Firefighters have been battling a deadly blaze which engulfed seven residential blocks at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po since Thursday afternoon. At least 44 people were killed and 62 injured -- with 41 of them in a critical or serious condition. Seven firefighters were among the wounded, with one losing his life. Speaking to the press at Prince of Wales Hospital, Chief Executive John Lee stressed that his administration's top priority is to rescue those still trapped:

The Chief Executive added mainland authorities have offered assistance, but the Fire Services Department were confident they could handle the blaze:

Almost 900 firefighters were mobilised to tackle the blaze -- which started shortly before 3 o'clock Thursday afternoon. Deputy Fire Services Director Derek Chan said while the blaze at four of the buildings are now under control, he expects the operation to last until the evening. Mr Chan said firefighters are still trying to gain access to the upper floors of the burning buildings:

The entire Wang Fuk Court is undergoing renovation works, and police have launched a criminal investigation into whether the materials used to cover the buildings may have contributed to how quickly the fire had spread. Three people from the construction company responsible for the renovations have now been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter. Senior Superintendent Eileen Chung said they have reason to suspect the three men, aged 52 to 68, had committed gross negligence after flammable materials were found in the buildings:

RTHK reporter Wendy Wong has been at the scene since early Thursday morning. She talked to Ben Tse over the phone:

Jason Kong, who lives at Wang Fuk Court, felt helpless as he watched the buildings burn:

Many residents were frantically looking for missing loved ones. Mr Kong said he was concerned about a family with young children.

Hundreds of animals were trapped in the buildings, with many believed to be dead, according to a rescue group whose members were on site to respond to calls for assistance from worried residents. Here's Sharon Kwok from Aquameridian Conservation and Education:

Hundreds of evacuated residents have since been housed at various shelters across Tai Po. Some people have turned up with supplies and try to offer whatever help the affected residents need. They included Joseph, a university student who rode his bike from his home in Ma On Shan 20 minutes away:

The fire had started at one block at Wang Fuk Court, but quickly spread to seven out of the eight buildings at the estate. Within three-and-a-half hours, the blaze was escalated to a number-five alarm -- the most severe category. Damon Pang reports:

President Xi Jinping had expressed his condolences to the victims of the blaze, including a firefighter who died tackling the fire. Chief Executive John Lee said he's thankful for the president's concern:

The CE also said promotional activities for the upcoming Legco elections, as well as all election forums have been suspended for now as authorities placed their focus on dealing with the catastrophe. Asked whether the Legco polls, scheduled to be held on December 7, would be delayed in the wake of the tragedy, Mr Lee said decisions on such matters would be made later on:

Before the fire, Chief Secretary Eric Chan on Wednesday morning encouraged the private sector to offer incentives for people to vote in the Legislative Council elections on December 7. He said this is legal so long as shops and restaurants do not encourage people to vote for a specific candidate. Wendy Wong has the story.

The Yau Ma Tei section of the Central Kowloon Bypass will open on December the 21st after eight years of construction. As Janice Lo reports, the project will significantly cut journey times in Kowloon.

Home prices reached the highest level in 15 months in October as more buyers entered the property market. Rents, however, were stagnant after rising for 10 months, as Chloe Feng reports.

The government has been urged to offer more resources to shorten the waiting time for psychiatric and clinical psychological services for those in need. The Boys' and Girls' Clubs Association of Hong Kong studied data from 214 secondary students who skipped classes during the last academic year. The association found that most suffered from anxiety and depression. The association's executive director Billie Lau spoke to Janice Lo.

The Chinese mainland has criticised Taiwan leader Lai Ching-te for siding with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over her remarks on the island. The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office said Mr Lai's actions were disgusting. Francis Punia reports.

The British government has announced a big tax-raising budget. It'll take more money from workers, and people saving for their pension. The aim for the government is to give itself greater room to meet deficit-reduction targets, as Jamie Clarke reports:

RTHK's UK correspondent Gavin Grey spoke to Francis Punia outside Parliament in London on the Budget's key takeaways:

President Xi Jinping has urged the international community to take more proactive steps to ensure a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, and prevent a resurgence of conflict. His call came in a congratulatory message sent to a United Nations meeting on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Azam Khan reports.

Experts say the Group of 20 summit that took place in South Africa last weekend showed that multilateralism is alive and well, despite global uncertainties and the absence of the United States. During the gathering of world leaders of the G20 economies, Premier Li Qiang urged them to take the lead in boosting the voice of developing countries, and work for an international economic and trade order that is more fair and open. Warwick Powell, Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology, and Mark Michelson, Chairman of the Asia CEO Forum at IMA Asia, spoke to CM Chan and Azam Khan on RTHK's Backchat programme. Professor Powell hailed the consensus reached at the G20 gathering:

There appears to be no let-up to the heavy rains that have triggered deadly floods across South East Asia. The Indonesian island of Sumatra is the latest to be hit by flash floods and landslides, which have killed at least 10 people. Francis Punia reports.

There's more glory for Hong Kong, China, this time in table tennis. Wong Chun-ting and Baldwin Chan have topped the rankings in men's doubles. Elvis Yu reports.

Let’s turn to Operation Santa Claus 2025 - the annual charity campaign co-organised by RTHK and the South China Morning Post. This year we're raising money for 13 charities. One of them is Firefly Holiday School, organised by the Gaia Education Limited. It is a nature inclusive programme, where kids are encouraged to play in the wild, embrace uncertainties and connect with the environment through hands-on nature experience. Radio 3's Margo Wong went to its open education base in Ho Sheung Heung and talked to Cherry, who sent her son to the school, along with Yip Chung-sing and Gilbert Lee who are in charge of the project.