Louise Schiavone

The deadly fire in a massive apartment building complex in Hong Kong has raised questions about a common practice among builders and renovators in Asia, bamboo scaffolding.

Bamboo is a favorite material because it's lightweight and cheap, but there are questions about its role in the rapid spread of that fire.

Officials say other flammable materials also found at the site, like plastic netting and foam panels, are also under investigation today.

The death toll is now at least 128 after firefighters located dozens more bodies in the charred structure.

Gushing floods and mudslides in the island of Sri Lanka have caused the deaths of more than 130 people and just as many people are missing.

NPR's Dia Hadid has details from Mumbai.

Monsoon rains have also hit hard in parts of north Sumatra, Indonesia, with rescue workers responding to deadly landslides and flash floods.

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

President Trump on Thanksgiving Day announced the death of U.S.

Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, gunned down in an ambush along with a fellow West Virginia National Guardsman, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe.

Wolfe remains in critical condition.

And Afghan Asai Lee, who authorities charged had driven a cross-country to Washington, D.C.

for the attack, is now facing first-degree murder charges.

At a memorial service in Webster Springs, West Virginia, Beckstrom's hometown, the National Guard member was remembered with love and great sadness.

State Senator Robbie Morris says it's been a shock.

Sarah Beckstrom was 20 years old.

Investigators are still searching for a motive for the attack.

In the wake of the shooting, the Trump administration has halted all asylum decisions and paused issuing visas for people traveling on Afghan passports.

At least 121 people are dead after a massive fire in a public housing complex in Hong Kong.