India, Oct. 1 -- The US government shut down much of its operations on Wednesday after a last-ditch effort to get a funding deal through the Senate failed, bringing the system to a grinding halt.

The deep partisan divisions have prevented Congress and the White House from reaching a funding deal, setting off what could be a long, gruelling standoff that could lead to the loss of thousands of federal jobs.

The previous government shutdown happened in 2018, also under US President Donald Trump during his first presidential term.

There was no clear path out of the impasse, while agencies warned that the 15th government shutdown since 1981 would halt the release of a closely watched September employment report, slow air travel, suspend sci...