New Japan PM: Saving economic crisis top mission

Abe, whose nationalist positions have in the past angered Japan's neighbors, was also prime minister in 2006-2007 before resigning for health reasons that he says are no longer an issue.

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On top of that, he will have to win over a public that gave his party a lukewarm mandate in elections on Dec. 16, along with keeping at bay a still-powerful opposition in parliament. Though his party and its Buddhist-backed coalition partner is the biggest bloc in the more influential lower house, Abe actually came up short in the first round of voting in the upper house, then won in a runoff.

Abe has picked the U.S. as the first destination of his official overseas trip, expressing hopes to hold talks with President Barack Obama as early as January.

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Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

"We must recover a Japan where hardworking people can feel that there is a better tomorrow," he said.

___

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

Besides generous promises to boost public works spending — by as much as 10 trillion yen ($119 billion), according to party officials — Abe is pressuring the central bank to work more closely with the government to reach the inflation target.

Finance Minister Taro Aso, another former prime minister who is one of Aso's most-trusted senior lawmaker, said fighting deflation would be a challenge: "We've never dealt with deflation since the end of the war. In fact, nobody in the world has."

Abe promised to launch bold economic measures, and mobile financial steps and strategies to encourage investment.

In foreign policy, Abe has stressed his desire to make Japan a bigger player on the world stage, a stance that has resonated with many voters who are concerned that their nation is taking a back seat economically and diplomatically to China.

Abe is expected to push for a 2 percent inflation target designed to fight deflation. Continually dropping prices deaden economic activity, a situation the Japanese economy has been stuck in for two decades.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Enlarge Photo

"Japan must strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy," Abe said. That will be key to re-stabilizing Japan's regional diplomatic relations, he added.

The new foreign minister is Fumio Kishida, an expert on the southern island of Okinawa, where many residents upset over crime and overcrowding want a big reduction in the number of U.S. troops they host — now at about 20,000. The new defense minister is Itsunori Onodera, who was in Abe's previous administration.

Enlarge Photo

Japan's newly-named Prime Minsiter…

Capitalizing on voter discontent with the Democratic Party of Japan, Abe has vowed to shore up the economy, deal with a swelling national debt and come up with a fresh recovery plan following last year's tsunami disaster, which set off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

The LDP governed Japan for decades after it was founded in 1955. Before it was ousted in 2009, the LDP was hobbled by scandals and problems getting key legislation through a divided parliament.

Enlarge Photo

Abe was elected as Japan's leader hours earlier Wednesday, bringing back to power the conservative, pro-business Liberal Democratic Party that governed for most of the post-World War II era. It replaces the liberal-leaning government of the Democratic Party of Japan that lasted three years.

The outspoken and often hawkish leader has promised to restore growth to an economy that has been struggling for 20 years. His administration also faces souring relations with China and a complex debate over whether resource-poor Japan should wean itself off nuclear energy after last year's earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at an atomic power plant.

"A strong economy is the source of energy for Japan. Without regaining a strong economy, there is no future for Japan," Abe told his first news conference after becoming prime minister for the second time.

Enlarge Photo New Japan PM: Saving economic crisis top mission
Related Content prevnext

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Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

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"Japan's national security faces a clear and present danger," Abe said, referring to intensifying territorial disputes around the Japanese seas, and renewed his campaign promise to protect the safety of the people of Japan and its territory.

He has said he will support a reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist postwar constitution to loosen the reins on the military, stand up to Beijing over an ongoing territorial dispute and strengthen Tokyo's security alliance with Washington. Beijing has already warned him to tread carefully, and will be watching closely to see if he tones down his positions now that he is in office.

TOKYO (AP) — Shinzo Abe took office as Japan's seventh prime minister in six years Wednesday and vowed to overcome the deep-rooted economic and diplomatic crises facing his country.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

Calling his administration a "crisis breakthrough Cabinet," Abe promised to launch bold economic measures to pull Japan out of deflation. He also vowed to step up an alliance with the United States to stabilize Japan's diplomacy shaken by increasing territorial threats from its neighbors.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Police officer among 2 fatally shot in Houston

"They are immediately fired upon, and those two officers then returned fire," he said.

That's when the suspect opened fire, she said. The officer fell down, and the suspect continued firing shots in other directions, Pacheco said.

"We're devastated by his loss. We're devastated by what this has done to his family," Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway told reporters at a news conference.

Stephanie Pacheco, who works at the auto parts store, said she saw the officer get out of his patrol car in the parking lot next door and approach the driver. The officer opened the suspect's car door and tried to pull him out, she told the Houston Chronicle.

Steven Hester, 18, places flowers…

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The suspect, identified by Cannon as Harlem Harold Lewis, 21, and the white truck eventually pulled into a nearby Maaco body shop, where Bellaire police Cpl. Jimmie Norman approached the vehicle. Cannon said an argument apparently erupted, and the suspect pulled out a .380 caliber handgun and shot Norman.

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He said Lewis was expected to be charged later Monday with capital murder of a police officer and murder for the death of the bystander.

Police officer among 2 fatally shot in Houston
Related Content prevnext

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Norman, 53, worked for the Bellaire Police Department for 23 years and was the first of its officers to be shot in the line of duty, Bellaire police spokesman Robert Beran said.

Houston and Bellaire police and the Harris County District Attorney's office are investigating.

"This suspect murdered a police officer and murdered an innocent bystander," Cannon said.

He said a man then walked out of the body shop, and the suspect shot him.

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Other officers arrived at the scene and found Norman lying on the ground and the suspect next to him, holding a gun, Cannon said.

Police investigate the scene where…

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Sarai Rojas, center, walks with…

The suspect was shot but fled on foot, Cannon said. He hid under a parked truck, but officers followed a trail of blood and arrested him.

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The suspect was in critical but stable condition at a Houston hospital. Cannon said he is expected to survive.

"The saddest thing is that the officer, who is deceased, didn't have the opportunity to pull his weapon and defend himself," Cannon said. "It happened that fast."

The identity of the bystander has not yet been released.

The confrontation followed a chase that began shortly before 9 a.m. Monday when the suspect sped off in his car rather than pull over as an officer had requested, Houston police spokesman John Cannon said. As the suspect fled, he sideswiped a white truck, which also took off after him, he said.

Police investigate the scene where…

The parking lot of the body shop remained cordoned off with yellow police tape hours after the shootings. Officers milled around, collecting evidence and discussing the incident. The owners of a nearby auto parts store closed up early for Christmas, although other stores in the strip mall remained open as people rushed in for last-minute holiday errands.

"This is senseless, ridiculous and needs to stop," Pacheco said. "I'm tired of seeing people die. It's a sad thing."

The bystander was shot at close range and died at the scene, Cannon said. It wasn't clear why the man stepped outside the body shop or whether he was an employee or a customer, he added. Norman was rushed to a hospital and died there.

Police investigate the scene where…

HOUSTON (AP) — A traffic stop turned into a fatal shooting on Christmas Eve when a gunman killed a police officer and bystander in the parking lot of a Houston body shop, police said.

This undated photo provided by…

Egypt's prosecutor orders probe against opposition

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Emad Abu Ghazi, the secretary general of the opposition party ElBaradei heads, said he had no details about the investigation but that the accusations and probe were "an indication of a tendency toward a police state and the attempt to eliminate political opponents."

Abu Ghazi said the former regime of Mubarak dealt in the same way with the opposition. There was no immediate comment from ElBaradei or Sabahi.

Morsi and Brotherhood officials accused the opposition of working to undermine the president's legitimacy, and accused former regime officials of working to topple him.

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FILE - In this Saturday, Feb. 27,…

The opposition called on Morsi to rescind his decrees and accused him of amassing too much power in his hands. It also asked for the draft constitution to be withdrawn.

The rally turned violent when supporters of Morsi, who perceived the protest as a threat to his legitimacy, attacked their opponents.

FILE - In this Tuesday, Nov. 13,…

FILE - In this Monday, Dec. 24,…

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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's chief prosecutor ordered Thursday an investigation into the leaders of the country's opposition after a lawyer accused them of incitement to overthrow the regime of newly elected Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, a prosecution official said.

The accusation, filed last month, alleged that Mohammed ElBaradei, a Nobel Prize laureate and former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, along with Amr Moussa, a former foreign minister, and Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential candidate, campaigned to seek Morsi's overthrow.

Clashes erupted that turned deadly and were followed by attacks on offices of the Muslim Brotherhood, the main backers of the constitution and from which Morsi hails, and the office of a liberal opposition party, al-Wafd. At least 10 people died in the violence, and the Brotherhood claimed they were mostly its supporters.

FILE - In this Friday, Nov. 30,…

The opposition organized a number of massive rallies in protest, including one outside Morsi's palace in which protesters chanted "Leave." It was a common refrain during the protests against former President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a popular uprising last year.

This combination of three file…

FILE - In this Thursday, Nov. 22,…

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The probe does not necessarily mean charges will be leveled but it is unusual for state prosecutors to investigate such broad charges against high profile figures. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government policies.

The order, issued by an appointee of Morsi, is likely to aggravate political tensions that have erupted into street violence, most recently surrounding the newly passed but divisive constitution.

Egypt's prosecutor orders probe against opposition
Related Content prevnext

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Yara Khallaf, a spokeswoman for Moussa, said there were no official charges or summoning for investigation, declining to comment on the accusation.

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The accusation came during a political crisis over a series of presidential decrees that granted Morsi, Egypt's first elected president, and the committee drafting the disputed constitution immunity from judicial oversight.

Workers Willing to Make Less to Work for Sustainable Companies

5 People You Should Never Hire 10 Secrets Every Boss Should Keep Shoppers Willing to Pay to More to Socially Responsible Companies Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

A company's sustainability efforts are becoming so desirable for employees that some are now willing to give up part of their salary to work for one, new research shows.

More than one-third? have excluded specific industries for employment because the companies ?didn't match their personal sustainability beliefs, while more than 20 percent have rejected specific companies, the study found.

"We’re seeing the era of piecemeal philanthropic activities give way to an age where sustainability is becoming a part of the way that a firm does business," Davis-Peccoud said. "Employees will demand to be at the forefront of driving their employers to change."

This was especially true among younger employees. More than half of those under age 40 felt that a company’s approach to sustainable business practices has influenced their decision about accepting a job, compared to just 29 percent of those over 40.

The study was based on surveys of 746 employees from 20 different industries in three developed countries, the U.S., U.K. and Germany, and in three emerging market countries, China, India and Brazil.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

Overall, 70 percent of employees worldwide have a greater concern for sustainable practices than they did three years ago.? The study attributes that rise to a greater awareness of global issues and a perceived higher urgency for companies to play a role in addressing them.

The study shows that once within a company, younger employees expect to play a role in shaping their employers' sustainability agendas. Half of those under age 40 felt they personally influenced their employers’ sustainability efforts, versus just 27 percent of those over 40.

"We’re seeing direct evidence that individual attitudes on global sustainability are affecting employers’ ability to recruit and retain engaged talent," said Jenny Davis-Peccoud, head of Bain’s Social Impact Practice and lead author of the study.

The research found that employees are placing greater importance on behaviors related to eliminating negative effects of business practices, including ensuring employee safety, reducing pollution and eliminating child labor, than they did philanthropic activities.

Workers Willing to Make Less to Work for Sustainable Companies
Related Content

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More than 15 percent of employees in the U.S., U.K. and Germany have taken a pay cut to work for a sustainable company, astudy by consulting firm Bain & Co. ?found. In addition, more than 30 percent of employees said they were willing to accept a pay cut of at least 5 percent to join a company that's considered a global sustainability leader.

Workers Willing to Make Less to…

Houston-area police officer, bystander fatally shot after accident, chase i

The suspect was shot but fled on foot, Cannon said. He hid under a parked truck, but officers followed a trail of blood and arrested him.

The parking lot of the body shop remained cordoned off with yellow police tape hours after the shootings. Officers milled around, collecting evidence and discussing the incident. The owners of a nearby auto parts store closed up early for Christmas, although other stores in the strip mall remained open as people rushed in for last-minute holiday errands.

"The saddest thing is that the officer, who is deceased, didn't have the opportunity to pull his weapon and defend himself," Cannon said. "It happened that fast."

The suspect was in critical but stable condition at a Houston hospital. Cannon said he is expected to survive.

"They are immediately fired upon, and those two officers then returned fire," he said.

He said Lewis was expected to be charged later Monday with capital murder of a police officer and murder for the death of the bystander.

Houston-area police officer, bystander fatally shot after accident, chase i

Norman, 53, worked for the Bellaire Police Department for 23 years and was the first of its officers to be shot in the line of duty, Bellaire police spokesman Robert Beran said.

Houston and Bellaire police and the Harris County District Attorney's office are investigating.

Other officers arrived at the scene and found Norman lying on the ground and the suspect next to him, holding a gun, Cannon said.

He said a man then walked out of the body shop, and the suspect shot him.

The confrontation followed a chase that began shortly before 9 a.m. Monday when the suspect sped off in his car rather than pull over as an officer had requested, Houston police spokesman John Cannon said. As the suspect fled, he sideswiped a white truck, which also took off after him, he said.

That's when the suspect opened fire, she said. The officer fell down, and the suspect continued firing shots in other directions, Pacheco said.

The suspect, identified by Cannon as Harlem Harold Lewis, 21, and the white truck eventually pulled into a nearby Maaco body shop, where Bellaire police Cpl. Jimmie Norman approached the vehicle. Cannon said an argument apparently erupted, and the suspect pulled out a .380 calibre handgun and shot Norman.

HOUSTON - A traffic stop turned into a fatal shooting on Christmas Eve when a gunman killed a police officer and bystander in the parking lot of a Houston body shop, police said.

"This is senseless, ridiculous and needs to stop," Pacheco said. "I'm tired of seeing people die. It's a sad thing."

"We're devastated by his loss. We're devastated by what this has done to his family," Bellaire Police Chief Byron Holloway told reporters at a news conference.

The bystander was shot at close range and died at the scene, Cannon said. It wasn't clear why the man stepped outside the body shop or whether he was an employee or a customer, he added. Norman was rushed to a hospital and died there.

The identity of the bystander has not yet been released.

Stephanie Pacheco, who works at the auto parts store, said she saw the officer get out of his patrol car in the parking lot next door and approach the driver. The officer opened the suspect's car door and tried to pull him out, she told the Houston Chronicle.

"This suspect murdered a police officer and murdered an innocent bystander," Cannon said.

New Japan PM- Saving economic crisis top mission_2

"Japan must strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance, the cornerstone of Japan's diplomacy," Abe said. That will be key to re-stabilizing Japan's regional diplomatic relations, he added.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

He has said he will support a reinterpretation of Japan's pacifist postwar constitution to loosen the reins on the military, stand up to Beijing over an ongoing territorial dispute and strengthen Tokyo's security alliance with Washington. Beijing has already warned him to tread carefully, and will be watching closely to see if he tones down his positions now that he is in office.

Enlarge Photo

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Enlarge Photo

Finance Minister Taro Aso, another former prime minister who is one of Aso's most-trusted senior lawmaker, said fighting deflation would be a challenge: "We've never dealt with deflation since the end of the war. In fact, nobody in the world has."

Capitalizing on voter discontent with the Democratic Party of Japan, Abe has vowed to shore up the economy, deal with a swelling national debt and come up with a fresh recovery plan following last year's tsunami disaster, which set off the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Abe was elected as Japan's leader hours earlier Wednesday, bringing back to power the conservative, pro-business Liberal Democratic Party that governed for most of the post-World War II era. It replaces the liberal-leaning government of the Democratic Party of Japan that lasted three years.

The LDP governed Japan for decades after it was founded in 1955. Before it was ousted in 2009, the LDP was hobbled by scandals and problems getting key legislation through a divided parliament.

Enlarge Photo

Japan's newly-named Prime Minsiter…

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

Abe, whose nationalist positions have in the past angered Japan's neighbors, was also prime minister in 2006-2007 before resigning for health reasons that he says are no longer an issue.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Enlarge Photo

"A strong economy is the source of energy for Japan. Without regaining a strong economy, there is no future for Japan," Abe told his first news conference after becoming prime minister for the second time.

Besides generous promises to boost public works spending — by as much as 10 trillion yen ($119 billion), according to party officials — Abe is pressuring the central bank to work more closely with the government to reach the inflation target.

In foreign policy, Abe has stressed his desire to make Japan a bigger player on the world stage, a stance that has resonated with many voters who are concerned that their nation is taking a back seat economically and diplomatically to China.

Japan's new Prime Minister Shinzo…

Abe promised to launch bold economic measures, and mobile financial steps and strategies to encourage investment.

AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

___

Calling his administration a "crisis breakthrough Cabinet," Abe promised to launch bold economic measures to pull Japan out of deflation. He also vowed to step up an alliance with the United States to stabilize Japan's diplomacy shaken by increasing territorial threats from its neighbors.

On top of that, he will have to win over a public that gave his party a lukewarm mandate in elections on Dec. 16, along with keeping at bay a still-powerful opposition in parliament. Though his party and its Buddhist-backed coalition partner is the biggest bloc in the more influential lower house, Abe actually came up short in the first round of voting in the upper house, then won in a runoff.

Enlarge Photo

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

The new foreign minister is Fumio Kishida, an expert on the southern island of Okinawa, where many residents upset over crime and overcrowding want a big reduction in the number of U.S. troops they host — now at about 20,000. The new defense minister is Itsunori Onodera, who was in Abe's previous administration.

TOKYO (AP) — Shinzo Abe took office as Japan's seventh prime minister in six years Wednesday and vowed to overcome the deep-rooted economic and diplomatic crises facing his country.

New Japan PM: Saving economic crisis top mission Related Content prevnext

Enlarge Photo

Enlarge Photo

"Japan's national security faces a clear and present danger," Abe said, referring to intensifying territorial disputes around the Japanese seas, and renewed his campaign promise to protect the safety of the people of Japan and its territory.

Abe has picked the U.S. as the first destination of his official overseas trip, expressing hopes to hold talks with President Barack Obama as early as January.

Abe is expected to push for a 2 percent inflation target designed to fight deflation. Continually dropping prices deaden economic activity, a situation the Japanese economy has been stuck in for two decades.

Japan's Liberal Democratic Party…

Enlarge Photo

"We must recover a Japan where hardworking people can feel that there is a better tomorrow," he said.

Enlarge Photo

The outspoken and often hawkish leader has promised to restore growth to an economy that has been struggling for 20 years. His administration also faces souring relations with China and a complex debate over whether resource-poor Japan should wean itself off nuclear energy after last year's earthquake and tsunami caused a meltdown at an atomic power plant.

NORAD says record number of calls to track Santa_4

Propulsion: 9 RP (reindeer power).

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So volunteer Sara Berghoff was caught off-guard Monday when a child called to see if Santa could be especially kind this year to the families affected by the Connecticut school shooting.

Fuel: Hay, oats and carrots (for reindeer).

"Are there police elves?" said another.

HE KNOWS WHEN YOU'RE AWAKE: At NORAD's suggestion, volunteers often tell callers that Santa won't drop off the presents until all the kids in the home are asleep.

The boy turned from the phone and yelled to others in the room, "I told you guys he was real!"

"I told him Santa would know where he was and not to worry," Barr said.

Volunteers take phone calls from…

Sara, just 13 herself, was surprised but gathered her thoughts quickly. "If I can get ahold of him, I'll try to get the message to him," she told the child.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard…

Air Force Maj. Jamie Humphries, who took the call, said, "I'm 37 years old, and I believe in Santa, and if you believe in him as well, then he must be real."

___

But kids still manage to ask the unexpected, including, "Does Santa leave presents for dogs?"

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PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AP) — Most of the thousands of children who call the annual Santa-tracking operation at a Colorado Air Force Base on Christmas Eve ask the usual questions: "Where's Santa, and when will he get here?"

____

She also received an invitation to visit an 11-year-old boy in Fort Worth, Texas, and a request to put her husband on the phone. "He's not here right now. But you know what, I will tell him you asked about him. OK?" she replied.

"How does Santa make iPads?"

THE REAL DEAL: A young boy called to ask if Santa was real.

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___

___

"That's a closely guarded secret, and only Santa knows," Barr replied.

A sampling of anecdotes from the program this year:

___

NORAD Deputy Commander Lt. General…

Another child asked if he was on the nice list or the naughty list.

Volunteers who speak other languages get green Santa hats and a placard listing their languages so organizers can find them quickly.

Volunteers take phone calls from…

"I'm from Newtown, Connecticut, where the shooting was," she remembers the child asking. "Is it possible that Santa can bring extra presents so I can deliver them to the families that lost kids?"

BEST OF: Choice questions and comments wound up posted on a flip chart.

Sara was one of hundreds of volunteers at NORAD Tracks Santa who answered thousands of calls, program spokeswoman Marisa Novobilski said. Spokeswoman 1st Lt. Stacey Fenton said that as of midnight Tuesday, trackers answered more than 111,000 calls, breaking last year's record of 107,000.

NORAD and its predecessor have been fielding Christmas Eve phone calls from children — and a few adults — since 1955. That's when a newspaper ad listed the wrong phone number for kids to call Santa. Callers ended up getting the Continental Air Defense Command, which later became NORAD. CONAD commanders played along, and the ritual has been repeated every year since.

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP

"He kept saying 'in heaven,'" Eckels said. She told him, "I think Santa headed there first thing."

"When you see Santa, tell him hello for me, I never see him."

Online:

NORAD wanted to set up a call center in Afghanistan but that proved too complex, she said.

First lady Michelle Obama, who is spending the holidays with her family in Hawaii, also joined in answering calls as she has in recent years. She spent about 30 minutes talking with children from across the country, telling some who asked that her favorite toys growing up were Barbie dolls and an Easy Bake oven.

"Big sister wanted to add her 3-year-old brother to the naughty list," one read.

After 57 years, NORAD can predict what most kids will ask. Its 11-page playbook for volunteers includes a list of nearly 20 questions and answers, including how old is Santa (at least 16 centuries) and has Santa ever crashed into anything (no).

TOYS IN HEAVEN: A boy who called from Missouri asked when Santa would drop off toys in heaven.

"Need a Spanish speaker!" one organizer called as he rushed out of one of three phone rooms.

"What's the best way to booby-trap the living room to trap Santa?"

DON'T WORRY, HE'LL FIND YOU: Glenn Barr took a call from a 10-year-old who wasn't sure if he would be sleeping at his mom's house or his dad's and was worried about whether Santa would find him.

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Richard…

Emissions: Classified.

FOR GEARHEADS: For people who want to know the specs of Santa's sleigh, NORAD offers a trove of tidbits, including:

___

"I'm going to be asleep by 4 o'clock," said a child from Virginia.

Track Santa online at http://www.noradsanta.org

"Thank you so much for that information," said a grateful mom from Michigan.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command, a joint U.S.-Canada command responsible for protecting the skies over both nations, tracks Santa from its home at Peterson Air Force Base.

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"They had a great time," said Novobilski, the program spokeswoman.

Volunteer Katherine Beaupre takes…

HEY, MR. ELF: "Mr. Elf," said one caller, "This is Adam, and I've been really good this year."

___

___

CHRISTMAS EVE IN AFGHANISTAN: Five U.S. service personnel answered calls from Afghanistan for about 90 minutes through a conferencing hookup.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR: NORAD got calls from 220 countries and territories last year, and non-English-speakers called this year as well.

___

___

"Ohhhhhhh," said an 8-year-old from Illinois, as if trying to digest a brand-new fact.

Lizzie Solano, center, and her…

Weight at takeoff: 75,000 GD (gumdrops).

His mother got on the line and explained to Jennifer Eckels, who took the call, that the boy's younger sister died this year.

NORAD says record number of calls to track Santa Related Content prevnext

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"How much to adopt one of Santa's reindeer?"

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___

Jack Klugman's son Adam says the veteran actor has died in Los Angeles

Jack Klugman's son Adam says the veteran actor has died in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES — Jack Klugman, the prolific, craggy-faced character actor and regular guy who was loved by millions as the messy one in TV's The Odd Couple and the crime-fighting coroner in Quincy, M.E., died on Christmas Eve, his son said. He was 90.

Klugman, who lost his voice to throat cancer in the 1980s and trained himself to speak again, died with his wife at his side.

"He had a great life and he enjoyed every moment of it and he would encourage others to do the same," son Adam Klugman said.

Jack Klugman apparently died suddenly, and family members were not sure of the exact cause.

As word of Klugman's death spread, comedians tweeted their appreciation. "You made my whole family laugh together," wrote Jon Favreau, while William Shatner eulogized Klugman as "an extraordinary and talented man." Ricky Gervais, tweeting for a generation of fans, cited Klugman's numerous credits, then marveled "... and he looked just like my dad."

Never anyone's idea of a matinee idol, Klugman remained a popular star for decades simply by playing a gruff but down-to-earth guy, his tie stained and a little loose, a cigar in hand during the days when smoking was permitted.

His was an ideal persona for The Odd Couple, which ran from 1970 to 1975 and was based on Neil Simon's play about mismatched roommates, divorced New Yorkers who end up living together. The show teamed Klugman, the sloppy sports writer Oscar Madison, and Tony Randall, the fussy photographer Felix Unger, in the roles played by Walter Matthau and Art Carney on Broadway and Mattthau and Jack Lemmon in the 1968 film. Klugman would go on to win two Emmy Awards for his portrayal.

Klugman had already had a taste of the show when he replaced Matthau on Broadway, and he learned to roll with the quick-thinking Randall.

"There's nobody better to improvise with than Tony," Klugman said. "A script might say, 'Oscar teaches Felix football.' There would be four blank pages. He would provoke me into reacting to what he did. Mine was the easy part."

They were the best of friends in real life. When Randall died in 2004 at age 84, Klugman told CNN: "A world without Tony Randall is a world that I cannot recognize."

In Quincy, M.E., which ran from 1976 to 1983, Klugman played an idealistic, tough-minded medical examiner who tussled with his boss by uncovering evidence of murder in cases where others saw natural causes.

"Everybody said, 'Quincy'll never be a hit.' I said, 'You guys are wrong. He's two heroes in one, a cop and a doctor,' " he said in a 1987 Associated Press interview.

But it was his partnership with Randall that would prove to be his defining role. When Klugman lost a vocal cord to cancer in 1989, it was Randall who insisted Klugman could bounce back.

"My career was over," Klugman told USA TODAY in 1997, when he reunited with Randall on Broadway for Simon's The Sunshine Boys. "I couldn't even swallow: I had to lay on my side. I lived alone, could barely whisper. I cut off everybody."

But when the two old friends teamed up for an Odd Couple benefit performance, "everybody was crying," Klugman recalled, performing a waterfall of tears with his fingers. "The cast, the audience, these people who had paid $1,000 a seat."

Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman was born in 1922 in Philadelphia. His parents were Russian Jewish immigrants. His mother, Rose, was a hat maker and his father, Max, was a house painter.

Klugman graduated in 1948 from the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University). He began his acting career after serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.

His TV career included more than 400 appearances on midcentury live dramas, including Studio One, Philco Playhouse, Kraft Television Theatre and U.S. Steel Hour.

He won an Emmy for his work on the TV courtroom drama The Defenders, which aired on CBS from 1961 to 1965, and appeared on four episodes of The Twilight Zone.

He also worked with Ethel Merman on Broadway in the original stage production of Gypsy, which opened in 1959. It was loosely based on the memoirs of the famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee. Merman starred as Rose, Lee's mother, and Klugman as her suitor Herbie, a role that earned him a Tony nomination.

Highlights of his film career include his role as Juror #5 in 1957's 12 Angry Men. He was the last surviving actor of the 12 who portrayed the jurors, including Lee J. Cobb and Henry Fonda.

He also starred with Lemmon and Lee Remick in Blake Edwards' 1962 film Days of Wine and Roses and 1969's Goodbye, Columbus with Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw.

In 2005, Klugman self-published Tony and Me: A Story of Friendship, a book about his longtime pal Randall, who died in 2004. Klugman gave the eulogy at Randall's memorial service.

In March 2012, Klugman canceled plans to appear in a stage production of 12 Angry Men at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey, citing poor health.

Klugman's wife, actress/comedian Brett Somers, played his ex-wife, Blanche, in the Odd Couple series. The couple, who married in 1953 and had two sons, Adam and David, had been estranged for years at the time of her death in 2007. In February 2008, at age 85, Klugman married longtime girlfriend Peggy Crosby.

US Navy SEAL dead in Afghanistan in reported suicide

US Navy SEAL dead in Afghanistan in reported suicide
WASHINGTON - A senior member of the US Navy's elite SEAL unit has died in Afghanistan, the Defense Department said on Sunday, and media reports said the death was a possible suicide.

Commander Job Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, died on Saturday of a non-combat related injury in central Afghanistan's Uruzgan Province, the Pentagon said in a statement.

"This incident is currently under investigation," it said.

Price was assigned to a Naval Special Warfare unit in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the statement said.

Cricket-Sri Lanka look to Herath's spin to save Australia series

HOBART, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka will be hoping for help from wickets more suitable for spin bowling in the second two tests against Australia after losing the opener by 137 runs on a Hobart track described as a "minefield" by coach Graham Ford.

Spin has always been a key weapon in Sri Lanka's bowling armoury since they achieved test status in 1981, not least when wrist-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was taking his 800 test wickets from 1992 to 2010.

Since Muralitharan's retirement, Rangana Herath has emerged as the team's main spin threat and the 34-year-old left arm orthodox bowler has had a stellar year.

Even in defeat in Hobart, Herath took a five-wicket haul, which gave him 60 wickets for the year and ensured he would win his personal battle with England's Graeme Swann for the title of the most prolific wicket-taker of 2012.

"In Melbourne and Sydney, from what I've heard, it looks like it's some help for the spinners so that's a good start," he said after taking 5-95 in Australia's second innings.

"Taking five wickets from here, that's a good achievement. This is my first game playing in a test match in Australia so I'm really happy with the way I bowled."

Coach Ford also thought conditions in the last two tests would suit the tourists better.

"History suggests that the MCG and Sydney would help us a little bit more," he said on Tuesday.
"Although this is a new surface here, spinners haven't done so well whereas at the other venues, spinners have had match-winning performances.
"We'd like to think we are better equipped at those two grounds."
Ford was forced to concede that his pace bowling unit lacked the fire-power to "blow batsmen away" after the Australians had plundered runs off them before declaring at 450-5 in their first innings.
The South African was encouraged, however, by the improved performance by all his bowlers in the second Australian innings, where the hosts were bowled out for 278.
He was also confident that the big names in his batting line-up - Mahela Jayawardene, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Kumar Sangakkara - were starting to find their feet.
"It's always hard at the beginning of a tour and these days without a lot of time to prepare, you're straight in," he said.
"It can go one way or the other, things can go downhill or they can improve and I think over the five days all our players started to compete and started to improve."
HUSSEY THREAT
One man they will have to shut down if they are to fight their way back into the series is middle order batsman Mike Hussey, who in the first innings scored his third century in his last four matches and a fifth in six tests against Sri Lanka.

The 37-year-old now boasts 908 career runs at an impressive average of 129.71 against the Sri Lankans.

"He is an outstanding player," Ford said. "Over the years I guess he's been able to neutralise our main strength - spin bowling - and we haven't been able to get into him with seam bowling, so that's possibly the reason why he's done well, but he is a good player and has a good record, full stop."

Despite the defeat, which came in the final hour of the fifth day on Tuesday after six wickets fell in the last session, Ford was encouraged by the character the Sri Lankans showed to hold off the Australians for so long.

"During the five days there were areas we need to improve on, but if you just look at today, I'm unbelievably proud of the effort the boys put in," he said.

"That surface really became a minefield, it was very difficult, the Australians got the ball to reverse swing considerably. If I look at every delivery, it took a really special effort to get the batsmen out.

"As a coach, you can't really ask for more from your troops than that. Disappointed but at the same time proud of the effort." (Editing by Ian Ransom)