Talks to avert a US government shutdown have intensified in Washington DC, with a deal reportedly edging closer - amid a political drama following the fatal shooting of a nurse by federal immigration agents.
Prompted by the death of 37-year-old Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Democrats are pushing to remove funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from a $1.2tn (£870bn) spending bill unless additional oversight is added.
US media report that the White House and Senate Democratic leadership are nearing an agreement which would meet Democratic demands to introduce new restrictions on federal immigration agents.
That would mean five of the six spending bills could be passed before the Friday deadline while the DHS one would get a short-term extension to allow time for more discussion on the proposed new restrictions, like around the use of masks by agents.
If no deal is struck, the second shutdown within months will begin at one minute after midnight on Friday 30 January.
