LAWYER SENTENCED FOR STATE SUBVERSION.docVIP

LAWYER SENTENCED FOR STATE SUBVERSION 　　Zhou Shifeng， a lawyer and former head of the Fengrui Law Firm， was convicted of subverting state power and sentenced to seven years in prison on August 4. 　　He used the Beijing-based law firm as a front for his subversive agenda， according to a court statement. Zhou recruited like-minded lawyers and other staff， and together they discredited judicial organs and promoted anti-government sentiment by interfering in and exaggerating sensitive cases. The law firm was suspended in 2015 following a police investigation into several of its employees. 　　Along with members of an illegal religious organization， paid protestors， lawyers and others， he plotted and established “strategies， methods and steps” to subvert state power， the statement said. 　　Zhou， 52， pled guilty and told the court he would not appeal. Other suspects involved were also tried and sentenced. 　　 Making Towns Green 　　China Environment News August 5 　　The Central Government has recently unveiled a plan to build 1，000 specialized towns―towns with characteristic industries―across China by 2020. The plan also calls for great efforts to protect the environment. The proper discharge of domestic sewage and disposal of garbage should be put at the top of the agenda. 　　There are more than 20，000 towns in China， many of which are equipped with backward infrastructure and poor public services. In half of these towns， garbage is not disposed of properly， and 78 percent of the towns fail to treat their sewage. One explana- tion of the problem is responsibilities for the environmental protection of towns have yet to be clearly defined. In addition， funds allocated to local governments for the tasks are insufficient. 　　In this context， an environmental assessment and monitoring mechanism should be set up， and regulations should be amended to clearly assign environmental protection tasks to related departments. 　　Both central and local governments should offer more