Political news this week has been dominated by the West’s
response to the Syrian government’s chemical weapons attack. The US, Britain
and France proposed a military response, but this was immediately criticised by
left wing groups, for much the same reasons that they criticised the war in
Iraq: they distrust their governments’ statements about the atrocities
committed by the Syrian government; they suspect the invasion is intended to
fulfil wider Western political goals in the Middle East; and they oppose war in
almost all cases. Because the case made for the Iraq war was later found to be based
on unsound data (and/or deliberately fabricated), the first of these criticisms
has been taken up by left wing politicians and (particularly in the USA) some right
wing politicians. The results so far have been that the UK parliament have
voted against military action in Syria, and the US President has agreed to seek
the approval of Congress for military action, even though he is not required
to.
The Bolivian Episcopal church has recommended denying
communion to pro-abortion politicians.
In the European Championships of women's hockey, England
played Germany in the final. After a 4-4 draw, the Germans won on penalties.
The Girl Guide leaders in Harrogate who proposed to keep the
old Girl Guide promise (which includes references to God), and were threatened
with expulsion by Girlguiding UK as a result, have backed down and agreed to
use the new 'secular' promise. Girlguiding UK admitted that it had received 839
complaints about the new promise. Despite this, they claimed that the response
to the new promise had been “overwhelmingly positive”, although the number of
messages received in support was not reported.
A number of high profile football transfers have finally
been completed. The most notable was Gareth Bale’s transfer from Tottenham to
Real Madrid, for a British record transfer fee. Tottenham have spent the money
on five new players.
Two British women have been jailed for ten years each for
their part in an online dating scam. The scammers pretended to be a dating site
for US troops serving abroad. They targeted married women and asked them to send
money for visas, gifts, and other needs; one woman sent $59,000. The British
women managed bank accounts to which money was sent.
And finally, an embarrassing error by Swansea council, made
five years ago, has recently “gone viral” on the Internet. The council wanted
to put up a road sign in both English and Welsh. They e-mailed a Welsh speaker
to ask for the translation, and then ordered the e-mailed reply to be added to
the sign. The sign that was erected read (in English) “No entry for heavy goods
vehicles. Residential site only” , but the Welsh said: "I am not in the
office at the moment. Send any work to be translated”
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