As the partia­l shutdo­wn enters its fifth weekWASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will make a “major announcement” on Saturday about the long-running US government shutdown and the situation on the country’s southern border. The partial shutdown – which began when Trump refused to sign off on budget legislation that did not include funding for his planned border wall – enters its fifth week on Saturday. “I will be making a major announcement concerning the Humanitarian Crisis on our Southern Border, and the Shutdown, tomorrow afternoon at 3 PM, live from the @WhiteHouse,” Trump tweeted without providing further details. Trump to meet lawmakers at White House as shutdown enters 25th dayTrump has mulled declaring a state of emergency on the southern border in a bid to secure funding for the wall without congressional approval – a move that would almost certainly lead to a challenge in the courts. The shutdown – the longest in US history – has paralysed Washington and resulted in 800,000 federal employees being furloughed or working without pay.

Source: The Express Tribune January 19, 2019 05:26 UTC