24 hours in pictures: December 21 2007

Puth, the Netherlands: Early morning fog and snow covering trees and bushes Photograph: Ermindo Armino/AFP

Rome, Italy: A mosaic in Palazzo Valentini in the restored ruins of two opulent Roman villas and private thermal baths Photograph: Alessandra Tarantino/AP

London, UK: The choristers of Westminster Abbey rehearse for Christmas services Photograph: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty

Frankfurt Oder, Germany: Hundreds of people celeberate at the German-Polish border after custom controls are abolished Photograph: Patrick Pleul/EPA

Moscow, Russia: Communist Party supporters stand at the grave of former Soviet leader Josef Stalin to mark the 128th anniversary of his birth Photograph: Dmitry Kostyukov/AFP

Dakar, Senegal: Muslims from the Layenne brotherhood offer prayers to mark the start of Eid al-Adha Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Sofia, Bulgaria: A man walks under Christmas lights Photograph: Boryana Katsarova/AFP

Philadelphia, US: People displaying signs with the names of homeless and formerly homeless people who died in the past year gather to remember them at City Hall Photograph: Matt Rourke/AP

Pol-e-Khomri, Afghanistan: A shepherd walks with his animals Photograph: Bela Szandelszky/AP

Jakarta, Indonesia: A girl clambers to dry ground in a flooded northern district of the city Photograph: Tatan Syuflana/AP

Basra, Iraq: British soldiers guard the scene of a bomb attack on an armoured vehicle Photograph: Haider Al-Assadee/EPA

Phnom Penh, Phnom Penh: Cambodian fishermen hold their nets Photograph: Tang Chhin Sothy/AFP

Hyderabad, India: A Muslim man prepares to offer prayers during the Eid al-Adha festival Photograph: Noah Seelam/AFP

Chengdu, China: A giant statue of former leader Mao Zedong faces buildings covered in a thick blanket of fog Photograph: Liu Jin/AFP

New York, US: Activists from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals stage a naked protest against confectionary giant Mars' alleged cruel animal testing practices Photograph: Emmanuel Dunand/AFP

Apeldoorn, the Netherlands: Apartments in a building illuminated in different colours as part of a project by artists Marije Vermeulen and Guido Nieuwendijk Photograph: Vincent Jannink/EPA