Best photos of October 4: From Golden Week in China to Christmas in Venezuela

The National picks the most striking images from around the world

A Chinese performer surrounded by flames, a traditional molten fire act during the Golden Week holiday in Beijing. Getty Images

An artist paints an effigy of the Hindu demon king Ravana for the Dussehra festival in Varanasi, India. AFP

Houses partly submerged in flooded areas of Bamako, Mali. AFP

A cat wonders what it's all about after an Israeli air strike in the Mreijeh neighbourhood of Beirut's southern suburbs. AFP

People on Cullercoats Beach, Tynemouth, England, at sunrise. PA

Trees decorated with lights as the Christmas season kicks off, as per a decree of President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela. Reuters

Fencing action from day two of the Saudi Games in Riyadh. Getty Images

Balloons carrying rubbish launched across the border by North Korea are floating in the sky above Seoul to the south. AFP

Mangled rail tracks after Hurricane Helene tore through Marshall in the US state of North Carolina. AFP