World in focus – best photos for August 18, 2016

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  Morning ground fog floats above the village of Stara Basta, some 280 kilometres east of Bratislava, Slovakia. Peter Komka / EPA

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  Agatha and Barbara of Brazil are silhouetted as they enter the field during the women’s Beach Volleyball Final match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games between Ludwig/Walkenhorst of Germany and Agatha/Barbara of Brazil at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Orlando Barria / EPA

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  Fans of Germany watch the women’s Beach Volleyball Final match of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games between Ludwig/Walkenhorst of Germany and Agatha/Barbara of Brazil at the Beach Volleyball Arena on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Orlando Barria / EPA

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  A race official is pictured ahead of the Women’s 100m Hurdles Final during the athletics event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. Martin Bernetti / AFP

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  Guillermo Beltran, left, of Cerro Porteno vies for the ball with Matias Mirabaje, right, of Fenix during their Copa Sudamericana soccer match at Defensores del Chaco Stadium in Asuncion, Paraguay. Andres Cristaldo Benitez / EPA

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  Young Hindu priests take a holy bath together as part of a ritual during the Janai Purnima festival (Sacred Thread Festival) at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Hindus take holy baths and change their sacred thread, also known as Janai, for protection and purification, during the festival. Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

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  A Hindu priest’s forehead is covered with “tika”, coloured powder and rice used as a blessing, during the Janai Purnima festival (Sacred Thread Festival) at Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu, Nepal. Hindus take holy baths and change their sacred thread, also known as Janai, for protection and purification, during the festival. Navesh Chitrakar / Reuters

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  Sri Lanka’s traditional dancers perform in front of the historic Buddhist Temple of the Tooth, as they take part in a procession during the Esala Perahera festival in the ancient hill capital of Kandy. The festival features a night procession of Kandyan dancers, fire twirlers, traditional musicians, acrobatic fire performers and elephants, gathering thousands of tourists and spectators from around the island. Ishara S Kodikar / AFP

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  An Indonesian student wears a colourful costume during a parade to mark the 71st Indonesian Independence day in Banda Aceh. Indonesia on August 17 marked the 71th anniversary of its independence from Dutch rule. Chaideer Mahyuddin / AFP

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  A tram passes in front of Flinders Street Railway Station in Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne has been named as the world’s most liveable city for a sixth consecutive year, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in a ranking based on stability, healthcare, education, infrastructure, culture and environment. Scott Barbour / Getty Images

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  A South Korean army’s K-9 self-propelled howitzer fires during a military exercise in Yeoncheon near the border with North Korea. South Korea’s army says it has conducted its largest-ever artillery drills near the tense border with North Korea. Lim Byung-shick / Yonhap via AP

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  Afghan security officials attend a ceremony to mark Independence Day, in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Afghanistan is celebrating the 97th anniversary of its independence from British rule. Muhhamad Sadiq / EPA

A look at the best photos from around the world today.