US Congress agrees eleventh hour debt deal

The US Congress has passed a bill to reopen the government and raise the federal debt limit, with just hours to spare before the nation risked default.

The Democratic-controlled Senate's bipartisan compromise won approval by 81 votes to 18. The deal was then passed by 285-144 in the House of Representatives, despite much criticism from the Republican rank and file. It came hours before the deadline to raise the $16.7tn (£10.5tn) limit was expected to expire, pulling the US back from the brink of economic disaster. The bill extended the treasury's borrowing authority until 7 February. It also funds the government to 15 January, reopening closed federal agencies and bringing hundreds of thousands of employees back to work. Pre...