Brendan Buck

As the tit-for-tat battle between Republicans and Democrats over the US budget crisis continued, President Barack Obama has stepped up his personal engagement with Congressmen to resolve the fiscal impasse that triggered government shutdown for the first time in 17 years.

President Barack Obama tried to revive his stalled climate change agenda on Tuesday, promising new rules to cut carbon emissions from US power plants and other domestic actions including support for renewable energy.

Talks to avoid a U.S. fiscal crisis stalled on Wednesday as President Barack Obama accused opponents of holding a personal grudge against him while the top Republican negotiator called the president "irrational."

As the tit-for-tat battle between Republicans and Democrats over the US budget crisis continued, President Barack Obama has stepped up his personal engagement with Congressmen to resolve the fiscal impasse that triggered government shutdown for the first time in 17 years.

President Barack Obama tried to revive his stalled climate change agenda on Tuesday, promising new rules to cut carbon emissions from US power plants and other domestic actions including support for renewable energy.

Talks to avoid a U.S. fiscal crisis stalled on Wednesday as President Barack Obama accused opponents of holding a personal grudge against him while the top Republican negotiator called the president "irrational."