Haze shrouds a tower bearing the Olympic rings near the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, in the Olympic Green area in Beijing August 7, 2008. Organisers of the Games in the sprawling metropolis of 15 million people crossed their fingers with one day to go to Friday's opening ceremony, which China fervently hopes will see fireworks flashing up into clear evening skies. But a stubborn haze persisted over the city on Thursday, drawing a gray veil over a skyline that sprouts new highrise blocks as China's economic boom continues to reverberate. REUTERS/David Gray (CHINA)
REUTERS/DAVID GRAY