All beauty salons in Kabul must close by the end of July. These businesses are one of the few places where women can work and congregate under the Taliban regime.

Since the return of the Taliban, Afghanistan's coal exports have increased — and so has child labor. At a coal mine in Baghlan province, boys earn between $3 and $8 for a day's work.

Those who put their lives on the line in the Afghan National Army and can't find a way out of Afghanistan are working menial jobs, sometimes moving locations every few days in fear for their safety.

At World Food Programme distribution sites, "Everybody tells us, 'Last winter was difficult, but we have no idea how we will get through the coming winter,'" says a WFP spokesperson in Kabul.

As the economy unravels, "everyone is getting a bike," says one young resident. It's the cheapest way to get around. But the Taliban's conservative culture means women cyclists are not welcome.

When the Taliban returned to power, cultural heritage advocates worried history might repeat itself and the group would destroy objects it found offensive. The museum is open now but has few visitors.

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

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.

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.

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.

The hardest hit areas were remote farming villages in the eastern Afghan province of Paktika. "All the village completely is destroyed," said one man, showing collapsed homes on a cell phone video.

The rulers' decision — reneging on a previous promise — came at the start of the new school year in Afghanistan and risks further alienating the international community.

Many have stopped working, fearing retribution amid uncertainty about Taliban rules. "I do not want to fall into the hands of the Taliban," one says. "I don't want to be cut up into pieces."

As foreign troops withdraw, the Taliban have seized parts of Afghan highways and closed in on cities. One arms dealer in the country says they're even buying heavier weaponry.

The Taliban have waged attacks across the country, prompting a call to reduce the violence from Gen. Mark Milley. In Kabul, the public worries about the Taliban's return.