Our selection of the best pictures from the world of Arts and Life.
Updated: July 12, 2014, 12:00 AM
In pictures: The week that was in Arts and Life ending July 12
Tourists look at effects of water and sediment regulation at Xiaolangdi Dam on July 5, 2014 in Zhengzhou, Henan province of China. Large volumes of mudflow and the clear water flow combine together just like two dragons dance at Xiaolangdi Dam which has attracted a lot of visiters. Getty Images
AJ McLean; Kevin Richardson; Brian Littrell and Nick Carter of The Backstreet Boys perform on stage at British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park on July 6, 2014 in London, United Kingdom. Getty Images
Two week old ducks swim in the newly planted rice field to eat insects and weeds at Ushio rice field on July 8, 2014 in Ichikawa, Japan. Rice farming using ducks to eliminate weeds and insects called ‘Aigamo Method’ is an eco-friendly alternative to chemical farming developed by Japanese farmer Takao Furuno in 1989. Getty Images
Wearing traditional Belarus costumes girls jump over a bonfire as they celebrate the Ivan Kupala night, an ancient heathen holiday, held in the countryside near the town of Turov, some 260 km southwest of the capital Minsk, on July 6, 2014. People celebrate Kupala Night with bonfires that last throughout the night with some leaping over the flames as it is believed that the act of jumping over the bonfire cleanses people of illness and bad luck. AFP
A model presents a creation from the Haute Couture Fall-Winter 2014/15 collection by Italian designer Donatella Versace for Versace fashion house during the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris, France, 06 July 2014. The presentation of the Women’s Haute Couture collections runs from 06 to 10 July. EPA
A Chinese shopper sleeps on a bed in the showroom of the IKEA store on July 6, 2014 in Beijing, China. Of the world’s ten biggest Ikea stores, 8 of them are in China to cater to the country’s growing middle class. The stores are designed with extra room displays given the tendency for customers to make a visit an all-day affair. Store management does not discourage shoppers from sleeping on Ikea furniture, even marking them with signs inviting customers to try them out. Kevin Frayer / Getty Images
French auctioneer and former racing driver Herve Poulain gestures behind a 1961 Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Roadster Hard Top during a classic car auction in Le Mans, western France, on July 5, 2014. The car was sold for 1,115,600 euros (Dh5,570,547) at an auction held during the Le Mans Classic event, breaking the record for a vintage car auction, Artcurial, which organized the auction, announced on July 5. The auction of a hundred racing cars, organized by “Artcurial Motorcars” takes place during the Le Mans Classic race, which takes place every two years on the Le Mans circuit. AFP
Huge crowds of people play at THEBES Happiness Water World during a continuous high temperature on July 5, 2014 in Shaanxi, Xi’an province of China. ChinaFotoPress / ChinaFotoPress via Getty Images
Steers and bulls from the Ranch of Torrestrella enter the bullring during the second day of the San Fermin Running Of The Bulls festival, on July 7, 2014 in Pamplona, Spain. The annual Fiesta de San Fermin, made famous by the 1926 novel of US writer Ernest Hemmingway The Sun Also Rises, involves the running of the bulls through the historic heart of Pamplona, Getty Images
A bull which is chasing a reveller jumps into the sea during the “Bous a la Mar” festival in the eastern Spanish coastal town of Denia July 7, 2014. During this festival, revellers emerging from protective barriers provoke bulls to chase them until they both fall into sea. The bulls are then rescued by small boats which will tow them to safety. Reuters
An enthusiast wearing a costume looks at her mobile phone during a re-enactment of a decisive Crusaders battle in occupied Palestine’s Galilee region July 5, 2014. About 50 people participated in the re-enactment of the Battle of the Horns of Hattin, where Muslim forces led by the legendary Salah al-Din defeated Christian fighters in the late 12th century. Reuters
A girl runs through a sprinkler at a playground in the Brooklyn borough of New York July 7, 2014. Reuters
A Bulgarian man carries a ram, offered as a good luck present to a newly wed couple during their wedding in Pchelina, Bulgaria, Sunday, July 6, 2014. Hundreds of Bulgarians on Sunday recreated a 17th century wedding at a folk festival in the northeast of the country. In a spectacular recreation of traditional rituals, a couple got married at the festival in Pchelina, near the city of Razgrad. AP
Irish singer Sinead O’Connor perfoms on stage during the Jazz Fest Wien 2014, at the State Opera in Vienna, Austria, 05 July 2014. The festival runs until July 8, 2014. EPA
Bestselling illustrator Lydia Monks in a unique WHAT THE LADYBIRD HEARD taxi on July 4, 2014 in London, England. Anthony Harvey / Getty Images for Macmillan Children’s Books
The RAF Red Arrows Display team fly in formation at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford on July 11, 2014 in Fairford, England. Chris Jackson / Getty Images
The Victory of Samothrace sculpture, after is was reinstalled at the top of the Daru staircase, at the Louvre museum in Paris on Thursday July 10, 2014. The 2,200-year-old, 29-ton statue, is back after almost a year of restoration. The Victory of Samothrace is one of the five most popular works at the Louvre Museum, which attracts almost 10 million visitors a year. AP
A model wearing the final dress walks the runway during the Ralph & Russo show as part of Paris Fashion Week - Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2014-2015 at Pavillon Cambon Capucines on July 10, 2014 in Paris, France. Kristy Sparow / Getty Images