An outpouring of grief swept Hong Kong yesterday as thousands paid their respects and laid flowers for the 128 people killed in one of the city’s deadliest fires, marking the start of an official, three-day mourning period.

After wowing World Expo visitors, a human washing machine is now on sale in Japan, a company spokeswoman said Friday.

The death toll from devastating floods and landslides in Southeast Asia climbed past 400 yesterday as clean-up and search-and-rescue operations got underway in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.

Sri Lanka yesterday declared a state of emergency and appealed for international assistance as the death toll from heavy rains and floods triggered by Cyclone Ditwah rose to 132, with another 176 reported missing.

At least 279 people are still missing

The men are aged between 23 and 40 years old

"As of tonight, 61 fatalities have been recorded," says

The worst flooding Sri Lanka has experienced since the turn of the century occurred in June 2003, when 254 people were killed

Hong Kong's leader and top government officials observed a moment of silence on Saturday to mourn the victims of the city's deadliest fire in decades, which killed at least 128 people and displaced hundreds

The death toll from Hong Kong’s worst fire in nearly 80 years has risen to 128 and about 200 people remain missing from the high-rise residential complex that was engulfed by the blaze, the city’s security chief said yesterday.

Around 200 people remain unaccounted for, 89 bodies yet to be identified

Three renovation contractors held in manslaughter probe

The party of Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan demanded a meeting with him yesterday, saying it was worried about his health as he has been barred from seeing his family and lawyers for over three weeks.

US President Donald Trump asked Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takiachi not to further escalate a dispute with China during talks this week, sources with knowledge of the matter said, as he tries to preserve a fragile trade war truce with Beijing.

Hong Kong firefighters yesterday brought under control a huge blaze in an apartment complex that killed at least 75 and left nearly 300 missing, while police said its cause could have been a “grossly negligent” construction firm using unsafe materials.

Flames were still visible in some of the eight-building apartment complex's almost 2,000 units well over 24 hours after the fire broke out

Jail official says Khan is in good health, denies transfer plans

Most of the deaths occurred in the central tea-growing district of Badulla

HK leader says he is considering mandate for metal scaffolding

Another four were killed in a similar manner in the adjoining Nuwara Eliya district.