Afghanistan: the Taliban cut off internet access

Today's headlines: Australia and Papua New Guinea issue joint statement, do not sign real defence agreement; In the Philippines,influencers form group against government corruption; In Vietnam, foreign investment continues following administrative reforms approved by the government; The US pressures Syria to sign an agreement with Israel.

AFGHANISTAN

The Taliban have cut internet access in at least 10 provinces across the country. In Kunduz, for example, the authorities entered the offices of Afghan Telecom and confiscated equipment. The Taliban governor's office confirmed the suspension, stating that it was carried out on the orders of supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada to prevent “immoral activities”. Akhundzada also ordered the Ministry of Telecommunications to force companies to provide user data, including calls and personal information, to the Taliban intelligence agency.

SOUTH KOREA – CHINA

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said he will discuss Chinese President Xi Jinping's participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, to be held in Korea from 31 October, during a visit to Beijing scheduled for the coming days. Cho said it is important for neighbours not to shy away from difficult conversations on “unwanted issues”, such as those concerning structures erected by China in an area of the ocean where the two countries' exclusive economic zones overlap. Beijing has said the structures are for fishing.

AUSTRALIA – PAPUA NEW GUINEA

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese signed a joint statement on defence with Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister James Marape in Port Moresby today after talks on signing a defence treaty stalled. According to the statement, the two countries have agreed on the text of the treaty, but it will only be signed after approval by their respective governments. This is the second setback in Australia's relations with the Pacific islands this month: last week, Albanese travelled to Vanuatu, where he failed to sign a £326.5 million security partnership.

VIETNAM

The administrative reform imposed by the government led by To Lam, under which 63 cities and provinces have been reduced to 34 units, is already showing some effects: Ho Chi Minh City attracted .8 billion in foreign capital in the first eight months of 2025, an increase of 58% year-on-year, while growth for the country as a whole is 27%. Lego has opened a £1 billion toy factory in the city, while software giant SAP has announced plans to invest £150 million.

PHILIPPINES

A group of influencers and internet personalities in the Philippines have formed the group “Creators Against Corruption” with the stated aim of turning social media into a platform to fight government corruption, following in the footsteps of the #NepoBaby hashtag that led to the fall of the government in Nepal. According to the group's members, the last straw was the release of a video of a recent Senate hearing showing bribes being exchanged between legislators.

SYRIA – ISRAEL

According to some sources, the United States is pressuring Syria to sign a security pact with Israel. Washington would like to see enough progress made to allow President Donald Trump to announce a breakthrough at the United Nations General Assembly scheduled for the end of the month. However, even the announcement of a modest agreement seems far off, according to sources. Meanwhile, Syria is facing its worst drought crisis in decades: wheat harvests have fallen by 40% in a country where around 90% of the population lives below the poverty line.

RUSSIA

The Central Bank of Russia has explained the slow pace of interest rate cuts with the need to “further grow sectors linked to domestic consumption”, especially in the production of manufactured goods, which is in continuous decline, in increasingly broad areas, down 5.7% overall, meaning that conditions for credit and investment are worsening.

GEORGIA

A large protest march was held in Georgia, starting from the central building of the University of Tbilisi and ending at the parliament and Freedom Square. It was one of the largest in recent months, organised by parties boycotting the local elections on 4 October and calling for the release of political prisoners, under the slogan “No to the Russian regime, let's defend freedom of entry into Europe”.

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