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From today's featured article

Two males during breeding season

The alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) is a species of newt native to continental Europe and introduced to Great Britain and New Zealand. Adults measure 7–12 cm (2.8–4.7 in) and are usually dark grey to blue on the back and sides, with an orange belly and throat. The alpine newt occurs at high altitude as well as in the forested lowlands, and migrates to water for breeding. Males are conspicuously coloured during breeding season, and court females with a ritualised display. The aquatic larvae grow up to 5 cm (2.0 in) in around three months, and most metamorphose into terrestrial juvenile efts, which mature into adults at around three years. Larvae and adults feed mainly on diverse invertebrates and themselves fall prey to dragonfly larvae, large beetles, fish, snakes, birds or mammals. Although still relatively common, alpine newt populations are decreasing. The main threats are habitat destruction, pollution and the introduction of fish such as trout into breeding sites. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Donat Henchy O'Brien

... that during the Napoleonic Wars, Donat Henchy O'Brien (pictured) escaped French captivity at Bitche and rejoined the Royal Navy at Trieste?
... that the developers of the video game Serious Sam: Next Encounter kept up morale by sharing their highscores via internal message boards?
... that David Bonnar, the incoming bishop of Youngstown, served as chaplain of the Pittsburgh Steelers and editor of The Priest?
... that inter-service cooperation was one of the most important lessons of the Bangladesh war for India?
... that for a halfpenny fare, children could ride on a small chariot drawn by four muzzled mastiffs to the Farthing Pie House?
... that Swiss bass Peter Lagger performed in the world premieres of Louise Talma's Die Alkestiade at the Oper Frankfurt and of Penderecki's "Magnificat" at the Salzburg Festival?
... that when news reporters were accused of trying to force the outcome of the 1967 North Sumatra gubernatorial election, one of them said he was prepared to be shot if found guilty?
... that Britain's 1977 Coal Queen won her weight in Babycham?

In the news

COVID-19 pandemic: Disease; Virus; By location; Impact; Portal

Ryoya Kurihara

In baseball, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks defeat the Yomiuri Giants to win their fourth-straight Japan Series (MVP Ryoya Kurihara pictured).
Ingrida Šimonytė takes office as Prime Minister of Lithuania.
Argentine footballer Diego Maradona dies at the age of 60.
Douglas Stuart's debut novel Shuggie Bain wins the Booker Prize.

On this day

December 2

The Coronation of Napoleon by Jacques-Louis David

1804 – Napoleon was crowned Emperor of the French (depicted) at Notre-Dame de Paris.
1899 – Philippine–American War: A 60-man Filipino rearguard was defeated at the Battle of Tirad Pass, but delayed the American advance long enough to ensure President Emilio Aguinaldo's escape.
1942 – Manhattan Project scientists led by Enrico Fermi initiated the first self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction in the experimental nuclear reactor Chicago Pile-1.
1950 – Korean War: UN forces began a retreat from North Korea following defeat at the Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River.
1988 – Benazir Bhutto took office as the prime minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to head the government of a Muslim-majority state.

António Luís de Seabra, 1st Viscount of Seabra (b. 1798)
Erima Northcroft (b. 1884)
Aaron Copland (d. 1990)

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Today's featured picture

La favorite (The Favourite) is a grand opera in four acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a French-language libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz, based on the play Le comte de Comminges by Baculard d'Arnaud. The plot revolves around a love triangle involving Alphonse (Alfonso XI), King of Castile; his mistress Léonor (Leonora), the titular favourite; and her lover Fernand (Fernando). The story unfolds against the background of Moorish Spain and power struggles between church and state. The opera premiered in Paris in 1840, with further performances being staged in England, Italy, the United States and elsewhere. This lithograph, forming the frontispiece to the first-edition vocal score of La favorite, depicts Rosine Stoltz as Léonor and Gilbert Duprez as Fernand.

Lithograph credit: Émile Desmaisons, after François-Gabriel Lépaulle; restored by Adam Cuerden

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