Charisse Pham

The high-rise apartment towers had been under renovation and covered in bamboo scaffolding.

a common sight in Hong Kong.

Three people have been arrested on suspected manslaughter charges.

Hong Kong police said that construction material found around the buildings did not meet safety standards, were highly flammable, and may have been the reason the fire spread so quickly.

For NPR News, I'm Charisse Pham in Hong Kong.

I'm so surprised how well it's going.

Amazing.

Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer will meet Beijing's lead economic representative He Lifeng in Switzerland. The meetings could potentially pave the way for broader trade talks. The U.S. and China have been locked in a tit-for-tat trade war. Both sides have imposed hefty tariffs on each other's goods, making trade between the two nations near impossible.

Treasury Secretary Scott Besant and U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer will meet Beijing's lead economic representative He Lifeng in Switzerland. The meetings could potentially pave the way for broader trade talks. The U.S. and China have been locked in a tit-for-tat trade war. Both sides have imposed hefty tariffs on each other's goods, making trade between the two nations near impossible.

Investors and global policymakers will be looking for any signs of an off-ramp as the ongoing trade war threatens a global recession. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said that China's door remains open for negotiation, but that it will not, quote, sacrifice its principles for just any agreement. For NPR News, I'm Cherise Pham in Hong Kong.

Investors and global policymakers will be looking for any signs of an off-ramp as the ongoing trade war threatens a global recession. A spokesperson for China's Ministry of Commerce said that China's door remains open for negotiation, but that it will not, quote, sacrifice its principles for just any agreement. For NPR News, I'm Cherise Pham in Hong Kong.