US opens way for oil drilling in Arctic refuge

The US House of Representatives today opened the way for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as one of its last acts of an all-night session bringing their legislative year to a close.

The House also narrowly passed a plan to cut deficits by almost $40bn (€33.3bn) over five years in legislation hailed by Republican conservatives as a sign their party was returning to fiscal discipline and assailed by Democrats as victimising medical and education programmes that help the poor.