24 hours in pictures

Jerusalem: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men and a boy in a lion's costume read from the Scroll of Esther during the Purim festival at a synagogue in Mea Shaarim Photograph: Abir Sultan/EPA

Gao, Mali: Malian soldiers carry a missile launcher that they and French forces seized from Islamist rebels Photograph: Tanya Bindra/EPA

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso: A girl looks at a photographic exhibition during the Panafrican Film and Television Festival, the largest film festival in Africa, occuring every two years Photograph: Nic Bothma/EPA

Maseru, Lesotho: Ntoli Moletsane, the head of Mamohato Network camps, points out the new location for the Mamohato Centre at Thaba Bosiu. Sentebale is a charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho Photograph: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Colombo, Sri Lanka: An early morning bath for baby elephant Ganga at the Viharamahadevi Park Photograph: MA Pushpa Kumara/EPA

La Libertad, El Salvador: A lifeguard wears a cross necklace at the annual Paso del Hombre endurance challenge Photograph: Ulises Rodriguez/Reuters

Jabal al-Zaweya, Syria: A Free Syrian Army fighter prepares a fire to cook inside a cave Photograph: Hussein Malla/AP

Los Angeles, US: Nicole Kidman stands backstage at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre Photograph: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

Nuanquan, China: Blacksmiths throw molten metal against a cold stone wall to create sparks, during the Lantern Festival that traditionally marks the end of the lunar new year celebrations Photograph: Mark Ralston/AFP/Getty Images

Guatemala City, Guatemala: Luis Amezquita hangs upside down over the Periferico avenue while slacklining. According to Amezquita, this is the first time in Guatemala that anyone is attempting slacklining over a street. Slacklining is an extreme sport that requires one to balance on a line anchored between two points Photograph: Jorge Dan Lopez/Reuters

Srinagar, India: Kashmiri Muslims pray as a priest displays the relic of Sheikh Syed Abdul Qadir Jeelani at his shrine. They offer prayers at the Muslim saint's shrine for 11 consecutive days Photograph: Farooq Khan/EPA

Sa'ir, West Bank: Masked Palestinian gunmen hold weapons on a roof during the funeral of Arafat Jaradat, a stone-thrower who died in an Israeli jail Photograph: Darren Whiteside/Reuters

Manila, Philippines: Soldiers participate in the re-enactment of events leading to the fall of the dictatorship of then president Ferdinand Marcos during the 27th anniversary of the People Power revolution Photograph: Noel Celis/AFP/Getty Images