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UK cabinet ministers to be given six months' maternity leave on full pay

Move rushed through in time for attorney general Suella Braverman to keep her post after giving birth
The government is to change the law to give cabinet ministers six months’ maternity leave on full pay, allowing the attorney general, Suella Braverman, to keep her post after having her baby.
Labour will back the move, but it has caused some disquiet among backbench MPs angry that the maternity rights will only apply to secretaries of state, and go further than those that apply to the general public.
Despite its backing, Labour is concerned that no provisions have been made for paternity leave or other parental rights because of the urgency of having the measures in place before Braverman gives birth at the end of February.
Labour sources said the government had committed to further, broader legislation before the summer recess that would address paternity or shared parental leave, adoption leave and potentially sickness leave for ministers on a cross-party basis.
It is understood that previous rules would have meant Braverman would have had to resign if she had wanted to take any leave, or had her ministerial duties split between other ministers rather than have a full-time replacement.
Whips have indicated they hope to pass the whole bill in a single day on Thursday.
The Guardian understands that Labour believes the major outstanding issues with the bill cannot be resolved in time for Braverman to go on maternity leave. The party will not table any amendments from the frontbench, though backbenchers may still try to amend the bill.
Adding paternity and shared parental leave to the bill could potentially create a loophole where ministers and their employed partners could both take six months’ paid leave together, giving ministers greater rights than the general public.
The Labour MP Stella Creasy campaigned in 2019 to get maternity cover for MPs, asking their funding body to cover the salaries of “locum MPs” that would undertake maternity cover in local constituencies. Creasy appointed the first locum MP to cover her constituency work in Walthamstow last year, but other MPs have been reluctant to ask for the same funding.
The Hampstead and Kilburn MP, Tulip Siddiq, also hastened the introduction of proxy voting, which has become widespread during the pandemic but was originally introduced for maternity and paternity leave. Siddiq was forced to delay a caesarean section with her second child in order to come to the Commons to vote on Brexit legislation.
source: Jessica Elgot
Levant
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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