U.S. officials have blamed IS-K, the Afghanistan branch of the Islamic State extremist group, for the attack on a concert hall near Moscow. Experts say the attack demonstrates the affiliate's growing ambitions and capabilities as well as its leading role in the umbrella organization.
Schoolboys are exposing sexual and physical abuse at Taliban-run madrasahs in southwestern Afghanistan. The Taliban has expanded the number of madrasahs in an effort to promote religious-based education, but the abuses within the system are leading many boys to opt for no education at all.