In Washington, talks over preventing a government shutdown have reached their most tense stage yet.
What began as a standard round of budget negotiations has turned into a high-stakes political confrontation, drawing national attention and stirring debate on both sides of the aisle.
The discussions, involving Republican and Democratic leaders, were expected to continue throughout the week.
However, attempts to reach a last-minute agreement appeared to collapse after a heated round of exchanges between negotiators. Both parties have accused the other of refusing to compromise, making the situation increasingly difficult to resolve.
