US debt ceiling talks hit snag as default date approaches.

Republican lawmakers resumed negotiations with the Biden administration on raising the US federal government's $31.4tn debt ceiling, after talks were paused earlier in the day. The deadline to avoid default is less than two weeks away. Republicans are pushing for sharp spending cuts in exchange for the increase in the government's borrowing limit, while Democrats want to hold spending steady at this year's levels. The last time the US got this close to default was in 2011, also with a Democratic president and Senate with a Republican-led House.