Today in photos

Afghans head to the polls to elect the new president for the second time in the country's history. At least 19 people were injured and dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed as a line of severe weather spawning one or more tornadoes slammed into the central Illinois area. And a man takes a shower at the 'Bath Boat' pool in Berlin. View a slideshow of these images and more.

Section:Gallery

Thu., Aug. 20, 2009

An Afghan woman shows the dye on her finger after casting her ballot at a polling station in a school in Kabul, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Afghans voted under the shadow of Taliban threats of violence Thursday to choose their next president for a nation plagued by armed insurgency, drugs, corruption and a feeble government nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Kevin Frayer Associated Press
A man casts his ballots at a polling station in Kabul, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Afghans head to the polls to elect the new president for the second time in the country's history. An election worker sits near ballot boxes at a polling station in Kabul, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Afghans voted under the shadow of Taliban threats of violence Thursday to choose their next president for a nation plagued by armed insurgency, drugs, corruption and a feeble government nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Dima Gavrysh Associated Press
An Afghan woman voter walks past male voters lining up to cast their ballots, as she heads towards the women's side of a mosque made into a polling station in Kabul on Thursday Aug. 20, 2009. Afghans voted under the shadow of Taliban threats of violence Thursday to choose their next president for a nation plagued by armed insurgency, drugs, corruption and a feeble government nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion.

David Guttenfelder Associated Press
Men wait in line to cast their ballots at a polling station in Kabul, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Afghans voted under the shadow of Taliban threats of violence Thursday to choose their next president for a nation plagued by armed insurgency, drugs, corruption and a feeble government nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion.

Dima Gavrysh Associated Press
An Afghan woman worker, left, of the election commission office frisks a female voter at a polling station in Kandahar province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009.

Musadeq Sadeq Associated Press
U.S. Marine Sgt. Raymond Shinahra, left, of Guam, and Navy Corpsman Michael Cannova, both attached to Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Regiment, 2nd MEB, 3rd MEF, carry a box full of presidential ballots delivered by Marine helicopters from election headquarters in Lashkar Gah to election officials in Dahaneh Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Officials in the village had discovered early in the morning that they were lacking any presidential ballots and could not open the voting process without them.

Julie Jacobson Associated Press
A man takes a shower at the 'Bath Boat' pool in Berlin, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Germany expected the hottest day of the year Thursday.

Markus Schreiber Associated Press
Village women collect water from a tube well at Bhamasar village, about 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of Ahmadabad, India, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Excessive irrigation and the unrelenting thirst of tens of millions of people are causing ground water levels in northern India to drop dramatically, a problem that could lead to severe water shortages, according to a study released recently.

Ajit Solanki Associated Press
French Air Force alphajets of the "Patrouille de France", perform a demonstration flight during MAKS-2009 (the International Aviation and Space Show) in Zhukovsky, outside Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009.

Misha Japaridze Associated Press
Loami Chief Police Officer Stan Workman surveys tornado damage in Loami, Ill., Thursday, Aug 20, 2009. At least 19 people were injured and dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed as a line of severe weather spawning one or more tornadoes slammed into the central Illinois area Wednesday.

Seth Perlman Associated Press
The car of McLaren Formula One driver Heikki Kovalainen of Finland is seen reflected in the protective glasses of a member of his pit crew at the Valencia street circuit in Valencia, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. The Grand Prix of Europe will take place on Sunday over the street circuit surrounding the city's port.

Alberto Saiz Associated Press
An Army carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Army First Sgt. Jose San Crisostomo next to the remains of Private 1st Class Morris L. Walker, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. According to the Department of Defense, Crisostomo, of Spanaway, Wash., and Morris, of Chapel Hill, N.C., both died while supporting combat operations in Afghanistan.

Rob Carr Associated Press