US debt ceiling talks ‘productive’ as Biden and McCarthy to meet 10 days from deadline

A Sunday night phone call between the president and Republican House speaker was reported to have struck a more positive tone

US president Joe Biden and House Republican speaker Kevin McCarthy have held a productive" phone call on the continued impasse over the debt ceiling and promised to meet on Monday after Biden returned to Washington.

McCarthy, speaking to reporters after the call, said there were positive discussions on solving the crisis and that staff-level talks were set to resume later on Sunday.