Texas abortion law struck down by Supreme Court

The US Supreme Court handed a victory to abortion rights advocates, striking down a Texas law imposing strict regulations on abortion doctors and facilities that its critics contended were specifically designed to shut down clinics.

The 5-3 ruling held that the Republican-backed 2013 law placed an undue burden on women exercising their constitutional right to end a pregnancy established in the landmark 1973 Roe v Wade decision.

The normally nine-justice court was one member short after the February 13 death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who had consistently opposed abortion.