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Dozens killed after fire engulfs Hong Kong high-rise

admin - Latest News - November 27, 2025
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Dozens killed after fire engulfs Hong Kong high-rise



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Nov. 27, 2025, 5:00 AM ESTBy Alicia Victoria LozanoLOS ANGELES — This time last year, Jon Cherkas and his wife were busy preparing to host relatives, friends and neighbors for Thanksgiving in their Southern California home of more than 20 years.This year, the couple is planning to dine out with friends in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We had such great community and fun with neighbors,” he said. “That’s the one thing that’s really missing now.”Cherkas’ home was one of roughly 16,000 structures destroyed in the deadly Jan. 7 wildfires that consumed entire swaths of Los Angeles County. At least 31 people were killed, and more than 57,000 acres were scorched in densely populated communities including Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Sunset Mesa, where Cherkas’ house overlooked the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of empty lots now dot neighborhoods that would otherwise be brimming with holiday decorations. Survivors say those inescapable reminders of what was lost gives them a renewed appreciation of Thanksgiving.“I’m optimistic and try not to dwell on it,” Cherkas said. He’s seen wildfires disrupt the lives of plenty of other people. But now, he said, “I am that other person.”So instead of getting ready for his annual party, Cherkas and his wife chose to spend Thanksgiving this year with old neighbors from Sunset Mesa who relocated to Arizona before the fire hit. Being with old friends, he said, “makes it feel a little bit like being home.” Cherkas intends to rebuild but says permitting is taking much longer than expected. Like all natural disasters, rebuilding is an onerous process. Fewer than 2,000 permits have been issued in burn zones out of 5,000 applications received to date, according to the state’s dashboard. About 3,100 are under review and thousands more have yet to be submitted. Tom Reed, who also lost his home in the Palisades Fire, said this year has been a study in creative problem-solving. For Easter, rather than hosting the annual egg hunt for his grandchildren in the backyard, he and wife threw a party in the courtyard of their rental condo. The adults wore T-shirts with eggs attached via velcro. Instead of hunting for eggs, grandchildren hunted for grandparents. “Things have changed, but I gotta find amusement,” he saidWhen the question of where to host Thanksgiving came around, Reed decided one day was simply not enough. Instead of cramming everyone into the condo, Reed, his wife and the rest of the family will spend the weekend at Lake Arrowhead in the San Bernardino Mountains. “You can’t look back because it will mess with your head,” he said. Across the county, in Altadena, Freddy Sayegh is back in his smoke-damaged house. It has been remediated, but his wife and two children remained at their rental for several months. Before the fire, Thanksgiving Day festivities with Freddy Sayegh’s large extended family could number anywhere between 50 and 60 people all in one house. This year, the family is splitting up because many relatives were displaced by the Eaton Fire.Courtesy Freddy SayeghTucked in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Altadena felt like a small village nestled within a megapolis. It was filled with mom-and-pops stores and multigenerational families who purchased homes when other parts of the county were out of reach.Sayegh and his extended family lost seven properties in the Eaton Fire, homes and businesses included. He has spent much of this year jumping from one rental to another waiting to be able to move back into his house. Before the fire, Thanksgiving with the Sayeghs could mean celebrating with up to 60 people spread throughout “one big home cooking and sleeping and drinking and partying for 48 hours,” he said.This year won’t be like that. Some relatives have decided to vacation out of state, and others made reservations to dine out. “It’s all been broken up into pieces,” he said. But a strong sense of community defined Altadena, and many are determined to nurture its essence. Some residents have thrown block parties on their otherwise vacant streets, and others meet for weekly game nights or other gatherings throughout the area. Next week, Sayegh is hosting a 1980s-themed extravaganza called Back to Altadena that will take over a small block in the western side of the neighborhood near the worst of the destruction. “I want to give them a party and a reason to smile,” Sayegh said. “It’s really magical when you’re around other survivors in the same situation.”Altadena resident Keni “Arts” Davis plans to spend this Thanksgiving Day at the home of one of his daughters outside Los Angeles who not affected by the Eaton Fire. He is most grateful this year that everyone is safe and happy.Courtesy Keni “Arts” DavisAltadena resident Keni “Arts” Davis, whose home of 45 years was destroyed, said he and his family will focus this Thanksgiving on being grateful for what they do have. One of his daughters, who also lost her house in the fire, recently secured a grant to plant gardens at dozens of Altadena homes that were destroyed. Each site will feature a bench where people can gather or just enjoy the silence.Davis said he has also been involved in beautifying Altadena during its recovery. An accomplished artist, Davis spent much of the last year painting the rebuild and visiting places he once frequented. He and his wife will move into his daughter’s new guest house once it’s completed and then begin rebuilding their own home.“I just can’t get over how thankful I am that my family is safe,” he said.Alicia Victoria LozanoAlicia Victoria Lozano is a California-based reporter for NBC News focusing on climate change, wildfires and the changing politics of drug laws.
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Nov. 27, 2025, 6:00 AM ESTBy Akshay Syal, M.D.For decades, doctors have been puzzled by why women develop Alzheimer’s disease at nearly twice the rate of men. There are an estimated 7 million people in the U.S. living with Alzheimer’s, with that number expected to reach nearly 13 million by 2050. A majority of cases, or about 2 out of every 3, are in women. An emerging body of research is suggesting that estrogen, the predominant female sex hormone, may play a critical role, specifically in the perimenopausal transition to menopause, when the body’s hormone levels naturally begin to decline. Estrogen is thought to perform a variety of functions in the body, such as improving cardiovascular health and maintaining bone density. Estrogen is very important to the brain and is considered neuroprotective, helping shield brain cells from inflammation, stress and other forms of cellular damage. Alzheimer’s researchers are focused on the early period of perimenopause, which typically occurs in a woman’s early- to mid-40s, as a target for hormone replacement therapy to maintain estrogen levels and possibly protect some women against developing dementia decades later. “This interest comes primarily from decades of pre-clinical research, animal models, and basic science research showing that menopause is a tipping point for Alzheimer’s pathology,” said Lisa Mosconi, director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine. Mosconi is leading a new $50 million global women’s health research initiative called CARE, or Cutting women’s Alzheimer’s risk through endocrinology. Looking at biomarkers from nearly 100 million women, it’s expected to be the largest analysis of why women are at greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease. The link between estrogen and dementia has gained renewed focus after the Food and Drug Administration recently lifted the decades-old black-box warning on hormone replacement therapy, a move that may lead to many more women in their 40s and 50s being prescribed treatment. Doctors say loosened restrictions could reduce stigma around hormone therapy. The FDA’s move could also pave the way for broader research into whether hormone replacement therapy might offer additional benefits, including protection against dementia. Declining reproductive hormonesMenopause occurs when the ovaries gradually produce less estrogen and progesterone, hormones that help regulate the menstrual cycle. Estrogen and progesterone are sex hormones that are present in females and to a lesser extent in males that play an important role in sexual and reproductive development. Most women reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, said Dr. Monica Christmas, a gynecologist and director of the menopause program at UChicago Medicine. The transition can begin years earlier during perimenopause, which usually starts when women are in their mid-40s. That’s when symptoms such as hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes and sleep disturbances often appear. It’s thought that menopause symptoms are caused by decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body. For example, when estrogen levels drop, the body’s internal thermostat, controlled by the hypothalamus in the brain, begins to not work properly. The brain might interpret the body as too hot and tell it to start sweating to cool off, leading to symptoms of hot flashes. Hormone therapy can replenish those levels and help the body regulate its temperature. What role does estrogen play?Receptors for this sex hormone are found throughout our brains, said Rachel Buckley, an associate professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital whose research focuses on sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease. “Estrogen is actually a really powerful hormone,” she said. “It’s found in the hippocampus which is an area [in the brain] that we know is very closely associated with memory and learning.” Estrogen also helps to build and maintain healthy blood flow in the brain, she added, and can even help the brain use energy more efficiently. During menopause, however, the levels of estrogen begin to decline, potentially leaving the brain more vulnerable to damage. “Once the brain loses the protective effects of estrogen and other sex hormones, it’s a turning point for Alzheimer’s pathology accumulation in the brain,” said Mosconi. Can hormone replacement therapy fight dementia?Hormone replacement therapy is available in many forms, including a wearable patch, cream and pills, and can include either estrogen, progesterone, or both. If estrogen helps protect our brain, it would make sense that replacing levels through hormone therapy might confer some sort of benefit. It turns out, however, the answer is much more complicated than that, experts say, as the research behind hormone replacement therapy is mixed and ongoing.However, data suggests that the perimenopause transition might represent a critical window of opportunity where treatment could help some patients ward off dementia, said Dr. Kellyann Niotis, a preventive neurologist in Florida and faculty member at Weill Cornell Medicine. “One leading belief is that during this perimenopausal window hormones are fluctuating rapidly and you can have steep declines in [estrogen] which can be harmful for the brain,” said Niotis.“The idea is that using hormones at a steady state or consistent level kind of helps even out those fluctuations.” A large analysis from Mosconi and her team in 2023 published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that there may be a sweet spot for initiation of HRT for helping women fight cognitive decline.Her team analyzed over 50 studies and found that people using estrogen therapy in midlife, or within 10 years of their final menstrual period, had a significantly lower risk of dementia. Conversely, when combination hormone therapy was initiated after 65, there was an increased risk of dementia. Another large-scale analysis of 50 studies presented this fall at the American Neurological Association annual meeting found that the risk of Alzheimer’s was up to 32% lower among women who started HRT within five years of menopause than in those who received a placebo or no treatment. The paper is not yet peer-reviewed or published in a journal. The research, which was done by scientists based in India, also found that among women who waited until they were 65 or older to start therapy, there was a 38% increase in Alzheimer’s risk. However, many of the studies performed to date have been observational, said Christmas, and do not directly prove a cause and effect relationship. More rigorous research including large scale trials are needed, she added. Hormone therapy that is prescribed may also not behave exactly like estrogen that is produced naturally by the body, she added, and also requires further study.Why timing of hormone therapy mattersThe theory of a critical window to initiate hormone replacement therapy may be related to estrogen receptors in the brain, said Mosconi. During the transition to menopause, there becomes a progressively higher density of estrogen receptors on brain cells, her research has found. This is because, as estrogen levels naturally decline, the brain increases the amount of available receptors as a compensatory mechanism to try and grab every little bit of estrogen that’s still available to be used up, she said. But at some point, when estrogen is permanently low, the brain ultimately stops trying and gives up, and the estrogen receptors disappear, she added. “That is the end of the window of opportunity because once the estrogen receptors are gone, there’s no point putting estrogen back in the system because it has nothing to bind to,” said Mosconi.Some outstanding questions remain, including how long women would need to stay on hormone replacement therapy or whether estrogen would be more protective for women with a genetic predisposition to Alzheimer’s. It’s also unclear if the brain responds differently to estrogen the body makes compared to hormone replacement. Men, on the other hand, have biologically different brains than women, said Buckley, as they have significantly less estrogen receptors and thus have a lower requirement of the hormone. It’s also unclear if testosterone replacement therapy for men confer any potential benefit for Alzheimer’s prevention, said Niotis. While some studies have suggested an association between men with lower testosterone and dementia, much more research is needed before any definitive conclusions can be made. Experts say it’s still too early to recommend hormone replacement therapy to prevent Alzheimer’s disease.“We do not use hormone therapy for Alzheimer’s prevention right now,” said Mosconi. “Clinical guidelines currently do not endorse using hormone therapy only for Alzheimer’s prevention.” Instead, HRT should be prescribed primarily to treat moderate to severe menopausal symptoms that can affect quality of life, such as hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances or mood changes. Niotis said relieving these symptoms may help improve cognition, as people who sleep better have improved mood and tend to think more clearly. Still, she is optimistic that future research may bring more definitive answers. “The hope is that with the removal of this black-box warning that we’ll have more women that are starting therapies and are less afraid of using them, and more doctors that are less afraid of prescribing them,” said Niotis. Akshay Syal, M.D.Dr. Akshay Syal is a board-certified internal medicine physician at UCLA Health and instructor of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He also is a member of the NBC News Health Unit, reporting for both NBC News Digital and on air for NBC News NOW and MSNBC.  
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By Jennifer JettHONG KONG — A major fire tore through multiple high-rise towers at a housing estate in Hong Kong on Wednesday, killing at least four people, officials said.Police received multiple reports of people trapped in the estate, where bamboo scaffolding has been erected outside several towers as they undergo renovation, local media reported. Three others were injured, two of them critically, in the fire at Wang Fuk Court in the northern district of Tai Po, the Fire Services Department said. At least one firefighter was believed to be among the dead, according to local broadcaster RTHK.Firefighters were still battling the blaze several hours later as night fell. Massive flames and thick plumes of dark smoke could be seen coming from multiple towers at the housing complex, which has eight buildings and almost 2,000 residential units. The blaze was classified as a No. 1 alarm fire when it was first reported at 2:51 p.m. local time (1:51 a.m. ET), but it was quickly upgraded to a No. 3 alarm fire at 3:02 p.m. and a No. 4 alarm fire, the second-highest level, at 3:34 p.m., the Fire Services Department said. The Transport Department said a number of bus routes had been diverted and that sections of some nearby roads had been closed to all traffic.Hong Kong has been under a red fire danger warning since Monday, which means there is an extremely high risk of fire. Jennifer JettJennifer Jett is the Asia Digital Editor for NBC News, based in Hong Kong.Peter Guo and Jay Ganglani contributed.
November 23, 2025
Savewith a NBCUniversal ProfileCreate your free profile or log in to save this articleNov. 23, 2025, 6:00 AM ESTBy Minyvonne BurkeOver the course of two decades, Ryan James Wedding went from a promising snowboarder competing in the Olympics to someone who officials have said is one of the most violent and ruthless criminals in the world, responsible for orchestrating murders and running a billion-dollar cocaine cartel.FBI Director Kash Patel compared the 44-year-old — whose nicknames include “El Jefe,” “Public Enemy” and “Giant” — to Pablo Escobar and Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán. Wedding is accused of ordering a hit on a witness in the U.S. government’s case against him and enlisting assassins to murder rival traffickers.Canada’s Ryan Wedding competes in a snowboarding event at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City.Tony Marshall – EMPICS / PA Images via Getty ImagesCourt documents say that Wedding’s crime spree began in 2008, six years after his failed Olympic debut. They detail the alleged dark journey of a young man in his 20s, who got into trouble following a drug deal gone wrong, to a callous criminal on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list.It’s believed that Wedding is hiding in Mexico and is being protected by the cartel, federal officials said at a Wednesday news conference, announcing a $15 million reward for information that leads to his arrest and/or conviction.‘From shredding powder … to distributing powder’Wedding was born in Thunder Bay, Canada, a small city on the north shore of Lake Superior surrounded by wilderness and the Nor’Wester Mountains. It’s known for outdoor activities and breathtaking scenery. His parents were wealthy, Los Angeles Magazine reported, and his grandparents owned Mount Baldy ski resort in Thunder Bay. It was at the resort where Wedding learned to shred, according to the magazine.In 2002, he represented Canada at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. He didn’t perform his best, placing 24th in the parallel giant slalom event. With his Olympic debut failing to lead to fame and fortune, Wedding turned to a life of crime.“Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada,” Akil Davis, the assistant director of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, said in a March press release.’I guess I lost my way’In 2008, federal prosecutors said Wedding traveled to San Diego with two other men to buy cocaine, court documents show. The dealer they had arranged to meet with was working undercover for the FBI. They were arrested, and Wedding’s case went to trial in November 2009.In opening statements, Wedding’s lawyer painted him as someone who had been “duped by an experienced drug dealer and career criminal,” according to court documents. The lawyer said Wedding was made out to be the “main guy.”A surveillance photo of Ryan Wedding provided by the FBI.FBIA jury found him guilty of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to the court documents. At his sentencing in May 2010, Wedding apologized to the court and his family for his “stupid and irresponsible decisions” and said the idea of making easy money had lured him, even though he didn’t need the money.“I knew it was wrong, and I did it anyway,” he said, according to a transcript of the hearing.“In the past 24 months I’ve spent in custody, I’ve had an opportunity to see firsthand what drugs do to people, and honestly, I’m ashamed that I became a part of the problem for years,” he said. “I guess I lost my way.”The judge was so moved by Wedding’s apparent remorse that he imposed a lighter sentence, court records show. He was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison, but with time served, he was released in December 2011.Wedding’s regret was apparently short-lived. After his release, he founded his criminal drug enterprise, federal law enforcement said in an indictment unsealed Wednesday, charging him with murder, witness tampering and intimidation, money laundering and drug trafficking.Attorney General Pam Bondi stands near wanted poster for Canadian fugitive Ryan James Wedding as she speaks with reporters during a news conference at the Department of Justice in Washington on Nov. 19.Mark Schiefelbein / APLargest distributor of cocaine in CanadaIn Wednesday’s unsealed indictment, law enforcement detailed how Wedding’s organization, working with members of Mexican drug cartels, allegedly used boats and planes to move hundreds of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to Mexico. The organization then began using semitrucks to smuggle the drugs across the border from Mexico to its “hub” in Southern California, the indictment said. The cocaine would then be transported to Canada and other states, federal officials said.At the Wednesday news conference, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Wedding’s organization is responsible for importing about 60 metric tons of cocaine a year into Los Angeles.“He controls one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations in this world,” she said. “He is currently the largest distributor of cocaine in Canada.”The indictment said Wedding’s organization “promoted a climate of fear” and is known for retaliating against rival drug traffickers, targeting people Wedding considered enemies and putting out hits on people cooperating with law enforcement.He allegedly put out a “multimillion dollar bounty” on a federal witness who was going to testify against him in a criminal case, according to the indictment. Wedding is alleged to have used a now-defunct Canadian website to post pictures of the witness and his wife to locate him, officials said.The witness was shot and killed in January at a restaurant in Medellín, Colombia, before he could testify, the Justice Department said in a news release.Wedding is also alleged to have enlisted the services of a Canadian-based assassin crew to kill another victim and directed the murders of two members of a family in Canada in retaliation for a stolen drug shipment, according to the press release. A third family member survived the attack but was left with serious injuries.The wife, the ‘General’ and the attorneySeveral people, including Wedding’s wife, are alleged to have contributed to his reign of terror, the U.S. Treasury Department said in a news release.Edgar Aaron Vazquez Alvarado, known as “the General,” allegedly provides protection for Wedding in Mexico, according to the release. Officials said Vazquez is believed to be a former Mexican law enforcement officer and uses law enforcement sources to find targets for Wedding.Wedding’s wife, Miryam Andrea Castillo Moreno, allegedly launders money for him and “has helped him conduct acts of violence,” the department said.A Canadian attorney named Deepak Balwant Paradkar allegedly provides what officials say is a “range of illegal services” that fall outside of the scope of a typical attorney. He is alleged to have helped Wedding with bribery and murder and introduced him to his drug traffickers, the Treasury Department said.Paradkar, 62, was arrested Tuesday.Minyvonne BurkeMinyvonne Burke is a senior breaking news reporter for NBC News.
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