Today's best photos: from a juggling girl to the Pope in Bahrain

'The National' picks the most striking images from around the world

Afghan children train in circus acts at a home in Kabul, Afghanistan, 31 October 2022 (issued 02 November 2022). Two teenage Afghan sisters, Najma and Bahara, not only put on spectacular circus acts but also inspire and train others to pursue the art form, spreading joy and fun among Afghan children. The sisters have learned the art from Khalilullah Hamid, the founder of the Afghan Parwana circus, who taught hundreds of students for two decades after the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. EPA / STRINGER

A woman plugs a USB media device containing freedom-related content into a socket on a wall depicting North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during the Oslo Freedom Forum in Taipei, Taiwan. AFP

Palestinian girls take part in a swimming festival organised by the Gaza Swimming Academy in the Mediterranean Sea off of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. AFP

A man stands in front of mounds of red chili peppers at the Mirch Mandi wholesale market in Kunri, Umerkot, Pakistan. 'Last year, at this time, there used to be around 8,000 to 10,000 bags of chilis in the market,' said trader Raja Daim. 'This year, now you can see that there are barely 2,000 bags here.' Reuters

Television screens show a news report about the latest North Korean missile launch at an electronics market in Seoul, South Korea. AFP

Boats during a sandstorm in Iraq's southern city of Basra. AFP

A flock of starlings fills the sky in the village of Val-de-Vesle near Reims, France. Reuters

Workers repair a railway bridge that was damaged in fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the town of Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine. EPA

Members of the Ethiopian National Defence Force hold national flags as they parade in Addis Ababa during a ceremony to remember soldiers who died on the first day of the Tigray conflict. Ethiopia's warring sides agreed on Wednesday to a permanent cessation of hostilities. AP

The Uru Murato indigenous community near a desert at the site of the former Lake Poopo in Oruro province, Bolivia. Lake Poopo, once Bolivia's second largest, has largely disappeared. AFP

Pope Francis laughs during a meeting with Bahrain's King Hamad at Sakhir Palace on the pontiff's four-day trip to the Gulf. Reuters

More from The National:

Wednesday's best photos: from Day of the Dead to a SpaceX rocket launch

Tuesday's best photos: from Halloween at the White House to election time in Israel

Monday's best photos: from Chhath Puja to Afghan saffron

Sunday's best photos: from a Clone Trooper on the DLR to Day of the Dead parade

Saturday's best photos: from Mexico's iconic Catrina to march of the mummies

Friday's best photos: from a T-Rex to Maradona