Amid bitter opposition from antiabortion groups, federal authorities announced that the abortion pill RU-486 has been approved for sale in the United States. The pill should be available there within four to six weeks, according to Planned Parenthood.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved RU-486 (mifepristone) for the termination of early pregnancy, defined as 49 days or less, counting from the beginning of the last menstrual period. The administration said it based its approval of mifepristone on data about safety and effectiveness from clinical trials in the United States and France. It is estimated that more than half a million women in Europe have used mifepristone since …