US Senate approves $9bn cuts to foreign aid and public broadcasting funds

The US Senate has passed a bill that seeks to cut $9bn (£6.7bn) from funds previously approved for spending by Congress, including cuts to public broadcasting and foreign aid.

The 51-48 vote happened just before dawn on Thursday, following an hours-long overnight "vote-a-rama", as the Republican-led Senate negotiated amendments.

The bill - a so-called rescissions package that allows Congress to claw back approved funding - is part of a larger effort to reduce federal spending by President Donald Trump.

It now returns to the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress that had previously passed a version of the bill with $9.4bn in proposed cuts.