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From today's featured article
The African striped weasel (Poecilogale albinucha) is a small mammal native to sub-Saharan Africa, where its range stretches from as far north as Kenya south to South Africa. It belongs in the family Mustelidae and is the lone member of the genus Poecilogale. It has a long, slender body with short legs and a bushy tail. One of the smallest carnivorans in Africa, it measures 24 to 35 cm (9.4 to 13.8 in) long excluding the tail, with males generally larger than females. It has black fur over most of its body, with distinctive white bands running from the top of its head down its back, with the tail being completely white. The closest living relative of this species is the striped polecat, and it may also be related to the extinct Propoecilogale bolti. The African striped weasel is most commonly seen in savanna and veld grasslands with termite mounds, but has also been recorded in semideserts, rainforests, fynbos and even areas used by humans such as pine plantations and agricultural land. (Full article...)
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Did you know ...
D. M. Clemson
- ... that the freighter D. M. Clemson (pictured) was one of the largest vessels on the Great Lakes in 1903?
- ... that Filipino politician Miriam Defensor Santiago is known as the "Iron Lady of Asia"?
- ... that a 16th-century ethnic term used in Africa is still used today for a Brazilian religion, a Togolese and Beninese ethnic group, and their language?
- ... that it took 40 years for Raghunath Brahmbhatt to be credited for the lyrics to a popular song he wrote, 21 years after his death?
- ... that My Dad, the first entry in My Family Member, a series of illustrated children books, was inspired by the author's discovery of his father's old gown?
- ... that John Adams Cameron lost twice to John Culpepper in elections for the United States Congress that were 14 years apart?
- ... that neighbors thought Naughty Dog was filming adult films due to their setup of shooting moves for Way of the Warrior from an apartment hallway?
- ... that painter and designer Mia Lee used to make doll fashions from her grandmother's scraps?
- ... that Jack Fleck defeated Ben Hogan in a playoff to win the 1955 U.S. Open using Hogan's golf clubs?
In the news
Hotaka Yamakawa
- In baseball, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeat the Hanshin Tigers to win the Japan Series (MVP Hotaka Yamakawa pictured).
- Hurricane Melissa leaves more than 40 people dead across the Caribbean.
- More than 120 people are killed in a police operation in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- In the Sudanese civil war, at least 2,500 people are killed in massacres after Al-Fashir is captured by the Rapid Support Forces.
- Timor-Leste joins ASEAN as its 11th member.
On this day
November 1: Samhain and Beltane in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively; Rajyotsava (Formation Day) in Karnataka, India (1956)
The Columbus
- 1141 – After Empress Matilda released her rival King Stephen, he in turn released Robert of Gloucester, her strongest supporter, thus prolonging the Anglo-Norman civil war known as The Anarchy.
- 1824 – The disposable ship Columbus (pictured) arrived in the The Downs off England, becoming, at that time, the largest vessel to have crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
- 1914 – World War I: The first contingent of the First Australian Imperial Force departed Albany, Western Australia.
- 1956 – The Indian states Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka were formally created under the States Reorganisation Act.
- 1972 – Elvis on Tour, a concert film that documented Elvis Presley's tour throughout the United States, opened.
- Lie Kim Hok (b. 1853)
- Peter Ostrum (b. 1957)
- Fred Thompson (d. 2015)
- Lady Elizabeth Shakerley (d. 2020)
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Today's featured picture
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is an oil-on-panel painting by Leonardo da Vinci, painted around 1501 to 1519. It depicts Saint Anne, her daughter the Virgin Mary, and the infant Jesus. Christ is shown grappling with a sacrificial lamb on the edge of a precipice, symbolizing his Passion. It is likely that the painting was commissioned by King Louis XII of France following the birth of his daughter Claude in 1499, but it was never delivered to him. Leonardo explored incorporating these figures together through preparatory works including the Burlington House Cartoon, now in the National Gallery, London, and a drawing which resides in the Louvre, Paris. The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne is also in the Louvre.
Painting credit: Leonardo da Vinci
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