AGP Executive Report

Artemis III Space Update: NASA named the prime and backup crew for its 2027 Artemis III lunar test flight, with Frank Rubio, Randy Bresnik, Andre Douglas and ESA pilot Luca Parmitano, plus Bob Hines as backup. Afghanistan Energy Infrastructure: Taliban officials say construction on the Afghanistan section of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline in Herat has hit 52% completion, with dozens of kilometers laid and more underground work planned through 2026. Women’s Rights Under Pressure: In Herat, Taliban forces reportedly opened fire to disperse a protest supporting women arrested for dress-code violations, with witnesses describing injuries and rights groups condemning the use of live fire. Regional Security Tensions: The U.S. launched “self-defense” strikes on Iran after an Apache helicopter was downed near the Strait of Hormuz, while Iran and Gulf states traded retaliatory attacks amid ongoing nuclear talks. Global Conflict Snapshot: A PRIO report says 2025 saw record state-based conflicts since WWII, with interstate clashes including tensions involving Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Energy Infrastructure: Taliban officials say construction of the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline’s Herat section has hit 52% completion, with 80 km laid and 72.3 km of pipe shipped from Turkmenistan, aiming to finish the 130-km Herat segment by end-2026. Women’s Rights & Public Safety: In Herat, Taliban authorities dispersed a hijab dress-code protest; witnesses reported shots fired and injuries, while police said the gathering was meant to create tensions. Space & STEM Inspiration: NASA selected U.S. Army Col. Frank Rubio for Artemis III, continuing the push to return humans to the Moon with a military-to-science pipeline. Health & Mental Wellbeing: Coverage marks National PTSD Awareness Month, explaining symptoms and treatment options for people affected by trauma. Sports Science in Action: BCCI’s Centre of Excellence cleared Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya for Afghanistan ODIs, after fitness checks for hamstring and back issues. Regional Security Context: A PRIO report says 2025 saw record state conflicts and rising civilian-target attacks, including clashes involving Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Afghanistan Tech & Policy: The Taliban have banned smartphone use for members and government employees, warning violators will be treated as criminals and sent to military courts, with videos showing phones being destroyed. Regional Security: Pakistan’s UN envoy Asim Iftikhar says terror attacks in Pakistan linked to Afghanistan are jeopardising world peace, urging the Taliban to act against groups including TTP, BLA and ISIS. Conflict Data: A new PRIO “Conflict Trends” report says 2025 saw 65 state-involved conflicts worldwide—the highest since 1946—and a sharp rise in civilian deaths, including clashes involving India-Pakistan and Afghanistan-Pakistan. South Asia Conservation: South Asian scientists and officials met in Kathmandu to coordinate a 25-year plan for pangolin conservation, focusing on stopping poaching and illegal trade across the region. Defense Tech & Cyber: The 179th Cyberspace Wing held a change-of-command at Mansfield Lahm Air National Guard Base, with leadership focused on cyber operations and engineering support. Sports Tech Culture: India’s Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya received fitness clearance for the ODI series vs Afghanistan, while Kerala Police used an AI-generated “drone camera privacy” video to warn against misuse of cameras.

Taliban Smartphone Ban: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered members and government employees to stop using smartphones, with violators labeled “criminals” and sent to military courts; videos show phones being destroyed, including in Paktika. Afghan Women Under Pressure: Taliban morality police have arrested at least 21 women in Herat, including a pregnant woman, for alleged dress-code violations. Regional Tech & Security: China is pushing diplomacy to reduce the Pakistan-Taliban conflict, citing investor concerns and threats from militant groups near the Afghan-Pakistan border. Health Tech Tool: A new Nature Medicine study introduces OBSCORE, a risk-scoring model that may better predict obesity-related complications than BMI alone. Digital Privacy Awareness: Kerala Police shared an AI-generated video to warn about drone and phone camera privacy intrusions after online confusion over a “drone vs cricket” clip. Wildlife Trade Threat: A new report says illegal wildlife trade across the Hindu Kush Himalaya has more than doubled since 2019, driven by weaker enforcement and pandemic-era disruptions.

Ariana Afghan Airlines: Kabul–New Delhi flights are now daily (passenger and cargo), scaling from weekly service to seven flights per week to boost trade and connectivity. Public Health Tech: A new OBSCORE risk model (beyond BMI) uses interpretable machine learning to stratify obesity risk for 18 obesity-related conditions, aiming to target earlier, stronger interventions. Space & Security: A report says Pakistan’s spy satellite network is expanding fast with “civilian” satellites that may support real-time monitoring across India and nearby regions including Afghanistan. Wildlife Conservation: Illegal wildlife trade across the Hindu Kush Himalaya has more than doubled since 2019, threatening species and the mountain ecosystem that supports millions. Earthquake Watch: A 5.6 quake hit Bhutan; tremors were felt across parts of Afghanistan’s region, with no immediate damage reported. Education Access: Afghanistan’s higher education exams reportedly proceeded without female students, highlighting ongoing barriers. Maternal Health: Aid cuts are making tablets needed for stillbirth and maternal care harder to buy, worsening outcomes. Sports (IND vs AFG): India set 564-8 in the one-off Test; Afghanistan replied at 113-5 at stumps as debutant spinner Manav Suthar took key wickets.

Afghanistan–Tech & Connectivity: Ariana Afghan Airlines has started daily passenger and cargo flights between Kabul and New Delhi, upgrading from weekly service to seven flights per week to support trade and faster market access. Health & Research: A UK-funded study reports 90% of TB patients in Pakistan and Afghanistan also suffer depression, warning that untreated mental health can derail treatment and raise MDR-TB risk. Disaster Monitoring: A 5.6 quake hit Bhutan, with tremors felt across parts of Afghanistan’s region; officials also noted an earlier 4.0 quake in Afghanistan. Security & Data: The UK’s Afghan MoD data breach continues to affect families under Taliban rule, with MPs citing confirmed deaths linked to the leak and resettlement delays. Science Policy Watch: Cloud-seeding fears rise after Kazakhstan’s large-scale weather modification project, with regional concerns about cross-border impacts. Sports (Local Interest): India dominated an Afghanistan one-off Test as debutant Manav Suthar took three wickets and Afghanistan ended day two at 113/5.

Afghanistan Health & Rights: A Tufts University report says Taliban policies (2021–2025) systematically violate women’s rights under CEDAW, restricting education, jobs, movement, healthcare, and social participation. Public Health: A UK-funded study in Pakistan and Afghanistan finds 90% of TB patients suffer depression, warning that untreated mental health can derail treatment and fuel drug-resistant TB. Education Access: Coverage notes Afghan higher education exams are proceeding without female students, underscoring ongoing barriers to learning. Connectivity & Digital Life: A report highlights how slow internet in Kabul is hurting students’ scholarship chances and business revenue. Regional Tech & Science: Kazakhstan’s large-scale cloud-seeding program with the UAE aims to boost rainfall, but neighbors fear cross-border impacts—an example of weather science turning geopolitical. Polio Monitoring: Rawalpindi’s anti-polio campaign reports all environmental samples negative for poliovirus and passes third-party quality checks.

Public Health Monitoring: Rawalpindi’s anti-polio drive cleared key checks as all environmental samples tested negative for poliovirus and all 12 third-party LQAS assessments passed, while a suspected Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever case also tested negative. Women’s Rights & Accountability: A Tufts University report says Taliban policies from 2021–2025 systematically violated women’s rights under CEDAW, restricting education, jobs, movement, healthcare, and social participation. Afghan Education Access: Coverage highlights how Afghan women academics struggle under bans on education and employment, with exams reportedly proceeding without female students. Afghan-Pakistan Security: Analysis describes a sharp deterioration in Afghanistan–Pakistan relations, with Pakistani strikes reportedly hitting areas including Kabul and Kandahar and retaliatory Taliban actions near the border. Tech & Research Policy: The FDA moved forward with priority vouchers to speed psychedelic research for mental health, while researchers say Schedule 1 rules still make studies harder. STEM Scholarships: An Afghan student in Canada received a $170,000 scholarship to study physics at Simon Fraser University, with added support for housing and community.

Afghan Education Access: Afghanistan’s female academics are still struggling under bans on education and employment, with reports highlighting how restrictions are reshaping careers and research. Humanitarian Pressure: The UN says the Iran war is driving millions toward acute hunger, including additional people in Afghanistan now struggling to meet basic food needs. Regional Connectivity & Water Tech: Uzbekistan is pushing connectivity through the Termez Dialogue, while Central Asia’s water management is shifting beyond old quota systems as glaciers retreat—an issue tied to energy, farming, and stability. Afghanistan-Pakistan Security: A new Afghan-Pakistan crisis is described as a structural rupture, with missile and air strikes reported across the border and retaliatory actions near bases. Local Internet & Learning: Slow internet in Kabul is reported to be hurting students’ scholarship access and business revenue, adding pressure to already fragile education and tech ecosystems. Sports & Talent (Afghanistan-linked): India’s one-off Test vs Afghanistan is in focus, with match previews naming emerging players who could swing the longer format.

Afghan Higher Education: Kabul’s Kankor university entrance exams began again without girls for the fourth straight year, with the Taliban-run National Examination Authority holding tests for thousands of candidates while female access to secondary school and universities remains blocked. Health & Research: Afghanistan’s health ministry met WHO to strengthen health programmes, including polio lab operations and new initiatives, aiming for better coordination and support for the health system. Science & Heritage: Uzbekistan archaeologists report Bronze Age trepanation—an intentionally opened skull—as among the oldest known surgical evidence in Central Asia, found near the Afghanistan border. Environment & Community Tech: In Afghanistan’s Char Bagh, residents and partners are rebuilding tree cover after wartime deforestation, with poplars and other species helping restore local livelihoods and resilience. Regional Connectivity: UN officials praised Uzbekistan’s Termez Dialogue on connectivity between Central and South Asia, highlighting trust-building and practical cooperation. Security/Policy Spillover: Germany scrapped a planned deportation flight to Afghanistan after Taliban authorities refused to cooperate, with a new date still unclear.

Afghanistan Health Tech: Kabul’s Ministry of Public Health met WHO to strengthen health programmes, including polio lab operations and new initiatives, aiming to improve delivery of high-quality services. Afghan Environment & Tech for Resilience: In Char Bagh, communities are rebuilding tree cover after wartime deforestation, with experts citing rising forest cover since 2011 and ongoing tree-planting support. Afghan Women & Education: A new report highlights how Taliban-era bans have pushed Afghan female academics out of education and work, with most still unable to leave the country. Regional Connectivity: Afghanistan pushed for expanded transit cooperation at the Termez Dialogue, stressing its role as a bridge between Central and South Asia and calling for fewer transit barriers. Cross-border Protection Crisis: UNHCR says Afghan refugee returns from Pakistan and Iran are rising, while rights groups warn of raids, unlawful arrests, and forced deportations affecting women and children. Global Tech & Security: The US Defense Cyber Defense Command is drafting plans to defend critical infrastructure from cyberattacks, focusing on who controls response and how to operate before, during, and after incidents.

Afghan Education Crisis: A new report interviews 12 Afghan female academics, describing how Taliban restrictions after 2021 shut universities and jobs, with most still trapped inside Afghanistan. Kabul Connectivity Strain: Residents say slow, unreliable internet and high data prices are blocking online learning and forcing people to juggle multiple SIMs and VPNs. Regional Transit Push: Afghanistan’s industry and commerce officials highlighted the Afghan-Trans project at the Termez Dialogue, urging fewer transit barriers to link Central and South Asia. Foreign Policy Reality Check: Amir Khan Muttaqi says Afghanistan can’t expect full goodwill from countries it fought for two decades, while stressing the need for both religious and modern sciences. Science & Heritage: Archaeologists report evidence of very old skull trepanation in Central Asia, adding to the region’s long medical history. Tech/Defense Cyber Focus: The Pentagon’s new cyber command is building a plan to defend critical infrastructure, including coordination across agencies. Humanitarian Neglect: DR Congo is again flagged as the world’s most neglected displacement crisis, with funding at a decade low.

Cybersecurity: A Pakistani-linked APT group (“SideCopy”) is reportedly targeting Afghanistan’s finance ministry and provincial staff with phishing, underlining how Afghanistan’s growing digital services are becoming a new battleground. Defense & Diplomacy: The Taliban and Russia signed a military-technical cooperation deal in Moscow, with Kabul’s acting defense minister warning Pakistan while insisting the pact is mainly about repairing Russian-made equipment. Regional Security: A relative calm is reported along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border after recent violence, but analysts say tensions remain tied to Pakistan’s claims about TTP militants and the lack of verification. Environment & Tech for Resilience: Afghanistan’s forest cover is still low (about 2.5% in 2025), yet communities are replanting trees like poplars and pistachios to recover livelihoods after years of deforestation. Health Research: MIT researchers report progress on a modified injectable polio vaccine designed to also trigger gut immunity, aiming to improve eradication while avoiding risks linked to the oral vaccine. Science & History: A 4,000-year-old child’s skull from Uzbekistan shows signs of trepanation, one of the oldest known surgical procedures in Central Asia.

Polio Vaccine Breakthrough: MIT researchers report a modified injectable polio vaccine that uses a nanoparticle adjuvant to trigger mucosal immunity in the gut—aiming to stop both disease and virus spread, potentially helping complete polio eradication without the risks of the oral vaccine. Afghan Security Tech & Diplomacy: The Taliban’s acting defense minister, Mullah Muhammad Yaqoob, says a Russia-linked military-technical cooperation deal will be implemented soon, framing it as repair and maintenance of existing Russian-made systems—while warning Pakistan not to attack Afghan territory. Media & Tech Journalism Turmoil: CBS News fired veteran “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley after a clash with new executive producer Nick Bilton, amid wider internal disputes at CBS News leadership. Business & Digital Formalization: Pakistan’s SECP registered 3,161 new companies in May, with 99.9% online and a record 415 incorporations in a single day—showing how faster digital registration is boosting entrepreneurship. AI Surveillance Debate (Berlin): Germany’s capital is considering AI-powered video surveillance to flag anomalies, but critics warn about constant monitoring and false alarms.

Humanitarian Info Integrity: A new report warns that “post-truth” propaganda and fake news are eroding trust and making humanitarian work harder, especially in an “infoglut” of competing claims. Media Freedom & Safety: Canadian-based exiled journalists say Canada is becoming a hub for reporting back home as media freedom declines and threats rise. Afghanistan Rights Under Pressure: Coverage highlights Taliban policies tightening control over women and girls, including criticism of Decree No. 18 that enables child marriage and limits divorce options. Afghan Governance & Demography Claims: Observers report allegations that the Taliban is reshaping ethnic demographics via large-scale resettlement of Pashtun families into non-Pashtun areas, though independent verification is limited. Counterterrorism Messaging: A U.S. strategy paper calls for stronger counter-terror propaganda efforts, noting Voice of America’s reduced presence in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Tech/Policy Spillover: Kazakhstan’s “panda bonds” push and “cognitive economy” plans point to digital transformation funding—an example of how finance and tech policy are linking across Central Asia. Global Media Shock: CBS fired “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley after a leadership clash, underscoring how newsroom disputes can quickly reshape public information flows.

Afghanistan Humanitarian Crisis: UN OCHA says Afghanistan’s 2026 humanitarian appeal is only 16% funded (about $269M of $1.71B), warning millions could lose life-saving support amid poverty, climate shocks, and displacement. Cybersecurity: Researchers report a Pakistan-linked SideCopy campaign targeting Afghanistan’s Ministry of Finance with “Xeno RAT,” using Pashto-themed spear-phishing to hit central and provincial finance offices. Regional Connectivity: The second Termez Dialogue on connectivity between Central and South Asia will run in Uzbekistan June 4–6, with sessions on security, climate change, and cooperation involving Afghanistan. Food Security: Uzbekistan donates tons of certified seeds to Afghanistan—cotton, rice, and vegetables—to boost farming output and rural livelihoods. Women and Rights: A new Taliban decree (Decree No. 18) is criticized for legalizing child marriage and stripping girls of meaningful consent and divorce options. Sports: Afghanistan’s women’s football team is back on the international stage after escaping Taliban restrictions, training in Auckland for matches.