Chen Guangcheng has recently become a focal point for those who complain about the authoritarian line taken by the Chinese rulership. Developing almost total blindness after birth, he still was able to study law and represented the poor in his home province, especially fighting against the one child per couple rule. As a result of going against party policy, he was arrested and put in jail for 4 years and after being released in 2010 was confined to house arrest in Dongshigu Village where he grew up. After a video last year of his wife and himself being beaten up was received by Amnesty International, his case was taken up by the British Foreign office and US State department. Somehow he escaped from custody and fled to the US Embassy in Beijing, however he was injured in the attempt and a deal seems to have been reached for him to receive medical attention. Latest news states that the Chinese have threatened his beat his wife and child prompting him to come out into the open, and in the process raising the diplomatic tensions between the US and China.
Thursday, 3 May 2012
Bionic eye may eventually bring the gift of sight to millions
A new scientific breakthrough is now being tested in the UK which may bring some sort of solution to probably the most debilitating of all disabilities, blindness. A British man, Chris James who lost his sight 20 years ago has had a synthetic eye and a silicon chip implanted, inspired by the type of chip used in digital cameras. In initial tests, Chris has said that he can now see the outline of figures and shapes and doctors hope that as his brain adjusts to the new device, his digital sight may continue to improve. It is hoped at the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford and at Kings College hospital in London that more trials will be carried out to improve the implantation technique and to fine tune the technology.
Wednesday, 2 May 2012
Cardinal Sean Brady – Hiding a nasty secret
The whiff of sex scandal has been hanging around the Catholic church for as long as I can remember. Right now the Catholic population of Ireland are transfixed by the the possibility that the Primate of All Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady knowingly covered up for a known paedophile under his jurisdiction, Father Brendan Smyth who was jailed for 15 years for the sexual abuse of several children.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Rupert Murdoch told by British MPs that he is unfit to run an international company.
It must be a humiliating day when as the owner of a multi million dollar international corporation you are told that you are unfit to run your own business. That damming verdict was issued today by a Parliamentary select committee investigating the phone hacking scandal that has rocked the British media world. In theory, it could signal the start of a witch hunt in the UK by those in power to drive Rupert Murdoch from our shores. It seems all in sundry have had enough of one man dominating up to 40% of the media output in the UK. Once upon a time, everyone wanted to court Rupert Murdoch but those days are fading, and he is increasingly being seen as a rather sad, manipulative and divisive figure.