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From today's featured article

The derailed train on the tracks

There was a disruption of train services on the East–West Line (EWL) of Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system on 25 September 2024. An axle box on a Kawasaki C151 train dislodged, derailing the train (pictured) and damaging the track and equipment between Clementi and Dover stations. More than 2 million commuters were affected, and shuttle train services and bus-bridging services were provided during restoration works. Full services resumed on 1 October. This was the worst breakdown in the MRT network's history. The Land Transport Authority concluded that the failure began with degraded grease in an axle bearing, which led to overheating and fire damage to the chevron springs. The Transport Safety Investigation Bureau found that fixing a "Null ID" error could have identified the affected train and prevented the incident. The rail operator, SMRT, was subsequently fined S$2.4 million (US$1.8 million) and the C151 trains were withdrawn from service by September 2025. (Full article...)

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Choctawhatchee beach mouse

... that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service considers Topsail Hill Preserve State Park a genetic "reservoir" for the endangered Choctawhatchee beach mouse (example pictured)?
... that the Epic of Samba Gueladio has been interpreted as both glorifying violence against slaves and celebrating alliances across ethnicities?
... that Jasmine Wong's stage name refers to the Finnish word for 'blind'?
... that the construction of South Australia's new Parliament House in Adelaide began in 1885, but its eastern half was not completed until 1939?
... that Victor Amalraj captained three professional football clubs based in Kolkata?
... that fewer than one in fifteen residents of China live in the western 64 percent of the country?
... that Bahrija Nuri Hadžić was criticised by supporters of the Serbian Orthodox Church for her portrayal of Salome?
... that villages in India along the border with Bangladesh have protested against a proposed border fence that would leave them inside Indian territory, but beyond the fence?
... that one of Clint Reilly's clients called him "Satan"?

In the news

Tilcayo

An attack on a police complex in Kohat, Pakistan, leaves at least 31 people dead.
The tilcayo (pictured), a new species of tiger cat, is formally identified.
Former leader of Kosovo Hashim Thaçi is sentenced to 25 years in prison for war crimes during his leadership of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
At the Primetime Emmy Awards, Widow's Bay wins Outstanding Comedy Series, and The Pitt wins Outstanding Drama Series.

On this day

September 25: Mid-Autumn Festival (2026) in China, Taiwan, and Korea

Tacitus

275 – After the assassination of Aurelian, Tacitus (depicted) was chosen by the Senate to succeed him as Roman emperor.
1066 – Harold Godwinson defeated King Harald III of Norway and his English ally Tostig Godwinson at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, ending the last Norse invasion of the British Isles.
1775 – American Revolutionary War: Ethan Allen and a small force of American and Quebec militia failed to capture the city of Montreal from British forces.
1800 – French Revolutionary Wars: After U.S. ships became involved, French forces abandoned their invasion of the Batavian island of Curaçao.
1978 – While on approach to San Diego International Airport, Pacific Southwest Airlines Flight 182, a Boeing 727, collided with a Cessna 172, killing all 137 people on board both aircraft, along with 7 more on the ground.

Oliver Loving (d. 1867)
Silvana Pampanini (b. 1925)
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (b. 1955)
José Fernández (d. 2016)

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From today's featured list

Kittie

The discography of Kittie, a Canadian heavy-metal band, consists of seven studio albums, five extended plays, one compilation album, one demo album, four video albums, eighteen singles and twenty-one music videos. Kittie was formed in 1996 by guitarist and vocalist Morgan Lander, guitarist Fallon Bowman, and drummer Mercedes Lander. The band currently consists of Morgan, Mercedes, guitarist Tara McLeod, and bassist Ivy Vujic. Kittie are estimated to have sold more than one million albums worldwide, primarily in the United States. The band's debut album Spit was released in November 1999 through Ng Records, and reissued through Artemis Records in January 2000. It peaked at number 79 on the US Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. Kittie's second album, Oracle (2001), earned the band its highest charting positions worldwide, debuting at number 57 on the Billboard 200 with 33,000 copies sold. (Full list...)

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Today's featured picture

The common Mormon (Papilio polytes) is a species in the swallowtail butterfly family, Papilionidae. Widely distributed across Asia, it is typically black with white markings and has a wingspan of around 90 to 100 millimetres (3.5 to 3.9 in). Females occur in several forms, some of which mimic other swallowtails such as the common rose and crimson rose. This mimicry helps protect them from predators and is controlled by the doublesex gene. The common Mormon inhabits deciduous, semi-evergreen and evergreen forests, as well as gardens and other wooded areas around human settlements. This female common Mormon of the subspecies P. p. pasikrates was photographed on a citrus blossom in Gongliao District, Taiwan.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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