24 hours in pictures

Santiago, Cuba: Two men play chess on the 50th anniversary of the Cuban Revolution Photograph: Sven Creutzmann/Mambo Photo/Getty Images

Bangkok, Thailand: The bodies of victims are laid on the street after a fire broke out in a nightclub Photograph: Getty Images/Getty Images

Karachi, Pakistan: A stockbroker at the Karachi Stock Exchange on the last trading day of the year Photograph: Asif Hassan/AFP/Getty Images

Islamabad, Pakistan: The last sunset of 2008 Photograph: B.K.Bangash/AP

Rome, Italy: A horse of the Italian equastrian police in front of St Peter's Square at the Vatican Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images

Rafah, Gaza Strip: Palestinians inspect the different rooms of a building damaged by an Israeli air strike Photograph: Said Khatib/AFP/Getty Images

Havana, Cuba: A man carries a dead pig to be cooked for a new year dinner Photograph: Dario Lopez-MIlls/AP

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Brazil's Carlo Collet adjusts his glasses before the Argentina Dakar Rally 2009 Photograph: Christophe Ena/AP

New York, US: Singer and guitarist Alex Gaskarth of All Time Low performs during the MTV New Year's Eve programme Photograph: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Lagos, Nigeria: Canoes float among rafts of logs on the Lagos lagoon Photograph: Akintunde Akinleye/Reuters

Beijing, China: Paramilitary policemen raise the national flag during a ceremony to mark the new year before thousands of people climb the Great Wall of China Photograph: Guang Niu/Getty Images

Ashkelon, Israel: Israelis are seen through a window in a fortified wall as they are called to stay inside a shelter Photograph: Sebastian Scheiner/AP

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany: Norway's Bjoern Einar Romoeren prepares to speed down the ski jump during the practice for the second event of the four-hills ski jumping tournament Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Shanghai, China: Builders work at the construction site of the China Pavilion for the World Expo Shanghai 2010 Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images

Hong Kong, China: Decorations illuminate trees at Tsim Sha Tsui Photograph: China Photos/Getty Images

Baghdad, Iraq: Iraqis loyal to the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr carry a Palestinian flag during a protest against the Israeli air strikes in Gaza Photograph: Wathiq Khuzaie/Getty Images

Rome, Italy: Pope Benedict XVI celebrates the Vespers and Te Deum prayer in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images