24 hours in pictures

Washington, US: The sun sets on the US capital where the 44th US president, Barack Obama, will be inaugurated 20 January 2009 Photograph: Paul J. Richards/AFP/Getty Images

Berlin, Germany: A picture hangs in front of a green landscape where visitors are invited to take photos of themselves at the flower hall of the International Green Week (Grüne Woche) Food and Agriculture Trade Fair Photograph: Barbara Sax/AFP/Getty Images

Near Odessa, Ukraine: A man rides a horse carrying wood collected in the forest for heating. Russia and Ukraine will hold talks on 17 January in Moscow in a bid to resolve their gas dispute which has left European countries without supplies, the Ukrainian government said Photograph: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

Budapest, Hungary: Zoo's oldest gorilla Liesel's arm and hand are seen during an operation. The surgery became necessary due to the progress of a tumour, which could cause the death of the ape Photograph: Pool/Reuters

Caracas, Venezuela: A young Venezuelan boy walks past grafitti depicting a Palestinian boy in a low income suburb. Venezuela broke diplomatic ties with Israel over its deadly military offensive in the Gaza Strip Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images

Henley, UK: A painting of a dog is seen on a boarded up window in a house Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Teotihuacan, Mexico: A vendor sells blankets in front of the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico. Mexican authorities said they have changed a controversial lighting project at the pre-Hispanic Teotihuacan pyramids to reduce its impact on the nearly 2,000-year-old structures. Lighting boxes will no longer be screwed into the stone that covers the pyramids, and will instead rest atop the structures Photograph: Gregory Bull/AP

Dubai City, Dubai: Fibreglass sculptures of divers adorn the newly opened Waterfall, a 24m tall water feature, located in Dubai's latest shopping complex at the Dubai Mall Photograph: Steve Crisp/REUTERS

Sydney, Australia: Traisy Vivien Tukiet of Malaysia competes during day three of the Australian Youth Olympic Festival at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia: Malaysian Muslims offer a special prayer for Palestinian victims of the Gaza conflict in the northeastern Terengganu state Photograph: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

Colombo, Sri Lanka: With black bands around their mouth, media and non-governmental organisation members with lit candles walk to a silent vigil in memory of slain newspaper editor Lasantha Wickramatunga at Viharamahadevi Park. Lasantha Wickramatunga who was the editor-in-chief of an English weekly was shot and killed last week by unidentified gunmen Photograph: M.a.pushpa Kumara/EPA

Frankfurt Oder, Germany: German-Polish border river Oder covered with ice. The drifting ice on the Oder river has come to a halt on a stretch of more than 100km Photograph: Patrick Pleul/EPA

Geilo, Norway: Violonist Nils Oekland tests his instrument made from ice before an ice instrument festival. Photograph: John Hugues/AFP/Getty Images

Gaza Strip: Israeli farmers continue to cultivate their fields alongside the war's border inside southern Israel Photograph: Jim Hollander/EPA

Paris, France: A student seen with an anarchist symbol drawn on his jacket walks towards French anti-riot police during a student rally against national education reforms Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA

Chirumhanzi, Zimbabwe: Village women receive aid from the charity organisation, Oxfam International, at a distribution centre. Oxfam warned that more people are set to receive less food due to funding shortfall. Over five million Zimbabweans rely on food handouts and the situation is getting worse as Zimbabwe enters its peak hunger period Photograph: Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi/AP

Park City, US: Artist Sep Kamvar looks at an image which includes the likeness of President-elect Barack Obama which was pulled from a recently published online blog posting as a part of his cinematic art installation 'We Feel Fine' on display in the 'New Frontier on Main' exhibition during the 2009 Sundance Film Festival Photograph: Danny Moloshok/Reuters