The teenagers made headlines when they came to Washington in 2017 for an international competition. Today they face a uncertain future with the Taliban again in charge of their homeland.
As the Taliban take over Afghanistan, women bureaucrats are risking their lives and freedom to not only save their country and people — but to maintain the rights of women and girls.
Two men — a reclusive 60-year-old mullah who is the Taliban's top commander and a high-profile, battle-hardened lieutenant — are the odds-on picks to form the new regime.
The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan's Independence Day by declaring they beat the U.S. but face running a country short on cash where the possibility of an armed opposition is beginning to emerge.
Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Qatar, tells NPR's Steve Inskeep about the group's plans for the country, which he says include allowing people to leave and no reprisals against enemies.
Zainab filled all the forms for a special immigrant visa but now can only watch as the Americans leave Afghanistan. Eight thousand miles away, all her husband can do is hope.
The insurgents' every action is being watched closely. They insist they have changed and won't impose the same restrictions they did when they last ruled, but many remain skeptical.
Australia's most populous state reported a record 633 new coronavirus infections on Wednesday as concerns grew about the delta variant's spread beyond Sydney. Three people died on Tuesday.
President Biden gave the order last week to send U.S. troops into Afghanistan as it became clear the Taliban were overrunning Afghan government forces on their way to taking the capital of Kabul.
The Pentagon has set a goal of evacuating 9,000 people a day from the country. Those coming to the U.S. need assistance, as do those remaining in Afghanistan.
The U.S. government's goals frequently shifted, creating "20 one-year reconstruction efforts, rather than one 20-year effort," an inspector general's report says.
A journalist based in Afghanistan's capital said Tuesday is better than the day before, with some signs of normalcy, even as the future of the country and many of its citizens is in limbo.