An Iraqi woman shows her finger stained with ink after voting at a pollling station in Baghdad on Thursday 15 December 2005. Iraqis headed for polling stations Thursday to elect the first permanent parliament since the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Immediately after the 6,200 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT), explosions were heard in Baghdad and Ramadi despite tight security measures implemented for the vote. EPA/ALI HAIDER