Afghanistan

A U.S. soldier stands at a spot struck by Iranian missiles in January at Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq's Anbar province. The attack was in retaliation for the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani. The U.S. is drawing down 2,500 troop

White House Orders Thousands Of U.S. Troops Withdrawn From Afghanistan And Iraq

7:45pm November 16, 2020

by Dustin Jones

The American troop presence will decline in Afghanistan from 4,500 to 2,500, and in Iraq from 3,000 to 2,500. Senior military leaders reportedly oppose the move.

Players from the Herat Storm celebrate after winning the championship of the Afghan women's soccer league on October 16 in Kabul.

Women Of Afghanistan Won't Give Up Their Soccer Dreams

7:00am November 08, 2020

At the championship of the Afghan women's soccer league, players sprint across the field. Hoodie-style hijabs cover their hair. The scene was once unthinkable. But now the players face new obstacles.

A man, wounded after gunmen stormed Kabul University, arrives in an ambulance at Isteqlal Hospital on Monday. At least 19 people died in the attack on Afghanistan's largest university.

World News

At Least 19 People Are Killed In Attack On Kabul University

1:57pm November 02, 2020

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for an attack by heavily armed gunmen who stormed the campus, firing on students, some of whom jumped out of windows to flee the attackers.

Queue Listen Now

A health worker administers a polio vaccine to a child in Afghanistan's Kandahar province. Taliban opposition to vaccine campaigns have left millions of children unprotected against the virus.

Health & Safety

The Campaign To Wipe Out Polio Was Going Really Well ... Until It Wasn't

3:20pm October 30, 2020

by Jason Beaubien

It looked as if polio would be the second human disease to be eliminated — after smallpox. But "2020 has been a terrible year," the head of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative says.

Ranjana Dwivedi (in purple sari) is a health worker in her village in India. Coronavirus education is a top priority. Center: Iceland's chief of health, Dr. Alma D. Möller, leads the pandemic response. Right: Sheeba Shafaq, a doctor who left Afghanistan

3 Female Health Care Heroes: From Iceland's Top Doc To A Village Protector In India

12:01pm October 19, 2020

by NPR Special Report

The world is fortunate to have many dedicated professionals dedicated to combating the coronavirus. Here are portraits of three women from far corners of the globe who are playing a key role.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in June.

National

Gen. Milley: 'We're Trying To End A War Responsibly, Deliberately'

5:00am October 14, 2020

by Tom Bowman

Last week the president tweeted that troops should be home from Afghanistan by Christmas. In an interview with NPR, Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said no final decisions have been made.

Afghans flee to Lashkar Gah, Helmand's provincial capital, during fighting between Taliban and Afghan security forces on Monday. Local authorities estimate that some 35,000 people have been displaced into Lashkar Gah since a Taliban offensive began in Hel

World News

Tens Of Thousands Flee Latest Taliban Offensive, And Afghan Civilian Casualties Rise

1:56pm October 13, 2020

by Diaa Hadid

The victims of recent fighting in Helmand include a pregnant woman struck by a stray bullet. Peace talks continue, but the Taliban argue that an Afghan cease-fire should come as the talks conclude.

"This is a moment for the Afghan leaders not to repeat the mistakes of the past, to build a consensus-based system where all key players can participate, and perhaps peace in Afghanistan can change the dynamics even regionally," says U.S. Special Represen

Khalilzad: 'A Moment For The Afghan Leaders Not To Repeat The Mistakes Of The Past'

5:08am October 02, 2020

by NPR Staff

With talks begun between Afghanistan's government and the Taliban, U.S. special envoy for Afghan peace Zalmay Khalilzad tells NPR the U.S. has "tested" the Taliban and "they are meeting those tests."

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Shamsia Alizada, left school in 2018 after an ISIS suicide bomber struck the academy in Kabul where she was studying. Now she's scored the highest grades on Afghanistan's nation-wide university entrance exams at a time when negotiations with the Taliban t

Coal Miner's Daughter Is A Heartwarming Hero In Afghanistan

5:37pm September 25, 2020

by Diaa Hadid

Shamsia Alizada dropped out of the Madwdud Academy in Kabul after a suicide bomber killed more than 40 students. But she returned — and has scored top grades on the country's college entrance exams.

Comedian, writer and veterans advocate Jon Stewart speaks at a press conference on "The Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act of 2020" at the House Triangle in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

National

Jon Stewart Uses His Celebrity To Bring Attention To Vets Exposed To Burn Pits

4:00pm September 16, 2020

by Quil Lawrence

The comedian and activist is helping to launch a new campaign to fight for war veterans who say they are sick because of exposure to burn pits and other toxins in Afghanistan and Iraq.