Television footage showed the three-storey building engulfed in flames and dozens of firefighters battling the blaze in snowy conditions.

Pictures of the aftermath showed the blackened husk of the building, whose roof had apparently collapsed due to the fire.

The victims — eight men and three women — were among 16 residents of the facility in Sapporo, Hokkaido, run by a local organisation.

The other five residents escaped, a police spokesman told AFP, adding that authorities were investigating the victims’ identities.

Kenji Kikai, a local police official, told AFP: “Of the five people who escaped, three people — two men and one woman — were rushed to hospital. The two men were slightly injured and the woman sustained moderate injuries.

“They are still hospitalised but the injuries are not life-threatening,” added Kikai.

Two others escaped unharmed.

Police said they had launched a probe into the cause of the fire first alerted at 11:42 pm (1442 GMT) Wednesday via an emergency call.

The accommodation was originally a Japanese inn built around 50 years ago that was later turned into a welfare home.

The facility is aimed at supporting elderly people with financial difficulties by offering low-cost accommodation and helping them find work, public broadcaster NHK reported.

It is usually unstaffed overnight, according to local media.

As dawn broke, police and firefighters were combing the blackened remains of furniture in freezing temperatures.

– ‘Small explosions’ –

“As there were many oil tanks (for kerosene stoves) there, I heard a number of small explosions,” a 67-year-old woman in the neighbourhood told Jiji Press.

“Luckily, the only damage to our house was some cracks on the window,” she was quoted as saying.

Another woman in the neighbourhood, 65, said when she spotted smoke and flames while she was watching the total lunar eclipse from the window of her house, Jiji Press said.

“The smoke and flames were rising vertically. If there had been wind, the damage would have been bigger,” she told Jiji.

“The surrounding area was bright as if it were day because of efforts to extinguish fire, and smoke lasted until near the dawn,” she said.

Others saw ash falling like snow in the vicinity of the fire, local media reported.

“It was an awful fire. It spread so quickly and flames were billowing,” said one woman neighbour, who did not wish to be named.

The fire sparked memories of a similar incident in Sapporo in 2010 when seven residents of a private nursing home for the elderly were killed in a pre-dawn fire.

Four women and three men aged in their 60s to their 80s died when the blaze swept through the two-storey wooden house.

In that case, all the residents were believed to suffer from dementia.

In a case that has drawn intense interest from foreign media outlets, the “Let’s Get Wet” group had organised a party in the town’s Svay Dangkum commune when a group of 30 anti-human trafficking officers raided it and arrested them last Thursday. After the raid they were provisionally charged for production of pornography, though officials have so far declined to offer any details of the alleged offence.

Siem Reap Governor So Platong said in an interview yesterday that he did not remember the name of the group that had been warned after organising a pub crawl two weeks ago – there are multiple such tours on offer in the tourist hotspot – but said that they had been asked to stop the event at Pub Street. He went on to claim that the same organisers were responsible for the party last Thursday, where the 10 were arrested.

“They advertised about their activities in the form of leaflets,” he said, adding no pornographic material had been found at either event. “They did not produce pornographic pictures.”

Photos released by the National Police alongside a photo of the 10 suspects allegedly showing “pornographic dancing” featured full-clothed patrons wearing shirts with the logo of the “Siem Reap Pub Crawl”, another tour group.

An immigration police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he understood that Let’s Get Wet and the pub crawl group that was warned two weeks ago – whose name he did not remember – both congregated at Angkor What? Bar at the start of their respective parties, but stressed that they were separate entities.

The 10 suspects’ lawyer, Sourng Sophea, also said that the group warned two weeks ago was different from Let’s Get Wet. He noted that two of his clients had worked for the other group in the past, but said they had promised to stop working there following the warning.

He added that the suspects had been given drug tests, which they cleared yesterday, and were considering requesting bail, though they would not be able to leave the country.

Hugo Coulter, an Australian tourist who was at last week’s party, said attendees were only drinking, dancing and wearing bathing suits, and there was no nudity or drugs.

“They said this was against Cambodian culture and that ‘you can’t do this’,” he said.

He added that around 80 tourists were separated from the 10 detainees and held at the villa where the party was held for four hours before being taken to the police station to receive a lecture on Khmer traditions.

The sale of the embassy in Bangkok’s Lumpini neighbourhood was the foreign ministry’s biggest ever such deal and the biggest land deal in Thai history, according to the ministry.

The 1920s building was purchased by property firm Hongkong Land and Thai conglomerate Central Group.

Embassy staff are due to relocate to the AIA Sathorn Tower by the end of the year.

“Our workforce in Bangkok will be moving into a state-of-the-art premises by 2019 and this can only enhance our trade links and bilateral relations in Thailand and throughout the region,” foreign minister Boris Johnson said in a statement.

Large parts of the current embassy were said to be unusable and the building was in need of significant refurbishment.

Simon McDonald, head of Britain’s diplomatic service, said the move was being made “in a tight fiscal environment” and it was right to take “tough decisions” to ensure the UK’s global presence.

Funds raised by the sale will be spent on up to 40 “modernisation projects” at British embassies around the world, the foreign ministry said.

The social media giant said it is barring ads for “financial products and services that are frequently associated with misleading or deceptive promotional practices, such as binary options, initial coin offerings and cryptocurrency.”

Initial coin offerings or ICOs are a way for companies to raise funds by selling investors cryptographic assets.

Fraud is common in the world of red hot digital currencies such as bitcoin.

This week, for instance, the US Securities and Exchange Commission shut down an initial coin offering by a Texas company called AriseBank.

AriseBank was accused of relying on celebrity endorsers such as boxer Evander Holyfield and social media to cheat investors out of $600 million of its goal of $1 billion for a currency it called “AriseCoin.”

In a blog post announcing the news, Facebook product management director Rob Leathern hinted that Facebook may modify the new policy at some point to allow bona fide crypto-related businesses to advertise again.

“We want people to continue to discover and learn about new products and services through Facebook ads without fear of scams or deception,” Leathern wrote. “That said, there are many companies who are advertising binary options, ICOs and cryptocurrencies that are not currently operating in good faith.”

“This policy is intentionally broad while we work to better detect deceptive and misleading advertising practices, and enforcement will begin to ramp up across our platforms including Facebook, Audience Network and Instagram. We will revisit this policy and how we enforce it as our signals improve,” he added.//AFP

Nguyen Van Phuong, in charge of the committee carrying out the 22nd annual Vietnamese High Quality Goods Survey, said the survey this year found that the ratio of people shopping online had increased three-fold from the same time last year.

These shoppers are mainly in big cities and aged 16-25, he said.

High-tech electronics, toys, sports equipment, cosmetics, blankets, drapes, pillows, curtains, beauty care equipment, and stationery and fashion items are the most popular products bought online, he said.

According to many experts, online shopping will continue to expand in Vietnam to gradually replace buying at brick-and-mortar stores.

Efforts to facilitate online shopping, improve online transaction security and customer service and reduce delivery costs are helping boost online shopping.

A lunar eclipse, a blue moon and a supermoon will occur simultaneously, in a coincidence that last happened almost 152 years ago in 1866.

Here’s what you need to know.

1. WHAT IS IT?

A lunar eclipse is when the moon enters the Earth’s shadow. When there is a total lunar eclipse, the moon takes on a red colour and is known as a blood moon.

Because the full moon on Wednesday night will be the second full moon of the month, it is dubbed a blue moon. It does not appear blue, but is given the name for its rarity as it occurs once every two years and eight months.

As for the supermoon, the term refers to when a full moon coincides with the moon being the closest to Earth.

2. WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

The full moon rises over the Acropolis hill, in Athens, Greece, on Jan 30, 2018. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

The last blue moon took place on May 21, 2016, and the last total lunar eclipse that was visible in Singapore happened on April 4, 2015.

“After this year’s total lunar eclipses, it will not be until three years later that we will be able to see another blood moon on May 26, 2021,” said a Science Centre Singapore spokesman.

3. WHEN DOES IT START?

PHOTO: TIMEANDDATE.COM

A partial eclipse will start at 7.48pm, while a full eclipse is expected at 8.51pm and last until 10.08pm.

The partial eclipse will end at 11.11pm.

4. WHERE IS THE BEST PLACE TO CATCH THE ECLIPSE?

A supermoon rising over the Statue of Freedom on the Capitol dome in Washington, DC. PHOTO: AFP

The cosmic event will be visible in parts of western North America, the Middle East, Asia, eastern Russia, Australia and New Zealand.

In Singapore, the eclipse is best seen in an open field with a clear view of the eastern horizon, said Dr Cindy Ng of the National University of Singapore physics department.

It will be visible with the naked eye.

Unlike a solar eclipse, this lunar eclipse can be safely viewed without protective eyewear.

4. ARE THERE ANY VIEWING SESSIONS ORGANISED?

There will be a viewing session from 7.30pm to 10.30pm at the Science Centre Singapore at 15, Science Centre Road.

Admission to the event is free and registration is not required. Viewing will be on a first come, first served basis.

Other than watching the lunar eclipse, there will be free live planetarium shows about the moon at the OmniTheatre at the Science Centre, at 7.30pm and 8pm.

There will be telescopes set up on site for viewing the moon and also food vendors from Street Food Circus.

Bag checks will be conducted for safety reasons and the Science Centre advised attendees to travel light for quicker entry. The centre will not be able to accommodate private telescopes.

If it rains on that day, viewing will cease and resume if the rain stops by 9.30pm. It will end at 10.30pm, regardless.

Interest group Singapore Sidewalk Astronomy is also organising a gathering at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park from 7.30pm to 11pm.

Some restaurants are also taking advantage of the cosmic event, with LeVel33 Craft-Brewery Restaurant & Lounge hosting a viewing session at its 33-storey Marina Bay Financial Centre location.

The three-in-one celestial phenomenon, which can be seen across Malaysian skies, last occurred 152 years ago in 1866.

National Planetarium scientific officer Mohd Zamri Shah Mastor said that several events are being organised for the public.

“It will be a good opportunity for Malaysians, especially the younger generation, to witness this extremely rare astronomical event.

“Barring cloudy skies, the people will see a slightly larger and brighter moon, about 14% larger and 30% brighter, on that night,” he said.

On the term “blue moon”, Mohd Zamri said the moon will not look blue, but it refers to the second full moon in a month.

“The moon will look yellowish white, but will gradually appear reddish during the full lunar eclipse, giving it the term blood moon,” he said.

National Space Agency director-general Dr Nordin Ahmad said there is viewing event at the National Observatory in Langkawi as well.

In Penang, the public can watch the total lunar eclipse at the promenade of Karpal Singh Drive (next to the four pillars) in Sungai Pinang from 7pm until midnight.

In Sabah, a viewing event will be held at the city’s 30-storey Yayasan Sabah tower today where stargazers can witness the eclipse that is expected to last five hours and 17 minutes.

BMKG head Dwikorita Karnawati said residents should stay alert, as sea levels could rise up to 1.5 meters owing to the sun and moon’s gravitational forces.

“The rising sea levels will affect transportation near harbors and beaches, as well as the activity of salt farmers, freshwater fisheries, as well as loading and unloading at ports,” Dwikorita said in a statement.

(Read also: Rare lunar eclipse offers glimpse of ‘super blue blood moon’)

Dwikorita further said the moon phenomenon could also cause sea levels to recede 100-110 centimeters from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1 in several provinces, including North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Lampung, West Kalimantan, as well as the northern coast of Jakarta, Central Java and East Java.

Indonesia will be able to witness the occurrence of a supermoon—when the moon will appear bigger and brighter than usual—at the same time as the total lunar eclipse on Wednesday.

According to the BMKG, the phenomenon can be witnessed best in the area spanning from the border of Central and East Java to the west of Sumatra.

The peak of the eclipse is expected to take place at 8:29 p.m. local time.

Let’s take a look at the beautiful scenes.

Jiangsu province’s Zhenjiang in snow shows people a special picture of the 2018 Chinese New Year on Jan 25, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

Staff members hang red lanterns for the new year in Liaocheng, East China’s Shandong province on Jan 29, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

People enjoy red lanterns in cold weather in Weifang, Shandong province on Jan 27, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

A Crowne Plaza in Xiangyang, Central China’s Hubei province, hangs 700 red lanterns welcoming the 2018 Chinese New Year on Jan 19, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

People have fun in a dog-themed lighting park in Xuan’en, Hubei province on Jan 29, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

The lantern show in Qinhuangdao, North China’s Hebei province, is in the works for the new year on Jan 18, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

People enjoy the peach flower and lantern decorations in Hohhot, North China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region on Jan 21, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

A corridor in a shopping mall in Zhengzhou, Central China’s Henan province on Jan 21, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

A three-level high festival lantern appears in the Datang Furong Garden in Xi’an, Northwest China’s Shaanxi province on Jan 29, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

A new year’s carnival light show is launched at the Chongqing Garden EXPO in Southwest China’s Chongqing on Jan 14, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

Festival lanterns with Chongqing delicacy designs shine on lakes and mountains at the Chongqing Garden EXPO on Jan 14, 2018. [Photo/VCG]

The Treasury said the Chinese casino owner Zhao Wei heads a formidable “transnational criminal organization” operating from the gaming resort in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone on the Mekong River near Ton Pheung, Laos, close to where Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet.

“The Zhao Wei crime network engages in an array of horrendous illicit activities, including human trafficking and child prostitution, drug trafficking, and wildlife trafficking,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, in a statement.

“We are targeting key figures in this transnational criminal organization, which stretches from the Kings Romans Casino in Laos throughout Southeast Asia,” she said.

The Treasury said the nine-year-old casino, ostensibly built to cater to tourists from southern China, is used to store and distribute narcotics from Myanmar’s United Wa State Army, and launder money.

Since 2014, drug seizures in Thailand, Laos, and China have been traced to the Casino, it said.

It also said the Zhao Wei group “permits and promotes human trafficking and child prostitution.”

Visitors to the casino widely report protected species such as bear, tiger and pangolin being available to eat in the casino’s restaurant.

The Treasury named Su Guiqin, another Chinese national, Australian Abbas Eberahim and Thai Nat Rungtawankhiri as other key actors in the Zhao Wei organization.

Two Hong Kong companies and one Thai-based firm were also listed for sanctions.

The sanctions freezes the US-based assets of those on the blacklist and ban any US person or company from doing business with them.