Obama: Shutdown can end 'right now'

President Barack Obama has said Republican House Speaker John Boehner can end the US shutdown "in the next five minutes", by allowing a vote on a bill to fund the government for a few weeks at current spending levels.

His comments come as the shutdown enters its third day,

Mr Boehner and the House Republicans have demanded repeal, defunding or delay of Mr Obama and the Democratic Party's 2010 healthcare overhaul as the price of reopening the government.

Since Tuesday, more than 700,000 government workers have been on unpaid leave, national parks have been shut, small business loans are not being approved, government office buildings are closed and museums remain locked.