Top News Stories –

‘Supermoon’ coincides with lunar eclipse –
People around the world have observed a rare celestial event, as a lunar eclipse coincided with a so-called “supermoon”. A supermoon occurs when the Moon is in the closest part of its orbit to Earth, meaning it appears larger in the sky. The eclipse – which made the Moon appear red – has been visible in North America, South America, West Africa and Western Europe. This phenomenon was last observed in 1982 and will not be back before 2033. [BBC]
The supermoon on September 28, 2015

Record number of guns found in U.S. airport searches –
U.S. airport security agents discovered a record 67 firearms in luggage passengers intended to carry on to airplanes during one week in September, according to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Of the 67 firearms found during the week ended Sept. 17, 56 were loaded and 26 had a round in the chamber, the TSA reported. The tally set a new weekly record. The prior record was 65 firearms found during a week in May 2013, TSA said. Nationwide, TSA officers have found more than 2,000 firearms at airport security checkpoints so far this year. [Reuters]

Martian salt streaks ‘painted by liquid water’ –
Scientists think they can now tie dark streaks seen on the surface of Mars to periodic flows of liquid water. Data from a Nasa satellite shows the features, which appear on slopes, to be associated with salt deposits. Crucially, such salts could alter the freezing and vaporisation points of water in Mars’s sparse air, keeping it in a fluid state long enough to move. Luju Ojha and colleagues report the findings in the journal Nature Geoscience. There are implications for the existence of life on the planet today, because any liquid water raises the possibility that microbes could also be present. And for future astronauts on Mars, the identification of water supplies near the surface would make it easier for them to “live off the land”. [BBC]
Kaiser Gullies

Mount Everest to be declared off-limits to inexperienced climbers, says Nepal –
Nepalese officials say they will introduce regulations banning inexperienced climbers from attempting Mount Everest in an attempt to improve safety and maintain the “glory” of the summit. Permits to climb Everest will only be given to those who can prove they have already scaled mountains that are higher than 6,500 metres, officials said. Disabled, old and very young people also face bans. The permits cost thousands of dollars and are a key source of revenue for Nepal. It is unclear how the demand for “proof of competence” might be enforced. [Guardian] An earthquake hit the region on May 12, 2015 killing 18 climbers and guides on the mountain.

Video of the Day –

PilotPriest | The Last Goodbye from FatCat Films on Vimeo.

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Other News Stories –

Armed conflicts and attacks

• War in Afghanistan (2015–present)
  • The Taliban seize control of the provincial capital of Kunduz in northern Afghanistan. Locals say militants have raised their flag above the city’s main square. (Sky News), (The News Hub)
• Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen
  • An Arab Coalition air-strike on a wedding party in Wahijah, a village near the Red Sea port city of Mocha in southern Yemen, reportedly leaves at least 38 people dead. (BBC)
• The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
  • ISIL claims responsibility for the killing of an Italian man in Dhaka. If verified, it would be Islamic State’s first attack in Bangladesh. (AP)

Arts and culture

• Pope Francis’ visit to the United States
  • Pope Francis returns to Rome after finishing his trip to Cuba and the United States. (CNN)

Business and economy

• Royal Dutch Shell halts its drilling program for oil and gas off the coast of Alaska citing high costs and a challenging regulatory environment. (Bloomberg)
• Sahaviriya Steel Industries closes the Teesside Steelworks in the Redcar and Cleveland borough in northern England resulting in the loss of 1,700 jobs. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

• 2015 Pacific typhoon season
  • Taiwan prepares for the impact of Typhoon Dujuan tonight, with thousands of people evacuated from outlying islands ahead of this. (AFP via France 24)

Politics and elections

• Pro-Serbian opposition from the Democratic Front holds a mass protest rally in the capital of Montenegro, Podgorica, demanding the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Milo Đukanović. (The News Hub)
• Catalonian parliamentary election, 2015
  • Separatists won a clear majority of seats in Catalonia’s parliament (72 out of 135) in this weekend’s election that saw a record turnout of 78 percent. The winners will seek to unilaterally declare independence within 18 months. Spain’s constitution does not allow any region to break away. Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vows to fight the separatist plan. (BBC), (AP via U.S. News & World Report)

Science and technology

• NASA states that it has found the best evidence yet of the existence of liquid water on Mars. The water is not pure but highly poisonous containing various dissolved salts that on Earth only an extremophile microbe might survive within. (News Limited viaDaily Telegraph), (NASA), (CNBC)
• The Indian Space Research Organization successfully launches its first dedicated-astronomical research satellite, Astrosat. (Times of India)

Sports

• The Government of Nepal bans inexperienced mountaineers, as well as people with disabilities, from attempting to climb Mount Everest. (The Guardian)

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