Memorial service held for victims of Hong Kong's residential building fire

John Lee, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), together with principal officials of the HKSAR government and other civil servants, attended a memorial service at the government headquarters early Saturday, paying tribute to the victims of the residential building fire in Tai Po District in the northeastern New Territories of Hong Kong.

At the same time, the national flag of China and the regional flag of the HKSAR were lowered to half-mast at all government buildings in the Special Administrative Region to show condolences.

The half-mast flag flying will remain at all government buildings and facilities across Hong Kong until Monday.

During the three-day mourning period, principal HKSAR government officials will call off all non-essential public events. Meanwhile, all recreational and celebratory activities organized or funded by the HKSAR government will be either canceled or postponed depending on specific circumstances.

To enable the public to convey their condolences, the Home Affairs Department of the HKSAR government will set up condolence stations in all 18 districts of Hong Kong.

The death toll from the residential building fire that broke out on Wednesday has jumped to 128, the HKSAR government said late Friday.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced Wednesday it had launched the 89th wave of Operation True Promise 4, carrying out strikes against U.S. and Israeli targets in the region.

The IRGC said in a statement that Iran and various resistance fronts, through coordinated operations, used heavy missiles, attack drones, and rockets to strike U.S. military bases and Israeli targets.

The statement said the operation targeted Israeli military facilities and assembly points in Eilat, Tel Aviv, Bnei Brak, and other locations, and claimed that, according to local sources, it had caused significant Israeli casualties.

The IRGC also stated that it had hit a location in Bahrain housing 80 U.S. troops, and Iranian ballistic missiles struck a U.S. helicopter formation at a base in Kuwait, destroying one helicopter and damaging others.