Best photos of August 3: Elbenwald Festival in Germany to sunflower fields in Tokyo

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

Costumed visitors at the Elbenwald Festival at the Spreeauenpark in Cottbus, Germany, a three-day gathering for fans of popular science fiction and fantasy series such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, or Marvel Comics. About 15,000 visitors are expected. EPA

In the Paris Olympics, the Women's BMX Racing Semifinals Run 1 takes place at the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines BMX Stadium in Montigny-le-Bretonneux, France, on August 2, 2024. Reuter

People gather for a peace and unity vigil in the Petare neighbourhood of Caracas, Venezuela, after opponents of President Nicolas Maduro disputed his re-election. AFP

Bangladeshi artists join a demonstration of thousands in Dhaka demanding reforms to the government's job quota system. EPA

US band Motionless in White performs in concert during the second day of the 30th Poland Rock Festival in Czaplinek, north-west Poland, on August, 2. EPA

Members of the Wadeye clans dance during the Garma Festival at the Gulkula ceremonial in the Gove Peninsula of the Northern Territory, Australia's largest Indigenous gathering. EPA

A member of the Gumatj clan performs a ceremonial welcome during the Garma Festival at the Gulkula ceremonial in the Gove Peninsula of the Northern Territory, Australia. EPA

Boats on the bank of the Acre River, the main water source for the city of Rio Branco, which is facing shortages amid a drought in Acre state, Brazil. AP Photo

Visitors walk in the sunflower fields at Kasai Rinkai Park in Tokyo. Japan has had its hottest July since records began 126 years ago, the national weather agency said, as heatwaves fuelled by climate change sweep the world. AFP