Why young girls are disguised as boys in Afghanistan

The Taliban has released a video of an interrogation of a girl who passed as a boy. It's an age-old practice in this patriarchal society but now appears to be happening with some frequency.
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The Taliban has released a video of an interrogation of a girl who passed as a boy. It's an age-old practice in this patriarchal society but now appears to be happening with some frequency.
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Iran has named Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader. And, President Trump says he will not sign any more bills until Congress overhauls voting.
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Scientists analyzed the urine of wild chimpanzees who'd feasted on fallen fruit to see how much alcohol they consumed from the fermented sugars.
(Image credit: Sharifah Namaganda)
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The price of crudeoil briefly neared $120 a barrel Monday as Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei the supreme leader and then launched new attacks at Israel and Gulf states.
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World shares tumbled on Monday, with Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunging more than 5%, after oil prices spiked at nearly $120 a barrel.
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Oceans are rising as the climate changes, threatening coastal cities. A new study shows that much more of the world's population is vulnerable than earlier predictions had estimated.
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Geese's iconic "V" formations and trademark squawks can be seen and heard overhead as they go back and forth to the south through the year. But what does it take for such a long trip?
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For decades, parents were told to help children build willpower like a muscle, to resist things like junk food and too much time on their screens. But new research suggests a better strategy.
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A Republican push to alter the census may lead to a radical shift in redistricting for state legislatures — drawing districts that don't take into account children and non-U.S. citizen adults.
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A senior Israeli defense official tells NPR that Israel needs three more weeks to accomplish its goal of decimating Iran's military forces.
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Twelve years after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 vanished with 239 people aboard, a deep-sea search has so far failed to locate the missing aircraft, as families pressed for the effort to continue.
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Sunday's attack brought the death toll to at least 157 people since the Trump administration began targeting alleged drug-smuggling vessels, in early September.
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The seven-second video was released by Iranian state media and directly contradicts statements made by President Trump, who said Iran was responsible for the strike.
(Image credit: Screenshots by Geoff Brumfiel for NPR)
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Brent crude reached its highest price since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Gasoline prices in the U.S. are expected to continue to rise.
(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)
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Country Joe and the Fish's best-known song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," captured the growing anti-war sentiment of the Vietnam era.
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Voters in Northwest Georgia are choosing who should replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene as voting closes in a special election Tuesday. In a crowded race, the weight of Trump's endorsement will be tested.
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A senior member of OpenAI's robotics team said guardrails around certain AI uses were not sufficiently defined before OpenAI announced an agreement with the Pentagon.
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President Trump is pushing the Senate to abandon the filibuster and pass SAVE American Act, a bill top Democrat calls 'Jim Crow 2.0'
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Thousands showed up in Chicago over the weekend to pay respects to the civil rights leader, who died last month at the age of 84.
(Image credit: Kenn Cook Jr. for NPR)
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Speaking at a political gathering in Beijing, China's foreign minister Wang Yi outlined his country's positions on the war in Iran and general relations with America.
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Norwegian police are investigating an explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo early Sunday, officials said.
(Image credit: Hans O. Torgersen/AP)
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To mark International Women's Day, we feature portraits and profiles of determined women around the world.
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Israel targeted Iran's oil facilities for the first time early Sunday, with videos showing huge flames lighting up the sky, while Iranian state media reported officials were close to announcing a successor for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
(Image credit: Vahid Salemi)
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Nearly a quarter of teens sleep 5 hours or less per night and the majority sleep less than 8 hours. The problem is pervasive and technology doesn't seem to be the main culprit, according to a new report.
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A Nepali political party led by an ex-rapper is set for a landslide victory in the country's first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests ousted the old leadership that has ruled the Himalayan nation for decades.
(Image credit: Niranjan Shrestha)
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He declared all of Lake's actions over the past year to be null and void, including the layoffs of more than 1,000 journalists and staffers.
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Trump made the promise in front of an assembled meeting of Latin American leaders.
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The Canadian province is permanently ending the biannual time shifts for more light at the day's end. But research shows daylight saving increases health risks**.**
(Image credit: Charles Krupa)
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NPR's Adrian Ma speaks with author and journalist Kim Ghattas about the impacts the U.S. and Israel's war with Iran will have on the broader region.
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An NPR reporting team sheds new light on how Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell used their access to the Interlochen Center for the Arts to target girls.
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