24 hours in pictures

Seoul, South Korea: A forensic team investigates the debris of the Namdaemun gate, the country's most famous monument, following a fire. A man has admitted arson Photograph: Choi Won-Suk/AFP

Canberra, Australia: People burn eucalyptus as part of a ceremony in front of the Old Parliament House. Crowds gathered ahead of an apology by the prime minister, Kevin Rudd, to the Aboriginal 'stolen generation' Photograph: Anoek De Groot/AFP

Algeciras, Spain: Workers clean up oil at a beach. The cargo ship New Flame sank off the coast of Algeciras in August 2007 and has recently been leaking fuel Photograph: Jose Luis Roca/AFP

London, UK: The Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams opens the General Synod Photograph: Martin Argles/Guardian

Karachi, Pakistan: A building is decorated during preparations for the upcoming elections Photograph: Shakil Adil/AP

Duesseldorf, Germany: A woman looks at an artwork by Anna Stoecker at the Staatliche Kunstakademie Photograph: Achim Scheidemann/EPA

Tenerife, Canary Islands: Some of 54 would be illegal immigrants recovered by a Spanish coastguard ship Photograph: Desiree Martin/AFP

Maryland, US: Supporters of Barack Obama listen to him address a campaign rally at the University of Maryland Photograph: Chip Somodevilla/Getty

Wuerzburg, Germany: The archbishop of Freiburg, Robert Zollitsch, addresses reporters after he was elected new head of the German Catholic Bishops' Conference Photograph: Timm Schamberger/AFP

Edinburgh, UK: Motorists start to travel toll-free across the Forth Bridge over the Firth of Forth Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty

Atlanta, US: A captain with the Fulton County fire department walks past a fire at a carpet warehouse Photograph: Chris Stanfield/Atlanta Journal Constitution/AP

Denver, US: Construction workers install a mustang sculpture at the international airport Photograph: Chris Schneider/Rocky Mountain News/AP

Madrid, Spain: A model displays the autumn/winter design by Devota & Lomba during the Pasarela Cibeles fashion show Photograph: Daniel Ochoa de Olza/AP

Poulton-le-Fylde, UK: Glassblower John Ditchfield creates a heart shaped glass paperweight at his studios Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA

Lubmin, Germany: Pipes for a gas pipeline which will connect Russia with European countries Photograph: Thomas Haentzschel/AP

Santa Maria de Llaima, Chile: Men transport wheat. In Chile, almost 90% of the indigenous population belong to agrarian-based Mapuche community Photograph: Ian Salas/EPA