The northeastern United States sweltered this week in a scorching summer heat wave, complete with stagnant, sticky air and no winds for relief, forecasters said. Even in a summer already filled with stretches of very hot weather, this week will be stubbornly brutal, with no relief in sight until the weekend brings thunderstorms to the region, they said. "Plain and simple, this week may feel the worst of any week for this summer in the Northeast," said Accuweather.com meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. (Reuters)

“The National Portrait Gallery, London's annual photographic portrait prize was established in 2003 as the Schweppes Photographic Portrait Prize. In the years 2006 and 2007 it was referred to simply as the Photographic Portrait Prize, while from 2008 new sponsors have resulted in the name, Taylor Wessing Photographic Portait Prize”. – Wikipedia. Photo: “Tic Tac and Tootsie (twin sisters Carrol and Shelly McKean)”. Taylor Wessing photographic portrait prize 2010. (Photo by Jeffrey Stockbridge)

Martin Rietze is a “volcano-chaser”, a particular breed of photographer who takes big risks for big shots. He was able to capture destructive and beautiful forces of nature at work on a trip to Japan in February 2013. His photos show the Sakurajima Volcano, an active volcanic who's record-breaking 1914 eruption sent lava flows across the island. (Photo by Martin Rietze/Guzelian)

Police walk past a burning car during riots in Birmingham City Centre on August 8, 2011 in Birmingham, England. After three nights of rioting and looting in and around London, the chaos is starting to spread to other cities around Britain. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)

“Kavadi Attam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship of Murugan, the Tamil God of War. It is often performed during the festival of Thaipusam and emphasizes debt bondage. The Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan”. – Wikipedia

Photo: A devotee pulls his procession burden connected by hooks pierced in his back during the Thaipusam procession at Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple on February 7, 2012 in Singapore. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

This greedy piglet was isolated from the rest of its litter by the farmer who named it Hitler after it tried to grab all the food at feeding time. (Photo by R J Lewis/Getty Images). 1942

A leopard seal feeds Paul Nicklen a penguin. (Photo by Paul Nicklen/National Geographic). Antarctic Peninsula, 2011

In this picture made available Thursday July 11, 2013 a zoo-keeper presents three of twelve ferret babies at Eekholt Zoo in Grossenaspe, Germany, Wednesday July 10, 2013. The ferret babies were born May 25, 2013. (Photo by Markus Scholz/AP Photo/Dpa)