In brief: China warehouse explosion death toll stands at 173

BEIJING – Chinese authorities ended the search for the remaining eight missing in a massive chemical warehouse explosion last month, setting the final death toll at 173 in China’s worst industrial disaster in years.

The announcement on the Tianjin city government’s microblog said there was no hope of finding the eight people, and the court will now start issuing death certificates.

The eight include five firefighters, underscoring the explosion’s status as the worst ever disaster for Chinese first responders, more than 100 of whom were killed, including police officers. Among firefighters, a total of 104 were killed.

Force-feeding ordered for trio

MIAMI – A federal judge ordered immigration authorities Friday to force-feed three Pakistani men who are waging a hunger strike at a customs facility near Miami in an effort to get asylum.

U.S. District Judge Robert Scola ruled it would be inhumane to allow their health to deteriorate.

The ACLU says the hunger strikes have lasted up to 28 days.