The Week in Pictures (MSNBC)

Watching the wheels go 'round

Adults wait in folding chairs as children ride the Paratrooper amusement ride at sunset, July 23, during the first day of the Canyon County Fair in Caldwell, Idaho.

Cool plunge

A Kosovo Albanian boy jumps into the water in the swimming pool near the village of Milosevo on July 25 as the temperature soars above 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Sacred hut

Kamayura men gather around the "house of the flute," a sacred hut in the center of the village that only men can enter, in Mato Grosso, Brazil, in June. In the evenings, village elders sit outside the hut and smoke a strong tobacco while discussing plans for upcoming festivals or hunting and fishing expeditions. On this evening, Kamayura men gathered around a small fire and chanted under a star-filled sky in preparation for a festival called Javari where the village's warriors are pitted against a neighboring tribe in dance and mock-battle.

Hang time

A young boy hangs on a rope in the old port of Moroni, Grande Comore island, Comoros, on July 3. The Comoros gained its independence from France in 1975. Since then, it has experienced more than 20 coups or attempted coups.

Surf's up

Sailboats decorate the horizon as swells up to 20 feet pound the Wedge, a popular surfing spot in Newport Beach, Calif., on July 25.

Heads up

An artisan puts finishing touches to the face of a sculpture of Hindu deity Durga at a workshop in the eastern Indian city of Siliguri on July 29. In Hindu mythology, Durga symbolizes power and the triumph of good over evil.

Racing against the clock

Eric Shanteau of the United States competes in the men's 100-meter breaststroke at the FINA Swimming World Championships, July 27 in Rome.

Colors of summer

Bright red poppies are silhouetted against a blue sky near Junction City, Ore., on July 21.

Off-track

Workers remove a train after a derailment near Liucheng in China's southwest Guangxi region on July 29. At least four passengers were killed and more than 50 injured when the train derailed due to a landslide, state media reported.

Beating the heat

Gerard Tangalan of Seattle cools off by leaning on the International Fountain at the Seattle Center on July 29. The city recorded an all-time high of 102 degrees, breaking the previous record of 100 set on July 20, 1994. Temperatures throughout the Northwest hovered near triple digits.

MSNBC.com