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This is VOA News. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd.
Rescuers raced to find survivors even as the waters receded in Germany, Belgium and in the Netherlands Saturday after some of the worst flooding in more than 50 years. We get more from Reuters Edward Baran.
The German president visited the scene of some of the worst flooding in the town of Erftstadt, near Cologne, where the disaster killed at least 43 people. These floods are the country's worst natural disaster in more than half a century. Hundreds of people are still missing.
In Belgium, the death toll rose to 27 lives, according to the national crisis center, which is coordinating the rescue effort.
Emergency services in the Netherlands also remained on high alert as overflowing rivers threatened towns and villages throughout the southern province of Limburg.
That's Reuters Edward Baran.
Gunmen abducted at least 60 people in northwestern Nigeria after riding motorbikes into five villages and firing sporadically into the air, a police official and several residents said Saturday.
The latest kidnapping took place in Zamfara state overnight according to regional police spokesman Mohammed Shehu.
Nigeria is battling an increase in armed robberies and kidnappings for ransom mainly in northwestern areas where thinly stretched security forces often fail to stop the abductions.
Iran's deputy foreign minister said Saturday that the nuclear deal negotiations in Vienna must await Iran's new administration of President-elect Ebrahim Raisi to begin.
Abbas Araqchi said, "We're in a transition period as a democratic transfer of power is underway in our capital."
A diplomatic source had said on Wednesday that Iran is not prepared to resume negotiations on coming back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal until Raisi's administration has begun.
