Afghan laborers work on a road project in Kabul. The city has undertaken a huge project to fix its roads and sewers. Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images hide caption

An Afghan farmer collects raw opium as he works in a poppy field in Khogyani District of Nangarhar province in April 2013. AFP/Getty Images hide caption

Lionfish, which are native to the Pacific and Indian oceans, are now present in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, where they are devouring smaller fish that protect reefs. The Caribbean island of Bonaire is teaching divers how to catch the venomous fish. Sean Carberry/NPR hide caption

Four Americans injured in Iraq and Afghanistan visit Kabul as part of Operation Proper Exit, a program designed for wounded warriors. From left, they are Staff Sgt. Ben Dellinger, Capt. Casey Wolfe, Capt. John Urquhart (who is hidden) and Sgt. James "Eddie" Wright. Sean Carberry/NPR hide caption

U.S. Marines board a C-130 transport plane as they withdraw from Camp Leatherneck, their huge base in southern Afghanistan. This marked the biggest handover yet to the Afghan army, which is facing a tough fight with the Taliban in Helmand province and other parts of southern Afghanistan. Wakil Koshar/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

An Afghan firefighter emerges from the smoke from a fire in a Kabul clothing market in 2012. The fire department is remarkably professional in a city where few institutions function. Mohammad Ismail/Reuters /Landov hide caption

Many Afghans who have worked as interpreters with the U.S. and other Western governments are trying to get visas to leave. "Mohammad," an interpreter, joined two former British soldiers last year in that country to call on Britain to grant Afghan interpreters asylum. Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP hide caption

An Afghan policeman searches a man at a checkpoint where a NATO soldier was stabbed to death in Kabul on Aug. 20. As U.S. and NATO troops are drawing down in Afghanistan, the Taliban have been stepping up attacks this summer. Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

A construction excavator demolishes a B-hut at the huge Bagram Air Field north of Kabul. The military used the structures as bunks and offices during the 13-year war but is tearing them down as most of the military prepares to leave by year's end. Sean Carberry/NPR hide caption

Secretary of State John Kerry and Afghanistan's presidential candidates, Ashraf Ghani (center) and Abdullah Abdullah (right), announce a deal in Kabul on July 12 to audit all Afghan election votes. Kerry returned last week and both candidates reaffirmed their commitment to the audit. Jim Bourg/AP hide caption

At the Romez Store in Kabul, brides-to-be can place custom orders for dresses costing upwards of $900, which is three times the average monthly wage in Afghanistan. Sean Carberry/NPR hide caption