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Swedish troops advancing upon the town of Kamina

Operation Grandslam was an offensive undertaken by United Nations peacekeeping forces from 28 December 1962 to 15 January 1963 against the gendarmerie of the State of Katanga, which was rebelling against the Republic of the Congo in central Africa. Katanga's leader, Moïse Tshombe, repeatedly violated agreements he had made with the UN and the Congolese government. The UN Operation in the Congo became increasingly impatient towards Tshombe and drew up plans to resolve the situation through force. In December 1962 Katangese gendarmes attacked UN peacekeepers, and U Thant, Secretary-General of the UN, authorised an offensive. UN forces secured the Katangese capital, Élisabethville, and destroyed much of the Katangese Air Force in December 1962. In early January Indian peacekeepers exceeded their orders and crossed the Lufira River ahead of schedule, generating panic behind the Katangese lines. The Katangese forces were decisively defeated and Katanga was forcibly reintegrated into the Congo. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

French war graves near Chemin des Dames

... that the French law of 29 December 1915 established the right for French soldiers to be buried in individual graves (examples pictured)?
... that the Chicago Police Department regularly cited vehicles of the Philippine consulate general in Chicago for parking in a no-parking zone, causing a diplomatic incident?
... that Ben Bell was elected at the age of 23 as New Zealand's youngest-ever mayor during the 2022 local elections?
... that Ganggang, an Indianapolis-based cultural development firm for Black artists, created a fine art fair called "Butter" that also included a dance party called "Melt"?
... that Tang Zonghai was one of the first advocates for the integration of Chinese and Western medicine?
... that management of the Richmond Shipyards "went out of its way to propagandize against" the Shipyard Railway that was built to serve it?
... that Yusuf al-Hani was executed by the Ottoman Empire after a letter he wrote to François Georges-Picot was found in the French consulate in Beirut during the First World War?
... that real calf brains were used during the production of the 1988 comedy horror film Brain Damage?

In the news

Sitiveni Rabuka

A winter storm causes record-breaking low temperatures and leaves more than 80 people dead across North America.
Pushpa Kamal Dahal (pictured) becomes Prime Minister of Nepal after the general election.
Sitiveni Rabuka (pictured) becomes Prime Minister of Fiji after a coalition government is formed following the general election.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban institute a ban on women attending university and working in non-government organisations.

On this day

December 29

Capture of HMS Java by USS Constitution

1778 – American Revolutionary War: Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell led a contingent of British soldiers to capture the city of Savannah, Georgia.
1812 – War of 1812: In a three-hour single-ship action, HMS Java (drawing shown) was captured by USS Constitution off the coast of Brazil.
1876 – A railway bridge collapsed over the Ashtabula River in Ohio, killing 92 people and injuring 64 others on a Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway train.
1928 – The Northern Expedition, a military campaign by the National Revolutionary Army of the Kuomintang, ended with the complete control of the Republic of China.

William Ewart Gladstone (b. 1809)
Jürgen Ehlers (b. 1929)
Jude Law (b. 1972)

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Today's featured picture

The emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia, where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus Dromaius. The emu's range covers most of mainland Australia, but the Tasmanian, Kangaroo Island and King Island subspecies became extinct after the European settlement of Australia in 1788. Emus are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs, and can reach up to 1.9 metres (6.2 ft) in height. Emus can travel great distances, and when necessary can sprint at 48 kilometres per hour (30 mph); they forage for a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without eating. They drink infrequently, but take in copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises. This emu was photographed in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve in the Australian Capital Territory.

Photograph credit: John Harrison

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