U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday his administration will "permanently pause" migration from all "Third World Countries", following the death of a National Guard member in an attack near the White House.

Residents of the housing complex that was engulfed in Hong Kong's deadliest blaze in seven decades were told by authorities last year that they faced "relatively low fire risks" after complaining repeatedly about fire hazards posed by ongoing renovation works.

Item 1 of 5 Police cordons are placed at the scene of the Wang Fuk Court housing estate fire as mourners pay tribute to the victims, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

[1/5]Police cordons are placed at the scene of the Wang Fuk Court housing estate fire as mourners pay tribute to the victims, in Tai Po, Hong Kong, China. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu

Black Friday, the post-Thanksgiving shopping frenzy that attracts throngs of bargain hunters to stores, faces a paradox this year: record crowds are expected, but consumers' appetite to spend has dropped sharply.

U.S. bombings of alleged drug boats have led to stepped-up surveillance by authorities in Venezuela's remote northeastern state of Sucre, with increased patrols by security agencies and ruling-party supporters stoking fear among locals, four residents and one recent visitor said.

Ricardo Salinas Pliego, one of Mexico's wealthiest tycoons, commands an empire that stretches from banking to media, and casts himself as an anti-corruption crusader.

Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies searched the home of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's powerful chief of staff, escalating a major political crisis as Kyiv faces pressure from Washington to accept terms for a peace deal.

Large parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand have been stricken by cyclone-fuelled torrential rain for a week, with a rare tropical storm forming in the Malacca Strait.

Item 1 of 5 A drone view shows debris in a flooded area in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

[1/5]A drone view shows debris in a flooded area in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, Thailand. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha

The weather department warned the storm could intensify as it moves across the island over the next 12 hours.

Hat Yai, a city with a population size similar to Britain's Oxford, received 335 mm of rain in a day - its highest single-day tally in 300 years.

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.

McLaren are right to let their drivers race freely for the Formula One title and Oscar Piastri would be labelled a number two if he accepted anything else, Red Bull's Max Verstappen said on Thursday.