The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 for the second time after the withdrawal of most U.S. troops.

Since then, the former insurgents consolidated their grip on power, excluded women and girls from public life, stamped out internal dissent and external challengers, and gained recognition as the country's official government from Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

Here are five things to know as the Taliban start their fifth year back in power:

Supreme leader

Kandahar-based Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has led the Taliban from insurgency to authority since his appointment in 2016, sought to establish an Islamic system.

Central to this vision was his ratification last year of the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Law, which codifies many aspect

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