Textile skills & training: Bangladesh’s BCCCI hosted pre-departure receptions for NITER students heading to China for technical textile training, with officials stressing industry-academia links and hands-on capability building. Smart textiles in healthcare: Southeast University’s Smart Medical Vest was named among Bangladesh’s Top 50 Innovations at the Bangladesh Innovation Fair, with the concept accepted by Textiles and in provisional patent stage. Energy for textile firms: Solaric signed an agreement to install a 550 kWp rooftop solar plant at IRIS Fabrics in Bangladesh, aiming to cut costs and support greener manufacturing. Supply-chain pressure: West Bengal’s labour minister asked India’s Centre to revisit B Twill jute bag pricing, arguing the notified rate and late supply orders are squeezing jute mills’ ability to pay wages and puja bonuses. Industry risk & safety: West Yorkshire’s Dalton Mills—used in Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey—suffered its fifth major fire in five years, prompting renewed calls to secure the derelict site. Fashion meets sustainability: Iowa’s Dubuque County Historical Society won a $50,000 grant for “Fatal Fashion,” linking fashion history to environmental impacts and ecosystem risks. Microplastics concern: A study presented at the European Respiratory Society found microplastics in lung samples of 66% of lung cancer patients vs 46% without cancer, with polypropylene and polyethylene among the most common plastics detected.