Trump announces deal to lift shutdown

**President Donald Trump has yielded to political pressure to end the longest US government shutdown in history.**

After 35 days, he backed a deal to fund federal agencies for three weeks, but it includes none of the money he has demanded for a US-Mexico border wall.

The Republican president previously vowed to reject any budget unless it included $5.7bn (£4.3bn) to fund his signature campaign pledge.

But Democrats, who control the House of Representatives, flatly refused.

**What did President Trump say?**

Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Mr Trump said he was "very proud to announce" an agreement to fund the government until 15 February.

He said federal workers affected by the political imbroglio, whom he called "incredible patriots", would receive full back-pay.

Mr Trump also said he would not yet resort to "a very powerful alternative" - an apparent reference to declaring a national emergency.

This could divert military funding towards building a southern border wall, but such a proclamation would provoke constitutional uproar and legal challenges.

However, the president added: "We really have no choice but to build a powerful wall or steel barrier.

"If we don't get a fair deal from Congress the government will either shut down on February 15 again.

"Or I will use the powers afforded to me under the laws and the constitution of the United States to address this emergency."

Later on Friday the Senate unanimously passed a bill to temporarily end the shutdown. It will now go to the House.

Mr Trump accepted the deal after hearing of the shutdown's strain on law enforcement agencies, an administration official told Reuters news agency.

The president is prepared to haggle on the $5.7bn he has been demanding for the border barrier, the same official said.

**How bad has the shutdown been?**

Some 800,000 civil servants missed another payday on Friday amid the five-week closure of about a quarter of the federal government.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of flights were grounded or delayed at US airports because of unpaid air traffic controllers calling in sick.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) halted arrivals for about an hour at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

Flights were also delayed at Newark Liberty International Airport and Philadelphia International Airport because of staff shortages, the FAA said.

Meanwhile, thousands of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees failed to show up after they were ordered to return to work unpaid, the Washington Post reported.

The Trump administration recalled 26,000 IRS workers this week to handle the looming tax filing season.

But about 14,000 of them did not come back as of Tuesday, IRS officials told members of Congress.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said in a video message to agents on Friday: "I'm about as angry as I've been in a long, long time."

He said of the shutdown's effects on his agency: "It's mind-boggling, it's short-sighted, and it's unfair."

His remarks came after an FBI report this week revealed its resources were at "breaking point".