Deadlock

Deadlock over Obamacare sees US govt on brink of shutdown

The US Congress, still in partisan deadlock on Monday over Republican efforts to halt President Barack Obama's healthcare reforms, was on the verge of shutting down most of the US government starting on Tuesday morning.

Italy's Bersani meets Berlusconi to seek end to impasse

ROME (Reuters) - Italian centre-left leader Pier Luigi Bersani met his centre-right rival Silvio Berlusconi on Tuesday to discuss the election for the next president of the Republic, offering hope of a breakthrough in the deadlock left by elections in February.