Organizers of the Beijing Olympics are putting the final touches to preparations as the countdown to the August Games reaches the 10-day mark.

"What we need to do in the next few days is perfect our work," said Yang Binyuan, an official of the Beijing Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games.

Some 5,000 Olympics-accredited people have already arrived in Beijing but the capital city's hazy sky in recent days has become a concern to many.

Du Shaozhong, vice director of the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, said yesterday both pollutants and weather conditions had reduced visibility.

Du promised to take "tougher" control measures to guarantee the air quality.

Olympic tickets for events in Beijing have sold out, the organizers said. Only tickets for competitions in co-host cities are still available.

Three more dress rehearsals of the opening ceremony will be held before its presentation on the night of August 8.

"We are working around the clock and we hope to please everyone," said a member of the ceremony's directors team.

While the content of the opening ceremony is a closely guarded secret, organizers have mobilized science and technology, including satellite monitoring and cloud seeding, to prevent rain from spoiling the spectacle.

The main Olympic subway line also opened yesterday but only participants and people holding tickets for the Olympic Games can use the 5-kilometer link at present.

(Shanghai Daily July 29, 2008)