Photo Essays

Transfer of power in Kabul: the Taliban have entered Afghanistan's capital and announced their victory in the presidential palace. They faced no resistance; Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has fled the country. There is great insecurity among the population. By Christian Walz

After the withdrawal of NATO troops, the Taliban are recapturing more and more territory in Afghanistan. Afghans who worked with the NATO troops are in particular fear for their lives and are desperate to flee the country.

The coronavirus crisis continues to worsen in Tunisia, with the number of infections rising. Cases of the particularly infectious delta variant have also been registered, and some regions have been sealed off. By Diana Hodali

In 633 AD, Muslim Arabs from the Arabian Peninsula attacked the Zoroastrian empire of Persia, and following a 21-year war, conquered the ancient realm. Iran’s official religion changed from Zoroastrian to Islam; however, 1367 years after that conquest, ordinary Iranians still celebrate various Zoroastrian traditions and rituals. By Changiz M. Varzi

Danish Siddiqui, the Reuters journalist killed in crossfire last Friday covering the war in Afghanistan, was a largely self-taught photographer who scaled the heights of his profession while documenting wars, riots and human suffering. By Raju Gopalakrishnan and Mike Collett-White

Baswaliha, a 55-year-old woman living in Pakistan's Mohmand district near the Afghan border, lost her husband and a son in militant attacks. Today, fears of the Taliban's return are rife in the area. By S. Rehman

For nearly 20 years, Bagram was the headquarters of U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Since the spring, the base has been cleared. What remains is a pile of rubbish. By Friedel Taube

During their 1996-2001 rule, the Taliban outlawed dozens of activities in Afghanistan. Now, with the insurgents once more making huge territorial gains across the country following the U.S. and NATO withdrawal, people are very fearful of what may come next. By Jay Deshmukh

To mark the 60th anniversary of the German-Turkish recruitment agreement, the Ruhr Museum is exhibiting photographs by Istanbul photographer Ergun Cagatay. By Ceyda Nurtsch

Among the 24 squads at the Euros, dozens of players with African roots will turn out in the June 11-July 11 tournament. Several of them are top names at this pan-continental event. By Stefan Nestler