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)

Vogue Italia is hosting a series of shows in Milan exploring how the magazine seeks to engage with hot social and political issues and provoke debate through images by top photographers. The Photo Vogue festival in Milan is hosting three exhibitions. The first, Fashion and Politics in Vogue Italia, looks at the magazine’s ambition to be a catalyst for change – in subtle and playful ways. Here: David LaChapelle – October 2004. (Photo by David LaChapelle/The Guardian)

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Lake Natron is a salt lake located in northern Tanzania, close to the Kenyan border, in the eastern branch of the East African Rift. The lake is fed by the Southern Ewaso Ng'iro River and also by mineral-rich hot springs. It is quite shallow, less than three meters (10 feet) deep, and varies in width depending on its water level, which changes due to high levels of evaporation, leaving concentrations of salt and other minerals, notably sodium carbonate (natron).

A team from Woody's Ice Cream shop wrangle a large inflatable dinosaur down the street during the Independence Day Parade in Fairfax, Virginia July 4, 2015. Americans marched in star-spangled parades, ran relay races, gathered for fireworks shows and crowned a new world hot dog eating champion as they celebrated Independence Day in traditional style on Saturday. (Photo by Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Granada’s International Poetry Festival is an extraordinary celebration of poetry that takes place across the entire city. For a week, every February, Granada is transformed into a virtual Capital of the World’s Poetry. Photo: A girl takes part in the “Burial of arrogance and haughtiness” carnival during the IX Poetry Festival in Granada, 45 km from Managua, Nicaragua on February 20, 2013. In this occasion the festival is dedicated to Nicaraguan poet Ernesto Cardenal. (Photo by Hector Retamal/AFP Photo)

A security personnel plays with a girl in the compound of a health and rest centre which serves as a temporary accommodation for refugees from eastern regions of the country in the town of Korostyshiv, Zhytomyr region, Ukraine, July 30, 2015. More than 400 people who left eastern Ukraine due to a military conflict have arrived at the sanatorium in Korostyshiv since the summer of 2014, according to representatives. (Photo by Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters)

A girl plays with colourful papers at the 23rd Sziget (Island) Festival on Shipyard Island in Budapest, Hungary, 13 August 2015. The festival is one of the biggest cultural events of Europe, offering art exhibitions, theatrical and circus performances and music concerts. Almost 200 performers from 47 countries will entertain the hundreds of thousands of visitors from 11 to 18 August. (Photo by Balazs Mohai/EPA)

A girl gives a dog ice cream at dog beach and bar in Crikvenica, Croatia, July 12, 2016. The first Croatian beach bar specifically designed for dogs opens in the northern Adriatic town of Crikvenica, enabling canines and their owners to experience the joys of summertime together. Located at one of the few dog friendly beaches in the country, the bar's offer includes specially prepared ice cream, dog beer and snacks. (Photo by Antonio Bronic/Reuters)