Week in pictures: 3-9December 2023
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A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week.
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Fireworks explode above a the figure of a devil before it is set ablaze, during celebrations to mark the beginning of the Christmas season in Guatemala City.

French choreographer Mourad Merzouki poses with the French synchronised swimming team at the National Institute of Sport, Expertise and Performance in Paris.
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Families wait to be processed by US border authorities in Lukeville, Arizona, after crossing from Mexico.
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More than 60 people have been killed by flooding and landslides in northern Tanzania. Torrential downpours washed away vehicles and brought down buildings in the hillside town of Katesh.

Mount Marapi spewed a 3km (1.9m) ash cloud into the air on Sunday, covering surrounding villages in ash, and causing at least 22 deaths. Marapi is located on Sumatra, the westernmost of Indonesia’s 18,000 islands. Frequent volcanic eruptions have hampered rescue efforts for days.
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A car passes through a snow-covered forest near Sikonda, in Hungary.

The former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave evidence at the public inquiry looking into how his government handled the Covid crisis. He admitted mistakes were made, but defended his overall approach.

Tristyn Cook holds Cam Christie during the Auckland Blues rugby union team’s traditional pre-season mud run training session at Devonport Naval Base in New Zealand.
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Labourers build a floating pontoon bridge ahead of the annual Hindu religious fair Magh Mela, which will take place on the banks of the River Ganges, in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad), Uttar Pradesh, India.
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King Charles III visits Ealing Broadway Shopping Centre in west London to tour the Christmas Market, meet local business owners and speak to recipients of The King’s Award for Voluntary Service.