US Supreme Court overturns Roe v Wade abortion rights
It is likely that abortion will now become illegal or limited in at least 25 states.
The US Supreme Court has overturned the historic Roe v Wade ruling that legalised abortion across America.
For decades, the ruling has guaranteed women a constitutional right to abortion.
The power to decide on abortion rights for millions of women will now be in the hands of each state to determine individually.
The court voted 6-3 in favour of overturning, powered by its conservative majority.
It is likely that abortion will now become illegal or limited in at least 25 states.
The decision is a major win for republicans and religious conservatives who have long been advocating to limit or ban abortion.
In May, a draft version of the ruling indicating the court would likely decide to overturn Roe v Wade was leaked, sparking massive backlash and protests.
The 1973 Roe v Wade involved a Texas woman named Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey), a single mother who was pregnant for the third time and wanted an abortion.
She took federal action against Henry Wade, the district attorney of Dallas county, over a law that made terminating a pregnancy a crime, except in cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life was in danger.
The Court held that the laws criminalising abortion in most instances violated a woman’s constitutional right to privacy.
At the time, Hillary Clinton said the decision was an "utter disgrace" and would be a "direct assault on the dignity, rights, and lives of women, not to mention decades of settled law".
She added: "It will kill and subjugate women even as a vast majority of Americans think abortion should be legal."
