Chicago Suspect in Terror Plot Danish, Assault Denied Bail in Mumbai

CHICAGO news updates: A Chicago businessman accused of helping plot an attack on a Danish newspaper and having such close ties to terrorists that he had advance knowledge of the deadly 2008 Mumbai siege was denied bail Tuesday.
“The government has met its burden of showing serious risk of flight,” Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan said as she ordered Tahawwur Hussain Rana held in jail pending trial.

Rana has been charged with helping David Coleman Headley — an old friend from military — plot an attack on the Danish newspaper that published caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).

On Monday prosecutors also alleged that Rana knew of the 2008 deadly terror attacks in Mumbai days before they occurred, and sent his compliments to the man who planned the bloody 60-hour siege which left 166 dead and hundreds wounded.

While Rana has not been charged in that case, prosecutors have said Headley is cooperating and that the investigation in Rana’s conduct “continues.”

Prosecutors allege that the two men discussed both plots in a secretly recorded conversation and that Rana helped Headley use Rana’s Chicago-based immigration company as a cover for his surveillance trips to India and Denmark.

It was also revealed by prosecutors on Monday that the pair had discussed four other potential targets for attacks: Bollywood, the Indian temple Somnath, the National Defense College in Delhi, and the Shiv Sena, a political party in India with roots in Hindu nationalism.

“It is clear from the conversation and extrinsic corroboration that Rana was told just days before the Mumbai attacks that the attacks were about to happen,” prosecutors wrote in a 10-page memo in support of his continued detention.

Rana’s lawyers maintain he was simply “duped” by Headley and had no knowledge of or involvement in, any terror attacks.

They said evidence from three character witnesses shows that the Pakistani-born Canadian citizen has developed a reputation in Chicago as an honest businessman who advocates non-violence.

Defense attorney Patrick Blegen attacked the government’s contention that Rana was briefed on the Mumbai attack shortly after visiting the Indian capital in November 2008.

“They’re saying he knew about some terrorist plan and took his wife along on some sort of jaunt,” Blegen told the court. “I say that’s absurd.”

Blegen said government transcripts of the conversation recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation were “as much unintelligible as they are intelligible” and do not prove that Rana knew anything.

Asked by reporters if he was concerned about what Headley might tell investigators, Blegen said “If he’s cooperating he may not be telling the truth.”

While Nolan limited her ruling to whether Rana posed a flight risk, she disagreed with Blegen’s interpretation of the evidence.

“The defense’s argument that the evidence will show Mr. Rana was duped is not a fair reading of the evidence revealed to date,” Nolan said.

Rana has the “means and knowledge to flee internationally, he has substantial financial resources and international contacts,” Nolan said in announcing her ruling.

“There are no conditions of release that would reasonably ensure his appearance.”

Blegen told reporters that he and his client had hoped Nolan would deem house arrest, electronic surveillance and a high bond sufficient.

“In light of the circumstances his spirits are good,” Blegen told reporters after meeting with Rana.

“Obviously he’s disappointed, as am I but he is as I am very much looking forward to contesting these charges when we have the opportunity to in court.”

Prosecutors have until January 14 to convince a grand jury to indict Rana on the charges.

Penelope Cruz Has A Dream Year in Film

LOS ANGELES: Penelope Cruz feels uncomfortable talking about nude scenes and says she has “an allergy to labels,” but she becomes effusive when discussing her “dream year” with two special films about to hit theaters.

The first is Spanish director Pedro Almodovar’s “Broken Embraces,” her fourth collaboration with the filmmaker who helped make her a star, and the second is musical “Nine” from director Rob Marshall, which challenged her voice and her previously little-known dancing skills.

Both films hope to win over Oscar voters during Hollywood’s awards season, and after her own Academy Award-winning turn in Woody Allen comedy “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” last year, Cruz is again earning some early Oscar buzz — doubled.

“I feel like I have learned a lot. The movies could not be more different,” the Spanish beauty told reporters recently.

“To be able to sing for the first time professionally and dance (in ‘Nine’), it was a scary experience. ‘Broken Embraces’ is like three women in one. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.”

“Broken Embraces” opens on Friday after turns at the Cannes and Toronto film festivals where it earned good marks from critics. Review website rottentomatoes.com gives it an 82 percent positive rating.

Cruz calls both movies homages to cinema — “Nine” to the work of the Italian director Federico Fellini, and “Broken Embraces” to the tradition of film noir.

After playing a prostitute, a nun who falls in love with a transvestite, and a woman whose husband is buried in the fridge in previous Almodovar movies, Cruz tackles the part of a poor assistant to a powerful tycoon in “Broken Embraces.”

But as lowly as her character starts out, she goes on to become the rich man’s partner and then plays a figure counter to herself in a movie within the movie. While it sounds somewhat complicated, it is vintage Almodovar.

“Every time Pedro has given me a script, I have really been blown away. The characters (I have played) couldn’t be more different from each other, and from who I am,” she said.

In “Nine,” from Oscar-winning “Chicago” director Marshall, Cruz shows audiences another new facet of her many talents.

The Fellini-inspired movie, in which she teams with Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Daniel Day Lewis, Sophia Loren and Marion Cotillard, does not open in the United States until Dec. 25, but already a brief clip of Cruz in a bustier performing a sultry song and dance is making waves among movie fans.

Cruz, 35, had early ambitions to be a dancer, taking ballet classes in her native Madrid from 5 to 15-years-old, but dramatic acting took its course and stardom ensued.

So, she went back to training five hours-a-day for her role as the mistress of a middle-aged moviemaker in “Nine,” after being shown the routine she would be asked to perform.

“I almost fainted. I thought this is impossible…But there was no way to fake anything,” she said.

While she is happy to talk freely about career, her personal life remains very private, and questions were banned about her two-year romance with Spanish actor Javier Bardem .

Although she may seem at ease with nude scenes in “Broken Embraces,” she won’t talk about them, saying it is too “uncomfortable” to do so.

And she sees herself as neither a role model, nor feminist in a male-dominated movie world.

“I just try not to label myself in any way. I have an allergy to labels in general,” she said, then smiled.

La Galaxy

La Galaxy: Galaxy beat two-time champion Houston 2-0 in MLS at the Home Depot Center, a Beckham free kick in the first half of extra time setting up the goal that opened the scoring in a championship game of the Western Conference stopped for more than 30 minutes during regular time as the area south of Los Angeles was twice the dark by a power outage.

The England midfielder, who joined the Galaxy from Real Madrid in July 2007, had helped the team on arrival in their first postseason since 2005 and sent a 104th minute free kick which found its way to the veteran defender Greg Berhalter of fire in the home.
Landon Donovan scored the second penalty shortly afterwards and the Galaxy moved to next weekend’s MLS Cup final in Seattle, either against the Chicago Fire and Real Salt Lake, who will compete today in the Conference This after final.

The first strike in the 18th minute, when outbreaks do not like the neighborhood of Carson was beaten by a blackout.

The players remained on the pitch by referee Terry Vaughan during the delay, but the game did not resume for another 18 minutes.

Beckham had the first clear cut chance after the restart, whipping in a free kick from 25 yards to a diving Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad returned to his post in the 26th minute.

The Galaxy enjoyed the better of the chances and Landon Donovan saw his 20-yard shot saved by Onstad a minute in the second half before Houston, Andrew Hainault shot from 30 yards and was denied by a diving Ricketts two minutes later.

Then came the power failure in second place in the 51st minute, he stopped playing another 16 minutes.

This time Houston responded better to delay and Ching about to repeat his heroics in the previous round when the strike knocked out of Seattle.

His chance came in the 78th minute when he met a cross from the right with a powerful header in the six meters only for Ricketts to push over the bar.

The resulting corner was home, but referee had seen Vaughan Henao an infringement in the small area and nullified the goal of bringing the game into overtime.

Then came the breakthrough, Beckham’s free kick floated in 104th minute to the backseat, which was headed by fellow defender Omar Gonzalez Berhalter to put her home through a crowd of players past Onstad.

Houston’s agony was compounded four minutes later when substitute Alan Gordon was fouled in the area by Ricardo Clark, Donovan converted the penalty.

Beckham nearly added a third from a free kick from 30 meters to the upper right corner curled past Onstad but the Galaxy are home and dry, and the man who England has one more game in MLS before traveling to Italy for a period of six months on loan at AC Milan.

Pan American World Airways

latest news about, Pan American World Airways: I first flew for Pan Am in December 1964 when I came to Brazil as a Peace Corps volunteer. The plane left JFK. It was a Boeing 707. It was the Starship Enterprise for me. We landed in Trinidad .. then flights could not fly nonstop from New York to Rio de Janeiro. It is better then!
This was only my fourth flight in a jet plane. The first one took me by Sacramento, California to Phoenix, AZ and Peace Corps training at the University of Arizona, Temple (American Airlines). The second round in Sacramento, CA and San Francisco third-country Cross to JFK (I think it was also AA). Crossing the U.S. coast to coast in 1964 at the age of 22 years, in a jet or any aircraft, was like going to the moon for any young person at the time.

I remember seeing snow-out Chicago …. Everything was white in eastern Wyoming, the other side of Chicago. We landed at JFK in the dark. Amazing.

PCV All of our group who made the cuts were taken from all corners of the U.S. to meet at JFK, 6 December 1964. The New York lost. We get together and flew to Rio, 7 DECEMBER 1964-90 (32C) heat Galeão Airport.

My next flight of Pan Am, as I recall, was in Tehran to Istanbul in October 1973, returning to the U.S. Vietnam. I remember looking right into the bush. Ararat … not see the arch of Noah.

Next flew from Lisbon to JFK. One of the flight attendants on the flight from Istanbul to Tehran that three weeks before this flight. Lifestyle Groupie at 30,000 feet.

Later, when Pan Am was authorized to fly the country, flew from Oklahoma City through Tulsa to New York … 727 …. Maybe 10 people on the plane. This was around 1982.

The last Pan Am flight was from New York to Miami. The flight continued to Brazil. Probably 1983 or 84.

In my life, passed from the mother of all airlines to a disaster. He died. As it should be.

But it was an important part of my life as I “went global”. When he saw a Pan Am plane landing at an airport in the distance, was a bit of Americana … the Empire had long arms.
Source: expatbrazil.wordpress.com

Helena Bonham Carter doesn’t like watching her own films

Helena Bonham Carter has revealed that she sees no point in seeing her own films. The ‘Fight Club’ star said she turns her back on her own films because she has nothing to learn from them after they are finished

Beyonce to testify in court over copyright dispute?

R ‘n’ B singer Beyonce Knowles is reportedly set to testify in court in connection with a copyright dispute, after a man alleged that Destiny’s Child claimed his song as their own. Singer/songwriter Rickey Allen had filed a lawsuit against the girl group in 2006, claiming their 2004 track Cater 2 U was inspired by a song he composed with the same title, which he first copyrighted in the mid-1990s. Allen’s song is about “relieving the stress of a significant other” and he insists even the lyrics in Destiny’s Child’s song are suspiciously similar to his.

Sophie Monk’s boobs overshadow her in new horror flick!

Aussie actress Sophie Monk ’s lead role in the horror flick ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ is said to have been overshadowed by her own breasts. According to Confidential, the film, which went straight-to-DVD, displayed 29-year-old Monk’s assets no less than four times, reports Adelaide Now.

Sammy Sosa Pictures

Sammy Sosa Pictures: Photos of Sammy Sosa of the Latin Grammy Awards are weird. Sammy Sosa Photos reveal skin that is much lighter than normal skin color, in fact, picture of Sammy Sosa actually make it look very close to white.

Mike Penner has published an article entitled “Sosa suffering from exposure too mush” in The Los Angeles Times Sports section analyzes the situation.
Of course, the first thought that came to mind for many people was that the photos of Sammy Sosa reflects the same concept as Michael Jackson, but that was the beginning of a major renovation, due to a rare disease called vitiligo.

I wrote an article that was published on Associated Content on vitiligo that I linked.

Under Article Penner, who is not Sammy Sosa pictures represented. He has been receiving treatments for the skin due to the many days he played in the sun at Wrigley Field, while with the Chicago Cubs. Attest to the fact I did since I’ve been a fan of several decades of Cub and even broke down and started playing night games, still love the daylight hours.

My father was a crane operator at a steel mill in 1950 and 1960. She became very hot in the buildings of operations. The cranes that pass back and forth on a “track”. When the summer time heat and crane operators are all come down with rash called “prickly heat”. That is how Sammy Sosa’s skin often looked to me when he was batting and the cameraman would do a close-up.

Polihronis Rebecca is a former employee of the Cubs and a good friend of Sammy Sosa and told me he only had the treatment to counteract the beating of your skin from the sun is Wrigley Field.

Polihronis said many women have treatments such as Sosa had all the time. However, it admitted that the final result at least for now went to look weird.

Photos of Sammy Sosa did not really look like him in spite of skin color. However, it seems quite content.

I’ve been a Cubs fan for over 50 years and not know what treatment would help me.
Source: associatedcontent.com

Mia Sara

Mia Sara: Mia Sara played Ferris Bueller’s girlfriend Sloane Peterson Day on the classic 1986 John Hughes, film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. She went with her rebel boyfriend (played by Matthew Broderick) in the film, and the two spent the day reaking havoc on the streets of Chicago, in the car of his friend’s father’s sports.

An interview with actress appears in the new documentary about John Hughes, the man behind ’80s favorites like Sixteen Candles and The Breakfast Club. Hughes died this summer, and the tribute to him, called Do not You Forget About Me, released on DVD last week.

Sara got her first big success in a Tom Cruise movie, however. She played Princess Lili in legend alongside the actor in 1985. After she was Timecop, where she played the wife of Jean Claude Van Damme.
Source: zimbio.com

David Foster

David Foster: View new YouTube video of Clay Aiken’s performance during the concert by David Foster. Clay Aiken Unchained Melody by David Foster in San Jose Friday is going viral today.

Foster is celebrating 35 years in business. Foster’s Tour is a sign of change.

Foster first tour in the 1970s group Skylark. Top songs by Foster include “The Power of Love (Celine Dion) Because You Loved Me (Dion), All By Myself (Dion), Unforgettable (Natalie Cole), and two of the favorite songs of all time Lalat – Hard To Say Im Sorry (Chicago) and the theme song from St. Elmo’s Fire (John Parr).
In August, as outlined in Lalat at the time, Aiken joined Decca Records:

“Clay Aiken signs recording contract with Decca Records to Universal Music. Wait for new music in the first half of 2010! Continue to check here for more details to come.”

Decca has several divisions. In recent years, dominated Decca classical music and Broadway shows. But in recent years moved to Decca pop. It currently operates Universal acts Decca Label Group U.S., based in London Decca Music Group for talents such as Andrea Bocelliand Hayley Westenra Nashville and the Decca label for Dolly Parton, Lee Ann Womack, and Patsy Cline.

Decca Aiken him, also binds to Boyz II Men, Morrissey, and Donny Osmond.
Source: news.lalate.com

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