US debt crisis: Soldiers fear they will not be paid

A US Senate vote on the debt crisis has been delayed to give politicians more time to negotiate a way out of the nation's debt crisis.

Democrats and Republicans have expressed cautious optimism about the chances of finding a solution to the problem before Tuesday, when the US would begin to default on its borrowing.

In a show of anxiety over the issue, soldiers serving in Afghanistan asked a visiting US Joint Chief of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, if they would be paid.

Marcus George reports from Washington.