Today in photos

Mena, a 1-year old female elephant, entertains a tourist with its trunk. Swan Uppers release a swan and a cygnet back onto the River Thames at Bray, near Windsor, England. And Afghans carry plants to feed their animals in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan. View a slideshow of these images and more.

Section:Gallery

Mon., July 20, 2009

Mena, a 1-year old female elephant, entertains a tourist with its trunk at a hotel where the 42nd ASEAN Ministerial Meeting is being held Monday, July 20, 2009 in Phuket, southern Thailand.

Apichart Weerawong Associated Press
Heat waves from the exhaust of a Russian made MIG 21 appear to warp the horrizon as the plane takes off from the military air base in Fetesti, some 100 miles east of Bucharest, Romania, Monday July 20, 2009. The Romanian Air Forces celebrate the Aviation Day by flying many aircraft including helicopters, Hercules C130 carriers and MIG 21 fighter planes.

Ap Ap Associated Press
In this photo released by the Xinhua news agency, a staff member nurses the newly born giant panda cubs at the giant panda base in Chengdu, in southwest China's Sichuan province, on Monday July 20, 2009. A giant panda named Li Li gave birth to the twin female cubs at the breeding center Sunday morning, the first twin giant panda cubs born this year, according to Xinhua.

Jiang Hongjing Associated Press
Tens of thousands of spectators look at the Japanese sailing ship Nippon Maru, waiting to see its crew members set up sails on a Marine Day event at the port of Yokohama, near Tokyo, Japan, Monday, July 20, 2009. Japan marked Marine Day on Monday.

Shizuo Kambayashi Associated Press
Netherland's Crown Prince Willem Alexander, front left, gives directions to his daughters Princess Ariane, left, Princess Alexia, center, and Princess Catharina-Amalia, right, as they pose for photographers during a photo session on the beach near Wassenaar, Netherlands, Monday, July 20, 2009.

Cynthia Boll Associated Press
Swan Uppers release a swan and a cygnet back onto the River Thames at Bray, near Windsor, England, during the swan upping census, Monday, July 20, 2009. Swan Upping is the annual census of swan population on stretches of the Thames in the counties of Middlesex, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire, overseen by the Queen's Swan Marker. The ceremony dates from the twelfth century, when the Crown claimed ownership of all mute swans.

Sang Tan Associated Press
A Jewish settler carries a bed as she walks past ruins of a structure demolished by Israeli authorities earlier Monday, next to the West Bank settlement of Adei Ad, south of Nablus, Monday, July 20, 2009. Israel on Sunday rejected a U.S. demand to suspend a planned housing project in east Jerusalem, threatening to further complicate an unusually tense standoff with its strongest ally over settlement construction. Settlements built on captured lands claimed by the Palestinians have emerged as a major sticking point in relations between Israel and the Obama administration because of their potential to disrupt Mideast peacemaking.

Dan Balilty Associated Press
Afghans carry plants to feed their animals in Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, east of Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, July 20, 2009.

Rahmat Gul Associated Press
Chief of the Congress party in northern Uttar Pradesh state, Rita Bahuguna Joshi, center, looks at one of her vehicles set on fire by activists Wednesday night in Lucknow, India, Monday, July 20, 2009. Joshi had been arrested and her house set on fire by activists after she suggested a rival leader be raped so she can better understand the plight of rape victims.

Manish A Associated Press
Participants race their horse driven carts during an annual traditional horse cart race in Allahabad, India, Monday, July 20, 2009.

Rajesh Singh Associated Press
Motor bikers drive through a flooded street in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, July 20, 2009. Heavy rain from a weekend caused flooding on streets in Hanoi and made chaotic morning rush hour.

Chitose Suzuki Associated Press
Sho Sakai of Japan performs during men's 10-meter platform diving preliminary, at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Rome, Monday, July 20, 2009.

Mark Terrill Associated Press
England's Andrew Flintoff, left, stands with hands outstretched as he is congratulated by teammates as Graeme Swann, right, comes in to join the congratulations, after bowling the wicket of Australia's Nathan Hauritz for 1 run on the fifth day of the second cricket test match between England and Australia at Lord's cricket ground in London, Monday, July 20, 2009.

Kirsty Wigglesworth Associated Press