Mark Frerichs, a Navy veteran turned civilian contractor, was abducted in January 2020. His release centered on a prisoner exchange involving Bashir Noorzai, a notorious drug lord and Taliban member.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the Wednesday attack that also wounded children, the latest to strike the country in the year since the Taliban seized power.
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.
Recently retired General Frank McKenzie reflects on the withdrawal from Afghanistan, who bears responsibility for the way it unfolded, and how the U.S. "lost track" of why it was in the country.
On the day a U.S. drone strike killed the leader of al-Qaida in Afghanistan, NPR sat down for an interview with the man in charge of the country's defense.
The State Department warns of potential anti-American violence following the U.S. killing of al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Experts say his loss hurts the group, but doesn't erase the threat.
Zawahiri's death places al-Qaida in a precarious position, argues Colin P. Clarke of the Soufan Center. The question of succession will help shape al-Qaida now — and it may prove divisive.
That's the title of a newly released report from Amnesty International, covering a range of issues affecting girls and women under Taliban rule. Foremost among them are child and forced marriage.
Since the Taliban came to power, food insecurity has risen. Women in blue burqas sit in front of the city's upscale bakeries, silently waiting for charitable passersby to purchase bread for them.
The official rule: no secondary school for girls. But behind a veil of secrecy, women are opening small schools so that at least some of these teenagers are able to continue learning
As members of the middle class have fallen into poverty in the wake of the Taliban takeover, families are no longer able to serve sumptuous repasts on their traditional dining rugs.
The disaster inflicted by the quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power last year.
The disaster inflicted by the quake heaps more misery on a country where millions face increasing hunger and poverty and the health system has been crumbling since the Taliban retook power last year.
