Day in pictures

1 of 9 Indonesians celebrate 59 years of independence from Dutch rule on Tuesday with games. For these men, the challenge is to climb the greasy pole - and collect a prize.

2 of 9 The Olympics continue in Athens with the women's archery in which Yuan Shu-chi, of Taiwan, defeated her opponent.

3 of 9 Boscastle, a rural British village, hits the headlines as flash floods destroy buildings and sweep away at least 50 cars.

4 of 9 A police officer patrols a demonstration by monks outside Government House in Bangkok, Thailand.

5 of 9 A US soldier snatches a few moments of sleep, his arm curled around his gun, in Najaf, Iraq.

6 of 9 There are frantic scenes in Baghdad, after a mortar attack on a busy commercial district.

7 of 9 A Palestinian sifts through the remains of his house in Rafah after it was destroyed in an Israeli incursion overnight.

8 of 9 Seventy Spanish soldiers say goodbye to their families as they prepare to fly to Afghanistan to boost troops numbers there.

9 of 9 A Macedonian soldier breaks bricks with a punch during a display for Macedonian army day, held in the capital, Skopje.