Bali Floods Kill 14, Search Continues for Two Missing

FILE PHOTO: People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains in Legian, Badung, Bali, Indonesia September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dicky Bisinglasi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains in Legian, Badung, Bali, Indonesia September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dicky Bisinglasi/File Photo
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Bali Floods Kill 14, Search Continues for Two Missing

FILE PHOTO: People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains in Legian, Badung, Bali, Indonesia September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dicky Bisinglasi/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: People carrying their belongings wade through a flooded street following overnight heavy rains in Legian, Badung, Bali, Indonesia September 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dicky Bisinglasi/File Photo

The death toll from this week's floods on the Indonesian island of Bali has risen to 14 people from nine, a government official said on Thursday, though the rain has stopped and water levels are receding in most areas.

Two people are missing in the tourist hub's capital of Denpasar and 125 rescuers have deployed in the search for them, disaster mitigation agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said. He added that more than 500 people have been evacuated to schools and mosques.

Torrential rains on Tuesday and Wednesday caused floods in Denpasar and six of Bali's eight regions, blocking major roads, including access to the island's international airport. There were also landslides in some areas.

Most of the deaths occurred when people were swept away after rivers burst their banks, Reuters quoted Abdul as saying.

No foreigners were among the casualties, the agency said. There were no reports of flight cancellations on Thursday.

Rescuers are still pumping water out of several flooded buildings and around 500 military personnel have been deployed to clear streets of mud, debris and rocks.

"The peak of the rain has passed and generally the waters have receded. Now, we are focusing on clearing mud from the streets," Abdul said.

Heavy rain also caused flooding in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara where four people were killed.



NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
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NATO: Ukraine Still Receiving Arms Despite Mideast War

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte via Reuters/File

Ukraine is still getting essential defense equipment despite the war in the Middle East, which is depleting stockpiles in Europe and the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Thursday.

"The good news is that essential equipment into Ukraine continues to flow," he told reporters. That included American-made Patriot missile interceptors, which Ukraine desperately needs, he added, AFP reported.

The PURL program, launched last year, allows Ukraine to receive US equipment financed by European countries.

Some 75 percent of the missiles used by Patriot batteries in Ukraine have been supplied through the program, and 90 percent of the munitions used by other air-defense systems, Rutte added.

Rutte called on European countries to increase their own production capacity.

"They need to produce more extra production lines, extra shifts, opening new factories. The money is there," he said.


Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
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Germany FM Says 'Encouraging' if US Speaking Directly to Iran

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)
German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul. (Reuters: File Photo)

Germany's foreign minister Thursday said it was encouraging if the United States was talking directly to Iran to end the war in the Middle East, but Washington should make its intentions clear.

"I hear that there are signs that the US is speaking directly to Iran. I think that this is encouraging and this is welcome," Johann Wadephul told reporters before heading into the meeting of G7 foreign ministers outside Paris, AFP reported.

With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to join the discussions from Friday, he added: "For the German government it is of great importance to know precisely what our American partners are intending."


US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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US Envoy Witkoff Says Iran is Seeking an Off-ramp

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff speaks during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein

The United States has sent Iran a "15-point action list" as a basis for negotiations to end the current conflict, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said on Thursday, adding that there are signs that Tehran was interested in making a deal.

 

Witkoff, speaking during a cabinet meeting at the White House, said that the nascent talks could be successful if the Iranians realize there were no good alternatives - a realization Tehran might be coming to, he argued, Reuters reported.

 

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them other than more death and destruction," Witkoff told reporters.

 

"We have strong signs that this is a possibility."

 

Witkoff said Pakistan had been acting as a mediator, confirming statements from Pakistani officials.