Aruna Shanbaug: No more darkness and pain, free at last!

[image credit:  bbc.com]

It was in November 27, 1973  when then 25 years old Aruna Shanbaug was on duty as a junior nurse at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in Parel, Mumbai when she was brutally sodomized by a ward boy that goes by the name of Sohanlal Bhartha Walmiki. Aruna was strangled by her assailant using a dog chain cutting off oxygen supply to her brain and leaving her in a vegetative state and cortically blind since then. Her unconscious body was discovered in the hospital basement by a cleaner the next day splattered all over with blood.

Her assailant was charged not of the case of rape or sodomy but of robbery and attempted murder. The facts of the case were concealed by the complainants maybe to avoid social rejection of the young nurse. Walmiki was sentenced to double seven-year term in prison and was suspected to have changed his identity in order to hide from the public eye.

Aruna since then was lying in a hospital bed in vegetative state. And for over 42 years, hospital staff took turn watching over her and keeping her alive. In December, 2010, Aruna's case caught the attention of Pinki Virani, an activist-journalist who sought the medical condition of Aruna from the hospital to plead euthanasia for her case to India’s Supreme Court.  Under the Court’s directive, Aruna’s medical condition was affirmed being that of a permanent vegetative case. But in February of 2014, a three-judge panel of the Supreme Court have observed some wrong interpretation and inconsistencies in the judgement of Aruna’s case based on the constitution leading to the rejection of the euthanasia plea.

In the early days of May this year, Aruna developed pneumonia and was later moved to the intensive care unit of the hospital and put on a ventilator. She died last May 18 freeing her body from the almost perpetual pain and darkness for over 42 years. A moment she probably have wanted despite what her body have endured for so long. Go forth Aruna! There'll be no more pain and darkness for you to wherever you will go through from hereon.

Death for ousted ex-President Morsi!

[image credit:  hayatalvi from wordpress]

CAIRO, May 16 2015.  The verdict of death was given to Egyptian ousted ex-President Mohamed Morsi by the Egyptian court presided by Judge Shaaban el-Shami . The non-binding opinion according to Egypt’s mufti and top Muslim theologians sentenced Morsi along with other 20 people involved in the crime in what was recorded in history as Egypt's 2013 coup de etat. 

Morsi is Egypt’s first independently elected president but was ousted following a military coup led by Field Marshal Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Grand Imam of Al Azhar Ahmed el-Tayeb and oppositionist Mohamed ElBaradei.  He was convicted last April 21 this year along with former MP Mohamed Beltagy and his other cohorts on the crime and currently serving the 20-year sentence accorded to him.

Queen Elizabeth II is All for Protection of the Philippines

[Queen Elzabeth II - photo grab from the telegraph]

Queen Elizabeth II expressed her concern over the protection of the Philippines amid conflicting territorial water rights with China.  The 88-year old queen in a speech delivered during a dinner at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris, France with French President Francois Hollande as host expressed her concern over the protection of the Philippines amid conflicting territorial water rights with China. The event graced by the queen commemorates the 70^th anniversary of the World War II event on the landings of the Allied Forces in Normandy as the Philippines marked its 116^th year of independence.

The Allied forces which have shown its strength during World War II was again reinforcing to protect the Philippines amid impending chaos.  The Allies consists of France, Poland and Great Britain with soon to be joined by the British Commonwealth.  The Allies were the group that initiated the convention of the now United Nations in 1945 for which China was a member.

China’s claim over territorial waters with the Philippines and some other Asian nations who has concern over the west Philippine Sea boundaries.  Recent satellite images captured China building some structures over the disputed waters prompting the Philippines and other claimant nations to express disagreement over China’s advances. Despite the moves by China, the Philippines and other claimant nations remain calm and resort to remedy their issues by filing claims to the UN. But China seems to keep on ignoring the proper channel and keep on its violations prompting the international community to recognize the urgency of protecting the Philippines along with the Allies’ common goal of unification.  The United States which still have naval bases in the Philippines initially affirmed its alliance with the Philippines and assurance as its long-time ally during president Barrack Obama’s visit last April 29.  During World War II when China was attacked by Japan, the United Nations initiated sanctions to Japan as the US turned to support China.  With the territorial water disputes over the West Philippine Seas and the Allied Forces joining the United States in condemning the acts of China over the disputed waters, it is now left to China what will be the next move to resolve the issue amicably. The world now awaits China’s reaction.

GRAVITY BAGS MOST OF 2014 OSCAR'S

The cast of Gravity
[image courtesy of examiner.com]

The  Oscar commended most on the production effort of the people behind this year's top film trophy bagger, Gravity.  Gravity emerged as this year's top Oscar trophy winner as it slip into seven academy trophies.  Although it did not won the coveted Best Picture award, among its prized accord was  Alfonso Cuaron's Best Director trophy, Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Mixing and  Best Sound Editing. 

Gravity's sci-fi space adventure story include a power house cast led by George Clooney and Sandra Bullock. The story which centered on the lives of space missionaries and their adventure about their space mission, the risks as well as the hope  of the human race in finding out ways to conquer safe space travels and missions amazed the viewers and the judges.  Gravity grossed $700 million when it made cinema showing in the year 2013 and made it as the eight highest grossing film of 2013.

Added to the Oscar's pride was Gravity's six BAFTA awards which include Outstanding British Film and Best Director.  The film also won Best Director and seven Critics Choice Awards.  

'Toxic Barrels Found in School's Playing Field in Okinawa's US Airbase

[toxic barrels - photo from davidicke.com]

US
Fears mounted and alarming concerns of parents from Bob Hope Primary School located in Kadena, Okinawa, Japan rises as military personnel of the nearby US Military facilities of Kadena Airbase unearthed barrels and barrels containing toxic substances believed to be dioxins.  The report surfaced after a retired US major air force initiated and come forward to bring the matters up that the school grounds is near a former waste burning site for military defoliants.  Some parents even claimed that the illnesses suffered by their children must have beenthe caused by exposure to the said toxic elements. Hazardous workers continue to dug up barrels and barrels in  soccer pitch which is part of the area. The base commanders, Brig. Gen. James Hecker and Brig. Gen. Matt H. Molloy apparently ought to have admitted to parents of children of Bob Hope and Amelia Earheart Intermediate School of the contamination next to the school's playing fields. Sadly, the fields still continue to reveal and exposed toxicity threatening inhabitants of the facility of the dangerous toxins. It was June last year that 22 barrels was also unearthed containing dioxins and herbicides. Tests revealed that the ground has 8.4 times dioxin levels and water up at 280 times the allowed level. Report also revealed that last December, Okinawa City officials told that that surface soil around the area has elevated levels of arsenic.Last Friday, Jan. 31 Japan's Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera reported on a local television that the matters will be looked into by the Japan government as they continue to investigate the source manufacturer of the chemicals.

Kadena Air Base is home to USAF's 18th wing in the Okinawa prefecture in Japan. It is home to the largest combat wing of the US Air Force along with their families, Japanese personnel and contractors.

Desperate Measure To Clean Up Fukushima Nuclear Toxic Mess

[Japanese homeless - image courtesy of solarmews]

Developments about the Fukushima Nuclear accident clean up are said to involve Japanese homeless as aides to clean up the toxic water still present in the area.  It seems Japan is eyeing recruiting the homeless in a desperate move to clean up the toxic materials resulting from the accident that happened March 2011.  The minimum wage offered to the destitute of probably one of the most undesirable job on the face of the earth. The radiation clean up so far has long been overdue and Japan was already under pressure and desperately seeking everything possible before another unfortunate disaster strikes.