Chinanews, Beijing, July 12 ¨C Beijing sports officials plan to spend less money than previous Olympic Games on the construction of the Olympic stadiums and gymnasiums for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Construction costs for the new Olympic stadiums and gyms, the costs for the expansion of the old stadiums and gyms, and other related costs are all within the budgetary plans, said Beijing sports officials. They believe that the total costs for the Beijing Olympic Games will be lower than previous Games.

Construction work for the Beijing Olympic Games has been going on smoothly as scheduled and the costs are within the budgetary plans. As the Olympic Games draws near, there might be slight changes in the construction. However, so far, the construction costs are still within the budgetary plans, said Wu Jingjun, chief engineer at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Construction Project Working Office.

Three years ago, officials in Beijing proposed that it should hold the Beijing Olympic Games in a thrifty way. The proposal was widely applauded by the public. Instead of spending money carelessly, organizers are concerned more about building some eco-friendly projects.

¡°The idea of protecting the environment is embodied in every detail of the construction of Olympic stadiums and gyms,¡± said Wu.

According to available information, the Olympic construction projects have altogether used nearly 200 types of different methods related with environmental protection and more than 70 methods related with ecoenvironmental protection. These methods range from noise control and garden greening to the installation of environmental protection devices as well as solid waste treatment.

Chinanews, Lanzhou, July 12 ¨C The water level of Yueya Spring, which is dubbed ¡®the No.1 spring in desert areas in China¡¯, is decreasing sharply in recent years. Its water area has shrunk greatly from 24 mu, or 16,000 square meters, to the present 7.8 mu, about 5,200 square meters.

Yueya Spring is located five kilometers away from the southwest of Dunhuang city in Gansu. The shape of the spring looks like a crescent moon, hence its present name, Yueya (crescent moon) Spring. According to historical accounts, the spring was located in a moutaineous area. Although the spring was surrounded by sand dunes, the water in the spring had never dried up for over two thousand years, which was really a miracle in desert land.

In recent years, due to its natural geological location and improper human production activities, the water level of the spring has dropped dramatically. The water area of the spring also has shrunk greatly. In the 1950s, the spring¡¯s water area reached 20 mu (about 13, 333 square meters), and measured 7 meters deep; in the 1960s, the spring measured 6 meters deep and the water was very clear; in the 1970s, the spring contained enough water to irrigate farmland. However, its water level began to decrease. In the 1980s, the water level of the spring decreased by 6 meters compared with 1960.

In history, Yueya Spring was said to be the ¡°eyes¡± of Dunhuang. If the spring disappears, local natural environment and tourist resources will be adversely affected, some experts say.

    CHANGCHUN, July 12 (Xinhua) — Dong Gang, a native of Nong’an County, northeast China’s Jilin Province, has been sentenced to death after being found guilty of murdering six of his family members in February, according to a statement released by the Intermediate People’s Court of Changchun.

    Dong, 29, killed his father, 63-year-old Dong Changqing, his mother, his elder brother, two sisters and his 12-year-old niece with an axe at the family home in Helong village after being scolded by his father for being drunk in the morning, the court said.

    He fled the scene but was caught by police the following day when he tried to return home with the intention of committing suicide.

    The court said Dong, who graduated from middle school 10 years ago, had been regularly criticized and snubbed by his parents and relatives and had developed a hatred toward them.

    Dong’s trial was carried out in Nong’an County by the same court on May 15 but a written verdict was not provided.

    Dong has pledged to appeal.

    BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — China’s special envoy on the Middle East issue Sun Bigan will visit Egypt, Jordan, Palestine and Israel from July 14 to 21, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang announced here Thursday.

    Sun is expected to confer various parties on the current situation in the Middle East, particularly on the Palestine-Israel issue, according to Qin.

    BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi held talks with his Malaysian counterpart Syed Hamid Albar here on Thursday, vowing to actively facilitate bilateral strategic cooperation.

    Hailing the progress in bilateral relations in the past years, Yang said China and Malaysia have strengthened political trust and achieved remarkable progress in trade cooperation.

    The two countries have also expanded exchanges in defense, education and technology areas as well as people-to-people contacts, he added.

    Yang appreciated the Malaysian government’s adherence to the one China policy, adding the Chinese government attaches great importance to relations with Malaysia and is ready to further promote bilateral cooperation.

    In response, Syed said his government values cooperation with China, pledging to promote exchanges with China in various fields including politics, economy, investment, education, tourism as well as people-to-people contacts.

    Malaysia is ready to enhance cooperation with China in international and regional issues, he said, adding his government sticks to the one China policy and opposes Taiwan authority’s attempt to seek membership in the United Nations in any form including its so-called referendum on UN membership.

    Syed is here on an official visit from July 9 to 13.

    BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov is to pay a state visit to China from July 17 to 18 as guest of Chinese President Hu Jintao.

    Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the announcement at a regular press briefing here Thursday.