Members of the Sabean Mandaeans, a pre-Christian sect that follows the teachings of John the Baptist, take part in a bathing ritual on the Tigris river in Baghdad, Iraq. (AP)

Indian sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik applies final touches to a sand art sculpture he created for the U.S. presidential elections, during a 15-day exhibition entitled ‘Imagination in Sand’ in Kolkata. (Reuters)

Li Zijun of China competes during the ladies’ short program at the Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Shanghai, November 2, 2012. (Reuters)

U.S. soldiers aim their weapons as they expect a Taliban attack near the town of Walli Was in Paktika province, Afghanistan, near the border with Pakistan. (Reuters)

Brides run at the start of the ‘Running of the Brides’ race in Bangkok, Thailand. Some 20 brides and grooms in wedding dress took part in the race to win a wedding package worth about 600,000 baht ($19,501), according to its organizers. (Reuters)

A cadet collapses during an annual ceremony for graduating cadets at the police school in Bogota, Colombia, November 2, 2012. (Reuters)

Shi’ite people perform the traditional Baraa dance as they celebrate Eid al-Ghadir in Sana’a, Yemen. The celebration marks al-Ghadir day, on which Shi’ites believe that Prophet Muhammad nominated his cousin, Imam Ali, to be his successor. (Reuters)

Horses make a turn during the running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf thoroughbred horse race at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, USA, November 2, 2012. (Reuters)

The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers an impressive view of the center of globular cluster NGC 6362. The image of this spherical collection of stars takes a deeper look at the core of the globular cluster, which contains a high concentration of stars with different colors. Tightly bound by gravity, globular clusters are composed of old stars, which, at around 10 billion years old, are much older than the Sun. (ESA/Hubble & NASA)