Ready, aim, fire and rain
After weeks of watching the mercury soar, hardening the already cracked earth of their wilting orchards and farms, a group of farmers on the outskirts of Beijing gather in the Fragrant Hills that line the western fringe of China’s capital city. Unlike their ancestors, they do not assemble to perform a rain dance or gather in a temple to pray to the Lord Buddha to bring the rain. Instead, they grab rocket launchers and a 37-millimeter anti-aircraft gun and begin shooting into the sky.

Worlds apart: The moment the tallest man met the shortest

Al-Qaida Works to Plant U.S. Operatives
Al-Qaida is stepping up its efforts to sneak terror operatives into the United States and has acquired most of the capabilities it needs to strike here, according to a new U.S. intelligence assessment, The Associated Press has learned

Meet the Incredible Hulk of Hounds

Intel, `$100 Laptop’ Project Make Peace
The nonprofit that aims to seed the developing world with inexpensive laptop computers for schoolchildren has made peace with Intel Corp. (INTC), the project’s most powerful rival.

Little Annoyances Still Big Vista Issue
Chris Pirillo leaned away from his webcam and pointed to his printer/scanner/fax machine, which stopped scanning and faxing after he installed Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)’s new Windows Vista operating system.