The best photos of the week: from the Edinburgh fringe to testing cats for avian flu

Striking pictures from around the world

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 02: Comedy dance act TUTUperform at the Underbelly Press Launch in the McEwan Hall the venue will host over 150 shows at Edinburgh Fringe on August 2, 2023 in Edinburgh, Scotland. Established in 2000 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Underbelly has since produced shows and events all around the world, from London to Hong Kong. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

Robin Steiner of Switzerland during the Freestyle Trampolining World Championships at Round Chapel in London, England. Getty Images

Pope Francis watches a dance group at Parque Eduardo VII in Lisbon, Portugal. Getty Images

Girls who fled the conflict in Geneina, in Sudan's Darfur region, queue up for water in Adre, Chad. Reuters

Workers remove a Soviet emblem from the Motherland monument in Kyiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Clouds envelop Salgo Castle during sunset near Salgotarjan, Hungary. EPA

Palestinians play football in a neighbourhood in Gaza amid soaring temperatures and power cuts. AFP

Italian soprano Anna Pirozzi as Turandot before a performance of Giacomo Puccini's opera at the Teatro Real, in Madrid, Spain. AP

Bangladesh Nationalist Party activists demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina clash with ruling Awami League supporters and police in Dhaka. EPA

A long-exposure photo shows Mount Merapi in Indonesia spewing lava onto its slopes during an eruption. AFP

Soldiers use tear gas against demonstrators protesting over a deforestation project during clashes in Ikizkoy, south-western Turkey. AFP

Russia's Pacific Fleet warships parade off the coast of Vladivostok during Navy Day celebrations. AFP

Shiite worshippers visit the holy shrine of Imam Abbas during Ashoura processions in Karbala, Iraq. AP

American Maia Weintraub and Sera Azuma of Japan compete in the Women's Team Foil event bronze medal match at the FIE Fencing World Championships in Milan. AFP

Inspectors at the construction site of the Samruddhi Expressway, where a crane collapsed, crushing at least 17 workers to death in Maharashtra state, India. AFP

Ryan McDuffie cries next to the Hollywood Star of Pee-wee Herman, a character played by actor Paul Reubens, who has died aged 70, in Los Angeles. EPA

Migrants outside the Roosevelt Hotel, a makeshift reception centre for those trying to find temporary housing in New York City. AFP

The York Fire in Mojave National Preserve has burnt its way across the California-Nevada border. AFP

A building damaged by a Russian drone strike in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Reuters

Priests listen to the confessions of pilgrims at events held for World Youth Day at a park in Lisbon. AP

A funeral procession for victims of an explosion, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. Reuters

A vet takes a sample from a cat at an animal shelter in Yeoju, south-east of Seoul, South Korea, amid an outbreak of bird flu. EPA

A before-and-after picture of a newly restored house, left, in Beirut's Gemmayzeh neighbourhood, three years after the massive port explosion in the Lebanese capital. AFP

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida. AP

A herd of sheep is driven through an ancient route in Navarra province, Spain. AP

A flooded road after heavy rainfall in Zhuozhou, Hebei province, China. Reuters

A rough sleeper's makeshift camp outside a closed shop on Oxford Street, London. A report found that 3,272 people were sleeping rough in the city. AFP

Goalmouth action from the Women's World Cup match between Argentina and Sweden. The match in Hamilton, New Zealand, was won 2-0 by Sweden. AP Photo

Performers from Brainfools Luck Pigeons on Calton Hill preparing for their show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Getty Images

Competitors at the ninth Francophone Games in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. AFP

Charlotte Mayhew

More from The National:

Friday's best photos: From Freddie Mercury's cat memorabilia to Pope Francis in Portugal

Thursday's best photos: From Edinburgh Fringe to Biden at the beach

Wednesday's best photos: From a silent protest in Mumbai to the Warsaw Uprising

Tuesday's best photos: from the Women's World Cup to flood-free Forbidden City

Monday's best photos: from a Bumblebee traffic sign to a family of quokkas

Sunday's best photos: from football fans in Australia to protesters in Niger

Updated: August 04, 2023, 6:01 PM