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Almanac for Dec. 30, 2025

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 30, the 364th day of 2025. There is one day left in the year. Today in history: In 2006, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was executed by hanging after being convicted of crimes against humanity by the Iraqi High Tribunal. Hussein was captured in 2003 by U.S. forces while hiding near his hometown of Tikrit. Also on this date: In 1860, 10 days after South Carolina seceded from the Union, the state militia seized the United States Army arsenal in Charleston. In 1896, José Rizal, whose writings inspired the Philippine Revolution, was executed by ...

Taking Christmas seriously

We all know that God works in mysterious ways. Recently, I was deeply moved at a theatrical production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol." This is the famous and popular tale of the transformation and redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge from a rasping, grasping old miser into a lovable, ...

NY to feature patriotic ball for NYE, kicking off US 250th birthday year

After the crystal ball drops on New Year's Eve in New York City, it will rise again, sparkling in red, white and blue to usher in 2026 and kick off months of celebrations for the nation's upcoming 250th birthday. The patriotic touches at this year's Times Square gathering, including a second ...

Trump plays Mr. New York Christmas only in movies

Fifth Avenue swarms with tourists grinning at the fabulous scene as retailers cash in on the cheer. Christmas in New York is a Rockettes kick line of store windows awash in fantasy and light spectaculars. But something is missing from the big show this year. That would be Donald Trump. In ...

Zelenskyy, Trump to meet in Florida

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Florida over the weekend. Zelenskyy told journalists that the two leaders will discuss security guarantees for Ukraine during Sunday's talks, and that the 20-point plan ...

Almanac for Dec. 27, 2025

Today is Saturday, Dec. 27, the 361st day of 2025. There are four days left in the year. Today in history: In 2007, former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in a shooting and bomb attack that killed at least 20 people in the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Also on this date: In 1831, naturalist Charles Darwin set out on a round-the-world voyage from Plymouth, England, aboard the HMS Beagle. In 1904, James Barrie's play "Peter Pan: The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up" opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in London. In 1932, New York City's Radio City Music Hall ...