An Indian Hindu holy man rests in an alleyway in Varanasi. Varanasi is among the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, and one of the most important pilgrimage centers for Hindus who gather here for ritual bathing and prayers on the banks of the Ganges. — AP Photo
A whale shark displayed at the Pakistan Museum of Natural History (PMNH) in Islamabad. A 40-foot-long Whale Shark, found unconscious in Pakistani waters off the Arabian Sea in February, 2012, has been put on display. The Whale Shark was alive and motionless when the local fishermen saw it in the ‘Gorabari’ area, but died while being dragged towards the shore. This Whale Shark was 50-year-old when captured and weighs 16 tons. — AFP Photo
A woman cools off in the water of a fountain in Berlin as temperatures in Germany topped the 30 degree Celsius mark. — AFP Photo
An Indian boy, left, painted with a face of Hindu God Shiva and the other with an Indian flag participate in a walk carrying water from the River Ganges to offer at the Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. — AP Photo
Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 quicken loans/the smurfs’ Chevrolet, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samuel Deeds 400 at the brickyard at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis, Indiana. — AFP Photo
Lightning strikes in Berlin — Meteorologists forecast windstorm for Eastern parts of Germany for the coming days. — AFP Photo
Raven Drilling's oil rig waits outside Watford City, North Dakota. North Dakota has been experiencing an oil boom in recent years, due in part to new drilling techniques including hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling. — AFP Photo
Indian Hindu devotees offer prayers to Lord Shiva at a temple, during the Holy month of Shravana in Allahabad. Shravan is considered the holiest month of the year and on each Monday of the month, known as Shravan Somvar, worshippers offer prayers for a happy and prosperous life. — AFP Photo
Syrian government forces patrol in the Khalidiyah neighbourhood of the central city of Homs. Government forces bolstered by Lebanese Shia militiamen were poised to retake the largest rebel-held district of Syria's third city Homs, a watchdog and state media said. — AFP Photo
A street artist is pictured spraying paint on artwork during a street festival in the central square of Kalamata, southern Greece. — AFP Photo
An Indian Hindu devotee dressed as the Hindu Goddess Maha Kali performs in the street during the Bonalu festival at the Sri Ujjaini Mahakali Temple in Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad. The Goddess Kali is honoured mostly by women during Bonalu festival by offerings of food and dancing. — AFP Photo
A visitor takes a photo of goldfish swimming in a display at the Diners Club Art Aquarium in Tokyo. The piece is titled "Ooku," the Shogun's harem of the Edo Castle. — AP Photo
A man displays flowers at the fence of Santiago de Compostela cathedral to honour the victims of a train accident, at Obradoiro square, in the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. — AFP Photo
Bosnian dives into a creek to cool down during heat wave near Sarajevo with temperatures exceeding 40 Celsius, 104 Fahrenheit. — AP Photo
A balloon vendor walks in front of a group of riot police standing guard during an anti-government demonstration that was taking place as Peru's President Ollanta Humala delivered his State of the Nation address, in Lima. — AP Photo
Cast members (R-L) Katy Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mays and George Lopez pose at the premiere of "The Smurfs 2" at the Regency Village theatre in Los Angeles. The movie opens in the US on July 31. — Reuters Photo
Kashmiri government employees are sprayed with purple-dye water cannon by riot police during a demonstration in Srinagar. Dozens of government employees were arrested as they tried to stage a protest march in Srinagar demanding a regularisation of contractual jobs and an increase in salary. — AFP Photo
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie look at each other upon arrival for the Japan premiere of his latest film "World War Z" in Tokyo. — AP Photo
Democratising digital development will catalyse a rapid, if not immediate, improvement in human development indicators for the underserved segments of the Pakistani citizenry.
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