The majority of the dead are from the small rural town of Atsuma, where a cluster of dwellings were wrecked when a hillside collapsed from the force of the 6.6-magnitude quake, causing deep brown scars in the landscape.

Public broadcaster NHK said 35 were dead, with around five people still unaccounted for in the town.

More than 600 sustained minor injuries, according to the Hokkaido island local government.

“We never had landslides here,” said Akira Matsushita who lost his brother in Atsuma.

“I couldn’t believe until I saw it with my own eyes,” he told TV Asahi. “When I saw it, I knew no-one could survive.”

Some 40,000 rescue workers, including Self-Defense Forces drafted in specially, were searching for survivors with the aid of bulldozers, sniffer dogs and 75 helicopters, according to the top government spokesman.

“They’re doing their best around the clock,” Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he will meet quake survivors in Hokkaido on Sunday, according to Jiji Press.

All three million households in Hokkaido lost power when Thursday’s quake damaged a thermal plant supplying electricity to the region, but Abe said power was mostly restored.

“Thanks to hard work to boost power supply throughout the night, the number of households without power has declined to 20,000,” he told a cabinet meeting.

Abe said the government would release emergency funds to deliver food, water and fuel needed for power generators at hospitals.

A total of 31,000 households still have no water and around 16,000 people have evacuated to shelters.

The earthquake also collapsed a handful of houses and walls in the main regional city of Sapporo but considering the strength of the quake, the death toll was relatively light, with the majority of victims coming from the landslide in Atsuma.

International flights at the main airport in Sapporo resumed operations on Saturday, while bullet trains began service the day before.

The quake was the latest in a string of natural disasters to batter the country.

Western parts of the country are still recovering from the most powerful typhoon to strike Japan in a quarter of a century, which claimed 11 lives and shut down the main regional airport.

Japan sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where many of the world’s earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are recorded.

On March 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0-magnitude quake struck under the Pacific Ocean, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and claimed thousands of lives.

It was an unexpected claim from the fiery Duterte, a one-time fierce critic of the United States but who has since embraced Trump after the business tycoon was elected in November, 2016.

When questioned by reporters about the 6.4 percent inflation in August, a nine-year high that exceeded most analysts’ forecasts, Duterte blamed Trump’s economic policies.

“Who started it? America. When America raised its rates, everyone raised theirs as well. That is how it is. There is nothing we can do,” he told reporters.

“Because America… Trump wanted it. Even taxes like excise tax, they raised it. Even import dues,” Duterte said.

He later clarified that he was not angry at his fellow populist, saying: “I will talk to friend Trump”.

“I have nothing against the American people, not the slightest… misgiving against Trump,” he added.

Duterte, who has previously admitted he is not well-versed in economics, did not elaborate on how US economic policies might affect inflation in the Philippines.

Duterte, who took office in mid-2016, had previously been criticised by US officials for his bloody war on drugs that his own administration says has left at least 4,410 suspects dead.

Human rights groups charge that the actual death toll is thrice as high but Trump has brushed aside such concerns, hailing his “great relationship,” with Duterte.

Duterte, who has consistently enjoyed strong approval ratings, also charged that the surge in inflation and the rising prices of food are being used by the opposition against him.

mm/rma

Myanmar reiterates its position that not being a party to Rome Statute. It is under no obligation to respect the ruling of the Court. The decision was the result of manifest bad faith, procedural irregularities and general lack of transparency. Permission was given to organizations to file amicus curiae submissions without consideration of their identity or the beneficial scope of their proposed contributions. Several of the briefs submitted did not address legal issues.  Furthermore, allegations consisting of charged narratives harrowing personal tragedies which have nothing to do with the legal arguments in question were permitted thereby putting emotional pressure on the Court. Submissions of observations by these groups had the intended effect of placing the Court in an emotional bind, the press release said.

Myanmar rightly contended the Prosecutor has incorrectly applied Article 19 (3) in its request for a ruling from the Court on Jurisdiction when the Court is not properly seized of the matter, the press release said.

We are heartened to learn that one of the Judges, Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut shares this opinion. It has been reported that Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut is of the view that Article 19 (3) and 199 (1) of the Rome Statute are inapplicable and that the principle of la competence de la competence cannot serve as an alternative basis for the Chamber to provide a ruling, the press release said.

The allegation of deportation cannot be further from the truth. Myanmar reiterates that it has not deported any individuals in the areas of concern and in fact has worked hard in collaboration with Bangladesh to repatriate those displaced from their homes. Several bilateral agreements have been signed such as the “Arrangement on Return of Displaced Persons from Rakhine State” between the Governments of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar and the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, the press release said.

In fact, the Union Minister for the Ministry of the Office of State Counsellor went to Rakhine in October 2017 together with the Ambassadors of the four neighbouring countries including the Ambassador of Bangladesh to persuade the people who are preparing to leave Rakhine, to not do so but the effort was in vain, the press release said.

The Government upon taking office in 2016, immediately set up the Central Committee for Implementation of Peace, Stability and Development of Rakhine State to address the issue. This was immediately followed by the setting up of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State headed by the late Mr. Kofi, former Secretary-General of the United Nations to provide recommendations for bringing about peace, stability and development to Rakhine State, the press release said.

The Government has time and again reiterated its principled position of promoting and implementing the rule of law, justice and accountability. On 31st August 2018, it had established the Independent Commission for Enquiry to investigate the violations of human rights and related issues in regard to Rakhine. The Independent Commission for Enquiry includes two international personalities well versed in the issue of humanitarian assistance and human rights as well as Myanmar nationals with judicial backgrounds and relevant UN experience. Myanmar is both willing and able to investigate any crimes and violations of human rights in its own territory, the press release said.

The over-extended application of jurisdiction challenges the fundamental principles of legal certainty and is contrary to accepted principles of public international law. It has created a dangerous precedent and erodes the moral authority of the Court, the press release said.

The issue of how those funds are made available to developing nations has emerged as a key sticking point at the Bangkok conference which has made little headway since it opened on Tuesday.

The US, which has abandoned the landmark Paris Accord, has tabled a proposal with support from Japan and Australia that seeks to remove rules on how countries account for their climate action funding, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations.

This would mean that developed economies — responsible for the lion’s share of planet-warming-feeding carbon emissions — could still count commercial loans and pre-existing state funding as part of their finance obligations.

Under the Paris deal, richer nations were supposed to help poorer nations deal with the effects of climate change, but there are already deep concerns over a lack of transparency and accountability in the process.

In addition, observers in Bangkok told AFP that the US and some other developed economies were refusing point blank to discuss the contentious issue of how rich nations inform other states of their future funding plans.

The US position is starkly at odds with that of the developing nations, which insist that transparent and predictable finance is needed to effectively plan investment in new technologies and carbon reduction.

Poor countries already coping with floods, heatwaves and superstorms made worse by climate change are expected to bear the brunt of the effects of our heating planet.

A senior climate negotiator told AFP that the US delegation in Bangkok was “poisoning” discussions aimed at creating a clear roadmap to implementing what nations agreed in the Paris deal.

“The US is no longer playing the game but it’s still setting the rules,” said the negotiator, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Activists rounded on the US — which is still committed to the Paris roadmap until 2020 — accusing Washington of endangering hard-earned gains on a global initiative to stop runaway planet warming.

“The role of the US negotiators at the talks is actively hindering progress at this critical stage,” Harjeet Singh, the global lead on climate change for pressure group ActionAid, told AFP.

He also accused other developed nations negotiating blocs, including the European Union, of “standing on the sidewalk” by failing to stand up for developing countries.

The Paris agreement, struck between 190 countries in December 2015, aims to limit global temperature rises to “well below” two degrees Celsius by 2100, shooting for no more than a 1.5C increase if at all possible.

Talks in Bangkok aim to narrow down options to present to ministers and heads of state at the COP 24 climate summit in Poland in December.

The company referred to news reports on Thursday in the Phnom Penh Post and the website www.inclusivedelopment.net which claim that the Thai court has accepted Cambodia’s land dispute claims and ordered the company to proceed with mediation.

“Mitr Phol Group would like to clarify that this information is incorrect and that preliminary hearings at the Thai civil court have not yet taken place due to the plaintiff’s lack of readiness to testify,” it said in a statement.

“The civil court has insisted on clarification from the plaintiff and asked the plaintiff’s lawyers to comply with the required court procedures,” it said.

The Phnom Penh Post also referred to the Inclusive Development International (IDI) statement on Wednesday, which claims that the Thai company’s subsidiaries, including Angkor Sugar Company, forcibly displaced over 7,000 Cambodian farming families between 2008 and 2009. About 9,430 hectares of farmland were affected in the takeover by the Thai company.

As global warming races ahead of efforts to contain it, the discussions are deadlocked over a number of contentious issues, with activists demanding immediate action to prevent irreparable damage to the planet.

The “Rise for Climate” protest movement — which has organised events in dozens of countries on Saturday — wants governments to end their reliance on fossil fuels and transition fully into renewable energy.

Beginning in Australia, a tall ship moved through Sydney Harbour in front of the Opera House as activists on board held up protest signs.

Its billowing sails featured banners that read “Rise for Climate; Action with 350” — referring to environment advocacy group 350 which spearheaded the global protest.

Blair Palese, CEO of 350 Australia, said that the country — heavily reliant on coal mining for its economy — has long suffered the effects of climate change.

“We are fighting bushfires in winter, suffering a crippling drought, and scientists fear back-to-back of bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef this summer.”

Hundreds more protesters gathered outside the electorate office of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, calling on him to “kick coal out of politics”.

In the Thai capital, some 200 protesters assembled in front of the UN regional headquarters, where delegates were discussing how to implement measures agreed by world powers under the 2015 Paris Accord on climate change.

The talks aim to create a draft legal framework for limiting global temperature rises that can be presented to ministers and heads of state at a final round of discussions in Poland in December.

The delegates have been meeting since Tuesday, but have made little progress, according to multiple sources close to the negotiations.

“The negotiators are not taking any action,” Ruchi Tripathi, head of climate justice at charity ActionAid, told AFP.

In particular, the issue of how the fight against climate change will be funded — and how that funding is made available to developing nations — remains a key sticking point.

Dozens of labourers and fishermen from the Gulf of Thailand, whose livelihoods are threatened by rising sea levels and coastal erosion caused by climate change, joined Saturday’s protest.

Many brought examples of their produce, including crabs and shrimp, and held banners demanding that delegates take action.

“I came here today to ask the government to put coastal erosion on the national agenda,” 58-year-old fisherwoman Aree Kongklad told AFP.

She said that the mangrove forests near her coastal home had been destroyed, jeopardising the supply of crabs which are her livelihood.

“Rain and storms have become ferocious. I have already had to move my house inland three times,” she said

The epicenter, with a depth of 11 km, was monitored at 23.28 degrees north latitude and 101.53 degrees east longitude, the center said in a statement.

Houses were shaking and some residents rushed out from their homes to open spaces, local government said.

Residents of high-rise buildings in Kunming, capital of Yunnan, some 270 km away from Mojiang, also felt obvious tremors.

During the four-day meeting, representatives will review recent activities, discuss new projects, work on tourism development, enhance the responsibilities of state tourism management agencies and strengthen cooperation between municipal governments and tourism agencies, as well as other issues related to the cooperation and promotion of the “Welcome to Asia” campaign.

“With a history of 1,000 years, Hanoi has the potential to develop its tourism industry. The city attached special importance to the CPTA. Since its establishment 16 years ago, the CPTA has proved its adaptability to global development,” said deputy chairman of Hanoi’s People’s Committee, Ngô Văn Qúy, during a working session.

President of the CPTA Yuji Fujita said the focus of the meeting was to work on more effective policies and activities to attract more tourists to Asia’s cities.

He said he hoped the delegates would contribute to stronger and more effective cooperation in tourism development in Asia.

This is the fourth time Hanoi has hosted this event, which is expected to help the city lure more international visitors.

There will be a tourism promotion meeting today, along with a tourism exposition of member cities of CPTA.

On Sunday, participants will visit the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum, the Temple of Literature, the Thăng Long Royal Citadel and Bát Tràng pottery village.

The CPTA includes state tourism management agencies from 10 member cities of the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21) –Tokyo, Bangkok, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Seoul, Taipei, Manila, Tomsk and Hanoi.

In the first six months of 2018, Hanoi welcomed more than 13 million visitors, a 10 per cent increase compared to the previous year, among which were 3 million foreign tourists. Total tourism revenue during the period reached an estimated 40 trillion dong (Bt56 billion)

“We should understand that… we [the US] may be the reason that’s happening— our own actions,” said Marybeth Ulrich, professor of government in the Department of National Security and Strategy at the US Army War College in Pennsylvania.

Speaking to visiting journalists here, she said US President Donald Trump’s rejection of his predecessor’s pivot to Asia could partly explain why countries like the Philippines were cultivating stronger ties with China.

“You know, part of that is, I think, we have sort of rejected this pivot to Asia, [which] you didn’t get to continue so much in this administration, so there’s a vacuum,” Ulrich said in a lecture for the 2018 East-West Center Senior Journalists Seminar.

“And so we should understand that when America is not leading, countries are going to look to other places,” she said.

Next month, Trump will skip two major regional summits in Asia, the Asean Summit in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation in Papua New Guinea, in a move that has fueled doubts about US commitment to the region.

Ulrich noted how Trump’s predecessor, former President Barack Obama, had sought to rebalance US role in the Asia Pacific in the face of China’s growing influence.

“Obama had a vision of a pivot to Asia… which got torpedoed” under the Trump administration, the expert said.

Brian Harding, deputy director for the Southeast Asia program of the Washington-based think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, acknowledged that the US, in failing to follow through on Obama’s thrust toward Asia, “had lost some ground” to China.

But he added there was still space for the Americans.

“Nobody in Southeast Asia wants to live in a China-dominated region. They want to live in a region where all the major outside powers are involved, wrapped up into these multilateral structures that keep us on our best behavior and let Asean drive the agenda,” Harding told a separate briefing on Thursday.

He said it was crucial that the US continue its rebalancing act in Asia through an economic agenda, which he called the “gigantic missing piece” in US foreign policy in the region.

He said the US should do more “to show that maybe China’s deals cannot stand up to scrutiny if you don’t have an incorruptible leader in place,” citing the case of Malaysia, whose new political leadership had withdrawn from China deals.

“I think we should be helping other countries make better decisions,” Harding said.

Since coming to power in 2016, Duterte has pursued economic and military cooperation with China while expressing anti-US rhetoric.

In October 2016 — before Trump came into power — the Philippine leader announced his “separation” from the United States, saying he had realigned with China despite maritime disputes in the South China Sea.

Ulrich, however, noted that the US remained interested in building its soft power in the region, especially with traditional allies including the Philippines.

“I know we have done a lot with the Philippine counterterrorism, as far as that goes, and that’s still ongoing, so I’m sure there’s still a lot to be done with that,” she said.

In spite of the China pivot, the US military continues to hold war games and military training with Philippine troops under the Balikatan exercises, and is active in disaster management in the country.

The seminar organized by the Honolulu-based East-West Center is an annual fellowship for journalists in the US and countries with substantial Muslim populations, who go on a three-week tour of US, Asia and Africa to study the role of religion in the public sphere.