Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

The immediate focus is on the six men accused of torturing a medical student so sadistically that they destroyed her internal organs. The issues of women’s rights, safety and respect have seldom been the stuff of headlines in the biggest democracy. It’s also a complicated issue prone to unhelpful generalities.

But the rape cast a spotlight on something well-known to India watchers but given little heed globally: how badly India often treats its women, how sexual harassment is tolerated and the extent to which backward attitudes must be stamped out. Misogynistic comments from a variety of officials suggesting the victim may have encouraged the attack based on her dress and mannerisms don’t help.

Antipathy toward women begins in the womb. Female infanticide and sex-selective abortion driven by a societal preference for boys make it a stark challenge for girls even to enter the world. A 2012 Unicef report found that 57 percent of Indian males aged 15 to 19 think wife beating is justified.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20909508

UK service sector activity falls in December

Activity in the UK's services sector fell for the first time in two years in December, a survey has suggested, raising fears of yet another recession.

The PMI services index from Markit/CIPS fell to 48.9 in December, down from 50.2 in November. Any score below 50 indicates the sector is shrinking.


Markit blamed the contraction on a fall in new business.

It said the numbers suggested the UK economy shrank by 0.2% in the final three months of 2012.

The UK emerged from a double dip recession last summer with growth of 1% in the three months to September.

"The first fall in service sector activity for two years raises the likelihood that the UK
economy is sliding back into recession," said Chris Williamson, chief economist at

Markit.
'Continuing uncertainty'

The estimate of a 0.2% fall in GDP for the final quarter is worse than predicted by other forecasters.

Separate purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs) released earlier in the week indicated that the manufacturing sector had expanded last month, but that the construction sector had continued to contract.

"The underlying trend is one of continuing uncertainty," said David Noble, chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply.

"Businesses are holding back on investment, leading to falls in employment and increased levels of spare capacity. At the same time, costs are increasing and businesses are unable to pass these on because of competitive pressures."

In December, the government's Office for Budget Responsibility said it expected the economy to have shrunk by 0.1% in 2012 as a whole.

What on earth does this doubletalk mean?

"but admitted it could not commit to the scheme if returned to power in 2015."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20905415

Labour has said it would offer the long-term unemployed a guarantee of a six-month job if it was in government.

Businesses would be given subsidies to hire people on a temporary basis, with those refusing a suitable job having benefits docked.

Labour said the move sent a "clear message" about its stance on welfare but admitted it could not commit to the scheme if returned to power in 2015.

Hays,

At the moment, Cameron and Georgie Boy have the steering wheel in their hands and look like a pair of drunken drivers.

Try asking them what they will commit to in two years time, if they are in the unlikely position of forming the "governing" majority party.

I bet the next tory manifesto will be wishy washy and anything in it will be renegade on by them within a few months of any elected.
As it is be said the only thing this government has done well are u-turns.

It used to be said that the tories couldn’t be trusted with the NHS and that is proving correct.

The whispers on the street at the moment are that the tories can’t be trusted with anything.

============

fred for once a agree the torys said
cut immigration cut crime cut benefits cut tax dodging
and they have done nothing

Hi Haystack,

In Labour speak it means, 'It is something we are committed to for only as long as we are in opposition', a bit like Cameron's promise on a referendum re staying in the EU.

Labour, Liberal or Conservative, I would not trust any of the fiddling barstewards.

Vote Plaid Cymru next time. We can save Britain, the World, the Universe. Hahahahahahahaha!
Oops, a bit early for Granny's Christmas Elderberry wine I think!

What are the chances of this?

The Church of England has dropped its prohibition on gay clergy in civil partnerships becoming bishops.

The announcement, from the Church's House of Bishops, would allow gay clergy to become bishops if they promise to be celibate.

Well well well, let us see who responds to your above post.

Not me!

CityAm
www.StopFundingArgentina.org
Petition to govt.

Spread the word.

it hasn't been entirely observed in the Catholic Church for centuries, where it is allegedly obligatory, so why should it be adopted by C of E?

The same reason Henry V111 created the Church Of England, because they can ! Cynical but convenient :O)

go back to your history books CC! ... H8 dissolved the monasteries and walked away from Rome because he wanted to get his sticky fingers on all the dosh and property ...... the rest of it was primarily rationalising his actions, albeit that reform of or dissolution of many monasteries was well overdue ...... i shan't continue the history lesson, but it makes very interesting reading, especially that surrounding the Pilgrimage of Grace

I stand corrected cynic, there was me thinking H8 walked away from Rome because he wanted a divorce. Didn't realise dosh and property came into it. But there you go the limitations of Secondary School education eh? I will now endeavor to explore deeper. Can you recommend any suitable reading material? I do enjoy history.

Chris (from memory) it was made possible by the Act of Supremacy - and money was his main motivation!

Thanks skinny, just goes to show, never to old to learn.

This is a brutal example of how far the struggle between muslims and Catholics in Nigeria has reached.

Muslims are determined to impose their ‘religion’ all over Africa as well as in other continents and countries

of the world. Islam has but one goal: rule the world at any cost!”

“And where are the International Human Rights Organizations?

Christians are burnt alive in Nigeria: a horrific Holocaust right in front of International indifference! As denounced by Father Juan Carlos Martos, on behalf of the Missionari Clarettiani, via del Sacro Cuore di Maria, Rome, Italy.”

“By publishing this graphic document on Facebook, I have intended to make the world aware of certain terrible events totally ignored or minimized by the mainstream media; an authentic genocide so cruel and inhuman only comparable with the most hateful and vile acts in the nazi extermination camps.”

“To my great surprise, Facebook has criticized me for the publication of this graphic document as a proof of the Holocaust that Christians have been suffering in Nigeria in the last ten years. According to Facebook’s Security policy of the ‘social’ Network, this photo has been classified as ‘pornographic’, ‘violent’ or ‘inappropriate’ and hence I was disallowed to publish any picture for a week. And I was threatened drastic measures if I insist publishing any document that prove the terrible violations of Human Rights in Nigeria.
take a look at the pictures and cry hitler was a saint to these sub humans

CC - i can't remember offhand and without re-reading how the Divorce Question was resolved, other than through Thomas Cromwell going over the head(!) of Sir Thomas More ....

with regard to the Pilgrimage of Grace, read the eponymous book by Geoffrey Moorhouse ...... the cause of it was most assuredly based on H8's abandonment of the "old religion" and dissolution of the monasteries, but H8's reasons for the dissolution was primarily THE LOOT!

i can recommend all sorts of interesting "history" books, per the above or biographies .... as a nice jewish boy, i have wide catholic taste!

btw, you'ld probably enjoy Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel) about this same period, though it is a faction novel.

Thanks cynic, will certainly take a look.