CELEBRITY EDUCATOR CONVERTS TO BUDDHISM

Li yang， creator of the Crazy English method of language learning， became a layman disciple of Shi yongxin， head of the Shaolin Temple in central Chinas Henan Province， on august 2.

The 45-year-old celebrity educator said he plans to build the worlds biggest kungfu and language training center in Dengfeng City， where the Shaolin Temple is located. He also plans to hold an international English winter camp at the temple in 2015.

Crazy English， created by li in the early 1990s， is a non-traditional teaching method that uses shouting to help students memorize and practice the language.

lis claimed conversion to Buddhism has drawn scathing comments from netizens， with some saying that this is likely another marketing gimmick to sell more Crazy English books. a domestic violence scandal several years ago put li at the center of controversy.

li was born in Wujin of east Chinas Jiangsu Province， and graduated from lanzhou University in 1990. He had worked as an English radio and Tv anchor in Guangzhou before starting his own education business.

Warfare in the Modern Age

China Newsweek July 28

One hundred years have passed since World War I （WWI） broke out following the assassination of archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo on June 28， 1914. By the end of this war in 1918， around 17 million people had lost their lives. Now costly wars are still taking place in nations like Syria， Iraq and Somalia.

all wars involve violence， bloodshed and death. However， the causes of individual wars vary： Territorial disputes， differing value systems and even arguments over ideology can lead to war.

To mark the 100-year anniversary of WWI， China Newsweek interviewed people at the center of the wars in afghanistan， the Gaza Strip， Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo in order to depict a real-life presentation of wars and explore the reasons behind their frequent occurrences in the modern world. lessons should be drawn from WWI， not only because this year marks its centenary but also because current world affairs mirror those in 1914 to some extent. The world is reentering a period of multi-polarization， political forces are restructuring， regional conflicts flare up frequently and the risk of terrorist attacks looms on the horizon.

as war is waged by men， peace therefore depends on every ordinary individuals work toward more diplomatic solutions in the future.

Local Debt Grows， Along With Concernsendprint

Outlook Weekly July 28

after conducting interviews in dozens of provinces， municipalities and autonomous regions， Outlook Weekly reporters have found that repayment of government debt in some places is gradually coming to a standstill due to slowed economic growth and shifting growth patterns.

Money borrowed by local governments from financial institutions such as banks， trusts， as well as securities and insurance companies has played an important role in boosting economic growth and social progress， accelerating infrastructure construction and improving peoples livelihoods.

according to the National audit Office， the biggest percentage of money borrowed by local governments has been invested in urban construction. By the end of June 2013， of the 10.88 trillion yuan （$1.76 trillion） owed in local debt， 3.8 trillion yuan （$615 billion） had gone toward urban construction. Thanks to this investment， many cities have been able to upgrade their appearances and become multi-functioning urban centers， with more convenient transportation and cleaner environments.

However， as land and real estate markets cool down， the old development model， which focused on increasing debt for the sake of development and selling land to repay that debt， can no longer continue. When the repayment date draws near， those places that have relied solely on land sales for profit will soon find themselves without anything left to sell. additionally， financial institutions such as banks have tightened loans to governments out of concerns over their ability to repay. This debt crisis puts pressure on economic development， governmental credibility and social stability.

Unintended Consequences of Cosmetic Surgeries

Beijing Youth Daily August 5

according to the China Consumers association， the plastic surgery industry has received an increasing number of complaints from consumers in recent years. Statistics from 2012 show that every year， nearly 20，000 complaints regarding failed plastic surgeries are filed.

a recent China Central Television broadcast revealed the process behind producing fake or poor-quality materials to be used in these operations， showing where the materials are produced， how they are sold and how much profit is gained. additionally， some cosmetic surgery hospitals dont even hold the basic necessary qualifications.

an increasing number of consumers hoping to improve their looks have boosted the cosmetic surgery market. However， many consumers dont inquire about a hospitals qualifications or sign contracts when receiving these surgeries. as a result， their safety and legal rights are not guaranteed. Such ignorance has only further given rise to lawlessness in the industry.endprint

Supervision of the plastic surgery market needs to be strengthened. as a number of government departments， ranging from industry and commerce authorities to the drug administration， are involved in the supervision of the market， they should work closely together. Relaxed management in a single department might foster law-breaking activities.

In addition， as the 2002 regulations issued to govern the industry no longer cover the issues involved in plastic surgery at present， new laws and regulations need to be formulated. Finally， the industry itself needs to enhance self-discipline and improve practitioners moral sensibilities.

SCANDALOUS SOCIALITE UNDER INVESTIGATION

Guo Meimei， the 23-year-old best known for landing the Red Cross Society of China （RCSC） in a credibility crisis， has been investigated for her involvement in illegal gambling and sex trade and for spreading rumors.

Guo confessed to the police that she had nothing to do with the RCSC. Her claims and online behavior were simply publicity stunts to attract attention. according to Beijing police， Guos wealth came from illegal gambling， commercial performances including singing， and sex trade.

Guo came into the spotlight in 2011 when she posted photos of herself with luxury handbags and an expensive car on her microblog and claimed that her “adopted dad，” a euphemism for a sugar daddy， helped her become the general manager of an organization under the RCSC.

Her posts triggered concern over how donations are used by the countrys state-run charitable organizations and dealt a major blow to the RCSC， which has been struggling to regain trust since.

Guo was born in yiyang in central Chinas Hunan Province， and grew up in a single-parent family.

“The ovum trade is the same as trade in human organs： illegal. A regulation related to assisted reproduction bans trade in embryos.”

Kang Kai， a lawyer with the Beijing Jinghua Law Firm， responding to an online advertisement seeking female undergraduates in Beijing willing to sell their ova， or unfertilized eggs， on August 4

“Many elderly people in rural areas can no longer depend on their children as a result of the great economic and social changes over the past three decades， and the pension system fails to compensate.”

Liu Yanwu， a sociologist at Wuhan University， drawing on his recent research which found that the suicide rate among the rural elderly has increased from 100 per 100，000 to 500 per 100，000 in the last two decades

“Children should be taught how to protect themselves， but the deletion of ‘acting bravely can only bring forth selfish citizens.”

Tonghuaizu， a user of Chinese microblogging website Sina Weibo， responding to the draft of a new code of conduct for primary and middle school students recently issued by the Ministry of Education， which removed stipulations calling on students to “act bravely， stop violations of social norms and report serious criminal acts.”

“Many Chinese have less knowledge of breast cancer and feel that cancer is very threatening， and they associate it with immediate death.”

Qian Lu， Director of the Culture and Health Research Center at the University of Houston， drawing on her study which shows that Chinese survivors of breast cancer have a better chance of recovery if they write about their fears and emotions， on August 5endprint