US court halts wiretapping

A judge ordered the Bush administration on Thursday to stop a domestic wiretap programme initiated to protect Americans from terrorism but which the judge said violated their civil rights.

The administration, buoyed by polls showing most Americans back its handling of security and terrorism, appealed against the Federal Court ruling, saying: 8220;We couldn8217;t disagree more.8217;8217; US District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor said that the five-year-old 8220;Terrorist Surveillance Programme8217;8217; violated protections against unreasonable searches.