At least 16 people have died after a huge fire broke out at a garment factory in Bangladesh, with officials warning that the toll could rise. Sixteen bodies have been recovered and would be handed to families after DNA testing, as they have been burnt beyond recognition, the fire service said. Distraught relatives gathered outside…

The S1500 from Sawes – credit, handout A new form of wind energy is under development that promises more consistent power and lower deployment costs by adapting the design of a dirigible, or zeppelin. Suspended 1,000 feet up where the wind is always blowing, it presents as an ideal energy source for rural communities, disaster…

Two French nationals have been handed lengthy prison sentences by a court in Iran after being convicted of espionage, Iranian state media reports. The reports do not name the defendants but they are believed to be Cecile Kohler, 40, and her partner Jacques Paris, 72, the only French nationals being held in Iran. They were…

A monkey among Suriname’s forests – credit Jan Van Broekema, via Flickr, CC 2.0. Huge news broke recently when a country with more intact forests than any other on Earth decided that 90% of all forest cover would be preserved by law. Made in New York in advance of a UN summit that will see…

Wage growth in the UK cooled slightly over the summer, as unemployment ticked up slightly. Annual growth in employees’ average earnings was 4.7% in the three months to August, down from 4.8% over the three months to July, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The national unemployment rate rose slightly…

Escaped tortoise on train tracks – Chiltern Railways / SWNS A runaway tortoise was saved after it wandered onto a busy railway line in South East England. The pet named Mr T was spotted clambering onto the train tracks at Bicester North Station in Oxfordshire. Passengers raised the alarm with the railway staff who rescued…

Bright’s grasp on an England starring role began when she played in five of their six matches at the 2019 World Cup en route to the semi-finals. She was sent off after receiving a second yellow card in the semi-final defeat by the United States – a game which hinted at future success for England,…

Bamboo forest – credit Bady Abbas, via Unsplash GNN has reported previously on how versatile bamboo is for construction and craft, so it maybe shouldn’t be a surprise that researchers in China have found a way to turn this miracle plant into plastic. While many biodegradable materials have already been developed for replacing lighter, flexible…

BBC The Israeli military says the first hostages have been handed over by Hamas, ahead of the expected release of 48 captives – 20 of whom are believed to be alive. All but one were among the 251 people abducted during the Palestinian group’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, during which about…

Aluminum (in brown) vs alloy with small particles (in blue and green) that impart exceptional strength when 3D printed- Credit Felice Frankel for MIT Incorporating machine learning, MIT engineers have developed a way to 3D print alloys that are much stronger. The new printable metal can withstand high temperatures and is five times stronger than…