Kite flying is a national sport in Afghanistan. In competitions, fighter kites are designed to cut the strings of opponents' kites. Kite runners chase down the fallen kites and get to keep them. When the Taliban took power of Afghanistan in 1996, kite flying was banned. Taliban leaders made strict rules that they said were in keeping with Islamic beliefs. Since the end of their rule in 2001, the sport has returned to popularity. Here, Afghan boys fly a kite on a hill overlooking Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. (PAULA BRONSTEIN —GETTY IMAGES)