The number of dead in the devastating floods and landslides on the Indonesian island of Sumatra has risen to more than 700. In addition, 500 people are still reported missing, with many feared buried under mud. Around one million people have been evacuated from their homes, with meaningful assistance still yet to reach hard-hit isolated areas. Newshour got through to one resident, a man called Lodewick Marpaung in north Sumatra. He pleaded for help.



Also in the programme: US envoy Steve Witkoff is heading to the Kremlin - can he strike a deal on Ukraine? Also, Japan's new leader says she's giving up her own work-life balance - and everyone must 'work like a horse'.



(Photo: A picture taken with a drone shows piles of wood that were swept away by the floodwaters in a flood-affected village in Sumatra, Indonesia, 1 December 2025. Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Cyclone Senyar hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces. Credit: Hotli Simanjuntak/ EPA/Shutterstock)