January 7, 2016

On Top Of The News Email:news@arubatoday.com website: www.arubatoday.com Tel:+297 582-7800 Thursday, January 7, 2016

US Casts Doubts on North Korea’s H-Bomb

A North Korean national flag flutters in the wind near trees at its embassy in Beijing, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. North Korea said it conducted a powerful hydrogen bomb test Wednesday, a defiant and surprising move that, if confirmed, would be a huge jump in Pyongyang’s quest to improve its still-limited nuclear arsenal.

(AP Photo/Andy Wong) Page 2

A2 UP

Thursday 7 January 2016

FRONT

US casts doubt on North Korea’s H-bomb

FOSTER KLUG EDITH M. LEDERER Associated Press SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s declaration that it had tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time was greeted with widespread condemnation — but also skepticism — as world powers vowed Wednesday to punish the impoverished and defiant nation with new international sanctions.

The isolated country’s fourth nuclear test since 2006 was a “reckless chal-

in 2013 was co-sponsored by the U.S. and China, and both countries will be key to an agreement on a new one. Whether any new sanctions can slow North Korea’s nuclear program, however, remains to be seen.

There was a burst of jubilation and pride in North Korea’s capital of Pyongyang, where a TV anchor said Wednesday’s test of a “miniaturized” hydrogen bomb had been a “perfect success” that elevated the country’s “nuclear might to

thought the estimated explosive yield from the blast was much smaller than what even a failed hydrogen bomb detonation would produce.

South Korean lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo said he was told in a briefing by the National Intelligence Service that Pyongyang may not have conducted a hydrogen bomb test given the relatively small size of the seismic wave reported.

An estimated explosive yield of 6.0 kilotons and a quake with a magnitude of

People walk by a screen showing the news reporting about an earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear facility, in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. South Korean officials detected an “artificial earthquake” near North Korea’s main nuclear test site Wednesday, a strong indication that nuclear-armed Pyongyang had conducted its fourth atomic test. The letters read “5.1 Earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear facility.”

(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

lenge to international norms of behavior and the authority of the U.N. Security Council,” said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

The council met in an emergency session and called the test “a clear violation” of its resolutions. It agreed to start work immediately on a resolution for new sanctions.

The international community must respond with “steadily increasing pressure” and rigorous enforcement of existing measures, said U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power.

Four rounds of U.N. sanctions have aimed at reining in the North’s nuclear and missile development, but Pyongyang has ignored them and moved ahead with programs to modernize its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

The last sanctions resolution

the next level.”

A successful test would mark a major and unanticipated advance for the North’s still-limited nuclear arsenal and push its scientists and engineers closer to their goal of building a warhead small enough to place on a missile that can reach the U.S. mainland.

But an early analysis by the U.S. government was “not consistent with the claims that the regime has made of a successful hydrogen bomb test,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest said. He added that nothing has happened in the last 24 hours to change Washington’s assessment of Pyongyang’s technical or military capabilities.

The U.S. is still doing the work needed to learn more about the North’s test, he added. Hours earlier, South Korea’s spy agency said it

4.8 (the U.S. reported 5.1) were detected, Lee said he was told. That’s smaller than the estimated yield of 7.9 kilotons and 4.9-magnitude quake reported after a 2013 nuclear test, he said, and only a fraction of the hundreds of kilotons that a successful H-bomb test would usually yield. Even a failed H-bomb detonation typically yields tens of kilotons, the NIS told Lee, who sits on the parliament’s intelligence committee.

A miniaturized H-bomb can trigger a weak quake, but only the U.S. and Russia have such weapons, Lee cited the NIS as saying.

“I’m pretty skeptical,” said Melissa Hanham, senior researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies in Monterey, California. q

China holding the key to pressing North Korea on nuclear weapons M. PENNINGTON Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Diplomatic engagement has failed to stop North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. Sanctions have been tightened with little result.

And military force could be catastrophic. So what can the world do to bring Kim Jong Un’s renegade government into line? The answer may rest with China.

While Beijing’s influence over North Korea appears to have diminished since Kim came to power in 2012, it remains its key trading partner. Experts say China could do more to restrict North Korea’s use of Chinese banks and limit supplies of food and fuel that provide an economic lifeline to Pyongyang.

Wednesday’s purported hydrogen bomb test will intensify pressure on China to tighten the screws on Kim. It has been leery of taking such steps because of fears that a collapse of North Korea’s socialist government could cause an influx of refugees and lead to a pro-American, unified Korean nation on China’s doorstep.

China immediately made plain its displeasure with Pyongyang, saying it “firmly opposed” the test. “North Korea should stop taking any actions which would worsen the situation on the Korean Peninsula,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told reporters in Beijing.

China’s U.S. ambassador met at the White House on Wednesday with President Barack Obama’s national security adviser, Susan Rice, and China joined the U.S. in supporting a U.N. Security Council statement that strongly condemned the test and pledged to pursue new sanctions.

But North Korea has proved adept at circumventing existing restrictions and at using its indigenous capabilities to develop its weapons. Because of its international isolation, the North is less susceptible to financial sanctions than a major economy like Iran.

Incentives haven’t worked either. Three U.S. administrations, going back to President Bill Clinton, have coaxed the North to disarm in exchange for aid, but each effort has eventually failed.

And taking a tougher military stance against Pyongyang means unpalatable risks. An American attack could put U.S. ally South Korea in the firing line of the world’s fifth-largest army, which could launch a massive artillery barrage on the capital, Seoul.

The Obama administration has claimed improved cooperation from China on North Korea policy. Beijing, for example, supported a U.N. resolution in response to North Korea’s last nuclear test in 2013. According to Washington, China has improved its enforcement of existing sanctions, but could do more.

Yet North Korea has balked at returning to international aid-for-disarmament talks as it looks to assert itself as a nuclear weapons state. It claims it needs such weapons to deter an invasion by the United States, which retains 28,000 troops in South Korea, a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War that ended without a peace treaty.

Since the six-nation talks stalled in 2008, the North has conducted three atomic test explosions and blasted its first rocket into space as it hones technology that could help it fire a weapon at America.

Secretary of State John Kerry repeated on Wednesday the U.S. stance that it will never accept North Korea as a nuclear state. “Actions such as this latest test only strengthen our resolve,” he said.q

A4 U.S.

Thursday 7 January 2016

NEWS

Florida deputy pleads not guilty in air rifle shooting death

Attorney Eric Schwartzreich, left, who represents suspended Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Peter Peraza, right, speaks to the media, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Peraza pleaded not guilty to charges related to the July 2013 on-duty fatal shooting of Jermaine McBean, who was carrying only an air rifle, in Oakland Park.

(Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun-Sentinel/AP)

CURT ANDERSON AP Legal Affairs Writer FORT LAUDERDALE, Florida (AP) — A Florida law enforcement officer who fatally shot a man carrying only an air rifle pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a manslaughter charge, and his attorney predicted no jury would convict a police officer who acted with force in such circumstances.

Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputy Peter Peraza, who has worked for the sheriff’s office for 14 years, faces up to 30 years in prison if convicted in the fatal shooting of Jermaine McBean, who was black. Peraza is white. Peraza’s attorney, Eric Schwartzreich, said the case differs from others around the country in which unarmed black suspects have been shot by

white officers.

“This isn’t a racial issue.

Deputy Peraza was doing nothing more than doing his job, protecting himself and protecting the community,” Schwartzreich told reporters. “His intention is to go to trial and to fight these charges.”

Peraza, 37, entered the plea at a brief court hearing. Outside the courtroom, more than three dozen

law enforcement officers applauded in a show of support when Peraza emerged.

It was yet another case taken up by the Black Lives Matter movement, which emerged nationwide over the past year in response to the death of African-Americans in several cities at the hands of law enforcement officers.

Several members of the Black Lives Matter Alliance Broward also spoke outside the courtroom, contending the grand jury indictment of Peraza was a long time coming.

It has been decades since a Florida law enforcement officer was charged criminally for an on-duty shooting.

McBean, 33, was killed by Peraza in July 2013 while carrying a real-looking air rifle he had just purchased across his shoulders near his apartment complex. Two other deputies had guns drawn but did not fire.

A family attorney says McBean probably did not hear police commands that he drop the rifle because he was listening to music through earbuds.

The family has accused the

sheriff’s office of a coverup in a federal wrongful death lawsuit, which the agency denies.

Black Lives Matter Alliance member Jeff Weinberger was critical of the heavy law enforcement show of support for Peraza.

“They’re here to protect and serve the public, not protect and serve themselves,” he said. “Justice would be served for Peraza to be convicted.”

Peraza is free on $25,000 bail and suspended without pay. The FBI also is investigating possible civil rights violations.

No trial date has been set in the manslaughter case.

Jeff Marano, president of the Broward Police Benevolent Association union, said the Peraza case has put a chill into every local law enforcement officer who might second-guess their actions in a potentially deadly situation. Schwartzreich also called the indictment a political reaction to the current national debate over police use of force against black suspects.

“This is a tragedy, that he’s going through this process,” Marano told reporters.q

Grand jury indicts trooper in Sandra Bland traffic stop MICHAEL GRACZYK Associated Press HEMPSTEAD, Texas (AP) — A Texas state trooper was charged with perjury on Wednesday in connection to a contentious traffic stop last summer where a black woman wound up arrested for assault and then died three days later in jail.

A grand jury indicted Trooper Brian Encinia with the misdemeanor count, alleging he lied about how he removed 28-year-old Sandra Bland from her vehicle during the July traffic stop. The same Waller County grand jury decided last month not to indict any sheriff’s officials or jailers in Bland’s death, which was ruled a suicide.

Bland remained jailed following her arrest because she couldn’t raise about $500 for bail. Encinia, who has been on paid desk

duty since Bland was found dead in her jail cell, also faces a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Bland’s family. The misdemeanor charge carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.

Encinia, who is white, pulled Bland over on July 10 for making an improper lane change near Prairie View A&M University, her alma mater, where she had just interviewed and accepted a job. Dashcam video from Encinia’s patrol car shows that the traffic stop quickly became confrontational.

At one point, the video shows the trooper holding a stun gun and yelling, “I will light you up!” after Bland refuses to get out of her car. Bland eventually steps out of the vehicle, and Encinia orders her to the side of the road. The confrontation continues off-camera

About two dozen people demonstrate outside the Waller County Courthouse on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Hempstead, Texas. A Texas state trooper was charged with perjury on Wednesday in connection to a contentious traffic stop last summer where a black woman wound up arrested for assault and then died three days later in jail.

(AP Photo/Michael Graczyk)

but is still audible.

Bland’s sister, Shante Needham, has said Bland called

her from jail the next day, saying she’d been arrested but didn’t know why, and

that an officer had placed his knee in her back and injured her arm. q

U.S. NEWS A5

Thursday 7 January 2016

LIFE

is Beautiful

Coffee - Kitchen - Drinks

Chicago-area college professor disputes university accounts SOPHIA TAREEN Associated CHICAGO (AP) — The professor of a Christian college who asserted Christians and Muslims worship the same God said Wednesday that her views are in line with the suburban Chicago college’s mission and disputed university accounts of interactions with administrators who’ve taken steps to fire her.

Larycia Hawkins, who’s Christian, was placed on leave at Wheaton College in December after posting her views on Facebook.

She also wore a headscarf to show solidarity with Muslims. College officials said her views were inconsistent with the college’s “doctrinal convictions.”

On Tuesday, they said she refused to participate in further conversations about theological issues and initiated terminationfor-cause proceedings.

However, Hawkins said she tried to reconcile with university officials during a news conference Wednesday at a downtown Chicago church where she received backing from religious leaders, including the

Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Hawkins, a political science professor, said she met with administrators several times after the Facebook posting and provided statements explaining her beliefs which she said don’t contradict the college’s.

Hawkins said she was told further discussions weren’t required, but college officials then changed their requirements and said she’d have to participate in two years of ongoing conversations during which time her tenure would be revoked.

She said university officials advised her to get an attorney, and the next communication was the notice of termination proceedings.

“The rules changing, the goal post keeps moving.

And I said, ‘I have dignity, I’ve answered your questions and my statement stands,’” she said Wednesday.

She said nothing about her views contradict the college’s statement of faith, which all instructors sign.

Among other things it affirms belief in “one sovereign God,” views on Adam and Eve and the existence of Satan.

Wheaton College professor Larycia Hawkins is joined by Rev. Jesse Jackson during a news conference Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Chicago. Hawkins, who’s Christian, and posted her views on Facebook and wore a headscarf to show solidarity with Muslims, is disputing the university’s account of interactions with administrators who’ve initiated steps to fire her. Suburban Chicago’s Wheaton College initiated the termination-for-cause proceeding against Hawkins on Tuesday, saying she refused to participate in “clarifying conversations” about theological issues.

(AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)

Students, alumni, professors and clergy members from several faiths spoke Wednesday in support of Hawkins, with Jackson comparing her to Rosa Parks. Hawkins, who has been at the university since 2007, detailed her religious upbringing in Oklahoma

as the granddaughter of a pastor.

She reinforced her views, saying that she believed Muslims, Christians and Jews were all “people of the book.” She also alleged that the university’s actions were to “placate platinum donors.”

“Wheaton College cannot scare me into walking away from the truth that all humans, Muslims, the vulnerable, the oppressed of any ilk, are all my sisters and brothers. And I am called by Jesus to walk with them in their oppression,” she said.q

Los Angeles County prosecutors reject Cosby sex charges LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles County prosecutors declined Wednesday to charge Bill Cosby with sexually abusing two teenagers in 1965 and 2008, citing time limits and a lack of evidence.

The decision comes about a week after Cosby, 78, was charged with drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 2004 inside his home near Philadelphia — the first criminal case brought against him out of the torrent of allegations

that destroyed his goodguy image as America’s Dad. His lawyers have called the charges in that case unjustified and said they expected Cosby to be exonerated.

An email to Cosby attorney Monique Pressley seeking comment wasn’t immediately returned Dozens of women have accused Cosby of sex assaults or attempted molestations in incidents dating back more than four decades.

In Los Angeles County, the

district attorney’s office investigated allegations by a woman who said that in 1965, when she was 17 years old, Cosby took her to a jazz club in Hollywood, bought her alcoholic drinks, and took her to a home in the Hollywood Hills where he forced her to have sex.

“Filing the crime of forcible rape is barred by the statute of limitations and as such, any consideration of a criminal filing is prohibited by law,” said comments on a DA’s charge evaluation

worksheet. Charges also were declined in the case of a woman who claimed she attended a party at the Playboy Mansion in the summer of 2008, when she was 18, during which Cosby gave drinks to her and a friend.

The woman claimed she felt dizzy and sick and Cosby offered to take her to lie down in a room where she blacked out. The woman said she awoke naked.

Authorities investigated after model Chloe Goins met

with Los Angeles police detectives in January to detail her allegations. Cosby’s attorney at the time released a statement denying the accusation and saying Cosby was not in Los Angeles at the time.

Investigators found Cosby wasn’t listed as a guest at any 2008 summer events at the mansion and a woman that the alleged victim said was a potential witness denied knowing her or being at the mansion, according to the DA’s worksheet.q

A6 U.S.

Thursday 7 January 2016

NEWS

Gun buyer in San Bernardino attack pleads not guilty AMY TAXIN Associated Press RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — The man who bought the rifles used in the San Bernardino attack pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges in a federal indictment accusing him of conspiring with one of the shooters and of providing material support to terrorists.

Enrique Marquez Jr., 24, appeared in federal court with his hands and feet

shackled. He answered “not guilty” when asked to enter his plea to the fivecount indictment.

A jury trial was scheduled for Feb. 23. Marquez could be sent to prison for as long as 50 years if he’s convicted. His lawyer, Young J. Kim, declined to comment after the arraignment.

According to the FBI, during 10 days of interviews Marquez revealed plots he and his friend, Syed Rizwan

Farook, discussed but never carried out to slaughter students at a community college and murder motorists on a congested freeway.

The Dec. 30 indictment superseded charges he originally faced when arrested two weeks after the Dec. 2 shootings carried out by Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, at a building where Farook’s colleagues from the San Bernardino county health department were

meeting.

The couple killed 14 people and wounded 22 others before being killed hours later in a dramatic shootout with police.

Authorities said Marquez was not involved in the killings, but that his failure to warn authorities about Farook and his purchase of the guns had deadly consequences.

Marquez and Farook were friends who grew up next

door to each other. Farook, 28, introduced Marquez to Islam as a teenager a decade ago and indoctrinated him in violent extremism, according to the FBI. Marquez bought two rifles for Farook in 2011 and 2012 and the two planned to launch bomb and shooting attacks at Riverside City College, where they attended classes, and a notoriously gridlocked section of highway without exits.q

Alleged top Mexican cartel member pleads guilty in Atlanta KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — A former Texas high school football player whom authorities say rose from petty street dealer to the top ranks of a Mexican drug cartel was responsible for sending truckloads of cocaine across the border for distribution in the eastern U.S., prosecutors said.

Edgar Valdez Villarreal, 42, is known as “La Barbie” because of his light eyes and complexion. Mexican police have said they chased him across five Mexican states for a year before they captured him on a ranch outside Mexico City in August 2010. He was among 13 people extradited to the U.S. in September to face charges.

Valdez pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta Wednesday to charges of conspiring to import and distribute cocaine and conspiring to launder money. Prosecutors have

said he was responsible for sending thousands of kilograms of cocaine from

The hearing was held under high security, with at least six armed U.S. mar-

both the United States and Mexico whose lives were affected by his cocaine

In this 2010 photo, Federal Police escort Texas-born fugitive Edgar Valdez Villarreal, center, in Mexico City. Villareal, known as “La Barbie” because of his light eyes and complexion, appeared before a federal judge Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, in Atlanta. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to import and distribute cocaine and conspiring to launder money.

(AP Photo/Alexandre Meneghini)

Mexico for distribution in the eastern U.S. and shipping millions of dollars in cash back to Mexico.

shals in and around the courtroom.

“Valdez’s conviction is a victory for the people in

trafficking, through drug addiction and community decay or through the violence and corruption as-

sociated with the cartel’s daily business,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn, who prosecuted the case.

Buddy Parker, an attorney for Valdez, had no comment after the plea was entered. Valdez’s brother, who attended the hearing, also declined to comment.

Horn said it’s impossible to know exactly how much cocaine Valdez is responsible for sending into the U.S., but he said that during one six-month period in 2005 at least 1,500 kilograms were sent to Atlanta alone. The cocaine was sold on a wholesale basis for between $16,000 and $18,000 per kilogram using a sophisticated network, Horn said.

Valdez was born in the border city of Laredo, Texas, where his father was a nightclub and bar owner.

He grew up in a middleclass subdivision popular with border patrol agents, police officers and firefighters. q

3 convicted in Fort Dix plot want life sentences thrown out MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press CAMDEN, New Jersey (AP) — Three Albanian-born brothers serving life for plotting to kill U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, insist they were barred from testifying at their 2008 terrorism trial and asked a judge Wednesday to throw out their life sentences.

Dritan “Tony” Duka, 37, said his lawyer thought he would come across as a Muslim extremist and therefore didn’t prepare for him

to testify.

“It shouldn’t matter what I believe.

It should matter whether I’m in the conspiracy or not, whether I’m involved in what the government is charging,” Duka said.

Duka and his brothers, Eljvir and Shain Duka, have lost their appeals, but argue in post-conviction petitions that they were denied the right to testify.

Their trial lawyers deny the accusations and are testifying for the government

Wednesday.

Dritan Duka’s trial lawyer, Michael Huff, said he feared his client’s desire to express religious views and his suspicion that the Sept.

11, 2001, terrorist attacks might be “an inside job, in order to persecute Muslims” would prove damaging.

“Within five words, coming out of Mr. Duka’s mouth, he wanted to talk about the anti-Christ,” Huff said, recalling their trial preparations. “I’m not judging

those thoughts, but I would have to think about ... how a jury might perceive those beliefs.

“I think he could have done nothing but hurt himself,” Huff testified.

The Dukas were convicted with two others of plotting an attack at military sites at Fort Dix and elsewhere.

Dozens of supporters gathered in the courtroom and outside the courthouse to support them.

A federal appeals court rejected their appeal and

the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear the case.

The case has been cited

by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican presidential candidate, as one of the two “biggest terrorism cases in the world” during his time as U.S. Attorney. But critics of the case believe an FBI informant entrapped the men and say the sentence reflects overzealous efforts to protect the country after the 2001 terrorist attacks.q

U.S. NEWS A7

Thursday 7 January 2016

US Financial Front:

Survey: Growth at services companies slowed in December

JOSH BOAK AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. services companies grew in December at their slowest pace since early 2014, a private survey found. But the deceleration occurred for a seemingly positive reason: Companies made deliveries faster.

The Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday that its services index dipped to 55.3 last month from 55.9 in November.

The December reading matched the most recent low set in April 2014. Still, any reading above 50 signals that services firms are expanding. “We continue to see strong domestic demand and a robust nonmanufacturing sector as driving U.S. activity,” said Rob Martin, an economist at the bank Barclays. U.S. consumers are becoming financially healthier, likely helping much of the services sector continue its nearly six year rebound after declining sharply during the Great Recession.

Solid hiring over the past year has improved many Americans’ economy security, while low oil and gasoline prices have given family budgets a bit more support.b Unemployment held at a stable 5 percent in November for a second straight month, down from 5.8 percent a year earlier.

Employers have added 2.6 million jobs over the past 12 months, with nearly 90 percent of the jobs coming from the services sector as auto sales have hit record highs and spending at restaurants has surged.

Consumers have also been helped by gas costing an average of $1.99 a gallon, a 9.5 percent decline from a year ago. The Energy

Department estimated in December that U.S. households saved an average of $660 on gas last year.

The services index dropped despite faster growth last month for business activity, new orders and employment. What caused the index to fall was a decline in supplier deliveries. It fell to 48.5, signaling contraction. But the reason for that decline stems from how the index is calculated: It assumes that rising demand should cause supplier deliveries to slow and companies to commit more resources. Last month, though, deliveries were completed at a quicker pace, thereby causing the supplier deliveries portion of the index to fall.

The ISM is a trade group of purchasing managers. Its services survey covers businesses that employ the vast majority of workers, including retail, construction, health care and financial services companies. Still, the U.S. economy faces headwinds abroad that have slowed growth. China is settling uneasily into a slowdown, while European growth has been grinding away and emerging economies such as Brazil and Russia are confronting severe downturn.

Chinese consumers are especially struggling. A services index for China, the Caixin/Markit Purchasing Manager’s Index, dipped to a 17-month low of 50.2 in December. But factory activity is suffering the most from the worldwide turmoil. U.S. manufacturers contracted in December as new orders and hiring prospects dimmed, the ISM said Monday. Its index of factory activity fell to 48.2 from 48.6 in November.q

Collett Elkhouria makes a chicken salad sandwich the Superior Restaurant in Cleveland. The Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday that its services index dipped to 55.3 last month from 55.9 in November. The December reading matched the most recent low set in April 2014.

(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)

WORLD NEWS Iraq offers to mediate between Saudi Arabia, Iran A8

Thursday 7 January 2016

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, right, and his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jafari depart after their joint press conference in Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. al-Jaafari proposed mediation during a news conference in Tehran, but also referred to the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as a “crime.”

(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

ALI AKBAR DAREINI JON GAMBRELL Associated Press TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iraq on Wednesday offered to mediate between Saudi Arabia and Iran after tensions soared following the kingdom’s execution of a Shiite cleric and attacks on two Saudi diplomatic posts in the Islamic Republic.

The standoff has seen Saudi Arabia sever diplomatic ties with its longtime regional rival and could hinder efforts to resolve the conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where Riyadh and Tehran back opposite sides, as well as affect the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari proposed

mediation during a news conference in Tehran, but also referred to the execution of Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr as a “crime.” Saudi Arabia and its allies say al-Nimr was found guilty of terrorism charges, and that condemnations of the execution amount to meddling in Riyadh’s internal affairs.

Iraq has undertaken a deli-

cate balancing act amid the latest regional turmoil.

The Shiite-led government in Baghdad relies on Iranian help to battle the extremist Islamic State group, but is also trying to repair ties to oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which last week sent an ambassador to Baghdad for the first time in 25 years.

Speaking alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, al-Jaafari said Iraq’s place in the heart of the Middle East allows it to play a role in trying to “alleviate tensions.”

“This responsibility has been given to us and we have been active from the early moments to lessen tensions to prevent a disaster from happening that could affect the entire region,” he said. Back in Iraq, however, thousands of Iranian-backed Shiite militiamen marched in Baghdad and across the south to protest the execution of al-Nimr. Qais al-Khazali, the head of the powerful Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, gave a speech in the southern city of Basra in which he called on Baghdad to cut diplomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, expel the newly arrived ambassador and

IS steps up assault on west Iraqi town after losses SUSANNAH GEORGE Associated Press BAGHDAD (AP) — The Islamic State group has stepped up attacks on the western Iraqi town of Haditha, where at least 45 Iraqi security forces and Sunni tribal fighters have been killed in clashes over

the past three days and another 30 wounded, according to Iraqi officials.

The attacks come after Iraqi forces aided by U.S.led airstrikes drove IS militants out of the city center of Ramadi, the capital of the sprawling Anbar province west of Baghdad. Fol-

lowing that victory a week ago, U.S. officials said the extremist group has lost 40 percent of its territory in Iraq and 20 percent in Syria.

Coalition officials briefing journalists on Wednesday described a multi-pronged attack on Haditha beginning early this week. IS sui-

cide attackers driving cars loaded with explosives approached the town from three fronts, while other militants fired mortar rounds at the nearby al-Asad air base, home to some 450 foreign coalition forces, none of whom were wounded in the attack.q

boycott Saudi goods.

Russia also has offered itself as a potential mediator, though it’s unclear whether Saudi or Iranian officials have responded to the proposal. Zarif, meanwhile, blamed Saudi Arabia for exacerbating the situation.

“We have treated these actions with magnanimity and nobleness but unfortunately our neighbor, Saudi Arabia, did not respond to it properly,” he said. “The process of provoking tension must be stopped.”

The diplomatic standoff between Iran and Saudi Arabia began Saturday, when the kingdom executed al-Nimr and 46 others convicted of terror charges — the largest mass execution it has carried out since 1980. Iranian protesters responded by attacking the Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad. Late Sunday, Saudi Arabia announced it was severing relations with Iran because of the assaults. On Wednesday, Iranian diplomats in Saudi Arabia returned to Tehran, according to state media.

Since Saudi Arabia severed ties to Iran, a host of its allies have cut or reduced their ties as well. Among those is Bahrain, which said Wednesday it had broken up a Shiite militant group backed by the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Bahrain’s Interior Ministry accused the suspects of receiving $20,000 from Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, and of having links to those behind a July 2015 bombing that killed two police officersq

WORLD NEWS 9

Thursday 7 January 2016

Germany: nearly 1 million migrants arrived last year GEIR MOULSON Associated Press BERLIN (AP) — Nearly 1.1 million people were registered as asylum-seekers in Germany last year, more than 400,000 of them from Syria, the government said Wednesday. The Interior Ministry said that 1,091,894 people in total were registered between January and December. Syrians were by far the biggest single group, accounting for 428,468 people.

They were followed by Afghans, 154,046 of whom were registered, and 121,662 Iraqis.

Germany has seen more refugees and other migrants arrive than any other European country.

In the early part of 2015, that included large numbers of people from Balkan countries who have very little chance of winning asylum. The fourth- and fifth-biggest groups of asylum-seekers last year came from Albania and Kosovo.

The influx was slower in December than in previous months, with 127,320 people arriving — down from 206,101 in November.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said that was largely because of stormy weather in the Mediterranean Sea. The total tally of registered asylum-seekers includes an as-yet undetermined number of people who were registered twice at different locations or continued to Scandinavia or elsewhere, de Maiziere said.

He added that the number of people who actually sought asylum will only become clear as applications come in — “it is under 1 million, but how far under 1 million can only be said in the course of 2016.”q

Spain: US couple detained after child’s body found HAROLD HECKLE Associated Press MADRID (AP) — An American couple has been arrested in Spain on suspicion of reckless homicide after the badly decomposed body of a child was found at their family home in the northeastern city of Girona, police said Wednesday.

A 39-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman with American citizenship are in detention waiting to be

questioned by an investigating magistrate, according to a police statement.

The arrest was made Tuesday at the couple’s twostory apartment where they lived with their three children, police said.

The father is an engineer, but it wasn’t immediately clear what part of the U.S. the family came from or how long they had been living in Spain, police said.

The child’s body was found

lying on a bed, under several blankets, police said.

They said an autopsy had been ordered, but didn’t say how old the child was.

Officers were called to the building by the apartment’s owner who had gone to collect unpaid rent but detected loud noises inside and was denied access, news agency Europa Press said, citing police sources.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that it

was aware of the arrests and provides assistance to Americans detained while abroad but declined further comment, citing the Privacy Act that provides safeguards against invasion of personal privacy through the misuse of records by federal agencies.

Police said the investigation to determine the circumstances of the child’s death is ongoing.q

Leader of Britain’s divided Labour Party fires party rebels

Britain’s Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn leaves his home in London to attend a debate in Parliament. Early Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 Corbyn moved defense spokeswoman Maria Eagle, who opposed him on nuclear weapons, to another post, and fired two other members of his frontbench team who had criticized him.

(AP Photo/Tim Ireland)

JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The role of an opposition should be to challenge the government, but Britain’s Labour Party has begun the new year at war with itself.

Leader Jeremy Corbyn rearranged his top team Wednesday in a bid to assert his authority over restive lawmakers — only for several Labour legislators to

resign their leadership positions in protest.

The veteran left-winger was the surprise winner of Labour’s leadership election last year, strongly supported by the party’s membership but opposed by most Labour lawmakers.

He has clashed with centrist Labour legislators over issues including his opposition to nuclear weapons and to British airstrikes on IS

targets in Syria.

Early Wednesday, Corbyn moved defense spokeswoman Maria Eagle, who opposed him on nuclear weapons, to another post, and fired two other members of his top team who had criticized him.

Three other members of Labour’s shadow government — railway spokesman Jonathan Reynolds, junior foreign affairs spokesman

Stephen Doughty and armed forces spokesman Kevan Jones — later quit, citing differences with Corbyn and the treatment of their colleagues.

Jones said Corbyn was running the party in a “very top-down” way.

“If you agree with the leader, that’s fine, if you don’t then there is no entering into discussions,” he told the BBC. Corbyn’s changes — dubbed a “revenge reshuffle” in the press — were announced after two days of closeddoor meetings, and were more limited than many had anticipated. Corbyn did not move foreign policy spokesman Hilary Benn, who publicly opposed his leader during a House of Commons debate on Syria airstrikes last month. While Corbyn opposed the strikes as “reckless,” Benn argued Britain should play its part in defeating Islamic State group “fascists.” More resignations could follow as Labour struggles to remain united. Corbyn has promised a new style of politics to re-energize a party that has lost two consecutive elections to prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservatives, most recently in May.q

A10 WORLD

Thursday 7 January 2016

NEWS

Thai police arrest British man in child pornography case BANGKOK (AP) — Thai police, acting on a U.S. tip about child pornography uploads, arrested a British man Wednesday in a northern province where another Westerner was arrested weeks earlier in a similar case.

Department of Special Investigation Lt. Col. Paisith Sungkahapong said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security informed the

Thai agency in November that images were being uploaded and sent from a specific Internet address.

The uploads were traced

by The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a non-profit group funded by the U.S. government.

Police arrested Fabian Frederick Blandford, 64, at his home in Chiang Mai province, where he lives

with his Thai wife and two children.

“With a court warrant, DSI searched this man’s house in Chiang Mai this morning and found a lot of such images, some were taken by himself and some were downloaded. The man admits that the images belong to him,” said Paisith.

He said that according to an initial investigation, Blandford was friendly with

his Thai neighbors. Police said he offered to teach English to local children.

Thai newspapers said he had once been a Buddhist monk.

Blandford is being held pending formal charges.

Under a Thai law that came into force last month, possession of child pornography carries a penalty of up to five years in prison, and distribution of the images

carries a penalty of seven years.

Thailand and other parts of Southeast Asia are attractive destinations for sex offenders because of lax law enforcement despite periodic crackdowns.

A 67-year-old American, James Craig Neumann, was arrested on similar charges last month in a different district of Chiang Mai. q

Cologne divided over who to blame for New Year’s assaults

FRANK JORDANS Associated Press COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — Amid widespread shock over a string of sexual assaults in this cosmopolitan German city on New Year’s Eve, the response was divided Wednesday: blame the police or chide the victims, deport criminal foreigners or prevent migrants from entering the country in the first place.

The reaction in Cologne reflects a broader debate as Germany struggles to reconcile law and order with its new-found role as a haven for those seeking a better life.

Police descriptions of the perpetrators as of “Arab or North African origin” were seized on by those calling for an end to Chancellor Angela Merkel’s opendoor policy toward people fleeing violence and persecution — even as authorities warned they don’t know if any of the culprits are refugees. Adding to the controversy were re-

26-year-old student Antonia Rabente a Cologne resident who was not among the victims, attends an interview with The Associated Press in front of the main station in Cologne, Western Germany, on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016 where she spoke about the attacks during the New Year’s celebrations.

(AP Photo/Hermann J. Knippertz)

marks by Cologne’s mayor, Henriette Reker, suggesting that women can protect themselves from strange men on the streets by keeping them “more than an arm’s length” away —

words that were widely ridiculed on social media Wednesday for putting the onus on the victims.

At least 106 women have come forward to file criminal complaints of sexual

assault and robbery during the New Year’s Eve festivities, authorities said, including two accounts of rape.

The attacks were seized on by opponents of Germany’s welcoming stance toward those fleeing conflict.

“This is where Merkel’s irresponsible immigration policy will lead us,” declared Thorsten Craemer of the far-right fringe party ProNRW, which staged a small rally in front of Cologne’s main train station, the site of the attacks.

“There will be battles for resources, confrontations far worse than what we’ve experienced on New Year’s Eve.” His fellow activists — fewer than 10 in total — were far outnumbered by counterdemonstrators shouting them down with slogans such as “East or West, down with the Nazi plague.”

Among the counter-protesters was Antonia Rabente, a 26-year-old student and union activist who expressed anguish at the as-

saults.

“On the one hand there’s a feeling that what happened is wrong and many people are concerned about this. But where people are split is in how to respond,” she said. “I think it’s important to keep the focus on the women who were affected. They (mustn’t be) misused for attacks on the right to asylum.”

Germany was one of the few European countries to welcome the influx of refugees last year. Many Germans cheered as weary Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis stepped off trains in Munich, Frankfurt and Hamburg last summer and tens of thousands have volunteered to help the new arrivals. That euphoria has given way to the realization that integrating the nearly 1.1 million people who came to Germany last year will be a long and difficult task, even as many Germans have been heartened by Merkel’s mantra, “We can do this.” q

Filipinos raped by Japan WWII troops demand compensation TERESA CEROJANO Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A group of elderly Filipino women raped by Japanese troops during World War II called for compensation from Japan on Wednesday, following Tokyo’s pledge of $8.3 million for South Korean women forced into Japanese military-run brothels during the war.

The women’s lawyers said they were also exploring the possibility of filing cases

with United Nations bodies and holding Philippine President Benigno Aquino III liable for allegedly failing to support the case of the women against Japan.

Isabelita Vinuya, the 84-year-old president of Malaya Lolas — a group of Filipino women abducted and raped by Japanese troops in their village — urged the Philippine government to support their demand for justice from Japan.

“We have appealed more

than once or twice to our government to help us, support us before Japan so that we can be given justice for the sufferings we went through during World War II,” Vinuya said at a news conference, adding that many of the women have died without seeing justice. Japan and South Korea announced last week that they had settled their decades-long standoff over wartime sex slaves, with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

apologizing and agreeing to contribute 1 billion yen ($8.3 million) for a foundation to help support the victims. Historians say tens of thousands of women from around Asia were sent to front-line military brothels to provide sex to Japanese soldiers. “Is there a difference in the rape of a South Korean and a Filipino woman?” Harry Roque, the Filipino victims’ lawyer, said at Wednesday’s news conference. “The answer is there should be none, because

rape is a crime against women and is prohibited by international humanitarian law and is recognized as an international crime.”

He noted that South Korea’s Supreme Court had ordered the government to fight for the rights of the Korean victims, but that the Philippines’ top court dismissed in 2010 a case filed

by Vinuya and 70 other women urging the court to compel the government to press their claims against Japan.q

WORLD NEWS A11

Thursday 7 January 2016

Venezuela President Maduro is expected to reshuffle cabinet CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro is expected to make economic announcements and reshuffle his cabinet Wednesday after declaring that the country faces a new political reality now that the opposition has taken control of congress for the first time in more than a decade.

Maduro said Tuesday night that he would make cabinet appointments to help protect the revolution in a new political era.

The socialist president asked his top ministers to resign after the party suffered crushing losses in Dec. 6 legislative elections.

Venezuela’s opposition took control of the National Assembly on Tuesday and top leaders have promised to remove Maduro from office within six months.

Maduro has juggled his cabinet several times since taking office in 2013, as the economy has deteriorated. Venezuela is now grappling with triple-digit inflation and the world’s worst recession, in addition to chronic shortages that compel people to spend their days waiting in food lines. All eyes will be on the military’s future participation in the cabinet amid speculation that the armed forces, where lower-ranked officers are also suffering through the economic crisis, may try to soften its strident support for the government and curry favor with the strengthening opposition.

Officers have taken a more active role in civil institutions during the socialist revolution initiated by late President Hugo Chavez.

Current and retired military officers control about a third of the country’s top ministries. q

Study:

Mexico violence caused drop in male life expectancy

MARK STEVENSON Associated Press MEXICO CITY (AP) — A new study suggests that Mexico’s drug violence was so bad at its peak that it apparently caused the nation’s male life expectancy to drop by several months.

Experts say the violence from 2005-2010 partly reversed decades of steady gains, noting that homicide rates increased from 9.5 homicides per 100,000 people in 2005 to more than 22 in 2010. That has since declined to about 16 per 100,000 in 2014.

The study published Tuesday in the American journal Health Affairs says “the increase in homicides is at the heart” of the phenomenon, though deaths due to diabetes may have also played a role.

“The unprecedented rise in homicides after 2005 led to a reversal in life expectancy increases among males and a slowdown among females in most states,” according to the study, published by Jose Manuel Aburto of the European Doctoral School of Demography, UCLA’s Hiram Beltran-Sanchez and two other authors.

The study’s authors found that life expectancy for males in Mexico dropped

Mourners carry the coffin of slain mayor of Temixco, Gisela Mota, to the cemetery in Pueblo Viejo, Mexico. A new study suggests that Mexico’s drug violence was so bad that it caused the nation’s male life expectancy to drop.

(AP Photo/Tony Rivera)

by about six-tenths of a year from 2000-2010.

Men lived an average of 71 years in 2010, a figure that edged up to around 72 years by 2014. Figures published by Mexico’s National Statistics Institute showed a life expectancy of 70.9 years in 2000.

The study found that in five of Mexico’s violenceplagued states — Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Durango, Guerrero, and Nayarit

— men lost an average of one year of life expectancy between 2005 and 2010, while in the border state of Chihuahua alone, the loss added up to a startling three years.

“The mortality rate for males ages 20-39 in Chihuahua in the period 200510 reached unprecedented levels,” the study noted.

“It was about 3.1 times higher than the mortality rate of US troops in Iraq

between March 2003 and November 2006.”

By 2010, two-thirds of Mexican states had lower life expectancies than they did in 2000, despite improvements in some health care programs. The decline largely occurred from 2005-2010. Mexico’s offensive against drug cartels started in 2006. The study found men were ten times more likely than women to be killed in the violence, which was dominated by executions, shootouts and turf battles carried out by Mexican drug cartels.

Juan Eugenio Hernandez, an epidemiologist at Mexico’s Center for Information on Public Health Decisions, noted it was the first time life expectancy in Mexico had declined since the country’s 1910-1917 revolution. Hernandez, who was not involved in the Health Affairs study, wrote that “indeed, violence has had a big impact on life expectancy ... mainly in the male population in several northern Mexico states and in Michoacan,” a state located in western Mexico.

He said researchers had warned the violence would impact longevity rates, which he said “haven’t diminished since the Mexican Revolution.” q

US issues alert for Bahamas after sexual assaults NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — A crime warning issued this week by the U.S. Embassy in the Bahamas has singled out operators of personal watercraft or jet skis.

The embassy issued the alert following the sexual assault of a U.S. citizen by a man on one of the watercraft on Cabbage Beach.

The Royal Bahamas Police

Force said a 26-year-old man was taken into custody as a suspect in the Jan. 2 attack.

The embassy said there had been five sexual assaults of U.S. citizens by jet-ski operators in Nassau since July. The embassy banned its staff from using jet-ski rental companies because of insufficient regula-

tion. It recommended U.S. citizens not use them either.

The Bahamas Ministry of Transport said in response to the warning that the suspect in the most recent incident was not a licensed commercial operator and not involved in the rental industry. It noted in a statement that all jet ski operators are subjected to “full

vetting” by police but added that “despite our efforts, challenges do remain.”

Ministry officials planned to discuss the issue with operators and business owners Wednesday.

The embassy expressed similar concerns last year about jet-ski operators as well as rising crime in general in the Bahamas.q

A12 WORLD

Thursday 7 January 2016

NEWS

Epiphany celebrated in Orthodox Christian, Catholic nations SUZAN FRASER Associated Press ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Wednesday is Epiphany, a major holiday in much of Orthodox Christianity celebrating the birth and baptism of Jesus. Religious services are held as well as Blessing of Water ceremo-

The main ceremony was held at the country’s largest port of Piraeus, near Athens, but left-wing Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attended a smaller ceremony in the Greek capital following a spat with traditionalists in the Orthodox Church who vehemently opposed

eastern Mediterranean as about 20 daring swimmers dashed into the sea to retrieve it. The ritual is called the Blessing of the Water and symbolizes Jesus’ baptism in River Jordan.

Organizer Pavlos Iacovou told The Associated Press that several Turkish Cypri-

hearts these days are seeking sure answers to life’s questions but don’t find them.

Francis has voiced this reflection during Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Wednesday to mark Epiphany, which recalls the Gospel account of the Three Kings, or Magi,

who followed a star to find baby Jesus in Bethlehem.

The pontiff said: “Like the Magi, countless people in our day have a ‘restless heart’ which continues to search without finding sure answers.”

RUSSIA This will be the first time since 1928 that a Christmas Eve Mass has been held in the world’s largest Orthodox basilica, the St. Isaac’s Cathedral in St. Petersburg.

The landmark 19th Century cathedral was turned into a museum under the officially atheist Soviet regime; after the USSR’s collapse in 1991 it remained as a museum, but the Russian Orthodox church has used it periodically for services.

TURKEY Members of Istanbul’s tiny Greek Orthodox community, visitors from neighboring Greece and other faithful attended an Epiphany service led by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, the spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians in Istanbul, where the Patriarchate is based.

A group of faithful leaped into the frigid waters of the Golden Horn inlet to retrieve a wooden cross

BULGARIA Thousands of young men waded into icy waters in Bulgaria to retrieve crucifixes cast on the waters by priests. By tradition, the person who retrieves it will be healthy and freed from evil spirits all year. After the cross is fished out, the priest takes a bunch of dried basil to sprinkle water over believers. In some villages, men dipped into a local river and danced the horo, a traditional dance. q

Swimmers jump into the water to race to retrieve a wooden cross which was thrown into the waters by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I during a ceremony to bless the water at the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. The traditional ceremony marks the Epithany in Istanbul when Bartholomew I or an Orthodox priest throws a simple wooden cross into the water and swimmers race to be the first to retrieve it.

(AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

nies at lakes, rivers and seafronts.

But in Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and other Orthodox countries that observe a different religious calendar, it is Christmas Eve. Roman Catholics and Protestants, meanwhile, celebrate the story of the Wise Men who followed a star to Jesus’ cradle.

Here’s a look at some celebrations that took place on Wednesday: GREECE Ceremonies were held across the country, with divers jumping from piers, bridges and tug boats.

School children and members of the country’s navy special forces also took part.

a recent law sanctioning same sex-civil partnerships.

Bishop Serapheim of Piraeus described the law an “insult to human identity” and “psychiatric deviation from healthy sexuality.”

CYPRUS More than 1,000 Orthodox Christian faithful attended the annual Epiphany Day blessing of the waters in Famagusta in Cyprus’ breakaway Turkish Cypriot north. It was the first time the ceremony has taken place since 1974 when Turkey invaded after a coup aiming at union with Greece divided the island.

In keeping with tradition, Archimandrite Avgoustinos Karras hurled a silver cross into the cold waters of the

ots also attended Wednesday’s ceremony.

Acting as the backdrop to the ceremony was the Turkish military-controlled suburb of Varosha that has remained a virtual ghost town for 42 years, ensconced in a chain-link fence that keeps everyone out.

The ceremony was the latest in a number of recent, faith-oriented acts of rapprochement between the island’s majority Orthodox Christian, Greek-speaking and the Muslim, Turkish speaking populations. They aim to underscore that religion doesn’t drive a wedge between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

VATICAN Pope Francis says restless

thrown by Bartholomew.

Nicolaos Silos, a 28-yearold visitor from Greece, was the first to reach it.

A ceremony to bless the waters was also held in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city. It was the first “official” Epiphany ceremony there since the end of a GreekTurkey war nearly a century ago that triggered a population exchange between Greece and Turkey. Although the Greek Consulate in Izmir had organized a ceremony 2006, it was the first time the Turkish government both approved and helped to organize it.

“It’s a historic day here and we’re grateful to the local authorities and to the Patriarchate ... for making this happen,” Tina Samoglu, secretary of the Izmir Orthodox Community told Greek state TV. “I feel very proud and I’m filled with emotion.”

The patriarchate in Istanbul dates from the 1,100-yearold Orthodox Greek Byzantine Empire, which collapsed when the Muslim Ottoman Turks conquered Constantinople, today’s Istanbul, in 1453.

LOCAL A13

Thursday 7 January 2016

Together with the entire family:

Bernice MacQueen Celebrates Her Magical 80th Birthday on Aruba!

PALM BEACH - From 18 days to 80 years old, the whole MacQueen family came together last week and this week to celebrate the special occasion of Bernice MacQueen’s 80th Birthday on Aruba!

Bernice and her family

have been coming to the island for over 20 years and every year Bernice spends her birthday here on Aruba enjoying our beautiful beaches and warm hospitality! Bernice and her late husband Robert were even honored as Goodwill Am-

bassadors to Aruba 4 years ago for visiting the island for 20 consecutive years!

The family is once again enjoying their stay at the fabulous Marriott Ocean Club, where their warm breezy days and nights are the total Caribbean experience!

Happy Birthday Bernice!

-Photos by Robert Arenz Photographyq

A14 LOCAL

Thursday 7 January 2016

Hilton Aruba Sponsors Birdlife Conservation Calendar 2016

PALM BEACH - Hilton Aruba Caribbean Resort & Casino is the new sponsor of Aruba Birdlife Conservation calendar 2016.Greg and Albert Peterson received the first samples of the 2016 bird calendar from General Manager Olivier Maumaire. The calendars are of a high end quality and were printed in Miami.

They are on their way to Aruba and will soon be made available to the many nature lovers in Aruba.

Greg Peterson is very happy with the new sponsor and the quality of the calendars. It is wonderful to see the Hilton Aruba Caribbean step up to the plate to show their support for nature

awareness and conservation in Aruba.

Photo from right to left: Jaap van Dam (Director of Operations), Albert Peterson (Aruba Birdlife Conservation), Frances Archilla (Director of F&B), Olivier Maumaire (General Manager) and Greg Peterson (Aruba Birdlife Conservation).q

LOCAL A15

Thursday 7 January 2016

Loyal Guests Honored by the Aruba Tourism Authority

PALM BEACH - Recently the Aruba Tourism Authority honored Mrs. Katrina Forrester of Yorktown, Virginia, as a Distinguished Visitor of Aruba as a token of appreciation for visiting the island for more than 10 consecu-

tive years.

Ms. Darline S. de Cuba representing the Aruba Tourism Authority, Visitors Care Liaison, bestowed the certificate of Distinguished Visitor to the honoree on behalf of the Government of

Aruba.

Ms. De Cuba thanked them for choosing Aruba as their vacation destination and as their home away from home for so many years.

Katrina stated that her main reasons for returning

to Aruba are the weather, the restaurants, the safety, and of course most of all, the people.

Representatives of ‘First Club Guest Service’ were present at the ceremony and handed out some

nice gifts to the honoree and also thanked them on behalf of the Occidental Beach Resort.

Additional congratulations go to Mr. and Mrs. Forrester for getting married on Aruba!q

A16 LOCAL

Thursday 7 January 2016

Support Aramis and Friends at the Donkey Sanctuary Aruba!

ORANJESTAD - We would like to introduce Aramis to you, one of the donkeys that has found a home at the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary. We have never seen a donkey that was so easily accepted by the herd as Aramis. Normally it takes quite a while before the herd accepts a newcomer, but with Aramis and his friend Ninja it went without a hitch. We only separated them for one night, but one noticed that the herd was not opposed to this gorgeous, dark grey donkey.

So put into the herd, and loving every moment at the Aruba Donkey Sanctuary. Aramis can look forward to staying a long, long time with us, as he is just four years old.

This beautiful donkey has been provided with a chip, just like all the other donkeys. On the chip is information about the donkey and its medical history. The

donkeys at the sanctuary have a lot of friends with whom they can play all day long. And they love living there: they are wellcared for, they are fed and watered and when they are sick the vet is called.

Yes, they are expensive

customers for the sanctuary.

The volunteers are trying to cover the various costs with all kinds of activities and the sale of great donkey memorabilia in the shop. Fortunately, there are also visitors who wish to

adopt a donkey, who buy something at the donkey shop or who make a donation. Thus they help support us. Everyone is welcome to visit the sanctuary, which has opening hours from 9 am until 4 pm and in the weekend from 10 am until

3. Entry is free of charge and one can enjoy a soft drink, a cup of coffee or a refreshing ice cream.

The volunteers of the sanctuary are hoping that somebody will adopt this friendly, lovely donkey.

Of course the donkey will keep on living at the sanctuary; you only need to pay AWG. 30,-- per month for the donkey’s keep.

With this amount you help support the sanctuary as well as your own donkey.

And you will receive a beautiful certificate and a super T-shirt and your name and photo will be posted on our website. So please call the sanctuary at 593-2933; you can also register via the website www.arubandonkey.org or donate money on bank account number 40.03.025 at the Aruba Bank! Just do it! Would you like to follow the donkeys on Facebook: surf to Donkey Sanctuary Aruba please.q

SPORTS A17

Thursday 7 January 2016

Oh Man

Everton Beats Man City 2-1 in 1st Leg of League Cup Semi Everton’s Seamus Coleman, right, fights for the ball against Manchester City’s Gael Clichy during their English League Cup semi final first leg soccer match between Everton and Manchester City at Goodison Park Stadium, Liverpool, England, Wednesday Jan. 6, 2016.

(AP Photo/Jon Super)

STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — A Merseyside derby in the English League Cup final was closer to reality after Everton beat Manchester City 2-1 in the first leg of their semifinal on Wednesday, with in-form Romelu Lukaku grabbing the winner.

Lukaku scored his 19th goal of the season when he headed home late at Goodison Park, giving Everton a deserved lead to take to City for the second leg on Jan. 27.

Liverpool, Everton’s close neighbor and biggest rival, leads Stoke 1-0 after the first leg of the other semifi-

nal. The Merseyside clubs met in the 1984 final, which Liverpool won, during a period in which they were the dominant teams in the country.

There are still 90 minutes to go in both matchups — the second legs are in three weeks — but Everton manager Roberto Martinez said his team will take confidence from the manner of this victory, outplaying City at times.

Ramiro Funes Mori put Everton ahead in first-half injury time, steering home a rebound from close range after Ross Barkley’s shot was parried out, and the hosts were pressing for a second goal — perhaps over-zeal-

ously — when City equalized on a counterattack in the 76th. Sergio Aguero controlled a long clearance forward and had only two defenders in front of him on the halfway line.

The striker laid in a perfectly weighted pass for substitute Jesus Navas, who had sprinted upfield in support and met the ball with a first-time diagonal shot past goalkeeper Joel Robles.

But two minutes later Lukaku had the final say. He has failed to score in only two of his last 12 games in all competitions, making him arguably the most lethal striker in English football at the moment.

“I have always thought

Romelu Lukaku is the perfect striker for our team,” Martinez said. “He wants to be the best in the world ... it’s a joy to see him enjoying his football and scoring goals.”

Lukaku hobbled off with a minor ankle injury soon after scoring, one of three Everton players to go off in the second half as England’s hectic schedule during and after Christmas continues to take its toll.

Seamus Coleman and Tom Cleverley had more serious calf injuries.

City started brightly but often looked sluggish, with Barkley finding plenty of space between City’s defense and midfield to insti-

gate attacks. Gareth Barry performed an admirable job as Everton’s holding midfielder and provided the assist for Lukaku, leading Martinez to describe him as “one of the best English players ever.”

City got 90 minutes out of Aguero as he battles back to full fitness — and he wasted City’s best chances aside from the goal — but lost center back Eliaquim Mangala to a hamstring injury. With Vincent Kompany also out, City is short of cover in central defense.

Everton has never won the League Cup, losing the final in 1977 and ‘84. City has won it three times, most recently in 2014.q

A18 SPORTS

Thursday 7 January 2016

Spanish Roundup:

Messi scores 2 & sets up 2, Barca beats Espanyol 4-1 in Copa JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi scored two goals and set up two more to lead Barcelona’s 4-1 win over crosstown rival Espanyol, which finished a hot-tempered Copa del Rey clash with nine men on Wednesday.

Felipe Caicedo grabbed Espanyol a ninth-minute lead at Camp Nou, but Messi hit right back four minutes later.

The star forward put the hosts ahead with an unstoppable free kick just before halftime, and assisted Gerard Pique soon after the interval.

Messi then set up Neymar for the fourth goal after Espanyol’s Hernan Perez and Papakouly Diop were sent off, and Caicedo and Marco Asensio were lost to injury.

Espanyol, which held Barcelona to 0-0 in the Spanish league on Saturday, will have the return leg of the round-of-16 tie at its stadium next week.

Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao,

FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, center left, duels for the ball against Espanyol’s Victor Alvarez and goalkeeper Pau Lopez, left, during a Copa del Rey soccer match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.

(AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

last year’s finalist to Barcelona, scored three times in the second half to erase a two-goal deficit and beat Villarreal 3-2, while Valencia, Sevilla, and Deportivo La Coruna got positive results.

Arda Turan and Aleix Vidal, used as a substitute, debuted for Barcelona, after the club finished its ban on new players during 2015 for breaking FIFA’s rules regarding the transfer for youth players.

Espanyol found its opener when Caicedo used an

excellent first touch before slotting in a ball he received from Asensio, who started a counterattack by intercepting Dani Alves’ pass.

But Messi quickly responded when he caught Espanyol’s defense off-balance after Andres Iniesta played him forward to beat goalkeeper Pau Lopez.

Caicedo went down holding his left thigh near halftime, but the visitors’ defense held firm until Messi sent his free kick streaking in off the underside of the

crossbar.

Espanyol’s hopes took another blow when Asensio was substituted after he apparently picked up an injury during the halftime warm-ups.

It was all Barcelona the rest of the way, as Messi set up Pique to tap in his goal after Iniesta’s incisive pass started the move.

Tempers flared as the game dragged on, with Messi, Neymar, and Suarez receiving yellow cards, along with eight for Espanyol.

Perez’s second booking was followed by Diop seeing red for something he apparently said to Suarez in the 75th. The undermanned Espanyol resisted until Messi flipped the ball forward for Neymar to put in.

Bilbao fell behind at home after Villarreal scored twice on counterattacks, finished off by Leo Baptistao and Samuel Garcia. But Benat Etxebarria set up Inaki Williams to pull one back, striker Aritz Aduriz soon leveled, and Aymeric Laporte completed the comeback in the 81st.

“It’s a deceptive result,” said Aduriz, who scored his 22nd goal in 30 games across all competitions. “It looks like we won, but it is going to be very tough to make it hold up at their ground.”

Gary Neville also got his first win as Valencia coach over a topflight team after Alvaro Negredo scored a hat trick in a 4-0 rout of Granada.

Valencia is still without a win through four Spanish league matches under Neville, and had previously beaten only a third-division team in the cup since the former Manchester United player took charge.

Sevilla took a 2-0 lead from its victory at Real Betis in a one-sided Seville derby, while Deportivo La Coruna needed defender Alberto Lopo to head in a late equalizer to claim an away-goal advantage from its 1-1 draw at seconddivision club Mirandes.

Atletico Madrid visited crosstown rival Rayo Vallecano late.q

Italian Roundup:

Dybala performs like Pirlo as Juventus wins 8th straight

ANDREW DAMPF AP Sports Writer ROME (AP) — With Paulo Dybala performing like Andrea Pirlo, Juventus picked up right where it left off before the holiday break.

Dybala scored with a curling free kick and also set up a goal as Juventus swept aside last-place Hellas Verona 3-0 for its eighth straight win in Serie A on Wednesday.

Leonardo Bonucci and Simone Zaza also scored for the four-time defending champion, which hadn’t played in 17 days.

“The lads did well to get right back into the league, which is never easy after the holidays,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said.

“We weren’t very sharp, especially at the start, but we didn’t concede anything.”

Juventus remained three points behind leader Inter

Milan, which won 1-0 at Empoli with a first-half goal from Mauro Icardi.

Second-place Fiorentina was one point off the lead following a 3-1 win at Palermo, where Josip Ilicic scored twice.

Napoli was third, level on points with Fiorentina, after beating Torino 2-1 with goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik.

Also, Roma wasted a twogoal lead in a 3-3 draw at Chievo Verona to remain fifth.

With Mario Balotelli still recovering from pelvis surgery, AC Milan was beaten 1-0 at home by Bologna, which got a late winner from Emanuele Giaccherini.

Elsewhere, it was: Lazio 0, Carpi 0; Sassuolo 2, Frosinone 2; and Udinese 2, Atalanta 1.

In Turin, Dybala put Juven-

Inter’s Mauro Icardi vies for the ball during an Italian Serie A soccer match between Empoli and Inter Milan, in Empoli, Italy, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016.

(AP Photo/Paolo Lazzeroni)

tus in front with an accurate free kick eight minutes in, and Bonucci doubled the lead before halftime by redirecting a free kick from Dybala with a header. “(Dybala) has been practicing free kicks,” Allegri said. “Being able to open

up matches with a free kick is very important after a break of more than two weeks.”

Zaza sealed it for Juventus after being set up by Paul Pogba eight minutes from the end.

After starting the season

by winning only three of its opening 10 matches, Juventus appears on course for a fifth consecutive title.

While the Bianconeri struggled to overcome the departures of Pirlo and Carlos Tevez at the start of the season, new players such as Dybala and Mario Mandzukic have settled in.

In Empoli, Icardi found the target from close range by redirecting a cross from Ivan Perisic.

Having tied for the Serie A scoring lead with 22 goals last season, Icardi has eight goals from his 12 shots on target this term.

It was the 10th time Inter won with a one-goal advantage this season.

Empoli, which had won four straight, was dangerous at times but couldn’t find a way past Inter goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.q

SPORTS A19

Thursday 7 January 2016

Djokovic, Nadal in quarterfinals at Qatar Open SANDRA HARWITT Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal advanced to the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open on Wednesday. Djokovic captured a 6-2, 6-2 second-round win against Fernando Verdasco, marking his 17th straight victory against a Spanish opponent, dating to 2014. “I’m very pleased with the way I have started this season, two matches, straight sets,” Djokovic said. “You know, Verdasco was a former top-10 player, somebody that has a lot of weapons in his game.” Nadal looked confident during his 6-3, 6-2 win against Robin Haase, which improved his record against the Dutchman to 7-0. “I played at a very high level against a player that I think played well for a lot of moments,” Nadal said.

Top-seeded Djokovic and second-seeded Nadal saved two break points each on serve.

Djokovic will meet eighthseeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the quarters.

Mayer defeated Pable Andujar of Spain 6-2, 6-4.

“He’s very intelligent tennis player,” Djokovic said of Mayer. “He knows how to anticipate well on the court and serves very well.”

Nadal will next play Andrey Kuznetsov of Russia, who earned his quarterfinal spot with a 7-6 (6), 6-1 win against Ricardas Berankis of Lithuania. “He plays fast, and he will be a very tough opponent,” Nadal said. “I know I have to keep playing the same way, and I hope that I can keep doing it.” Third-seeded Tomas Berdych beat Damir Dzumhur of Bosnia and Herzegovina 6-0, 6-4.

Berdych will play British qualifier Kyle Edmund, who outlasted Daniel Munoz De La Nava 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Seventh-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France defeated countryman PaulHenri Mathieu 6-2, 6-4, and lined up Ilya Marchenko of Ukraine, who defeated Teymuraz Gabashvili of Russia 6-4, 6-2.q

Azarenka advances to quarterfinals in Brisbane JOHN PYE AP Sports Writer BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — After two injury-interrupted seasons, Victoria Azarenka is emerging from the shadows of some highly-ranked rivals who have either withdrawn from Australian Open warmup events or lost in the early rounds.

The two-time Australian Open champion reached the quarterfinals of the Brisbane International — a tournament she won in 2009 — with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ysaline Bonaventure.

Bonaventure, a lucky loser from qualifying, was cast into the second round on Wednesday as a replacement for top-seeded Simona Halep, who had a bye before withdrawing from a scheduled second-round match with Azarenka because of an Achilles tendon problem.

The No. 2-ranked Halep withdrew within an hour of defending champion Maria Sharapova pulling out of the tournament with a left forearm injury.

Third-seeded Garbine Muguruza joined the Brisbane injury procession late Wednesday when she retired in the second set of her match against Varvara Lepchenko.

Muguruza lost the first set 7-6 (9) before having to quit with a left foot injury.

The Spanish player called for a trainer and was granted a medical timeout, but retired after losing the first game of the second set.

Top-ranked Serena Williams withdrew from the Hopman Cup in Perth after skipping her first match and retiring in the second set of the U.S. team’s second against Australia Gold because of inflammation in her left knee.

Venus Williams and Ana

Ivanovic — the top two seeded players at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand — were beaten in the first round.

Azarenka conceded an

will be ready for the Australian Open.”

Fourth-seeded Angelique Kerber beat Madison Brengle 6-3, 6-0 to set up a meeting with Anasta-

Gavrilova remained unbeaten with a 2-1 win over Britain, which dropped to 1-1.

Andy Murray lost to Kyrgios 6-4, 7-6 (6) before Heath-

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays a shot in a match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia. Azarenka reached the quarterfinals in Brisbane with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Ysaline Bonaventure.

(AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

early service break against Bonaventure and had seven double-faults in the first set, but otherwise dominated after converting her fifth break-point chance in a fourth game that lasted more than 17 minutes and went to deuce 11 times.

Azarenka who dropped to a year-end No. 22 ranking in December after being restricted to just 23 events across 2014 and ‘15, is working her way back into form.

“I definitely missed playing since I haven’t in a while,” she said. As for the broader issue of injuries, she said: “I’m just going to try to take care of myself right now, and hopefully everybody

sia Pavlyuchenkova, while Andrea Petkovic had a 7-5, 6-4 win over Ekaterina Makarova to move into a quarterfinal against U.S. qualifier Samantha Crawford, who had an upset 7-5, 7-5 win over seventh-seeded Belinda Bencic.

In the men’s draw, second-seeded Kei Nishikori opened with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin to move into the quarterfinals against seventh-seeded Bernard Tomic, a 7-6 (6), 4-6, 7-6 (4) winner over Radek Stepanek.

At the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth, the Australia Green team of Nick Kyrgios and Daria

er Watson came back to beat Gavrilova 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-5. In the deciding mixed doubles, Kyrgios and Gavrilova prevailed 6-2, 6-7 (0), 11-9, with the British team saving three match points before Kyrgios clinched it with an ace. Germany leveled its record at 1-1 with a 2-1 win over France, which lost for the second time.

Alexander Zverev gave Germany a 1-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Kenny De Schepper, but Caroline Garcia beat Sabine Lisicki 6-2, 7-6 (5) to send the match to a mixed doubles decider, which the German pair won 6-4, 6-7 (6), 10-6. q

Stan Wawrinka advances to Chennai quarterfinals CHENNAI, India (AP) — Stan Wawrinka advanced to the quarterfinals of the Chennai Open by beating Russian teenager Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-2 Wednesday.

The top-seeded Swiss player, a two-time defending champion aiming for a fourth title in Chennai, did not face a break point dur-

ing the match.

“It was the first match of the year for me and it was important to be ready for that,” Wawrinka said. “Every tournament is a challenge and he (Rublev) has very good potential.”

Wawrinka will next face fifth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain, who

beat Ante Pavic of Croatia 7-6 (5), 6-1.

Fourth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain also won, beating John Millman of Australia 6-4, 6-1 to set up a match against Borna Coric of Croatia. The 19-year-old Coric defeated Austin Krajicek of the United States 6-2, 7-5.

Also, second-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury after a first-round bye. Alexander Kudryavtsev of Russia replaced him in the draw and will play Ramkumar Ramanathan of India in the second round on Thursday.q

20 SPORTS

Thursday 7 January 2016

Golfer Jason Day has his own act to follow at Kapalua

Jason Day hits from the second tee during the Tournament of Champions golf pro-am, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, at Kapalua Plantation Course on Kapalua, Hawaii.

(AP Photo/Matt York)

DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Jordan Spieth isn’t the only player with a tough act to follow.

Jason Day is coming off a monster year of his own with five victories, including his first major at the PGA Championship and a pair of FedEx Cup playoff events that gave him a brief spell at No. 1 in the world.

His goal for 2016 is more of the same. A lot more.

“I’m very motivated to get back to No. 1,” Day said Wednesday.

“I’m very motivated to win as many tournaments as I can this year, and to be a more dominant player.

Whether it happens or not, we’ll see at the end of the year. But I’m going to give it a good shot. I’m going to work my tail off every single day to try and achieve that.”

The first step is the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, which kicks off the new

year in grand style.

This is the strongest field at Kapalua in 10 years, with Spieth and Day at Nos. 1 and 2 in the world, along with Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, British Open champion Zach Johnson and defending champion Patrick Reed among the 32-man field of PGA Tour winners from the previous year.

Day, much like Spieth, wants a continuation from the previous year.

Only it might not be as

easy.

While everyone in the field has played tournaments over the last few months because of the wraparound season, Day brings rust to this island paradise.

He hasn’t competed since Oct. 11 at the Presidents Cup. He has played only four holes, that was a month ago in Florida during a corporate day. He chose to stay home in Ohio as his wife gave birth to their second child, a daughter they named Lucy.

That doesn’t mean he wasn’t in the news.

Day was spotted in Detroit for a Thursday night NFL game against the Packers. He was on the sidelines holding a camera from some TV connections he had. That was a big thrill.

More famously, he had a courtside seat to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the most watched highlight was LeBron James going hard after a loose ball and crashing into Day’s wife, Ellie, sending her to the hospital.

Social media being what it is, Day caught some grief for not jumping in front of his wife.

“It happened so quick. I’m going to do that?” he said.

“I’m not going to stop a 260-pound guy that’s 6-8 running full speed. Ellie took it like a champ, though.

Irish golfer Christy O’Connor Jr dies at 67 LONDON (AP) — Christy O’Connor Jr., the Irish golfer who produced the shot of his career to help Europe retain the Ryder Cup in 1989, has died. He was 67.

O’Connor died in his sleep while on holiday in Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, the European Tour said on Wednesday.

The crowning moment of O’Connor’s career came at The Belfry in his second appearance for Europe at the Ryder Cup. O’Connor hit a 2-iron from the fairway to about 3 1/2 feet at the 18th, helping him to win the hole and secure a 1-up victory over Fred Couples. The point helped Tony Jacklin’s Eu-

ropean team earn a 14-14 draw to retain the trophy as defending champion.

After Couple conceded the match, O’Connor looked up to the sky, with his arms outstretched, and was brought to tears as he was mobbed on the green.

“It was the greatest and most emotional moment of my professional life,” O’Connor, who won four events in 28 years on the European Tour, said in 2010 of the 2-iron.

The Golf Union of Ireland described O’Connor, who became heavily involved in golf course design, as “a gentleman, an iconic figure of Irish golf, and a true ambassador.”

“He was a pioneer for professional Irish golfers and inspired a generation of players.”

The nephew of Irish golfer Christy O’Connor, O’Connor Jr. didn’t finish outside the top 100 of the European Tour’s Order of Merit in his first 21 seasons following its inception in 1972. He won the Senior British Open in 1999 and 2000, and won two titles on the Champions Tour in 1999.

“We’ve lost a true Irishman, character and golfer,” former Ryder Cup player and captain Paul McGinley said.

O’Connor will forever be remembered for his 2-iron from 229 yards against

Couples, which won him his only Ryder Cup point having been 1 down to the American with three holes to play.

“I said to Christy, ‘Come on, one more good swing for Ireland’ and, of course, he hit the shot of his lifetime,” Jacklin said. “We couldn’t have retained it without him, no doubt.”

O’Connor’s other Ryder Cup appearance was in 1975. “Christy played in the shadow of his uncle but he became a legend in his own right, especially in Ireland,” Jacklin said. “He will also be remembered for his architecture, and his name will live on for a long time to come.”q

Once I saw her, she was on the ground, she was kind of freaking out a little bit about her neck, and once they started doing the test on her — she’s moving her legs, hands, feet, arms — I knew everything was going to be OK. She had postconcussion symptoms.”

Day said he left his house twice and both times he was on TV. That’s the price of stardom that he earned last year with a performance that was better than all but one player.

Spieth is under a brighter glare in Hawaii because of his two majors and sweep of all the awards, though he is approaching the new year as if the old one never ended. In some respects, it didn’t. Spieth tied for seventh in Shanghai to regain the No. 1 ranking, he tied for second in the Australian Open and he finished fourth in the Bahamas.

Spieth has specific goals that he only shares with his team. The big picture hasn’t changed.

“Got to close tournaments out, so it goes to victories,” he said. “Certainly, you’ve got to be there in a couple of major championships come Sunday and have a chance to do what we did this past year, which we had a chance each of the four Sundays.

“I’ve been close a lot and closed out a little, and you’ve got to have the breaks go your way,” he said.

“But closing it out is something that’s a different mental edge than I really knew the last couple years prior to the 2015 season.”

Day can replace Spieth at No. 1 in the world ranking by winning, or even finishing second depending on what Spieth does. The battle for No. 1 figures to take place for at least the first few months of the season.

As for his desire to win more and become a dominant player? He was awfully close to that the final four months of last season, when he won four times and never finished worse than 12th in his last nine events. q

SPORTS A21

Thursday 7 January 2016

NHL Roundup:

Rangers win 6-2 to complete sobering trip for Stars

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s Derek Stepan scored twice and Ricky Nash had three assists to lead the Rangers past Dallas 6-2 on Tuesday, completing a sobering three-game road trip for the Stars, who dropped to second in the overall NHL standings.

The Stars earned just one point from games against the Rangers, New York Islanders and New Jersey, letting in 15 goals in the process.

The league’s best record now belongs to Washington, which bounced back to winning ways against Boston after a couple of defeats.

Minnesota’s Zach Parise scored his second hat trick of the season to lead the Wild past last-placed Columbus 4-2.

Dallas’ lead in the Central Division was also trimmed to eight points by Chicago, which won in overtime at Pittsburgh.

New York’s Jayson Megna had a goal and an assist, Kevin Klein had two assists and Keith Yandle, Derick Brassard and Viktor Stalberg added goals for the Rangers.

John Klingberg and An-

toine Roussel scored for Dallas.

Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who won 3-2 at Boston.

Andre Burakovsky and Marcus Johansson also scored for the Capitals, who beat the Bruins for the fourth straight time.

Loui Eriksson also scored for the Bruins, who only mustered 14 shots over the first two periods.

Chicago’s Artemi Panarin scored in overtime to lift the Blackhawks to a 3-2 win against Pittsburgh.

Panarin finished with two goals and Jonathan Toews also netted for the Blackhawks, who recovered after a blowing a twogoal lead in the third period, and notched a fourth straight win.

Sidney Crosby scored his sixth goal in as many games and Kris Letang also had a goal for the Penguins.

Florida extended its franchise-record winning streak to 10 games by beating Buffalo 5-1.

Jaromir Jagr scored his team-leading 14th goal while Drew MacKenzie, Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Pirri and Corban

Knight also scored for Atlantic Division-leading Florida in the opener of a

season-high six-game road trip.

Ryan O’Reilly scored for

Minnesota Wild’s Nino Niederreiter, left, of Switzerland, works for the puck against Columbus Blue Jackets’ Alexander Wennberg, of Sweden, during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. Minnesota won 4-2.

(AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

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Crosby not among NHL All-Stars while Capitals, Panthers get due STEPHEN WHYNO AP Sports Writer Two-time NHL MVP Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins was not among the final 40 All-Stars announced on Wednesday.

Crosby is ranked 36th in the league in points after a slow start, but the Penguins captain has 22 points in his past 20 games.

Under the NHL’s new AllStar format, only six forwards, three defensemen, and two goaltenders can make it from each of the four divisions, and every team had to be represented.The Florida Panthers and Washington Capitals each have three players and a coach going to the new 3-on-3 tournament this month in Nashville, Tennes-

see.

The Metropolitan Divisionleading Capitals will be represented by captain Alex Ovechkin, center Nicklas Backstrom, goaltender Braden Holtby, and coach Barry Trotz. Backstrom’s bid drew the most praise.

“He deserves it,” Ovechkin said after practice at Boston University. “He’s one of the top players in the league. Finally, it’s not only one guy who goes from Washington. It’s going to be three guys.”

The 3-on-3 tournament will pit the conference division teams against each other on Jan. 31 at Bridgestone Arena, with the winners facing off for the championship and $1 million to split.q

the Sabres, who have lost five straight games in regulation.q

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A22

Thursday 7 January 2016

TECHNOLOGY

Why aren’t smart TVs very clever?

ANICK JESDANUN RYAN NAKASHIMA AP Tech Writers LAS VEGAS (AP) — Turns out that smart TVs can be, well, pretty dumb.

Even moderately priced sets can now connect to the Internet and run Netflix and other apps — that’s the “smart” part. Yet many people are ignoring the

els at this week’s CES gadget show in Las Vegas.

In a way, putting brains in a device that most people replace only every five to seven years isn’t the brightest idea. Chips get faster every year, so by the time you’re ready to buy a new set, its brains will be really, really old, at least in technology terms.

it’s playing — using a digital magnifying glass — to make out small text and other details. But LG won’t say when, if ever, older TVs will get that.

The divide between smart TVs and streaming devices could become even more pronounced as the devices adopt the types of app stores common on phones

Joe Stinziano, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics America, stands next to Samsung SUHD TVs during a Samsung news conference at CES Press Day at CES International, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas.

(AP Photo/John Locher)

built-in features and turning to Apple TV, Roku and other stand-alone streaming devices that often do a better job.

In an August report, the NPD Group estimates that roughly a third of smart TVs in the U.S. weren’t actually connected to the Internet.

That’s down from about half two years earlier, but still not good. Researchers at Parks Associates found that even as more Americans are using smart TV functions, streaming device usage has grown even faster. “If you’re a streaming media box (maker), you’ve got much more ability to push new features out into the market at an affordable price,” says Barbara Kraus, Parks Associates’ director of research.

“They’re very stiff competition for smart TVs.” None of that is slowing down TV manufacturers like Samsung, though, as they continue to tout their newest and smartest mod-

The software, though, can present an even bigger problem. Smart TVs are frequently plagued with confusing interfaces, buggy functions and inconsistent updates. They are sometimes mysteriously unable to run new streaming services and may never be updated to add new features to the ones they do run.

Worse, some TV makers focus on bringing new features only to their latest models in an effort to persuade people to buy new sets. Samsung’s 2016 models, for instance, implicitly inform anyone who bought last year’s sets that they’ve already been left behind.

Those earlier customers won’t be able to use their Samsung TVs to set mood lighting or check security cameras in a connected home.

Among the new features in LG’s 2016 models: Magic Zoom, which will let viewers zoom in on video while

and tablets. The new Apple TV offers shopping, travel and food-delivery apps, while Nvidia’s Shield Android TV device runs sophisticated games once limited to game consoles and personal computers.

A smart TV is fine if all you’re doing is watching video, says Ali Kani, general manager for the Shield business.

But he believes “the living room is going to be revolutionized by apps. It’s not any more just about Netflix or Hulu.” There’s also something to be said about letting TV makers and tech companies focus on what each does best. In other words, when you put your living room in the hands of software created by a hardware company, you may live to regret it.

“There are some TV companies that do a fantastic job of creating beautiful sets with fantastic picture quality,” says Lloyd Klarke, Roku’s director of product management. q

New TV tech promises sharper colors, but not much to watch RYAN NAKASHIMA AP Business Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — For years, TV makers have focused on making pictures sharper by squeezing more pixels onto screens. Now, their attention is shifting to improving the way sets display color, with a newish technologycalled HDR taking center stage.

HDR, or high dynamic range, promises brighter whites, darker blacks, and a richer range of colors — at least when you’re watching the few select movie titles that get released in the format. Trouble is, there aren’t all that many of those yet, and other HDR viewing options are likely to remain scarce for the immediate future.

Even worse, there are likely to be several different flavors of HDR, just to keep TV buyers on their toes.

HDR represents the latest effort by the world’s television makers to goose demand for new sets. Global television shipments are expected to flatline this year, says research firm IHS — and that’s an improvement over 2015, when shipments fell 4 percent.

TV makers are still touting the previous new new thing — 4K, or ultra high-definition, sets, which have four times the pixels of current high-definition screens.

While 4K has stopped the bleeding, it hasn’t jolted the TV industry back to life, not least because such high resolution only makes sense if you sit up close and get a very large screen. (See our interactive guide to figuring whether 4K makes sense for you:http://bit. ly/1NnD49i .)

HDR faces some similar challenges. As with 4K, studios have to release movies and shows in the new format for owners to get the most out of new HDR sets. To date, there have been only a handful of releases, including “The Martian” and Amazon’s original series “Mozart in the Jungle.” More are coming, and Netflix aims to join Amazon this year in streaming some HDR titles, but getting an HDR-ready set still mostly means preparing for the future.

It’s the same chicken-and-the-egg problem that previously confronted would-be buyers of Blu-ray discs, high-definition TV, 3-D TV and most recently, 4K. Beyond that, there’s the complicated issue of choosing between different versions of HDR. For starters, your version of HDR may look better or worse depending on the kind of set you get.

Basically, only two types of TV screens can display HDR: those using organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), now built only by LG; and liquid crystal display (LCD) panels that use quantum dots, which are being made by everyone else.

OLEDs are more expensive but provide higher contrast, with truer blacks made possible by pixels that turn all the way off. LCDs, by contrast, will give you a brighter image than OLEDs, but require a backlight that limits just how black its screen can get. (A similar argument over “true” blacks and higher contrast ratios once raged between proponents of plasmascreen and LCD-screen TVs; LCDs won that round.)

Then comes the next wrinkle: a new proliferation of HDR-related marketing labels. For instance, there are actually two ways of defining “premium” HDR technology — one for OLED sets and one for LCDs. The LCD standard allows a brighter screen with less contrast, but the Ultra HD Alliance of electronics manufacturers, studios and distributors says both deserve the tag “Ultra HD Premium.”

At least those sets will offer better pictures when you watch HDR-compatible programming. q

TECHNOLOGY A23

Thursday 7 January 2016

Autonomous car breakthroughs featured at CES gadget show TOM KRISHER AP Auto Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Powerful computers that can drive better than people, highdefinition road maps and low-cost sensors are about to remove some big barriers to self-driving cars.

Some breakthrough features will come to your dashboard quickly, while others will take a few years.

But companies from Silicon Valley to Detroit will use the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week to demonstrate that autonomous car technology is heading for prime time.

“It can happen today.

The technology is more or less ready,” said Amnon Shashua, chief technical officer of Mobileye, an Israeli company that makes computers to process information from car-mounted cameras that are increasingly sophisticated.

Legal and government policy issues remain, and computer controls haven’t quite been perfected. Still, Shashua and others say it’s reasonable to expect cars to take over more driving tasks from humans on the way to full automation in about five years.

In addition to the building blocks of autonomous driving, at least three automakers are rolling out new vehicles at CES, which is rapidly becoming a showcase for the auto industry. Volkswagen will show off a batterypowered Microbus that could go on sale in 2017, and General Motors will un-

cover the final version of its Chevrolet Bolt electric car with a 200-plus-mile range.

Upstart electric car maker Faraday Future unveiled a futuristic concept race car.

Details will come later, but

ficial intelligence to decide how to handle the millions of situations a car will encounter. On Monday, the company unveiled a lunchbox-sized automotive supercomputer with

Today’s luxury cars have about 50 computers and run more than 100 million lines of software code, more than a large passenger jet. But the wiring in cars is already strained and won’t transfer data fast enough for advanced safety devices. Delphi will show off a new wiring architecture to handle 1,000 times more information, so cars won’t be obsolete as soon as they leave the dealer. The technology will come to Audi vehicles first this year and handle radar and cameras for automatic emergency braking. But it also can integrate Lidar.

Jeff Owens, Delphi chief technical officer, says data travels slowly on car networks now — inadequate for safety and other critical functions. “Literally every nanosecond counts,” he said.

BMW board member Klaus Froehlich introduces the BMW i Vision Future Interaction concept car during a news conference at CES Press Day at CES International, Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016, in Las Vegas.

(AP Photo/John Locher)

CYBER SECURITY When benevolent hackers took over a Jeep Cherokee through its radio last year, the auto industry got nervous. At CES, parts maker Visteon is among companies that will show off infotainment systems that are better protected from hacking attacks. Visteon CEO Sachin Lawande says radios today don’t even have a minimum level of security. His company’s radios have codes in chips and use encryption to stop unauthorized applications.

Yet the chips boot up in under 10 seconds, a requirement in autos. q

here are five areas to be featured at the Las Vegas show: THE SEEING CAR Radar, camera sensors and a remote-sensing technology called Lidar will help cars see their surroundings and decide what actions to take. One of the more important announcements will come from Quanergy, which will unveil low-cost solid-state Lidar, or lasers, that can see 360 degrees regardless of weather. Early

self-driving cars had bulky globes on the roof with spinning Lidar sensors, costing around $70,000. Quanergy’s Lidar eliminates the globe and cuts the cost to about $1,000 per car. Lidar

works with three-dimensional mapping to help steer cars. Announcements about sophisticated mapping also are expected, including one from Detroitarea auto parts supplier Delphi.

SENSOR FUSION A self-driving car needs technology that can make sense of the thousands of camera images and data from radar and Lidar. Companies such as Nvidia are working on arti-

the processing power of 150 MacBook laptops. The company says Volvo will be the first automaker to work with the computers. Nvidia says the computers will be able to see images, read street signs, spot pedestrians and process information better than humans. “It really shifts the game then to a software-defined vehicle,” said Daniel Shapiro, Nvidia’s director of automotive marketing.

THE BONES

Can you download me now? NY payphones become Wi-Fi hot spots JENNIFER PELTZ Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Operator, won’t you help me replace this call?

A 9-foot-tall, narrow structure installed this past week on a Manhattan sidewalk is signaling a plan to turn payphones into what’s billed as the world’s biggest and fastest municipal Wi-Fi network.

The first of at least 7,500 planned hot spots are due to go online early next year, promising superfast and free Wi-Fi service, new street phones with free call-

ing, ports to charge personal phones and a no-cost windfall for the city.

With some cities nationwide making renewed pushes for public Wi-Fi after an earlier wave of enthusiasm faded, New York officials say their project is democratizing data access while modernizing outmoded street phones.

For now, the first hot spot is still being tested and sits under a gray cover. But some passers-by like the sound of what’s in store.

“It’s always helpful” to have Wi-Fi to reduce the bite

that apps and web-surfing take out of cellular data service, which is capped in many consumers’ plans, Jack Thomas said this week while texting near the dormant kiosk.

But others have qualms about New Yorkers linking their devices to a public network as they stroll down the street, though the city has said data will be encrypted and any information harvested for advertising will be anonymized.

“I think it makes us all more vulnerable to wrongdoers,” Bee Mosca said as she

eyed the future hot spot.

Payphones may seem like telecom relics when 68 percent of Americans own smartphones, according to the Pew Research Center on Internet, Science & Technology.

But about 8,200 payphones still dot New York streets.

Some were pressed into service amid outages after 2012’s Superstorm Sandy, but their numbers and usage have declined overall, and 37 percent of those inspected last year were inoperable.

The city experimented with

providing Wi-Fi from a few payphones in 2012, then hatched the current, eightyear “LinkNYC” plan.

A consortium of companies, including wireless technology player Qualcomm Inc., is to pay the estimated $200 million installation cost and take half the revenue from the kiosks’ digital advertising, projected at $1 billion over 12 years.

The city gets the other half, more than doubling the $17 million a year it gets from payphones now.q

A24 BUSINESS

Thursday 7 January 2016

Stocks hit 2-month lows as oil dives, China worries flare MARLEY JAY AP Markets Writer NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks tumbled to twomonth lows Wednesday as fears about China’s economy slowing down led to more widespread selling.

The price of oil plunged to its lowest level since 2008 on the prospect that global demand could fall further.

For the second time in three days, markets slumped on concerns about that the second-largest economy in the world is stumbling. A monthly survey of China’s service industries slipped to a 17-month low. That helped knock the price of oil lower since China is a major consumer of energy.

Global markets were also rattled after North Korea said it had conducted its first successful test of a hydrogen bomb. Experts in South Korea and the U.S. doubted that the country had made that breakthrough, but the announcement still caused alarm.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 252.15 points, or 1.5 percent, to 16,906.51. The Standard & Poor’s 500 index lost 26.45 points, or 1.3 percent, to 1,990.26, for its fourth loss in five days. The Nasdaq composite gave up 55.67 points, or 1.1 percent, to 4,835.76.

U.S. benchmark crude sank $2, or 5.6 percent, to close at $33.97 a barrel in New York, its lowest price since December 2008. Brent crude, a benchmark for international oils, fell $2.19, or 6 percent, to close at $34.23 a barrel in London.

Southwestern Energy fell 96 cents, or 12.6 percent, to $6.69 and Marathon Oil declined $1.48, or 11.6 percent, to $11.28.

France’s CAC 40 shed 1.3 percent and Germany’s DAX dropped 0.9 percent.

Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 1 per-

also fell on Tuesday.

Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist for the Wells Fargo Investment Institute, said the market was overreacting to the latest signs of weakness in China.

“Stocks are not trading on fundamentals,” he said.

2016. J.J. Kinahan, chief markets strategist for TD Ameritrade, said that’s making bonds attractive.

“Bonds have been up a lot this year even though the interest rates are nothing to be excited about,” he said.

“They want the security of

Floor official Nicholas Brigandi, left, and specialist Michael Pistillo work at a post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016. U.S. stocks tumbled to two-month lows Wednesday as fears about China’s economy slowing down led to more widespread selling.

(AP Photo/Richard Drew)

cent. Japan’s Nikkei 225 index lost 1 percent and South Korea’s Kospi fell 0.3 percent. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng shed 1 percent.

The Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China rebounded 2.3 percent as the Chinese government said it will keep some market-stabilizing measures in place.Stocks also plunged Monday on signs of weakness in China’s manufacturing sector. The Shanghai Composite skidded almost 7 percent that day and

“They’re trading on fear that Chinese growth is going to collapse and that these lower oil prices are going to lead to a growing number of defaults in the high-yield bond market.”

U.S. government bond prices rose Wednesday as the turbulent stock market made bonds more appealing. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 2.17 percent from 2.24 percent.

The markets have endured a rough few days to start

knowing that their money is safe.”

Other energy prices also slipped. The price of wholesale gasoline sank 9.5 cents, or 7.6 percent, to $1.162 a gallon after the U.S. government said inventories of gas climbed by 10.6 million barrels last week. Citi Investment Research analyst Edward Morse said that was the biggest weekly increase since 1993.

Heating oil sank 4.5 cents, or 4 percent, to $1.081 a gallon. q

America’s trade deficit narrowed in November MARTIN CRUTSINGER AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. trade deficit dropped to the lowest level in nine months in November as exports fell to a nearly fouryear low.

The November deficit fell 5 percent to $42.4 billion, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Exports contracted 1.6 percent to $182.2 billion, the smallest monthly total since

January 2012. Imports were also down, shrinking 1.7 percent to $224.6 billion.

The import declines this year reflect the big drop in global oil prices.

American manufacturers have been hurt by a strong dollar, which makes their products more expensive on overseas markets. They are also contending with economic weakness in some of their biggest export markets including Eu-

rope and China.

With just one month left in 2015, the deficit totaled $488 billion for the year, 5 percent higher than the same period in 2014. A wider trade deficit is a drag on economic growth because it means fewer overseas sales by American producers and larger imports of foreign goods.

The smaller November deficit should give a boost to fourth quarter growth. But

economists are forecasting higher deficits going forward and that trade will subtract from growth in 2016.

The deficit with China totaled $31.3 billion in November, down 5.2 percent from October. Through the first 11 months of 2015, the deficit with China totaled $337.8 billion, putting the country on track to record another annual record trade deficit with China.q

Starboard seeks change in Yahoo control, strategy NEW YORK (AP) — A big Yahoo investor is asking for a leadership change at the beleaguered company and pushing for the spinoff of its core Internet business.

“Despite over three years of effort and billions spent on acquisitions, the management team that was hired to turn around the Core Business has failed to produce acceptable results, in turn, causing massive declines in profitability and cash flow,” Starboard Value LP wrote in a letter released Wednesday.

“It appears that investors have lost all confidence in management and the Board.”

If changes are not forthcoming in leadership, Starboard said, an election may be needed to replace some members of the board.

Starboard did not include any specific names in its letter. Mayer became CEO of Yahoo Inc. in 2012 and Webb became chairman in 2013.

Starboard did not immediately respond to an early request from The Associated Press for comment.

With shares down 35 percent over the past year, Yahoo is facing mounting pressure from unhappy shareholders.

Last month New York hedge fund SpringOwl Asset Management and Los Angeles investment firm Canyon Capital Advisors were vocal about the steps they believe Yahoo should take. SpringOwl wants Yahoo to lay off 9,000 of its 10,700 workers and eliminate free food for employees to help save $2 billion annually. Canyon Capital recommended Yahoo sell its Internet business.

Starboard had also threatened an attempt to overthrow Yahoo’s board if the company continued with plans to break off its $31 billion stake in China’s Alibaba Group. Yahoo eventually scrapped that plan and instead announced the spinoff of its Internet operations.q

BUSINESS A25

Thursday 7 January 2016

Valeant Pharmaceuticals names Howard Schiller interim CEO

This photo shows the head office and logo of Valeant Pharmaceuticals in Montreal. Valeant Pharmaceuticals announced Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, that they’ve named former finance chief Howard Schiller as interim CEO of the troubled pharmaceutical company, while current CEO J. Michael Pearson recovers from severe pneumonia.

(Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press/AP)

TOM MURPHY AP Business Writer Valeant Pharmaceuticals has named former finance chief Howard Schiller as interim CEO while the troubled drug company’s chairman and chief executive remains hospitalized

with severe pneumonia.

Valeant said Tuesday that J. Michael Pearson is still on medical leave, and it did not know when he would return. Schiller will become interim CEO immediately and Robert Ingram, the company’s lead indepen-

dent director, will serve as interim board chairman.

Valeant, based in Laval, Quebec, announced Pearson’s hospitalization late last month. It then said last week that three executives, a group that did not include Schiller or Ingram,

would take over leadership in his absence. The company had named Schiller and Ingram to a board-created committee charged with overseeing and supporting the CEO position.

Schiller served as the company’s chief financial officer from the end of 2011 through June 2015 and is currently a member of the company’s board.

Before Valeant, Schiller spent 24 years at the investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. He served as a chief operating officer and was responsible for health care and consumer products, among other businesses in the company’s investment banking division.

Ingram has been on Valeant’s board since 2010 and previously served as chairman for a few months at the start of 2011. Valeant’s interim chairman is a partner at the venture capital firm Hatteras Venture Partners and also serves as a special adviser to the CEO of British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline Plc. Pearson, 56, joined Vale-

ant in 2008 after a 23-year career with the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., for which he served as head of its global pharmaceutical practice.

He helped build a relatively small business that made generic drugs and chronic illness treatments into a major pharmaceutical company through a string of acquisitions. Valeant, formerly based in California, combined with Wellbutrin XL maker Biovail in 2010 to form Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. Its sales climbed from $2.46 billion in 2011 to an expected $10.4 billion to $10.5 billion for this year.

Valeant has taken criticism for its practice of buying other pharmaceutical companies, slashing jobs and then hiking the price of the drugs it acquires.

Congress, in particular, has targeted the Canadian drugmaker, which also has received multiple subpoenas from federal prosecutors seeking information about drug pricing, a topic of growing concern to U.S. patients and politicians. q

Monsanto eliminating another 1,000 more jobs to cut costs M. PERRONE Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Monsanto said Wednesday it will eliminate another 1,000 jobs as it expands a costcutting plan designed to deal with falling sales of biotech-corn seeds and other financial headwinds.

The additional layoffs will bring the agriculture giant’s total planned cuts to 3,600 jobs over the next two years, or about 16 percent of its global workforce. In October the company first announced the restructuring plan, intended to streamline its sales, R&D and other operations.

The St. Louis-based company says the restructuring will cost between $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion to implement, up from previous estimates of $850 million to $900 million. By the end of fiscal 2018, the company expects the changes to generate annual savings of $500 million.

Its shares fell more than 2 percent in afternoon trading Wednesday.

Monsanto has struggled in recent quarters to deal with slumping corn prices in the U.S., which have reduced demand for its bestselling product: genetically-enhanced corn seeds.

Farmers are shifting more acres to other crops after surpluses of corn, wheat and others have squashed commodity prices.

The agriculture products company posted a 23 percent decline in revenue to $2.22 billion in the period, short of Street forecasts.

Three analysts surveyed by Zacks expected $2.55 billion.

In the most recent quarter corn seed sales fell nearly 20 percent to $745 million.

Those results were partially offset by higher soybean sales, which grew 10 percent to $438 million.

Monsanto’s biotech seeds have genetically engi-

This photo shows the Monsanto logo at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill. Monsanto on Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2016, said it swung to a $253-million loss in the first fiscal quarter, amid foreign currency pressures and falling sales of its biotech-enhanced corn seeds.

(AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

neered traits, such as protection against insects and disease, which help farmers increase their crop yield, despite their higher prices.

The company, which also sells herbicide, has dominated the bioengineeredseed business for more than a decade and controls an

estimated 18 percent of the $44 billion global seed market, according to Edward Jones analyst Matt Arnold.q

A26 COMICS

Thursday 7 January 2016

Mutts

Conceptis Sudoku

6 Chix

Blondie

Mother Goose & Grimm

Baby Blues

Zits

Yesterday’s puzzle answer

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

CLASSIFIED A27

Thursday 7 January 2016

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A28 SCIENCE

Thursday 7 January 2016

Rare galaxy with 2 black holes has 1 starved of stars MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — An astrophysicist has discovered something even rarer than a double-black hole galaxy: a skinny black hole.

Florida.

To date, only 12 galaxies are known to exist with two black holes in their midst, Comerford said. Normally galaxies have a single supermassive black hole at

This image provided by CU-Boulder shows the galaxy SDSS J1126+2944 taken with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, with an arrow placed by the source pointing to a black hole that lost most of its stars. The University of Colorado’s Julie Comerford has discovered something even rarer than a double-black hole galaxy: a skinny black hole. Her findings were reported Tuesday, Jan 5, 2016 at the American Astronomical Society’s annual meeting.

(NASA/CU-Boulder via AP)

The University of Colorado at Boulder’s Julie Comerford reported her findings this week at the American Astronomical Society’s annual meeting in Kissimmee,

the center, equivalent to 1 million to 1 billion times the mass of our sun.

But in this newly identified galaxy about 1 billion lightyears away, one of the two

black holes is significantly smaller than the other and apparently starved of stars.

Black holes typically are surrounded by stars; this one appears “naked.”

Comerford speculates the slim black hole lost mass in the collision of two galaxies that merged into this one —” a crash diet.” Or it’s a rare example of an intermediate-sized black hole that likely will morph over time into a supermassive monster.

Astronomers have yet to confirm an intermediatesize black hole, which makes Comerford’s streamlined target extra tantalizing.

Intermediate black holes are 100 to 1 million times the mass of our sun.

Comerford used the Hubble Space Telescope and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory in her study. She discovered this latest twoblack hole galaxy — her fourth — last year. Finding a potential intermediatesize black hole inside was “an extra bonus,” she told reporters.

The first double-black hole galaxy was found in 2003 by accident, according to Comerford. She is trying to systematically uncover more. q

Study: Star clusters might host intelligent civilizations MARCIA DUNN AP Aerospace Writer KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Clusters of stars on the fringes of our Milky Way galaxy may be home to intelligent life.

That’s that word from an astrophysicist who’s new to probing extraterrestrial territory.

Rosanne DiStefano (dee

STEF-uh-no) of the HarvardSmithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, presented her theory Wednesday at the American Astronomical Society’s annual meeting in Kissimmee (kuh-SIMM-ee) Florida. DiStefano said the approximately 150 globular clusters in our galaxy are

old and stable, a plus for any civilization. In addition, so many stars are clumped together it would be easy to hop from one planet to another, keeping an advanced society going.

She says the first step is to locate more planets in these clusters. So far, only one has been found.q

The Lumosity logo is seen in this screen grab.

(Lumosity/File)

Lumosity will pay $2 million to settle deceptive ad allegations MATTHEW PERRONE AP Health Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — The developer of Lumosity “brain training” games will pay $2 million to settle federal allegations that it misled customers about the cognitive benefits of its online apps and programs.

The Federal Trade Commission said this week the company’s advertisements deceptively suggested that playing the games a few times a week could boost performance at work, in the classroom and even delay serious conditions like dementia. Under the settlement, Lumos Labs must contact its customers and offer them an easy way to cancel their subscriptions.The San Francisco company frequently promoted its games through national TV and radio stations including CNN, Fox News and National Public Radio. The company also used Google advertising services to drive traffic to its website, the FTC said in a statement.

“Lumosity preyed on consumers’ fears about agerelated cognitive decline, suggesting their games could stave off memory

loss, dementia, and even Alzheimer’s disease,” said Jessica Rich, a director in FTC’s consumer protection unit. “But Lumosity simply did not have the science to back up its ads.”

Customers pay anywhere from $15, for a monthly subscription, or up to $300 for lifetime access to Lumosity’s online and mobile apps. An FTC spokesman said Tuesday’s action is the first government settlement with a maker of apps intended to boost brain health. Previous settlements have involved makers of dietary supplements and other products intended to boost mental performance. The government agency, which regulates consumer advertising, plans to refund the $2 million to Lumosity customers.

The agency initially obtained a $50 million judgment against Lumos Labs, but the amount was downsized because of company’s inability to pay.

Lumosity is one of the most visible services in the burgeoning brain training industry, which has estimated sales of over $1 billion per year, according to trade publications. q

PEOPLE & ARTS A29

Thursday 7 January 2016

Pierre Boulez, leading figure of classical music, dies at 90

In this December, 2011 photo, French conductor and composer Pierre Boulez conducts the Paris Orchestra at the Louvre museum in Paris. Boulez has died, Paris Philharmonic says Wednesday Jan.6, 2016. He was 90.

(AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

DAVID McHUGH LORI HINNANT Associated Press FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Pierre Boulez had a reputation as a hardcore modernist steeped in the dissonances of 20th-Century music. But that didn’t stop him from turning in brilliant performances of decidedly Romantic composers such as Mahler and Wagner as he forged a career as one of the leading figures in contemporary classical music.

Boulez traveled a long path from avante-garde composer to recording star who won 26 Grammy awards. He started out as a rebel who once said any composer who did not realize the necessity of dissonant twelve-tone composition was “useless.” To the end, he continued to reject what he considered easy ways of pleasing audiences or music he found uninteresting.

The French conductor and composer died peacefully Tuesday at his home in Baden-Baden, Germany, said his assistant Marion Thiem.

He was 90 and had been unable to conduct recently due to eye trouble, she said.

Boulez ranged well beyond the strict confines of modernism. For some of his last recordings he chose the lush, moody works of early

20th-century Polish composer Karol Szymanovski.

And he did a 1984 album with another musician of uncompromising tastes, Frank Zappa, including Zappa compositions such as “The Girl in the Magnesium Dress.”

While his own compositions remained resolutely difficult — and a tough sell for most audiences — his skills in imposing clarity on largescale works by audience favorites helped make him a concert-hall star.

Even performing something as turbulent as Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” or one of Gustav Mahler’s sprawling symphonies, Boulez remained a cool and contained presence on the podium, preferring a dark business suit and tie to tuxedo and tails, his gestures communicating logic and precision. He didn’t use a baton.

He turned more and more from composition to conducting during his career, leading the New York Philharmonic, where he succeeded Leonard Bernstein, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra during the 1970s.

He conducted Wagner’s “Ring” cycle of operas at the Bayreuth Festival Theater and also worked with the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, Orchestre de Paris and the London Symphony Orchestra.

To say he had mellowed, however, would be a step too far. In a 2010 interview with Philip Clark for the classical music publication Gramophone, Boulez couldn’t conceal his lack of interest in the more conventional music of American composer Aaron Copland, terming it “folklore and dance.” He dismissed German composer Paul Hindemith by saying his music “is very well put together, yes” but “says nothing to me.”

“I may be wrong, but I equate music with culture,” he was quoted as saying in the interview. “I don’t think music is an entertainment product. It’s a product of culture — not for marketing, but to enrich

lives.”

“All these years, I’ve been trying to convince people that music is not there to please them; it’s there to disturb them.”

Born in Montbrison, France, on March 26, 1925, Boulez initially studied before turning to music.

He studied harmony at the Paris Conservatory with composer Olivier Messiaen and had lessons from Rene Leibowitz in the dissonant 20th-century style known as twelve-tone composition.

His compositions include the Second Piano Sonata from 1947-48 and “Le marteau sans maitre (The Hammer without a Master), a setting of surrealist poetry

by Rene Char for six instruments and voice.q

A30 PEOPLE

Thursday 7 January 2016

& ARTS

Avant-garde jazz pianist Paul Bley dies at 83 in Florida CHARLES J. GANS Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Visionary Canadian-born pianist Paul Bley, a pivotal figure in the avant-garde jazz movement known for his innovative trio and solo recordings, has died. He was 83.

Bley died Sunday of natural causes at his winter residence in Stuart, Florida, said Tina Pelikan, publicist for the ECM record label, citing family members.

Throughout his career, Bley

was a musical adventurer determined to find his own voice. “If I come up with a phrase that sounds like somebody else, I don’t play it,” he said in a 2006 interview for the website All About Jazz.

He challenged the bebop orthodoxy, adapting the free jazz of saxophonist Ornette Coleman for the piano, offering a quieter, moodier version. He later pioneered experiments with synthesizers.

His groundbreaking piano trios — notably with bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian — liberated rhythm instruments from their traditional supporting roles, making everyone equal as improvisers.

Bley also helped introduce promising young musicians such as guitarist Pat Metheny and electric bassist Jaco Pastorius, and influenced many musicians including pianist Keith Jarrett and guitarist Bill Frisell.

In 1957, Bley moved to Los Angeles where he performed with trumpeter Chet Baker. In 1958, Bley invited a then-unknown Ornette Coleman and his quartet with drummer Billy Higgins, trumpeter Don Cherry and bassist Charlie Haden to play with him at the Hillcrest Club.

That gig led Bley to be regarded as “the man who headed the palace coup that overthrew bebop” in the Penguin Guide to Jazz.

low and drummer Pete La Roca, releasing the influential 1963 album “Footloose.” He turned down an invitation to join Miles Davis’ band, choosing instead to tour in 1963 with Sonny Rollins, with whom he recorded the album “Sonny Meets Hawk” featuring tenor saxophonist Coleman Hawkins.

Bley helped form the cooperative Jazz Composers Guild in 1964 which brought together many of the lead-

This undated photo provided by ECM Records shows the visionary Canadian-born pianist Paul Bley. Bley, a pivotal figure in the avant-garde jazz movement known for his innovative trio and solo recordings, has died at age 83. Bley died Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, of natural causes at his winter residence in Stuart, Florida, said Tina Pelikan, publicist for the ECM record label, citing family members.

(Hans Kumpf/ECM Records via AP)

Born Nov. 10, 1932, in Montreal, Bley began studying music at age 5, starting on violin and switching to piano by age 7.

As a teenager, he was already playing gigs around Montreal, and at age 17 replaced fellow Montreal pianist Oscar Peterson at the Alberta Lounge. Bley moved to New York in 1950 to study at Juilliard, but remained active in his home city, where he formed the Montreal Jazz Workshop, playing with such bebop legends as Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins.

In New York, he participated in pianist Lennie Tristano’s experimental jazz workshops and met bassist Charles Mingus, who produced and played on Bley’s 1953 debut recording, “Introducing Paul Bley.”

In 1959, Coleman’s quartet appeared at New York’s Five Spot jazz club and released the album “The Shape of Jazz to Come” — a seminal moment in jazz history that ushered in the free jazz movement.

Bley “was the one who understood what Ornette was doing and who brought that kind of tonal mobility and melodic freedom to the piano,” the noted critic Stanley Crouch once observed. He married pianist and composer Karen Borg, who changed her name to Carla Bley, and the couple moved back to New York in 1959. His groups featured her compositions.

Bley worked in clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre’s avantgarde chamber jazz trio, and then formed his own trio with bassist Steve Swal-

ing avant-garde jazz musicians in New York, including pianist Cecil Taylor and saxophonist Archie Shepp.

In the late 1960s, Bley became one of the first jazz musicians to use electronics and Moog synthesizers.

He showcased the songs of the synth-playing singer Annette Peacock, with whom he was romantically involved. They presented the first-ever live performance with a portable Moog audio synthesizer at Philharmonic Hall in New York in 1969 and made several recordings.

During the 1970s, Bley partnered with his second wife, videographer Carol Goss, to create the production company, Improvising Artists Inc., which issued LPs and some of the first music videos.q

PEOPLE & ARTS A31

Thursday 7 January 2016

POP BRIEFS

Kerry Washington is Harvard’s Hasty Pudding honoree

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Actress Kerry Washington has been named woman of the year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals. Hasty Pudding, the nation’s oldest collegiate theatrical organization, announced Wednesday that it had selected Washington because she is a “talented and socially engaged film, TV and stage actress who keeps breaking barriers in Hollywood.”

Washington, the first black woman to headline a network TV drama since 1974 as crisis management specialist Olivia Pope on the hit show “Scandal,” has earned Golden Globe, Emmy and SAG Best Actress nominations as well as an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress. She will be given her pudding pot following a parade through Harvard Square and roast scheduled for Jan. 28. Previous winners include Meryl Streep, Katharine Hepburn, and Elizabeth Taylor. Comedian Amy Poehler won last year.

Guns N’ Roses, LCD Soundsystem to headline Coachella INDIO, Calif. (AP) — L.A. rockers Guns N’ Roses will headline the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, along with DJ Calvin Harris and electronic rock band LCD Soundsystem.

Passes for the two-weekend festival in Indio, California, on April 15-17 and April 22-24 went on sale Wednesday. A statement from the band’s publicist Tuesday said former members guitarist Slash and bass player Duff McKagan will join lead singer Axl Rose for the first time since 1993.

The band’s debut album, “Appetite for Destruction,” has sold 18 million copies in the United States, according to Recording Industry Association of America.

They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem wrote on the band’s website Tuesday that the band will be releasing a new album five years after calling it quits in 2011.q

Review: ‘Making a Murderer’ depicts justice gone awry FRAZIER MOORE AP Television Writer NEW YORK (AP) — “Making a Murderer” is the latest series to demand you not just watch, but binge.

But since its Netflix debut on Dec. 18, it’s become even more encompassing: a Thing, a budding cultural phenomenon, whose subject is emerging as a painful cause celebre.

Few series pack a punch like this, and, further stoking your moral outrage, the tale this 10-hour docuseries tells is real.

“Making a Murderer” chronicles the hardship of Steven Avery, an otherwise obscure member of a salvage-yard family in Wisconsin’s rural Manitowoc County.

It begins in 2003 with video of Avery returning home after 18 years’ imprisonment for sexual assault, a crime of which he was belatedly exonerated thanks to DNA evidence proving him innocent.

A stubby overgrown elf with a bushy beard and a beaming smile, Avery, at 41, claims to have left any anger at this miscarriage of justice at the jailhouse door. Calling himself “the happiest man on Earth,” he now is eager to resume normal life.

If only.

Early buzz for this series has spiked into a roar. Online petitions have sprung to life on Avery’s behalf while passionate comments punctuate social media. A guessing game proposes who should play him in a feature film (among the

candidates: Joshua Jackson and Zach Galifianakis).

Even a “Making a Murderer” spoof by Seth Meyers kicked off Monday’s “Late Night.”

The less you know about Avery’s ordeal, the more you will be rocked by “Making a Murderer.” Suffice it

And a member of Avery’s family recalls her advice upon his release. “Be careful,” she says she cautioned him. “They are not even close to being done with you.”

Make no mistake, Steven Avery is no angel. As a teen, he had his scrapes

Deputy.

“The Morris case gave them a chance to claim a violent felony had been committed by one of the Averies,” says his courtappointed lawyer, “and, of course, the Sheriff’s Department and the DA took it and ran.”

This image released by Netflix shows Steven Avery, right, in the Netflix original documentary series “Making A Murderer.” An online petition has collected hundreds of thousands of digital signatures seeking a pardon for a pair of convicted killers-turned-social media sensations based on the Netflix documentary series that cast doubt on the legal process.

(Netflix via AP)

to say, the series depicts a systemic vendetta waged against him by police and the courts. And it only heated up after his rape conviction was overturned.

Law enforcement “despised” him, one observer declares in the series’ first moments. “Steven Avery was a shining example of their inadequacies, their misconduct.”

with the law. “I was young and stupid,” he acknowledges.

More problematic, he and his cousin Sandra Morris habitually quarreled. In early 1985, an altercation (Avery bumped her car with his) led to a criminal complaint lodged against him by Morris, who found a sympathetic ear: Her husband was a Manitowoc County Sheriff’s

Just a few months later, a prominent citizen was sexually assaulted while jogging on the beach. Despite witness alibis for Avery’s whereabouts, an absence of physical evidence, and knowledge of a plausible suspect (who 18 years later would be convicted with the DNA evidence that won Avery his freedom), Avery was arrested. q

Steely Dan founder Donald Fagen charged with assault COLLEEN LONG Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Steely Dan founder Donald Fagen was charged this week with assaulting his wife at their home, according to law enforcement officials and court papers.

The 67-year-old lead singer is accused of shoving Libby Titus into a marble window frame, knocking her to the ground, on Monday at their Manhattan apartment. The assault caused the 68-year-

old Titus to “suffer bruising and swelling to her right arm, as well as substantial pain,” a criminal complaint says.

The two officials were not authorized to disclose the victim’s name and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity.

Fagen was charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment. His publicist and his lawyer had no comment.

Fagen launched Steely Dan in 1972 with guitarist Walter Becker. The group went on to sell more than 40 million albums, with such hit singles as “Reelin’ In the Years,” ‘’Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and “Deacon Blues.” The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

Becker and Fagen performed an eight-night residency at New York’s Beacon Theatre in October with a newer iteration of

the band.

Titus is a producer, actor and songwriter and put out two albums in the late 1970s with producers Phil Ramone, Paul Simon, Carly Simon and Robbie Robertson. “I don’t feel good,” Titus told the New York Post.

“I’m very tired, and I’m divorcing my husband.”

Fagen was released without bail Tuesday after an arraignment. He was ordered to stay away from Titus..q