WOMEN IN THE NEWS.

I feel a 'Whats In The Paper's?' post coming on - this one devoted entirely to some of the women who have made it into the news.

They are of course, in peak physical condition, with the flying skills required of any air force ace?

But China's first female astronauts have faced an extra challenge: they had to be mothers to qualify (makes a nice to change when we read so much about mothers being turned for jobs merely because they ARE mothers and yet it is still discrimination of a type) for the country's prestigious space programme.

Xu Xianrong, an expert at the air force general hospital, said women had advantages as astronauts over men because they were more mentally stable, better able to bear loneliness and had better communication skills. The insistence that they should also be wives and mothers (Umm, no single parents then) does not relate to their multi-tasking abilities, however. Officials are concerned that space flight might affect their fertility (is there no chance of male fertility being affected? I ask myself)

- Taken from an article by Tania Branigan, reporting in the Guardian. (Click HERE for full report.)

Maybes I shouldn't laugh but I'm sorry this next article really made me giggle.

Two women have been arrested on suspicion of trying to smuggle the body of a dead relative on to an easyJet fight bound for Germany.

The women, the man's widow and stepdaughter, said they thought 91-year-old Curt Willi Jarant, who was seated in a wheelchair and wearing sunglasses, was asleep as they tried to check in.

The women, German nationals, who were also travelling with two young children, were detained on suspicion of failing to give notification of death.

(Airport worker) Andrew Millea said "When the family pulled up in a minibus-style taxi, the older lady told me assistance was needed for her elderly father, who was sat in the front seat of the cab. She told me he was elderly and frail, and also very tired, so I would have to lift him out of the taxi and into the wheelchair."

His stepdaughter said "They would think that for 24 hours we would carry a dead person? This is ridiculous. (and this is what made me laugh, put it down to the British love of GALLOWS HUMOUR if you wish) He was moving, he was breathing. Eight people saw him."

An edited version (click HERE for the full) of an article in the Guardian. Reporters - James Meikle and Kate Connolly.

A great way to publicise a little known illness (Becky has the debilitating condition, FIBROMYALGIA) but what a way to celebrate your wedding ............. on a double decker bus.

A Bride-To-Be's plan to win a dream wedding has hit the brakes (pun intended) after she pulled out of a reality tv show.

Becky Magson was picked as one of ten prospective brides, competing to win the perfect nuptials, on board a classic double decker in tv programme BRIDES ON A BUS.

- Coreena Ford reprting in the Sunday Sun. (View full article by clicking HERE.)

And finally.......

A Glasgow woman got a letter from a book club last week, addressed to her grandmother who used to live with her.

Gran had been a member of the club until she died five years ago, but her granddaughter was used to getting mail from companies that couldn't manage to update their records.

Still, she had to smile when she opened this one and saw the letter headed "How can we get you back?" (With a miracle?)

- the Sunday Post.