The US authorities have arrested two Chicago residents on charges of plotting attacks on foreign targets.

The Justice Department says one of the targets was the Jyllands-Posten, the Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed in 2005.
 

The Justice Department says David Headley, a 49-year-old US citizen, hatched the plot in late 2008. The authorities allege that he contacted various terrorist organisations seeking assistance with his plan. His co-conspirator is Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a 48-year-old Canadian national living in Chicago.
 

The cartoons sparked protests across the globe and led to calls to boycott Danish products in some parts of the Muslim world. Several dozen people were killed in the protests. Many other newspapers republished the cartoons to highlight the issues of censorship and freedom of speech.