(Reuters) -U.S. government services would be disrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers would be told not to work if Congress fails to provide funding for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. Workers deemed essential would remain on the job. Almost all workers would not be paid.

Here is a guide to what would stay open and what would shut down, according to agency shutdown plans:

MILITARY

The 2 million U.S. military personnel would remain at their posts, but roughly half of the Pentagon’s 800,000 civilian employees would be furloughed — ordered not to work.

Contracts awarded before the shutdown would continue, and the Pentagon could place new orders for supplies or services needed to protect national security. Other new contracts, including renewals or extensions, would not be awarded. Payments to defense contractors such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin and RTX, formerly known as Raytheon, could be delayed.

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration would continue maintaining nuclear weapons.

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Agents at the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and other federal law enforcement agencies would remain on the job, and prison staffers would continue to work.

The Secret Service and the Coast Guard would also continue operations, and most employees would continue to work.

Most of the Federal Trade Commission’s consumer-protection workers would be furloughed, as would half of its antitrust employees.

SOCIAL SECURITY, MEDICARE AND OTHER BENEFITS

The Social Security Administration would continue to issue retirement and disability benefits, though the agency might have to delay its announcement of its annual increase in payments.

Payments would likewise continue under the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs.

Military veterans’ benefits would also continue, according to a 2021 contingency plan.

Nutrition benefits provided to 7 million mothers through the Women, Infants and Children program would be cut within days, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Food aid through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) would go out as normal for October, but could be affected after that.

NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES

National parks, monuments and other sites would be closed to the public, though it will be impossible to keep visitors out of many of them. Rangers would be furloughed and restrooms, help desks and other facilities would be shuttered.

Some states may use their own money to keep parks and other sites open, as happened in the 2018-2019 shutdown.

Wildfire fighting efforts would continue, according to the Agriculture Department’s 2020 contingency plan, though timber sales on national forest lands would be curtailed and fewer recreation permits would be issued.

MUSEUMS

The Smithsonian museums that line the National Mall have enough money on hand to stay open for about a week after a shutdown, as would the National Zoo. After that, they would close to the public, though zoo staffers would continue to care for animals.

BORDERS AND HOMELAND SECURITY

Most Border Patrol and immigration enforcement agents would continue to work, as would most customs officers.

Local governments would not get new aid to shelter migrants.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency would suspend security reviews that help schools, local governments and other institutions defend against ransomware.

FEDERAL COURTS

Federal courts have enough money to stay open until at least Oct. 13. Activities might be scaled back after that point. The Supreme Court would stay open as well.

Criminal prosecutions, including the two federal cases against former President Donald Trump, would continue. Most civil litigation would be postponed. The government’s landmark Google antitrust lawsuit would continue.

CONGRESS

Lawmakers would continue to collect paychecks, even as other federal workers do not. Staffers would not get paid, though those deemed essential would be required to work.

TRANSPORTATION

Airport security screeners and air-traffic control workers would be required to work, according to recent contingency plans, though absenteeism could be a problem. Some airports had to suspend operations during a shutdown in 2019 when traffic controllers called in sick.

Training for 1,000 new air-traffic controllers would stop, leaving the system understaffed. The Transportation Security Administration would not be able to hire new airport security screeners ahead of the busy holiday travel season.

Some major infrastructure projects could face delays because environmental reviews and permitting would be disrupted, according to the White House.

FOREIGN AFFAIRS

U.S. embassies and consulates would remain open. Passport and visa processing would continue as long as there were sufficient fees to cover operations. Nonessential official travel, speeches and other events would be curtailed.

Some foreign aid programs could run out of money as well.

SCIENCE

Scientific research would be disrupted as agencies like the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) would furlough most of their workers once they run out of funding.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) would continue to support the International Space Station and track satellites, but 17,000 of its 18,300 employees would be furloughed.

Weather forecasts and fisheries regulation would continue, as would patent and trademark reviews. Tests of new drugs and medical devices would continue.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) would suspend consumer-protection activities, equipment reviews, and licensing of TV and radio stations. It would continue to distribute telecommunications subsidies and its broadband mapping effort.

HEALTH

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would continue to monitor disease outbreaks, though other public health activities could suffer as more than half of the agency’s workers would be furloughed.

The National Institutes of Health would furlough most of its staff and delay new clinical trials for medical treatments.

Healthcare services for military veterans and Native Americans would continue.

Most inspections of hazardous waste sites and drinking water and chemical facilities would stop.

Food-safety inspections by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could be delayed.

FINANCIAL REGULATION

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) would furlough roughly 90% of its 4,600 employees and suspend most activities, leaving only a skeleton staff to respond to emergencies.

Likewise, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would furlough almost all of its employees and cease most oversight activity.

The Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency would continue as normal because they are funded by industry fees rather than congressional appropriations.

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), an industry-financed brokerage oversight body, would continue to operate.

The Treasury Department would continue to issue debt and manage the government’s cash position.

ECONOMIC DATA

The publication of major U.S. economic data, including employment and inflation reports of critical importance to policymakers and investors, would be suspended.

TAX COLLECTION

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would stop examining and auditing tax returns and responding to taxpayer queries. Automated tax collection would continue, as would processing of green-energy tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Roughly two-thirds of the agency’s 90,000 employees would be furloughed.

DISASTER RESPONSE

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would be at risk of running out of disaster-relief funds. The agency is already delaying payments to some long-term recovery projects in order to keep money on hand for more immediate relief during the hurricane and wildfire seasons.

EDUCATION

Pell Grants and student loans would continue to be paid, but could be disrupted as most Education Department employees would be furloughed, according to the agency’s 2021 plan.

A protracted shutdown could “severely curtail” aid to schools, universities and other educational institutions, the department says. It also could delay funds that are due to be awarded later in the year.

WATERWAYS

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would continue to operate locks, dams and flood control facilities. Most employees would not be furloughed.

CHILD CARE

According to the White House, 10,000 children from low-income families would lose access to the Head Start preschool program.

SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT

The Small Business Administration would not be able to issue any new loans, though loans for businesses hurt by natural disasters would continue.

AGRICULTURE

Meat and egg inspections would continue, but some lab services would be disrupted, making it harder to fight animal diseases. Crop insurance would not be affected, but some loan programs would be. Research, conservation and rural development programs would be shut down.

LABOR

Workplace safety inspections would be limited, and investigations into unfair pay practices would be suspended, according to the White House.

The ability of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to mediate labor disputes would be curtailed because almost all of its 1,200 employees would be furloughed, according to a 2022 plan.

HOUSING

Monthly subsidies for public housing and low-income housing aid would be at risk. The Federal Housing Administration would continue to back insured mortgages, and Ginnie Mae would continue to back the secondary mortgage market. New homebuyers in rural areas would not be able to get loans from the Agriculture Department.

WHITE HOUSE

In the 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of 1,800 staff in the Executive Office of the President. Some offices, such as the National Security Council, continued at full strength, while others like the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) were scaled back sharply.

White House furloughs could make it harder for Republicans in the House of Representatives to get information for their impeachment investigation of Democratic President Joe Biden.

The U.S. Constitution specifies that the president continues to get paid.

MAIL DELIVERY

The U.S. Postal Service would be unaffected because it does not depend on Congress for funding.

(Reporting by Andy Sullivan, Pete Schroeder, Howard Schneider, Moira Warburton, Nate Raymond, Makini Brice, Steve Holland, Chris Prentice, David Lawder, Brad Brooks, Diane Bartz, Andrew Chung and Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis and Aurora Ellis)

By Amy-Jo Crowley, David French and Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro

(Reuters) – EquiLend Holdings LLC, the securities lending platform owned by 10 of the biggest Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc and BlackRock Inc, is exploring a sale following settlement of a major collusion lawsuit, people familiar with the matter said.

The company is working with investment bank Broadhaven Capital Partners on an auction process, which is expected to draw interest from exchange operators, financial technology providers and private equity firms, said the sources. Euronext NV is one of the parties interested in EquiLend, one of the sources added.

EquiLend generates 12-month earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of more than $25 million, two of the sources said. One of the sources added that EquiLend may fetch about $700 million in a sale.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information. EquiLend and Broadhaven did not respond to comment requests. Euronext declined comment.

Euronext shares rose 2% to 66.45 euros on Friday.

It was unclear why the Wall Street firms that own EquiLend, which also include Bank of America Corp, Morgan Stanley, UBS Group AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co, are exploring a sale two decades after they launched it as a joint venture.

EquiLend agreed to corporate governance restrictions last month, including on how its board operates, to settle a lawsuit brought by several U.S. public pension funds accusing it of facilitating market collusion by its owners.

Founded in 2001, EquiLend provides a central platform for the trading of products associated with securities lending, as well as data and analytics for the industry and compliance technology.

It works with around 190 financial firms globally and has a staff of more than 330 people, according to its website.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and UBS agreed to pay $499 million last month to settle the lawsuit that accused them of conspiring to stifle competition in the stock lending market using EquiLend.

The lawsuit claimed the banks used their positions on EquiLend’s board to maintain monopoly control over the market, and charge excessive fees to investors. The banks did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley and Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro in London and David French in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

By Moira Warburton and David Morgan

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Democratic-led U.S. Senate forged ahead on Thursday with a bipartisan stopgap funding bill aimed at averting a fourth partial government shutdown in a decade, while the House began voting on partisan Republican spending bills with no chance of becoming law.

The divergent paths of the two chambers appeared to increase the odds that federal agencies will run out of money on Sunday, furloughing hundreds of thousands of federal workers and halting a wide range of services from economic data releases to nutrition benefits.

The House of Representatives voted 216-212 on a bill funding the State Department and other aspects of foreign affairs, the first in a series of four partisan appropriations bills that would not alone prevent a shutdown, even if they could overcome strong opposition from Senate Democrats and become law.

The Senate earlier in the day had voted 76-22 to open debate on a stopgap bill known as a continuing resolution, or CR, which would extend federal spending until Nov. 17, and authorize roughly $6 billion each for domestic disaster response funding and aid to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia.

The Senate measure has already been rejected by Republicans, who control the House.

House Republicans, led by a small faction of hardline conservatives in the chamber they control by a 221-212 margin, have rejected spending levels for fiscal year 2024 set in a deal Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with Biden in May.

The agreement included $1.59 trillion in discretionary spending in fiscal 2024. House Republicans are demanding another $120 billion in cuts, plus tougher legislation that would stop the flow of immigrants at the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

The funding fight focuses on a relatively small slice of the $6.4 trillion U.S. budget for this fiscal year. Lawmakers are not considering cuts to popular benefit programs such as Social Security and Medicare.

McCarthy is facing intense pressure from his caucus to achieve their goals. Several hardliners have threatened to oust him from his leadership role if he passes a spending bill that requires any Democratic votes to pass.

Former President Donald Trump has taken to social media to push his congressional allies toward a shutdown.

McCarthy, for his part, suggested on Thursday that a shutdown could be avoided if Senate Democrats agreed to address border issues in their stopgap measure.

“I talked this morning to some Democratic senators over there that are more aligned with what we want to do. They want to do something about the border,” McCarthy told reporters in the U.S. Capitol.

“We’re trying to work to see, could we put some border provisions in that current Senate bill that would actually make things a lot better,” he said.

The House Freedom Caucus, home to the hardliners forcing McCarthy’s hand, in an open letter to him on Thursday demanded a timeline for passing the seven remaining appropriations bills and a plan to further reduce the top-line discretionary spending figure, among other questions.

“No Member of Congress can or should be expected to consider supporting a stop-gap funding measure without answers to these reasonable questions,” the letter, led by the group’s chair, Republican Representative Scott Perry, read.

‘ONE OPTION TO AVOID A SHUTDOWN’

The Senate measure has passed two procedural hurdles this week with strong bipartisan support.

“Congress has only one option – one option – to avoid a shutdown: bipartisanship,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday. “With bipartisanship, we can responsibly fund the government and avoid the sharp and unnecessary pain for the American people and the economy that a shutdown will bring.”

Credit agencies have warned that brinkmanship and political polarization are harming the U.S. financial outlook. Moody’s, the last major ratings agency to rate the U.S. government “Aaa” with a stable outlook, said on Monday that a shutdown would harm the country’s credit rating.

Fitch, another major ratings agency, already downgraded the U.S. government to “AA+” after Congress flirted with defaulting on the nation’s debt earlier this year.

(Reporting by Moira Warburton and David Morgan, additional reporting by Susan Heavey and Jeff Mason; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Jonathan Oatis)

By Katie Paul

MENLO PARK, California (Reuters) -Meta Platforms used public Facebook and Instagram posts to train parts of its new Meta AI virtual assistant, but excluded private posts shared only with family and friends in an effort to respect consumers’ privacy, the company’s top policy executive told Reuters in an interview.

Meta also did not use private chats on its messaging services as training data for the model and took steps to filter private details from public datasets used for training, said Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, speaking on the sidelines of the company’s annual Connect conference this week.

“We’ve tried to exclude datasets that have a heavy preponderance of personal information,” Clegg said, adding that the “vast majority” of the data used by Meta for training was publicly available.

He cited LinkedIn as an example of a website whose content Meta deliberately chose not to use because of privacy concerns.

Clegg’s comments come as tech companies including Meta, OpenAI and Alphabet’s Google have been criticized for using information scraped from the internet without permission to train their AI models, which ingest massive amounts of data in order to summarize information and generate imagery.

The companies are weighing how to handle the private or copyrighted materials vacuumed up in that process that their AI systems may reproduce, while facing lawsuits from authors accusing them of infringing copyrights.

Meta AI was the most significant product among the company’s first consumer-facing AI tools unveiled by CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday at Meta’s annual products conference, Connect. This year’s event was dominated by talk of artificial intelligence, unlike past conferences which focused on augmented and virtual reality.

Meta made the assistant using a custom model based on the powerful Llama 2 large language model that the company released for public commercial use in July, as well as a new model called Emu that generates images in response to text prompts, it said.

The product will be able to generate text, audio and imagery and will have access to real-time information via a partnership with Microsoft’s Bing search engine.

The public Facebook and Instagram posts that were used to train Meta AI included both text and photos, Clegg said.

Those posts were used to train Emu for the image generation elements of the product, while the chat functions were based on Llama 2 with some publicly available and annotated datasets added, a Meta spokesperson told Reuters.

Interactions with Meta AI may also be used to improve the features going forward, the spokesperson said.

Clegg said Meta imposed safety restrictions on what content the Meta AI tool could generate, like a ban on the creation of photo-realistic images of public figures.

On copyrighted materials, Clegg said he was expecting a “fair amount of litigation” over the matter of “whether creative content is covered or not by existing fair use doctrine,” which permits the limited use of protected works for purposes such as commentary, research and parody.

“We think it is, but I strongly suspect that’s going to play out in litigation,” Clegg said.

Some companies with image-generation tools facilitate the reproduction of iconic characters like Mickey Mouse, while others have paid for the materials or deliberately avoided including them in training data.

OpenAI, for instance, signed a six-year deal with content provider Shutterstock this summer to use the company’s image, video and music libraries for training.

Asked whether Meta had taken any such steps to avoid the reproduction of copyrighted imagery, a Meta spokesperson pointed to new terms of service barring users from generating content that violates privacy and intellectual property rights.

(Reporting by Katie Paul in Menlo Park, California; Editing by Kenneth Li, Matthew Lewis and Lincoln Feast)

By Max A. Cherney

(Reuters) -France’s competition authority raided Nvidia’s local offices this week on suspicion the chipmaker engaged in anticompetitive practices, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The French competition authority, which disclosed the dawn raid on Wednesday, did not say what practices it was investigating or which company it had targeted, beyond saying it was in the “graphics cards sector.”

The French competition authority said that its operation this week followed a broader inquiry into the cloud-computing sector. The broader inquiry revolves around concerns that cloud-computing companies could use their access to computing power to exclude smaller competitors.

This week’s operation had targeted Nvidia, which is the world’s largest maker of chips used both for artificial intelligence and for computer graphics, the WSJ report added, citing people familiar with the raid. Chips originally made for computer graphics are suited for AI-related computing.

Nvidia declined to comment, while the French competition authority did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Demand for Nvidia’s chips surged in following the release of the generative AI application ChatGPT late last year. Through a combination of its chips and other hardware and its powerful software that runs them, Nvidia has achieved market share of around 80%.

French authorities have taken an aggressive approach against Big Tech in recent months. In September, France suspended sales of Apple’s iPhone 12 and threatened a recall after it said it found the phone emitted radiation levels exceeding a limit. The move prompted Apple to release a software update for the French market.

Nvidia shares were up 1.4% at $430.65 late on Thursday afternoon.

(Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru and Max A. Cherney in San FranciscoEditing by Shweta Agarwal and Matthew Lewis)

It’s a big win for SpaceX on securing its first contract from the US Space Force. The multimillion-dollar contract will see the space company offer customized satellite communications for the military under its new Starshield program. Founded by Elon Musk, the company is competing against 15 other companies also looking to secure work orders as part of the $900 million program by the Space Force.

Space Force Contract

The space company secured the one-year contract on September 1 with a $70 million ceiling. It requires the company to offer Starshield end-to-end service via the Starlink constellation, user terminals, ancillary equipment, and other related services. SpaceX unveiled Starshield as a new business line last year and has successfully attracted the Pentagon as a high-value buyer.

The US Space Force is looking for satellites that will enable communication from 100 miles to 1,000 miles above the Earth’s surface. SpaceX can offer the satellites under its new Starshield service, which features a constellation of Starlink communication satellites. In June, the company secured a contract of undisclosed value to provide Starlink satellite communications to the Ukrainian military.

SpaceX secured the multimillion contracts given the strides it has made in launching satellites and carrying out space exploration. The new contract expands Musk’s portfolio, becoming a new defense contractor. SpaceX has seen its portfolio of Pentagon-linked business and contracts increase significantly in recent years. It is seen as one of the companies that will accelerate the US push to explore space.

Nevertheless, the company has been embroiled in stiff competition with other companies also eyeing the lucrative contracts from the defense department. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co., poses the biggest competition, given its capability to send up national security payloads to space.

Musk Russia Ties Concerns

Amid the influx of contracts from the US Department of Defense, SpaceX has also been scrutinized amid growing concerns about Musk’s ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Musk’s conversations with Putin have often sparked concerns about his reliability as a Pentagon Supplier, putting SpaceX under lots of scrutiny.

Last year, Musk was embroiled in a fierce standoff after he turned down a request from Ukraine’s government to extend Starling coverage on Russia-held Crimea. Ukraine wanted to use the coverage to carry out a naval drone attack on Russian targets. As SpaceX becomes one of the biggest DOD contractor and a critical industry partner, lawmakers have raised concerns over the company’s willingness to interrupt service at Musk’s request.

The wave of concerns is likely to continue SpaceX’s push to become a prime defense contractor and industry player capable of securing billions of dollars in taxpayer funding. The company has already launched its 67th rocket this year, affirming its workhorse booster.

The Star Link launch marked an important milestone as it was the first time the company reused a Falcon 9 first stage 17 times. SpaceX has been able to push the limits of booster reuse while maintaining a 100% record of success across its Falcon 9 rocket launches.

By Amy-Jo Crowley, David French and Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro

(Reuters) – EquiLend Holdings LLC, the securities lending platform owned by 10 of the biggest Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs Group Inc and BlackRock Inc, is exploring a sale following settlement of a major collusion lawsuit, people familiar with the matter said.

The company is working with investment bank Broadhaven Capital Partners on an auction process, which is expected to draw interest from exchange operators, financial technology providers and private equity firms, said the sources. Euronext NV is one of the parties interested in EquiLend, one of the sources added.

EquiLend generates 12-month earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of more than $25 million, two of the sources said. One of the sources added that EquiLend may fetch about $700 million in a sale.

The sources spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss confidential information. EquiLend and Broadhaven did not respond to comment requests. Euronext declined comment.

It was unclear why the Wall Street firms that own EquiLend, which also include Bank of America Corp, Morgan Stanley, UBS Group AG and JPMorgan Chase & Co, are exploring a sale two decades after they launched it as a joint venture.

EquiLend agreed to corporate governance restrictions last month, including on how its board operates, to settle a lawsuit brought by several U.S. public pension funds accusing it of facilitating market collusion by its owners.

Founded in 2001, EquiLend provides a central platform for the trading of products associated with securities lending, as well as data and analytics for the industry and compliance technology.

It works with around 190 financial firms globally and has a staff of more than 330 people, according to its website.

Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley and UBS agreed to pay $499 million last month to settle the lawsuit that accused them of conspiring to stifle competition in the stock lending market using EquiLend.

The lawsuit claimed the banks used their positions on EquiLend’s board to maintain monopoly control over the market, and charge excessive fees to investors. The banks did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.

(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley and Pablo Mayo Cerqueiro in London and David French in New York; Editing by David Gregorio)

By Piroschka van de Wouw

ROTTERDAM (Reuters) -A gunman killed three people in the Dutch city of Rotterdam on Thursday, shooting a local woman and her daughter in their home then storming into a classroom of Rotterdam’s university hospital and opening fire on a male teacher.

The 32-year-old suspect, a university student, shot dead a 39-year-old woman who lived in his neighbourhood, and shot her 14-year-old daughter. The girl died later in hospital, police said.

After setting the woman’s house on fire, the gunman went to the Rotterdam Medical Centre university hospital, where he entered a classroom and shot dead a 43-year-old teacher.

The man was arrested near the hospital, where he also started a fire. His motive was unknown.

“We have been shocked by a horrible incident. Shots were fired in two different places in the city. Many people witnessed it,” Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb said. “Emotions in the city are very high. My condolences go out to the victims.”

Rotterdam’s chief prosecutor Hugo Hillenaar said: “The suspect was known to law enforcement and in 2021 he was prosecuted and convicted for animal abuse.”

Videos posted online showed police instructing students, some wearing white medical gowns, to run outside as heavily armed arrest teams arrived at the scene. One video showed a man in handcuffs wearing what appeared to be combat trousers.

Police said there were no indications of a second shooter.

(Reporting by Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Toby Sterling, Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Peter Graff, Hugh Lawson, Alexandra Hudson)

By Raphael Satter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A handful of Canadian websites were defaced and the site for the country’s armed forces was briefly disrupted Wednesday amid simmering tensions with India.

The low-level hacks were claimed by an obscure pro-India group going by the name “Indian Cyber Force,” whose logo includes an American bald eagle with orange and green wings, the colors of the Indian flag.

The hackers told Reuters via Telegram, “Everyone know” why they were targeting Canada but did not elaborate. The group has previously said it was retaliating against Canadian allegations that India had a hand in the killing of Sikh separatist leader outside Vancouver on June 18.

Indian officials have denied the charge and downsized the Ottawa’s diplomatic presence in India, issuing travel warnings and freezing visa issuance to Canadians.

Digital vandalism is typical whenever tensions between two countries rise and intrusions of the kind claimed by the Cyber Force rarely deal lasting damage. Several targeted websites appeared to have been picked at random; among them was an Ontario dental clinic.

The Canadian Armed Forces said in an email Thursday that the disruption had been limited to a few hours and has since been “rectified.” The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security said in a statement that “geopolitical events often result in an increase in disruptive cyber campaigns” and that it was keeping an eye out for developing threats.

(Reporting by Raphael Satter; Additional reporting by David Ljunggren in Ottawa; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department has for a number of days conducted contingency planning in case of a government shutdown, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Thursday.

Miller told reporters that planning will continue in coming days to decide what jobs are essential to national security and cannot be suspended in a shutdown and what jobs would have to be suspended.

“We remain hopeful that Congress will do its job and fund the government, but we are making contingency planning in case they don’t,” Miller said.

House of Representatives Republicans, led by a small faction of hardline conservatives, have rejected spending levels for fiscal year 2024 set in a deal that Speaker Kevin McCarthy negotiated with President Joe Biden in May. Republicans control the House by a 221-212 margin.

The agreement included $1.59 trillion in discretionary spending in fiscal 2024. House Republicans are demanding another $120 billion in cuts, plus tougher legislation that would stop the flow of immigrants at the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

U.S. embassies and consulates would remain open. Passport and visa processing would continue as long as there were sufficient fees to cover operations. Nonessential official travel, speeches and other events would be curtailed, according to a shutdown plan published in August.

Some foreign aid programs could run out of money as well.

(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk, Costas Pitas and Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Chris Reese and Leslie Adler)