A massive blaze has swept through a fireworks factory in India killing at least 40 workers and injuring 60 others.

The fire spread to 40 of the 60 rooms at the factory, one of the biggest in Sivakasi town in Tamil Nadu state.

Witnesses said flames were billowing out of the Om Siva Shakti fireworks factory where about 300 people were working when the fire started.

Large numbers of fireworks and raw materials were stored in the factory with major Hindu festivals weeks away. The region has many factories making fireworks, which are used in religious festivals and weddings across India. They are also exported to other Asian countries.

‘Nude dancing is an art form’

A New York strip club has gone to court claiming nude dancing is an art and deserves a state tax exemption.

State officials say the Nite Moves club paid sales taxes on its non-alcoholic drinks, but also owes taxes on admission charges and on so-called “couch sales,” where patrons pay for private or lap dances.

It is claiming an exemption as a “live dramatic or musical arts performance” under state law.

Man tries to swallow money

A man tried to swallow several counterfeit $50 bills after he was caught trying to use the money at a US amusement park.

Larry Jones, of Buffalo, bought chips with one of the notes but the stall holder noticed the bill was fake and called police. While being taken away he stuffed five more bills into his mouth and tried to eat them.

Rarest turtle hatches in UK

One of the world’s rarest species of turtle has hatched at a British zoo for the first time.

The tiny seven-week-old Vietnamese box turtle is so precious that it is being kept in a climate-controlled room at Bristol Zoo Gardens and is hand-fed chopped worms

It is the first time a British zoo has ever bred this critically endangered species and is only the second in Europe, after a zoo in Germany, to have done so. The youngster weighs just 28 grammes and measures around five centimetres long.