24 hours in pictures

Maywand district, Afghanistan: British army soldiers rest during a strike operation Photograph: Marco Di Lauro/Getty

Oxford, UK: A worker assists in the installation of the largest panel of the restored ceiling at the Sheldonian Theatre Photograph: Daniel Berehulak/Getty

Grand Island, US: Instructor Todd Brim and volunteer firefighters advance toward a propane 'Christmas tree' to practise pushing flames away from a valve Photograph: Scott Kingsley/AP

London, UK: Camra members wearing masks bearing the face of Alistair Darling campaign outside the Great British Beer Festival for a reduction in beer tax Photograph: Cate Gillon/Getty

Siliguri, India: A woman suffering from HIV/Aids waits to receive the vaccine Pneumovax Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

Yokosuka, Japan: Taichi Saotome, a male entertainer who plays women's roles Photograph: Michael Coronna/Reuters

San Salvador, El Salvador: Hundreds of Catholics during the rite of 'the descent' (la bajada) which symbolises the transfiguration of Jesus Christ Photograph: Roberto Escobar/EPA

Beijing, China: Members of Spain's Olympic synchronized swimming team practise in the pool Photograph: Mark Terrill/AP

Germany: Visitors walk through a sunflower field between the cities of Villingen and Schwenningen Photograph: Patrick Seeger/EPA

Karlsruhe, Germany: A performer at the European Juggling Convention Photograph: Uli Deck/EPA

Tianjin, China: Fish fight for food dispersed by an automatic feeding machine Photograph: Nick Bothma/EPA

Kathmandu, Nepal: Political activists release doves during a Hiroshima remembrance day Photograph: Narendra Shrestha/EPA

Vichy, France: The 34th French Air Balloon Championships Photograph: Thierry Zoccolan/AFP

Logoisk, Belarus: A rainbow over an Orthodox church Photograph: Sergey Grits/AP

Beijing, China: A dog with its newborn puppy in a bicycle basket Photograph: Nicolas Asfouri/AFP