Court asked to review Texas abortion law

WASHINGTON – Texas abortion clinics are asking the Supreme Court to take up a major case about abortion rights in the midst of the 2016 presidential campaign.

The clinics said they filed an appeal Wednesday aimed at permanently blocking parts of a state law that already have forced nearly two dozen clinics to close and would leave the second most populous state with 10 abortion providers. If the law passed in 2013 takes full effect, there would be no clinic west of San Antonio and only one would operate on a limited basis in the Rio Grande Valley.

In June, the justices granted an emergency appeal to put new clinic regulations on hold temporarily while the clinics appealed to the high court.

Ukraine says it will seek to join NATO

KIEV, Ukraine – Ukraine’s national security council on Wednesday approved a new military doctrine that declares Russia to be a military opponent and calls for the country to pursue NATO membership.

There was no immediate official reaction from Russia, which hotly denies claims that it has sent troops and equipment to separatist rebels in Ukraine’s east and which opposes Ukraine joining NATO.

The move came amid strong political tensions over President Petro Poroshenko’s efforts to get approval of a constitutional change that would devolve some powers to the regions, including the eastern regions held by the rebels.

Associated Press