Finally a tyrant is brought into the 21st century, if kicking and screaming. President Robert Mugabe’s reign of terror looks at an end at last as Mr Morgan Tsvangirai challenged the president’s choice to refuse an announcement of election results until there had been a recount. There is now to be a re-run of the presidential poll and good luck to the Movement of Democratic Choice that they make it out of this second one alive.

Mr Nqobizitha Mlilo, spokesman for the MDC, said ‘it is quite obvious we won this election hands down’, as the president refuses to admit he is being ousted after 28 long years of suffering for Zimbabwe. Almost a modern day Hitler it is widely known of his special police hunting white framers and killing any opposition from the people, black or white.

Now the public can see he is scared, and if he doesn’t step down now he will surely be dragged from power and charged with genocide. With the ‘worsening violence’ hopefully coming to an end as the country has the re-run the possibility that a kinder man will be seated at the reins of one of Africa’s most beautiful but troubled countries is uncertain.

Mr Tsvangirai, thankfully, is no dunce. After the trouble with releasing the results became public he quickly took refuge in Zimbabwe’s neighbouring country, the peaceful Botswana. Never have there been two more juxtaposing countries to share a border.

With leaders the world over including UK Prime Minister Brown advising Mugabe to step down only to receive abusive speeches in return it will be a relief globally when he is finally out.

Because the MDC have not won outright if Mugabe will not step down it will mean his party, Zanu-PF, attempting to run the country with an opposition-controlled parliament, yet more instability for a country already on its knees.

The only question now is whether Tsvangirai can win the run off. With Mugabe’s former finance minister Simba Makoni behind him as well it must be possible. The MDC is praying the country does not suffer yet more violence as they make plans to see the run-off through.

Dan Gillmor, author of We the Media, a book offering a concentrated analysis of today’s method of communication, predicts that ‘citizens will produce 50% of the news peer-to-peer’ by 2021.

Although such forms of news sharing are quickly expanding, the mainstream of news media has yet to delve fully into the emerging techniques. The shift from edited, monitored and controlled news stories over to more emotion-filled, thought provoking and opinionated reactions by citizen journalists, is occurring more and more recently, with sites such as twitter.com making reporting quick and easy.

 Gillmor states: ‘…modern communications give anyone who cares, the tools to learn more, far more, about people and organizations that in the part tried to ration the news. What’s more, once someone finds out something, they can spread the word globally…The news is what we make of it, in more ways than one.’

Since Gillmor speaks of the changes between hard copy press and the online revolution is is only fitting that his book, We the Media, be available not only to purchase as hard copy in shops but also it is free to download on teh internet. He hopes people will ‘use this book to expand the conversation in way I hadn’t imagined’ using his book as a starting point.

As a professional journalist Gillmor realises the significance of amateur reporting taking place in the world and catching up quickly with old fashioned trusted formats, ‘What industry is traditionally among the least transparent? Journalism. We have been a black box, and have become only slightly more transparent in recent years. But the public is demanding more transparency in our own field, and is doing some reporting of its own when we fail to respond in satisfying ways.’

He also believes that newsmakers should ‘embrace this new reality, not fight it’ and continues by saying, ‘They should also realize that they are far from helpless in the new era. They can use the same tools, in fact, to bring their message to the outside world, and to improve the way they communicate.

‘Modern communications have become history’s greatest soapbox, gossip factory, and, in a very real sense, spreader of genuine news.’

 After a complaint from a new neighbour has put The Point, one of Cardiff’s most beloved music venues at risk, Gareth David-Lloyd, one fifth of the BBC’s hit Torchwood team, in a bid to fill petitions and make more noise, organised a get together for fans and regulars to enjoy a taste of local talent.
                After the all day event, named Sex, Wales and Anarchy, of amateur open mic, documentaries, DJs and a little poetry the evening saw the actor take to the stage to perform with his new band, Blue Gillespie.

 

In the past the Point has played host to The Stereophonics, From the Jam, Manic Street Preachers, Steve Winwood, The Twang, the Super Furry Animals, Glen Tilbrook, Cerys Matthews, The Storeys, Roy Ayers, Candi Staton, Silver Jews, Nerina Pallot, Sandi Thom, Funeral for a Friend, Athlete, The Darkness and Asia – as well as offering diverse acts such as Lightning Bolt, Seth Lakeman, Four Tet, Devandra Banhart, Robin Trower and Eddie & the Hot Rods - and it continues to provide Cardiff and South Wales with the best choice for live music and events. Have a look at  http://www.thepointcardiffbay.com/ .

After a complaint from a new neighbour has put The Point, one of Cardiff’s most beloved music venues at risk, Gareth David-Lloyd, one fifth of the BBC’s hit Torchwood team, in a bid to fill petitions and make more noise, organised a get together for fans and regulars to enjoy a taste of local talent. Only time will tell if the event, Sex, Wales and Anarchy, was successful enough to dissuade any plans made by the council but many are hoping that Mr Lloyd has the chance to organise further collaborations of new Welsh talent for several years to come.

Scifi star puts on a show to help save Cardiff venue.

Police are investigating the disappearance of Sarah Townsend, wife of Bernard Townsend, Head of Community Relations at Glamorgan police station, who went missing after a domestic quarrel. The police were alerted to the disappearance of Sarah, 42, by her 12 year old daughter at 11:30pm who had heard the dispute and they then discovered she had consumed a large amount of medication.
              Inspector John Jones revealed the police answered the call immediately, arriving at the scene only five minutes later as Sarah is believed to be ‘in a vulnerable state of mind’ and last seen making her way towards St David’s Walk.
            Sarah is 5’7 of medium build with black collar length hair and works as a hairdresser in the local salon. She is reported as wearing black leggings, a red jumper, a black knee length coat and carrying a black handbag. It is believed she has no money and mobile phone.
             The row which occurred between Mr Townsend and his wife is to remain a private matter and since the mother’s disappearance the daughter has been allowed to remain with her father. There is no question about her safety and there have never been any known problems in the family prior to Sarah’s disappearance.
              The police have called in search helicopters and dog handlers to aid in the investigation and are appealing for information from anyone that thinks they might have seen or heard anything about Sarah. If you have any information please call 01443 546128.        

Police are investigating the disappearance of Sarah Townsend, wife of Bernard Townsend, Head of Community Relations at Glamorgan police station, who went missing after a domestic quarrel. The police were alerted to the disappearance of Sarah, 42, by her 12 year old daughter at 11:30pm who had heard the dispute and discovered Sarah had consumed a large amount of medication. Inspector John Jones revealed the police answered the call immediately, arriving at the scene only five minutes later as Sarah is believed to be ‘in a vulnerable state of mind’ and last seen making her way towards St David’s Walk.

Suicidal woman goes missing after domestic row.

The ‘superhuman’ efforts of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue service, and also those of the military and engineers, have brought the current crisis under control.

The risk to human health is minimal the present because as sewerage flows into flood water it gets very diluted. There have been no reports of infection and hopefully those affected will continue to follow the instructions relayed to them by the authorities. 

The ‘superhuman’ efforts of Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue service, and also those of the military and engineers, have brought the current crisis under control.‘The emergency is not over, water is still high around Walham and the problem of retained water in the Severn basin is going to give problems for several days to come,’ said Dr Tim Brain, one of the speakers in the recent press conference. The 140,000 people without a clean supply of water have been told ‘not to panic’ and ‘bowsers have been distributed across the county and about two to three million litres of bottled water will be available.’Those using the 490 bowsers provided must boil the water as a precautionary measure. 900 bowsers will be available over all and should be used for tooth brushing or cooking or anything else where you might ingest it.