US abortion victory

THE United States anti-abortion campaigners suffered a defeat yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled that it is a crime to block access to abortion clinics.

The court had been asked to decide on a 1994 federal act and a similar state law in North Carolina that made it illegal to block access, damage property or intimidate women seeking abortion or staff at clinics. A federal judge in North Carolina had struck down both laws, but the justices ruled yesterday that the acts were constitutional.

The decision comes as police in Florida investigate a series of acid attacks on abortion clinics.

Andrew Marshall, Washington