Taliban

In rural Wardak province, some Afghans celebrated the return of the Taliban. One year later, here's what they want from the new government.

A year ago today, the Taliban marched into Kabul, Afghanistan, taking over the city and country. The U.S. withdrew troops and began an evacuation that turned chaotic and deadly.

For the first time in decades, Afghans are living in relative peace. But with sanctions on the Taliban, the economy is in shambles and hunger is widespread. Girls are still out of school.

President Biden was elected on a promise of competency. The bungled exit from Afghanistan undercut that image. His approval ratings took a big hit, and have never recovered.

One year ago, the Taliban raised their white flag over Afghanistan's capital for the second time. NPR toured the country and spoke to the Taliban and residents about what has happened since.

About two dozen women marched in Kabul chanting "bread, work, freedom," "we want political participation" and "no to enslavement," just days before the one-year anniversary of the Taliban takeover.

Once a mortal threat, the Taliban have let Afghanistan's leading news channel stand. But every day is a struggle for the journalists who still work there.

When the Taliban reclaimed Kabul last August, the U.S.-backed government collapsed and hundreds of thousands of Afghans fled the country. Former president Hamid Karzai was not one of them.

The U.S. targeted the top al-Qaida leader, showing it could track down and strike against a hard-to-find extremist figure even in a country where the U.S. has no military or diplomatic presence.

A family of Afghan musicians in the U.S. wants to raise awareness about their plight.