#maternity-leave

#maternity-leave

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Signing the sharp-shooting guard who averages 2.8 points per game in her WNBA career was one of the best decisions Shannon Seebohm has ever made.It's because to the four-year head coach of Australia's Townsville Fire, Karlie Samuelson 's impact shouldn't be measured in the points she scores, but instead the three championship trophies she raised in as many seasons.

In hindsight, this French Open was probably destined to come down to a moment like the one that unfolded Tuesday.For 10 days in Paris, and for months on the women's professional tennis tour, Ukrainian players have made it clear that they will not shake hands with players from Russia or Belarus after their matches.

The moment the women's singles draw for the French Open pitted Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the opening round, there was no doubt the start of the tournament would produce some fireworks.It did that and more.The score line showed a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win for Sabalenka, the reigning Australian Open champion, who is the second seed in Paris and one of the hottest players in the world.

Suella Braverman is once again under fire from critics and opposition parties, amid questions over whether the Home Secretary breached the ministerial code by asking civil servants to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.The row is another headache for the Prime Minister.But it is not the first time Mrs Braverman has found herself at the centre of a political storm.

In a bright, bunting-filled community hall in central Reykjavik, Eggert Arason bounces his 17-month-old son, Mosi, on his lap as they sing the Icelandic version of Row Your Boat, accompanied by an acoustic guitar.It's mid-morning on a Thursday, and Arason is not the only dad who is off work to attend the council-funded playgroup.

MPs have raised concerns about the recent explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and called for the UK to lead the world in developing global standards for the new field.Tory former minister Tim Loughton argued that AI potentially poses the same level of moral dilemma as advances in medical technology, whilst Labour's Darren Jones said people are rightly worried about how it could affect the political process.

We speak with Jaysin Saxton, one of the witnesses who testified at the Senate hearing Wednesday on Starbucks' union-busting record.Saxton was a former Starbucks shift manager, fired after leading the union drive at a store in Augusta, Georgia.He tells Democracy Now! he and fellow workers were motivated to organize their store to address the "insane" working conditions, including understaffing and inconsistent schedules.

Humza Yousaf has been sworn in as the First Minister of Scotland at the Court of Session, and he will now start appointing his Cabinet.He won the SNP leadership election on Monday, was elected First Minister by MSPs on Tuesday, and the administering of the three oaths of office at the court on Wednesday made his appointment official.

Carers will be able to take unpaid leave from their employment after a Scottish Liberal Democrat MP's Bill passed in Westminster.North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain's Carer's Leave Bill will become law after it passed its final stage in the House of Lords on Friday.It will take effect next year once it is given royal assent.

Scotiabank Arena will be welcoming a whole new group of hoopers this weekend as the Raptors' home plays host to the first ever WNBA game in Canada.The Minnesota Lynx and Chicago Sky will face off Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. in front of a 22,000 strong sold out crowd.While still a preseason game for both teams, all eyes will be on Toronto for this historic event.

A Conservative MP has been chosen to contest the next election despite local party chiefs rejecting her candidacy.Theo Clarke said on Monday she was delighted that members of the Stafford Conservative Association had chosen her to fight to retain the West Midlands seat.She fought for the backing of the full local party membership after criticising the association executive for de-selecting her after she returned from maternity leave.

SNP leadership candidate Kate Forbes has said it is highly, highly unlikely she would stand again for the position if she is not elected this time round.Ms Forbes told The Herald she feels this is probably the one opportunity for her to secure the role, although she will continue to support the party whatever the outcome.

A few years ago, I talked to a woman named Leah Ferrazzani who had founded an artisanal pasta company, and who turned down an opportunity to sell her brand nationwide.The reason?She had two young kids home, and she didn't want to be flying all over the country selling pasta and miss them growing.Ferrazzani could have done ither husband was up for the challengebut, she says, it didn't feel right.

Cabinet appointments are under way after Humza Yousaf was sworn in as the First Minister of Scotland.Senior SNP MSPs have been filing into the First Minister's official residence at Bute House in Edinburgh on Wednesday morning to be appointed to the top jobs of government.Education Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville, Ukraine minster Neil Gray and Net Zero Secretary Michael Matheson have been seen entering the official residence, but it is not yet clear if they will be moving positions.

Kate Forbes chose to turn down a cabinet post to allow for a better work life balance, Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said.The former finance secretary narrowly missed out on the top job herself, taking 48% of the vote to Humza Yousaf's 52% in the second round in the SNP leadership race.On Tuesday she turned down the post of rural affairs secretary seen by many to be a demotion instead returning to the backbenches and endangering the First Minister's chances of being able to reunite a party that felt the full impact of a bruising leadership contest.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister has revealed he previously tried to leave the Scottish Government, but Nicola Sturgeon wouldn't countenance his offers.John Swinney said he offered to leave Government in 2016 and 2021, and that he also came incredibly close to resigning over the controversial system of exam moderation in 2020 during the pandemic.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has announced she will run for the SNP leadership following Nicola Sturgeon's resignation last week.Ms Forbes, a new mother who is currently on maternity leave, told BBC Scotland she had not planned to go back to work for a few months."It's been an incredibly tough few days where I've been extraordinarily torn about what I should do," she said.

He is the big brother, both spiritually and literally.It would seem to be a tough position, the only senior on a historically dominant Santa Ana Mater Dei program to receive consistent minutes.Tasked with assuming the top scorer's burden while keeping a group of underclassmen in line.But ever since a rocky fall tournament at the Border League in Las Vegas, the Monarchs' Zack Davidson has taken on his role with no complaints.

Clubs in the Women's Super League need to do more to help pregnant players, says Chelsea manager Emma Hayes.Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz made her first start since returning from maternity leave in the 3-1 win over Brighton on Wednesday."If a player tears an ACL, you do everything possible to get them back on the pitch in nine to 12 months," Hayes told Sky Sports.

Diminishing support for the Scottish Government's plan to reform gender recognition laws shows that blocking those changes was wise and proportionate, Michael Gove has said.The Communities Secretary told MPs on Wednesday that the UK Government had blocked the controversial Gender Recognition Reform (GRR) Bill with regret, but had been vindicated by subsequent events.

Amending controversial gender reforms would be dancing to Westminster's tune, Humza Yousaf has said as he clashed with fellow SNP leadership candidates on the issue.The UK Government for the first time used Section 35 of the Scotland Act to block the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, which was passed in December.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Three candidates have put themselves forward in the surprise race to succeed Nicola Sturgeon and become Scotland's next first minister.Current Scottish Health Secretary Humza Yousaf is regarded by many as a continuity candidate, after spending over a decade in the Scottish Government.

Nicola Sturgeon's resignation has prompted a search for her successor as both SNP leader and Scottish first minister.The first minister said on Wednesday she was stepping down for long-term reasons and not because of short-term pressures - but said the row over gender recognition reform was not behind her decision to quit.

A host of senior Conservatives have backed an amendment designed to give MPs greater oversight over the scrapping of thousands of European Union laws.Downing Street said this week that it was keeping in place the deadline of removing all Brussels-made rules from British statute books by the end of the year.

Transgender Tory MP Jamie Wallis has accused fellow Conservatives of weaponising trans issues in this summer's leadership debate.Jamie Wallis accused senior colleagues of exploiting trans issues during the leadership race Ms Braverman criticised her over a decision to replace woman with pregnant person in the legislation.

A Chatham business owner has said she is humbled by the experience of speaking at Canada's largest retail, marketing and technology event.A Chatham business owner has said she is humbled by the experience of speaking at Canada's largest retail, marketing and technology event.Elizabeth Suni, founder of Wooly Doodle and Suni Creative Co., was part of a panel at the recent DX3 Conference in Toronto.

FIFPRO, the global football players' union, on Tuesday issued a reminder to all football clubs about women's rights after helping former Olympique Lyonnais player Sara Bjork Gunnarsdottir win a landmark maternity pay case against the club."[The] ruling against former club Olympique Lyonnais sends a clear message to clubs and footballers worldwide: The strict application of maternity rights is enforceable," FIFPRO said.

Speculation that Kate Forbes will not want to become Scotland's new first minister because she is on maternity leave has been fiercely criticised by campaigners, who warn such assumptions are discriminatory.First minister Nicola Sturgeon stepped down in a tearful speech at a press conference held in her official residence, Bute House in Edinburgh, on Wednesday after leading the party for more than eight years.

Nicola Sturgeon's departure has left a wide-open field for potential successors.One of the favourites to replace her is finance secretary Kate Forbes, an articulate and ambitious cabinet member, but one whose staunch religious beliefs risk placing her at odds with the SNP's socially liberal policies and imperilling relations with its governing partner, the Scottish Greens.

Social security benefits in Scotland will be increased to 10.1% in line with inflation in a move welcomed by charities.Deputy First Minister John Swinney set out the 2023/24 budget in Holyrood on Thursday.However, Mr Swinney has been told that more must be done to help families experiencing poverty.

A couple who won 1 million on the lottery last year have gotten engaged in Paris and have started to plan their dream wedding.Ben Lowther, 39, and 30-year-old Holly Saul, from Cambridge, had thought they would not be able to tie the knot until their children, aged 14 and three, were much older.But that changed when Miss Saul checked her National Lottery EuroMillions ticket in October 2021 and saw she had won.

A man has been sentenced to 15 years for murdering his primary school teacher wife at home just six months after she gave birth to their daughter.Abi Fisher, 29, was found dead in undergrowth by a road near a South Yorkshire village earlier this year.Matthew Fisher, 30, lied to police and said he had woke up to find his wife missing and claimed she had been upset the night before because she was due to return to work after maternity leave.

A new mother without a single day of legal training has won a 60,000 pay out from Morrisons after they changed her role and forced her to work full-time following maternity leave.Donna Patterson, 38, said she was gaslighted into taking on the extra hours and later launched legal action after suffering work-related stress.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister has urged MSPs to approve tax and spending plans for the coming year which will see the limited resources of the Scottish Government focused on where they are needed most.John Swinney made the appeal ahead of the final vote on the Scottish Budget for 2023-24.As part of that, Holyrood ministers are seeking to put up charges for middle and higher earners, with all Scots earning more than 43,662 facing a rise in income tax.

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Kate Forbes, Ash Regan and Humza Yousaf have all advanced to the membership vote in the SNP leadership contest after securing enough nominations.Candidates had to secure the backing of at least 100 members from a minimum of 20 local branches by noon on Friday.

John Swinney's budget was devolution in action.Scotland already had more generous welfare payments than other parts of the UK, as well as state-funded access to prescriptions, tuition fees, and personal care for the elderly.It has also been striking its own public sector pay deals, avoiding at least some of the industrial action which has hit the NHS elsewhere in the UK.