24 hours in pictures

Beijing, China: Security guards stand at the entrance to a meeting between Japan's prime minister, Yoshihiko Noda, and China's National People's Congress chairman, Wu Bangguo, at the Great Hall of the People Photograph: Ed Jones/Reuters

Chitwan, Nepal: A mahout rides an elephant ahead of an elephant race Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Barcelona, Spain: A man reads a newspaper with his dog in a bar Photograph: Emilio Morenatti/AP

Lagos, Nigeria: A member of a Christian sect prays with her children at a beach Photograph: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters

Canh Nau, Vietnam: A rat is held before being slaughtered for sale as meat Photograph: Kham/Reuters

Harbin, China: A swimmer jumps into the icy waters of the Songhua River Photograph: Sheng Li/Reuters

Amritsar, India: A boy poses for a photograph with a nativity scene in the grounds of a church Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP

Feres, Greece: Illegal immigrants from Pakistan make their way along the Egnatia motorway after crossing the Turkish-Greek border Photograph: Yannis Behrakis/Reuters

New Delhi, India: Labourers push a cart of dried dates at a market Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP

Iligan City, Philippines: Boys play on a destroyed bridge over the Kapay river, one of the three rivers that overflowed during Typhoon Washi Photograph: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images

Islamabad, Pakistan: A girl listens to her teacher during a class on how to recite verses of the Qu'ran Photograph: Muhammed Muheisen/AP

Braganca, Brazil: Riders try to thread a wooden needle through a ring during a horseriding competition as part of the Marujada festivities in honour of St Benedict Photograph: Paulo Santos/Reuters

Changchun, China: Fishermen catch fish during the annual winter fishing festival Photograph: AFP/Getty Images