Earthquake of Magnitude 4.8 Strikes Bali, Kills Three

A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
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Earthquake of Magnitude 4.8 Strikes Bali, Kills Three

A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters
A member of Indonesian military walks through a landslide area after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake struck northeast of Bali, in Kintamani, Bali, Indonesia October 16, 2021, in this photo taken by Antara Foto/Fikri Yusuf/via Reuters

An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 struck Indonesia's Bali island on Saturday morning, killing at least three people, Indonesia's search and rescue agency said.

The quake affected the Karangasem and Bangli districts on the eastern side of the tourist island and a search has been concluded, the agency said in a statement, but authorities were continuing to monitor situation.

A landslide triggered by the quake killed two of the victims, the agency said. A third, a three-year old girl, was killed by falling debris.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the 4.8 magnitude quake struck off Banjar Wangsian, and put its depth at 10 km (6.21 miles).

"All affected by the quake have been evacuated while data on damage is still being collected by Bali's disaster mitigation agency," search and rescue official Gede Darmada said in the statement.

Rescue services evacuated people across a lake as the road to the stricken community had been cut off by a landslide, he added.

There was no significant damage in other parts of Bali, while the quake was felt also in the neighboring island of Lombok, local media reported.

Bali reopened for international tourists on Thursday after 18 months of pandemic restrictions, but they are only expected to start arriving later this month.



Zelenskiy Says Truce in Air and at Sea Could Test Russia’s Will to End War

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speak to the media as they attend a European Union leaders special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, Belgium March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speak to the media as they attend a European Union leaders special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, Belgium March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
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Zelenskiy Says Truce in Air and at Sea Could Test Russia’s Will to End War

 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speak to the media as they attend a European Union leaders special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, Belgium March 6, 2025. (Reuters)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speak to the media as they attend a European Union leaders special summit to discuss Ukraine and European defense, in Brussels, Belgium March 6, 2025. (Reuters)

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on EU leaders on Thursday to support the idea of a truce between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the air and at sea, saying it would be a chance to test Moscow's will to end its three-year invasion.

"Everyone needs to make sure that Russia, as the sole source of this war, accepts the need to end it," Zelenskiy said, addressing a summit in Brussels where European leaders have gathered to discuss defense spending and support for Ukraine after the US paused military aid to Kyiv.

"This can be proved by two forms of silence that are easy to establish and monitor, namely, no attacks on energy and other civilian infrastructure – truce for missiles, bombs, and long-range drones, and the second is truce on the water, meaning no military operations in the Black Sea," Zelenskiy added.

He underlined that any such truce could only be seen as a first step towards comprehensive agreement on ending the war and providing security guarantees to Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian leader, the release of all prisoners of war could also be a means of establishing "basic trust".

Zelenskiy once again stressed the need to adhere to the principle of no talks on Ukraine without Ukraine after US President Donald Trump engaged in bilateral talks with Russia, sidelining Kyiv and European leaders.

"Anything that affects the security of Europe should be resolved with the participation of Europe," he added, welcoming a new rearmament plan to boost the EU's defense spending.

The summit in Brussels takes place after a disastrous Zelenskiy-Trump clash in the Oval Office last week, and weeks of harsh criticism of Zelenskiy from the Trump administration as the US president presses for prompt end to Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Let me emphasize once again that Ukrainians do really want peace, but not at the cost of giving up Ukraine," Zelenskiy said.

As Ukrainian and American officials agreed to hold a meeting next week, Zelenskiy expressed hope that it would be "meaningful".