The short-term increase in the borrowing cap is the brainchild of House Republicans, who wanted to re-sequence a series of upcoming budget battles, taking the threat of a potentially devastating government default off the table and instead setting up a clash in March over automatic across-the-board spending cuts set to strike the Pentagon and many domestic programs.

NPR: Senate To Clear Debt Limit Increase For Obama

What we said David in our report was we recommended a series of confidence building measures and we said that the timing and sequence of those measures are crucial, that can be decided only by the parties and they must begin that process of decision immediately.

BBC: News Online

It was the "Five, four, three, two, one, Thunderbirds are go, " for the opening sequence of the TV series.

BBC: Quiz of the week's news