Rolandmoorecolyer’s Weblog

It seems that Priminister Brown’s position of power in the Labour party and the fickle domain of politics, is beginning to waver. After local elections showed disasterous results for Labour, backbenchers attacked brown on his policies and loss of votes. However despite the disgruntled challenges of the backbenchers, many of the labour ministers a rallying around Brown denying any claims of potential leadership challenges. Ministers such as Business secretary John Hutton, called on Labour backbenchers to support the prime minister, though there was a highlighted demand that Brown needs to focus his policies to be more in keeping with Labour’s traditional values.

This waver in support from Labour backbenchers along with the recent succeses of the Conservative party, cannot help but raise some questions of wether or not Brown can live up to the expectations of both his party and the voters. What with four consecutive general election victories for the Labour party under the leadership of Tony Blair even during his formative years ( mostly due his decisions with the war with Iraq) it has to be asked can Brown follow the succeses of his predecessor? It it time for the Conservatives to have another shot at government? After all Boris Johnson is now the Mayor of London! As always in the world of politics only time will tell.

For more see the BBC NEWS website

A man from Cross Inn, Ceredigion, claims that his faith has lead to him surviving cancer when doctors said he should be dead.

Ken Roberts, a fifty-four year old, self-employed builder, found his faith back in 2000, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Mr. Roberts said that he preyed to God out of fear and a desire to survive. Now, eight years after, Mr. Roberts has survived despite being given only four years at the most to live.

Despite having chemotherapy treatment, Mr. Roberts said that doctors were very doubtful that he would recover at all as his lungs were full of malignant cancers. Mr. Roberts said that his family and friends had asked priests and Christian groups to pray for his survival, but it was only when in a hospital car park he called out and prayed to God that he believed he was saved.

Despite suffering from the after effects of chemotherapy treatment, Mr. Roberts had recovered within months. His hair that had all fallen out from the treatment grew back and he very quickly recovered his strength and began to work again. Mr. Roberts continued having check ups for the next few years, each time the doctors found malignant areas in his lungs despite Roberts being in otherwise good health for his age.

The doctors were baffled at how Mr. Roberts has survived another four years on top of the maximum four he was predicted to survive for. Even the latest biopsy, where small segments of the lung are removed for examination, malignant areas were found on every sample. Mr. Roberts maintains his survival was in his discovered faith and his new evangelist lifestyle.

Before Mr. Roberts moved to Ceredigion, he worked in the mines of the South Wales valleys. From the age fifteen he worked down for twenty years before they started to close. Like many miners of Robert’s generation, the soot and dust of their working environment resulted in the growth of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, which usually developed in the miner’s later lives. The doctors believe that Mr. Roberts developed his lung cancer from being down the coal mines earlier on in his life.

In an interview Mr. Roberts revealed that before he was diagnosed with cancer, that he was not a dedicated believer in God and that he had virtually never been to church. After finding his faith, Mr. Roberts still does not go to Church; he declared that he does not believe in religion as true core faith in God, he said faith is “never going to be in the secular church.” Instead of being a member of the secular community of Christianity, Mr. Roberts meets up with other evangelists and participates in trips around the holy lands.

Mr. Roberts believes that his continued good health, despite having malignant lungs, was because of his commitment to evangelism and his belief in the teachings of the Bible.

Mr Roberts said, “I am a vessel bold enough to speak the word.”

The wife of the Head of Communications at Glamorgan Police force has been reported missing and of a vulnerable state of mind, after an argument with her husband.

After the argument, 42 year old hairdresser, Sara Townsend, has gone upstairs into the bathroom and consumed, a yet unknown amount of domestic medication, then she left the property heading in the direction of St David’s Walk.

The twelve year old daughter of the couple called the police at 11:25pm, concerned about her parents arguing. The police arrived at 11:30pm, where it is believed that Mrs Townsend had been missing for five minutes. Mrs Townsend is thought to be carrying a small amount of cash and is suspected to have more medication on her person.

Police dog handlers and helicopter support was brought in as the police were concerned that Mrs Townsend was in suicidal a state of mind.   

Relatives of Mrs Townsend and have been calling around the local area for any information about her whereabouts, but so far nothing has been reported. 

Heading up the investigation Inspector John Jones said that Mrs Townsend is 5ft 7, with black hair, and of a medium build, she was described as wearing black leggings, a red jumper and a knee length coat. However Mrs Townsend has no mobile phone with her or any other method of communication.  

In a press conference Inspector Jones said that there has been no history of arguments in the family and that they are treating the missing person investigation as a domestic not criminal incident.

Currently Mr Townsend is remaining at home focusing on looking after his distraught daughter.    

Missing People UK 

Police are searching for a missing woman who disappeared after an argument with her husband. Sara Townsend, 42, is thought to be of a vulnerable state of mind and potentially suicidal.

            The police were called at 11:25pm by the twelve year old daughter of the couple, who was concerned about her parents arguing. Mrs Townsend then when upstairs to the bathroom and consumed some medication, then left the house heading in the direction of St. David’s Walk. It is believed that she is carrying more medication with her and a small amount of cash but no mobile phone.

An American expert predicts a massive change in the media that will affect both journalists and civilians alike. Dan Gillmor states that through the development of technology and the internet, blogging, camera phones, and RSS feeds will force the media to adapt to these new phenomena.  

            Gillmor states the rise of these technologies has allowed normal citizen to actively partake in the finding and spreading of news and information across the internet. 

            Weblogs are becoming increasingly popular, where by a member of the public publishes their opinion or information on a subject or event on their blog which is then open to comment from it’s readers who can simply post their response on the person’s blog. The effect of blogs on the media is that it is a medium controlled by amateurs in the public domain instead of professionals where by they have the freedom to explore and scrutinize issues, that the major media (Newspapers and Televison) may decide to ignore or avoid.

            Blogs also involve an audience of readers, who by actively commenting, participate in the spread of the information, by utilizing links and RSS feeds. This gives blogs a international reach, with the ability to gather information faster and more up-to-date that most professional journalists. Acording to Gillmor, blogs represent democratic journalism with the freedom of blogers and their readers to write about what they like. 

            However, Gillmor highlighted disadvantages of this new amateur media form. With many blogs being written by ‘citizen journalists’ there is the concern that the regulations, both moral and legal, upheld by the professional journalists, could be breached by the amateur bloggers. Careless bloggers could find themselves at the mercy of libel laws, while others could be considered morally suspect if they give away trade secrets or infringe on the private lives of others.

            Gillmor does make it clear that, although being a prolific supporter of blogging and the technological advances that are potentially changing the media, he also recognizes that there needs to be a line drawn at what the public and amateur journalists alike can, write, photograph, and publish on the internet. 

Over 140,000 houses have been left without water and electricity in Gloucestershire, after floods devastate the county.

            Police say that the emergency is not over, despite the flooding peaking, water levels remain high around the Wahlam area. There are also fears that water being retained in the Severn Basin could also cause problems in the days to come.

Police spokesman, Chief Constable Dr Tim Brain said.

“The situation we’re now in is planning for the medium term and making sure the gains we have made and held in these critical hours are maintained for the next few days.”

            About three million litres of bottled water has been distributed by the military across the county, to provide those without water a sufficient supply for their basic daily needs. Along with the bottled water, 490 bowsers have been distributed across Gloucestershire, with more on their way in order to provide refillable temporary supplies to the county. 

            There is little concern about the health risks from using the temporary water supplies, or coming into contact with flood water and overflowing sewerage. Dr Shona Arora, the Director of Public Health for Gloucestershire said,

 “If sewerage flows into flood water it gets very diluted so the risk to human health is minimal and so far there have been no reports of infection but people are advised to keep away from flood water and anything that looks like raw sewage.” She also recommended boiling bowser water and wearing protective clothing near flood water.

            Though the Mythe water treatment plant is currently under inspection to make it safe, Severn Trent engineers estimate it will take between seven and fourteen days to return water supplies to the affected homes. A number of flood defence barriers are en route to the site to be deployed in key areas to aid in the recovery of the water plant.

            40,000 people lost their electricity supplies, when Castlemeads substation was switched off as a precaution because of flood water. However 25.000 people were switched to an alternative feed and the emergency services and the army worked to clear the water from the site. By 2am most of the remaining customers had their power returned with only about 250 people left without electricity.

            Despite the emergency situation across the county, police reported that there have been seven confirmed incidents of crime and disorder. At the press conference  Dr Brain said. “I must emphasise that we will be enforcing the law in the event of any crime and disorder associated with the current emergency. It’s important that people continue to behave responsibly.” He also added; “Our sympathy goes out to those who have suffered loss or disruption in their daily lives and our thanks to members of the public for their continued patience and forbearance. If people continue to exercise common sense and good will I’m sure we can get through the next few difficult days.”

More information and further comment from Chief Constable Dr Brain at - This Is Gloucestershire.co.uk

Gloucestershire County has been left in turmoil after flooding leaves 140,000 homes without electricity and water, after the Severn Trent flood defences were breached.

Police say that the emergency is not over, with water levels remaining higharound the Walham. There are also fears that water levels could still peak due to the water being retained in the Severn Basin, which could cause problems for several days to come.

Even with all the emergency services working around the clock there is still an estimated two weeks until water supplies can be restored through Mythe Water treatment works. Bottled water and bowsers have been distributed by the military to ensure that those in the county without a supply get provided with enough water for their basic needs.

Citizens have been warned to listed out for flood warnings, and the police are appealing for everyone to pull together and help each other to ensure that they can get through the next few days of flooding. 

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