Authorities have arrested 11 people in connection with the blaze.

Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a state of emergency on Saturday (Nov 29).

The measures, approved at a wildlife trade conference in Uzbekistan, ban the trade in oceanic whitetip sharks, manta and devil rays as well as whale sharks.

While daily life remains largely intact, Chinese locals and Japanese expatriates in China tell CNA of a quiet unease as the bilateral row persists.

Now that voters know the extent of the government’s failure to manage disaster mitigation efforts, the question is whether President Ferdinand Marcos Jr can turn it around, says Karishma Vaswani for Bloomberg Opinion.

With 73 seats contested, the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition won 29 seats ahead of rival Warisan’s 25, while GRS’ ally - Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH - won one seat.

Before the catastrophic fire, Wang Fuk Court was an ordinary Hong Kong estate with a steady, familiar rhythm of daily life.

Heavy monsoon rain overwhelmed parts of Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia this week, killing more than 300 people and leaving thousands stranded, many on rooftops awaiting rescue.

Hong Kong leader John Lee, other officials and civil servants, all dressed in black, stood in silence for three minutes early on Saturday outside the central government offices, where flags were lowered to half-mast.

Some polling centres will close in stages from noon, with all of the centres scheduled to cease operations by 5.30pm.

Residents said they had not received clear warnings from local authorities as the incessant rains swelled water levels. 

Check out some great out-of-the-way seafood restaurants in Johor that even that one yaya uncle hasn’t been to yet.