Best photos of August 21: From Pope Francis to acrobats at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

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  Pope Francis wears a red nose during the weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, Vatican City. EPA

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  A delegate cheers during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, US. Bloomberg

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  A person holds a sugar glider during Pet Fair Asia in Shanghai. AFP

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  Palestinians walk in an area damaged during the Israeli offensive in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters

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  Afghan children stand at a scrap shop outside a World Food Program distribution centre in Kabul, Afghanistan. Reuters

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  A European Brown bear at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire, England. AP

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  Acrobats from The Black Blues Brothers show off their athletic prowess on Leith's Victoria Swing Bridge during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. PA

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  A boy looks at a robotic dog during the World Robot Conference in Beijing. AFP

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  People watch the Test cricket match between England and Sri Lanka at Old Trafford cricket ground, Manchester, from the balconies of a hotel. AFP

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  Demonstrators clash with police near the Israeli Consulate during the Democratic National Convention. AP