“Hitler was actually representing the devil himself,” Rivlin said when the two men met at his Jerusalem office. “He was the devil on earth.”

Rivlin went on to say that Duterte’s visit to Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial on Monday must have illustrated to him the sensitivity surrounding any reference to Adolf Hitler.

“Probably you have realised yesterday the feelings when you have visited the museum of Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, to really feel the atmosphere, to feel the feelings of all the people that were part of this disaster,” said Rivlin, whose position is mainly ceremonial.

Duterte appeared to be listening attentively during Rivlin’s brief comments. He later spoke about trade and cooperation with Israel.

The controversial Philippine president spoke of Hitler in 2016 when talking about his violent drug crackdown that has killed thousands.

“Hitler massacred three million Jews. Now there are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I’d be happy to slaughter them,” Duterte said then.

Historians say six million Jews died in the Holocaust.

Duterte later apologised and said the comments were aimed at critics who had likened him to the Nazi leader.

According to Rivlin’s office, Duterte also told Rivlin his preferred source of military equipment was from Israel.

A few dozen people opposed to arms sales to the Philippines protested outside the presidential compound in Jerusalem during the meeting.

“We’re protesting against Israel’s involvement in the crimes taking place there,” lawyer and human rights activist Eitay Mack told AFP.

Further arms deals were expected to be part of Duterte’s discussions in Israel.

Duterte met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. On Wednesday, he will inaugurate a memorial near Tel Aviv commemorating the Philippines’ acceptance of 1,300 Jews fleeing the Holocaust.

Typhoon Jebi slammed into the west coast of Japan around noon on Tuesday, bringing maximum winds of 216 kilometres (135 miles) an hour and heavy rain.

The powerful gusts ripped sheeting from rooftops, overturned trucks on bridges and swept a 2,591-ton tanker anchored in Osaka Bay into a bridge leading to Kansai International Airport.

The damage to the bridge left the airport, which is on an artificial island, cut off from the mainland, and around 3,000 people were stranded at the facility overnight, a transport ministry official told AFP.

Parts of the airport’s runways and basement were also flooded after high waves whipped up by the storm washed into the facility.

On Wednesday morning, a boat service was ferrying people from the airport to nearby Kobe, the transport ministry official said.

But there was no indication yet when the airport, which runs over 400 flights a day, might reopen.

“We had a blackout so there was no air conditioning. It was hot,” a woman transported Wednesday by boat to Kobe Airport told public broadcaster NHK.

“I’d never expected this extent of damage from a typhoon.”

NHK said the toll in the storm stood at nine, with Jiji news agency saying five of the dead were in Osaka prefecture.

Hundreds more were injured, mostly by flying debris, local media said.

Evacuation advisories were issued for more than 1.22 million people as of Wednesday morning, while another 29,600 people under stronger, though still not mandatory, evacuation orders, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

And 16,000 people spent the night in shelters across 20 prefectures, Jiji reported.

– Winds bring down roof –

The fast moving typhoon left land on Tuesday night, moving offshore from the central Ishikawa region, but it left a trail of destruction in its wake.

In Kyoto, it brought down part of the ceiling of the tourist magnet’s main station, and in Osaka, the high winds peeled scaffolding from a multi-story building.

Footage on NHK showed a 100-metre (328-foot) tall ferris wheel in Osaka spinning furiously in the strong wind despite being switched off.

“I’ve never seen such a thing,” a 19-year-old man at the scene told NHK.

Up to some 2.3 million households suffered blackouts and businesses, factories and schools in the affected area shut down while the storm crossed the country.

Nearly 800 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries, local train services and some bullet train lines.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had urged people to evacuate early and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents.

“I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early,” he said.

Japan is regularly struck by major storms during the summer and autumn.

The country has been sweating through a record deadly heatwave that followed devastating rain in parts of central and western Japan that killed over 200 people.

The sustained rain caused widespread flooding and landslides in July, devastating entire villages and forcing thousands from their homes.

The flooding and landslides proved so deadly in part because many people did not heed evacuation warnings, which are not mandatory.

Since the disaster, authorities have urged people to take the warnings more seriously and prepare to leave home immediately they are issued.

The strong gusts ripped sheeting from rooftops, toppled trucks on bridges and swept a tanker anchored in Osaka bay into a nearby bridge running to the Kansai International Airport.

High waves whipped up by the storm also flooded parts of the seaside airport, where all flights were cancelled, and the severe weather caused power outages and travel chaos across much of the country.

Typhoon Jebi made landfall around noon local time, slamming into the west of the country packing winds of up to 216 kilometres (135 miles) per hour.

The fast-moving storm quickly crossed the country, and by nightfall was on the verge of leaving land and heading out to sea from Ishikawa in central Japan.

Local media reported two deaths in the storm, including a 71-year-old man killed in western Shiga prefecture after being trapped under a warehouse that collapsed in strong wind.

This handout image released by the Western Nippon Expressway company on September 4, 2018 and received via Jiji Press shows a tanker ship (R) that had smashed into a bridge connecting the city of Izumisano with Kansai airport, with the top part of the ship knocking away a part of the bridge, as Typhoon Jebi made landfall around midday in southwestern Japan. with a bridge connected to the Kansai International airport caused by typhoon Jebi’s strong wind in Izumisano city, Osaka prefecture on September 4, 2018. // AFP PHOTO

Public broadcaster NHK said 97 people had been injured across the storm’s path, none of them seriously.

In Osaka, television footage showed a large tanker that smashed into the bridge connecting the city of Izumisano with Kansai airport, with the top part of the ship knocking away a part of the bridge. There were no reports of injuries.

The airport was closed after runways and parts of its basement were flooded by high waves, a transport ministry official confirmed.

NHK also showed footage of a 100-metre (328-feet) tall ferris wheel in Osaka turning furiously in the strong wind despite being switched off.

“I’m surprised that the switched-off ferris wheel began to move with the strong wind. I’ve never seen such a thing,” a 19-year-old boy at the scene told the public broadcaster.

Elsewhere, the winds whipped away part of the ceiling from Kyoto station and peeled off multi-storey scaffolding attached to a building in Osaka.

 – Evacuations urged –

Local media said more than a million households were left without power by the storm, and evacuation advisories were issued for nearly 1.2 million people, though only another 16,000 were under stronger — though still not mandatory — evacuation orders.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had urged people to evacuate early and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents, after the weather agency warned of landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightning and tornadoes.

“I urge the Japanese people to take action to protect your lives, including preparing and evacuating early,” he said.

Damage from loose construction scaffolding due to weather patterns from Typhoon Jebi is seen in Osaka on September 4, 2018, as the typhoon made landfall around midday in southwestern Japan. // AFP PHOTO

Arriving on land, Jebi had winds of up to 162 kilometres (100 miles) per hour at its centre, making it a “very strong” typhoon, the weather agency’s chief forecaster Ryuta Kurora told AFP.

“This is (the strongest) since 1993.”

Local media warned that the wind was strong enough to topple traditional-style wooden houses as well as power poles, and urged people in affected areas to avoid non-essential travel.

Primary and middle schools in the storm’s path were closed while regional businesses also reacted quickly, with Universal Studios Japan in Osaka shutting down for Tuesday along with factories for several large manufacturers.

Nearly 800 flights were cancelled, including several international flights departing and arriving at Nagoya and Osaka, along with ferries, local train services and some bullet train lines.

A pedestrian struggles against strong winds and rain generated by typhoon Jebi near Osaka station in Osaka, western Japan, 04 September 2018. // EPA-EFE PHOTO

Jebi has a similar trajectory to Typhoon Cimaron which made landfall on August 23, disrupting transport but causing limited damage and few injuries.

Japan is regularly struck by major storms during the summer and autumn.

The country has been sweating through a record deadly heatwave that followed devastating rain in parts of central and western Japan that killed over 200 people.

The sustained rain caused widespread flooding and landslides in July, devastating entire villages and forcing thousands from their homes.

The flooding and landslides proved so deadly in part because many people did not heed evacuation warnings, which are not mandatory.

Since the disaster, authorities have urged people to take the warnings more seriously and prepare to leave home immediately they are issued.

The store in Hyderabad opened to great fanfare only last month, the first of 25 Ikea hopes to open by 2025 to cater to India’s 1.25 billion-strong population and the nation’s burgeoning middle class.

Customer Abeed Mohammad tweeted photos of the caterpillar in the vegetable biryani dish that he ordered at the store’s 1,000-seat restaurant on Friday.

After collecting samples on Saturday, officials sent notices to Ikea and the firm which allegedly supplied the food.

Ikea said it had the strictest guidelines when it came to food safety and apologised to the customer for the “unfortunate experience”.

“We would like to assure him and everyone else that we are investigating the matter currently to assess what happened and take immediate corrective action,” Ikea India said in a statement.

“At Ikea we have the strictest guidelines when it comes to food safety and quality as customer health and safety are something we care about deeply.”

“I think he’s thinking about it,” Villar said during the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum when asked if she thinks the boxing champion would run for the highest seat.

She noted, however, that it would be Pacquiao’s decision if he wants to run for presidency.

“It’s his decision,” she said.

Asked what does she think of Pacquiao’s chances if he decides to take the candidacy, Villar said “it’s the Filipino people [who] will judge it.”

“We have what we call the masang Pilipino [Filipino masses]. What the masang Pilipino would like, I think will happen in this country, ‘di ba [right]? They are the majority in this country,” she said.

Villar also said he is not sure whether Pacquiao’s popularity would give him passport to be president, and noted that being the country’s highest leader is a “destiny.”

“Merong mga popular sa masa pero hindi sila naging presidente. I think presidency is destiny. I think popular din si Grace Poe, popular din si Manny Pacquiao. Bakit si Digong [President Rodrigo Duterte] ang naging presidente natin?” she said.

(There are some people who are popular in the masses but did not become president. I think presidency is destiny. I think Grace Poe is popular, Manny Pacquiao is also popular. Why did Digong become president?)

“Hindi mo masabi ang masang Pilipino eh… Ako nacoconfuse sa masang Pilipino [You cannot predict the Filipino masses. I am confused with them],” she added.

From obscurity, Pacquiao was catapulted to popularity when he started to win boxing fights and knock out opponents here and abroad. He had this winning streak in boxing that made him champion before he tried his hand at becoming a senator in the 17th Congress. He ranked 7th among the winning senators in the 2016 national elections.

The relief goods are to be delivered by Korean Air to Danang, Vietnam. From there, they will be transported on land to the site of the incident by the Lao Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross in Laos, the Korean organization said.

The kits include detergents for washing and laundry, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors, sanitary pads, toilet paper and towels.

After a hydroelectric dam in Laos collapsed on July 23, the Korean Red Cross provided the Lao Red Cross and International Committee of the Red Cross with 100 million won ($90,000) as an emergency relief fund, and delivered 866 hygiene kits to victims in Laos.

The Korean Red Cross said it had also raised about 500 million won by the end of August, and will deliver the donations to support the victims and restoration work in Laos.

The collapse forced some 7,000 people to flee their homes at the time. As of Tuesday, the death toll from appears to be over 30, while scores are still reported missing.

With support from Samsung Electronics and Community Chest of Korea, the Korean Red Cross has reserved relief supplies to react to disasters occurring outside of Korea. To Korean Red Cross, Samsung Electronics also provides annual funding of 500 million won for rescue operations in and outside of Korea, the organization said.

Two women who were sentenced to be caned six times each after pleading guilty to same-sex relations by the Kuala Terengganu Syariah High Court did not shout nor scream.

About 150 people were present in the courtroom, watching as a lady officer from Kajang Women’s Prison carried out the sentence with a cane measuring about a metre.

The officer swung the cane, hitting the first woman’s back with a force similar to a forceful tap, as another woman officer from the Prison’s Department kept count.

However, when it came to the younger woman, sobs could be heard as another woman prison officer carried out the sentence.

The women, 32 and 22 years old, were supposed to have been caned on Aug 28 but had their sentences postponed to yesterday.

On Aug 12, the Syariah High Court fined the women RM3,300 and ordered that they be caned six times each for committing musahaqah (sexual relations between women) under Section 30 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enact­ment (Takzir) (Terengganu).

The caning for such an offence is believed to be the first to be carried out in the state.

First of its kind: The caning for such an offence is believed to be the first to be carried out in the state. — Bernama

Court officials took every measure to protect the women’s privacy. Those who wanted to be inside the courtroom had to surrender their phones to officials at the door, who placed them in plastic bags secured with zip lock strips, before being allowed in.

The rule was strictly enforced inside where court officials kept an eye out for smuggled devices and did not hesitate to query anyone suspected of doing so.

Among those in the room were state exco chairman of Syariah implementation, education and higher education Satiful Bahri Mamat, Kuala Terengganu MP Ahmad Amzad Hashim and State Assembly Speaker Yahaya Ali.

At 10am sharp, Syariah High Court judge Kamalruazmi Ismail entered the courtroom, accompanied by State Syariah Chief Judge Wan Mohd Zakri Wan Mohd and State Senior Syariah Judge Rosdi Harun.

He later read out the sentence and advised people not to shun them as they had shown repentance by accepting their punishment.

“This sentence is not meant to hurt but to serve as a lesson,” he said, adding that the women had been given a chance to appeal their sentence but they chose not to.

About 10 minutes later, the accused were led separately into the courtroom.

They had changed into plain white baju kurung and matching headscarves, which paled in comparison to what they wore when they arrived at court around 8.20am – bright coloured baju kurung with floral motifs and headscarves.

After the medical officer confirmed that the 32-year-old was fit enough to receive her punishment, she was led to a high stool at the corner of the courtroom.

Her back faced the people in the room and the side of her face was covered.

The officer proceeded to carry out the sentence at her own time and pace, in accordance with Section 125 of the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Terengganu) Enactment 2001, which also states that the cane should not be swung from a level above the head.

Observers from the Terengganu Syariah Lawyers Association and the State Bar Council said they were satisfied with the execution of the sentence.

“It did not look forceful and we are satisfied because proper procedure was followed in which the caning did not break the skin,” said association deputy president Fazru Anuar Yusof.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Bar Council chairman Sallehudin Harun, who also represented the Bar Council, said he would prepare a short report on the caning and present it to the council.

“Today’s sentence will give the real picture about Syariah caning.

“I was confused about it before because we imagined that it would be forceful but after seeing it today, it puts the Syariah court in a positive light and this issue shouldn’t be exaggerated.

“The sentencing went smoothly and did not cause the accused any harm,” he said.

Jalaluddin Haqqani, a one-time CIA asset whose group became a top US target, spent decades working with groups such as Al Qaeda and the Taliban to entrench jihad in the conflict-racked region.

Despite his fearsome reputation, his death is not expected to have an impact on the extremist group’s operations.

Jalaluddin, thought to be in his 70s or 80s, had been bedridden for years and had already passed the leadership to his son Sirajuddin, who is also the Taliban’s deputy leader.

Jalaluddin “was from among the great distinguished Jihadi personalities of this era”, the Taliban said in a statement posted on Twitter.

He “was ill and bedridden for the past several years”, the group added.

It did not specify where or when he died. Unverified reports have placed him in Pakistan in recent years.

During the 1980s Jalaluddin Haqqani was an Afghan mujahideen commander fighting the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan with the help of the US and Pakistan.

He gained fame for his organisation and bravery, garnering attention from the CIA and a personal visit from US congressman Charlie Wilson who helped secure arms for the mujahideen.

A fluent Arabic speaker, Jalaluddin also fostered close ties with Arab jihadists including Osama bin Laden who flocked to the region during the war. Later, Jalaluddin became a minister in the Taliban regime which took power in Afghanistan in 1996.

There had been rumours of his death before, in 2008 and 2015, though this was the first time the Taliban have issued a statement on it.

Devastating attacks

The Haqqani network has been blamed for spectacular attacks targeting civilians, Afghan and US-led NATO forces across Afghanistan since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001.

However Afghan and foreign analysts and diplomats played down the significance of Jalaluddin’s death for the group’s operations.

Analyst Michael Kugelman of the Wilson Center in Washington tweeted: “Given how long he’d been ill, his death won’t have a big impact on the war.”

“His death is not going to affect the network or Taliban operations because he was not an active member,” Afghan political analyst Atta Noori told AFP.

“He was too old, sick and in bed for years.”

The Haqqanis, suspected of links to Pakistan’s shadowy military establishment, were described by US Admiral Mike Mullen in 2011 as a “veritable arm” of Pakistani intelligence.

Washington has long pressured Islamabad to crack down on militant groups, particularly the Haqqanis. On Saturday the Pentagon announced it was cancelling $300 million in aid to Pakistan because of its lack of “decisive” action.

But Jalaluddin’s son Sirajuddin was running the network “with major ISI involvement”, a foreign diplomat in Kabul told AFP, referring to Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence.

“I doubt anything will change,” he said.

Designated a terrorist group by the US, the Haqqanis are known for their heavy use of suicide bombers, indiscriminately killing Afghan civilians and security forces.

They were blamed for the devastating truck bomb in the heart of Kabul in May 2017 that killed around 150 people — though Sirajuddin later denied involvement in a rare audio message.

The network has also been accused of assassinating top Afghan officials and holding kidnapped Westerners for ransom.

They include the Canadian Joshua Boyle, his American wife Caitlan Coleman, and their three children — all born in captivity — who were released last year, as well as US soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who was freed in 2014.

In Kabul, the group is widely believed to have been behind many of the recent attacks on the capital that were claimed by the local wing of the Islamic State group.

Some analysts believe it works with IS — which at the same time is involved in a bloody turf war with the Taliban — to avoid blame and political blowback.

Mickelson Gerald Wayne, 63, was calm when Justice Azman Abdullah passed the sentence here on Tuesday.

“After having analysed the defence’s case with utmost care, I found the entire defence does not create a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case,” the judge said.

Justice Azman said according to the defence, the deceased, Guilda Mickelson, had overpowered Mickelson and the accused tried to defend himself from being attacked.

A testimony from an expert witness also confirmed that the deceased died due to manual strangulation, which caused fatal injury to the neck structure.

“I hereby find you guilty as charged and convict you under Section 302 of the Penal Code. And I hereby sentence you to death by hanging,” he announced.

Mickelson was accused of murdering 62-year-old Guilda in room No 1528 at St Giles, The Gardens Grand Hotel & Residences, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, between 5am and 11.45am on Nov 26, 2016.

DPP Azeezi Nordin prosecuted, while the accused was represented by lawyer K. A. Ramu.

As formal discussions began at the 18-nation Pacific Islands Forum, leaked letters revealed some members threatened to boycott the meeting over Nauru’s treatment of Chinese delegates.

Nauru does not have diplomatic relations with China, instead recognising self-ruled Taiwan, which has paid for much of the infrastructure being used to host the PIF summit.

Beijing and Taipei have vied for diplomatic influence in the Pacific for decades, with both sides offering aid and support to small island states in return for recognition.

In an apparent bid to tweak the nose of Chinese delegates, Nauru refused to stamp entry visas into their diplomatic passports, instead saying it would only process their personal passports.

While seemingly a minor detail, it provoked a furious response from other PIF members, many of whom receive development aid and concessional loans from Beijing.

China claims sovereignty over the democratic island and relations between the two have worsened since President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as her government refuses to acknowledge that Taiwan is part of “one China”.

Samoa Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi sent a letter to Nauru President Baron Waqa threatening to withdraw from the summit and warning other leaders were likely to follow suit.

“Your unilateral action as President of Nauru is a dangerous precedent that I believe may not be accepted by forum leaders,” he wrote in a letter obtained by AFP.

He added: “The decision taken by your government questions the integrity, credibility and foundation of our organisation.”

Waqa eventually relented and proposed a compromise in which the Chinese delegation had their visa acceptance letters stamped, rather than their passports.

‘Rock and a hard place’

China does not belong to the PIF but is one of 18 countries that attends as a “dialogue partner” for discussions with member nations.

Australia’s Lowy Institute think tank estimates China provided US$1.78 billion in aid, including concessional loans, to Pacific nations between 2006-16.

The “soft power” wielded by Beijing has alarmed Australia and New Zealand, with both countries boosting their own aid programmes in a bid to maintain influence in a region they regard as their backyard.

New Zealand’s desire to rekindle relations with its Pacific neighbours is so intense that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is leaving her newborn baby Neve at home in Auckland to attend the summit Wednesday for just one day.

Ardern in June became only the second world leader to give birth while in office after Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990.

But her daughter has not had vaccinations and cannot yet travel.

Some political pundits criticised the extra NZ$80,000 ($53,000) Arden’s flying visit would cost, on top of the travel expenses of New Zealand’s official delegation.

“I was between a rock and a hard place, damned if I did and damned if I didn’t,” she told reporters.

“At the end of the day the option was go for a short time or don’t go at all.”

Ardern said New Zealand’s offer to take 150 of the estimated 900 asylum seekers on Nauru was still on the table.

They are on the island as part of Australia’s tough immigration policy, which sees asylum-seekers who try to reach Australia by boat detained and processed in remote camps on Nauru and Papua New Guinea.

Concerns over the asylum seekers’ welfare has dominated the lead up to the PIF summit, with rights groups alleging many are suffering mental health issues due to indefinite detention and systemic abuse.