Afghanistan: Taliban shut down all communication networks
Afghanistan has entered near-total isolation after the Taliban government ordered a nationwide communications shutdown, drastically reducing connectivity to less than one percent of normal levels. The move follows weeks of restrictions on fibre optic networks, which officials justified as measures to prevent ‘vice’. Internet watchdogs described the blackout as ‘comprehensive’, warning of severe consequences for daily life, including banking, trade, and basic communication. Journalists reported losing contact with Kabul soon after the order was enacted. Provincial spokesmen confirmed that fibre optic service had already been banned in several northern and southern provinces earlier this month. While the Taliban had previously highlighted the 9,350-kilometre fibre network as a tool for economic development, the restrictions now threaten to deepen Afghanistan’s isolation and hinder essential services. Since retaking power in 2021, the Taliban have increasingly enforced sweeping limitations in line with their strict interpretation of Islamic law, leaving citizens with few avenues for connection to the outside world.
Indonesia: president defends free meals programme despite food poisoning cases
Indonesia’s president, Prabowo Subianto, has defended his ambitious free meals programme after thousands of cases of food poisoning raised public concern. Launched in January, the initiative provides meals for children and pregnant women; it has already reached 30 million, with a target of 83 million by year’s end. While 6,000 cases of poisoning have been recorded in 70 separate incidents - two-thirds since August - Prabowo pointed out that these represented only 0.00017 percent of all meals served. He acknowledged shortcomings, but stressed the programme’s benefits in reducing childhood stunting, improving nutrition, and creating jobs for local farmers and fishermen. He has now ordered new safety measures, including rapid testing equipment, sterilisers, water filters, and CCTV monitoring for kitchens. The National Nutrition Agency has already shut down noncompliant facilities. Despite the programme’s promise, critics question its fiscal sustainability, as next year’s budget is projected to triple.
Madagascar: protests continue despite government dissolution
Madagascar is facing mounting unrest as protests continue despite president Andry Rajoelina’s decision to dissolve the government. The move, announced on state television, was intended to ease tensions following demonstrations over widespread water and power shortages. Rajoelina expressed sympathy to families of those killed and acknowledged administrative failings, yet protesters remain unsatisfied, demanding his resignation. Many argue that changing ministers is not enough, since the president himself holds ultimate responsibility. The demonstrations, largely led by Gen Z, represent one of the most serious challenges to Rajoelina’s leadership since his 2023 re-election. Authorities have responded with curfews in Antananarivo and other major cities, and police have repeatedly used teargas and fired rubber bullets at demonstrators. The UN has said that at least 22 have been killed and over 100 injured, though the government disputes these figures.
Haiti: UN votes to create a ‘gang suppression force’
The UN Security Council has voted to expand its international mission in Haiti, transforming it into a ‘gang suppression force’ tasked with restoring order in the country. The resolution raises the force’s personnel ceiling from 2,500 to 5,550 and calls for a new UN support office in Haiti to provide logistical assistance. The mission will work with the authorities to ‘neutralise, isolate, and deter’ gangs, secure key infrastructure, and help stabilise institutions. While Haitian leaders welcomed the move as a lifeline, the Russian envoy described it as ‘an ill-conceived and rushed mandate to use force against anyone and everyone labelled with the vague term 'gangs'’. The Kenyan-led police force, deployed for the last fifteen months, remains woefully understaffed and underfunded. Haiti faces dire conditions: nearly all of Port-au-Prince is under gang control, over 3,000 were killed in the first half of 2025, 1.3 million are displaced, and millions more face hunger.
