Hannah Bloch

Around the world, trucks are essential everyday vehicles. In Pakistan, trucks are also canvases for dazzling works of art. Truck art has served a social good too, and helped recover missing children.

Millions of people in Afghanistan are facing hunger and starvation amid a prolonged drought and economic crash. A World Food Program spokesperson says a new urban class of hungry people has emerged.

Millions of people in Afghanistan are facing hunger and starvation amid a prolonged drought and economic crash. A World Food Program spokesperson says a new urban class of hungry people has emerged.

Students and faculty with the Afghanistan National Institute of Music flew last week from Doha to Lisbon, where they will start their new lives and reconstitute their celebrated academy in exile.

This week, members of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music flew from Doha to Portugal, where they’ll rebuild their school — and lives. They describe their escape from Kabul and future hopes.

This week, members of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music flew from Doha to Portugal, where they’ll rebuild their school — and lives. They describe their escape from Kabul and future hopes.

This week, members of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music flew from Doha to Portugal, where they’ll rebuild their school — and lives. They describe their escape from Kabul and future hopes.

Risking beatings by the Taliban, Afghan women have taken to the streets to protest against the hard-line regime, its new curbs on their rights — and against Pakistan’s influence in their country.

Afghans have lived through Soviet and U.S. invasions, civil war, insurgency and a previous period of heavy-handed Taliban rule. Here are some key events and dates from the past four decades.

After five years and nearly 3,500 stories — from Pakistan to Papua New Guinea and Paris — the Parallels blog is closing. You’ll now find all of NPR’s coverage from around the globe at npr.org/world.