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Florida bans most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy
Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis signed a bill Thursday banning most abortions after six weeks, hours after the White House called the measure “extreme and dangerous.”
“We are proud to support life and family in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said in a statement.
The bill bans women from having an abortion in Florida after six weeks of gestation unless the pregnancy endangers the health of the mother, is the result of rape or incest and does not exceed 15 weeks, or the fetus is not viable.
The White House slammed the move, which it said “flies in the face of fundamental freedoms and is out of step with the views of the vast majority” of Americans.
“This ban would prevent four million Florida women of reproductive age from accessing abortion care after six weeks — before many women even know they’re pregnant,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Thursday.
Florida’s Republican-dominated legislature passed the text hours earlier with 70 votes to 40.
It was the second time in a year that Florida cut the legal term for abortion.
In April 2022, DeSantis signed a bill that reduced it from 24 to 15 weeks, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
The new bill’s text will not enter into force until the Florida Supreme Court rules on an appeal filed by several associations against the 15-week limit, arguing that the law violates a state privacy clause.
DeSantis, a rising star among the American right wing, is further burnishing his conservative credentials with the bill as he considers a run for his party’s 2024 presidential nomination.
‘A risk for women’
Proponents of the new abortion deadline claim it is necessary to protect the lives of innocent children.
The Democratic opposition and activists in favor of abortion rights say the state should not interfere in private decisions and warn about the negative consequences of the limit for many women.
“This bill bans abortion legally, but it will not ban it in reality,” said Democratic Congresswoman Lindsay Cross during the debate in the Lower House.
“Abortions will be performed in private, without medical supervision and with increased risk to women’s health, physical and mental well-being.”
Sixty-four percent of Floridians believe abortion should be allowed in all or most cases, according to a survey by the nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute.
Despite the 15-week limit, Florida remains one of the most permissive places for abortion in the southeastern United States, which has led numerous pregnant women to travel there from neighboring states to terminate their pregnancies in recent months.
The law signed Thursday could end that, and represents a new victory for anti-abortion activists, hours after the restriction in the United States of access to mifepristone, a drug used for the termination of pregnancy, following a court decision.
US car giant Ford on Wednesday announced 4,000 more job cuts in Europe, mostly in Germany and Britain, in the latest blow to the continent’s beleaguered car industry.
“The company has incurred significant losses in recent years,” Ford said in a statement, blaming “the industry shift to electrified vehicles and new competition”.
The move will affect 2,900 jobs in Germany, 800 in the UK and 300 in western Europe by the end of 2027, a Ford spokesman told AFP.
“It is critical to take difficult but decisive action to ensure Ford’s future competitiveness in Europe,” said Dave Johnston, Ford’s European vice-president in the statement.
The company also said it was adjusting the production of its Explorer and Capri models, resulting in reduced hours at its Cologne plant in the first quarter of 2025.
Europe’s car industry has been plunged into crisis by high manufacturing costs, a stuttering switch to electric vehicles and increased competition in key market China.
Germany’s Volkswagen has been among those hardest hit, announcing in September that it was considering the unprecedented move of closing some factories in Germany.
“The European automotive industry is in a very demanding and serious situation,” Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume said at the time.
Ford had already announced in February 2023 that it was planning to cut 3,800 jobs in Europe, including 2,300 in Germany and 1,300 in Britain.
The company said then it was planning to reduce the number of models developed for Europe, concentrate on the profitable van segment and speed up the transition to electric vehicles.
Ford currently has around 28,000 employees in Europe with 15,000 in Germany, according to the company’s works council.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the dissolution of the Governing Council of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, and the removal of the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Bernard Ifeanyi Odoh, and Registrar, Mrs. Rosemary Ifoema Nwokike.
The council, chaired by Ambassador Greg Ozumba Mbadiwe, comprised five other members: Hafiz Oladejo, Augustine Onyedebelu, Engr. Amioleran Osahon, and Rtd. Gen. Funsho Oyeneyin.
A statement released on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, revealed that the council was dissolved following reports of procedural violations in appointing the vice-chancellor.
According to the statement, the council had allegedly appointed an unqualified candidate, disregarding due process, which triggered tensions between the university’s Senate and the council.
The Federal Government expressed dismay over the council’s actions, emphasizing the need for adherence to the university’s governing laws in decision-making.
“The council’s disregard for established rules necessitated the government’s intervention to restore order to the 33-year-old institution,” the statement noted.
In a related development, President Tinubu also approved the dismissal of Engr. Ohieku Muhammed Salami, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.
Salami was accused of suspending the university’s Vice-Chancellor without following the prescribed procedures, a move the Federal Ministry of Education had previously directed him to reverse.
Despite the Ministry’s directives, Salami reportedly refused to comply and resorted to issuing threats and abusive remarks towards the Ministry’s officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The Federal Government reiterated that the primary role of university councils is to ensure the smooth operation of academic activities, strictly adhering to the laws establishing each institution.
Tinubu warned university councils against engaging in actions that could destabilize their institutions, as his administration remains committed to enhancing the nation’s education system.
The Ekiti State Government has reached an agreement with labour leaders in the state, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the payment of the N70,000 minimum wage approved by the Federal Government.
Addressing journalists at a brief ceremony in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the Head of Service (HoS), Dr. Folakemi Olomojobi, announced that the payment would commence immediately.
She lauded Governor Biodun Oyebanji for prioritizing the welfare of workers despite the state’s limited resources.
“This development demonstrates the governor’s commitment to improving the livelihood of our workers,” Dr. Olomojobi stated, highlighting the proactive measures taken by the administration to ensure prompt implementation.
In their remarks, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Chairman, Comrade Sola Adigun, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chairman, Comrade Olatunde Kolapo, expressed their appreciation to Governor Oyebanji for fulfilling his promises to workers.
They confirmed that the new minimum wage would apply to all cadres, including employees in ministries, parastatals, agencies, and pensioners.
The Chairman of the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC), Comrade Femi Ajoloko, described the implementation as a fair and commendable adjustment.
“This decision reflects the governor’s magnanimity and his dedication to fostering a productive workforce in Ekiti State,” he said.
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