Thursday: The day in photos

A South Ossetian woman looks at ruins in downtown Tskhinvali, Georgia, where Russian and Georgian forces fought a brutal five-day battle. Although the cease-fire appears to have stilled the fighting for the time being, the status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia remains a tense issue.  (Musa Sadulayev / Associated Press)

Russian soldiers block the road on the outskirts of Gori, northwest of Tbilisi, Georgia.  (Darko Bandic / Associated Press)

Kliment Bestaev mourns during the wake for his brother, Vazha Bestaev, in the town of Ardon, south of Vladikavkaz, Russia. Vazha Bestaev died in recent fighting in Tskhinvali.  (Mikhail Metzel / Associated Press)

Kashmiri Muslims carry a wounded man on a stretcher after he was shot during a protest in Srinagar, India. Thousands of Muslims poured into the streets of Kashmir demanding independence from India.  (Mukhtar Khan / Associated Press)

Indian police arrest a Tibetan monk weakened by a nine-day hunger strike against the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was taken to a hospital.  (Raveendran / AFP/Getty Images)

USA’s Kobe Bryant lets out a scream after dunking the ball against Greece during a preliminary round game at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.   (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Spain’s Pau Gasol goes to the basket guarded by Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki, left, and Christopher Kaman during their men’s preliminary round basketball game at the Olympic Basketball Arena during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Spain won 72-59.   (Filippo Monteforte / AFP/Getty Images)

U.S. swimmer Natalie Coughlin pushes hard in her leg of the women’s 4x200-meter freestyle relay at Beijing’s National Aquatics Center. Coughlin and her teammates finished third, behind China and Australia.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

A camera exposure of 1/8th of a second blurs the action between light welterweight boxers Manus Boonjumnong of Thailand, left, and Masatsugu Kawachi of Japan at Beijing’s Worker’s Gymnasium. Boonjumnong, the defending Olympic gold medalist defeated Kawachi and moved on to the next round.  (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

China’s Yang Wei, center, acknowledges the crowd as he stands on the podium with Japan’s Kohei Uchimura, left, and France’s Benoit Caranobe after the men’s individual all-around final of the artistic gymnastics event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. China won the gold medal, Japan the silver and France the bronze.  (Frank Fife / AFP/Getty Images)

Sweden’s Ara Abrahamian shouts at wrestling officials after a controversial decision during his 84 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling match against Italy’s Andrea Minguzzi at the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Abrahamian won the bronze medal but threw it on the mat after the award ceremony.  (Ed Wray / Associated Press)

Sweden’s Ara Abrahamian threw his bronze medal on the mat after he won in the 84 kilogram Greco-Roman wrestling bronze medal bout against France’s Melonin Noumonvi at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.  (Ed Wray / Associated Press)

A groundskeeper fights the wind and rain as the U.S. versus Canada softball game is delayed for a second time in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

A face-painted Pakistani youth celebrates Independence Day in Karachi, Pakistan, on the 61st anniversary of the country’s independence from Britain.  (Shakil Adil / Associated Press)