Chicago/Washington - US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain planned one final race across the country on Monday as state officials braced for record turnout in Tuesday's general election.

As Chicago prepared for a throng of 1 million people at a public park in anticipation of Democrat Obama's victory Tuesday, Republicans were wishing them bad weather and a surprise electoral victory for the underdog McCain.

Chicago/Washington - US presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain planned one final race across the country on Monday as state officials braced for record turnout in Tuesday's general election.

As Chicago prepared for a throng of 1 million people at a public park in anticipation of Democrat Obama's victory Tuesday, Republicans were wishing them bad weather and a surprise electoral victory for the underdog McCain.

Chicago - Strangers chat about politics on the train and buttons peer out from coats with the smiling face of Chicago's favourite son, Barack Obama, as the city is gripped with excitement about the looming election.

But Chicago, population 2.7 million, is not just waiting for Tuesday night to learn whether the US senator from Illinois, who got his political start on the city's South Side, will become the first African-American president.

Not relying on polls that show Obama ahead of Republican opponent John McCain, Chicagoans instead gathered by the thousands at phone banks across the city, where they hoped to get out the vote in key swing states that will likely decide the next president.

Responding to the well-wishes, prayers and neighborhood vigils, the Hudson family will hold an open community memorial in memory for actor Jennifer Hudson's slain mother, brother and nephew at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church on 2nd November at 4:00 p. m. Hudson's aunt and owner of Chicago's Hudson Funeral Home, who is handling both the public and private services arrangements, said the service will be preceded by an hour-long private service at the church.

Terkel, popularly known as Studs Terkel, who won the Pulitzer prize for his oral history 'The Good War' in which he chronicled World War II, died aged 96 at his Chicago home. He was also famous for his narratives of US history through personal stories from a cross-section of society, in books like 'Working' and ' Division Street : America' . According to his son, Terkel led an eventful, tempestuously satisfying life, entertaining listeners for four decades on his Chicago based radio show.

Chicago, Oct 27 : Preity Zinta won the Silver Hugo Award for best actress at the 44th edition of Chicago International Film Festival for her performance in Deepa Mehta''s film, Heaven on Earth.

Earlier in September, Zinta had received warm reviews at the Toronto International Film Festival for her performance in the film.

The jury praised her ''for her strong yet subtle performance as a woman struggling to keep her dreams despite brutal realities.''