24 hours in pictures

Allahabad, India: A naga sadhu, or Hindu holy man, puts on garlands before participating in a procession to reach Sangam, the confluence of the Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers. Millions of Hindu pilgrims are attending the Maha Kumbh festival, one of the world's largest religious gatherings, which lasts for 55 days and falls every 12 years Photograph: Rajesh Kumar Singh/AP

Beijing, China: Actors perform a traditional dance on the last day of the spring festival holiday to mark the lunar new year Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA

Kathmandu, Nepal: Sona Nakarmi, seven, writes on a wall at Saraswati temple during the Shreepanchami festival. Children are given their first writing and reading lessons at the temple during this festival in the belief that the goddess Saraswati will help them excel at their education Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Kochi, India: Participants light earthen oil lamps around the Installation of Femininity 2013, which is made of turmeric, vermillion powder, rice powder and burnt rice husk. The artwork was created by Sajitha Shankar as part of the One Billion Rising campaign in the southern Indian city Photograph: Sivaram V/Reuters

Beijing, China: Children and adults ride boat slides on a frozen lake on the last day of the spring festival at a temple park Photograph: How Hwee Young/EPA

Lima, Peru: A couple get married in a public pool during a mass wedding ceremony on Valentine's Day. More than 200 couples participated in a community civil marriage organised by the municipality of Comas Photograph: Ernesto Benavides/AFP/Getty Images

Dhaka, Bangladesh: Thousands of people hold candles at the Shahbagh intersection. The mass movement began on 5 February, when protests began against the life sentence given to the leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party, Quader Molla, and to other war criminals, calling the sentences too lenient and demanding capital punishment instead Photograph: Monirul Alam/EPA

New Delhi, India: Activists dance in an event to support the One Billion Rising global campaign. Flash mobs and rallies with singing and dancing were organised across the world as part of the campaign, timed to coincide with Valentine's Day, to bring an end to violence against women Photograph: Altaf Qadri/AP

New York, US: Models wear designs by Marc Jacobs during New York fashion week Photograph: Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

Katmandu, Nepal: Devotees write with chalk during an annual ritual to gain better education, on the walls of a Hindu temple meant for the goddess Saraswati to mark the festival in her honour Photograph: Niranjan Shrestha/AP

Rome, Italy: Women dance during the One Billion Rising campaign on Valentine's Day. Women around the world expressed their support for the campaign by dancing in the streets, school and other places. The campaign was initiated by New York artist and feminist Eve Ensler in September 2012 Photograph: Alessandro Di Meo/EPA

Rangoon, Burma: Performer Wai Yan Soe (left) prepares to go on stage during the Phoe Chit Naing orchestra performance at a rural carnival in the South Dagon township. Burma is going through rapid political and economic reforms initiated by the country's first civilian president, Thein Sein, after years of military junta rule Photograph: Chris McGrath/Getty Images

Sofia, Bulgaria: Smoke rises from stacks at a thermal power station Photograph: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images

Jalalabad, Afghanistan: Labourers add coal to the fire at a traditional brick factory Photograph: Noorullah Shirzada/AFP/Getty Images