Kennedy’s departure at the end of July will give Trump the opportunity to appoint his second justice to the nine-seat bench, which exerts a deep and far-reaching influence on American life.

“It has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve our nation in the federal judiciary for 43 years, 30 of those on the Supreme Court,” Kennedy was quoted as saying in announcing his decision.

Nominated by president Ronald Reagan, the 81-year-old Kennedy took his oath of office in 1988. He said he was stepping aside to spend more time with his family.

Paying tribute to Kennedy as “a great justice of the Supreme Court,” Trump told reporters the replacement process will “begin immediately.”

“Hopefully we will pick someone who is just as outstanding,” he told reporters in the Oval Office.

He said Kennedy’s successor — who like all Supreme Court justices will be appointed for life — would be selected from among a list of 25 possible candidates, 20 identified during his presidential campaign, and five added since.

“We have a very excellent list of great, talented, highly intelligent, hopefully tremendous people,” he said.

Nomination battle

In a statement, the White House said that “Justice Kennedy has been a tireless voice for individual rights and the Founders’ enduring vision of limited government. His words have left an indelible mark not only on this generation, but on the fabric of American history.”

His departure sets the stage for a brutal battle over his succession, a blueprint for which was established by Republican lawmakers in 2016 when they denied then-president Barack Obama the opportunity to fill the seat left vacant following the death of conservative justice Antonin Scalia.

Now, Democrats argue that Trump’s pick should not be put to a vote until after new legislators are elected in midterm polls this fall.

“Millions of people are just months away from determining the senators who should vote to confirm or reject the president’s nominee, and their voices deserve to be heard,” said Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the US Senate.

“Anything but that would be the absolute height of hypocrisy.”

But Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated he was opposed to waiting, saying that “we will vote to confirm Justice Kennedy’s successor this fall.”

Kennedy’s vote, positioned at the very center of the court, gave him a place of special prominence among the nine justices.

He has cast the deciding vote in a number of historic cases, including the high court’s groundbreaking decision in 2015 legalizing gay marriage, a five-to-four decision for which he wrote the opinion.

Infuriated liberals, exasperated conservatives

For years, Kennedy infuriated conservatives with decisions striking down prayer at public school graduations and upholding abortion rights — and exasperated liberals with decisions on affirmative action and campaign finance laws.

His departure gives Trump his second Supreme Court pick since arriving at the White House, following the nomination of Neil Gorsuch, and could spell a decisive shift to the right for the top judicial body.

Gorsuch was sworn in in April last year to fill a more than year-long vacancy left by the death of Scalia, a delay orchestrated by McConnell to deny Obama the nomination.

Democrats were enraged, but with Republicans controlling both the Senate and the House, they have limited leverage to push back over Trump’s second pick for the court, the final arbiter on such divisive issues as gun rights or abortion.

Control over Supreme Court nominations has become a hot-button issue for the US electorate, with 70 percent of respondents in a 2016 CNN poll saying it was an important factor in their vote.

November’s midterm elections are expected to produce a bitter struggle for control of Congress in a deeply polarized country, especially if a court seat is still in play.

Gorsuch’s influence has already been felt in a series of recent court decisions that have backed a modified version of the president’s travel ban on visitors from Muslim-majority countries, bolstered anti-abortion activists and dealt a serious blow to labor unions.

If Trump, as expected, nominates a steadfast conservative to the bench, that shift is likely to become entrenched for many years to come.

Japan, which co-chaired the conference with Thailand and Palestine in a Bangkok hotel, called for more participation of members in the second phase of the Jericho Agro-Industrial Park (JAIP) in the West Bank, |to expand economic development and create jobs for Palestinians.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono co-chaired the conference with his Thai counterpart Don Pramudwinai and Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Malki to mobilise support from member-countries and the international community in boosting living standards for Palestinians.

“The participants expressed deep concern over recent developments in Palestine and recognised the situation is a substantial obstacle to the state building efforts of Palestine as well as peace through the two-state solution,” said a joint statement issued after the meeting yesterday.

The statement did not elaborate but plainly referred to the relocation of the US Embassy to Jerusalem in May, a move that triggered protests in Gaza that led to an Israeli crackdown that killed scores of Palestinians.

Japan has taken a leading role in the conference since CEAPAD launched in 2013 with the aim of mobilising the resources and experience of economic development in East Asia countries to aid Palestine’s progress.

The conference also drew representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, South Korea, the United Nations, the World Bank and Islamic Development Bank. Cooperation from Israel and Jordan are also crucial to its aims, a Japanese official |said.

At the meeting, Japan called for cooperation and participation in the JAIP. Tokyo has provided over $21 million for the development of the Agro-Industrial Park since 2008.

Located in the West Bank near the Jordan border, the industrial park has created jobs for more than 200 Palestinians. The second phase, which started recently, will create another 3,400 jobs, says the Palestine Authority.

A “special order” bag from The House Of Bijan seized from condos linked to former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak comes from “the most expensive store” in the world.

During the recent raids, linked to the ongoing 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investigations, the police identified a “Bijan special order bag” as one of the luxury bags seized, but there was no mention of whether it was a bag for men or women.

The House of Bijan is known as the most expensive store in the world.

Headquartered in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, this American brand uses only the finest materials from crocodile skin, kangaroo hide to flawless gemstones for its ultra high-end bags.

A lower-level Bijan crocodile clutch purse costs about US$10,000 (RM40,318).

But, its diamond-encrusted Bijan bags are likely to set buyers back by six figures, in US dollars, or more.

The Bijan bag seized from the Najib-linked condo was among other goods of luxury brands such as Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Versace, Judith Leiber, Chopard, Rolex and Richard Mille.

As with all luxury brands The House of Bijan has a “House” in its branding and a history to preserve its sanctity in the world of opulent retail.

The House of Bijan was founded in 1976 by the late Bijan Pakzad, an American Iranian menswear designer, who migrated to the US in 1973.

Pakzad’s first boutique for the House of Bijan opened on Rodeo Drive, known as the most expensive retail address in Los Angeles and where luxury brands such as Bulgari, Gucci, Cartier, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Giorgio Armani, among others, are on display.

After Pakzad’s death in 2011, The House of Bijan store on Rodeo Drive was sold for US$122mil (RM491mil) to the parent company of Louis Vuitton, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2016.

There is no question of anyone just simply strolling through the sumptuous doors of its showroom with its blue awnings and bright yellow walls in Beverly Hills.

On its website, The House of Bijan is described as “a universe unto itself” and is legendary for its “by appointment only” showroom.

This “by appointment only” offering by the brand is the heart of its exclusivity and is what differentiates it from other luxury brands.

The brand’s luxury offerings for the well-heeled are available in four categories from jewellery and accessories, driveable art, fragrances to wearable art.

The House of Bijan has collaborated on design with Bugatti Veyron Motor cars and Rolls Royce Motorcars.

It was recognised with The Leadership Honor Roll by President George H.W. Bush, and it even has its own day – where The City of Beverly Hills has proclaimed May 8 as Bijan Day!

According to a report by Huffington Post The House of Bijan counts Barack Obama, George and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, Pierce Brosnan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Hefner and Monaco’s Prince Rainer among its star-studded client list.

With a special order bag seized from Najib’s properties, it’s likely that our former PM was also on this star-studded client list.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/27/ultra-luxury-bijan-bag-seized-from-najib-linked-condos-from-most-expensive-store-in-the-world/#dL7MEMkeLrpjOqJW.99

A lower-level Bijan crocodile clutch purse costs about US$10,000 (RM40,318).

But, its diamond-encrusted Bijan bags are likely to set buyers back by six figures, in US dollars, or more.

The Bijan bag seized from the Najib-linked condo was among other goods of luxury brands such as Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Versace, Judith Leiber, Chopard, Rolex and Richard Mille.

As with all luxury brands The House of Bijan has a “House” in its branding and a history to preserve its sanctity in the world of opulent retail.

The House of Bijan was founded in 1976 by the late Bijan Pakzad, an American Iranian menswear designer, who migrated to the US in 1973.

Pakzad’s first boutique for the House of Bijan opened on Rodeo Drive, known as the most expensive retail address in Los Angeles and where luxury brands such as Bulgari, Gucci, Cartier, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Giorgio Armani, among others, are on display.

After Pakzad’s death in 2011, The House of Bijan store on Rodeo Drive was sold for US$122mil (RM491mil) to the parent company of Louis Vuitton, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2016.

There is no question of anyone just simply strolling through the sumptuous doors of its showroom with its blue awnings and bright yellow walls in Beverly Hills.

On its website, The House of Bijan is described as “a universe unto itself” and is legendary for its “by appointment only” showroom.

This “by appointment only” offering by the brand is the heart of its exclusivity and is what differentiates it from other luxury brands.

The brand’s luxury offerings for the well-heeled are available in four categories from jewellery and accessories, driveable art, fragrances to wearable art.

The House of Bijan has collaborated on design with Bugatti Veyron Motor cars and Rolls Royce Motorcars.

It was recognised with The Leadership Honor Roll by President George H.W. Bush, and it even has its own day – where The City of Beverly Hills has proclaimed May 8 as Bijan Day!

According to a report by Huffington Post, The House of Bijan counts Barack Obama, George and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, Pierce Brosnan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Hefner and Monaco’s Prince Rainer among its star-studded client list.

With a special order bag seized from Najib’s properties, it’s likely that our former PM was also on this star-studded client list.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/06/27/ultra-luxury-bijan-bag-seized-from-najib-linked-condos-from-most-expensive-store-in-the-world/#dL7MEMkeLrpjOqJW.99

A lower-level Bijan crocodile clutch purse costs about US$10,000 (RM40,318).

But, its diamond-encrusted Bijan bags are likely to set buyers back by six figures, in US dollars, or more.

The Bijan bag seized from the Najib-linked condo was among other goods of luxury brands such as Hermes, Chanel, Prada, Versace, Judith Leiber, Chopard, Rolex and Richard Mille.

As with all luxury brands The House of Bijan has a “House” in its branding and a history to preserve its sanctity in the world of opulent retail.

The House of Bijan was founded in 1976 by the late Bijan Pakzad, an American Iranian menswear designer, who migrated to the US in 1973.

Pakzad’s first boutique for the House of Bijan opened on Rodeo Drive, known as the most expensive retail address in Los Angeles and where luxury brands such as Bulgari, Gucci, Cartier, Dior, Jimmy Choo, Tiffany, Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Giorgio Armani, among others, are on display.

After Pakzad’s death in 2011, The House of Bijan store on Rodeo Drive was sold for US$122mil (RM491mil) to the parent company of Louis Vuitton, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton in 2016.

There is no question of anyone just simply strolling through the sumptuous doors of its showroom with its blue awnings and bright yellow walls in Beverly Hills.

On its website, The House of Bijan is described as “a universe unto itself” and is legendary for its “by appointment only” showroom.

This “by appointment only” offering by the brand is the heart of its exclusivity and is what differentiates it from other luxury brands.

The brand’s luxury offerings for the well-heeled are available in four categories from jewellery and accessories, driveable art, fragrances to wearable art.

The House of Bijan has collaborated on design with Bugatti Veyron Motor cars and Rolls Royce Motorcars.

It was recognised with The Leadership Honor Roll by President George H.W. Bush, and it even has its own day – where The City of Beverly Hills has proclaimed May 8 as Bijan Day!

According to a report by Huffington Post The House of Bijan counts Barack Obama, George and George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, Pierce Brosnan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hugh Hefner and Monaco’s Prince Rainer among its star-studded client list.

With a special order bag seized from Najib’s properties, it’s likely that our former PM was also on this star-studded client list.

    Polling stations were decorated with posters of pin-up football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and election officials in one location even dressed as ghosts to boost the turnout.

Widodo, known as Jokowi, is popular across the 17,000-island archipelago. But he has struggled to keep his economic growth plans on track, while the growing power of hardline Islamist groups who oppose him could throw up a formidable challenge.

Some 152 million registered voters — more than half of Indonesia’s 260 million-strong population — were eligible to cast a ballot for 171 mayors, regional leaders and provincial governors.

Some polling station were decked out in a World Cup theme to attract voters — including posters of the Portuguese footballer and of Argentina’s Lionel Messi — as local staff donned team jerseys and small nets filled with balls were set up around the ballot boxes.

A polling station near a cemetery in the central Javanese city of Semarang took on a “spooky” theme as officials strapped on ghost costumes, local media reported.

Voters in Depok, also on Java, got free fried tofu for their efforts.

Indonesia’s three most populous provinces — West, East and Central Java — are seen as key battlegrounds in the race, along with North Sumatra.

The way they fall could have implications for 57-year-old Widodo as he gears up for an expected repeat next year of the 2014 contest which saw him beat retired general Prabowo Subianto for the presidency.

Subianto is believed to be planning to run again in the April 2019 presidential election.

By early afternoon, exit polls showed former Bandung mayor Ridwan Kamil — a Jokowi ally — had won the majority of votes in West Java.

“What really matters in Indonesia is perception — you don’t want the president to show himself as having a weak hand,” said Yohanes Sulaiman, a political analyst at Universitas Jenderal Achmad Yani.

Authorities tightened security across the archipelago as voting began Wednesday morning. Results are expected by July 9.

Indonesia has been on edge since a series of suicide bombings last month stirred fears about Islamist militancy in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country.

Last week a cleric seen as a top messenger for the Islamic State group in Indonesia was sentenced to death for masterminding a 2016 suicide-and-gun attack in central Jakarta — raising concerns about retaliatory attacks by his supporters.

The political power of hardline Islamist groups is at unprecedented levels in officially pluralist Indonesia.

That power was highlighted when Jakarta’s first  ethnically Chinese and Christian governor — a key Jokowi ally — lost his re-election bid last year over blasphemy allegations that later sent him to prison.//AFP

Kono was in Thailand for the third ministerial of the Conference on Cooperation among East Asian Countries for Palestinian Development (CEAPAD) on Wednesday.

CPTPP is a comprehensive free-trade agreement signed by 11 Asia-Pacific countries in March after the withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after Donald Trump took office.

Japan took the lead in the free-trade scheme, which also included Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Prayut has ordered a feasibility study for Thailand to join the CPTPP, according to spokesman Weerachon Sukondhapatipak.

Kono also discussed regional security issues, including the Korean peninsula and the contentious South China Sea, which both sides agreed needed to be solved peacefully, he said.

Earlier, Kono also met Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues, including the situation in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, according to the Thai Foreign Ministry.

Japan reportedly supported Myanmar’s efforts to “solve the crisis” in the western state as well as to have safe return of refugees from Bangladesh, according to a Japanese official.

Pinpointing a serious emerging threat in the Internet era, Permanent Secretary for Justice Wisit Wisitsoraat urged all countries to be on alert for digital crimes, which had hit Asean countries recently with serious consequences.

Wisit was presiding over a seminar for knowledge exchange on measures to prevent and combat cybercrimes in the Asean Economic Community (AEC). He said each country faces loopholes in international laws that allow criminals to commit and get away with online crime. Hence new channels must be created so that law enforcers can communicate and exchange information for suppression of the threat. Wisit said each country should also amend its laws to accommodate the efforts. Thailand’s own Computer Crimes Act comes with severe punishments but the challenge for authorities was to make arrests before cybercriminals – who can act remotely and unseen from abroad – could cause widespread damage, he said. It is important for law enforcers to develop a system to detect cyber crimes, he added.

DSI chief Pol Colonel Paisit Wongmuang said the Asean co-operation to prevent and combat cybercrimes would help boost the capacities of international agencies and each country’s law enforcement, especially via linking and exchange of information.

Thailand’s most-reported cybercriminals are call-centre scammers based in other countries who dupe Thai victims via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and have caused many millions of baht in damage in recent years, he said.

The Royal Thai Police specialised centre to suppress crimes committed via phones and electronic media reported 452 cases covering damage worth about Bt254 million since December. Paisit said police had issued 547 arrest warrants and arrested 396 suspects. Thai police are also co-ordinating with their counterparts in other countries to crackdown on scamming gangs, but the problem still persists, he added.

In the Philippines and Indonesia, most cybercrimes are cryptocurrency investment fraud, he said. In Australia, 48 per cent of cybercrime comprises fraudsters creating emails or websites mimicking authentic public sector websites to steal personal information, while the private sector is targeted by hackers stealing credit card information, he said.

Bernama quoted Maqis director-general Datuk Mokhtaruddin Husain as saying the worms were discovered through physical examination and sampling conducted on several sardine cans that arrived in two containers with an estimated weight of 36,720 kg and valued at about RM200,000.

The containers had been detained, he said in a statement on Tuesday (June 26).

The worms were likely to be from the genus Anisakis spp which causes the anisakiasis disease in humans that normally occurs when humans eat seafood such as raw fish or fish not fully cooked infected with the Anisakis spp parasite, he said.

Anisakiasis is a parasitic and zoonotic disease brought about by a congenital fish causing the Anisakis spp nematode (worm) that attacks the gastrointestinal system such as the stomach and intestines of humans and can cause gastrointestinal problems or symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Mokhtaruddin said the act of importing any plant, animal, carcass, fish, agricultural product, soil or microorganism with pests, diseases or contaminants was an offence under Section 14 of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011. The case is being investigated for further action, he said.

Police’s Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) chief Amar Singh Ishar Singh said the cash seized from 35 bags amounted to RM116.7 million in 26 currencies.

“It took us three days to calculate. We were assisted by 22 officers from Bank Negara,” he said at a press conference on Wednesday (June 27).

He further revealed that out of the 72 large luggage bags seized, 25 contained jewellery such as diamonds, bangles and earrings.

“About 12,000 items of jewellery were seized worth RM440 million, without taking into account workmanship costs. Among them were 1,400 necklaces, 2,200 rings, 2,100 bangles, 2,800 pairs of earrings, 1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras,” he said, adding that the market value would be between 50 and 100 per cent more, or an estimated RM660 million to RM880 million.

“We took 16 days to count,” he added.

Datuk Seri Amar said the most expensive necklace is a RM6.4 million gold and diamond necklace.

Malaysian police reveal value of items seized from former Malaysian PM Najib Razak’s residences

The police also seized 567 luxury handbags, including high-grade counterfeits, worth RM51.3 million from 37 brands, including Hermes and Chanel.

“The most expensive is RM1.6 million. We also seized 423 luxury watches from 100 brands – Rolex, Richard Mille and Chopard, worth RM78 million which took us eight days to count,” he said.

One of the handbags is a custom-made item that comes from Los Angeles-based House of Bijan. Its value has yet to be determined by police.

The luxury brand has been described as one of the most expensive in the world. According to Huffington Post, the brand has dressed every American president since Mr Ronald Reagan, except current president Donald Trump.

The news portal also reported that the brand caters to Prince William and Prince Charles as well as Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

The brand specialises in custom-made pieces made from luxury materials, such as crocodile skin and kangaroo leather. They see clients by appointment only.

Meanwhile, from three bags, police also confiscated 234 sunglasses from 34 brands – Cartier, Versace and Dior among others – worth RM374,000.

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Since May 16, police have searched at least six premises linked to Mr Najib in its probe into the 1MDB scandal. Investigators have seized 284 boxes filled with designer handbags, 72 large luggage bags containing cash and valuables from four residences in Kuala Lumpur linked to him and his family.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, in an interview with Reuters last week, said Mr Najib was fully responsible for the 1MDB scandal and that authorities have “an almost perfect case” against the former leader.

Mr Najib has consistently denied any wrongdoing, having explained three years ago that the nearly US$700 million transferred into his account had been a donation from an unnamed Saudi royal. The US Department of Justice has said the money came from 1MDB, and that a total of US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from the fund.

Mr Najib told Reuters last week that he shouldn’t be blamed for the alleged stealing from 1MDB, and declared he knew nothing about the money from the state fund appearing in his bank account.

Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Amar Singh told a press conference that it took police from May 21 to June 25 to ascertain the value of the cash and items seized.

He said that more than 12,000 pieces of jewellery – comprising 2,200 rings, 1,400 necklaces, 2,100 bracelets, 2,800 pairs of earrings,1,600 brooches and 14 tiaras were seized.

The most expensive item was a necklace that had a value of at least RM6mil, he told a press conference here on Wednesday (June 27).

He added that the market value of these items would be about 50 to 100 percent more, or an estimated RM660mil to RM880mil.

He also said there were 423 watches worth RM78mil and 234 sunglasses worth RM374,000 seized.

Police also seized 567 handbags made up of 37 luxury brands, with an estimated value of RM51.3mil, said Comm Amar.

He added that this was the biggest seizure in Malaysian history.

The raids on the residences linked to the former premier were part of the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) investigation.

More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to flee Rakhine state after a military crackdown that the United Nations has said amounts to “ethnic cleansing”.

Myanmar’s military has denied targeting the stateless minority and said it was defending itself against Muslim militants who attacked police posts in August 2017.

But a new report from Amnesty said army commander-in-chief Min Aung Hlaing and 12 other senior military and security officials oversaw an orchestrated campaign of violence in the restive state where the Rohingya have been historically marginalized.

“The ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya population was achieved by a relentless and systematic campaign in which the Myanmar security forces unlawfully killed thousands of Rohingya, including young children,” said the report.

It also accused security forces of sexual violence, torture, forced displacement and burning markets and farmland that starved communities and forced them to flee.

“These crimes amount to crimes against humanity under international law, as they were perpetrated as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Rohingya population,” the report said.

The report said some senior military figures and border guard police oversaw units that directly carried out alleged atrocities, while others knew of subordinates’ actions and failed to prevent, stop or punish the crimes.

Humanitarian crisis

The 186-page document is the first attempt to name and implicate senior figures in the widespread violence that sparked the mass exodus and humanitarian crisis that followed.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have settled in squalid camps in neighboring Bangladesh, many too scared to go back despite a repatriation agreement with Myanmar that rights groups have said does not guarantee a safe return.

The report is the most detailed account of the crisis to date and follows fresh sanctions from the European Union this week against seven security officials accused of serious crimes including sexual violence and killings.

Min Aung Hlaing was not subject to the sanctions but six people on the EU list are also named in the Amnesty report, which is based on more than 400 interviews in Myanmar and Bangladesh from September 2017 to June 2018.

The authors also used satellite imagery, forensic analysis and confidential military documents.

The report also details alleged abuses carried out by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), the Muslim militant group that attacked police posts on August 25, 2017.

It said ARSA killed informants and people with military links and massacred dozens of Hindus in the area, which the militant group has denied.

Amnesty says it requested a response from Myanmar’s military and the office of de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi but did not receive a reply.

Myanmar has previously rejected calls for an ICC probe, arguing that it is not party to the treaty that governs the court.