Latest news with #RoevWade
CNN
3 days ago
- Health
- CNN
British lawmakers vote to decriminalize abortion for pregnant women while America cracks down
British lawmakers voted Tuesday to decriminalize abortion for the pregnant woman – in striking contrast to the crackdown on reproductive rights in the United States. Lawmakers voted by an overwhelming majority to invalidate Victorian-era legislation that makes it possible to prosecute a woman for ending her pregnancy in England and Wales, though medical professionals who help terminate a pregnancy beyond certain limits will still be breaking the law. Currently, abortion beyond the first 24 weeks of pregnancy is illegal in those two parts of the United Kingdom. Beyond that time limit, it is permitted in certain circumstances, such as when the mother's life is at risk. While abortions are common in England and Wales, women who terminate their pregnancy outside of existing restrictions face the threat of criminal investigation, arrest, prosecution and even imprisonment. Tuesday's vote – which amends a draft policing and crime law – seeks to remove those threats. The amended bill needs to pass through both chambers of the UK parliament before it can become law. The vast majority of Britons believe women should have the right to an abortion, according to YouGov surveys stretching back to 2019. The latest poll, conducted in April, showed that 88% of respondents supported that right. Britain's vote comes as its ally across the Atlantic has dramatically restricted abortion rights. Since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 – which had enshrined abortion as a constitutional right – many US states have introduced severe restrictions or outright bans on the practice. The changes have completely upended the landscape of reproductive health and choice in America. Louise McCudden, UK head of external affairs at MSI Reproductive Choices, a charity providing abortions, thinks there is a connection between Tuesday's vote and a 'hostile climate' toward abortion rights in the UK driven by the changes in the US. McCudden told CNN there had been an 'increase in activity from anti-choice groups outside (MSI) clinics' that feel 'emboldened' by the crackdown on abortion rights across the pond. 'On the rare occasions when you do see women who are suspected of ending a pregnancy over 24 weeks, they are invariably in extremely vulnerable situations,' she also said, noting that the women who had been investigated in the UK included domestic abuse survivors, potential trafficking survivors and women who'd had miscarriages and stillbirths. However, the UK's Society for the Protection of Unborn Children strongly condemned Tuesday's vote. 'If this clause becomes law, a woman who aborts her baby at any point in pregnancy, even moments before birth, would not be committing a criminal offense,' Alithea Williams, the society's public policy manager, said in a statement Tuesday. 'Now, even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away,' she added. CNN's Kara Fox contributed reporting.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Georgia abortion law: Brain-dead woman gives birth in US; life support continued due to strict legal rules
This is a representative AI image (TIL Denny) In a rare case, a brain-dead woman in Georgia gave birth to a premature baby boy through a C-section while being kept on life support, her family said. Doctors kept the mother, Adriana Smith, on life support in line with the US state of Georgia's abortion laws. The baby, named Chance, was born on Friday and is currently being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit. He weighed 1lb 13oz (0.8kg) at birth, the woman's mother, April Newkirk told local TV station 11 Alive. "He's expected to be OK," Smith's mother told the outlet. "He's just fighting. We just want prayers for him," she added. Newkirk said her daughter, would be taken off life support on Tuesday (local time). "It's hard to process," she said. "I'm her mother. I shouldn't be burying my daughter. My daughter should be burying me," she added. Earlier in February, Adriana Smith, a 31-year-old nurse visited a hospital with severe headaches but was given medication and sent home, according to Newkirk. "They gave her some medication, but they didn't do any tests. No CT scan," Newkirk told 11Alive in May. "If they had done that or kept her overnight, they would have caught it. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's The Price for a 1-Day Walk-in Shower In 2025 Homebuddy Learn More Undo It could have been prevented," she added. The next day, Smith woke up gasping for air. She was rushed to Emory University Hospital, where doctors found blood clots in her brain and declared her brain-dead. At the time, Smith was over three months away from her due date. However, her family said doctors told them they could not take her off life support or remove the breathing equipment due to Georgia's strict abortion law, which bans termination once fetal cardiac activity is detected, usually around six weeks into pregnancy. Newkirk said her grandson may face serious health issues including possible blindness and difficulty walking or survival challenges due to her daughter's health complications, BBC reported. She had earlier also expressed frustration that the decision to continue life support wasn't left to the family. "This decision should've been left to us. Now we're left wondering what kind of life he'll have — and we're going to be the ones raising him," she had earlier said. What is Georgia's Heartbeat Bill? Georgia's Heartbeat Bill, passed in 2019 and enforced since July 2022 bans abortion once embryonic cardiac activity is detected, typically around six weeks gestation. The legislation became effective after the US Supreme Court's 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which had previously guaranteed women's constitutional right to abortion.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why it's never been more important to decriminalise abortion
When I scrambled out of my bathroom on all fours after an abortion in January 2022, I was paralysed by the pain. Fast forward to five months later and again I found myself frozen with pain in the same flat in south London. However, this time round the anguish wasn't physical; instead, it was provoked by news the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v Wade – the landmark decision that legalised abortion nationwide in the US in 1973 – and millions of women had lost their legal right to have a pregnancy terminated. Life has changed immeasurably in America since this seismic decision. Yet the shift has invariably had an impact across the pond, too; with anti-abortion ideologues growing further emboldened and better funded here in Britain. That's why it's never been more important to decriminalise abortion – now. And now, Labour MPs Stella Creasy and Tonia Antoniazzi have both tabled amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill which would seek to decriminalise pregnancy terminations without 'changing anything about provision of abortion care'. It comes after the UK's largest abortion services estimated that police have investigated at least 100 women for having an abortion in the last five years. Amendment NC1 has been backed by 177 cross-party MPs, as well as 50 leading medical bodies, women's rights groups and healthcare providers, including the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British Medical Association. MPs will be voting on it today. These calls are by no means new. Rather, abortion providers, charities, medical bodies, activists and MPs have spent years calling for abortion law to be disentangled from criminal law and overseen in the same way that other medical practices are. But their demands have often fallen on deaf ears for a whole range of reasons. One is the fact that many Britons are oblivious that abortion care remains firmly ensconced in criminal law. For those who need a refresher on how abortion law works here: pregnancy terminations can be legally carried out within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales – but only if the abortion is approved by two doctors, with the health professionals agreeing that continuing with the pregnancy would be riskier for the physical or mental health of the woman than having an abortion. If a medical professional delivers an abortion outside of the terms of the 1967 act, they are at risk of being prosecuted. Legislation passed in 1861 means any woman who ends a pregnancy without getting legal permission from two doctors can technically face up to life imprisonment – fortunately, this does not currently happen in reality. Abortions after the 24-week mark can only be legally performed in very restricted situations, such as if the mother's life is in danger, or the child will have a severe disability. So, why are so many people so keen to reform abortion law? Well, for starters, it is hardly surprising there is enthusiasm to change legislation which dates back to a time when young boys risked their lives as chimney sweeps – and public executions were legal. Additionally, the desire for reform arises from the recognition that those who access abortions outside regulated provision or past the cut-off point are (for the most part) highly vulnerable. As such, they need support and care, not the psychological pressure and impending doom of a police investigation hanging over them; or worse still, being locked up in a prison system riddled with human rights abuses. 'Our lawmakers have a choice to make,' Sarah Salkeld, deputy medical director at leading abortion provider, MSI Reproductive Choices, tells The Independent. 'Do they want to be part of the 'green wave', moving gender equality forward? Or do they want to see prosecutions of vulnerable women on their watch? At a time when reproductive rights are facing rollbacks in many countries, and with the anti-rights movement feeling emboldened by the reversal of Roe v Wade in the United States, it could not be more important that here in the UK, elected lawmakers stand up for women and support everyone to get the medical care they need safely, confidentially and free from the threat of invasive investigation and prosecution.' She points out that women who have illegal abortions sometimes have significant mental health problems, or may be domestic abuse victims, or teenagers whose parents are opposed to abortions. 'I don't see how it would be in anyone's interest to prosecute somebody who has gone to such desperate measures,' Ms Salkeld says. 'It just doesn't feel right and it doesn't support someone who is clearly in a very difficult position and we are talking very small numbers of people here who would potentially be in that position.' For this reason and more, it is high time we decriminalise abortion. With the far right growing around the world and its war on reproductive rights ramping up, reform feels especially urgent. MPs were set to debate similar amendments around this time last year but ongoing campaigning efforts were abruptly cut short when a snap election was called and parliament was dissolved to make way for this. When I think back to my own nightmare experience of having an abortion – something I wrote about in a first-person story for The Independent – I am reminded of the fear I felt contending with overwhelmed abortion providers. In the end, overstretched services meant I was left near the 10-week cut-off point for a medical abortion, which involves taking pills. If I had gone past this deadline, I would have been forced to have a surgical abortion. While all abortions are safe, surgical ones are riskier and more of an ordeal as they involve going to hospital for a procedure. For some, an abortion will be the most traumatic experience of their lives. For others, it is not. But the important thing to bear in mind is the fact your experience of a termination is not just dictated by your personal feelings or physical health. On the contrary, external factors can transform a straightforward procedure you quickly recover from into a living nightmare that needlessly drags on and on. Sadly, it is the latter that women so often encounter when they are pulled into the criminal justice system after having an abortion. We finally have the chance to change that – and improve women's lives.
Cosmopolitan
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Thanks to Ginny & Georgia's abortion storyline, we finally have a powerful, real portrayal of what it's like
Netflix series Ginny and Georgia isn't exactly known for its gritty verisimilitude (the second season ends with a wedding, a police investigation and a shock confession), and with the show having returned for a third season, you can expect the melodrama to continue. But it's a tender and more understated moment towards to second half of the season that will resonate over the hyperbole, and will remain with viewers long after the series ends. For those not up to speed, Ginny meets Wolfe in her poetry class, and after some mild flirting, the pair end up having a brief liaison in the laundry room – leaving 16-year-old Ginny unexpectedly pregnant. It's a clear moment of contention for Ginny when she manages to speak to Georgia, after Wolfe's disappointing response to the news ('That's wild!' was his reaction, before fleeing). With Georgia having been a teenage mum herself, Ginny is painfully aware that if her mother had chosen to have an abortion, she wouldn't be here. This knowledge leads to uncertainty, even though Ginny knows having a baby isn't the right choice for her. Ginny ultimately decides to have the procedure, which is shown with quiet, raw accuracy – some pills, and Ginny returning to her home with a hot water bottle as she undergoes painful cramping. She gently asks her mother whether she should feel guilty, before asking her dad whether she is damaged. It is made clear that Ginny has not done anything wrong – that she did what she felt was right to her in a difficult situation. What makes this storyline so powerful is that it does not attempt to moralise or present any scenario as more correct than another – instead it is subdued in its approach, showing the reality for so many young girls who find themselves pregnant unexpectedly, and the difficulty of making that life-changing decision they are forced to reckon with. It's an accurate reflection of messiness because there is no right answer; for Georgia, having kids young was her saving grace. For Ginny, it might have inhibited a bright future – and the series makes it clear that it's vital she has the ability to make that choice for herself. The abortion storyline is particularly brave, considering it's an increasingly contentious topic in the States. Ginny & Georgia is set in Massachusetts, where abortion is still legal in certain circumstances - but this is not the case in many parts of America. Since the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, and the second term of Donald Trump's presidency, a women's right to have autonomy over her own body is being increasingly challenged by right-wing politicians and Evangelical extremists. It's something that we're now starting to see echoes of in the UK too. Abortion may be legal here, but under particular caveats. Two doctors need to agree that it would cause less harm to the woman's physical or mental health, or the health of existing children, than continuing the pregnancy before 24 weeks. However, right wing figures such as Nigel Farage are increasingly gaining power in the UK; Farage himself has since suggested reducing the abortion limit to below 24 weeks should he be handed the keys to No.10 in the future. It may not necessarily have the bombast or excitement as other storylines in Ginny & Georgia, but the abortion scenes show the quiet yet urgent reality needed for women, no matter what the circumstances, to be able to make the choice over her own body – and future. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump news at a glance: US-China trade relations falter amid fragile trade truce
President Donald Trump had this May hailed a 'total reset' of US-China relations, but trade relations between the world's two-largest economies have faltered since, highlighting the fragility of the truce. The US is now complaining that China not delivered on its promises to roll back restrictions on the export of key critical minerals, with Trump saying on Friday that China had 'totally violated' the agreement. China has also hit back, with its commerce ministry saying this week that China 'is determined to safeguard its rights and interests'. It also denied the accusation it had undermined the 12 May agreement. Here are the key stories at a glance: China has accused the US of 'seriously violating' the fragile US-China detente that has been in place for less than a month since the two countries agreed to pause the trade war that risked upending the global economy. Read the full story A pro-Donald Trump journalist says she was fired from her job after criticizing the president's secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, over his attempts to restrict media access at the Pentagon. Read the full story At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics across seven states have shuttered since the start of 2025 or have announced plans to close soon – closures that come amid immense financial and political turbulence for the reproductive health giant as the United States continues to grapple with the fallout from the end of Roe v Wade. Read the full story Millions of acres of Alaska wilderness will lose federal protections and be exposed to drilling and mining in the Trump administration's latest move to prioritize energy production over the shielding of the US's open spaces. Read the full story Political leaders across the US have condemned what they describe as a horrific, antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, after a man allegedly used a makeshift flamethrower and incendiary devices to target people at a rally calling for the release of the hostages held by Hamas. Read the full story Donald Trump has pardoned two south Florida shark divers convicted of theft for freeing 19 sharks and a giant grouper from a fisherman's longline several miles from shore. Pardons for Tanner Mansell and John Moore Jr were signed on Wednesday. They had been convicted in 2022 of theft of property within special maritime jurisdiction. Read the full story Trump administration officials sparked a huge protest in a Boston suburb after immigration agents detained a high school student while they were seeking his father. US senator Joni Ernst triggered fierce criticism after making light of voters' fears that Republican Medicaid cuts could prove fatal. Massachusetts Institute of Technology barred its 2025 class president from attending her graduation ceremony after she delivered a speech condemning the war in Gaza and criticizing the university's ties to Israel. Catching up? Here's what happened on 1 June 2025.
