US judge blocks Mississippi 'heartbeat' abortion banA US federal judge Friday blocked Mississippi's strict abortion law which would have banned the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy.The bill banning abortion where a heartbeat is detectable, from six weeks, was passed in March and was due to go into effect on July 1. Last spring, plaintiffs successfully challenged Mississippi's ban on abortion after 15 weeks. The ban "threatens immediate harm to women's rights, especially considering most women do not seek abortion services until after 6 weeks," Reeves wrote in his order. In Alabama, Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Friday against the southern state's new near-total ban on abortion. And doctors in 13 states must advise women considering abortion that the fetus may feel pain -- a scientifically controversial claim.

Source: Standard Digital May 25, 2019 06:22 UTC