World in focus – best photos for July 31, 2016

A Thai farmer participates in the annual water buffalo racing festival in Chonburi province, Thailand. The water buffalo racing festival held among rice farmers celebrates the rice growing season and aims to conserve the traditional buffalo role in rice cultivation as modern machinery is rapidly replacing the buffaloes in Thai agriculture. Rungroj Yongrit / EPA

A Thai pro-democracy activist lays down next a placard reading ‘High School Free must be in the constitution’ and a teddy bear during a rally in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand is scheduled to hold a referendum on a controversial military-backed draft of the constitution on August 7. Narong Sangnak / EPA

Visitors look at street art in the famous graffiti lanes of Melbourne. Hosier Lane and Rutledge Lane are two of Melbourne’s famous graffiti lanes that give unlimited access to local and international street artists to showcase their talents. Saeed Khan / AFP

Kyrgyz men fight on horses as they take part in the “Oodarysh” horse fights during a traditional folk festival at Son-Kul lake, 3016 metres above the sea level, some 350 kilometres from Bishkek. The festival marks the 220th anniversary of the national hero Tailak Baatyr. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

A woman wearing a traditional Kyrgyz dress sits on a felt carpet during a traditional folk festival at Son-Kul lake, 3016 metres above the sea level, some 350 kms from Bishkek on July 29, 2016. The festival marks the 220th anniversary of the national hero Tailak Baatyr. Vyacheslav Oseledko / AFP

Harry Potter fans pose for a photo with a copy of JK Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ at a bookstore in Hong Kong. Jerome Favre / EPA

A man dressed in traditional clothes participates in an event to represent different regions of the state of Oaxaca, prior to ‘Guelaguetza’ celebrations, in Zoachila, Mexico. The Guelaguetza will be celebrated on August 1. Mario Arturo Martinez / EPA

A child plays in front of ‘Etnias’, a large graffiti wall by Brazilian graffiti artist Eduardo Kobra created ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at Porto Maravilha in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lukas Coch / EPA

Ben Khalfallah of the Victory jumps over Javier Manquillo of Atletico Madrid during the match between Melbourne Victory and Atletico de Madrid at Simonds Stadium in Geelong, Australia. Darrian Traynor / Getty Images

San Francisco Giants’ Angel Pagan, left, Gregor Blanco, centre, and Hunter Pence, right, celebrate after a victory over the Washington Nationals in a baseball game in San Francisco. Tony Avelar / AP

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Andrew Toles runs into the outfield wall as he attempts to play a ball hit by Arizona Diamondbacks’ David Peralta during the ninth inning of a baseball game in Los Angeles. Kelvin Kuo / AP

A man walks on a slackline between two palm trees on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. The city is making last-minute preparations for the events and celebrations as the 2016 Rio Olympic Games are set to begin on August 5. Leon Neal / AFP

A look at the best photos from around the world today.