuver to cut a deal.

Schumer described Trump as &quot;like a Sphinx on this issue,&quot; a sentiment Republicans also appeared to share.

&quot;Thinking people change their minds all the time. You do, I do, most Americans do when they test their assumptions against the arguments of others,&quot; Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana said on CNN Friday.

&quot;Having said that, we need to know where the president stands. Let&#39;s suppose we reach an agreement with the Democrats, and I think we will, I want to know the president is going to sign it.&quot;

President Donald Trump heaped pressure on Democrats Friday to yield in an acrimonious funding showdown that threatens to shut down the US government when money runs out at midnight

President Donald Trump heaped pressure on Democrats Friday to yield in an acrimonious funding showdown that threatens to shut down the US government when money runs out at midnight -- a year to the day after the Republican president took office. "Shutdown coming?" Trump tweeted, seeming to revel in the chaotic, high stakes brinksmanship. The president has put on hold plans to fly to Florida for an anniversary dinner at his Mar-a-Lago estate to be close by for what was expected to be a night of down-to-the-wire votes in the US Senate. A White House official said the president would remain in Washington "until we pass a government funding measure." The Republican-controlled House of Representatives pushed through a measure late Thursday, 230-197, to extend funding for the federal government through February 16. But Democrats appeared determined to block it in the Senate, where Republicans hold a slender majority and may need as many as a dozen Democratic crossover votes to reach a 60-vote majority. "Democrats are needed if it is to pass in the Senate - but they want illegal immigration and weak borders," Trump said on Twitter. White House budget director Mick Mulvaney put the odds of a shutdown at "50-50." "We were operating under sort of a 30 percent shutdown" assumption on Thursday, he told reporters. "I think we're ratcheting it up now." Political risks With mid-term elections looming later this year, Democrats and Republicans both risk being blamed by voters if the government grinds to a halt over lack of funds. The finger-pointing already has begun as the sides maneuver to lay blame and put their own role in the best possible light. There have been four government shutdowns since 1990. In the last one in 2013, more than 800,000 government workers were put on temporary leave. Essential functions like the military, law enforcement, the White House and Congress would continue working but with reduced staff. Some agencies, museums and national parks, would shut down altogether. The Pentagon issued a guidance confirming that active duty military, including those in combat, would work without pay as will essential civilians. But others in the massive bureaucracy will be sent home without pay. "The Department will, of course, continue to prosecute the war in Afghanistan and ongoing operations against Al-Qaeda and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, including preparation of forces for deployment into those conflicts," said Patrick Shanahan, the Pentagon's number two. Shorter extension Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said if agreement is not reached by Friday night, Democrats would support a shorter-term funding measure that would "give the president a few days to come to the table." But House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy was quoted as telling reporters the chamber would adjourn as planned on Friday afternoon -- all but guaranteeing a shutdown unless a last-minute deal is struck on the existing bill. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Republican Majority Leader, said the House bill provides for four weeks of funding, enough to allow talks to continue "without throwing the government into disarray for no reason." Schumer wants to "hold the entire country hostage," McConnell said. "The leader is looking to deflect blame, but it just won't work," said Schumer. Democrats are hoping to force a compromise that would protect from deportation the so-called "Dreamers," the more than 700,000 immigrants who entered the country illegally as children and are now in a legal limbo. Negotiations with the White House on a bipartisan compromise blew up last week after Trump reportedly referred to African nations and Haiti as "shithole countries." Friday morning, Paul Ryan hit out at the Democrats on Twitter, accusing them of "taking funding for the government and funding for our troops hostage" over "unrelated policy." "They are treating our men and women in uniform like bargaining chips," he fumed. Like a Sphinx Trump's unpredictable Twitter outbursts and sudden changes of position also have bedeviled Republican leaders as they maneuver to cut a deal. Schumer described Trump as "like a Sphinx on this issue," a sentiment Republicans also appeared to share. "Thinking people change their minds all the time. You do, I do, most Americans do when they test their assumptions against the arguments of others," Senator John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana said on CNN Friday. "Having said that, we need to know where the president stands. Let's suppose we reach an agreement with the Democrats, and I think we will, I want to know the president is going to sign it."

 'Shutdown coming?': crunch time as US funding deadline nears

The Hurriyat leadership, which is spearheading the separatist movement in Indian Kashmir, has called off strike on Friday in view of the Shivratri festival celebrated by the Hindu population of Kashmir.

Hurriyat spokesman Ayaaz Akbar confirmed this development to ANI and said that there would be no shutdown on Friday.

Ahead of the upcoming festival in the Valley, the police has issued an advisory calling on the locals to cooperate at frisking points.

The people have also been asked not to touch any abandoned object and inform the police if any suspicious person or object is seen in the area.

Last Friday, clashes broke out in Srinagar and despite the stern warning of Army chief Bipin Rawat, Pakistan flags were waved by demonstrators.

This incident took place near Jama Masjid in Srinagar after the prayers were over and people were captured raising Pakistan&#39;s flag and also pelted stones.

(ANI)

Hurriyat spokesman Ayaaz Akbar confirmed this development to ANI and said that there would be no shutdown on Friday

The Hurriyat leadership, which is spearheading the separatist movement in Indian Kashmir, has called off strike on Friday in view of the Shivratri festival celebrated by the Hindu population of Kashmir. Hurriyat spokesman Ayaaz Akbar confirmed this development to ANI and said that there would be no shutdown on Friday. Ahead of the upcoming festival in the Valley, the police has issued an advisory calling on the locals to cooperate at frisking points. The people have also been asked not to touch any abandoned object and inform the police if any suspicious person or object is seen in the area. Last Friday, clashes broke out in Srinagar and despite the stern warning of Army chief Bipin Rawat, Pakistan flags were waved by demonstrators. This incident took place near Jama Masjid in Srinagar after the prayers were over and people were captured raising Pakistan's flag and also pelted stones. (ANI)

India: Hindu festival allays strike in Kashmir for 24 hours

Indian Kashmir continued to be completely shut down for a second day today after 16 people died in clashes between security forces and protesters over the killing of militant separatist Burhan Wani. 
 
Streets were deserted as all shops, major commercial establishments, schools and colleges were closed in the capital Srinagar. Security was tight as troops patrolled the streets fearing trouble by locals. 
 
Mobile, internet services remain suspended in some parts&nbsp; 
 
Security forces gunned down three militants, including a top commander of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani, in Bumdoora village, 85 km south of Srinagar, capital city of Kashmir, on Friday. 
 
Wani, a 22-year-old militant, was known for his calls to arms on social media.&nbsp;Since then, the Kashmir Valley has been on the boil with protests breaking out at several places. 
 
To quell tension, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Kulgam, Anantnag, Tral, Kokernag and seven other police stations to maintain law and order. 
 
Mobile phone and internet services remained suspended across some parts of the state as a precautionary measure. 
 
Amarnath Yatra halted&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, a pilgrimage to a cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir was suspended for the second day for security purposes. 
 
The pilgrims were made to stay at a base camp in Jammu city set up by state authorities. 
 
Pilgrims, however, were determined to complete the journey. 
 
&quot;I believe in Lord Shiva and I will complete the journey even if I have to wait for two to four days. This is my 17th journey and I have never faced such problems before. I will complete the journey and then only return home,&quot; said a pilgrim from New Delhi, Nandlal Kukareja. 
 
Thousands of pilgrims undertake the journey or Amarnath Yatra to the shrine cave to worship an ice stalagmite called &#39;Shivling&#39;, a symbol of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration. 
 
The cave containing the holy Shiva shrine stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above sea level, around 141 kilometres from Kashmir&#39;s capital Srinagar. 
 
The 48-day pilgrimage is slated to conclude on August 18. 
 
Unrest in the valley&nbsp; 
 
Violence in Kashmir valley has spiked against a backdrop of rising social tension and separatist sentiment in the Muslim-majority region, which for decades has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan. 
 
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part. 
 
India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the rebels in the portion it controls and sending them to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies. 
 
(Reuters)&nbsp;

The streets are deserted, schools and shops shut. And security is tight as troops patrol the streets

Indian Kashmir continued to be completely shut down for a second day today after 16 people died in clashes between security forces and protesters over the killing of militant separatist Burhan Wani. Streets were deserted as all shops, major commercial establishments, schools and colleges were closed in the capital Srinagar. Security was tight as troops patrolled the streets fearing trouble by locals. Mobile, internet services remain suspended in some parts Security forces gunned down three militants, including a top commander of militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, Burhan Wani, in Bumdoora village, 85 km south of Srinagar, capital city of Kashmir, on Friday. Wani, a 22-year-old militant, was known for his calls to arms on social media. Since then, the Kashmir Valley has been on the boil with protests breaking out at several places. To quell tension, prohibitory orders have been imposed in Kulgam, Anantnag, Tral, Kokernag and seven other police stations to maintain law and order. Mobile phone and internet services remained suspended across some parts of the state as a precautionary measure. Amarnath Yatra halted Meanwhile, a pilgrimage to a cave shrine of Amarnath in Kashmir was suspended for the second day for security purposes. The pilgrims were made to stay at a base camp in Jammu city set up by state authorities. Pilgrims, however, were determined to complete the journey. "I believe in Lord Shiva and I will complete the journey even if I have to wait for two to four days. This is my 17th journey and I have never faced such problems before. I will complete the journey and then only return home," said a pilgrim from New Delhi, Nandlal Kukareja. Thousands of pilgrims undertake the journey or Amarnath Yatra to the shrine cave to worship an ice stalagmite called 'Shivling', a symbol of Lord Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and regeneration. The cave containing the holy Shiva shrine stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above sea level, around 141 kilometres from Kashmir's capital Srinagar. The 48-day pilgrimage is slated to conclude on August 18. Unrest in the valley Violence in Kashmir valley has spiked against a backdrop of rising social tension and separatist sentiment in the Muslim-majority region, which for decades has been at the centre of a strategic tussle between India and Pakistan. India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part. India accuses Pakistan of training and arming the rebels in the portion it controls and sending them to the Indian side, a claim its neighbour denies. (Reuters)

Kashmir stays shut down for second day running

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