- Spain PM's Socialists eye power grab as Catalonia votes
- 34 dead in Indonesia floods, 16 missing
- Russia claims more advances in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
- Rescuers struggle to reach Afghanistan flood-hit areas
- Gender breakthrough in Swiss triumph at politically-charged Eurovision contest
- Fighting rages across Gaza as UN chief urges 'immediate ceasefire'
- Thousands evacuated as Russia pounds Ukraine border town
- Raza 72 not out guides Zimbabwe to consolation win over Bangladesh
- Masterful Lomachenko knocks out Kambosos to win IBF lightweight crown
- 'Worse than Covid': UK gig venues sing the Blues
- Nepal's 'Everest Man' claims record 29th summit
- Star duos lead Celtics, Mavs to NBA playoff victories
- Boeing's problems rattle US aviation regulator as well
- Indonesia school bus crash kills 11, dozens injured
- Suarez on target as Miami fight back in Montreal
- Cannes film fest returns with comebacks, strikes, Trump and MeToo
- Concern about Russia dominates as Lithuanians vote
- Israeli fans slam Eurovision snub as 'political'
- New York gears up for major Spring auctions after soft 2023
- Nemo's hometown celebrates Eurovision win for Switzerland
- Koepka seeks back-to-back major wins for third time at PGA
- Finding Nemo: Eurovision winner's journey of self-discovery
- Switzerland's Nemo wins Eurovision Song Contest
- Sagstrom holds on to lead as Korda fades at Founders Cup
- McIlroy surges into contention at Quail Hollow
- Irving, Doncic lead Mavs over Thunder
- Palou powers to IndyCar Grand Prix victory
- Tens of thousands rally in Tbilisi against 'foreign influence' bill
- Bologna on brink of Champions League with Napoli win
- In Tel Aviv, Eurovision fans hope world shows Israel some love
- Ogier storms towards Rally of Portugal record
- Swedish police push back protesters outside Eurovision arena
- Ireland's Eurovision entry accuses Israeli broadcaster of rule break
- 'Many game-changers' as Kolkata book IPL play-off berth
- Rescue operations continue in flooded southern Brazil despite new rain
- Emotional Edwards in tears with Luton on brink of relegation
- Nadal eyes French Open despite Rome exit as Djokovic laughs off bottle drama
- Kolkata down Mumbai to confirm IPL play-off berth
- Russia claims gains in Ukraine's Kharkiv region
- Mainz crush Dortmund to edge to safety, Cologne stun Union Berlin
- Swaggering champions Madrid rout relegated Granada
- 'Miracle' survivor found 5 days after S.Africa building collapse
- Thousands rally in Tbilisi against 'foreign influence' bill
- Kane to miss Bayern's last home game with back injury
- Hundreds protest outside German Tesla factory
- 'Fine' Djokovic dons cycling crash helmet after Rome bottle drama
- Al Hilal keep Ronaldo trophy-less in rich Saudi league
- Thousands rally in Tbilisi against 'foreign influence' bill: AFP
- 'They drowned together': Lives swept away by Afghanistan floods
- Ireland's Eurovision entry shares cryptic post ahead of final
Abortion in Arizona: women race against the clock of an archaic law
Piper decided she needed an abortion almost as soon as Arizona judges ruled an 1864 law banning the procedure could be enforced.
Having only just found out she was pregnant, what she had really wanted was time to think, but that was a luxury she felt she could not afford.
"The laws in Arizona are really dicey right now, so I wasn't sure what would be available to me," said Piper, who wanted to use a pseudonym to discuss her choice about one of the most divisive issues in America.
Piper, 30, fell pregnant unexpectedly -- her partner told her he had undergone a vasectomy, but he was keen to go through with the pregnancy.
"I would have liked to hear him out more, but we just didn't have the time to think through it," she told AFP after taking pregnancy-ending pills at a clinic in Phoenix.
Arizona's abortion laws are in flux.
In making its ruling this month, the state's Supreme Court said since the 2022 overturning of Roe vs. Wade -- which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide -- Arizona's own arrangements had to revert to a 160-year-old statute, drafted before it was even a state and when women did not have the right to vote.
After a national outcry, the state's lower chamber last week passed a bill that would repeal the law -- but only after three moderate Republican lawmakers abandoned the majority to vote with Democrats.
The initiative will now pass to the Republican-dominated Senate where its passage is far from certain, reflecting the willingness of elected conservatives to defy a popular desire throughout America to keep abortions safe and legal.
Democratic Senator Eva Burch says her Republican opponents push the threat of severe bans by way of deterrent.
"It creates a really hostile, inhospitable environment for women where we don't have any assurance that we're going to be able to get the care that we need if something goes wrong," she told AFP.
The 44-year-old became something of a figurehead for the abortion rights movement in Arizona after revealing on the floor of the Senate the difficulty she encountered securing the procedure when she learned her pregnancy was not viable.
"I felt like it was really important... for people to see what that looks like in Arizona and what somebody has to go through in order to receive that kind of care."
- Election issue -
Abortion looks set to be a key issue when Americans go to the polls in November to elect a president.
Incumbent Joe Biden hopes to bolster his flaccid poll numbers by blaming challenger Donald Trump for the tightening restrictions.
In Arizona, voters will likely be asked to decide if they want the right to abortion enshrined in the state's constitution.
Democrats hope that will drive turnout in a state where Biden's 2020 margin of victory was just 10,000.
For Gabrielle Goodrick, head of the Camelback Family Planning clinic, the anxiety that bans are causing throughout the US will be a motivating factor in November.
"These laws are so extreme that I think it will push people to the polls... to vote for choice and vote for abortion rights and bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom," she said.
- 'I thought we took care of this' -
Goodrick's clinic sees between 20 and 30 patients a day, who slip behind anonymous mirrored glass walls into what looks from the outside like a shopping mall.
Inside, the atmosphere is warm, and the colorful reception area is buzzing with friendliness.
"I honestly just try to put on as happy as a face as I can and just be as sweet as possible," said receptionist Gelsey Normand.
"Because regardless of how you feel about getting an abortion, it's still a difficult choice to make."
Outside the clinic, a small group of people gather regularly to distribute leaflets they hope will dissuade patients from going through with the procedure.
"I believe that God has a plan and a purpose for every baby he creates," said Lynn Dyer, 88, who has been in the anti-abortion movement for five decades.
The anti-abortion group frequently attracts counter-protestors, volunteers who wave colorful umbrellas and try to shepherd patients safely into the clinic.
A 65-year-old woman who did not want to give her name says she initially volunteered in 1973 when America was in shock after the landmark Roe vs. Wade ruling legalized abortion across the United States.
She says she was exasperated when she realized she would have to begin doing it again in 2017, when Trump became president.
"I thought we took care of this," she said.
F.Pavlenko--BTB