News,

An Equal Opportunities Commission investigation has claimed that 28% of UK employers oppose training pregnant members of staff, and believe it to be a waste of money. The same employers were also unable to cite statutory entitlements for their pregnant female staff. [Guardian, 10 August ] Women in Scotland who have had IVF treatment have had babies by the wrong fathers, according to Dr John Mills, a prominent Scottish gynaecologist and president of the British Fertility Society. This was all due to clinical errors he claimed, and similar cases have occurred in California, were a woman is suing for the custody of her child. A spokesperson for the Catholic Church in Scotland stated: "This case has many losers, but the real victim is the child". [Scotsman, 10 August ] A proposed law in Bolivia is said to promote abortifacient birth control in this mainly Catholic country. The Sexual Reproductive Rights bill has been put forward by Ms Julieta Montano, a Bolivian lawyer who heads the Juridical Office for Women. It would grant the right for all Bolivian citizens to exercise "a pleasurable and responsible freely decided sexuality". Religious leaders have disapproved, urging President Carlos Mesa to send the bill back to the senate for review. [Catholic World News, 10 August ] The House of Lords is to consider the case of a woman from London, Natallie Evans, who wishes to have her frozen embryos implanted. Ms Evans, 32, and her estranged husband Howard Johnston, had six embryos frozen while she underwent treatment for ovarian cancer, but now her ex-husband does not wish to have the embryos implanted in her womb. Ms Evans has been in a court battle with her ex-husband for the past two years. [Gloucestershire Echo, 10 August ] Officials in Pennsylvania are demanding that a couple who put up an anti-abortion sign on their premises take it down. Colman and Frances Wessel put up the sign three weeks ago and have stated that they are only exercising their freedom of speech and religion. [Times Leader, 10 August ]