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The Royal Gloucestershire Hussars was a regiment of British volunteer Yeomanry Cavalry that traced its origins to a troop of yeomanry raised in Gloucestershire in 1795. It was officered by nobility and gentry, and its ranks were recruited largely from among landholders and tenant farmers. During the 19th century, it was deployed in ceremonial duties and as mounted police during times of civil unrest. It won its first battle honour for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. In 1908, it became part of the Territorial Force, and during the First World War the regiment saw action as infantry at Gallipoli and as cavalry in the Sinai and Palestine campaign. It converted to armour just before the Second World War and fought in the North African Campaign. After several post-war reorganisations, the regiment was reduced to a squadron, and its lineage is maintained by C (Royal Gloucestershire Hussars) Squadron of the Royal Wessex Yeomanry. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Monument to William Light in Light Square

... that Light Square (pictured) contains Adelaide's only marked grave not located in a cemetery?
... that Russ Crandall served as a U.S. Navy translator, ran a food blog, wrote a New York Times best-selling cookbook, and is now a gaming YouTuber?
... that Singapore Comic Con hosted Marvel Comics' first convention exhibition in Asia in 2010?
... that Terrell Creek smells like sulfur at certain times of year?
... that Handel's Messiah was performed in the Jordanian village of Mukawir, with a background view of the ancient fortress where John the Baptist was beheaded?
... that, after future Blue Devils player Nate Sheppard broke his leg during a high school football game, he hopped for 40 yards (37 m) on the other leg?
... that in Nathan's parable, the prophet got King David to sentence himself by telling him about a rich man who stole a poor man's only lamb?
... that Bohemond V's attempts to avenge his brother's murder threatened the interests of the Catholic Church?
... that Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Abridged Series was renamed Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Cancelled Series because of its numerous copyright issues?

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Spinning tops

This week's article for improvement is spinning top, a type of toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom that is designed to be spun on its vertical axis.

You can improve this article by:

Expanding the "History" section
Finding reliable sources about spinning methods and its physics

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In the news

Kyle Larson

Novaya Gazeta, one of Russia's oldest and most prominent independent newspapers, closes under pressure from the Russian authorities.
In stock car racing, Kyle Larson (pictured) wins the NASCAR Cup Series.
A mass shooting in the Main Square of Kraków, Poland, leaves six people dead and sixteen others injured.
President of Paraguay Santiago Peña is impeached, arrested, and replaced by Vice President Pedro Alliana amid a banking crisis involving Ueno Bank.

On this day

November 12

Corozal

1911 – The Corozal (pictured), at the time the most powerful dredger ever built, was launched in London for service in the construction of the Panama Canal.
1956 – Suez Crisis: During an invasion of Rafah, Israeli soldiers shot and killed an estimated 111 Palestinian refugees and local inhabitants.
1973 – The first episode of Last of the Summer Wine, the longest-running television sitcom in history, premiered on the BBC.
2001 – American Airlines Flight 587 crashed into residential buildings shortly after takeoff from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, killing 265 people.
2006 – South Ossetia held a referendum on independence from Georgia; more than 99 percent of voters were in favour of maintaining the region's status as a de facto independent state.

Sun Yat-sen (b. 1866)
Robert Goff, Baron Goff of Chieveley (b. 1926)
Edward Soriano (b. 1946)
Ansgar Løvold (d. 1961)

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Today's featured picture

The collared lory (Vini solitaria) is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is found in Fiji, where it inhabits tropical forests but has also adapted to urban environments, including the capital, Suva. Measuring around 20 centimetres (8 in) in length, it has bright scarlet underparts and cheeks, a purple crown and greenish upperparts. It feeds on fruit, seeds, nectar and blossoms, and is usually found in pairs or small groups. The species nests in tree hollows, sometimes using holes in rotting coconuts still attached to trees. Its colourful feathers were historically prized and traded between Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. This collared lory, perched on an octopus tree, was photographed in Colo-i-Suva Forest Reserve in south-eastern Fiji.

Photograph credit: Charles J. Sharp

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