US military tracks Santa's Christmas Eve journey, Dreaming of a green Christmas

Brian McClendon, engineering director for Google Earth and Google Maps, on tracking Santa. Video courtesy of Google and Norad.




This year children will have a range of hi-tech options when it comes to following the progress of Santa on Christmas Eve.



The North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) has been tracking Santa for over 50 years.



Children can follow his progress via its website or on Twitter, Facebook or via Google Maps or Google Earth.



It is becoming the hi-tech equivalent of reading The Night Before Christmas to excited children on Christmas Eve.



Father Christmas's journey starts at 1100GMT on 24 December and children can track his progress as he passes 24 "Santa cams" around the world.



This year they can also check out Santa's village and see how well the elves are getting on with making presents.



Norad volunteers are on hand on Christmas Eve to answer e-mails about Father Christmas's journey at noradtrackssanta@gmail.com.



Norad is a military organisation that is responsible for the aerospace and maritime defence of the US and Canada.



The tradition of tracking Father Christmas goes back to a misprint in a Colorado newspaper advertisement in 1955.



The hotline to Santa promised by the paper actually connected to what was known then as the Continental Air Defense Command (Conad).



As more phone calls came in, the commander on the other end of the phone started to pretend he was Santa and the tradition continued in 1958 when Conad became Norad.



Last year volunteers received 75,000 phone calls and about 6,000 e-mails from 200 countries.



The system works, according to Norad, because Rudolph the reindeer's famous nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch.

Where does Father Christmas go if he wants to consolidate his skills and further his job training? Santa School, of course.




Surprisingly, Santa School is not in Lapland but at a private members' club in Covent Garden.



The school, which claims to be the only one of its kind in Britain, is run by the Ministry of Fun, an events company that has been providing the Santa training days for the last 15 years.



Once they have completed the course, the Santas are dispatched, possibly on their flying sleighs, to the nation's department stores, schools, hospitals and private parties.



All this is good practise, naturally, to the big event when they sweep down our chimneys to leave presents for well-behaved children.



The Santa School schedule



It is a strange sight seeing over a dozen men dressed as Father Christmas sitting in a classroom ready for a packed-schedule of lectures, role-play and workshops.



Some of the topics they tackle include:



The history of Father Christmas

Costume and make-up

Language and reindeer names

Characterization workshop

Gift guides and most wanted presents

This year, there is also a guest lecture from financial expert, Tim Dodd, who talks about the economics of Christmas and in particular on the effects of the recession.



The headmaster



If Santa School has a headmaster then it is James Lovell, the Ministry of Fun's managing director.



What makes a good Santa, James?





You need to be kind, you need to have a sense of magic about you and you need to have a sparkle



James Lovell

"You need to be kind, you need to have a sense of magic about you and you need to have a sparkle. Your eyes are very important when you're Father Christmas. You're wearing a beard and a big red and white costume. All the child can actually see is your eyes.



"You need to be able to ad-lib as well. Sometimes children are so god-smacked that they don't know what to say. They can freeze up totally and just not say a word for ages. So the skill of improvisation is very important."



James notes that despite, or maybe because of, the economic slump bookings for Santa are actually up this year by 11%.



"We do live in very cynical times but even the most cynical person likes to believe that Father Christmas is coming down their chimney on Christmas Eve because he brings happiness with him and I think we all want a bit of that."



Introducing Father Christmas







Every time is an improvisation with a family who have preconceptions of what is going to happen and I try to buck that trend



David Broughton-Davies

David Broughton-Davies, 51, who, like most of his classmates at Santa School, is a professional actor and performer.



He says he 'fell into playing the role' in 1991, and has been doing it on and off ever since.



"The most welcoming thing about playing Santa is that it is a chance to interact with whole families at any one time and you never know what is going to happen.



"Every time is an improvisation with a family who have preconceptions of what is going to happen and I try to buck that trend. I try to give them something a different."



Learning is for life, not just Christmas



This year David will be appearing at Allders Department Store in Croydon and despite being a veteran Santa, he insists that the training days are still an opportunity to hone his craft.



"This is fantastic in catching up with some of the other guys who I haven't seen in 12 months. There is always a new rub, a new way of performing. It may be just a line they use or a manner of expressing themselves, that if it has a resonance for you, you can use it too.



"We had a section this morning where one of the Santas had a magic key on him. I've never done that before but I am tempted to use it.



"When the kids say, 'We haven't got a chimney, how are you going to get in through the door?'



To have a magic key to show them, it could work."



So, kids, that's the story of how Santa delivers your Christmas presents. From Lapland to your home, via Santa School.

 
 
 
 

Fake Christmas tree 'vandalised'

A team is assessing the damage to the tree

A £14,000 fake Christmas tree which replaced a Dorset town centre's traditional fir tree due to health and safety concerns has been damaged.



The council believes parts of the 30ft (10m) cone in Poole, which is decorated with thousands of lights, were ripped off by vandals overnight on Monday.



But it comes as strong winds have also battered the south coast.



Shoppers have said the controversial tree, funded by local businesses, looks more like a "witch's hat".



Borough of Poole said the damage is currently being looked at by the tree's installation team.



Dorset Police said it believed several people could have climbed the tree and ripped off artificial layers. CCTV footage was being assessed.



But holes in the tree in Falkland Square have been noticed by residents after strong winds battered the seaside town.



Hidden speakers
Fake Christmas tree 'vandalised'

A fir tree costs the Dorset council about £500 each year, plus up to £3,500 for specialists to decorate and maintain.



But the council said that the artificial tree was safer, sturdier and cheaper in the long term, and that a Norwegian fir tree could topple over in strong winds.



The controversial tree, which is funded by business sponsorship, was chosen by the town centre management committee.



Shoppers have criticised the move.



Two tonnes of ballast stops the artificial version from blowing over and speakers hidden inside the tree play traditional Christmas carols.







Two tonnes of ballast stop it from blowing over

The council said that shoppers had complained about the hoardings and guy ropes supporting the real tree in 2008.



Richard Randle-Jones, town centre manager for Poole, said: "Unfortunately, the Christmas tree has suffered some limited damage, possibly as a result of vandalism, and this has been reported to the police.



"We have asked the installers of the tree to assess the extent of this damage and estimate the cost of any repairs required."



A spokesman for Dorset Police said they were informed on Tuesday morning that the tree had been damaged.



He added: "It appears that someone, or several people, have climbed the tree and caused damage to the framework."
A Christmas tree has been branded an insult and a disgrace to a North East town.

Hundreds of fans flocked to Leicester Square in London to watch the premiere of the Michael Jackson film This Is It.

Some of the lucky few who made it into the first screening told BBC News what they made of it.
A number of celebrities have spoken about their affection for Michael Jackson ahead of the premiere of the documentary film, This Is It.

Kian Egan from Westlife, Mel B and Peter Andre spoke to the BBC in London's Leicester Square.

Fans in London give their reaction to the film

Michael Jackson's concert documentary, This Is It, has been warmly received by the late singer's fans after its worldwide premiere.

The movie was pieced together from 100 hours of footage shot at rehearsals for the star's ill-fated comeback shows.

Fan Darryn Wade, in Los Angeles, said: "Judging by that film, it would have been the best show of all time."

But Kasian Daley, 17, at the London premiere, said: "It's an easy way for them to make money off his name."

And Mustapha Duggash, 18, from Nigeria, also at the London screening, said: "I believe it's a nice tribute but the main motivation is the money."


It's like you were able to see Michael again for the last time, so it was a good chance to say goodbye to him

Fan David Montalvo


Review: This Is It
In Pictures: Jackson film premiere
Jackson's brothers attended the screening in Los Angeles and simultaneous premieres were held in 18 other cities.

At that premiere, fan Ed Rahmen said the movie proved the concerts at London's O2 Arena would have been "the best thing he had ever done".

"It was like a film on stage. It was better than any of his early stuff. It was Jackson brought to this time and age."

Neda Allin added: "You can see he was a bit ill, or he didn't look right, but the movie was brilliant."

David Montalvo, who saw the film in New York, said: "I loved seeing him in action again. It's like you were able to see Michael again for the last time, so it was a good chance to say goodbye to him."

Marilyn Morrison, also in New York, said the footage was "excellent".

She added: "Just seeing all the moves, his original moves, just seeing him doing them again. Just wonderful."

'Very positive'

The Los Angeles premiere took place across the road from the Staples Center, the site of Jackson's rehearsals and, later, his public memorial service.



Jermaine Jackson arrived with his brothers
The Jackson brothers were joined at the screening by stars including Will Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Paris Hilton, Katy Perry, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr.

Jermaine Jackson said he thought the film was "very positive, very entertaining" and it had made him feel "really, really proud".

Jackie Jackson, meanwhile, said: "It's amazing to see him up there doing his thing.

"To see him up there doing his performance like that has brought a lot of tears to my eyes, sitting there watching him. Because I love him so much."

And Marlon Jackson said seeing the film had given him "closure".

He added: "It was a moment where I just felt his spirit inside of me. And that made me feel good."


We have this piece of film to remind us forever and ever that once there was such a man. God kissed him

Elizabeth Taylor on Twitter
Speaking on website Twitter, Jackson's close friend Elizabeth Taylor called it "the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever seen".

"I wept from pure joy at his God-given gift. There will never, ever be the likes of him again.

"We have this piece of film to remind us forever and ever that once there was such a man. God kissed him."

Fan protests

In London, stars including Peter Andre, Spice Girl Mel B and boy band JLS attended the screening at Leicester Square.

Rapper Chipmunk said the film was "absolutely amazing".

He added: "It's given me the package of what his tour could have been if he was still alive."


THIS IS IT PREMIERES
Los Angeles
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Denmark
Germany
Hungary
Korea
Netherlands
Norway
Peru
Poland
Slovakia
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Uruguay
United Kingdom
New York City
Some fans protested outside the screenings, saying the film covers up Jackson's declining health.

The dedicated fans, who have set up a campaign called This Is Not It, are accusing concert promoter AEG Live of putting too much pressure on the star during the build up to his 50-date run at London's O2 Arena.

A spokesman for AEG declined to comment.

Jackson, who died on June 25 aged 50, had spent the previous four months rehearsing in Los Angeles.

More than 800,000 tickets had been sold for the concerts, with organisers promising one of the "most expensive and technically advanced" live shows ever.

He was just two weeks away from the opening night at the time of his death, which authorities in Los Angeles ruled a homicide.

This Is It has now been released to cinemas for a limited two-week run. The first public screening in London began at 0400GMT, with fans queuing through the night to see it.

By the weekend, it will be shown in 110 countries, with distributor Sony putting 15,000 prints into circulation.

Jackson's contribution to music
Music journalist Paul Gambaccini looks at the impact Michael Jackson, who has died aged 50, had on the music world.

Michael Jackson had two musical peaks: the first with The Jackson 5. Berry Gordy, the founder of Motown, ordered his producers and writers to come up with three number ones to launch the group and they actually had four number ones with their first four singles.

They were the template for the boy bands that followed - The Osmonds, who already existed as The Osmond Brothers, copied them.
Michael reached his second peak with Quincy Jones with the trilogy of albums of Off the Wall, Thriller and Bad.

Thriller, interestingly enough - since it is the best selling album in the world - is likely to remain so because people now get their music from the internet, so its unlikely that any album will even sell 50m again.

These were great achievements artistically as well as commercially, and Michael was the first of the great American male video stars in the US.

I Want You Back was the record that bowled over the US - for an unknown kid group to go to number one was pretty amazing and people were asking who was this 11-year-old guy who could dance so well and sing so vibrantly.

When it came to putting on a live show he paid attention to every detail and executed his ideas brilliantly. He is still to me the best showman ever

We subsequently learned that their father had been drilling them for years and so they weren't as new as we'd thought, but nonetheless everyone was impressed by Michael and he instantly became a world star.

Billie Jean was very important as it was the song that was the first great American video. There had been great British videos, particularly The Boomtown Rats' I Don't Like Mondays and Bohemian Rhapsody, but Billie Jean made it de rigueur for American artists to make videos as well and that changed everything.

Thriller also spawned that famous video which so many people have bought as well as seen.

When he did the Moonwalk with Billie Jean on the Motown 25 special on TV he won an Emmy award. It was something that looked impossible - he practiced it so much. He learned from Fred Astaire and James Brown and it was something that caught the fancy of people around the world.

I had a conversation with the late John Peel and he agreed that even though Michael Jackson's style of music wasn't his favourite, he was the greatest showman in pop history.

He was not necessarily the greatest record maker and not the best writer because he didn't write many of his hits, but when it came to putting on a live show he paid attention to every detail and executed his ideas brilliantly. He is still to me the best showman ever.

As the years and decades go by, people forget or disregard personal problems. To use the example of an earlier music legend who went his way - Judy Garland - we nowadays just think of the great songs and films and we don't think of her drug problems.

And within a few generations, Michael Jackson will be a great recording artist and that's it. There won't be more than a footnote about the scandals.

Fans and contemporaries have been paying tribute to the king of pop - who has died at the age of 50. But what did Michael Jackson think of his own life and career?

Here - with the help of his music, and archive images from the days of the Jackson Five to the present - he reflects on his own vulnerabilities.

While a fascinating insight into Michael Jackson's tour preparations in the weeks leading up to his death, This Is It never quite manages to be as compelling as many fans will want.

After weeks of hype and expectation, the movie - pieced together by Jackson's creative director Kenny Ortega - gives a broad impression of what the final show would have been like. But it only occasionally makes you forget you're watching a rehearsal.


Fans will see Jackson directing rehearsals and planning dance sequences
The fault doesn't lie with the film makers. This was a work in progress. And not all the elements that would have eventually been included in the concerts are present.

What does come across, though, is Michael Jackson's passion for detail. They were his songs, and he knew exactly how he wanted to perform them.

Particular highlights are Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (which would have opened the King Of Pop's shows at London's O2 arena), Smooth Criminal and Beat It.

A lot of attention is given to the filmed elements Jackson was creating to accompany the songs. Much effort was put into a creepy, 3D graveyard sequence for Thriller, and a young child playing in a forest for Earth Song.

We never get to see how these sequences would have actually been integrated into the show, but there's no doubt they would have dramatically enhanced Jackson's onstage performance.

Health questions

And, despite his age, his dance skills didn't seem to have diminished. What the film can't tell us, however, is whether he truly had the stamina to make it through 50 shows.

Even so, apart from appearing noticeably thin, there were no particular signs of health problems.

Of course, the nature of the movie means it sometimes lacks atmosphere. It's difficult enough to portray the energy and excitement of a live concert on film, doing it only with rehearsals is even tougher. Still, Michael Jackson was a charismatic enough performer that his undoubted talent and enthusiasm do come across.

As a record of the comeback concerts that never were, This Is It is inevitably lacking.

As a glimpse into the workings of one of music's greatest stars, it's unique.

Michael Jackson's concert documentary, This Is It, is warmly received by fans after its worldwide premiere.
AdvertisementMichael Jackson's death was one of the most shocking entertainment stories from 2009.

Sophie van Brugen takes a look back at the moment the world lost one of the most celebrated entertainers - and the musical legacy he left behind him.

Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins split confirmed

Sarandon and Robbins were one of Hollywood's most enduring couples
Hollywood couple Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins have ended their relationship after more than two decades together, Sarandon's publicist has confirmed.

"Actress Susan Sarandon and her partner of 23 years, actor Tim Robbins, have announced that they separated over the summer," she said in a statement.

Sarandon, 63, met Robbins, 51, on the set of their 1988 film Bull Durham.

The couple, who never married, have two sons. Sarandon's representative said no further comments would be made.

Sarandon, whose films include Thelma and Louise and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, won an Oscar in 1996 for her work in Death Row drama Dead Man Walking.

The film was directed by Robbins, who went on to win an Academy Award for his performance in 2003's Mystic River.

In addition to the couple's sons Jack, 20, and Miles, 17, Sarandon has a 24-year-old daughter, Eva Amurri, from a previous relationship.

The actress recently attended the Royal Film Performance in London of her latest movie, The Lovely Bones.

She also travelled to Sweden last month to accept a career achievement prize at the Stockholm Film Festival.

Barack Obama's contentious healthcare plans reach a key stage, with the Senate set to vote on its version of the bill.
US set for Senate vote on healthcare reform

Senators will vote on the bill early on Christmas Eve
US senators are preparing to vote on the final Senate version of a historic healthcare reform bill.

The legislation aims to cover 31 million uninsured Americans and could lead to the biggest change in US healthcare in decades.

President Barack Obama said the process had been "difficult" but that the final bill was "greatly worthy of support".

If approved, it would still have to be reconciled with a more expansive bill passed by the House of Representatives.

Opposition Republicans say the Senate bill is expensive, authoritarian and a threat to civil liberties.


BILLS: KEY DIFFERENCES
Public option: House yes, Senate no
Abortion: House bill has stricter restrictions on federal funding
How to pay for reform: House relies heavily on income tax increase for high-earning Americans; Senate bill taxes high-cost health insurance plans


Healthcare bills compared
Senators are due to vote on the bill at 0700 Washington time (1200 GMT) on Thursday and correspondents say it is almost certain to be passed.

Healthcare reform has been the key domestic policy of Mr Obama's administration but finalising the details of the proposed bills has been a lengthy and complex process.

On Wednesday, the bill passed the last of three procedural votes in the Senate, with Democrats collecting the 60 votes needed to bring an end to Republican delaying tactics.

Mr Obama said he was determined to "close the deal" soon.

"Right now there are families who don't

US healthcare bills: House v Senate
Reform of the US healthcare system is a priority issue for President Barack Obama but lawmakers in Congress have been finding it difficult to agree on a bill to implement reform.

The House of Representatives passed its bill on 7 November, while the Senate has entered its final phase of debate and voting on its version of reform.

The substantial differences between the two bills will have to be squared or "reconciled" into an agreed version before President Obama can sign the legislation into law.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SENATE

Date passed

7 November Not yet approved

Cost

$1,052bn over 10 years $871bn over 10 years


Reduce deficit

By $138bn between 2010-2019 By $132bn between 2010-2019


Public option - gov't scheme to compete with private insurers

Yes No


Insurance exchange - to compare policies and prices

National insurance exchange No national insurance exchange, states can form regional exchanges


Expand insurance - to increase number of Americans insured

36 million gain coverage (leaving 18 million uninsured) 31 million gain coverage (leaving 23 million uninsured)


Individual mandate - Must people have insurance?

Yes (2.5% tax penalty if don't obtain health care) Yes, $95 per person penalty in 2014, rising to 2% of households income in 2016+


Abortion


Health care plans could choose whether to cover abortion. But public plan would not provide abortion coverage Limits on use of public money for abortion services


Firms required to provide coverage?

Yes.
For companies with annual payroll of $500,000+ No explicit requirement but tax credits for offering a scheme


Taxes , spending cuts - how system will be paid for


5.4% surtax on people earning $500,000+ annually; 2.5% tax on medical devices
cut $404 out of projected growth of Medicare and other federal programmes 0.9% increase on Medicare payroll tax for people earning over $200,000
10% on indoor tanning beds; taxes on medical devices
cut $483bn out of Medicare and other federal programmes



Medicaid & Medicare

Covers everyone with incomes less than 150% of the poverty level (ie $33,075 for a family of four) Covers everyone with incomes less than 133% of poverty level (ie $29,327 for a family of four)


Guaranteeing access to health insurance

Premiums for older people cannot be more than twice those for younger people. Companies stripped of anti-trust exemption that has protected firms from federal investigations.
Price-fixing outlawed. Premiums for older people cannot be more than three times those for younger people. Insurers competing in new exchanges must justify increases.

Nato fails to gain Russia aid in Afghanistan

Mr Rasmussen said he had presented Moscow with 'concrete proposals'
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has failed to gain any commitment from Russia to help win the war against the Taliban insurgency.

On Wednesday Mr Rasmussen asked Moscow to provide helicopters to Afghanistan and also requested Russian help in training the Afghan air force.

But he told the BBC he had received no positive response from the Kremlin.

Mr Rasmussen's visit is the first by a Nato chief since relations chilled after last year's Russian-Georgian war.

The three-day visit, which has included meetings with President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, signifies the alliance's determination to strengthen ties with Moscow, analysts say.

Common ground

Mr Rasmussen said he had presented Russian leaders with a list of "concrete proposals" to help the Western alliance defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan - specifically requesting helicopters, helicopter training and spare parts.


Mr Rasmussen said the two sides should look beyond their differences
"The Russians do realise that if we left Afghanistan behind and if Afghanistan once again became a safe haven for terrorism then they could suffer from it because terrorists would spread from Afghanistan through central Asia to Russia," Mr Rasmussen told the BBC.

Helicopters are considered a crucial asset in the war against the Taliban, for their ability to move troops around and provide air support. Nato allies have found a shortage of helicopters one of the main handicaps in fighting the insurgency.

The Kremlin has said it wants Nato to win in Afghanistan and is willing to help. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that while differences remained between Moscow and Nato, both sides were trying "to normalise relations and bring them to a new level".

But while many analysts agree it is not in Russia's interests to see Nato fail in Afghanistan, Moscow is still deeply suspicious of the old Cold War alliance, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow.

Giving helicopters to a US-backed regime in Kabul goes way beyond what the Kremlin is prepared to do, our correspondent adds.

Sensitive subject

Analysts say the atmosphere between the alliance and Moscow has improved recently. Earlier this month, the Nato-Russia Council convened for the first time since the Georgia conflict.

During this visit, issues such as missile defence, Iran and a joint review of new security challenges were expected to be on the agenda.

The expansion of Nato remains a sensitive issue between the two sides, with Russia firmly opposed to any move towards membership by Ukraine or Georgia.

Mr Rasmussen has previously said they would become Nato members as and when they satisfied the necessary criteria, but emphasised that Moscow should not see that as a threat.

New climate deal may have to wait

The Danish presidency at the Copenhagen summit says a deal may have to wait until 2010, as the US promises financial aid.
Richard Black: Break a deal?
Q&A: Copenhagen summit
Mardell: Greenest town in US