Metro Herald, December 12, 2013 by Metro Herald

Thursday, December 12, 2013

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Advice for when life’s no fairytale

CRC pension claim draws Mater fury

THE Mater Hospital has insisted millions of by bRian huTTon euro paid to it by the scandal-struck Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) is for 181 workers’ sions but was unsuccessful. ‘It was kicked out of the water,’ he said. pensions and is not a phantom fund. He told the Oireachtas Public Accounts The disability clinic’s former chief executive, Paul Kiely, said he tried to break the payments Committee (PAC) the ‘money going around the houses’ scheme forced the CRC to pay bebut was warned to stay away. Mr Kiely, who is at the centre of a contro- tween ten per cent and 13 per cent of staff versy over his salary and a €200,000 pay-off salaries to the Mater every year for the VHSS. He said the Mater came up with the idea to out of charitable donations, said he handed over a cheque every year for €666,000 to the pay gross salaries of CRC staff and the clinic would return it, plus a premium for the Mater Mater in a supposed mystery deal. Bosses at the Mater reacted angrily and de- of between ten per cent and 12.5 per cent. Asked by Independent TD Shane Ross if the manded Mr Kiely retract the allegation. They said the money goes into day-to-day accounts Mater has been charging the CRC €666,000 a and in turn the pensions of CRC staff are paid year to administer a ‘phantom fund’, Mr Kiely replied: ‘Yes.’ from the hospital’s current accounts. Mr Ross replied: ‘This is bonkers.’ The arrangement was put in place in the The PAC hearing, lasting almost six hours, 1970s for what the Mater said were ‘legal and technical reasons’, but was stopped more than heard five bosses at the CRC were given topup payments above a HSE cap a decade ago. However, the disof €79,000, of more than ability clinic’s staff remained €30,000 each out of the clinic’s members of its Voluntary Hospicharity fundraising company. tal Superannuation scheme. Mr Kiely’s private pension of ‘The VHSS scheme is in line €90,000 a year was also propped with public sector pension poliup by a €3million loan from the cy, whereby all pensions are donations. funded from current revenues, as Acting CRC chief executive is the case with all public hospiJim Nugent told TDs that bosses tals,’ the Mater said. paid more than the public sector Earlier, Mr Kiely claimed he pay cap were never asked to take tried to have the annual payments stopped on a number of occa- Kiely: €200k from donations a cut when it came in.

D’Arcy’s no boy Raycer...

Broadcaster Ray D’Arcy received an award from Gay Byrne, chairman of the Road Safety Authority, at the RSA Leading Lights 2013 ceremony in Farmleigh yesterday. Gertie Shields, founder of Mothers Against Drink Driving, was recognised with the Supreme Award, for decades of campaigning, while special recognition prizes were presented to D’Arcy and rally drivers Toni Kelly and Craig Breen and to safety ambassadors Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, Keith McErlean, Pat Spillane, Eoin Kelly and Rick O’Shea robbie reynolds

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METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

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Today is...

Poinsettia Day... Commemorating the death of botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, who first discovered the red flower popular in Christmas decorations, in southern Mexico

From the archives (2011): Owner wants Ikea chimp back

The owner of a monkey impounded after he was caught wandering around outside an Ikea store in Toronto wants her pet back. Yasmin Nakhuda said Darwin needs her ‘like a child needs his mother’ and is now considering legal steps to regain custody.

Today’s birthdays

Dionne Warwick, singer, 73; Emerson Fittipaldi, racing driver, 67; Bill Nighy, actor, 64; Jennifer Connelly (right), actress, 43; Gary Breen, footballer, 40

CLOCkwORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all sixletter words ending with the letter N in the centre. Moving clockwise from 1, the letters in the outer circle will spell out the name of a 20th century Arab leader. 9. Insult 1. Gaol 10. Religious 2. Sanity address 3. Detain 4. 1066 invader 11. Sea off Greece 5. Pillar 12. Sheriff, for 6. Flag example 7. Turned to ice Yesterday’s solution: 8. S American Michael Praed. river

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Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Mandela sign interpreter ‘was just a gibbering fake’ by NicOLE LE MARiE AN INTERPRETER signing next to a host of dignitaries at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service was fake, groups for the deaf said yesterday. The mystery man was seen by millions on TV standing next to leaders, including US president Barack Obama and South African leader Jacob Zuma, on stage in Soweto’s FNB Stadium. But there ‘was no meaning in what he used his hands for,’ said Bruno Druchen, national director of the Deaf Federation of South Africa. Sign language experts said the man was not using South African, American or any other known sign language because there was no structure to his arm and hand movements. Ingrid Parkin, principal of the St Vincent School for the Deaf in Johannesburg, said his movements also lacked key facial expressions and looked ‘like he’s signing gibberish’. Ms Parkin added: ‘This man himself knows he cannot sign and he had the guts to stand on an international stage and do that.’ Bogus sign language interpreters who only know a few signs are a problem in the country, she said. Nicole Du Toit, an official sign language interpreter who also watched the broadcast, said: ‘It was horrible, an absolute circus, really, really bad. Only he can understand those gestures.’ The man had been used previously to sign at an event attended by Mr Zuma, attracting complaints to South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party. Officials said they were looking into the matter but was overwhelmed organising Mr Mandela’s lying in state and his funeral on Sunday. Collins Chabane, one of two presidency ministers, said the government ‘will report publicly on any information it may establish’.

Use Madiba’s values: Higgins PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins has told world leaders the best way to honour Nelson Mandela is to use his values to deal with modern-day challenges. Mr Higgins was speaking at a special lunch marking the first day of Mr Mandela’s lying in state. ‘We should follow Mandela’s example in bringing creativity and flexibility to challenges of global poverty, inequality and to have the courage to bring new forms of solidarity into existence,’ he said.

Cameron shrugs off selfie critics DAVID CAMERON has laughed off criticism after posing for a selfie with US president Barack Obama and Danish prime minister Helle ThorningSchmidt at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. ‘In my defence, I would say Nelson Mandela played an extraordinary role in his life and in his death in bringing people together,’ the British PM told MPs. The shot of the trio, with Michelle Obama looking on stony-faced, has gone viral. Signs he’s faking it: The ‘expert’ with Barack Obama, top, and other leaders at the memorial service Pictures: AP/reuters

They file past for a longing, last look

CELEBRITIES and world leaders filed past Nelson Mandela’s flag-draped coffin yesterday as he lies in state in Pretoria. Singer Bono and model Naomi Campbell were among the first to pass the coffin after the former president’s family members. FW de Klerk, South Africa’s last white president who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Mr Mandela, appeared to wipe away a tear

as he viewed the body. Mandela was dressed in a black and yellow patterned shirt and his white hair was swept up from his forehead. By yesterday afternoon thousands of South Africans had filed past and long queues formed. Some appeared lost looking down at the body and others were overcome with tears. Police were a few steps away, one holding a box of tissues.

Tutu burgled as he led prayers BURGLARS raided the home of Desmond Tutu while he led prayers at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service. Thieves targeted the retired archbishop’s home in Cape Town knowing that he was 1,400km away in Johannesburg, say police. The 82-year-old clergyman’s aide, Roger Friedman, said it was not clear what had been taken in Tuesday’s break-in. No arrests have been made.

METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

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Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Even novice hackers can access free public Wi-Fi

Irish Rail to monitor Dart carriage levels IRISH Rail has assured Transport Minister Leo Varadkar that it will monitor Dart and InterCity services for carriage overcrowding on an ongoing basis. Responding to a parliamentary question from Roscommon-South Leitrim TD Luke Flanagan, Mr Varadkar said the head of Irish Rail, David Franks, ‘has agreed to continuous monitoring of carriage levels on both Dart and InterCity services to ensure they match demand’. The promise to the minister follows months of complaints from commuters about overcrowding, which is the result of cost-saving, reduced-capacity trains. Irish Rail has previously said it monitors the situation and increases capacity when required.

by ED cARTy

M&S strike talks

PICTURE: PA

FREE public Wi-Fi is putting users at risk from even the most basic hackers, IT experts have warned. Random tests on internet systems at ten prominent hotels across the country found they all had fundamental security flaws, allowing novice cyber-criminals access to anything from email logins to bank and credit card details. Tech security firm Smarttech carried out inspections in October and November on three, four and five-star hotels and found 100 per cent of tests showed up serious vulnerabilities and risks for users. The firm said it highlights the dangers of using unencrypted logins and passwords on a public internet network and that users are oblivious to the dangers. Smarttech CEO Ronan Murphy said consumers need to be made aware of the serious security challenges. ‘The tests prove these risks affect anyone using public Wi-Fi. However, there are steps hotels and restaurants can take to protect their customers,’ he said. Smarttech.ie said one of the checks was carried out from outside the hotel, confirming suspicions that hackers could access information remotely.

BEHIND THE MASK: Ryan, age three, poses for pictures with his parents (wearing masks of Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore and Taoiseach Enda Kenny) who are undocumented workers living in Ireland, as the group Justice for the Undocumented held a 24-hour vigil outside Leinster House to highlight their plight

MARKS & Spencer workers have called off tomorrow’s second day of strike action because talks on the pensions dispute are planned. Trade union Mandate, which represents 2,300 workers at the retail giant, said the stoppage is being deferred after intervention from industrial relations troubleshooters. An emergency Labour Court hearing is planned for Friday. Stores were closed last Saturday in the first day of action.

METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Cage fight claimant avoids prison term A MAN who took a fraudulent personal injury action claiming he suffered a debilitating back injury in a car crash has avoided jail. Raymond Smith, 29, of Cairn Court, Poppintree, is the first person to be prosecuted under the Civil Liability and Courts Act 2004 for providing false information during a personal injury claim. He was caught when DVDs emerged of him taking part in cage fighting competitions after the crash. He had faced a maximum prison term of ten years but received a three-year suspended sentence.

Rents in Dublin rise by 6.4% this year DUBLIN rents are on the rise, with latest figures showing a 6.4 per cent year-on-year increase. A survey by the Private Residential Tenancies Board and the ESRI of rent paid, as opposed to asking or advertised prices, found that in the past quarter Dublin house rents increased by 2.9 per cent, while rents for Dublin apartments rose by two per cent, compared to Quarter 2, 2013. The average house rent in Dublin is now €1,157. However, outside Dublin, rents declined annually by 0.2 per cent.

It’s the trends of the world as we know it – on Twitter by jOANNE AHERN

IRELAND’s MOsT vIEwED 1 Ylvis - The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?) 2 Sminky Shorts: Elephant 3 Republic of Telly’s You Know You’re Irish When… 4 How Animals Eat Their Food 5 My Wedding Speech - McFly’s Tom Fletcher 6 Irish lad in Canada wishes his ma a happy birthday Nidge style 7 Ron Burgundy on Love/Hate 8 Class Dublin Taxi Driver 9 Attraction’s Britain’s Got Talent audition 10 Proposal at the Rose of Tralee

World’s top tweeters: Michele and Horan

TOp IRIsH Tv TRENDs 1 vinb 2 Late Late 3 X Factor 4 GIBO 5 #theapprentice

TOp MusIc vIDEOs 1 Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball 2 Robin Thicke - Blurred Lines 3 Avicii - Wake Me Up 4 Naughty Boy - La La La ft. Sam Smith 5 P!nk - Just Give Me A Reason 6 Daft Punk - Get Lucky 7 PSY - GENTLEMAN M/V 8 Miley Cyrus - We Can’t Stop 9 Bastille - Pompeii 10 Avicii Vs Lurgan - Wake Me Up as Gaeilge Source: YouTube

6 rtept 7 #rtethevoice 8 MOTD 9 eurovision 10 BBUK

TOp TEN pEOpLE Search for a star: Cyrus

1 Bieber 2 BOD 3 Miley Cyrus 4 Ben Affleck 5 Roy Keane 6 Taylor Swift

7 David Frost 8 Ken Barlow 9 Seamus Heaney 10 Suarez

Source: Twitter

A TWEET from Glee star Lea Michele thanking fans for their support following the death of her co-star and partner Cory Monteith was the most retweeted in the world this year, figures from the social media giant have shown. It received 408,000 retweets, 8,000 ahead of the next most shared, a tweet from actor Paul Walker’s account confirming his death, while three of the five most retweeted messages came from members of One Direction, with Niall Horan’s birthday message shared by 375,000. In Ireland, TV3’s late night current affairs show Tonight With Vincent Browne (#vinb) was TV’s most frequent trender, followed by #LateLate and #XFactor. Brian O’Driscoll (#BOD) topped the sports people category, while #GAA, #RAW and #MUFC were tops in sports. Irish news was topped by #Roma, followed by #SeanRef and #Budget2014, while #BOD made a second appearance in the people category, in between #Bieber in first and #MileyCyrus in third. YouTube has revealed that Ylvis’s The Fox was the most watched video in Ireland, with Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball the most watched music video.

wholly thursday Mandela, abortion, the NSA and Miley... but for KEN ROGAN, 2013 will go down as the year we actually had a summer

ark Twain once said: ‘History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.’ Oscar Wilde replied: ‘History has a stammer.’ The French say: ‘Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose.’ Conclusions? Quotes about history are vague, and in Wilde’s case, completely made up. And so let us cast a vague eye back over 2013 and pretend that there are lessons that can or will be learnt. Starting with the goodbyes: Nelson Mandela. Lou Reed. Mel Smith. James Gandolfini – you will be missed. We also said less dramatic goodbyes to Alex Ferguson, Declan Kidney and Giovanni Trapattoni. If history merely rhymes, sporting history repeats on us like a gherkin-laden Big Mac. Thus it was we snatched heroic defeat from the jaws of historic victory against New Zealand and reaffirmed once more our national deficit of self-belief. This was why we loved Roy Keane once. He berated us after drawing 2-2 away to Holland one time, and he was right, we were happy to settle for mediocrity. But then he turned out to be a big quitter himself. And, like a verifiably corrupt politician, we still gave him a job.

What did our politicians do Michael D for coming out this year? Mostly what they against austerity in the Financial were told to by the Troika, but Times, even if that is a bit like there were a few lock-ins at the defending Judaism in the pages Dáil bar for the really big issues of Mein Kampf. like promissory notes and Internationally, the big story abortion. On abortion, some was/still is Edward Snowden TDs even displayed backbone, and the NSA, but this distracts while others slapped their from the big problem, which is female colleagues’ backsides. It still that the White House (and was almost funny. by extension, the rest of us) are And if you were one of those in Wall Street’s pocket. The bankers on the Anglo Tapes, it world still has no answer for was hysterical. With the this, and worse, doesn’t promissory notes seem to be trying. now turned into While it was fun sovereign debt to watch the it was bananas At the shallow end of wonderful to Republican pop culture. Miley hear key Party eat Anglo itself after Cyrus used her executives Obama’s buttocks to polish the snigger like re-election, it adrenalised only crotch of anything teenagers underlines how that moved walking away little it matters unscathed from the who the figurehead wreck of their own of America Inc is. The joyride. Thank God they were drone strikes continue, and all imprisoned and shot. Sorry, Syria – which definitely did no, that’s China I’m thinking of. commit war crimes with WMDs Also in June, Ireland was – got a ‘get out of regimedeclared a tax haven by America change free’ card. What a (not a good thing apparently) difference an oil field makes, the and last week Forbes magazine Iraqis must be thinking. declared Ireland was the best And yet, from the American place in the world to do business nightmare springs the miracle of (a good thing apparently) – and its culture, particularly its TV. in no way are the two things Breaking Bad was the connected, apparently. undisputed champion of 2013, On a genuine note, respect to and even lived up to its billing in

“

the end, unlike our own Love / Hate, which lacked ‘death’ (not so Game Of Thrones). At the shallow end of pop culture, Miley Cyrus used her buttocks to polish the crotch of anything that moved and Kanye West is now convinced he can walk on water. Here’s hoping he walks into a heavily-armed neighbourhood watch patrol in Florida. What will we remember 2013 for? Easy. Three-plus weeks of golden sunshine in July. That’s the bit that will bring a tear to your eye when Reeling In The Years does 2013 to the sound of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky. We’re a nation that appreciates the sun when it shows up every 75 years, wondering if anyone has seen Halley’s Comet, so if this is down to climate change, pass the ‘I [Heart] CO2’ T-shirts. Cloudless blue skies. Grass burnt yellow. Warm seawater. They’ll never believe us, our children and grandchildren, but it happened, it wasn’t a dream. It was better.

@kenrogan

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

★

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Demi: I was a high flier in my coke addict days

Is that Daley’s new man in the frame? Newly ‘out’ diver Tom Daley has been caught on camera with the man rumoured to have stolen his heart. Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 39, put himself in the frame when he arrived at Houston airport with Daley, 19. As Tom was accosted by fans, Lance lurked in the background. A video of the pair was uploaded to YouTube yesterday. Tom told Jonathan Ross recently he hopes fans love his man as much as he does.

Celebrate your Christmas moments

Factor USa judge Demi Lovato has revealed she used to sneak cocaine on to planes and snort it in first class as she went from Disney starlet to girl gone wild. at her worst, Simon cowell’s american sidekick confessed she’d do coke every half an hour before she carted herself off to rehab in 2010. ‘Something I’ve never talked about before but I couldn’t go without 30 minutes to an hour without cocaine and I would bring it on airplanes,’ the 21year-old confessed. ‘I would smuggle it and just wait until everyone in first class would go to sleep and I would do it right there. I’d sneak to the bathroom and do it. that’s how difficult it got.’ the Heart attack singer insists her entourage and even her sober, live-in companion were none the wiser. ‘I’m very good at manipulating people and that was something I did in my disease, I would manipulate everyone around me. there were times I would just contin-

The Wanted said they were ‘gutted’ after mysteriously announcing the cancellation of their European tour. Announcing the news on their official website, the band blamed ‘unforeseeable changes in our scheduling’ for the decision to pull out of their concerts on the continent. ‘We’re really sorry guys and totally gutted the European dates had to be cancelled. Ireland, UK & US are still on. It is out of our hands,’ the boys added on their Twitter feed. Family problems forced Max George, 25, to pull out of the group’s US tour just days ago.

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ue to lie, so everything looked oK on the outside,’ she told access Hollywood. Lovato said a rare moment of clarity saved her. ‘I was going to the airport and I had a Sprite bottle just filled with vodka and it was just nine in the morning and I was throwing up in the car, and this was just to get on a plane to go back to La to the sober living house that I was staying at. I had all the help in the world, but I didn’t want it,’ she explained. ‘When I hit that moment I was like, it’s no longer fun when you’re doing it alone.’ She added: ‘I think at 19 years old, I had a moment where I was like, “oh my God… that is alcoholic behaviour”. [It’s] no longer, “I’m young and rebellious and out having fun”, it was, “Wow, I’m one of those people. I gotta get my s*** together”.’

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SHINING LIGHT: Pauline McLynn got in the spirit to encourage you to support the Simon Community at this year’s Simon House Of Lights, a festive light and music projection show this evening at Powerscourt Townhouse from 6pm

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

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David Beckham has insisted he hasn’t lost his competitive edge even when it comes to playing football with his children. ‘I just like to win, even if it’s playing in the garden with my kids. I take it easy on them to a certain point, but they have got to learn to win,’ he said.

Dannii makes Boyzone blush Dannii Minogue says the sight of Ronan Keating in drag took his Boyzone bandmates by surprise as she grilled them for tomorrow night’s TV special on the band. The Aussie – who posed for her own revealing snap to promote the UTV show – said she had enjoyed giving the foursome a ‘right ribbing’ after digging out old pictures from their heyday. ‘I laughed so hard when the boys saw Ronan in drag for the first time,’ she said. ‘Ro had shown me this picture on the set of The X Factor in Australia and I assumed the other guys had seen it, since it was shot for a charity. But the shock on their faces was priceless.’ The 42-year-old is presenting the hour-long show – which will feature performances by the band – and spent time with Keating during filming for a documentary segment. She promised she had put the ‘burning questions’ to the father-offour, divorced from wife Yvonne after an affair with new Aussie girlfriend Storm Uechtritz.

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Simon’s the only one to save us, says Louis Louis Walsh wants to return to The X Factor... but only if Simon Cowell is sitting in one of the judging chairs. Walsh said Cowell was vital in making the show a bigger hit, having seen ratings tumble this series. ‘I love working with Simon. He is the catalyst of fun on the show,’ said Walsh. ‘He makes everyone work harder. He knows what he is doing and he makes the show even bigger.’ He said Cowell was the only one who could drive the show back to somewhere near its ratings highs of 19million. ‘Simon loves a challenge and he would definitely take on the challenge,’ he said.

With only himself and Sharon Osbourne with contestants left for the final, the 61year-old is thrilled to be exacting revenge on last year’s winning judge, Nicole Scherzinger. ‘Nicole nicked my category last year at the last minute. She wanted the boys and she went crying to the producers and they gave it to her,’ he grumbled. With Luke Friend and Nicholas McDonald in the final, Walsh is convinced he’s got a winner despite Sharon’s act, Sam Bailey, being tipped to win. ‘It will go to the wire. They stand a great chance. Luke will have an amazing career in music anyway.’

★

Madonna is feeling ‘used’ after her three-year fling with Brahim Zaibat came to an abrupt end. The 55year-old is said to be back on the shelf after she and her toyboy lover called it quits – with insiders blaming conflicting work schedules for keeping them apart. She stayed in New York after the 25-year-old landed a role on the French version of Strictly Come Dancing as she thought the show was ‘too cheesy’, a source told Perez Hilton. Another added the Queen Of Pop felt ‘used’ and there was ‘no chance’ of reconciliation.

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Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Cut Ripper Street may get third series Irish Water has ‘a lot of work to do’ COSTUME crime drama Ripper Street could be heading back to TV after it emerged programme makers are in talks to save it. The BBC show, filmed in Dublin and which stars Matthew Macfadyen and Jerome

Flynn as detectives in Victorian London, was axed last week because of low audience figures. But production firm Tiger Aspect is now in talks with video on demand service LoveFilm about making a third series.

IRISH WATER has been warned it has its work cut out to guarantee safe drinking water supplies when it takes up its role in January. Last year, the Environmental Protection Agency issued 42 boil water notices and

restrictions affecting around 50,000 people due to concerns over cryptosporidium and E.coli. The EPA said Irish Water had ‘a lot of work to do’ including147 supplies needing remedial work to avoid risks from contamination.

Father of three in solo sex act died when foot slipped by gARETH nAugHTOn

I’M OUT A THERE: I’m A Celebrity... winner Kian Egan and his wife, actress Jodi Albert, arrive at Heathrow Airport from Australia picture: matrix

A DUBLIN man accidentally died while filming himself engaged in autoerotic asphyxiation for sexual thrills. The father of three from Knocklyon, Dublin, was found hanging naked at his home on May 9 this year. Dublin Coroner’s Court heard he died instantly when his foot slipped. His wife told the coroner she last saw her husband alive that morning when she went to work. He was supposed to be at a dentist’s appointment when she returned to the house at 1.40pm, but his car was in the driveway, she said. She found him upstairs hanging and immediately called the emergency services. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The court heard that when the woman found her husband, his phone was placed on top of a laundry basket nearby. It contained a number of videos which showed him naked except for women’s underwear wrapped around his wrist and hanging himself from a ladder into the attic, including the moment of his death. Coroner Dr Brian Farrell said he had viewed the video. He said the man was engaged in auto-erotic asphyxiation but it went wrong. ‘It is an extraordinarily dangerous thing to do,’ he said, before returning a verdict of death by misadventure.

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Stand-off with Kiev riot police PROTESTERS calling for the Ukrainian president to resign faced off with thousands of riot police in Kiev’s main square yesterday. The demonstrators shoved back as police in helmets and bearing metal shields converged on barricades in Independence Square in the early hours. At least one tent caught fire after a barrel used as a brazier overturned, and scuffles broke out between police and opposition politicians, one of whom lay on the snow trying to stop a vehicle. After barricades and tents were dismantled, the debris was removed with bulldozers by police and city workers. US secretary of state John Kerry ex-

by AIDAN RADNEDgE pressed disgust with the decision ‘to meet the peaceful protest with riot police and batons, rather than respect for democratic rights and human dignity’. The demonstrations began two weeks ago after president Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign an EU pact which would distance Ukraine from its ally Russia. Opposition leader and world heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko told protesters: ‘We will say no to a police state, no to a dictatorship.’ Another opposition leader, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said Mr Yanukovych ‘spat in the face of 46million Ukrainians’.

World

digest

Law banning gay sex Lethal injection for restored by top court killing pensioners

INDIA: A law criminalising homosexual sex has been upheld by the country’s top judges. The Supreme Court yesterday threw out a 2009 high court decision that struck down the 150-year-old law as unconstitutional. Dozens of gay activists outside the court wept after the ruling was issued. ‘We are back to square one in our fight for the democratic rights of the gay community,’ said one campaigner.

AMERICA: A killer who beat, raped and asphyxiated two women pensioners has been executed in Oklahoma. Ronald Clinton Lott had been on death row since 2001 after his conviction for the murder of 83-year-old Anna Laura Fowler in 1986 and Zelma Cutler, 93, in 1987. The 53-year-old made no final statement, simply looking at his brother while the lethal injection took hold at the state penitentiary.

ROMANIA: Poor families queue for food given away by the British embassy in Bucharest. From January 1, restrictions on Romanian and Bulgarian immigration will be lifted by all EU member states ReuteRs

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Online gaming ‘just Mash star’s colour as harmful as drugs’ poser for scientists SOUTH KOREA: Campaigners are desperately trying to halt a bill that would class online gaming as one of ‘four addictions’ to be rooted out by the government. Both the industry and players alike are fighting the proposals that would see tougher controls on gaming, with the pursuit lumped alongside drugs, alcohol and gambling. Parents, religious groups and doctors are backing the bill.

AMERICA: What is colour? That’s the question posed to scientists by Mash actor Alan Alda. The star, 77, who is a professor, wants science to tackle the test, set by children aged 11, as part of his Flame Challenge, started in 2011. Experts have until March to submit answers. Setting the poser in New York, Alda said: ‘I’m in awe of scientists who bring clarity to these questions and the kids who keep them on their toes.’

and finally... CHINA: A householder has created a wall of rotting rubbish outside her home after being burgled five times. Lili Chen, of Foshan, Guangdong Province, said: ‘I tried a wall of cactuses but that made no difference.’

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Alive... skier buried by avalanche she started A SKIER has been rescued after being caught in an avalanche that was recorded on a mobile phone. The woman was swept 30m into a ravine and buried in snow but was dug out alive by other skiers. Joe Campanelli was using his phone to film the Wasatch mountains in Utah, US, when the skier descended into the steep gully. ‘That is not a good slope to ski,’ Mr Campanelli can be heard saying on the video. Moments later, he adds: ‘You’re in a slide, bud.’ Mr Campanelli abruptly stopped recording to help rescue the woman, whose life was probably saved by an air bag deployed in her backpack.

There she goes: The skier triggers an avalanche as she turns into a steep ravine, rescuers spot her location and they quickly descend to dig her out She was dug out shaken but unharmed from several feet of snow in Grizzly Gulch, a short distance from the Alta ski area.

“an aWEsoME CasT, a CharMinG sTory and ouTsTandinG sonGs - MaGiCal sTuFF!” HHHHH Evening herald

Uruguay pot smokers can buy cannabis at chemists CANNABIS is to be sold in pharmacies in Uruguay after senators voted to make growing and selling it a legal industry, regulated by government. The drug’s users will be able to apply for a licence to grow up to six marijuana plants at a time at home, using seeds bought from a state body. Two-thirds of Uruguayans are against the move, according to polls – and former health minister Alfredo Solari warned the effect on public health would be ‘terrible’. But president José Mujica said he wanted to wrest control of supply away from drug cartels in the country, where possessing cannabis for personal use has been legal for decades. ‘Today is a historic day. Many countries of Latin America, and many governments, will take this law as an example,’ said senator Constanza Moreira. Tourists will be excluded from legally buying cannabis under the new laws, as

‘Revenge porn’ site charges

by DANIEL BINNS Mr Mujica aims to prevent the promise of legal pot from attracting hordes of stoned holidaymakers. Buyers and sellers will have to be over 18 and the amount users can buy from pharmacies will be limited to 40g (1.4oz) a month. The reforms are backed by a national TV campaign paid for by HungarianAmerican philanthropist George Soros, who has campaigned to get marijuana decriminalised in the US. Mr Mujica met Mr Soros and billionaire David Rockefeller in New York in September to explain his ‘experiment’. But senator Pedro Bordaberry said: ‘I would say to Mr Soros, to Mr Rockefeller and to the president of the republic that you don’t experiment with the Uruguayans. We are not guinea pigs.’ The move comes after well-known figures including Kofi Annan claimed the global war on drugs is failing.

A SO-CALLED ‘revenge porn’ website has been taken down and a man charged. Kevin Bollaert, 27, is accused of letting people post explicit images of others on ugotposted.com – and charging victims to have them taken down. Bollaert, from California, faces 31 counts of conspiracy, ID theft and extortion.

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14 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Incestuous family of 40 found sexually abusing each other in ramshackle colony

Inbred in the outback

A FAMILY produced by four generations of inbreeding have been found living in squalor in a remote valley in Australia, it has emerged. The colony of 40 adults and children was discovered in a convoy of two broken-down caravans, a pair of sheds and two tents, with no running water, sewage or electricity. The ‘Colt’ family’s children were found to have severe physical and mental deficiencies and were regularly sexually abusing each other. Kimberly, 13, spoke of committing sex acts with her nine-year-old uncle Dwayne, while her aunt, Carmen, eight, looked on. She also told a clinician that she had had sex with Dwayne, had slept with her cousin Joe and regularly performed oral sex on another of her 12year-old uncles, Brian. Kimberly had problems with hearing, speech and sight, could not read

by TARIq TAHIR

or write and did not know how to use toilet paper or comb her hair. Jed, 14, and Karl, 12, told their carers that they had had sex with their sisters Ruth, seven, and nine-year-old Nadia. Police and social workers, alerted by concerned members of the public, were stunned when they found the community living in the hills near Yass, New South Wales. The details of their case emerged from New South Wales children’s court which, in a rare move, agreed to make its findings public. Court documents say there were five family groups, including Betty Colt, 46, who had 13 children with her brother, Charlie, father, Tim, and other family members. Betty Colt’s daughter, Tammy, 27, had three inbred offspring, one of

whom had died from the rare genetic disease Zellweger syndrome. One local resident said he saw two women with ‘about ten children’ make sporadic visits to town. ‘They were never clean looking,’ he told news.co.au. ‘We always used to make jokes that if you came from that area, you’d be inbred.’ In September, children’s court judge Peter Johnstone ruled that the offspring be permanently removed from their mothers, one of whom is awaiting trial on charges of ‘procuring the removal of a child from care and recruiting a child for a crime’. Some children have since been placed with foster families, while others are in treatment programmes for sexualised behaviour and psychological trauma. However, Betty Colt has disputed the court’s account of their lives.

HOOD TIMEs: A masked participant celebrates St Martin’s Day in the Latvian capital of Riga, next year’s European Capital of Culture PIc: ePa

RBS fined $100m for Oprah tell-all plan ignoring US blacklist for Nigella denied

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THE Royal Bank of Scotland is to pay $100million (€72.5m) to settle allegations it knowingly transferred dollars to countries the US blacklisted. It accepted the fines after claims it gave British staff a checklist, explaining how to get payments through to clients without US clearing banks knowing where the cash was going. Workers were told to ensure they made no mention of the name of countries including Burma, Iran, Sudan and Libya, according to the New York state Department of Financial Services. The investigation’s outcome is the latest setback for the bank – which owns Ulster Bank – following IT failures that stopped customers accessing funds.

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PLANS by TV chef Nigella Lawson for a tell-all interview with chat show queen Oprah Winfrey to get her career back on track are not true, a court heard. Ms Lawson, who is trying to break the US with her new show The Taste, has signed an exclusive deal with Oprah, a jury heard. But the claims were denied by her aide Anzelle Wasserman as she gave evidence at the trial of Ms Lawson’s former assistants, Francesca and Elisabetta Grillo, yesterday. ‘That’s not correct,’ said Ms Wasserman when asked about the Oprah deal. The PA also denied claims she had ‘connived’ with her boss to rehearse the evidence she would give to the court. The trial at Islington crown court continues.

He’s top of the Popes and Time’s person of the year HE’S kissed a disfigured man and washed the feet of a prison inmate. And, yesterday, Pope Francis was named Time magazine’s person of the year for capturing the ‘imaginations of millions’ who had become disillusioned with the Vatican. ‘So much of what he has done in his brief nine months in office has really changed the tone of what is coming out of the Vatican,’ said Time editor Nancy Gibbs. The Pope beat NSA leaker Edward Snowden and gay rights activist Edith Windsor. The Vatican’s Fr Federico Lombardi said: ‘The Holy Father is not looking to become famous or to receive honours.’

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

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16 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Sizing up the catch of the day: Gentoo penguins get ready to dive off Danko Island, Antarctica Picture: DaviD Doubilet

To buy a UNICEF Inspired Gift go to www.unicef.ie or call 01 8783000.

BEST PRESENT EVER Give a loved one a present they will remember with a UNICEF Inspired Gift which will go straight to a child in need this Christmas. To look at little Henry Dixon now you wouldn’t think that he almost didn’t make it to his ﬁrst birthday. At just less than one year old, Henry was severely malnourished and was admitted to one of our nutrition centres. But thanks to someone like you, Henry was nursed back to health with nutrient rich food. And now he is thriving, as you can see for yourself.

Henry Dixon aged one feeds himself for the ﬁrst time. Photo: Andrew Clarke, Sierra Leone, 2013

Buy a UNICEF Inspired Gift for someone you love this Christmas and you can help a child like Henry too.

Undersea moments to make your year by nicOLE LE MARiE EVER wondered what life is really like under the waves? From a touching underwater kiss to staring into the jaws of a deadly seal, these stunning pictures give a rare glimpse into ocean life. A dozen award-winning nature photographers went to amazing lengths – and depths – to capture these breathtaking images for a charity calendar. Among the rare sights they snapped under the sea was a tender moment between two loving manatees, taken by Alex Tattersall. There is also a shot straight into the open jaws of a leopard seal, taken by Steve Jones, in a close encounter under freezing Antarctic waters. Other photographs show a blue shark piercing through a shoal of fish, playful gentoo penguins preparing to dive for a feed and a pair of foureye butterflyfish circling a coral reef off Mexico. The pictures were commissioned by the shark and marine conservation charity, Bite-Back, which recruited National Geographic photographers David Doubilet, Brian Skerry, Amos Nachoum, David Fleetham and Doug

Collection: The Bite-Back calendar Perrine to produce work for its 2014 calendar. Graham Buckingham, of the Britishbased charity, said: ‘This project brought together a dream team of the world’s best underwater photographers. ‘We’re so grateful they agreed to collaborate on this unique production to celebrate and conserve the oceans. ‘Each image on its own is remarkable, together they make a breath-taking showcase of a hidden world that’s worth protecting.’ The calendar, costing around €14, including delivery, is available from the charity’s website. All funds will go to its Hacked Off campaign to make restaurants shark fin-free.

UNICEF Inspired Gifts are unique because the gift that you buy goes directly to the children who need it. So you can give a child like Henry nutritious food to eat, or a life-saving vaccine, or water for life. What more could anyone wish for?

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Beauty of the deep: Foureye butterflyfish swim over brain coral Picture: christian vizl

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Terror and tenderness: Above, a blue shark pierces a shoal of fish, while manatees kiss PictureS: chriS FallowS/alex tatterSall

Open wide: A leopard seal opens its jaws wide in this close encounter with a photographer in Antarctica Picture: Steve JoneS

dear fairy sally

Picture: conor MccaBe

Dear Fairy Sally, I’ve met this person I really fancy, although ‘person’ isn’t necessarily the right term, because in fact he’s a frog. What to do? Tiana I’m fairy, fairy sorry to hear your predicament. One moment, you’re living a pretty normal life and the next thing you know, you’ve got a frog in your throat. Please don’t think amphibian when I say that they simply aren’t wart it. I mean, what happens if he croaks it? In the end though, all that matters is happiness and love. So don’t be afraid of what people will think – those who

life isn’t always a fairytale, but FAiRy SALLy from the Sleeping Beauty, this year’s panto at the helix, is here to guide you through the deep, dark forest

live in glass houses shouldn’t sink ships. So go for it, Jennifer, follow your heart, I hope I have bestoad some wisdom onto you. Once he’s French and not a tad Polish you should be fine.

I am a classically-trained dwarf and have been waiting for what seems like centuries for a vacancy to appear in Snow White’s troupe, but none of the incumbents is budging. Doley Help! Hi Doley, I understand your pain. It’s a tough little industry to break into and it isn’t very tallerant of any newbies coming in, especially if they have little to no experience. It just isn’t fair at tall at all. Often dwarves don’t exactly see eye to thigh. Have you spoken to any of the other dwarves and asked them for a little advice? If you don’t gnome

very well, maybe you could go straight to Snow White? Then again, is this really the career for you? Very often, people grow out of it and decide to set their sights a bit higher. Maybe a guidance counsellor could help you to choose a different path. Just make sure they don’t short change you as they can be very small minded. Whatever you decide to do, Dopey, I do hope you’ll be Happy.

My girlfriend slipped into a mysterious coma nearly a century ago. I really fancy her, but is it time to Harry move on? Dear Harry, this is a tricky one. You fell for sleeping booty, but now all you’re getting is… well… the sleeping. You could move on, but yawn knew what you were getting into from the beginning. Snooze to a lot of people but when sleep attacks it

can be a scary, dark place. For those left awake it can in fact be a bit of a nightmare. But I say stick with it, Larry, you never know when insomnia will creep up and solve everything. And next time she decides to repair her dress remind her that a stitch in time is worth two in the bush.

My sisters keep wrecking my shoes and now I have none for my Christmas do!

Cindy Let’s be honest here, Cindy, the last time you went out you rocked up with a bottle of vodka, a pumpkin on your head and two dead mice swinging from your neck and accosted the heir to the throne, taking Snapchats of him singing ‘One day my prints will come’. Then you threw your shoe at the King and at midnight started screaming ‘THE FAIRY MADE ME DO IT!!!’ I did no such thing,

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Cindy. Have you any idea how my life was made a misery by your cruel accusations? I had the Ministry of Magic on my back (sound for creating that bunch of weirdos, JK). I had the prince bawling crying ’cause his pregnant wife received those Snapchats of you being your usual clingy self and then had to endure the wrath of your two sisters who are in fact Bebo stunnahs with very tiny feet. Face it, Celine, you take a size ten and an 11 in boots. It’s time to grow up, find a nice man and in typical fairytale fashion cook and clean for him whilst singing and looking god damn happy. PS: Stop calling.

The Sleeping Beauty is at The Helix Theatre, DCU, Collins Ave, Glasnevin, D9 until Jan 12. Various times and dates, tickets from €17.25. Tel: 01 7007000, www.thehelix.ie

18 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Mailbox

Email: Twitter:

mail@metroherald.ie Text: @metrohnews and Facebook: #metromailbox

‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

The ends justified the means in face of apartheid

RIAN, in response to your valued but inane contribution, may I just point out the following: armed struggle was not something that was taken up lightly, but as a result of the brutal treatment of all black people in South Africa. Imagine if you were not allowed to live anywhere other than a ghetto in subhuman conditions, must have ID at all times, have a curfew to

● To the girl who gives out the Metro Herald near Castleknock station. I drive by and collect it every day. Your smile brightens my day.

● To the girl in Dublin Bus office on Monday. You were working while I was with a group of lads, we kept looking at each other. Your smile made my day. Get in touch. Adi

follow, could not vote or own anything – and if you rebelled you got beaten senseless or killed. You cite Mrs Thatcher – that says it all. Dearest, there was a reason why the world boycott stood against SA and why the white minority finally had to accept the end of apartheid. The means adopted were justified. Mandela IS in the same league as Gandhi, King, etc. He was a leader and will always be revered for what he stood for by millions – because, not in spite, of his past. Eve Ross-Donohoe, Balbriggan ■ Brian the Pacifist, as unpalatable as it may be, if not for ANC and, indeed, IRA actions from 1916 to 1994, the South African and British states would not have conceded to demands for basic equality. Tyrannical regimes do not respect peaceful protest. This, unfortunately, is a lesson from history. If a thug has his foot on your neck and you say ‘excuse me sir, would you mind not doing that?’, the thug presses harder to shut you up. Gandhi was a rare exception to the rule and his success was due to

Quick pic

ACTING KINDLY: Julie Butler sent in this Christmas party snap: ‘We really wanted a celebrity to come to our hospital Christmas party... We emailed and Facebooked dozens of local celebs but no one could oblige. Luckily we met Josh Hartnett in Smyths on Haddington Road – and he happily posed for pics and made everyone’s night!’ Send your photos to pictures@ metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best each day in the paper

many factors, not least of all the crumbling of the British empire. Hitler was defeated with violence, I’d love to see you argue that any other method would have had success. Marc ■ Brian, no country or race has ever attained true freedom through non-violent means. That’s an actual fact. Not an opinion. Martin Luther King was a great man. He also got assassinated. I admire the restraint Mandela showed. If I was born in a country where foreigners made the colour of my skin a crime I don’t know if I would have forgiven my enemies. The Realist ■ I believe strongly that there are times when you should say no to some comments. This is one of them. For somebody to write such an insulting letter about Madiba is

gOOD On yA ● Thank you so much to the lovely lady who gave me a lift on the Malahide Road after I missed the bus. It was really kind : ) I will never forget it. I wish all the best for you. Marilia

RAnDOM AcTs Of kinDnEss

Mix a

unpardonable, but for Metro Herald to publish it is an abomination. Madiba deserves our respect. May his soul rest in peace. Ola

TREnDing #Christmas/Xmas

■ Why was war-man Bush at Mandela’s funeral? It does not make sense. War junky vs pacifist? ... better not think about it. Chiko

● When buying shirts for men this Xmas beware Paisley, may cause blousiness. @Colm_Keegan

■ It’s not surprising motorists are trying to beat red lights, causing more crashes with Luas trams. The local authorities seem to have so many traffic and pedestrian lights set to go red so often for no reason that drivers get infuriated stopping to give way to no-one. It certainly doesn’t help reduce carbon emissions but I guess it must increase the tax revenue from all those fuel taxes. Sometimes you’d think you’re driving through Dublin’s red light district. Darren

● As I lay beneath a sea of writhing bodies, urgent limbs exploring and grasping hungrily, I realised something... I hate Christmas shopping.

■ Got on the Dart to Greystones at Grand Canal at 5.40. Four carriages, dozens of people left stranded at all stops to Blackrock at rush hour. Heads should roll over the atrocious service. On a separate note, those hazardous Irish leaves on the track are causing commuters to be consistently late for work. Privatisation, please save us! Horse & Cart > Dart

AppleBITE this weekend... The SMIRNOFF word and associated words and logos are trade marks. © The Smirnoff Co. 2013.

*Please include a name and location. Texts cost €0.30 per message + standard network charges. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer service number 0818286606

@50ShedsofGrey

● My cat pulled all the baubles off my xmas tree thus removing the risk of a Miley Cyrus infestation! Thanks Alfie!

@Stitchpuss

● Xmas is the time for cruel hosts to pressgang people who despise or secretly fancy each other together, feed them strong drink, watch em blo

@davelordanpoet

● What does Miley Cyrus eat for Christmas dinner??? Twerky

@littlemixerryan

@metrohnews #metromailbox

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

Christmas cracker Get the look this party season

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beauty… with Emma Henderson Luxury beauty gifts €50 0 and under A little bit of luxury can go a long way, whether you’re buying for others or treating yourself (and hey, no judgment here!). But with these beauty buys, your budget can go along way too – they all come in at less than fifty quid…

1 Chanel’s new line

of bath and body products is based on my all-time favourite scent, No.5, which has captivated women since it first launched in 1921. The Foaming Bath is my idea of heaven. €47, Chanel counters

and 2 Gilded gleaming, make-up doesn’t get more glamorous than the new Michael Kors beauty line. The bronzers blend beautifully, smell gorgeous and come in hefty square gold compacts. €45, Arnotts

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Milly multi-print top, €295, Milly pencil skirt, €375, Olga Berg mini clutch, €85. Without Prejudice blue suit, €540, Penguin Burgundy polo top, €55. M Missoni fine knit top, €390, M Missoni fine knit dress, €525, Olga Berg jewelled clutch bag, €85.

On OuR RaDaR From fashion styling to makeup and blogging, and an autobiography thrown in for good measure, So Sue Me reveals the secrets of blogger Suzanne Jackson’s success. Styled as a comprehensive lifestyle tome, the book is primarily aimed at the kind of women who enjoy Suzanne’s SoSueMe.ie blog and advice includes solving fashion dilemmas and creating celebrity looks, as well as tips on how to get a blog started. Bookshops and www.sosueme.ie, €19.95

quality, affordable tools that also look great. With their rose-goldcoloured trimmings, the Elite travel set is a case in point: six professional brushes, all housed hous in a stylish white clutch. €45, www.nimabrush.com www

5 With 12 rosy

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stocking Panpuri, the luxury Asian brand. Their candles are inspired by historical heroines: the complex fragrances, organic soy wax and hand blown glass jars make them

perfect for gifting. €50, The Spa at The Shelbourne Hotel Emma writes the awardwinning site www. fluffandfripperies.com. Find her on Twitter @fluffyblog.

Banish panda eyes this party season with the Vichy Purete Thermale waterproof eye make up remover (pictured, €13.99). It’s non-greasy and will leave your eyes feeling fresh, as well as clean. It’s also suitable for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers. Lloyds Pharmacy and chemists In the market mark for spark sparkly nails? Check out Catrice’s Ultima Ultimate Nail Lacquer (€2.99). Ca Catrice promises this gel-like effect will not drip ip when you’re y applying ng it and also says it does not contain tain nail damaging ingredients. ingr ts. Bring a smile ith a to someone’s face with Mr or Mrs Frosty from Lush (pictured, €16.50). A mix of relaxing and warming treats, this snowman favourite contains tains a mini bubble bar, and two bath ballistics.

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD

editorial@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

➔

ALL THE TRIMMINGS: Getting a Christmas outfit all wrapped up doesn’t have to be a slog By Laura Weightman

is the season to be jolly at family gatherings and office parties, and a worthy excuse to get all dolled up in your festive finery. Generally, we ladies already have one or two ‘good’ dresses we can uncover for the annual Christmas outing, but the high street couldn’t have more to offer in terms of partywear if you wish to treat yourself to something new. Making the decision to buy a new Christmas dress relies on a couple of things: firstly, are you going to wear this again? Our wardrobes need to last more than one season, so will this work for weddings next year? secondly, can you restyle it to make it work with your existing wardrobe? Party dresses look great dressed down as much as they do for a night on the town, so do a quick check on leather jackets, blazers and accessories and see what your options are. The best possible investment, and one no wardrobe should be without, is the famous little black dress. That old reliable which is loyal to you always and guaranteed to make you feel empowered as you strut into the

“A little embellishment like sequins or appliqué details are another nice festive tribute Monsoon Jaya jacquard dress, €168

Tommy Hilfiger The Jumpsuit, €229

office Christmas party. Black is, in line with common belief, the most flattering colour around. it manages to create a sexy silhouette, glide along the body in all the right places and, most importantly, works with every colour under the Christmas tree. To make a black dress stand out, look at seasonal textures like lace, velvet (which reflects light beautifully) and leather, all of which are hugely popular this year. A little embellishment like sequins or appliqué details are another nice festive tribute, and don’t require as many accessories as these small accents do all the work for you. The LBD is also easy to update every time you wear it, so it’s quite clear why it’s the ‘go-to’ look for women; our closet BFF. Without investing in something new, there are endless ways to accessorise and style an outfit you already have. To rejuvenate a piece that’s been sitting in your wardrobe for several seasons, embrace the festive cheer and add some sparkle with jewel statement necklaces, bangles or oversize earrings. And don’t forget a clutch bag can also double up as a piece of jewellery so always check that it co-ordinates with your other accessories. if a dress doesn’t take your fancy, separates are a versatile alternative that can blend nicely into your existing wardrobe. Whether it’s a pencil skirt or tailored trousers, separates are a great ‘desk to dancing’ option. swap your work top for a camisole and embellished cover-up, slip on some high heels and you are ready to take the town. Or try a jumpsuit which can be styled under a blazer, a look favoured this year by red carpet fashionistas solange Knowles and Emma stone. And speaking of shoes, nothing brings a Christmas look together like some killer stilettos. But beware the consequences of standing and dancing in high heels over the course of an evening, and keep some flats in your handbag for the journey home. Your feet will thank you.

Necklace by Sheena Bulsara, €115, www.coldlillies.com

Per Una Speziale faux fur shrug, €120, M&S

Monsoon ruby embellished dress, €305

Christmas

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Earrings by Blaithín Dennis, €55, www.coldlillies.com

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22 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Life television What i’m WatchiNG

ear To The GrounD rtÉ oNe, 8.30pm Pre-nups are usually associated with Hollywood celebrities, but some believe that they are needed to help Irish agriculture realise its full potential. Older farmers are often reluctant to transfer ownership to their sons and daughters in case a future marriage breakdown leads to the division of the family farm. Tillage farmer William Houlihan (pictured with his fiancée) has argued that Irish courts need to recognise pre-nuptial agreements so that more young farmers can get their hands on land. But what does his fiancée thinks of his distinctly unromantic convictions? Presenter darragh McCullough (centre) asks if it’s time Irish farmers started to think more like Hollywood’s elite and agree on the division of assets before setting foot up the aisle?

ed byrne

boarDWalk empire

This is one of those shows where major characters get bumped off unexpectedly and quite regularly. And the bad people are very bad. It also has that classic HBO thing where everybody has sex with everybody. It doesn’t follow a set format every week: each episode is just another segment of what feels like a never-ending film.

poinTless

It’s just the right pace, and I love Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman’s relationship – their chumminess works very well. Even if you don’t know anything about the subject, you can hazard a guess.

homelanD

There’s someThinG abouT susan UtV, 9pm When Susan Boyle stepped on to the auditions stage for Britain’s Got Talent, her life changed forever. Her roof-raising rendition of I Dreamed A Dream turned SuBo into a global sensation and she quickly went on to sell 20million albums. Despite huge demand, this private woman, recently diagnosed with Asperger’s, has yet to headline a solo tour. This film charts her preparations for concerts in Scotland and a stadium gig in the US. Can she beat the odds and tour the world?

The Woman raiseD by monkeys NatioNal GeoGraphic, 9pm Claims that Marina Chapman, now in her sixties and living in Bradford, had survived in the Colombian rainforest by relying on capuchin monkeys, drew a sceptical response from animal experts. This balanced documentary follows Marina as she returns with daughter Vanessa to Colombia in a bid to unlock the secrets of her mysterious past. There is no hard proof but her empathy with white-fronted capuchins is nothing short of spooky.

films of The Day Kung Fu PAndA, BBc3, 8pm

Dynamo: Top Ten GreaTesT momenTs Watch, 9pm Were you more wowed when Dynamo squeezed a basketball and turned it into an American football or when he touched a pond and froze a fountain in its tracks? Our votes have conjured up this top ten rundown of the most jawdropping tricks from the first three series of Magician Impossible, with JLS’s Aston and Tinie Tempah among those providing the awestruck asides. This is a mind-bending trip.

A cute panda who does martial arts? This global box-office smash that was particularly well received in China tells the story of Po, the fat, clumsy Panda (voiced by Jack Black) who aspires to be a kung fu master. One day he gets his chance. Set in an anthropomorphic Ancient China, the artwork is eyepopping. There is also a strongly drawn support cast of Po’s ass-kicking heroes, the Furious Five, who include Angelina Jolie’s Tigress, Seth Rogen’s Mantis, Lucy Liu’s Viper and Jackie Chan’s cheeky Monkey. Stick any kids to bed and stick it on.

I’m quite enjoying this but I’m about four weeks behind. Brody has reappeared. The whole ‘is he/isn’t he?’ thing was very well set up – creating a sympathetic suicide bomber character is a very difficult thing to do. And Mandy Patinkin and Claire danes are so amazing.

my favouriTe Tv CharaCTer

Probably Kermit The Frog, because it’s not easy to be green… He helped raise me, basically. He taught me right from wrong. He was the closest of all the Muppets to Jim Henson himself, and I think Henson is under-rated as a public figure. Sharon Lougher

23 METRO Wednesday, November 20, 2013

books

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD 23

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

The hidden capital

For travel writer Pól Ó Conghaile, author of Secret Dublin: An Unusual Guide, the more you look in the capital, the more there is to see, he tells Daragh Reddin

In New York, the tourists are the ones looking up. In Dublin, they’re looking all around. I’m native to this city, but the more I dug into its detail, the more I began to discover. Did you know you can take a tour of Freemason’s Hall, that Napoleon’s toothbrush is on Kildare Street, or that you can actually touch Daniel O’Connell’s coffin on tours of Glasnevin cemetery? The Dart is one of Europe’s most scenic commuter train routes. I’ve travelled all over the world, but I still love riding over the rooftops near Connolly Station, skirting around Ireland’s ‘Bay of Naples’ at Killiney, hugging the cliffs between Bray and Greystones – and picking out quirky little details like the old sea baths at

Blackrock along the way. They’ve been there since 1839.

Everyone has seen Titanic (the movie). But hardly anyone has seen Titanic (the ship). One works Two things are certain in life: death in a dive shop inside the Naomh and taxes. Dublin doesn’t have a Éanna at Grand Canal Basin. Rory museum dedicated to the former, but it does have one celebrating the Golden has worked on two salvage and discovery expeditions to the latter. The Revenue Museum in most famous wreck on the seabed. Dublin Castle makes for a At 12,415-feet, he was the first surprisingly absorbing visit man to spot the remains of (with displays ranging the ship’s main wheel. from counterfeit condoms to a book You can look for burnt in the love anywhere, but In New York, the Custom House the odds of tourists are the ones fire of 1922), yet finding it are few Dubliners looking up. In Dublin, that bit higher in know it exists. the Whitefriar they’re looking all Street Church. One If Love/Hate of its shrines around writer Stuart contains the relics Carolan is ever of St Valentine – looking for new ‘together with a small character names, I’d direct vessel tinged with his blood’ – in him to the Coombe Monument. a casket bearing the papal arms of This hulking granite portico once Gregory XVI. On February 14, served as the entrance to the old couples are welcome to attend a Coombe Hospital, and its rear steps ceremony that includes a blessing are engraved with the names of of the rings. countless Dublin characters: Skin the Rasher, Jembo No Toes and Pavarotti was once a nifty Thomas ‘Bang Bang’ Dudley… the footballer. The great tenor – whose list goes on. handprints are cast in bronze

“

Ahead of The Game Thriller writer and security expert Anders de la Motte thinks we share too much, wites Paul Connolly

NDeRS de la Motte is not a fan of social media. ‘The east German secret police, the Stasi, used to have a motto: “To be really safe, you need to know everything.” Their whole business idea was to have half the population listening in on the other half and reporting on whatever they were doing – records they were listening to, friends they were meeting, papers they were reading. And look at us now – all that information, we provide ourselves. It’s a bit mindblowing sometimes.’ You might think this is just another Luddite bemoaning the younger generation’s obsession with Facebook and Twitter. However, acclaimed Swedish author de la Motte is only 42. And before he gave up his day job to write full-time, he was international director of security at Dell. And before that he worked for the Swedish security services. This is a man who knows what he’s

talking about when it comes to personal data. De la Motte is already wildly successful in his own country; his Game trilogy has sold more than 200,000 copies in less than three years. And he’s about to go global. HarperCollins won a frantic international scramble for the right to publish the trilogy, which focuses on Henrik ‘HP’ Pettersson, a Stockholm drifter caught up in a sinister reality computer game that has tendrils reaching the highest strata of Swedish society. The books are as much about the surrender of our personal data as they are about HP’s adventures in the game. At the heart of the action is an organisation earning serious money by using personal data to mould public opinion. The movie is to be filmed next year. This gentle-

mannered, sandyhaired former cop is going to be huge. But de la Motte seems unconcerned by his imminent literary stardom. He’s much more interested in talking about the human desire for acceptance. ‘With social media, we seem to be tapping into some sort of ancient need; going back to being cavemen, outside alone in the dark and wanting to be invited into the cave to sit near the fire. There’s a hint of narcissism and desperation about it all that I’m sure has always been there but has been brought into the light by technology. ‘When I was little, my sister had a diary with a lock that she hid under

outside the Gaiety Theatre – first performed in Dublin in 1963. Afterwards, he joined a theatre troupe for a kickabout in the Phoenix Park. ‘He was a big fellow,’ as Opera Ireland archivist Paddy

Brennan once recalled. ‘But as a young fellow he had legs like a ballet dancer.’ Secret Dublin: An Unusual Guide by Pól Ó Conghaile (Jonglez) is out now.

the mattress. She wrote what music she liked and which guys she had a thing for. Now we post the same things on Facebook instead. What happened? What reward do we get from a “like” from people we hardly ever see? Why are we giving up our personal data so willingly?’

‘I like to think my books are like The Simpsons,’ he says. ‘My youngest son just laughs at Homer’s silly face. My older son can read the subtitles and understand a little more of the humour, while I can see links to American politics and culture. And then there is another advanced level with popculture winks and nods for hardcore fans. So it is with my books – they can be read straight off like thrillers but there are also serious discussions around the internet and Facebook and plenty of geeky references to movies and music, too.’ Truly, what’s not to like? All three parts of the Game trilogy are out now

He first book in his trilogy was published in 2010 and won the Swedish Academy of Crime Writers’ first book award. Buzz and Bubble, parts two and three, followed at yearly intervals and each sold more than the previous instalment. De la Motte has a simple explanation for his success.

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24 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

puzzles

METROSCOPE by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

Connect with friends from far away or think about taking up a challenge that helps expand your options. An unexpected brainwave may have something to do with a break plan that you’re hatching. You may be encouraged to call friends and arrange a get-together. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

You may be looking for something but are unsure what it is. Perhaps you’ll need to go back into the past and revisit a dream you had as a child. Meanwhile, a focus on your lifestyle zone calls on you to strike a balance between healthy and unhealthy seasonal goodies.

METROKU Easy, Moderate and Challenging. For solutions, visit Metro.co.uk/metroku

A positive Jupiter/ Saturn connection may bring an opportunity to increase your income. A job or contract could be in the offing, one that could be worth taking up, especially if it suits your current personal situation. For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

You will have the courage and determination to do whatever you want. However, right now, you also have a vulnerable side and unless you push yourself or are pushed, you may tend to avoid problematic situations.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

The Moon in dynamic Aries can be perfect for upbeat conversations. This could also give you the nudge to call a friend from whom you have received a Christmas card. An unexpected invite may also make your day.

Having Mercury and the Sun in your sign may prove lucky, especially if you can embrace your individuality. If there is any part of you untapped, tune into it. Soon enough you could be pleasantly surprised at your progress.

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

Mercury may be pushing you to think about the kind of work that could help you feel fulfilled and happy. Thoughts of freelancing or becoming self-employed may be a potential option – if it suits your inclination. A humorous person can also appeal. For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

Optimism may be balanced by common sense today as a Jupiter and Saturn trine puts a positive slant on a project or situation. If you’re working as part of a group or team, you may find their dedication inspirational.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

You might enjoy healthy competition. Acknowledging feedback may be an important step towards planning your next project. A constructive influence encourages you to have a go, even if you aren’t 100 per cent sure of the outcome.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

It’s a fairly positive day with Mercury and the Sun lubricating your romance zone. If you want a relaxing night out, go for it. You may just spark up a conversation with someone you really like. You can also find yourself in the mood for a flutter.

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

The focus on your domestic sector continues. Planning changes? This can be a perfect time to set them in motion. Another powerful influence might encourage you to share deeper and perhaps hidden aspects of your past with a good friend.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Consider tuning in if you get a feeling to speak to anyone, go anywhere or take a certain action, as it could result in extra cash coming your way. At the same time, this month can be expensive. Stay within budget to stave off seasonal angst.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

DOWN 1. Pare (7) 2. Clothing (7) 3. Started (5) 4. Idolize (7) 5. Dull (5) 6. Pier (5) 9. Hopeless (9) 14. Upbraid (7) 15. Very old (7) 16. Sparkle (7) 19. Consecrate (5) 20. Throng (5) 21. Revoke (5)

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Occur; 4 Besides; 8 Traitor; 9 Gusto; 10 Free; 11 Merchant; 13 Chew; 14 Stet; 16 Continue; 17 Prop; 20 Inert; 21 Uncover; 22 Entreat; 23 Ended. Down: 1 Out-of-practice; 2 Chase; 3 Rate; 4 Barter; 5 Sagacity; 6 Distant; 7 Short-tempered; 12 Belittle; 13 Conceit; 15 August; 18 Roved; 19 Ache.

Astrology calls cost 1.27 euros per min from a BT landline. Live Services cost 2.40 euros per minute. Calls from mobiles/other networks may cost more. Callers must be 18 or over to use this service and have the bill payers permission. For entertainment purposes only. All calls are recorded. PhonePayPlus regulated(ComReg in ROI) UK SP: StreamLive Ltd, NR7 0HR, 08700 234 567. ROI SP:Moveda, 1 Courtyard Business Park, Orchard Lane, Blackrock, Co Dublin, 0818 241 398

ENIGMA Heroic Hercules was tasked To clean these up. No sooner asked, He made a stream flow through them and Dispersed their filth across the land. WHO AM I? A TV presenter, I was born in Hertfordshire in 1950. I have been a runner-up on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! I was the BBC’s royal correspondent for 18 years and I have hosted TV’s Great British

Menu and Cash In The Attic. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… created the silent clown Bip? WHAT... type of creature is a mara? WHERE... would you suffer the inflammation encephalitis? WHEN... did the Prohibition of alcohol start in the US?

SCRIBBLE BOX

ACROSS 7. Occur (6) 8. Civil (6) 10. Defame (7) 11. Spectacle (5) 12. Dregs (4) 13. Rend (5) 17. Centre (5) 18. Recognise (4) 22. Lessen (5) 23. Strain (7) 24. Contend (6) 25. Smoke-stack (6)

QuIz

Crossword No. 878 See next edition for solutions

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Augean stables. WHO AM I? Jennie Bond. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Marcel Marceau; A rodent; The brain; 1920.

QUICK CROsswORd

For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

For a live one-to-one consultation with one of my gifted psychics, call 15809 113 68 or 1800 719 688 to book using credit card

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD 25

26 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Arsenal take second best after Napoli rally late on TEN-man Arsenal scraped into the knockout stages as group runners-up last night as former Gunners target Gonzalo Higuain came back to haunt Arsene Wenger. The Gunners travelled to Naples in the knowledge it would take a 3-0 defeat to knock them out of the competition. But Napoli – managed by Wenger’s old adversary Rafael Benitez – had to win to maintain any interest in

2 Red cards for Mikel Arteta during three seasons at Arsenal. Both have come during this campaign the Champions League and send Borussia Dortmund down into the Europa League. And it was the man Wenger wanted to sign during the summer, Argentina striker Higuain, who grabbed the second-half goal which gave Arsenal a nervy final 15 minutes. The sending-off of Mikel Arteta minutes later only made it more of an

GROUP F – Final ResUlts and table Marseille ...................1 Bor Dortmund........2 Napoli ....................... 2 Arsenal .................. 0

B Dortmund Arsenal Napoli Marseille

P 6 6 6 6

W 4 4 4 0

D 0 0 0 0

L F A 2 11 6 2 8 5 2 10 9 6 5 14

Pts 12 12 12 0

football champions league

gROuP f NAPOLI .............................. 2 ARSENAL............................0 by MATTHEW NAsH anti-climax for Arsenal and Jose Callejon wrapped up Napoli’s victory in injury time. The visitors had started well enough but carved out few chances, Napoli goalkeeper Rafael denying Olivier Giroud with their best effort. Christian Maggio, meanwhile, fired over when put through on goal for the home side. Napoli applied pressure after the break and both Pablo Armero and JoCallejon wasted opportunities. But former Real Madrid star Higuain turned and fired past Wojciech Szczesny in the 73rd minute to give the hosts hope. Arteta got his marching orders rather harshly after a challenge on Callejon saw him pick up his second booking. And Callejon made it interesting with a late chip but Napoli had to settle for a Europa League spot.

TONigHT’s fixTuREs Europa League Group A St Gallen v Swansea .......................................... (6pm) TV ITV4 Valencia v Kuban Krasnodar...................................(6pm) Group D Maribor v Wigan .............................................. (6pm) TV BT Sport 1 Zulte-Waregem v Rubin Kazan ......................... (6pm) TV BT Sport 2 Group K FC Sheriff Tiraspol v Tromso ............................. (8.05pm) Tottenham v Anzhi Makhachkala................ (8.05pm) TV ITV4

Target man: Gonzalo Higuain’s Napoli failed to qualify despite his scoring the first in a 2-0 win

PICTURE: REUTERs

Neymar bags hat-trick as Hoops hit for six

Looking up: Neymar had not scored in the Champions League before last night’s hattrick

CELTIC suffered their heaviest European defeat since a 5-0 loss to Artmedia Bratislava in 2005 as Neymar tore them apart at the Nou Camp. The Brazilian netted a hat-trick as Barcelona shrugged off the absence of Lionel Messi to turn in a masterful performance and top Group H. The hosts took an early lead through Gerard Pique and never looked back as Neil Lennon’s side slipped out of Europe on a low note. Kris Commons, Charlie Mulgrew and Anthony Stokes dropped to the bench as Adam Matthews and Scott Brown returned.

gROuP H BARCELONA ...........................6 CELTIC ......................................1 by fRAsER RORisON A slack pass by Matthews put Xavi in but Virgil van Dijk recovered. However, Barca took a sixth-minute lead when Pique collected a rebound and fired home after Fraser Forster had saved from Alexis Sanchez. Van Dijk and Mikael Lustig made crucial blocks while Efe Ambrose denied Pique a second. But Barca went 2-0 up when

Neymar foxed Ambrose and Pedro beat Lustig to his low cross. Neymar got his first Champions League goal when he converted a Martin Montoya cut-back following a flowing move. Mulgrew replaced Teemu Pukki at half-time but Barca continued to dominate and Neymar fired home from just inside the area. The Brazilian sealed his hat-trick when he nut-megged Ambrose before slipping the ball under Forster. Substitute Cristian Tello made it six as his shot deflected in off van Dijk before Samaras headed in a consolation from a free-kick.

football champions league

Thursday, December 12, 2013 METRO HERALD 27

ba seals top spot for blues in steaua stroll gROup E CHELSEA ..................................1 STEAUA BUCHAREST ...........0 by jOn HARvEy DEMBA BA’S goal ensured Chelsea finished top of their Champions League group and avoided some of the European big guns in the last 16. While the performance was unconvincing, the Blues got the result needed against Steaua thanks to Ba’s closerange strike on ten minutes. Basle, the only other team who could have topped the group, lost to Schalke 2-0 and the Germans joined Chelsea in the knockout stages. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho recalled left-back Ashley Cole for his first start in seven matches and 41year-old goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer became the oldest debutant in Champions League history with his start.

GROUP E Chelsea ......................1 Steaua Bucharest.. 0 Schalke ..................... 2 Basle ...................... 0 Chelsea Schalke Basle St Bucharest

P 6 6 6 6

W 4 3 2 0

D 0 1 2 3

L F A Pts 2 12 3 12 2 6 6 10 2 5 6 8 3 2 10 3

The irony cannot have been lost on Mourinho that Chelsea scored from a set-piece in the early stages – according to the Blues boss, his side are currently so bad at defending dead-ball situations even the dummies they use for a wall are scoring goals. Oscar flicked on a corner from the near post and Ba forced the ball over the line to give the hosts the lead. Branislav Ivanovic nearly put the Blues in total control in the 27th minute but Bucharest goalkeeper Ciprian Tatarusanu tipped over the Serbian’s header. In the second half, the Blues had chances to make the game safe – Ba lashed over a cut-back from Willian when it looked easier to score and Hazard headed over an Andre Schurrle cross but, in the end, just the one goal was enough.

Manchester United winger Ashley Young (pictured) insists the players have to take their share of responsibility for the side’s poor form. The Red Devils beat Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 on Tuesday to top Group A in the Champions League but they had lost their last two Premier League games to Everton and Newcastle at Old Trafford. David Moyes’ side have not won in the league since November 10 and the Scot said on Monday he took ‘complete responsibility for the results’. But Young, who made his first start since late October, said Moyes should not carry the can on his own. ‘Of course. We are the players who go out on the pitch. Everyone is in it together – manager, staff and players. We win together, we lose together.’ Young feels the European success, courtesy of Phil Jones’ secondhalf goal, gives United momentum ahead of Sunday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa. ‘Thankfully we managed to do get back to winning ways,’ added the 28-year-old. ‘We want to get back to winning [every week] and there’s no better place than Villa Park on Sunday and hopefully get another three points.’

85th Minute winner for

Wesley Sneijder as Galatasaray booked their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 1-0 win in their snow delayed match with Juventus.

Baines eyes festive return for Everton

Demba delight: Ba celebrates bagging the winning goal at the Bridge

PICTURE: AP

Reds left hamstrung after Gerrard injury blow premier league

Crocked: Gerrard

fOOTbALL DigEsT young: Boss can’t take the blame for bad run of form

LiverpooL skipper Steven Gerrard has been ruled out of action for up to six weeks with a hamstring injury. The england captain sustained the injury in the 4-1 win over West Ham on Saturday and a scan has confirmed he will miss the hectic Christmas period. However, Gerrard hopes to return within a month, two weeks ahead of the initial prognosis, which would give boss Brendan rodgers a boost. rodgers is

MATcHEsMissED

TOTTEnham (away, Sunday December 15) CaRdiff (home, Saturday December 21) man CiTy (away, Thursday December 26) ChElSEa (away, Sunday December 29) hUll (home, January 1, 2014) Gerrard may also be absent for these games STOkE (away, Saturday January 12) aSTOn Villa (home, Saturday January 18) EVERTOn (home, Tuesday January 28)

already without striker Daniel Sturridge for six weeks and is sweating on the fitness of Jordan Henderson for Sunday’s game at Tottenham.

EVERTON defender Leighton Baines hopes to be fit to play some part in the busy festive schedule but accepts he is currently playing a waiting game. The England left-back (pictured) broke a toe in last month’s derby clash with Liverpool and boss Roberto Martinez said he could be sidelined for up to six weeks. ‘Obviously the schedule thickens up around Christmas and New Year, so you like to think you would be back and available to help, but it’s just one of those things,’ he said. ‘You have to wait and see. I’ve not been able to do a lot to treat it because it’s a break.’

Swans’ late flight SWANSEA’S preparation for their final Europa League group match against St Gallen was disrupted as their departure was severely delayed yesterday. The Swans had planned a 10am flight from Cardiff Airport but fog meant that was not possible, and they eventually left in the late afternoon. Swansea are well placed to qualify for the knockout stages, sitting second in their group.

28 METRO HERALD Thursday, December 12, 2013

Neymar nets treble as Hoops suffer Nou Camp nightmare

«see page 26

Relieved Gunners make it into final 16... just

Arsenal lose – but live to fight on another day

by JAMES BOYLAN ARSENAL made it into the knockout stages of the Champions League by the skin of their teeth after a tense finale to Group F in Italy and Germany. The Gunners lost 2-0 in Napoli but were all set to progress as top seeds until a late Borussia Dortmund goal in Marseille. Kevin Grosskreutz’s 87th-minute strike earned Dortmund a 2-1 win that saved last year’s runners-up from

Holding role: Olivier Giroud, right, tries to shake off Raul Albiol as Arsenal suffer a 20 defeat to Napoli last night

elimination – and saw them take the top spot from Arsenal with a goalsscored tally. Arsenal, though, will be hugely relieved to progress at all after Mikel Arteta’s late sending-off made for a nervous final 15 mintues at the Stadio San Paolo. Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea secured top seeding for Monday’s last-16 draw thanks to a 1-0 victory at home to Steaua Bucharest.

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Dynamic duo: Ireland’s Niall O’Brien and Ed Joyce celebrate their match-saving partnership as they come back strongly against Afghanistan

JOYCE LEADS CHARGE AS IRELAND AIM TO BOUNCE BACK AGAINST AFGHANS ED JOYCE scored an unbeaten half-century as Ireland’s cricketers staged a determined comeback on the second day of their Intercontinental Cup Final against Afghanistan in Dubai, writes Ryan Bailey. Phil Simmons’ side will resume proceedings this morning in a commanding position after reaching stumps on 159/2, a lead of 164 with eight second innings wickets in hand. Joyce ensured the batting failures of day one weren’t replicated as he and Niall O’Brien (40) put on an unbeaten thirdwicket stand of 106 after Ireland’s bowlers had earlier dragged their side back into the match. John Mooney picked up where he left off on Tuesday by completing his first international fivewicket haul, with two wickets either side of George Dockrell’s dismissal of Asghar Stanikzai, who had added 42. The defending champions threatened to surpass Ireland’s first innings total of 187 with a patient 42-run stand between captain Mohammad Nabi and Mirwais Ashraf. However, Trent Johnston – playing in his final game before retiring – struck twice in quick succession to expose the lower-order as

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Afghanistan crumbled to 182 all out. Left-arm spinner Dockrell took advantage of some reckless shots to finish with figures of 3/52 as the final four wickets fell for just seven runs. ‘We had a precise plan to apply the pressure and it paid off,’ 39-year-old Johnston admitted. ‘As soon as we got the first [wicket] they just kept tumbling, so it was a fantastic day for us.’ Joyce and O’Brien then went about adding to the slender lead with an energetic partnership as they negotiated the final session comfortably after openers William Porterfield and Paul Stirling had fallen in the first ten overs. Porterfield scored a quickfire 34 but was dismissed before tea as he swept Nabi straight to fine-leg after Stirling had become Dawlat Zadran’s fifth wicket of the match. Sussex batsman Joyce, recently named Ireland’s Player Of The Year, found an able ally in O’Brien as the pair capitalised on loose deliveries and used all their experience to frustrate the Afghan bowlers. Joyce progressed to 74 before the close of play and will hope to score just his second century in an Irish shirt when play resumes today.