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| US Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies | US Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia - one of most conservative members of the high court - has died. | US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia - one of most conservative members of the high court - has died. |
| Justice Scalia's death could shift the balance of power on the US high court, allowing President Barack Obama to add a fifth liberal justice to the court. | Justice Scalia's death could shift the balance of power on the US high court, allowing President Barack Obama to add a fifth liberal justice to the court. |
| The court's conservative majority has recently stalled major efforts by the Obama administration on climate change and immigration. | The court's conservative majority has recently stalled major efforts by the Obama administration on climate change and immigration. |
| Justice Scalia, 79, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. | Justice Scalia, 79, was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986. |
| He died in his sleep early on Saturday while in West Texas for hunting trip, the US Marshall service said. | |
| Justice Scalia was one of the most prominent proponents of "originalism" - a conservative legal philosophy that believes the US Constitution has a fixed meaning and does not change with the times. | |
| In 2008, Justice Scalia delivered the opinion on Heller v District of Columbia, a landmark case that affirmed an individual's right to possess a handgun. | |
| Throughout his career, the outspoken justice has been a vocal opponent of abortion and gay rights, often writing scathing dissenting opinions. | |
| He was known for his sense of humour and colourful language, calling effort to defend President Obama's healthcare reform law "jiggery-pokery" and "pure applesauce". | |
| The appointment of Justice Scalia's successor is certain to become a major issue in the presidential race. | |
| Republicans in the US Senate are likely to try to block efforts by Mr Obama to appoint a new justice, arguing the next president should make the appointment. |