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26-week maternity leave gets Rajya Sabha stamp

• Despite sharp differences over the benefits for surrogate mothers, the government and opposition came together on Thursday to pass a bill which mandates a 26-week maternity leave. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Bill, 2016, which was moved in the Upper House was passed after a discussion through a voice vote.

Men in demand after 2-kid policy in China

• China's new policy to permit two children, ending the one child policy this year is resulting in discrimination of women in job market as employers prefer male workers to avoid lengthy maternity leave, official media reported.

60% of countries most likely to use slave labour

• Almost 60% of countries are at high risk of using slave labour in their supply chains, according to a new global index launched on Thursday , which also ranked North Korea as having the worst record of slave labour. By assessing incidents of human trafficking or slavery , national laws, and the quality of law enforcement across 198 countries, risk analytics company Verisk Maplecroft found that 115 countries were at high or extreme risk of using slaves. 

Pioneering British ship found 140 yrs after it sank in Russia

• A pioneering British steamship has been discovered almost 140 years after it sank in Russia during an attempt to open a sea route between the UK and Siberia. Researchers have found The Thames, a steamship with sails which braved the Arctic ice in the 19th century, sunk deep in the bed of the Yanisei river in Russia. The ship was found with its stern above the sand and the rest buried eight metres beneath silt. The find testifies to the legacy of British exploration t close to the Arctic Circle throt ughout the 19th and early 20th century 

92 years on, it's end of track for railway budget

• There will be no separate railway budget from the next financial year, putting an end to a practice that started in 1924, with the finance ministry agreeing to a proposal to merge the transporter's annual exercise with the Union Budget.

Lok Sabha worked overtime, RS 100% this session

• The Parliament functioned overtime in the monsoon session with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha having worked 110.84% and 99.54% of its scheduled time respectively, according to figures shared by the government.During the session, 15 bills were introduced. While the Lok Sabha passed all 15, Rajya Sabha gave its nod to 14 including a constitutional amendment bill enabling the levy of Goods and Services Tax (GST)