JALALABAD, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban leader banned fibre optic internet in an Afghan province to “prevent immorality,” a spokesman for the administration said Tuesday.
It’s the first time a ban of this kind has been imposed since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, and leaves government offices, the private sector, public institutions, and homes in northern Balkh province without Wi-Fi internet. Mobile internet remains functional, however.
Haji Attaullah Zaid, a provincial government spokesman, said there was no longer cable internet access in Balkh by order of a “complete ban” from the leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
“This measure was taken to prevent immorality, and an alternative will be built within the country for necessities,” Zaid told The Associated Press. He gave no further information, including why Balkh was chosen for the ban or if the shutdown would spread to other provinces.
One Balkh resident noticed connectivity issues a few days ago at home and contacted his service provider, which said it was a technical issue that would be resolved.
“Blocking the internet is beyond my comprehension in such an advanced era,” said the resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of Taliban reprisals.
He told The Associated Press that he rarely used mobile internet because it was slow and expensive. There were six people in his household, including a student, and they all used and needed Wi-Fi.
A fast and stable internet connection was also important for his work, which involved dealing with people and companies located outside Afghanistan.
“If this ban continues, it will not only be detrimental to my business but also to others because all our business is done on the internet,” said the resident. “We do business with people in the outside world and maintain relationships through it. I might have to move from Mazar-e-Sharif (the capital of Balkh) to another province because I cannot afford the loss.”
Afghan authorities sometimes suspend the mobile phone network for security reasons, usually during religious festivals, to prevent detonations of explosive devices.
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Associated Press writer Abdul Qahar Afghan in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, contributed to this report.
FILE - In this Feb. 10, 2016 photo, Afghanis access social media websites at a private internet cafe in Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, file)
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Shaw was watching TV with his wife when she got a notification on her phone: Alex Bregman had agreed to a contract with the Chicago Cubs.
Shaw was Chicago's regular third baseman during his rookie season, so he wondered what the move meant for him.
“You're kind of looking at it like ‘Oh man, where am I going to play?’ And you get a little anxious about those things,” Shaw said Friday at the team's annual fan convention. "The team knows me good enough at this point to know I just want to be prepared when the season comes around.
“So of course I immediately have questions like ‘Am I going to go here? Am I going to go there?’”
The answer to many of those questions was yes.
Shaw is preparing for a super-utility role after Chicago finalized a $175 million, five-year contract with Bregman on Wednesday. In addition to backing up Bregman at third and Nico Hoerner at second, Shaw also is expected to play in the outfield.
There is always the possibility of a trade with Hoerner, who is going into the last year of a $35 million, three-year contract, or Shaw, a first-round pick in the 2023 amateur draft who turned 24 in November. But the Cubs sound as if they are inclined to hold on to their infield depth as an insurance policy for injuries.
“I don’t think we have enough guys yet,” manager Craig Counsell said with a chuckle. “If you think there’s too many, I don’t know what you’re looking at.”
Counsell said the team was “fortunate” last year in terms of injuries.
“We’re now protecting a lot against what can happen, but I think that’s an important part of building a roster and building a team,” he said.
Hoerner, 28, was a key performer last season as Chicago won 92 games and reached the playoffs for the first time since 2020. He batted .297 with seven homers, 61 RBIs and 29 steals in a career-best 156 games. He also won his second Gold Glove.
Amid increased trade speculation in the wake of Bregman's deal, Hoerner said he loves the Cubs and attributed the rumors to his contract situation and playing in a big market.
“I think, above all, just remembering that it’s not a personal thing and that the team’s job is to always make the best possible roster that they have the ability to do for this year and for years to come,” he said. “And you look at the things that we’ve done this offseason, I think it’s pretty evident that’s their goal. And we’re in a really strong place.”
Dansby Swanson, Hoerner's double-play partner at shortstop, said the second baseman was irreplaceable.
“Nico means the world to me and to this team, just who he is as a person,” Swanson said. “He brings the same type of energy and competitive spirit that Alex does.”
Shaw was relatively inexperienced at third base going into last season, but he was named a Gold Glove finalist in October. Shaking off a slow start and a stint in the minors, he hit .226 with 13 homers, 44 RBIs and 17 steals in 126 games with the Cubs.
Shaw was a shortstop growing up in Massachusetts, but he spent some time as an outfielder early in his collegiate career at the University of Maryland.
“I played outfield growing up a lot, so I look forward to running around out there,” he said. “Outfield's definitely fun. And the at-bat stuff, I think there's at-bats there, and obviously it's up to me as it's up to all the guys to earn their spots and to play well.”
Shaw also is looking forward to playing with Bregman, a two-time World Series champion with Houston.
“We had a great year last year. We had a lot of great pieces,” Shaw said, “and then you add Bregman and it's like, you look at this team up and down and we're in an amazing spot.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb
FILE - Chicago Cubs' Nico Hoerner hits a sacrifice fly ball during a baseball game against the San Diego Padres, Sept. 30, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh, File)
FILE - Chicago Cubs third baseman Matt Shaw prepares to field the ball during the a baseball game, Oct. 6, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Kayla Wolf, File)
