Washington (AFP) - Less than two months since the US federal government narrowly avoided running out of funding, the deeply divided Congress once again faces a tight deadline to approve a new budget -- just one week. Neither the Democratic-controlled Senate or the Republican-led House of Representatives has passed a bill to extend government funding, which expires at midnight next Friday into Saturday. Without an agreement by November 17, the world's largest economy will instantly begin pumping the brakes: 1.5 million government employees will go without pay, most federal facilities including ...