While thousands of revelers jam the streets in New York, Detroit and Boston for a glimpse of the passing parade, American soldiers in war zones receive holiday phone calls from President Barack Obama. Even America's astronauts get a surprise serving of smuggled turkey.

The couple who crashed Tuesday night's White House dinner have a formidable history of legal woes. Michaele and Tareq Salahi are named in at least 16 lawsuits in Virginia's Fauquier County, as both plaintiffs and defendants. They are also aspiring reality TV stars, who were filmed by a cable network on the very day they attended the White House reception.

Residents of Mumbai, India, turn out for vigils, concerts and political speeches to commemorate the one-year anniversary of terrorist attacks that paralyzed their city for three days. The assault by Pakistan-based gunmen killed 166 people.

A study by two human rights groups says many video games encourage players to flagrantly violate real-life criminal and humanitarian law. By allowing players to attack civilians and destroy churches and mosques, says the report, the games suggest that modern warfare has no limits or rules. One gaming industry expert disagrees, calling the virtual havoc "just fun, harmless escapism."

Authorities in the Philippines plan to charge a town mayor with murder, accusing him of leading a massacre of 57 people in an election-related attack on Monday. Andal Ampatuan Jr. has surrendered, but he denies any involvement in the killings. The reason he gave himself up, he insists, is to "prove that I am not hiding and that I am not guilty."

An Indiana man who lost his job last summer sees his luck change when he wins $2 million in the Hoosier Lottery. Mick Brickley says he plans to use some of the money to buy a house.

Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal was so moved by the murder of a North Carolina 5-year-old that he paid for the little girl's funeral, his spokeswoman says. Police say Shaniya Davis was kidnapped and killed.

A dramatic rescue attempt comes to a tragic end as a man stuck upside-down in a Utah cave dies before rescuers can release him. John Jones, 26, died about 28 hours after getting stuck 700 feet inside the cave, known as Nutty Putty. Says the man's brother: "He would have done anything for you, so that's what makes [his death] even harder. It's senseless."