Taliban authorities on Monday imposed a nationwide shutdown of communications, weeks after they began severing fibre optic connections to prevent “vice”. In the minutes before it happened, a government official told AFP the shutdown would last “until further notice”. The move, ordered by Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, effectively shut down high-speed internet in several regions. Fibre optic internet was completely banned in northern Balkh province on the leader’s orders, provincial spokesman Attaullah Zaid said on September 16. Over the past several weeks, internet connections have been extremely slow or intermitant.