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Gold hit another record Tuesday, while equity markets were mixed as traders prepared for a possible US government shutdown that could affect the release of key economic data, though hopes for more Federal Reserve interest rate cuts provided support.A string of closely watched indicators has recently supported investor expectations that the US central bank will lower borrowing costs twice more this year, having done so this month for the first time since December.And this week has readings on the labour market lined up — on job openings, private hiring and non-farm payrolls — with forecasters predicting they will show the labour market continuing to slow, giving Fed officials room to loosen monetary policy.However, there are concerns that the failure of Republicans and Democrats to agree to keep funding the government could mean some figures could be postponed.Congressional leaders from both sides met President Donald Trump Monday in a bid to find a breakthrough before a midnight Tuesday deadline, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters afterwards that “large differences” remained.Vice President JD Vance accused the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their funding demands, adding that “I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing”.While shutdowns are not usually painful, Neil Wilson at Saxo markets remained cautious.”Usually, markets ignore shutdowns — most last only a few days and investors seem to take a long-term view of the situation, and the short duration of most incidents has little impact on company profits. The average length of shutdowns is eight days,” he wrote.However, he warned: “It could be different this time.”Deep political divisions could see this drag on. A longer shutdown could have serious consequences for stocks. In the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019 the S&P 500 fell 14 percent.”He also pointed to the White House threatening mass firings, extending a recent widespread federal cull, while recent changes to economic policy added to uncertainty and raised the prospect of a potential recession.Stock markets in Asia began the day by extending Monday’s gains but some struggled to maintain momentum.Shanghai rose even as data showed Chinese factory activity contracted for the sixth month in a row, while Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Mumbai and Wellington also climbed.Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta fell along with London, Paris and Frankfurt.The prospect of a shutdown and expectations for rate cuts weighed on the dollar and helped push gold to yet another peak above $3,871.Speculation is growing that it could soon hit $4,000, having piled on almost 50 percent since the turn of the year.”In trading rooms, gold is no longer just a hedge; it’s become the star performer, the undisputed heavyweight,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes.”Every desk is watching because when gold is surging, it tends to reveal more about political and policy anxiety than about jewelry demand.”In company news, the international spin-off of China’s biggest miner Zijin Mining Group rocketed higher on its Hong Kong debut.Zijin Gold International surged almost 70 percent, having raised more than $3 billion in an initial public offering that came as gold companies see healthy rallies on the back of increased demand for the precious metal.Oil prices extended Monday’s three percent plunge on fears about a glut amid talk of OPEC+ hiking output again in November, when officials meet on Sunday.- Key figures at around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.3 percent at 44,932.63 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.9 percent at 26,855.56 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.5 percent at 3,882.78 (close)London – FTSE 100: DOWN 0.2 percent at 9,285.10Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1740 from $1.1725 on MondayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3445 from $1.3434Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.00 yen from 148.68 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.33 pence from 87.28 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.1 percent at $62.75 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.0 percent at $67.30 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 46,316.07 (close)

Afghanistan faced a second day without internet and mobile phone service on Tuesday, after Taliban authorities cut the fibre optic network.Taliban authorities began shutting down high speed internet connections to some provinces earlier in the month to prevent “vice”.On Monday night, mobile phone signal and internet service gradually weakened until connectivity was less than one percent of ordinary levels, according to internet watchdog NetBlocks.It is the first time since the Taliban government won their insurgency in 2021 and imposed a strict version of Islamic law that communications have been shut down in the country.”We are blind without phones and internet,” said 42-year-old shopkeeper Najibullah in Kabul.”All our business relies on mobiles. The deliveries are with mobiles. It’s like a holiday, everyone is at home. The market is totally frozen.”In the minutes before it happened, a government official warned AFP that fibre optic would be cut, affecting mobile phone services too.”Eight to nine thousand telecommunications pillars” would be shut down, he said, adding that the blackout would last “until further notice”.”There isn’t any other way or system to communicate… the banking sector, customs, everything across the country will be affected,” said the official who asked not to be named.Netblocks, a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and internet governance, said the blackout “appears consistent with the intentional disconnection of service”.AFP lost all contact with its bureau in the capital Kabul at around 5:45 pm (1315 GMT).”Because of the shutdown, I’m totally disconnected with my family in Kabul,” a 40-year-old Afghan living in Oman told AFP via text message, asking not to be named. “I don’t know whats happening, Im really worried.”Telephone services are often routed over the internet, sharing the same fibre lines, especially in countries with limited telecoms infrastructure. Over the past weeks, internet connections have been extremely slow or intermittent.On September 16, Balkh provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said fibre optic internet was completely banned in the northern province on the Taliban leader’s orders.”This measure was taken to prevent vice, and alternative options will be put in place across the country to meet connectivity needs,” he wrote on social media.At the time, AFP correspondents reported the same restrictions in the northern provinces of Badakhshan and Takhar, as well as in Kandahar, Helmand, Nangarhar and Uruzgan in the south.In 2024, Kabul had touted the 9,350-kilometre (5,800-mile) fibre optic network — largely built by former US-backed governments — as a “priority” to bring the country closer to the rest of the world and lift it out of poverty.

Equities rallied for a second day and gold hit another record Tuesday on growing Federal Reserve interest rate optimism, though traders were preparing for a possible US government shutdown that could affect the release of key economic data.A string of closely watched indicators has recently supported investor expectations that the US central bank will lower borrowing costs twice more this year, having done so this month for the first time since December.And this week has readings on the labour market lined up — on job openings, private hiring and non-farm payrolls — with forecasters predicting they will show the labour market continuing to slow, giving Fed officials room to loosen monetary policy.However, there are concerns that the failure of Republicans and Democrats to agree to keep funding the government could mean some figures could be postponed.Congressional leaders from both sides met President Trump Monday in a bid to find a breakthrough before a midnight Tuesday deadline, but top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer told reporters afterwards that “large differences” remained.Vice President JD Vance accused the Democrats of putting “a gun to the American people’s head” with their funding demands, adding that “I think we’re headed to a shutdown because the Democrats won’t do the right thing”.While shutdowns are not usually painful, Neil Wilson at Saxo markets remained cautious.”Usually, markets ignore shutdowns — most last only a few days and investors seem to take a long-term view of the situation, and the short duration of most incidents has little impact on company profits. The average length of shutdowns is eight days,” he wrote.However, he warned: “It could be different this time.”Deep political divisions could see this drag on. A longer shutdown could have serious consequences for stocks. In the 35-day shutdown of 2018-2019 the S&P 500 fell 14 percent.”He also pointed to the White House threatening mass firings, extending a recent widespread federal cull, while recent changes to economic policy added to uncertainty and raised the prospect of a potential recession.Still, stock markets rose again in Asia.Hong Kong, Shanghai, Sydney, Taipei, Singapore, Manila and Wellington all climbed, though Tokyo, Jakarta and Seoul inched down.The prospect of a shutdown and expectations for rate cuts helped push gold to yet another peak just shy of $3,852, with speculation whirling that it could soon hit $4,000, having piled on almost 50 percent since the turn of the year.”In trading rooms, gold is no longer just a hedge; it’s become the star performer, the undisputed heavyweight,” said SPI Asset Management’s Stephen Innes. “Every desk is watching because when gold is surging, it tends to reveal more about political and policy anxiety than about jewelry demand.”In company news, the international spin-off of China’s biggest miner Zijin Mining Group rocketed higher on its Hong Kong debut.Zijin Gold International surged as much as 66 percent in early trade, having raised more than $3 billion in an initial public offering that came as gold companies see healthy rallies on the back of increased demand for the precious metal.Oil prices extended Monday’s three percent plunge on fears about a glut amid talk of OPEC+ hiking output again in November.- Key figures at around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.1 percent at 45,023.48 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.3 percent at 26,694.73Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.3 percent at 3,874.54Euro/dollar: DOWN at $1.1721 from $1.1725 on MondayPound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3428 from $1.3434Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.65 yen from 148.68 yenEuro/pound: UP at 87.30 pence from 87.28 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.6 percent at $63.09 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.5 percent at $67.62 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 46,316.07 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 9,299.84 (close)

Global stock markets mostly rose on Monday, shrugging off concerns about a looming US government shutdown as markets eyed key budget talks set for Monday afternoon.Following a mostly positive round of trading in Europe and Asia, Wall Street’s main indices finished modestly higher. US President Donald Trump was expected to meet with congressional leaders Monday afternoon.Unless US lawmakers agree to a temporary spending plan on Tuesday, many government operations will shut down on Wednesday, when the new fiscal year begins.”It is very much touch-and-go in terms of whether there will be a deal that averts a government shutdown,” said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.”But for now the impact of a possible shutdown is concentrated more in the headlines than in the economy and the stock market,” he said.Trade Nation market analyst David Morrison noted that Wall Street’s so-called fear gauge, the VIX index, was little changed and down from last week.”Even with risks such as the potential US government shutdown and key labor market data later in the week, the decline in volatility reflects a market that is comfortable holding steady near record highs,” he said.A shutdown could, however, delay the release of statistics used by the Federal Reserve in helping decide interest rates.The Fed cut rates earlier this month — the first since December — and investors still see it as likely it will reduce them twice more this year.Data released last week showed the Fed’s preferred inflation measure rose in line with expectations in August, giving the bank room to cut rates again.Investors were looking to the monthly non-farm payroll report scheduled to come out on Friday to adjust their expectations on whether the Fed will cut at its next meeting at the end of October.The dollar dropped against main rivals, while oil prices fell more than three percent on expectations that OPEC+ will increase output, fanning concerns of a glut. Gold’s price on Monday hit an all-time peak above $3,830 an ounce over concerns about the possible government shutdown and on expectations for more rate cuts, which make the precious metal more attractive as an investment.”Geopolitical risks — from Europe and the Middle East to US-China frictions — are reinforcing gold’s role as a strategic hedge,” said City Index and FOREX.com analyst Fawad Razaqzada.On the corporate front, shares in video game giant Electronic Arts jumped 4.5 percent after it announced it would be acquired by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for $55 billion.Shares in GSK climbed 2.2 percent in London afternoon trading after the British pharmaceutical giant unexpectedly announced that longtime chief executive Emma Walmsley will be replaced by its chief commercial officer in January.Lufthansa shares edged higher after it said it will cut 4,000 jobs, nearly four percent of the German airline giant’s workforce, after profits slumped in the face of mounting headwinds.- Key figures at around 2020 GMT -New York – Dow: UP 0.2 percent at 46,316.07 (close)New York – S&P 500: UP 0.3 percent at 6,661.21 (close)New York – Nasdaq: UP 0.5 percent at 22,591.15 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.2 percent at 9,299.84 (close)Paris – CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 7,880.87 (close)Frankfurt – DAX: FLAT at 23,745.06 (close)Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 45,043.75 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.9 percent at 26,622.88 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 3,862.53 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1725 from $1.1703 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3434 from $1.3402Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.68 yen from 149.49 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.28 pence from 87.32 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 3.1 percent at $67.97 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 3.5 percent at $63.45 per barrelburs-jmb/sla

European and Asian stock markets largely gained Monday and gold hit a record high after US inflation figures met expectations, soothing concerns about President Donald Trump’s latest tariff salvo.Investors were keeping a wary eye on Washington, where lawmakers have failed to reach a funding compromise to keep the government running, which observers say could affect the release of key data.The dollar dropped against main rivals, while oil prices retreated on speculation that OPEC+ will increase output, fanning concerns of a glut. The drop followed last week’s rally on mounting tensions between NATO countries and oil producer Russia, increasing the possibility of fresh sanctions on Moscow. “US (stocks) futures are pointing to a higher open, on track to extend gains after markets closed on a positive note on Friday,” noted Victoria Scholar, head of investment at Interactive Investor. “Investors will be paying close attention to the latest nonfarm payrolls report on Friday for clues into the Fed’s next move.”All three main indices in New York ended in the green Friday, snapping three straight losses, following news that the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation rose in line with expectations, giving the bank room to cut interest rates again.While the 2.7 percent reading on the August personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index was up from 2.6 percent in July and well above the Fed’s two percent target, policymakers are focusing on supporting the labour market after a string of weak jobs readings.The Fed’s rate cut earlier this month — the first since December — came as a closely watched guide indicated two more were in the pipeline before January.The news helped investors look past Trump’s announcement last week of 100 percent tariffs on pharmaceuticals set to kick in Wednesday, as well as for big-rig trucks, home renovation fixtures and furniture.Gold’s price on Monday hit an all-time peak just short of $3,820 an ounce over concerns about the possible government shutdown and on expectations for more rate cuts, which make the precious metal more attractive as an investment.On the corporate front, shares in GSK climbed 2.5 percent in London midday trading after the British pharmaceutical giant unexpectedly announced that longtime chief executive Emma Walmsley will be replaced by its chief commercial officer in January.Lufthansa meanwhile said it will cut 4,000 jobs, nearly four percent of the German airline giant’s workforce, after profits slumped in the face of mounting headwinds.Hong Kong led the gainers in Asia thanks to a surging share prices for Chinese tech giants including Alibaba.While Tokyo slipped overall, the finance arm of Sony soared more than 30 percent on its debut after being spun off by the tech titan to focus on its entertainment and image sensor business.- Key figures at around 1100 GMT -London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 9,340.42 pointsParis – CAC 40: UP 0.1 percent at 7,878.46Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.2 percent at 23,782.85Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 45,043.75 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.9 percent at 26,622.88 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 3,862.53 (close)New York – Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 46,247.29 (close)Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1721 from $1.1701 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3433 from $1.3405Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.65 yen from 149.51 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.25 pence from 87.30 penceBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.7 percent at $68.00 per barrelWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.9 percent at $64.47 per barrel

Most markets rose Monday and gold hit a record high following US inflation figures that met expectations and soothed concerns about Donald Trump’s latest tariff salvo.However, investors were keeping a wary eye on Washington, where lawmakers have failed to reach a funding compromise to keep the government running, which observers say could affect the release of key data.All three main indexes in New York ended in the green Friday, snapping three straight losses following news that the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation rose in line with expectations, giving the bank room to cut interest rates again.While the 2.7 percent reading on the August personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index was up from 2.6 percent in July and well above the Fed’s two percent target, policymakers are focusing on supporting the labour market after a string of weak jobs readings.Their cut earlier this month — the first since December — came as a closely watched guide indicated two more were in the pipeline before January.The news helped investors look past the US president’s announcement last week of 100 percent tariffs on pharmaceuticals, big-rig trucks, home renovation fixtures and furniture.Attention now turns to the key non-farm payrolls (NFP) report due Friday.However, there are concerns that could be postponed by a possible government shutdown this week as US politicians struggle to reach a funding deal, with some analysts suggesting the labour department could be hit.With a deadline for a deal coming on Tuesday, congressional leaders on both sides are due to meet President Trump to try to resolve the issue, which could see some key services closed down.Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader, said on ABC News that he was “hopeful” that a deal could be struck before the Tuesday cutoff.His colleague Chuck Schumer, the Democrats’ Senate leader, echoed that guarded optimism and said any potential breakthroughs would depend on Trump’s Republicans.Trump has struck a defiant tone in pushing for his own agenda and last week cancelled a meeting to discuss the stalemate with senior opposition leaders, which will instead take place Monday.”If we hear early this week that the NFP report will be delayed (potentially until the govt re-opens), traders may recalibrate their approach to risk and increase their sensitivity to” other jobs figures, said Pepperstone’s Chris Weston.And economists at Bank of America warned that the longer the row went on the more painful it would be for the world’s top economy.”The economic effects of a shutdown are typically modest and short-lived. Though the drag grows with the length of the shutdown, and potential federal layoffs could have more lasting effects,” they wrote.Still, investors in most markets were in a positive mood, building on Wall Street’s gains.Hong Kong led the gainers thanks to a surge in Chinese tech giants including Alibaba, while Seoul rose more than one percent. Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Bangkok, Mumbai, Wellington and Jakarta also advanced.London, Paris and Frankfurt rallied in the morning.Tokyo slipped, though the finance arm of Sony soared more than 30 percent on its debut after being spun off by the tech titan to focus on its entertainment and image sensor business.Sony Financial Group rocketed to as much as 210 yen in the morning, from the 150 yen reference point set last week. It later pared the gains to end at 173.80 yen.Manila also dropped.Gold spiked to a fresh peak just short of $3,820 an ounce on concerns about the possible shutdown and on expectations for more rate cuts, which make the precious metal more attractive as an investment.Oil prices sank on speculation OPEC+ will increase output, fanning concerns of a glut. The drop followed last week’s rally on the back of mounting tensions between NATO countries and Russia, increasing the possibility of fresh sanctions on Moscow. – Key figures at around 0810 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 45,043.75 (close)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.9 percent at 26,622.88 (close)Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.9 percent at 3,862.53 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.6 percent at 9,342.46 Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1724 from $1.1701 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3444 from $1.3405Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.61 yen from 149.51 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.21 pence from 87.30 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.2 percent at $64.94 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.0 percent at $69.40 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 46,247.29 (close)

Australian telecommunications giant Optus said Monday it had suffered a network outage that prevented calls to emergency services, just over a week after a similar interruption that has been linked to four deaths.Optus — one of Australia’s top telecoms providers — said the outage on Sunday impacted thousands of people in New South Wales and lasted more than nine hours.The firm said it had “confirmed with police that all callers who attempted to contact emergency services are OK.””Optus continues to investigate the cause,” it added.This month Optus said it suffered an outage that impacted 600 people across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory for at least 10 hours.The outage prevented calls to emergency services and has been linked to four deaths.Australia’s finance minister Katy Gallagher told national broadcaster ABC that Sunday’s incident was “more disappointing news off the back of the major disruption that happened the week before”.”I think there’s questions that Optus are going to have to answer about what happened in the last fortnight and their response to it,” she said.On Friday, Australia’s National Broadband Network experienced an outage in Western Australia that impacted customers’ ability to make emergency calls, police said.Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh told ABC the interruptions were “extraordinary”.”People across Australia need to have confidence in our triple-0 network,” she said, referring to the country’s main emergency services hotline.”These are lives that are at risk.”Last week, Optus announced details of an independent review that will probe the series of events that took place and determine why emergency calls did not connect.The firm was also fined $66 million last week for selling products to vulnerable customers between 2019 and 2023 that they did not need or want, leaving many in debt.Federal Court Justice Patrick O’Sullivan labelled the company’s conduct as “extremely serious” and “appalling”.Optus was also fined $7.9 million after an outage halted its mobile and internet systems for nearly 12 hours in 2023.

Most Asian markets rose Monday, tracking gains on Wall Street, following US inflation figures that met expectations and soothed concerns about Donald Trump’s latest tariff salvo.However, investors were keeping a wary eye on Washington, where lawmakers have failed to reach a funding compromise to keep the government running, which observers say could affect the release of key data.All three main indexes in New York ended in the green Friday, snapping three straight losses following news that the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge of inflation rose in line with expectations, giving the bank room to cut interest rates again.While the 2.7 percent reading on the August personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index was up from 2.6 percent in July and well above the Fed’s two percent target, policymakers are focusing on supporting the labour market after a string of weak jobs readings.Their cut earlier this month — the first since December — came as a closely watched guide indicated two more were in the pipeline before January.Attention now turns to the key non-farm payrolls (NFP) report due Friday.However, there are concerns that could be postponed by a possible government shutdown this week as US politicians struggle to reach a funding deal, with some analysts suggesting the labour department could be hit.With a deadline for a deal coming on Tuesday, congressional leaders on both sides are due to meet President Trump to try to resolve the issue, which could see some key services closed down.Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic House leader, said on ABC that he was “hopeful” that a deal could be struck before the Tuesday cutoff.His colleague Chuck Schumer, the Democrats’ Senate leader, echoed that guarded optimism and said any potential breakthroughs would depend on Trump’s Republicans.Trump has struck a defiant tone in pushing for his own agenda and last week cancelled a meeting to discuss the stalemate with senior opposition leaders, which will instead take place Monday.”If we hear early this week that the NFP report will be delayed (potentially until the govt re-opens), traders may recalibrate their approach to risk and increase their sensitivity to” other jobs figures, said Pepperstone’s Chris Weston.And economists at Bank of America warned that the longer the row went on the more painful it would be for the world’s top economy.”The economic effects of a shutdown are typically modest and short-lived. Though the drag grows with the length of the shutdown, and potential federal layoffs could have more lasting effects,” they wrote.Still, investors in most markets were in a positive mood, building on Wall Street’s gains.Hong Kong and Seoul led the way, rising more than one percent each, while Shanghai, Sydney, Singapore, Wellington, Manila and Jakarta also advanced.Tokyo slipped, though the finance arm of Sony soared more than 30 percent on its debut after being spun off by the tech titan to focus on its entertainment and image sensor business.Sony Financial Group rocketed to as much as 210 yen in the morning, from the 150 yen it was set at last week.Oil prices sank on speculation OPEC+ will increase output, fanning concerns of a glut. The drop followed last week’s rally on the back of mounting tensions between NATO countries and Russia, increasing the possibility of fresh sanctions on Moscow. – Key figures at around 0230 GMT -Tokyo – Nikkei 225: DOWN 1.0 percent at 44,892.52 (break)Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 1.5 percent at 26,506.83Shanghai – Composite: UP 0.1 percent at 3,833.33Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1725 from $1.1701 on FridayPound/dollar: UP at $1.3431 from $1.3405Dollar/yen: DOWN at 148.96 yen from 149.51 yenEuro/pound: DOWN at 87.28 pence from 87.30 penceWest Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.8 percent at $65.19 per barrelBrent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.7 percent at $69.65 per barrelNew York – Dow: UP 0.7 percent at 46,247.29 (close)London – FTSE 100: UP 0.8 percent at 9,284.83 (close) 

Vacationing in India, engineer Amrutha Tamanam rushed to return to the United States after Donald Trump abruptly announced a $100,000 fee for the visa she holds.As she scrambled to get back to the country she’s called home for a decade, racially motivated far-right trolls launched coordinated efforts to disrupt flight bookings from India, calling their campaign “clog the toilet.”The White House would later clarify that the new H-1B fee was a one-time payment not applicable to current holders. But leading US companies had already advised their employees abroad to swiftly return to avoid the fee or risk being stranded overseas.Tamanam, an Austin-based software engineer, began searching for a flight from the city of Vijayawada, as users on the far-right message board 4chan moved to overwhelm  reservation systems, in a bid to block Indian visa holders from booking tickets.One 4chan thread encouraged users to find India-US flights, “initiate the checkout process” but “don’t checkout,” thereby clogging the system and preventing the visa holders from reaching the United States before the announcement took effect.The campaign may have had a direct impact on Tamanam, who encountered repeated crashes on airline websites. The checkout page, which typically allows users a window of a few minutes, timed out much faster.After multiple attempts, she eventually managed to rebook a one-way ticket to Dallas on Qatar Airways, spending around $2,000 — more than double the cost of her original round-trip fare.”It was hard for me to book a ticket and I paid a huge fare for the panic travel,” Tamanam told AFP.- ‘Keep them in India’ -The 4chan thread –- which also circulated among far-right Trump supporters on Telegram and other fringe forums — read: “Indians are just waking up after the H1B news. Want to keep them in India? Clog the flight reservation system!”Responding posts, many riddled with racist slurs, advised users to hold seats for popular India-US routes on airline websites and booking platforms — without completing the purchase.The stated goal was to block availability on high-demand flights, making it harder to find available seats and inflating prices.Illustrating the scale of the operation, one 4chan user posted a screenshot of their browser and claimed: “I got 100 seats locked.””Currently clogging the last available seat on this Delhi to Newark flight,” another wrote.Several 4chan users also posted about holding up seats on Air India and slowing the airline’s website. However, an Air India spokesperson told AFP the site experienced no disruptions, with systems operating normally.- ‘Shared antipathy’ –Though difficult to measure the campaign’s overall effectiveness, the trolling was an attempt to “cause panic among H-1B visa holders,” Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, told AFP.”The real scary thing about 4chan is its ability to radicalize people into extremist beliefs,” Beirich said, adding that several US mass shooters had published manifestos to the site.H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialized skills — such as scientists and computer programmers — to work in the United States, initially for three years but extendable to six.The United States awards 85,000 H-1B visas per year on a lottery system, with India accounting for around three-quarters of the recipients.In an age of information warfare, the troll operation illustrates how bad actors can launch disruptive attacks “with the stroke of a keyboard,” said Brian Levin, founder of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.”As nationalistic politics takes hold across the world, an informal international association of opponents will use an array of aggressive tools, including the internet,” Levin told AFP.”What I think is so relevant is how rapidly it spread, how diverse the nations represented were, and how shared antipathy across international borders can be mobilized online.”

A mining mogul engaged in a years-long dispute with the Australian government over a blocked project had his case thrown out by an international tribunal on Saturday, the attorney general said.Flamboyant billionaire and right-wing politician Clive Palmer had sought to challenge legislation in Western Australia, which prevented him from suing the government over losses related to a blocked mining project in the state.Having lost that bid in Canberra’s high court in 2021, his Singapore-based company took the case to the supranational Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), where it claimed violations of a free trade agreement between Australia, New Zealand and ASEAN.The PCA threw out his case on Saturday on the grounds that it has no jurisdiction in the dispute. It also ordered Palmer’s company, Zeph Investments, to pay the Australian government AU$13.6 million ($8.9 million) in legal costs.”Mr Palmer is not a ‘foreign investor’ and is not entitled to any benefits under Australia’s free trade and investment agreements,” Australia’s Attorney-General Michelle Rowland said.”Australia should never have had to spend two years and over AU$13 million defending an investor-State claim brought by an Australian national,” Rowland added.A former member of parliament and Australia’s fifth-richest man, Palmer is known for engaging in complex and lengthy litigation that often wracks up massive costs for opponents.In 2023, the Australian government blocked him from a bid to create an open-cut coal mine 10 kilometres (six miles) from the Great Barrier Reef, threatening a marine wonder and UNESCO world heritage site.