Briefly

UNITED STATES

Shutdown showdown threatens pay checks

Millions of people in the United States braced for pay and welfare checks to stop on Monday, days before Congress careens toward a damaging government shutdown, with Republican right-wingers blocking attempts to pass a budget. Four months after barely avoiding the more serious prospect of a credit default, the US is once again on the verge of a convulsion, with the lights due to go out at the weekend. Republicans leading the House of Representatives — hamstrung by hard-line rebels demanding deep spending cuts — have been unable to pass the usual series of bills setting out departmental budgets for the next financial year, which begins on Sunday.

HUNGARY

Orban says Sweden's NATO bid not 'urgent'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament on Monday that ratifying Sweden's accession to NATO was not "urgent", and called for "respect" from the Nordic country. Hungary has still not voted to approve Sweden's entry into the military alliance, having aligned itself with Turkiye, which had long blocked Sweden's membership before lifting its veto in July. Divergences between Hungary and Sweden have escalated in recent weeks as a past film resurfaced, shown in Swedish schools, presenting Hungary as a bad example of democracy in the European Union.

INDIA

Opposition lawmaker calls Canada CIA puppet

Indian lawmaker Ravneet Singh Bittu of the main opposition party Indian National Congress, has lashed out at Canada amid the current diplomatic row between the two countries, calling it a "puppet" of the US intelligence agency CIA. Bittu said Canada has been giving a safe haven to anti-India terrorists and separatists. Bittu also criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for accusing India of being behind the assassination of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

Agencies - Xinhua