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About 200 people still unaccounted for, say officials, as fire chief confirms no alarms went off in any of the eight towers


The death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128 with as many as 200 missing, officials have said, as rescue operations were declared over.
Firefighters had been combing through the high-rises on Friday, attempting to find anyone alive after the massive fire that spread to seven of eight towers in .

Volunteers that emerged during the pro-democracy protests regroup to help those affected by the blaze
Hong Kong’s grassroots community groups have sprung into action to help coordinate and deliver aid to the survivors of the Wang Fuk Court fire, a that is confirmed to have killed at least 128 people, with hundreds still missing.
Restaurants, churches and gyms in the Tai Po area, where the Wang Fuk Court housing estate is located, have been turned into temporary shelters for people in need of clothes, food and information as a result of the tragedy.

Authorities say 89 bodies are unintentified and 79 people remain injured after Wednesday's blaze.

As the last flames are extinguished, many are now asking who is to blame for the deadly blaze.

Myanmar’s junta made a grand display of demolishing buildings that hosted the centers, even broadcasting the explosions. But the scammers have found new homes.

Amid troubled economic times, many in China are shifting back towards the certainty of a career in the public sector
A record number of people are set to take notoriously gruelling national civil service exam this weekend, reflecting the increasing desire of Chinese workers to find employment in the public rather than private sector.
Around 3.7 million people have registered for the tests on Saturday and Sunday, which will be the first since the government increased the age limit for certain positions. The age limit for general candidates has increased from 35 to 38, while the age limit for those with postgraduate degrees has been raised from 40 to 43.

The authorities said flammable netting and foam boards may have fueled the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly 80 years, killing more than 90 and prompting arrests.

Three construction employees arrested as firefighters battle to reach trapped people, with many still missing

Hong Kong police have alleged unsafe scaffolding and foam materials used during maintenance work may have been behind the rapid spread of a devastating fire at a group of residential tower blocks that has killed at least 94 people and left scores missing.
Firefighters were still battling to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang Fuk Court housing complex on Thursday due to the intense heat and thick smoke generated by the fire. Late in the day, a survivor was rescued from a stairway on the 16th floor of one of the towers, the South China Morning Post reported.

Primark, Currys and Boohoo criticise government for waiting until 2029 to phase out exemption on customs duty
British retailers including Primark, Currys and Boohoo have criticised the government for waiting until 2029 to end a tax break on low-value imported goods that has allowed them to be undercut by the likes of Shein and Temu.
The British Retail Consortium, which represents all the major retailers, said there were 1.6m parcels arriving in the UK every day, double the number from last year, and “businesses cannot afford any delay on scrapping the existing rules”.

Some think leader John Lee’s focus on blaming bamboo scaffolding deflects from actual cause
The residential compound in Hong Kong is still burning, but questions are already being asked about what the deadliest fire in more than 70 years means for Beijing’s grip on power in the city.
The death toll from the blaze, which seven of the eight high-rise apartment buildings in Wang Fuk Court, a residential compound home to 4,800 people, is still rising. Hundreds of people are still missing.

Residents from across the city have quickly organized to donate food, water, clothing and other supplies in Tai Po for the many displaced people.

A fire at a group of residential tower blocks in Hong Kong has killed at least 75 people, with more than 250 still missing. Helen Davidson reports from the scene, where thick smoke still hangs in the air as firefighters continue to douse the flames and try to find any survivors