Briefly

UNITED STATES

Travel delays feared as shutdown wears on

Concerns over flight delays and missed paychecks because of the US government shutdown escalated on Wednesday, as senators rejected yet another bid to end the standoff. Democrats voted for a sixth time to block a Republican stopgap funding measure to reopen government departments, keeping much of the federal workforce home or working without pay. With the shutdown in its eighth day, lines at airports were expected to grow amid increased absenteeism among security and safety staff members at some of the country's busiest hubs. Meanwhile, the Internal Revenue Service said it will furlough more than 34,000 employees beginning on Wednesday as a result of the government shutdown. The furloughs amount to 46 percent of the agency's workforce.

INDIA

Pharma firm owner held for 21 deaths

Indian police have arrested the owner of a pharmaceutical company after a cough syrup made at his plant was linked to the deaths of 21 children, officials said on Thursday. Most of the children, all aged under 5, died in Madhya Pradesh state over the past month after they were prescribed the syrup that contained a deadly toxin. G. Ranganathan, 75, was arrested on Thursday at his home in Chennai by police from the city and from Madhya Pradesh. He was charged with culpable homicide not amounting to murder and adulteration of drugs, police sources told AFP and Indian media reported. The cough syrup, sold under the brand name Coldrif, was manufactured by Sresan Pharma at a unit in Tamil Nadu state.

Agencies via Xinhua