Chrysler plans to close 789 dealerships

An employee at a Washington-area Chrysler dealer cleans up with a broom and dustpan in New Carrollton, Maryland, April 30, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters File Photo)

The dealers likely will have a right to appeal to get off the list. The move could have a devastating impact on cities across the United States, costing jobs and tax revenue.



Chrysler dealerships are not the only ones scheduled to get bad news this week. It is reported that General Motors Corp., the biggest U.S. auto maker, is notifying 1,100 dealers that it will not renew their franchise agreements when they expire at the end of September of 2010.

The automaker now has about 3,200 dealers across the United States. It wants to have stronger, more profitable dealers with better facilities. Chrysler spokeswoman Kathy Graham was quoted as saying that the company will notify specific dealers before commenting publicly.

- Chrysler has told a bankruptcy court it plans to eliminate 789 of its dealers nationwide as part of a government mandated effort to restructure its failing business, it is reported here Thursday.

In a document filed in federal bankruptcy court in New York, the company posted names of the dealers that have been targeted. They include Currie Motors of Forest Park, Ed Napleton Dodge in Westmont, Arlington Chrysler and Jeep Dodge.

Priyanka Chopra on a roll at Marrakech Film Festival

It’s been a super year for Priyanka Chopra. After the success of Barfi!, in which where she played the character of an autistic person, she kept the momentum going with the international release of her single ‘In my city’. And now, she is gearing up to spend two special days at the International

Film Festival of Marrakech in Morocco We’re informed that three Bollywood films featuring the actor will be screened at the festival, which is celebrating the centenary of Indian cinema. A source close to the actor says, “Priyanka will reach the festival late at night on December 6. On day one, Barfi! will be screened. She will be the only one from the film’s team who will be present there.” The source adds, “On day two, two of her other films  Don and Don 2 will be screened. Though Shah Rukh Khan (her co-star in the Don series) will be present at the festival during this time, Priyanka is the only one so far who has confirmed her attendance at the screening.The movie screenings on both days will be followed by a grand dinner party, which will also be attended by Priyanka. “She is very excited about this as she’s being given such wonderful treatment there.Of late, Priyanka has been busy shooting for her next, the Zanjeer remake, with co-star Ram Charan Teja. However, the actor has taken time off from her schedule for the film festival. The source says, “Many big names from Bollywood will be attending the festival. So she decided to go for at least two days.After her return, Priyanka will start attending the preparatory workshops for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s biopic on the Olympic medal-winning Indian boxer, Mary Kom.

Deepika Padukone in a high risk

Deepika performed a high risk stunt!Deepika Padukone performed a high risk stunt scene herself for her upcoming movie directed by Abbas-Mustan, refusing to use a body double to do the dangerous car

sequence.The scene required the actor to drive a car through heavy traffic with one of the doors open. Paying no heed to producer Ramesh Taurani’s advice to use a double, she practised for almost 18 hours to get the shot right.

Top 10 Christmas-related things to do in London

The festive season is once again on our doorstep, and the good news is that there are plenty of ways to celebrate it in the capital whatever your age.So it’s Christmas time again, the presents are under the tree, the
mistletoe is up and the mulled wine is brewing. But if you want to add a little more excitement to your festive season beyond the usual turkey dinner, Queen’s speech andinevitable EastEnders festive mayhem, then the good news is that there are plenty of festive treats on offer in London this year.Whether you want to take advantage of the school holidays and have an outing with the kids, snap up a few festive bargains, show off your skating skills or find another way to spice up the season, there’s more than enough to while away the time between the first batch of mulled wine and the last ditch moments of celebration as we prepare to enter 2013. And Metro’s top ten seasonal suggestions should provide more than enough food for thought.10 Enjoy Christmas at Kew GardensIf you’ve never been to London’s famous horticultural heaven, then now’s your chance as entry to Kew Gardens is free over the festive season from December 22-January 4  if you book online (although you will have to shell out for certain activities once you get inside). For the younger visitor there’s a Victorian-style carousel, face painting and the chance to see Santa in the Prince Of Wales Conservatory (until December 23); after Christmas they’re offering you the chance to take your tree for recycling. Failing that, you can just take a wander through the grounds in a bid to walk off all that turkey.9 Take a festive trip to the cinemaChristmas is traditionally a time for blockbuster movies to make their cinema debut – not to mention the appearance of the ‘awards season’ films which might just go on to win Oscars – and this year is no exception. If it’s blockbuster fun you’re after you could check out The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, currently showing at cinemas all over the UK not to mention in selected IMAX cinemas  including the BFI’s theatre on the South Bank. Or you could wait until Boxing Day when Tom Cruise’s latest effort Jack Reacher will be opening at a multiplex near you.
If if’s Oscar-friendly fare you’re after however then Ang Lee’s 3D epic Life Of Pi, which opens this weekend, is one to consider  or for festive offerings check out When Santa Fell To Earth, based on the novel by Cornelia Funke and showing at selected cinemas across the capital. Or there’s always the re-released 80s classic Gremlins, which is doing much the same.
8 Check out a pantomime
Everybody loves a bit of pantomime at Christmas (Oh no they don’t! Oh yes they do! etc), and as usual London is stuffed to the gills with famous faces putting on silly costumes and acting out some thinly disguised fairytale for the benefit of their shouty audience.
Highlights this year include Aladdin at The Theatre at the 02, which sees Paul O’Grady resurrecting Lily Savage in the role of Widow Twankey, Dick Whittington at the Hackney Empire - in a production which tips its hat to London’s momentous 2012 events – and Priscilla Presley taking over where Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff left off at New Wimbledon Theatre, to play the Wicked Queen in their production of Snow White. Altogether now – she’s behind you!
7 Take a trip to Westfield Shopping Centre
There’s all manner of festive goings-on at London’s biggest shopping centre in White City. The main attraction is the ice rink, which is open until January 6, and allows skaters to take to the ice in 45 minute sessions (with helper ‘penguins’ also available to guide younger visitors across the rink). Let’s not forget it’s also the ideal place to finish off your Christmas shopping – not to mention be in pole position
6 Go and visit a giant Christmas tree
If you want to get in the festive spirit without actually breaking the bank, then a trip to Trafalgar Square’s Christmas tree should suffice. The tree, which is given to the UK as a gift from Norway, in memory of the refuge that the Allies gave members of the Norwegian government and royal family during World War II.
As well as the tree itself – which is decorated in traditional Norwegian fashion and whose lights were switched on by the Mayor of Oslo on December 1 – visitors can also enjoy nightly carol singing in the square until December 22. Just don’t forget to wrap up warm. More info: www.london.gov.uk/priorities/art-culture/trafalgar-square
5 Go for a dip
Yes we know the temperature may be sub-zero on Christmas Day, but a bracing dip in the Serpentine in Hyde Park has been a festive tradition since 1864 for members of the Serpentine Swimming Club – and with other swimming events happening around the country there’s no reason why you shouldn’t join in too. Although we recommend you try a warmer pool such as the one at Hampstead Heath, which is at least heated all year round. Go to church
Let’s not forget there’s a more serious reason for all these festivities – the fact that Christmas, for all its gifts and Slade songs on a loop and TV specials and family-sized tins of Quality Street, is actually a religious holiday. And if you plan to mark this by going to Midnight Mass this year there are plenty of options to choose from, including the traditional service at St Martin’s In The Field just off Trafalgar Square. The fun kicks off on Christmas Eve with an afternoon service, followed by carols at 6.30pm and the main event at 11.30pm. Or you could head for Westminster Abbey, with carols at 4pm and the service at 11.30pm.
3 Take in The NutcrackerChristmas wouldn’t be Christmas without Tchaikovsky’s classic tale of sugar plum fairies and dancing toy soldiers, and this year is no exception. There’s a choice of two productions in the West End – either the English National Ballet at the Coliseum or the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. And with the ballet celebrating its 120th anniversary this year (as recently commemorated in, of all things, a Google Doodle), there’s no better time to see it
2 Go ice-skating at the Tower Of London
Skating in the indoor rink at Westfield is all very well but if you want to skate under the stars (or even under the sun, such as it is), then the arresting setting of the Tower Of London provides the perfect opportunity to do so. The rink’s lit up after dark for added spectacle, and if you’re unsteady on your feet you can always ask one of the ‘ice guides’ for help in getting from one end of the ice to the other without coming a cropper. For more information visit: www.toweroflondonicerink.com/
1 Go to Winter Wonderland
This now annual spectacle in Hyde Park really has become a staple of the festive season, with all manner of goodies including the Angels Market, complete with over 100 stalls, and rides and attractions which this year include the Ice Kingdom – featuring an array of spectacular ice sculptures – and the Giant Observation Wheel, offering stunning views of the capital. Or you can just get your fill of Bratwurst at one of the food stalls. And with free admission (although you do pay for certain attractions) this is one you can’t really afford to miss. More info: www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

Cancer boy relieved

Neon Roberts father ‘relieved’ over cancer treatment verdict

Ben Roberts said he hopes the seven-year-old can start the radiotherapy and chemotherapy ‘without any further delay’ after the High Court ruled he should undergo the treatment.



Sally Roberts, 37, had opposed Neon receiving the follow-up medical care after successive successful surgeries on a brain tumour, arguing it could cause long-term health issues.

Seven-year-old Neon Roberts (Picture: PA)
After the hearing Mr Roberts’ solicitor, Gwen Williams, said: ‘Mr Roberts is relieved that the judge has been able to make a final ruling on Neon’s treatment.

‘Whilst he respected Neon’s mother’s view, his own opinion, following in-depth discussion with the doctors, has always been that Neon should have the treatment as outlined by them.

‘He now hopes that Neon can be allowed to recover from his latest operation and start the radiotherapy and chemotherapy that the doctors have outlined without any further delay.’

Ms Roberts argued there were ‘credible alternatives’ to the treatment, even though doctors say Neon could die within a few months without radiotherapy.

Summing up, Mr Justice Bodey said: ‘One can’t enjoy a quality of life if one isn’t alive.

‘The mother has been through a terrible time. This sort of thing is every parent’s nightmare.

‘But I am worried that her judgement has gone awry on the question of the seriousness of the threat which Neon faces.’

He added: ‘The alternative treatments put forward were complementary and alternative medicine. Nothing put forward has undergone rigorous clinical trials.

‘I find it difficult to see that doctors would withhold alternative treatment that would improve survival.’

Ms Roberts said she plans to appeal the decision.

From John McCain to an Aurora Victim: It's Been Hollywood's Fault

John McCain in a letter to then-President Bill Clinton following the shooting at Columbine:  "Our concerns have been heightened by the pattern emerging from the recent school massacres, which indicates that the gunmen involved have been immersed in and fascinated with hyperviolent films, record lyrics, videogames, or Internet sites in varying combinations."

Torrence Brown Jr., victim of the Aurora shootings, said Warner Bros., among others, to blame:  Through his attorney, Donald Karpel, insisted that "Dark Knight Rises" was particularly violent, and Holmes mimicked some of the action -- theatergoers were helpless because they thought the shooter was part of the movie. "Somebody has to be responsible for the rampant violence that is shown today."
Also read: In Newtown Aftermath, Spotlight Back on Hollywood Violence
Charles Hurt of the Washington Times, after the Aurora shooting: "Senseless? Really? If by 'senseless' you mean carried out almost precisely from the scripts of your own movies, then, sure, it was 'senseless.'"
Rush Limbaugh on Aurora: "And every time Batman punched somebody, the word 'POW!' in a comic book bubble came up. Burgess Meredith played the Penguin. I forget who was the Joker. Cesar Romero was the Joker. It was a comedy show. It was a cartoon show. It was a charming, funny, wholesome 1960s kids' show that was on at 7:30 ET. But how long has it been since Hollywood metastasized that show with sick, dystopian and occasionally anti-American worldviews? Do you know what 'dystopian' means?
"For those of you in Rio Linda, it's the opposite of utopia. 'Utopia' is perfection on earth. 'Dystopia' is utter, total failure and chaos. Dark, dank, colorless, finished. It's over. So Batman in the '60s on TV metastasizes to a sick dystopian, hyper-violent Batman movie in 23 years. Twenty-three years since Batman on TV to the first Batman movie. And the birth of the modern Batman series of films with which the killer in Aurora explicitly identified, by his own admission…"
Linda Gray, Arizona state senator, after the Tucson shooting:
"The problem is not the gun but about respect for all human life, from the unborn, a 9-year-old child, a senior citizen or a political leader. The shooter had no respect for the value of any these innocent citizens who were injured or killed.
"Our children are bombarded with TV programing showing a multitude of killings. Children are given games to play in which they earn points for killing people. Where are the TV programs that promote good role models? … Children are becoming more desensitized and complacent toward their own violent acts and those of others."
Wayne LaPierre, CEO of the NRA on Tucson:  The media "turns a madman into a hero for every potential deranged copycat out there. It's sick, it's wrong, and the media ought to be ashamed of themselves."

Oscar's Foreign-Language Shortlist Travels to Austria, France, Denmark, Iceland

Austria's "Amour," France's "The Intouchables," Chile's "No," Denmark's "A Royal Affair" and Iceland's "The Deep" are among the nine films that remain in the race for the Oscar for Best Foreign-Language Film,
the Academy announced on Friday morning.Michael Haneke's critical favorite "Amour" and the international box-office hit "The Intouchables" have been leaders in the race from the start, and are augmented by a list made up mostly of the highest-profile films in the running. The shortlist is unlikely to cause much of the talk about egregious snubs that sometimes plagued the category in the past.
Other selections include Canada's "War Witch" (left), Norway's "Kon-Tiki," Romania's "Beyond the Hills" and Switzerland's "Sister.The shortlist is Europe-centric, with two films from Scandanavia and another from Iceland in the North Atlantic. Two films come from the Americas, although the Canadian entry, "War Witch," is set in Africa.
The shortlist was drawn from a record 71 submissions. It was chosen by volunteers from across the Academy who selected their six favorite films, and by a 20-person executive committee that chose three additional films for the shortlist at a Thursday night meeting.
Two additional committees, consisting of hand-picked 20 members in Los Angeles and 10 in New York, will screen the nine shortlisted films over a three-day period in early January, and will select the five nominees.
The three-step system was instituted in 2008, after the AMPAS Board of Governors ordered changes in the wake of a number of startling snubs in the category, including the acclaimed Romanian film "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.
That film's director, Cristian Mungiu, made this year's shortlist with "Beyond the Hills.
Missing from the shortlist are a few notable films, among them Germany's "Barbara, Italy's "Caesar Must Die," Sweden's The Hypnotist (directed by Lasse Hallstrom) and South Korea's "Pieta.
The Academy never announces which films are put on the shortlist by the general committee voters and are added by the executive committee, though it's sometimes possible to determine which group is likelier to choose a film.
Of this year's shortlisted films, The Intouchables,A Royal Affair,The Deepand "Kon-Tiki" seem likely to be general-committee choices, while "Beyond the Hills is a probable executive-committee selection. "Amour," "Sister,War Witch and "Nocould potentially have come from either group.
The shortlisted films:
Austria, Amour, Michael Haneke, director; Canada, War Witch, Kim Nguyen, director; Chile, "No, Pablo Larraín, director; Denmark, A Royal Affair," Nikolaj Arcel, director; France, The Intouchables, Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledano, directors; Iceland, The Deep, Baltasar Kormákur, director; Norway, "Kon-Tiki, Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg, directors; Romania, "Beyond the Hills, Cristian Mungiu, director; Switzerland, Sister, Ursula Meier, director.