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Curves, crowns and a calabash: Africa's top shots

A selection of the week's best photos from across the African continent and beyond:

News imageGORDWIN ODHIAMBO / AFP Ballet students from the Kibera-based Project Elimu warm up ahead of a public show in Kibera. They are wearing white tulle dresses.GORDWIN ODHIAMBO / AFP
Kenyan ballet pupils rehearse before a show in Nairobi's Kibera neighbourhood on Wednesday.
News imageBILLEL BENSALEM / GETTY IMAGES A man paints a mural of Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif's face.BILLEL BENSALEM / GETTY IMAGES
On Friday an artist paints a mural of Olympic champion boxer Imane Khelif in her hometown of Tiaret, in south-western Algeria.
News imageOLI SCARFF / AFP South Africa's Julia Vincent dives into the water.OLI SCARFF / AFP
On the same day at the Olympic Games in Paris, Julia Vincent represents South Africa in the women's three-metre springboard diving final.
News imageOUPA BOPAPRE / GETTY IMAGES Ndavi Nokeri during Miss South Africa 2024 at Sunbet Arena, Time Square. OUPA BOPAPRE / GETTY IMAGES
The next day in Pretoria, former Miss South Africa Ndavi Nokeri takes to the red carpet ahead of this year's event...
News imageFRENNIE SHIVAMBU / GETTY IMAGES Mia le Roux is crowned Miss South Africa 2024.FRENNIE SHIVAMBU / GETTY IMAGES
Mia le Roux was crowned the eventual winner of the competition after a controversial few weeks in which one contestant withdrew following a public backlash over her Nigerian roots.
News image RICCI SHRYOCK / AFP A performer poses in a traditional Simb costume during a cultural show at Ngor in Dakar, on August 12, 2024. The Simbs perform dances and rituals throughout the year in Senegal for various occasions, such as Independence Day, summer school break, wrestling matches and more. RICCI SHRYOCK / AFP
On Monday a Simb performer wears face paint and a costume in Senegal's capital, Dakar...
News imageRICCI SHRYOCK / AFP A performer dances in a traditional Simb costume during a cultural show at Ngor in Dakar, on 12 August 2024RICCI SHRYOCK / AFP
The group performs on various occasions throughout the year, including at wrestling matches and on Independence Day.
News imageAKINTUNDE AKINLEYE / REUTERS A worshipper of Osun prays with an offering in a calabash at bank of the Osun River during the Osun annual festival at the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Osogbo, southwest Nigeria, August 9, 2024.AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE / REUTERS
A worshipper brings offerings in a calabash to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove in Osogbo, south-western Nigeria, on Friday...
News imageAKINTUNDE AKINLEYE / REUTERS Worshippers of Osun dressed in matching white participate in a procession in Osogbo.AKINTUNDE AKINLEYE / REUTERS
The yearly Osun festival attracts devotees from far and wide.
News image EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP A cosplayer poses for a portrait at the medieval fantasy fair in Benoni, near Johannesburg on August 10, 2024. EMMANUEL CROSET / AFP
The next day in South Africa near Johannesburg, a cosplayer takes part in a medieval fantasy fair.
News image MONIRUL BHUIYAN / AFP Letsile Tebogo poses with his gold Olympic medal in a stadium in Gaborone, Botswana. MONIRUL BHUIYAN / AFP
Huge crowds greet Letsile Tebogo on Tuesday in Gaborone after the Botswana sprinter is crowned the world's fastest man over 200m at the Olympic Games.
News imageSALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA A woman holds up a sign saying 'no war'. It shows an image of a tank under a red stop sign.SALVATORE DI NOLFI/EPA
As peace talks begin on Wednesday, Sudanese protesters in Switzerland call for an end to the civil war in their home country.
News imageAHMED GAMAL / GETTY IMAGES A person holds jasmine petals in their hand.AHMED GAMAL / GETTY IMAGES
Workers harvest delicate jasmine petals near the Nile delta in Egypt on Sunday.
News imageAHMED MOSAAD / GETTY IMAGES A person is playing with a laser while watching the galaxy and stars in Faiyum, Egypt, on 13 August.AHMED MOSAAD / GETTY IMAGES
And in the same country days later, a man plays with a laser as people look to the night sky for a view of the Milky Way.

From the BBC in Africa this week:

News imageGetty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News AfricaGetty Images/BBC

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