Five arrested in connection with Nice attack News
Five arrested in connection with Nice attack

According to a judicial source, four men believed to be linked to Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian who killed 84 people as he drove a truck into a Bastille Day crowd in Nice, have been arrested [BBC report]. One of the men was arrested on Thursday, while the three others were arrested overnight on Friday. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel’s estranged wife has also been detained by police. These new arrests have come as the development of a meeting between President François Hollande [official website, in French] and his top security advisors in Paris. Cautioning against a temptation to create deep divisions in the country, Hollande termed the attack a terrorist act and extended the state of emergency by three months [JURIST report]. France began three days of national mourning for Nice victims on Saturday.

At least 84 citizens were killed [BBC report] during Bastille Day celebrations in Nice Thursday as Lahouaiej-Bouhlel drove a truck through a crowd. He was subsequently killed by Nice police. Thus far, Islamic State has claimed responsibility [ABC News report] for the attack, which followed a call by Islamic State (IS) spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani for IS followers to kill non-believers in the West through any means possible. The Bastille Day attack is the second most deadly in a string of terrorist acts in France, including the November 13 Charlie Hebdo attacks [BBC news archive], which claimed 130 lives, and the murder [BBC report] of two French police officials by a man claiming allegiance to IS.

THIS DAY @ LAW

38 Santee Sioux hanged by US for rebellion

On December 26, 1862, 38 Santee Sioux men were hanged in a mass execution for their roles in a rebellion against US authorities in Minnesota which left hundreds dead and made refugees of some 40,000 white settlers. Government annuities promised under a treaty with the Sioux had failed to arrive on schedule and credit for purchases was not advanced in the meantime, threatening the tribe with starvation. The Santee Sioux Tribe's members were deported first to South Dakota and ultimately to Nebraska, where they remain today. Learn more about the 1862 Minnesota Sioux Rebellion.

Louis XVI put on trial during French Revolution

On December 26, 1792, Romain de Sèze, a defense attorney for deposed King Louis XVI, presented a defense of his client. The former King was on trial before a French Revolutionary court on thirty-three charges, including treason and other crimes against the state. He was convicted on January 15, 1793 executed by guillotine on the following January 21.