Conservative US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has brushed off criticism from prominent global figures over last month's blockbuster ruling he wrote that overturned Roe v Wade, a 1973 decision that protected women's right to abortion.
In his first public remarks since the decision, which has led to various conservative US states imposing abortion bans, Mr Alito dismissed criticism that has come from leaders such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Mr Alito also took aim at Britain's Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, who referenced the abortion ruling in a speech at the UN last week.
The justice's previously unannounced speech was delivered on July 21 at a conference on religious liberty in Rome, Italy, hosted by the University of Notre Dame Law School. Video of the speech was posted online on Thursday by Notre Dame.
“I had the honour this term of writing I think the only Supreme Court decision in the history of that institution that has been lambasted by a whole string of foreign leaders who felt perfectly fine commenting on American law,” Mr Alito said.
“One of these was former prime minister Boris Johnson, but he paid the price,” Mr Alito joked, referring to Mr Johnson's plans to step down following criticism of his leadership from within Britain's ruling Conservative Party.
“But what really wounded me — what really wounded me — was when the Duke of Sussex addressed the United Nations and seemed to compare the decision — whose name may not be spoken — with the Russian attack on Ukraine,” Mr Alito added in a sarcastic tone, referring to his ruling overturning the Roe decision.
Mr Alito's references to the abortion ruling, which came during a speech about the importance of religious liberty, were met with laughter from the audience.
In Prince Harry's July 18 speech, he spoke of 2022 as “a painful year in a painful decade” before citing the war in Ukraine and “the rolling back of constitutional rights here in the United States”, which appeared to reference the abortion ruling.
Mr Johnson has called the ruling “a big step backwards” and Mr Macron said on the day of the decision that abortion was a fundamental right and that women's freedoms were “compromised” by the Supreme Court. Mr Trudeau called the decision “horrific”.
Liberal Justice Elena Kagan said in a separate appearance in the US state of Montana on July 21 that it would be a “dangerous thing for a democracy” if the conservative-majority Supreme Court loses the confidence of the American public.
The court, America's top judicial body, has a 6-3 conservative majority that has boldly asserted its power in the abortion ruling and other recent cases.
Opinion polls have shown a drop in public approval of the court after the abortion ruling, which capped its term that ended last month.
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Earth under attack: Cosmic impacts throughout history
- 4.5 billion years ago: Mars-sized object smashes into the newly-formed Earth, creating debris that coalesces to form the Moon
- 66 million years ago: 10km-wide asteroid crashes into the Gulf of Mexico, wiping out over 70 per cent of living species – including the dinosaurs.
- 50,000 years ago: 50m-wide iron meteor crashes in Arizona with the violence of 10 megatonne hydrogen bomb, creating the famous 1.2km-wide Barringer Crater
- 1490: Meteor storm over Shansi Province, north-east China when large stones “fell like rain”, reportedly leading to thousands of deaths.
- 1908: 100-metre meteor from the Taurid Complex explodes near the Tunguska river in Siberia with the force of 1,000 Hiroshima-type bombs, devastating 2,000 square kilometres of forest.
- 1998: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 breaks apart and crashes into Jupiter in series of impacts that would have annihilated life on Earth.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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What are the regulations?
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Abaya trends
The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.
FIXTURES
Monday, January 28
Iran v Japan, Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Tuesday, January 29
UAEv Qatar, Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium (6pm)
Friday, February 1
Final, Zayed Sports City Stadium (6pm)
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
