As usual bad news has dominated the week. There will have been many events reported around the globe but one or two have risen to the top and received a lot of media attention.

On Tuesday it was the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 Twin Towers terrorist attacks in the US and mayhem descended once more. A pathetic movie produced in America, The Innocence of Muslims, incited violent outbursts around the world. The violence began on September 11, 2012, in Libya. Those who not so long ago wanted the USA to support them turned. Perhaps the "alliance" was always going to end in tears. The US embassy was attacked and four Americans killed.

The violence did not stop there though.

Five days later protests have occurred in much of the Middle East, Australia, France and the UK. In some countries a violent minority prevented peaceful protests. In others it was always going to be violent. At least seven people have died as a result of the protests. It could be said that at least seven people have been killed as a result of a foolish blasphemous film but that is not 100% certain. It is more likely that Muslim activists were looking for a reason and opportunity to rise up.

GOP nominee Mitt Romney tried to use the death of the US ambassador to Libya to gain political advantage. He may have smirked but in the long run it is he who will appear foolhardy.

As the week ended Afghanistan experienced an upsurge in terrorist attacks. Prince Harry now serving in the country remains a prime target for the Taliban. Their mission to capture or kill the Prince could put the lives of others at risk. Three British soldiers and six US soldiers have been killed in the last couple of days in separate incidents. There are also reports that civilians have been killed by NATO forces seeking out the insurgents.

All in all then a country far from peaceful. Most of the Taliban that fled Afghanistan when foreign troops entered the country are waiting in the wings just across the border in Pakistan. When we, the West, finally leave Afghanistan they will enter by another route. Will all the deaths have been for nothing in the end?

The British Government, the Condems Coalition,continues to whittle away at people's income and freedoms. Yet the UK has become embroiled in what is really trivia. The publication of topless photos of the Duchess of Cambridge in publications on the continent and in Ireland.

William and Kate are on, what for most of us would be a trip of a lifetime, to Asia. For them it is "just another day at the office" if you see what we mean. William is said to be furious at the topless images and has begun legal proceedings against the French magazine Closer. Whilst we understand his problems we all have so much more to worry us.

Importantly in the UK this week the victims, and their families, of the Hillsborough tragedy finally received an apology and some answers more than 23 years after the event. With confirmation that witness statements had been altered by police, to lay the blame with the fans, heads must surely roll now.

Here's hoping for a more peaceful week around the World.  That said the latest news is that Britain and allied countries are massing in the Strait of Hormuz. It is widely believed that Israel is planning a preemptive strike against Iran. We would prefer to call such an attack what it would be, either an act of war or warmongering.

The West should tread carefully here. Governments are paid to represent the people and few in the UK, for example, have any stomach for war with Iran. Neither would we wish to support a country that commits an act of war.

Stay safe and take care, TTFN

It is the last Sunday in August. The month has been a mixed bag but bad news has dominated the media. No change there then.

During the last week British Royal Prince Harry behaved "inappropriately" in a foreign land and is paying the price. A naked romp in America was caught on camera and the fall-out has been laughable. Media sources in the US have jumped onto the news, presumably for light relief from the country's problems.

The 2012 election campaign trundles on and in order to gain political leverage the "gloves are off". Romney raised the "birther" issue again, Republican Todd Akin offended many with ill thought out words on rape victims and abortion and more shootings were reported in the US. More unsettling has been the extent of hate that some Americans obviously feel. In a week when Europe watched the final day in court for mass murderer Anders Breivik racial and religious hate was all the more depressing.

Breivik was sentenced to 21 years for the murder of 77 people and for injuring another 240. His actions were fueled by hate. He espoused eloquently to justify his actions but in reality it was pure hatred. As act of evil. As he spoke his last words in court he began to say that he was only sorry that he did not kill more. At that point his microphone was turned off, denying him the end to his "well thought out" actions.

It was shocking to realise that Breivik, throughout his imprisonment so far, has been able to post on line and communicate with like minded individuals. The Norwegian authorities had given him some leeway in order for him to open up and the trial to be effective. That now has to stop. There are enough places on-line where hate is spewed and words manipulated.

It must gall Breivik to read that the political party he tried to attack has seen an increase in members since his massacre. Rather than deter people it has made them realise that far right extremists must be stopped.

In the UK Prince Harry's antics look set to be used as an excuse to restrict the freedoms of the Press. The Leveson inquiry has been investigating allegations of phone hacking and press intrusion and so Harry is fuel for the fire. The Palace contacted the British Press complaints commission to strong arm publications not to publish the naked images. In the end The Sun flouted this on the grounds that stifling the Press is wrong.

Whilst we could not care less about the Prince we agree. Countries that stifle the Press have included Gaddafi's Libya, Assad's Syria and Hitler's Germany.  Such regimes want to control the media in  order to control the people. The UK must hang on to a free and independent Press. The UK after all is quick to accuse such regimes of manipulating the media for their own ends. Need we say more?

Syria has continued to be blown apart. It is hard to ascertain what is really going on. The only things certain are that people are dying and the country is all but destroyed. The West seems keen to want to send in foreign troops, no doubt for hidden agendas.

Europe continues to fall apart financially. Spain is now also broke. Antonios Samaras the new Greek leader has visited Germany and France to ask for more time to implement the austere measures necessary for further bail outs. He should give up the ghost. Merkel in Germany gave him short shrift. Whilst she praised the Greeks for the changes implemented so far she would not agree to a time extension. No surprise there then. He went on to France to meet with Francois Hollande but there was still "no room at the inn"

Perhaps as they all know that War is coming they have bigger fish to fry. It could be Syria. It could be Iran. It could be Global. The only thing right now which seems certain is that War is on the cards. Heaven help us all.

In the UK the Paralympics will begin on August 29 and run until September 9. These games will not receive the heavy press attention that the BBC gave London 2012. They will be aired on Channel 4 in the UK. The tickets however are selling well and it is expected to be another successful Games. There will be awe inspiring performances from people who would have been shunned at one time and resigned to inactivity.

RIP to Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the Moon with those now immortal words, One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for Mankind. Whether they were off the cuff words or well rehearsed does not matter. It was an awe inspiring moment in history.

Autumn is around the corner and this weekend in the UK it is the final Bank Holiday before Christmas. What a sobering thought. The weather is up to its old tricks and rain will make the weekend a wash out. It will not dampen the enthusiasm nor colour of the Nottinghill Carnival in London though. Have a great two days folks.

Till next week, stay safe, drop the hate and chin up. TTFN

This week the UK news was dominated by Olympic news once more and the disappearance of Tia Sharp. Tia apparently went missing from home on August 3, 2012. On Friday August 10, a body was found at the home of her Grandmother Christine Sharp. As that was the address where Tia vanished it is assumed that it was 12-year-old Tia. The police have yet to formally announce it is Tia and the case has been a tangled mess of errors.

Police searched the home three times before eventually, on the fourth search, finding a body in the loft of the house. Police apologies and arrests followed including that of the grandmother. However at time of writing the person now charged by police with the murder of Tia is Ms Sharp's boyfriend Stuart Hazell. The grizzly details will no doubt be released in due course and when justice starts its process. Till then thoughts are with Tia's family and friends. RIP Tia.

The London 2012 Olympics draws to a close today, It is generally believed that it has been a success. It has had its little British quirks and complaints but that it is us. Concerns raised publicly before the event kicked off led to improvements and ultimately the success of the Games. We Brits tend to speak our minds and in doing so problems were identified and rectified.

Team GB has performed far above expectations and ends the Game with a record breaking amount of medals. That is usual for the host nation. It has however meant that BBC coverage of the Games has centered on UK participating events and offered a lack of variety. Boosting national pride is one thing but the Olympics was filled with many talented and exceptional sports men and women. At 9m tonight, August 12, the closing ceremony will kick off. The itinerary is supposed to be a closely guarded secret but there have been tweets which belie that. However they could of course be Red Herrings.

David Cameron and his Coalition government have been attempting to gain political advantage from the success of the Games. As we all know this same man has cut education to the bone. Today it has been announced that Olympic funding is to be extended to 2016 rather than end in 2014 as he had planned. Electioneering we think.

Across the Pond the search for an election running mate for Mitt Romney ended when it was announced that Paul Ryan would take the role. Romney's choice was said by some to be brave and ideological. Well it will play to the extreme right and those who want less help for those in need and more tax breaks for the uber wealthy. Ultimately the American people will decide in November 2012. The World will have to hold its breath until then. War could end up a greater worry than the economy.

In Syria there are reports that the Assad regime is pushing back the rebels. The UN will probably officially announce who will replace Kofi Annan as Syrian envoy later this week. UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has announced that UK funding sent to the rebels will be increased. His claims that it will not be for weapons does not ease concerns. We along with the US and other countries are in danger of becoming embroiled in another civil war. This time though it could lead to global conflict.

Europe still teeters on the brink of collapse. With Germany pulling the strings but looking after its own back yard no resolution is possible. Better that it collapse now rather than when it is too late.

Autumn is approaching but in the UK for now the sun is shining. Enjoy your week wherever you are, stay safe and take care.

If you live in the UK you may think that this last week has been dull as far as News goes. In fact you may think that World and UK news is non-existent. The BBC has sole coverage rights over the Olympics in the UK and it is making the most of it. Regular viewing programs have either been shifted to BBC 2 or simply axed to make way for the Olympics. Rolling 24 hour news channels such as SkyNews and BBC News 24 have followed suit. Great if you are a sport's fan, not so great if you are not.

You could believe that this overkill of Olympic news is down to our current successes but no. Even before the UK won a Gold Medal the London 2012 coverage was excessive. Now it is ridiculous. People swept along on patriotic fervor are a cause for concern at times. Still as the week ended the UK was riding relatively high in the Olympic medal table, after a slow start. Great Britain remains third following the USA and China. For those of you in the UK who want to follow the Olympics check out the mail onlines scheduler. For the rest of you? It will soon be over for another four years.

In spite of the World's eyes focusing on London 2012 there is the usual range of bad news from various countries.

Syria has experienced an increase in the Assad regime and the rebels flexing their muscles. The mid week resignation of Kofi Annan as special envoy for the Arab League in Syria says it all. Syria is on a path to a destructive ongoing conflict. What the West chooses to do about it is up to them.

People are dying, as they did in the US civil war of the past. It is however a civil war for the Syrian people to resolve, hard as that may sound. The West has already overstepped the mark, many believe. Are we now on a road to global war? Some would say yes unless we take a step back.

Israel and Iran of course remain an unresolvable problem. Mitt Romney, presidential hopeful in the US, has said that he will support Israel should they launch a preemptive strike against Iran. Warmongering is what has made the US disliked in many countries. That statement may not be popular but for many people around the world it is the truth.

The ongoing conflict in Afghanistan is a prime example.

Of course manipulating the people and their perceptions is what politics seems to be all about. We are often led like lambs to the slaughter. People these days may in many ways be less gullible but our image above still stands true.

The US Presidential campaign continues to devour the American people and its media. A costly campaign using money that could surely be better spent. Talk with GOP supporters and Romney will win the US election and be the savior of the US. Talk to Obama supporters and the opposite will be claimed. Whoever wins faces a monumental task of curing financial woes which date back decades. Creating jobs will be a priority. Should war be a chosen option, jobs will certainly flow, but at what price?.

In the UK Parliament was closed for the Summer break. The timetable of such "breaks" in UK Parliament shows that they work far less than they should. The fact that they then want to cut people's holiday entitlements and standard's of living galls, to say the least.

The privileged bottoms that sit in the House of Lords are a worse bunch. As they are non-elected their position is to many a joke. Nick Clegg's Coalition deal to reform the Lords has hit the rocks. Scuppered by the tories Cameron will announce this week that he is scrapping the planned reform. This could mean that the knives will be out in the Coalition when Parliament resumes. Cameron will still expect the Lib Dems in government to support his boundary changes which will benefit the Tories in any future election. That was part of the deal.

We could be about to see just what the Liberal Democrats in Government are made of. If they do not kick up a stink now there is no hope for them. They will also have sunk their credibility which will hit them hard in the next election.

Wednesday's Prime Minister's questions in UK parliament would have been a good time to debate this and more but that was not possible. Cameron closed Parliament for the Summer recess a day early in order to save his hide.

The West continues to preach that the Middle East should create a democracy similar to ours but you have to ask, What has Happened to Democracy in the West? Answers on a postcard please!

In the UK the week was dominated by the Olympics. Due to kick off on Friday July 27 people wondered just how successful the opening ceremony and Games would be. Other considerations were, would the weather play ball, it is Summer after all, plus  would security issues have been resolved.

The opening ceremony started late, compared to those in other countries. Perhaps it was in order to be shown around the World. Time difference can cause problems. The event ran until around 00:45 BST. The length of the ceremony had been cut in recent weeks in order to ensure that the crowds could travel home on transport provided.

Was the ceremony a success? Well that depends. Many people loved its eccentricity and quirkiness whilst others felt it did not portray Britain at its best. Certainly London did not have the amount of money to spend on the ceremony that China did for the previous games. Perhaps part of the problem too was following China. After all it is always easier to follow a failure than a huge success. For us we enjoyed the colour, humour and Britishness but found it did drag on a bit.

Now though it is all about the games. At time of writing British competitors have yet to win a medal. Normally the host nation is very successful in the Games but the pressure to succeed could have a negative impact. Time will tell.

In the UK BBC1 is offering full coverage of the Games which has meant this weekend that it has aired Olympics, News and not much else. In fact nothing else.

Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney was one of many high fliers who attended the opening ceremony. In London to raise funds for his election campaign his stay was brief. He is now in Jerusalem, hoping to raise more money. It is a certainty that his Monday fund raiser at the King David Hotel will raise millions. Blood money we suppose. Money for promises made. Such is the event that Mitt has barred any representatives of the media from attending. So it will be dodgey deals behind closed doors. Selling a seat in the White House overseas, although many attending will be Americans flown in for their wealth.

Syria has continued along its destructive path. Each side blames the other. The West has issued more warnings to the regime but one has to wonder how western governments would react faced with violent rebels. Of course the difference is that Bashar Assad is a dictator and we have free and fair elections, don't we? 

Well if you take a look at Mitt Romney's quest for campaign money you have to wonder how free and fair the elections are. Do they not simply go to the highest bidder? The UK is not much better though and it must surely lead many to believe that an overhaul of our elective processes is long overdue.

Strange weather has continued to dog the world. For now the British Summer has returned which is good news for Olympians. It is not set to last though. Too many countries have faced weather extremes this year. Some have to be due to mankind's terrible track record on caring for our environment. China is currently experiencing torrential flooding in parts of the country and heat waves in the south.

Whatever is behind the strange weather patterns may never be known. It could just be one of those things, but we doubt it. Taking care of our environment should be top of our list. Without the World we are no more, when all is said and done. Of course each person wants others to make the necessary changes rather than do so themselves.

Whatever you are up to this week have fun, stay safe and spare a thought for the environment. Remember every action has a reaction. It would be good.

Footnote: We have not mentioned the Eurozone as it is becoming an unmentionable. Heaven help us all.

In the UK the final preparations for the forthcoming London 2012 Olympics got underway this week. However it has been far from plain sailing with one fiasco after another. G4S who had been awarded the contract to supply the bulk of security personnel were taken to task over their ineptitude. A grilling of the G4S bosses by MPS made for entertaining viewing but was not really constructive.

Military personnel and police will plug the gaps in Olympic security. Both services are currently experiencing job cuts at the hands of this same government. The shambles has made the UK look foolish on the world stage and will inevitably be costly.

As the Olympics continues to dominate UK news the government could have a problem with Border Agency staff who plan to strike the day before the Olympics begin. Instead of addressing their issues it looks like the Coalition will change Union laws to restrict the right to strike even further.

Discontent in the UK is high right now and says something when even farmers and disabled workers feel the need to strike. The disabled worker's strike has been instigated by government plans to close various Remploy Centres where some disabled people work.

Syria and the EU crisis continue to rumble on. In Syria a suicide bomber broke into the inner sanctum of President Assad killing at least four of his senior officials. Fighting on the streets of Damascus means the wolves are at the door of the President but he remains as entrenched as ever. When, as it surely must, the regime falls who will seize power? The rebels are an unknown quantity interspersed with foreign nationals who may not represent the Syrian people at all.

Spain is the latest European country to suffer at the hands of the EU and banking crisis. The people of Spain have taken to the streets this week to protest and things have turned nasty on more than one occasion. Police fired rubber bullets and the protests are far from over.

Most right minded people wonder just how much longer the fiasco that is the EU can continue.

As the week drew to a close Aurora, Denver, Colorado went on the World map. Its claim to fame was the mass shooting at a cinema by a lone gunman. As yet just why James Holmes went on a killing spree is not known. He killed at least 12 people and left 59 more injured. The tragedy becomes the worst in US history.

The madness has left many in the US reaffirming their right to bear arms. In fact many maintain that had others in the cinema been armed Holmes would have been stopped before he killed so many. It is hard to debate with blinkered hard line gun supporters. That does not mean they are right. It simply means that they are using excuses to justify the foolish laws which allowed a 24-year-old man to purchase 6,000 rounds of ammunition, two handguns, a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle. All were legally purchased with the required checks taking place.

Now what in the world would a young man want with such an amount of ammunition and weaponry? How come no alarm bells sounded?

In the US the people will grieve for the dead, pontificate but change nothing. They see countries such as the UK, with relatively tight gun laws, as insane. We look across the Pond and view the US in much the same way. Different strokes for different folks.

There is no escaping the fact though that as long as citizens can buy huge amounts of ammunition and weapons as easily as buying an ice cream, tragedies such as Aurora will continue to happen.

Tags: Aurora, US gun laws, US politics, that was the week that was, UK Olympics, James Holmes

One talking point yet again this week has been the weather. It has not been just the UK obsessed with this though. In the US record high temperatures have caused problems whilst in the UK heavy flooding has threatened to sink the country. In the case of loss of life though the UK has fared relatively well. At least one man has lost his life in the floods but in Russia this weekend more than 140 people died as flood waters rushed in whilst villagers slept. Emergency services in Russia are working hard to restore the affected area. 

The damp squib weather in the UK has played havoc with the Wimbledon schedule, this week, which is par for the course these days. Silverstone race track had to advise spectators to stay away as a sea of mud took hold. The UK deluge is set to continue, courtesy of the Jet Stream.

Brits are celebrating Andy Murray's historic entry into the mens singles final at Wimbledon. Celebrations may seem a little previous but whether he wins or not Murray is now in the history books. He becomes the first Brit to play in the final for 74 years. 

Good luck to Andy for today.

Deaths to foreign military in Afghanistan have continued, leaving it looking unlikely a safe country will result once we finally withdraw fully. Three UK soldiers were killed early in the week. UK military cuts announced this week must then have been a slap in the face to those in the military who work hard for a living?. Chiefs at the top look set to survive but whole regiments are to be lost to the cuts. Gaps will be filled with reservists which means the official line that the military is being streamlined to fit the 21st Century a nonsense. It is after all about saving money.

Yet late this week it was announced that Chancellor Osborne and the rest of the government have implemented much deeper cuts across the country than initially expected. The result is that £6.7bn was saved from government departments and spending was down by £11bn compared with 2010-11. The government plans had been for a reduction of £4.4bn so all in all a massive amount of savings.

The NHS also had an underspend, which was  £1.7bn . The government maintain that this is down to a reduction in IT costs and not to front line staff cuts and the like. As this blogger is what is termed a front line NHS worker she would have to disagree. Black alert is the most severe,as far as hospital bed availability goes, and only used to be called rarely. Even during these summer months it is now a regular occurrence in our Trust as bed numbers are cut, waiting lists extended and job vacancies unfilled. As workers wait to see where the axe will fall next morale is at an all time low. This is expected from the Tory part of the Coalition but the Liberal Democrats?

So will Chancellor Osborne use the money saved wisely? Doubtful. This week it was revealed that Chancellor Osborne is to fight the EU planned crack down on bankers bonuses. It has not escaped most people that the UK government always implements the rotten legislation from the EU and wriggles out of the essential. Most people believe that the EU proposals would not hit the bonus payments hard enough. That is most people except for the government and the bankers.

The proposals would set a maximum 1:1 ratio of bonus to pay. In other words if you "earn" £20,000 your bonus would not exceed that amount. Hardly a strong measure. What about paying a bonus at all when your bank is losing money, being bailed out by the public and those same people are experiencing an ongoing pay freeze?

On the World Stage Mitt Romney continues to raise obscene amounts of money for the US 2012 Election, Syrians continue to blow each other up, probably with outside influence, 1% of people wallow in excess wealth whilst the rest of us tighten our belts and the World becomes that little bit more insane. Stay safe till next week. TTFN

Tags: weekly news wrap, weekly round up of news, That was the week that was, TWTWTW, bankers, bonuses, madness, politics, Chancellor Osborne

The Eurozone crisis has once again dominated the news, especially in Europe. The week began with the Greek election result. A fairly close run result leaving the people opting for the right wing New Democracy Party and the left wing Syriza party meant that political opposites had to find a way to work together. After a brief period of talks a coalition was formed between the New Democracy Party, the Socialist Pasok Party and the smaller leftist party, the Democratic Left. PM Samaras was hastily sworn in and European leaders breathed a sigh of relief.

The problem with the Greek election was that in the end it turned out to be a vote between supporting the European bail out of Greece and those wanting to renegotiate the deal. All remains far from well in Europe though and in particular in the Eurozone. It is now generally accepted that the EU dream is broken. What it needs to repair it though is disputed, if in fact it is not beyond repair already.

Leaders from Europe and the other G20 countries met in Mexico for more debating yet the world still teeters on the brink. Do expensive summits really solve anything? Are they truly necessary? Are they more a way of justifying their jobs? No sooner was the G20 summit over than leaders went their different ways to the Rio summit and a small faction of European leaders to Italy for more Eurozone summit pre meetings.

The carbon footprint of these world leaders who all want us to spend a fortune to protect the environment is laughable. Perhaps the Green schemes they are pushing for are more about big business and profits.

Syria was discussed by UK PM Cameron, US President Obama and Russia's President Putin as an aside during the G20 summit. The outcome was that in spite of those killed allegedly by the Syrian regime President Assad could be given safe passage out of Syria. Who the rebels are and who would replace Assad.should not e ignored.

Egypt is a prime example of a revolution that has not worked.The old military guard are clinging to power and in danger of preventing a democratic election result forming a government.

The change sweeping through the Middle East although positive may in the end leave a destabilised region. In the equation there is Israel. Will they benefit from this ME power vacuum?

As the week drew to a close Israel broke a brief ceasefire. Their attack it was aimed at militants it was claimed. Cross border strikes between Israel and Hamas had increased and the ceasefire was brokered by Egypt. With protesters back on the streets of Egypt they have enough worries off their own without protecting their borders.

Israeli strikes during the week killed nine people in Gaza including a 14-year-old boy. The attacks were launched by Israel after an Israeli man was killed.

World conflicts rumble on. Something has to give. Will they inevitably lead to one massive conflict, that is World War III? Current conditions are ripe for this.

Till next week, stay safe and enjoy what you have, whilst you still have it.

TEK has decided to go with the fascism warning image once more. In a week that has seen elections at the fore front again political changes can be bad news.  

On Thursday a military panel dissolved the Egyptian parliament heralding an election. With the choice of  the old guard and the military, or the Muslim Brotherhood for many people there is no choice. Those who fought hard to free Egypt from Mubarek must be wondering where they can go from here. Read the attached fascism image and Egypt fits in there perfectly.

Syria has continued to confound the West as the death toll and violence rumble on. By the end of the week the UN Syrian monitoring mission was suspended. The West may berate Russia for allegedly supplying the Syrian regime with weapons but just who is arming the rebel groups?

The West should have no stomach for a further war, especially as that is in reality interfering in a civil war. The west should also not have the money to fund yet more conflict. Of course when it comes to destruction there is always plenty of cash in Western War Chests.

The week begun in the UK with the Diamond Jubilee. The weather had turned from beautiful to dismal a few days earlier and the Thames flotilla contended with heavy rain, mist and a cold nip in the air. As a result Prince Philip was hospitalised. The official announcement claimed that he had a urinary infection but the 90-year-old Prince must have felt the cold during the Jubilee festivities.

The Queen carried on regardless with royal duties. Philip was discharged from hospital June 9 just in time for his birthday celebrations. Today June 10 he celebrates his 91st birthday.

Although the Jubilee celebrations are over a series of programs is keeping the British Royal family in the public eye. A brainwashing exercise once more. Over the years these happen from time to time. It is a way for the Royals to boost their popularity. Perhaps it  is aimed at winning people over before the financial cost of the Jubilee is known. That said it is doubtful the true cost will be revealed. What will have cost dearly is the loss to industry of a long bank holiday weekend and security budgets for the events.

Across the Pond the 2012 US election remains in the news. Mitt Romney appears to be gaining ground and President Obama can no longer be sure of a win. Both candidates have made speeches and promises in an attempt to win over voters. Romney claims that he would arm the Syrian rebels but would he were he President? It is easy to make such statements when in opposition. Perhaps this claim was aimed at winning over voters who oppose another war. After all if the Syrians are armed and all blow themselves to kingdom come it will be problem solved, won't it?

In case you were not sure the above was sarcasm. Arming the Syrian rebels is wrong on all levels and will be non productive in the long term.

President Obama addressed the nation, and the world, trying to distance himself from the European crisis. He was attempting to cover his back if, or should that be when, the EU fails. If that happens economies around the world will tumble and the US must surely experience a little of the fall-out.

Europe though could have more serious worries. The rise of the extreme right in Europe is worrying. This week we have seen a Greek Nazi politician slapping a female socialist politician during a debate. For those who did not know before they are thugs.

EURO 2012 football kicked off late in the week and within a short space of time there were problems. Nazi salutes, swastika flags, racial abuse and fighting with officials has already occurred. Allowing Poland and the Ukraine to host the games was a mistake but the hooligan element of fans would have been in the crowd whoever hosted EURO 2012.

Europeans leaders need to open their eyes. Whilst they posture and preen without resolving the financial crisis the extreme right is thriving. The conditions are perfect for fascists, High unemployment and worthless money is a recipe for disaster. That is what helped fuel the second World War when all is said and done.

Till next week. Boycott EURO 2012 if you are an animal lover. Stay safe and if you are in the UK, stay dry if that is possible.