KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Here is a look at key dates since the Taliban returned to power three years ago, as United States and NATO forces withdrew from the country:
Aug. 15, 2021 — The Taliban march into Kabul as internationally backed President Ashraf Ghani flees the country.
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Taliban leaders and fighters attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Taliban leaders attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Afghans attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Taliban leaders and fighters attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
FILE -An Afghan man walks near his damaged home after heavy flooding in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mehrab Ibrahimi, File)
FILE -Afghan children carry donated aid to their tents, while they are scared and crying from the fierce sandstorm, after a massive earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western of Afghanistan, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE -In this handout photo released by the Taliban Prime Minister Media Office, China's new ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Sheng meets with Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund during the recognition ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Taliban Prime Minister Media Office via AP, File)
FILE- Beauticians put makeup on customers at Ms. Sadat's Beauty Salon in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 25, 2021. The Taliban on July 4, 2023 ordered beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
FILE - Afghan students queue at one of Kabul University's gates in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 26, 2022. Women are banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said on, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE, Female Afghan Taekwondo team members practice during a training session in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 1, 2021. The Taliban on Nov. 10, 2022 banned women from using gyms and parks. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
FILE -A view of the education center that was attacked by a suicide bomber, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi), File)
FILE - In this 1998 file photo made available on March 19, 2004, Ayman al-Zawahri poses for a photograph with Osama bin Laden in Khost, Afghanistan. On July 31, 2022 — The U.S. killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul..(AP Photo/Mazhar Ali Khan, File)
FILE -A man walks out of his damaged house after a powerful earthquake in Gayan village, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Nooroozi, File)
FILE - Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sept. 12, 2021. On March 23, 2022 the Taliban abruptly reversed a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - This image from a video released by the Department of Defense shows U.S. Marines around the scene at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, in Kabul Afghanistan, after a suicide bomber detonated an explosion. (Department of Defense via AP, File)
File - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)
FILE - Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry had on May 7, 2022 ,said women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Aug. 26, 2021 — Islamic State group suicide bombers and gunmen kill over 170 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops in an attack on the crowds trying to be evacuated at Kabul’s airport.
March 23, 2022 — On the day high schools are opening, the Taliban abruptly reverse a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school.
May 7, 2022 — The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry says women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. It advises them to stay home unless they have important work outside the house.
June 22, 2022 — A powerful earthquake hits a remote region of eastern Afghanistan, killing more than 1,100 people. The Taliban struggle with rescue efforts, underscoring a lack of resources and a reliance on aid groups.
July 31, 2022 — The U.S. kills al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul. American officials accuse the Taliban of sheltering him.
Sept. 30, 2022 — A suicide bomber strikes an education center in a Shiite area of the capital, killing dozens of people, including teenagers taking university entrance exams.
Nov. 10, 2022 — A nationwide ban on women using gyms and parks comes into force. The Taliban say they imposed the ban because women allegedly disobeyed gender segregation rules or didn’t cover themselves properly.
Nov. 20, 2022 — The Taliban lash 19 people, including alleged adulterers, in the first public flogging since their return to rule.
Dec. 8, 2022 — The Taliban execute a convicted killer before hundreds of spectators in the first public execution since the takeover.
Dec. 21, 2022 — The Taliban bar female students from attending university. Afghanistan is the only country in the world that bans female education.
Dec. 24, 2022 — The Taliban bar Afghan women from working with national and international nongovernmental groups.
July 4, 2023 — The Taliban order beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. The decision affects as many as 60,000 female entrepreneurs.
Sept. 13, 2023 — The Taliban hail China’s new ambassador with fanfare. Months later, the Taliban officially send their new ambassador to Beijing.
Oct. 4, 2023 — Pakistan announces a major crackdown on foreigners living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans. The Taliban, the U.N. and rights groups condemn the policy.
Oct. 7, 2023 — A 6.3 magnitude earthquake in western Herat province kills thousands of people. More quakes follow, bringing further devastation to the area.
Nov. 15, 2023 - FlyDubai becomes the first international carrier to resume flights to Kabul after a two-year hiatus. AirArabia and Turkish Airlines follow suit.
Jan. 4, 2024 — The Taliban arrest women in Kabul for wearing “bad hijab,” the first official dress code crackdown since they returned to power.
Feb. 22, 2024 — The Taliban hold a double execution at a stadium in the country’s southeast while thousands of people watch.
May 11, 2024 — Flash floods in Afghanistan’s north from unusually heavy seasonal rains kill more than 300 people.
May 17, 2024 — Shooters open fire in central Bamiyan province killing six people, including three Spanish holidaymakers. It’s a blow to the Taliban’s plans to woo tourists. IS claims the attack.
June 4, 2024 — The Taliban publicly flog at least 60 people, including more than a dozen women, accused of crimes such as sodomy, theft and immoral relations.
June 4, 2024 — The leader of the United Arab Emirates meets a Taliban official with a U.S. bounty on his head over his involvement in an attack that killed an American citizen and other assaults. It highlights the growing divide on how to deal with the Taliban.
June 30, 2024 — The Taliban attend a U.N.-sponsored meeting in Qatar. Although it’s the third such gathering, it’s the first time the Taliban are attending. There’s backlash after Afghan women and civil society representatives are excluded.
July 30, 2024 — The Taliban say they no longer recognize Afghan diplomatic missions staffed by diplomats from the former Western-backed government.
Taliban leaders and fighters attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Taliban leaders attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Afghans attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
Taliban leaders and fighters attend a ceremony to celebrate the third anniversary of the withdrawal of U.S.-led troops from Afghanistan, in Bagram Air Base in the Parwan Province of Afghanistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Siddiqullah Alizai)
FILE -An Afghan man walks near his damaged home after heavy flooding in Baghlan province in northern Afghanistan, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mehrab Ibrahimi, File)
FILE -Afghan children carry donated aid to their tents, while they are scared and crying from the fierce sandstorm, after a massive earthquake in Zenda Jan district in Herat province, western of Afghanistan, Oct. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
FILE -In this handout photo released by the Taliban Prime Minister Media Office, China's new ambassador to Afghanistan Zhao Sheng meets with Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund during the recognition ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. (Taliban Prime Minister Media Office via AP, File)
FILE- Beauticians put makeup on customers at Ms. Sadat's Beauty Salon in Kabul, Afghanistan, April 25, 2021. The Taliban on July 4, 2023 ordered beauty salons to shut down for offering allegedly un-Islamic services like eyebrow shaping. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
FILE - Afghan students queue at one of Kabul University's gates in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 26, 2022. Women are banned from private and public universities in Afghanistan with immediate effect and until further notice, a Taliban government spokesman said on, Dec. 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla, File)
FILE, Female Afghan Taekwondo team members practice during a training session in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 1, 2021. The Taliban on Nov. 10, 2022 banned women from using gyms and parks. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul, File)
FILE -A view of the education center that was attacked by a suicide bomber, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sept. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi), File)
FILE - In this 1998 file photo made available on March 19, 2004, Ayman al-Zawahri poses for a photograph with Osama bin Laden in Khost, Afghanistan. On July 31, 2022 — The U.S. killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in a drone strike on a safe house in Kabul..(AP Photo/Mazhar Ali Khan, File)
FILE -A man walks out of his damaged house after a powerful earthquake in Gayan village, in Paktika province, Afghanistan, June 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Nooroozi, File)
FILE - Girls walk upstairs as they enter a school before class in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sept. 12, 2021. On March 23, 2022 the Taliban abruptly reversed a promise to allow girls above the sixth grade to attend school. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana, File)
FILE - This image from a video released by the Department of Defense shows U.S. Marines around the scene at Abbey Gate outside Hamid Karzai International Airport on Aug. 26, 2021, in Kabul Afghanistan, after a suicide bomber detonated an explosion. (Department of Defense via AP, File)
File - Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Aug. 15, 2021. (AP Photo/Zabi Karimi, File)
FILE - Afghan women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group, in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023. The Taliban Virtue and Vice Ministry had on May 7, 2022 ,said women in public must wear all-encompassing robes and cover their faces except for their eyes. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A$AP Rocky turned down a final prosecution plea offer of 180 days in jail, risking the possibility of a guilty verdict and years in prison as jury selection began at his trial on Tuesday.
The agreement offered to the 36-year-old hip-hop star, fashion mogul and actor was to plead guilty to one of two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. Los Angeles County prosecutors would also recommend a seven-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and the six-month jail term.
But Rocky, whose legal name is Rakim Mayers, told a judge he respectfully declined.
He is accused of firing at a former friend near a Hollywood hotel in 2021, and could get a maximum sentence of 24 years in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.
Rocky's attorney Joe Tacopina also revealed for the first time in court Tuesday that the defense plans to call witnesses to testify that a firearm seen on a security video is a starter pistol that Rocky carried as a prop for security.
A panel of more than 100 prospective jurors were summoned to the downtown Los Angeles courtroom and packed into the gallery. Opening statements will come once 12 of them and alternates are seated. That won't be until at least Wednesday, when selection is set to resume. Cameras will be allowed in the courtroom starting with openings.
The Grammy-nominated hip-hop star's longtime partner is Rihanna, and the couple have two toddler sons together. Tacopina suggested that it's unlikely the pop star will show up in court.
Rocky has been named one of the celebrity chairs of the Met Gala in May, and has a major role in a Spike Lee-directed film with Denzel Washington to be released soon after. But his life could be upended with a conviction.
Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold has said he hopes to seat a jury quickly, and is keeping strict limits on how long attorneys can question prospective jurors.
“Mr. Mayers is an entertainer," Arnold told the prospective jurors. "His stage name is A$AP rocky. His life partner is also an entertainer. Her name is Rihanna. Because Mr. Mayers is an entertainer, a celebrity, that cannot harm him, and it cannot benefit him."
Of the initial 12 jurors questioned, four said they knew who Rocky was, and 10 said they knew who Rihanna was.
In 2023, another judge ruled after a preliminary hearing that Rocky should stand trial on charges that he fired a gun at Terell Ephron, a childhood friend who testified that their relationship had soured and a feud came to a head on the night of Nov. 6, 2021. Ephron testified that bullets grazed his knuckles.
Initial questioning on Tuesday revealed that the recent Los Angeles-area wildfires have affected many of the potential jurors' lives, including one woman who is fostering many displaced animals, and at least one man who had to evacuate. The judge himself revealed he had to evacuate from his home for 11 days.
“Luckily the house didn’t burn down," Arnold said.
One man was excused early in the process because he said his anti-gun feelings were too strong for him to be fair.
Tacopina tried to explore the potential jurors' feelings about hip-hop artists and their music, and several said they had negative feelings, though not overwhelming ones. Some cited parenting as the reason.
“I used to love it but then I had a kid,” one panelist said.
Deputy District Attorney John Lewin, questioning for the prosecution, told those with negative feelings, “You will not be called upon to render a verdict on how you feel about rap music, do you understand that?" All said yes.
Tacopina, who like his client Rocky is from New York and has represented President Donald Trump, also asked whether anyone on the jury is rubbed the wrong way by New Yorkers, bringing laughs throughout the room.
“When I get up here with this ridiculous accent, which I try not to have but I do, is anyone going to have a problem?" he said. “I will point out that we gave you guys the Dodgers a few years ago.”
No one conceded any negative feelings.
“I love LA," the lawyer added.
FILE - A$AP Rocky, left, and Rihanna attend The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit gala in New York on Sept. 13, 2021. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky at Pre-Grammy Gala And Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 9, 2019. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)
FILE - Rapper A$AP Rocky appears in a Los Angeles Superior courtroom on Aug. 17, 2022, where he pleaded not guilty to two felony counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times via AP, Pool, File)