welcome to bbc news. i'm simon pusey. our top stories — the us supreme court overturns the landmark roe versus wade ruling, ending the constitutional right to an abortion that dates back nearly 50 years. the historicjudgment will transform abortion rights in america, with individual states now able to ban or restrict the procedure. critics say the ruling is a major set—back to a woman's right to choose. president biden has strongly condemned the decision. the court literally taking america back 150 years. this is a sad day for the country, in my view. but it doesn't mean the fight�*s over. but senior republicans, including former vice president mike pence, and mitch mcconnell, welcome the ruling, saying it's a victory

for the unborn. 50 years of a legally—enshrined right to abortion in the united states has been brought to an end, after the country's supreme court decided to overturn its landmark ruling made in 1973. it means tens of millions of women across the us do not have their right to an abortion guaranteed by the constitution, and individual us states are now legally entitled to ban the procedure. up to half of america's 50 states are expected to do so, and 13 have already passed so—called trigger laws, which automatically outlaw abortion with the court's ruling. our north america editor sarah smith reports. cheering. this is a huge, historic

moment for america. as they hear the news from the court, there isjubilation from anti—abortionists. chanting: life won today! "life won today", they chant, celebrating a victory after almost 50 years. i've seen the devastation abortion has wrought on our country, on a communal level and on a personal level, and this is so vindicating to know that we can now take tangible steps to lessen the violence of abortion in our country. ten years ago, did you ever imagine this would happen? i imagined it a lot, but still... people told me it was impossible, that we would never see this kind of victory, and now i know that victory is not only possible, it's happened. so we're going to work on this momentum, we're going to keep going, we're going to keep fighting and we are going to build better world. you are a traitor! fury from those campaigning

to keep the guaranteed right to abortion, promising to fight back. it's not the will of the people, and this country are supposed to run off off the will of the people. i'm 21 and i'm terrified! we have a lot of work to do to make that happen, but we will never give up. it's 50 years since there was last a significant decision on abortion rights in america, it might be another 50. and it might be 50 more, sure. but we're not going to stop, it doesn't matter. it doesn't matter what they say, again, abortions will continue, theyjust will not be legal, and women will die from botched abortions. it's obvious this ruling is not going to end the arguments over abortion in america. in fact, it will inflame them. in this deeply polarised society, abortion is already one of the most divisive issues. even the president is powerless to change the court's ruling. with this decision, the conservative majority of the supreme court shows how extreme it is, how far removed they are from the majority of this country. they have made the united states an outlier among

developed nations in the world. but this decision must not be the final word. abortion rights have been fought overfor decades. good evening. in a landmark ruling, the supreme court today legalised abortions. in 1973, the supreme court ruled in the test case of roe v wade that women must have access to abortion across america, a decision totally reversed today. it is my profound honour to be the first president in history to attend the march for life. as president, donald trump deliberately appointed three pro—life justices to the court, making today's ruling possible. he says god made the decision. in fact, it was six of the ninejudges. by a vote of 6—3, the court affirmed that the power to protect unborn life is returned to the people and their elected representatives.

the people have won a victory. singing: jesus loves the little children... | anti—abortion activists view today's victory as merely a first step. they will now take their campaigns to every state which continues to allow terminations, trying to get abortion banned in the whole of the united states. sarah smith, bbc news, washington. the governor of california, gavin newsom, has been speaking with other leaders from states in the western united states, to announce what they described as new action to protect women. he expressed his anger at the us supreme court's ruling. i'm a little less sorry than i am resolved, and angry, to do more and to do better. at the same time, an expression of appreciation, i'm grateful i'm here in california. i'm grateful i'm governor of california. i'm grateful i represent a state that's fighting

forfreedom, fighting for reproductive rights, a state that has long stood tall, and i'm sorry that more people do not have those protections today. this is notjust about women. this is notjust about choice. this is notjust about reproductive freedom. they are coming after you next. it's a serious moment in american history. we can bring you some live pictures, there seems to be a highway in la, which has been taken over by hundreds of pro—abortion protesters that have taken over that highway after that ruling. they have walked on there and stopped the traffic, and there has been a small amount of violence, but otherwise they are marching down that highway there and we will obviously keep you updated on what happens there. the bbc�*s peter bowes is in california and has more on the mood among average americans and also what

the democrats could potentially to do reintroduce the right to abortion after friday's landmark ruling. this is hugely divisive, although it's interesting that in recent surveys of public opinion, a majority have favoured the precise opposite of what the supreme court has done. that is, maintaining the abortion rights of women. so it is going to be fascinating moving ahead, and one of the thingsjoe biden and other politicians have been talking about is essentially putting this issue on the ballot in november of this year, the mid—term elections, and potentially, in a couple of years�* time, for the next general election in 202a. by that, what he's referring to is that clearly the democrats will be campaigning to elect those public officials, and especially members of congress, that could ultimately see a majority in both houses large enough to pass a law in congress, a national law, that would essentially reintroduce the national right to abortion across the board. now, that's a long shot, at the moment,

for the democrats, given the current political make—up. but such is the strength of feeling that it is possible, it is feasible, that it could become such an issue, such an issue i think perhaps growing in speed towards those elections, that it could influence the electorate, i think, quite a lot. it is going to affect millions of women, and it already has right away in many states, right? yes, it has. we have heard about those trigger states, some of which have already, essentially, introduced the ban on abortion. we just heard from the governor of california there. what we didn't hear, what is also interesting, is what he has been doing. he has signed a law here in california to protect abortion providers and indeed women from potential civil lawsuits from other states that have banned abortion.

that's a pre—emptive strike at the likelihood, we are expecting thousands of extra women to come into california from other states where abortion has been of course, the right to an abortion is preserved and enshrined in the constitution of california, but the danger and the fear is that there will be civil litigation from other states against individuals in this state. so the california state is moving, as a pre—emptive strike, to protect those women. and what it is doing, essentially, there could be messy legal some very times ahead, but it is essentially pitting one state against another. we'rejoined by dr robin atkins, a mental health counsellor and chair of the mental health american association of prolife obgyns. thank you for coming on, doctor. what is your immediate reaction to this ruling?- reaction to this ruling? thank ou so reaction to this ruling? thank you so much _ reaction to this ruling? thank you so much for— reaction to this ruling? thank you so much for having - reaction to this ruling? thank you so much for having me, | reaction to this ruling? thank i you so much for having me, just want to clarify, i am not a doctor, i have a masters degree

and i am a counsellor. my initial reaction is i'm very excited. i am initial reaction is i'm very excited. iam hoping initial reaction is i'm very excited. i am hoping this will be a pivotal moment for our country where we can start having an honest discussion about what women do need to support their biology. what support their biology. what effect will _ support their biology. what effect will this _ support their biology. what effect will this have? - support their biology. what i effect will this have? because we have already had many places are already putting this into action now. what are you expecting to see in states across america? figs expecting to see in states across america?- expecting to see in states across america? as far as i know there _ across america? as far as i know there are _ across america? as far as i know there are 13 - across america? as far as i know there are 13 states i across america? as far as i i know there are 13 states that had trigger laws already on the books that i only been enacted as of today, so as soon as the ruling felt they would automatically take place. i do expect other states to follow suit and completely ban abortion, and expect some states will go the opposite direction and quantify abortion in their state. be’s direction and quantify abortion in their state.— direction and quantify abortion in their state. 8596 of american voters think— in their state. 8596 of american voters think abortion _ in their state. 8596 of american voters think abortion should i in their state. 8596 of american voters think abortion should be legal in some or all circumstances. what you say those people? i circumstances. what you say those people?— circumstances. what you say those people? i would say they have every _ those people? i would say they have every right _ those people? i would say they have every right to _ those people? i would say they have every right to their - have every right to their opinion, i support them speaking their opinion and i think we need to have an honest discussion about what is it we want abortion to actually do,

and what we think abortion actually does do? is it actually does do? is it actually seeking the problems women are seeking it out for all it's putting the burden back on women and blaming their bodies for societal ills? this is a somewhat _ bodies for societal ills? this is a somewhat personal i is a somewhat personal experience for you, you have experience for you, you have experience with abortion yourself?— yourself? yes, i had an abortion _ yourself? yes, i had an abortion in _ yourself? yes, i had an abortion in the - yourself? yes, i had an abortion in the year- yourself? yes, i had an i abortion in the year 2000. yourself? yes, i had an - abortion in the year 2000. how is that shaped _ abortion in the year 2000. how is that shaped your _ abortion in the year 2000. how is that shaped your campaign are what you think about it? an it has definitely shipped my opinions on what informed consent looks like. it hasn't shaped my opinion on whether or not it should be— not it should be legal, my personal— not it should be legal, my personal belief _ not it should be legal, my personal belief that i not it should be legal, my personal belief that is i not it should be legal, my i personal belief that is based on the topic of human rights not my personal experience but i did not get informed consent, so i am a huge advocate of if abortion is going to be legal, people need to be told honestly what happens during the procedure and who is affected by that procedure, both her and her offspring, and what the potential risks are following that procedure, what potential but if it's about b. we know the risk of complications exist

if there is a pre—existing mental health conditions, so i think we should be screening for those in an effort not to try to punish women for the bed so we can provide them with informed consent if you have these pre—existing conditions, you may have a higher risk of reaction after. we want you to be well—informed and well—prepared. in be well-informed and well-prepared. be well-informed and well-“reared. , well-prepared. in some cases, in some states, _ well-prepared. in some cases, in some states, in _ well-prepared. in some cases, in some states, in cases i well-prepared. in some cases, in some states, in cases of- in some states, in cases of incest and rape, abortion will no longer be legal.— no longer be legal. yes, in some states, _ no longer be legal. yes, in some states, those - no longer be legal. yes, in some states, those aren'tl some states, those aren't causes that allow for abortion. and what is next in your campaign, do you think that is the end of the road or will there be challenges to this? i there be challenges to this? i definitely don't think it is the end of the road because my personal campaign isn't so much a legal one as it is a cultural one, so personally i want to help inform what is mental health around reproductive issues and reproductive laws. a topic that still is not addressed well in the states. there is a lot of support —— a lack of support for women who have talked about their grief

and have been shut out of the conversation. if abortion is going to be legal we need to talk about what is it actually looked like so women can be supported throughout and after the process. we supported throughout and after the process-— the process. we are seeing protests — the process. we are seeing protests across _ the process. we are seeing protests across the - the process. we are seeing protests across the united | protests across the united states at the moment, and obviously it is a very partisan and divisive issue, do you see that, culturally, this shift to in your direction, all you think it will be a challenge for years to come?- think it will be a challenge for years to come? that is a really interesting _ for years to come? that is a really interesting question, | really interesting question, and i don't spend too much time on social media, because i have a better idea of where to shifting their valour across the country. i would say on average i think the country is probably ready for the actual conversation and i think the country can handle it being returned back to the states, each individual state vow it out in their state, fighting at what they want at their word. i would be opposed to punishing women for travelling across the country for whatever the reason they are travelling, unless they are travelling, unless they are travelling, unless they are committing a felony at that point, then some other

way. so that is definitely concerning to be. i don't want women prosecuted, so i will be watching out for that as well, but in general think the country is ready for the conversation about how do they actually address the issues that are beneath abortion, rather than assuming abortion, which is really a band—aid, will solve the problems women face. . ~ will solve the problems women face. ., ,, i. will solve the problems women face. ., ~' ,, , will solve the problems women face. ., ,, , . face. thank you very much there, robert _ face. thank you very much there, robert atkins i face. thank you very much there, robert atkins live l face. thank you very much | there, robert atkins live in indiana. this is bbc news, the latest headlines. the us supreme court overturns the landmark roe versus wade ruling, ending the constitutional right to an abortion that dates back nearly 50 years. the historicjudgment will transform abortion rights in america, with individual states now able to ban or restrict the procedure. there are 13 us states which have laws in place to impose an immediate ban on abortion, now that roe versus wade has been overturned by the supreme court. one of them is arkansas. sophie long reports from an abortion clinic in the state capital, little rock.

just a warning — her report contains some distressing detail. it was exactly the ruling they'd been dreading. but the expectation didn't make the court's decision any less devastating. abortion is murder! it has just been upheld! outside, they had to turn women away. this isn't a country that i ever thought i would know. i thought that... this country would still care about people. would still care about women. inside, they had to come to terms with the fact that the care they provided here is now a criminal offence. i don't think there's a waiting period there but it is about a five and a half hour drive. and see, it's like having to turn them away. like, that sucks. jennifer thompson first

came here as a patient. she says her abortion saved her life, and the care she received here inspired her to train so she could do the same for others. now i have to tell them, i'm sorry, but there's nothing i can do for you. i'm sorry that your boyfriend beat you every day, that he rapes you all the time. there's nothing i can do. you'll have to find somewhere else to go. i mean, i can give them information to help them try, but it's heartbreaking. this place save my life, literally. for more than ten years, dr willie parker has travelled here from another state because the restrictive laws and the threat of violence orfinancial ruin has long been too great for local doctors to carry out abortions here themselves. i feel angry in the way that anybody who is deeply invested in human rights should feel angry and outraged and indignant any time they are witnessing injustice. but we will come to recognise the full cost of criminalising abortion when we start to see the bump and the rise in maternal mortality and morbidity, suffering and death related to conditions

that are unique to pregnancy. i put that to the women who fought back tears of joy as she signed arkansas' almost total ban on abortion into law. it makes no exception for rape or incest. a termination can only take place now in the case of maternal medical emergency. i don't know if that doctor has any facts to base that hypothetical answer on. we don't have any information to base that conclusion that this doctor has come up with. hopefully this law we are putting in place specifically says to save the life of the mother. for the anti—abortion protesters outside the clinic, this is a good day. we will not fully celebrate until abortion is eradicated fully from our land, until little rock family planning services, for example, is closed down and does not reopen. then we can

celebrate, for sure. they will continue their fight. but the supreme court's ruling will fundamentally change the course of the lives of all women who passed the protesters every day to provide the care they did here, along with those and millions of others across the united states. sophie long, bbc news, little rock, arkansas. i'm joined now by grace howard, who is an assistant professor ofjustice studies at sanjose state university in california. thank you forjoining us? it is thank you for “oining us? it is not surprising— thank you forjoining us? it is not surprising at _ thank you forjoining us? it is not surprising at all. - thank you forjoining us? it 3 not surprising at all. this is something we have been anticipating for years if not decades. but it is, you know, when you see these words in print, they kind of gloating about how they have removed what was once considered a fundamental constitutional right from about half of the population of the united states. this is a horror, this is a human nut eights

violation, this is devastating. and what effect is going to have? ., , ., and what effect is going to have? ., ,., ., , have? there are so many different _ have? there are so many different ways _ have? there are so many different ways we - have? there are so many different ways we can i have? there are so many. different ways we can pass have? there are so many i different ways we can pass that thought. in the immediate, when we talk about the research that shows this. we know what happens when people are denied an abortion that they want to have. they are more likely to go into poverty. their mental health outcomes worsen. their families go into poverty. their existing children suffer. we know that the united states has one of the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world. and we anticipate that this will rise by about 21% of the population overall at 33% for black women who already have a dramatically elevated rate of maternal mortality. we can expect people to be put in prison and jails, we can expect people to die because they are forced to give birth to children they don't want to have an abort to take legal risks to seek the care they deserve. irate legal risks to seek the care they deserve.— legal risks to seek the care they deserve. we can see the rocess they deserve. we can see the process is _ they deserve. we can see the process is going _ they deserve. we can see the process is going on _ they deserve. we can see the process is going on in - they deserve. we can see the process is going on in la i process is going on in la and across the united states. it is

across the united states. it is a very divisive issue of course. do you think this is obviously going to be challenged in various ways. what you going to do about it and what are people going to do about it? ~ , ., and what are people going to do about it? ~ i. ~ ., .,, about it? well, you know, as someone _ about it? well, you know, as someone who _ about it? well, you know, as someone who studies - about it? well, you know, as someone who studies the i someone who studies the criminalisation of presidency i am trying to inform people about what we can spec to happen next. there are already hundreds of, or thousands of people in the eye states who have been charged with crimes against their own pregnancies. we spend more of this. people need to know what the legal risks are, we are urging people to pay a lot of attention to their electronic footprint. we are trying to get the word out that we know that people will be having illegal abortions, right. banning abortion does not stop abortion itjust right. banning abortion does not stop abortion it just stops legal abortions were having. we want to make sure people know that the clothes hanger days are over. there are other safe ways you can legally terminate a pregnancy. iwill ways you can legally terminate a pregnancy. i will be doing my best to get the word out about this. , �* ., .,

this. president biden and other leaders globally _ this. president biden and other leaders globally say _ this. president biden and other leaders globally say this - this. president biden and other leaders globally say this is i this. president biden and other leaders globally say this is a i leaders globally say this is a dark day for the united states and has pushed the country back. , ., ., and has pushed the country back. ., . ., , back. do you agree? i certainly think so- _ back. do you agree? i certainly think so. something _ back. do you agree? i certainly think so. something i - back. do you agree? i certainly think so. something i find i think so. something ifind incredibly alarming here is that this decision... it sits on a foundation that they have eliminated the right to either see. this has huge indications for other rights like conscious section, known procreative sex and families. it also has broader implications. ultimately, what the court is doing is trying to gut the 14th amendment. essentially, if something is not explicitly stated in the constitution as a right or if it is not part of their very cherry picked understanding of the history and tradition of the nation, they are now saying it is not a constitutional right. that is huge. right? we can thing about all of this privacy suffer going into other areas of the law that had changed after the last 300 or so years, i think about things like cruel and

unusual punishment. that definition has changed dramatically. a ruling like this essentially says, hey, in 1776 we were 0k this essentially says, hey, in 1776 we were ok with using thumbscrews to you get confessions out of 12 —year—olds. maybe we could bring that back. there is nothing in the constitution saying we can not. that is essentially what the court has done here. friendly, it's terrifying. done here. friendly, it's terrifying-— done here. friendly, it's terrifying. done here. friendly, it's terri inn. ., ., ., terrifying. grace howard, that is all we have _ terrifying. grace howard, that is all we have time _ terrifying. grace howard, that is all we have time for. i terrifying. grace howard, that is all we have time for. thank| is all we have time for. thank you very much indeed for giving us your opinion there. so let's get more now on which us states are moving in line with the supreme court's decision to outlaw abortion as soon as possible. with me is our news reporter shelley phelps. which states are making moves to restrict abortion already? today's ruling is of momentous significance. this is going to be a huge change to the lives of millions of women in america. we have already seen some abortion clinics starting to close in some areas. if we have a look at the map now, we can see that there after states

which already have so—called trigger laws in place which means that that will now to quite quickly, an immediate ban on abortion. those states, many of them in the conservative and religious areas in the south, places like mississippi, tennessee, louisiana, if we look at the map again we can see that there are another 13 states who are set to be moving quickly to either ban abortion or severely limit access. and thatis or severely limit access. and that is according to the pro—choice group, the group market institute. hours after the ruling, missouri became the first state to ban abortion followed closely by south dakota who have also banned abortion except where the life of the mother is at risk. depending on which states ban abortion, essentially, you could end up with larger areas of the country where a woman's

nearest abortion clinic is more than 300 miles away. extraordinary. where abortion is still legal, what actions are states taking? irate is still legal, what actions are states taking? we have heard from _ are states taking? we have heard from the _ are states taking? we have heard from the californian l heard from the californian government now talking about how he wants to support women in is training the right to abortion for women who travel. is it they will be doing id checks was that we have heard from the mayor of new york was talking about making new york a safe haven. find talking about making new york a safe haven-— safe haven. and the global reaction. _ safe haven. and the global reaction, we _ safe haven. and the global reaction, we have - safe haven. and the global reaction, we have heard i safe haven. and the global i reaction, we have heard from borisjohnson and other global boris johnson and other global leaders. borisjohnson and other global leaders. irate boris johnson and other global leaders. ~ ., ., ., leaders. we have heard from the canadian prime _ leaders. we have heard from the canadian prime minister - leaders. we have heard from the canadian prime ministerjustin i canadian prime ministerjustin trudeau who has described the ruling as horrific and the british prime minister boris johnson says this is a big step backwards. there is been quite a lot of shocked and critical commentary in latin america, where commentators are saying that this us ruling is in contrast to moves to liberalise abortion laws there, latin

america, a catholic area. one mexican senator bowing there will be no step backwards. i think we can see some pictures now, in france, in paris there are already women protesting in solidarity with what has happened in america. at this ruling, they have placards saying solidarity with women from america. irate saying solidarity with women from america.— saying solidarity with women from america. ~ ., ., , from america. we have also been seeinr from america. we have also been seeing process — from america. we have also been seeing process in _ from america. we have also been seeing process in la, _ from america. we have also been seeing process in la, obviously. seeing process in la, obviously across america, i think there will be across the world. thank you very much indeed for bringing us up to date there. you can of course get more news on our website on that story and on everything you have heard on the programme. let's bring you some more pictures of that protest in la at the moment, in california, people marching along a highway. they have taken control of the highway in california to protest against that decision that has come out in the last few hours, that restricts the right for women to get

abortions in many states across the united states. you can get more news on our website of course, like i said. thanks a lot for watching. do you stay tuned to bbc news. hello. plenty of fine weather around this weekend but showers in the forecast too. however, some of us may miss them altogether, and end up with a dry weekend but i will add that around coastal areas it could be windy at times and feel a little on the cool side. this changeable weather is brought by an area of low pressure which will basically park itself over ireland, it has already arrived and the showers are becoming more frequent across some western areas and they will be over the course of the next 21! hours. we have had showers in the last few hours they will continue through early saturday morning across parts of western scotland but generally speaking it is a dry end to the night with clear spells and temperatures ranging from around 10— 15 degrees, not particularly cold first thing in the morning.

let's have a look at the forecast for saturday then. here is the area of low pressure with clouds and showers swirling around, this is a cool atlantic breeze so around these coastal areas of cornwall, devon and the coast of wales, the irish sea and into scotland. it will be chilly. temperatures around 15—16 degrees in some spots. basically, the further east you are the sunnier and warmer it will be. 0ut towards the west always a chance of catching some showers even heavy ones, not just through the afternoon but in the evening as well. they will have a tendency to drift northwards carried by the breeze circling this area of low pressure. that was saturday, this is sunday. look at this, even some persistent rain at times expected in northern ireland and some of the western part of the uk, further east dry and bright and in fact in east anglia and the south—east and along the south coast of england it should be a mostly sunny day on sunday. here, temperatures up to 23 degrees in one or two spots but more typically talking about the mid or high teens a little bit further towards the west.

and the low pressure is still with us early next week but what happens is, it actually moves away and another one takes its place, bringing spells of rain to western parts of the uk once again. overall, we are in a spell of fairly unsettled weather. here is the outlook for some of our major cities, you can see the further north and west you are, the more changeable it is with these showers. the best of the weather will always be further south and south—east. have a good weekend.

this is bbc news. the headlines: the us supreme court overturns the landmark roe versus wade ruling, ending the constitutional right to an abortion that dates back nearly 50 years. there's renewed pressure on british prime minister boris johnson after the conservatives suffered a double defeat in parliamentary by—elections. a second earthquake has shaken an area in south—eastern afghanistan, causing yet more death and destruction. and making a comeback after the pandemic, the legendary glastonbury festival kicks off for the first time in three years. you can get more news on our

website on all of those stories.