The death toll continues to rise and hundreds are missing, as firefighters struggle to put out the fire.

The authorities said flammable netting and foam boards may have fueled the city’s deadliest blaze in nearly 70 years, killing more than 80 and prompting arrests.

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...

Three construction employees arrested as firefighters battle to reach trapped people, with more than 250 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 83 people and left more than 250 missing.
Firefighters were still battling to reach people who could be trapped on the upper floors of the Wang...

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...

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

At least 55 people have died after a at the Wang Fuk Court complex in Tai Po, Hong Kong, on Wednesday. At least 45 people are in a critical condition and almost 300 people are missing.

By Thursday morning, the fires had not been fully extinguished at the site, which comprises eight 32-storey towers containing about 2,000 flats. About 4,800 people live on the premises, which were being renovated at the time. Three men – two directors and an engineering consultant whose ages range from 5...

At least 44 people have been killed in the fire, which took local authorities 18 hours to bring under control.

A boom in places offering petting sessions is linked to a rise in the illegal movement of exotic and endangered species, say experts
The second floor of an unassuming office building in central Bangkok is a strange place to encounter the world’s largest rodent. Yet here, inside a small enclosure with a shallow pool, three capybaras are at the disposal of dozens of paying customers – all clamouring for a selfie. As people eagerly thrust leafy snacks toward the nonchalant-looking animals,...