US reaches long-awaited deal for coronavirus aid

After months of wrangling, US lawmakers have agreed to a 900 billion dollar package of pandemic aid, including money for businesses and unemployment programmes.

The money is set to accompany a bigger, 1.4 trillion dollars spending bill to fund government operations over the next nine months.

Many COVID-19 relief programmes were set to expire at the end of the month.

About 12 million Americans were at risk of losing access to unemployment benefits.

The House of Representatives and the senate are expected to vote on the package on Monday.

It will then need to be signed into law by President Donald Trump.