Authorities say firefighters have been having trouble reaching the top floors.

Item 1 of 5 A drone view shows flames and thick smoke rising from the Wang Fuk Court housing estate during a major fire, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 27, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

[1/5]A drone view shows flames and thick smoke rising from the Wang Fuk Court housing estate during a major fire, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China, November 27, 2025. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Hong Kong's deadliest fire in three decades has spotlighted its risky use of flammable bamboo scaffolding and mesh for building work in a tradition dating back centuries to mainland China.

As firefighters battled floor by floor in Hong Kong's flaming Wang Fuk Court housing complex overnight to find survivors and reunite them with fearful relatives, another band of volunteers swung into action to rescue the estate's pets.

Investigators led by the FBI's joint terrorism task force sought clues to what drove an Afghan immigrant to open fire on two National Guard soldiers mere blocks from the White House in what officials called an "ambush" attack on Thanksgiving eve.

President Donald Trump said that the shooting was "an act of terror," saying the suspect came from Afghanistan in 2021.

British finance minister Rachel Reeves' budget plan included big tax increases to reassure bond investors that she can meet her borrowing targets while also funding the higher welfare spending demanded by lawmakers in the governing Labour Party.

Rescuers in Thailand readied drones on Thursday to airdrop food parcels, as receding floodwaters in the south and neighbouring Malaysia brightened hopes for the evacuation of those stranded for days, while cyclone havoc in Indonesia killed 28.

Gon Qasim and her husband were about to flee their home in Malaysia's northern Perlis state last weekend when rising floodwaters cut off road access, leaving them stranded in the middle of a field.

Russia will make no big concessions on a peace plan for Ukraine, a senior Russian diplomat said, after a leaked recording of a call involving U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff showed he had advised Moscow on how to pitch to Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has turned a campaign pledge to punish his opponents into a guiding principle of governance, with at least 470 targets and counting.

Beijing will build on its successful Made in China 2025 plan which turned the country into an industrial powerhouse. The new iteration prioritises high-tech exports to grow the economy by 40% to $28 trln in 10 years. This will inflame trading partners and domestic tensions.

Arsenal beat Bayern Munich for the first time in a decade to maintain their 100% record in this season's Champions League with a 3-1 home win sending Mikel Arteta's side clear at the top of the group on Wednesday.