Metro Herald, January 15, 2014 by Metro Herald

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Money, money everywhere…

THE total set-up cost of Irish by lyndsey telford Water is expected to reach €180million, its managing direc- the spend to the Oireachtas Comtor has revealed. mittee on the Environment, CulAs John Tierney confirmed ture and the Gaeltacht. nearly half that figure will be He is due to appear today before sucked up by external consultants, the Public Accounts Committee to he insisted the Government knew explain the costs behind the body, about the budget breakdown from funded by the taxpayer under the the start. State gas company umbrella. The former Dublin city managMr Tierney, who earns €200,000 er, who sparked fury last week a year, insisting that, once up and when he revealed €50m had been running, the national utility will spent on outside help, said the fig- have saved the state €2billion by ure could grow to nearly €85m. 2021 and said the organisations at IT giant IBM will the centre of the conhave been paid sultants’ fees contro€44.8m by 2015, Acversy were brought centure €17.2m, Ernst in out of absolute ne& Young €4.6m and cessity. KPMG €2.2m, with a ‘These service profurther €13.3m paid viders have joined out on smaller conour team temporarily tracts between now to help us build a and then by the comhugely valuable aspany that will meter set,’ he said. and charge Irish citi- Revelations: Tierney ‘We did not bring in zens for water. experts to tell us how ‘This entire programme and as- to build Irish Water. We brought sociated budget, as well as the ap- in contractors to help us build the proach to resourcing and staffing systems and processes necessary the programme, was rigorously to run the business. This is standexamined and approved, by both ard practice in utility businesses. the internal Bord Gáis governance ‘In our case we simultaneously and approval processes, and by built five major systems and prothe relevant Government depart- cured global specialist expertise ments,’ Mr Tierney said. The Irish Water boss confirmed turn to PAGE 5

HE’S GOT SOME NECK: A looter carries boxes of beer as a Corona truck burns in a road block allegedly set up by followers of the Knights Templar cartel in Tierra Caliente. Mexico’s government pledged to take control of the western state after days of fighting between vigilantes and members of a powerful drug cartel PICTURE: REUTERs

Keep Dublin tidy – Please recycle this Metro Herald when you are finished with it

METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

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15 Months, the

average lifespan of a mobile phone, a study suggests. A third are broken, a sixth suffer water damage and one in seven is lost or stolen Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now up to 79%. Keep reading, keep recycling – thank you.

Today is...

Wikipedia’s birthday The web encyclopedia was founded on this day in 2001. Hundreds of its editors’ accounts were recently closed over suspicions that entries were being edited to suit the desires of corporations or clients

From the archives (2008):

Ahern vs Kenny in war of words

Enda Kenny has said the Taoiseach should resign, after Mr Ahern called him ‘a liar’. Mr Kenny said: ‘The Taoiseach should stand down or tell the truth about his personal finances.’ Mr Ahern denied claims he had misled the Dáil and the people.

Today’s birthdays

James Nesbitt, actor, 49 (pictured); Bernard Hopkins, boxer, 49; Mary Pierce, tennis player, 39; Pitbull, rapper, 33; Skrillex, electronic musician, 26.

CLOCKWORD

The solutions from 1 to 12 are all six-letter 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 boyband singer. 1. Set 2. Source 3. Fighting implement 4. Pilot 5. Blush 6. Region 7. Church official 8. Choice

9. Stub 10. South American river 11. Roman army unit 12. Renounce

Yesterday’s solution: Andy Robinson

Weather Weather Today

Max: 9°c

A mild and breezy day with further heavy falls of rain in the morning. However a clearance to cooler and brighter with occasional showers will develop. Temperatures between 7°C to 9°C in moderate to fresh south to southwest winds.

Derry

7�C

Donegal

8�C

9�C

Cavan

Galway

9�C

Athlone

Dublin

9�C

Tipperary Waterford

Tralee

Cork

Tonight

Belfast

9�C

9�C Sunrise: 8.32am Sunset: 4.37pm

Min: -1°c

Cold, with frost and icy patches forming under clear skies, but some rain too. Some thunder is possible also. Temperatures between -1°C to 3°C in light to moderate southerly winds

EUROPE today

Tomorrow Sunny spells and rain or hail showers expected, with some heavy showers at times in coastal counties. Temperatures between 6°C to 8°C in fresh southerly winds.

7�C 7�C 7�C 8�C

8�C

6�C 8�C 8�C Max: 8°c

Athens

16 °c

Barcelona

13 °c

Berlin Brussels

4 °c 6 °c

London

11 °c

Geneva

7 °c 11 °c

Madrid Paris Rome

9 °c 14 °c

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Rock (and roll) panda

THIS panda was determined to get back on the horse – even if it’s green and plastic. He suffered a series of setbacks and falls as he tried to mount the children’s rocking horse. At one stage, he ended up in a heap on the floor of the enclosure. But he didn’t give up and, finally, got back in the saddle properly at the enclosure at the Bifengxia

by AiDAn RADnEDgE Panda Reserve in Chengdu, China. Irish photographer David Jenkins, 41, snapped the panda’s struggle while working as a volunteer at the reserve. He said: ‘It was very funny though I did worry it might have hurt itself. ‘But the panda was fine. It jumped up straight away.’ pictures: caters

DBS.IE

METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Vigil for murdered researcher Designer: ‘Not drunk’

Lauren denies air rage to a US newspaper SHAMED jewellery designer Jenny Lauren has told a US newspaper she was not drunk during an air rage incident that resulted in an emergency landing and a court case in Clare earlier this month. In an email to the New York Post, the 41-year-old, who is the niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, said: ‘I stood up for myself to one stewardess who was rude and the next thing you know, they were landing the plane.’ Lauren denied she called a flight attendant ‘a fat, ugly, unhappy blonde bitch’, saying she called her a ‘blonde, fat, unhappy witch’. The Barcelona to JFK flight made an emergency landing in Shannon as a result of the incident. Lauren pleaded guilty to breaching the peace and being drunk on board the flight and was fined €2,000.

Drug mules lap up life in Peru prison by TARIQ TAHIR

FRIENDS of murdered researcher Tom O’Gorman last night gathered to pray at St Teresa’s on Clarendon Street in Dublin, a church he frequently used. The hour-long service was arranged as friends and colleagues of Mr O’Gorman – during his time as a journalist with Catholic newspaper The Voice Today and latterly as a researcher – struggled to come to terms with his death. He was found dead at his home in Castleknock on Sunday. His lodger, Saverio Bellante, 34, was remanded in custody charged with his murder.

LETTERS from cocaine smuggler Michaella McCollum have revealed her life in a Peruvian jail. The 20-year-old has taken up cookery lessons and has ten hours of free time to wile away after doing chores. She has told her family she is doing really well and now appreciates the small things in life. In one note to her sister, she said: ‘We get to watch a DVD today and I get so happy and excited about that. ‘I now have a digital radio, too – a girl called Patty gave it to me. I have not had my earphones off since. ‘Next week, there are lots of dance activities that we all have to take part in, which will be fun.’ The letters, published in Closer magazine yesterday, also describe the feast she enjoyed on Halloween to mark a Peruvian holiday. Her sister, Samantha, told the maga-

Jailed: McCollum, left, and Reid zine that her family sends McCollum €120 a month to buy bottled water, toilet roll and shampoo. Relatives also send her porridge and noodles to give her a break from the normal prison diet of rice and beans. McCollum and her friend, Melissa Reid, also 20, are serving a six-year sentence after trying to board a flight from Peru to Madrid while carrying 10kg of cocaine in their bags. Her lawyer is pressing to have her moved to a British jail and believes both could be paroled by 2016.

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Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Varadkar angers rail union with ‘inevitable’ strike talk

Flocking to the festival A group of children watch migratory birds fly above them as they take a morning boat ride on the Yamuna river in Delhi during the Hindu Makar Sankranti festival marking the start of the harvest season Picture: reuters

TRANSPORT minister Leo Varadkar has said it is his job to ‘look out for passengers who use public transport and the taxpayers who pay for it’. He was speaking after rail workers union Unite described as ‘unhelpful and ill-considered’ comments in a newspaper yesterday in which he said it is ‘inevitable’ commuters will be affected by strikes in the coming months but savings must be made. Unions are at odds with Irish Rail over payroll savings to the tune of €5million which must be achieved. Mr Varadkar (pictured) is quoted as saying: ‘The last thing anyone

wants to see is passengers disrupted and I would hope agreement can be reached, but within the next two months, I see rail strikes happening.’ Unite official Willie Quigley said: ‘The Minister would be well-advised to maintain a neutral stance rather than using the media to re-state the company’s position.’

Quangos set for shake-up

M&S withdraws sacking appeal

THE Government has pledged to complete its so-called bonfire of the quangos by the end of September. It claimed significant progress had been made in abolishing State agencies, with work to end duplication across 44 bodies already complete. ‘Measures involving a further 63 bodies are at advanced stages,’ the Government said. Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin said it paves the way for a more efficient and responsive public service.

MARKS & Spencer Ireland yesterday asked a judge to strike out its appeal against a compensation award of €17,500 to a sales manager the Employment Appeals Tribunal found it had sacked unfairly. Manager Salma Ayoubi, of Pass of Kilbride, Miltownpass, Westmeath, fired for giving a customer €30 too much change, had been dismissed for ‘gross misconduct’, the firm said. Counsel for the retailer told the judge the matter had been resolved.

DJs suffered major head injuries in exAmTIMES late-night attack In Association with The Institute of Education

FOUR young Nigerian men face sentencing for their role in an attack on nightclub goers and a DJ in Temple Bar more than three years ago. One of the victims, Ross Butler, was knocked unconscious in the initial fight and suffered seizures from bruising and swelling on his brain after being discharged from hospital. He was on medication to deal with seizures for seven months and was not allowed to drive for a year. Another victim, DJ Mark Jones, had to have a permanent cheek implant surgically fitted and was left with a number of fractured teeth. Damilola Adeyemo, 21, with an address at Whitworth Place, Drumcondra, pleaded guilty to assaulting

by AOIfE nIc ARDgHAIL Mr Butler and Mr Jones. He also pleaded guilty to stealing the DJ’s €200 headphones and bag of CDs at Eustace Street and Curved Street on October 10, 2010. Nero Omoruyi, 20, of North Circular Road, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Butler, Mr Jones and another club goer, Colm Ahern. Damilara Bammodu, 20, now residing in hostel accommodation in Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting another man, Sean Maher, on the same date and to possessing stolen headphones at his then residence on October 28, 2010. Oluwafemi Adetunji, 21, now liv-

ing in Portlaoise but with a previous address on the North Circular Road, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Ahern and to possessing a stolen DJ bag of CDs on October 28, 2010. All four men pleaded guilty to violent disorder, which carries a maximum ten-year penalty. Three of the assailants claimed their three-minute attack was spurred by racist comments after words were exchanged outside The Mezz Club before a fight broke out which spilled on to Curved Street. Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned the matter pending a probation services report and to see if any of the men would be suitable for community service.

Irish Water set-up costs revealed at €180m

« FroM PaGE 1

to ensure that the most efficient industry practice is being deployed.’ Mr Tierney said ‘these weren’t people producing reports’, but rather vital experts drafted in to help build a national utility within 18 months. He also insisted the Government had been informed from the start of the set-up process in 2012. ‘From the very outset Bord Gáis advised Government that this type of support was critical to deliver this programme and achieve the targets set in the demanding timeframe,’ Mr Tierney told the commit-

tee. However, he revealed he had never spoken directly to Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan regarding Irish Water, and said questions regarding ministerial approval were not his to answer. Meanwhile, Irish Water has insisted all external contracts it has awarded are in line with European rules on public competition, while revealing a €58m saving in software licences by using the same IT systems as Bord Gáis for billing, asset management and utility financial systems. Bord Gáis insisted it and Irish Water had been fully compliant with rules when awarding contracts.

The essential study guides for Leaving Cert and Junior Cert students.

Tomorrow January 16th

Choosing the best Leaving Cert subjects for you This issue includes highlighted features such as: • Interest and aptitude tests • Advice on picking your Leaving Cert subjects • Tips on heading into Fifth year The ExamTimes guides are written by the expert teachers at the Institute of Education and each issue is based on particular exam subjects. Whether your focus is on Leaving Cert or Junior Cert, this series of eight guides will be an ideal support to exam preparation .

Coming up next week, January 23rd

Leaving Cert Maths ONLY IN THE IRISH TIMES

THE IRISH TIMES

METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

60 seconds

Car starts first time after wave sweeps it away

Mixed-race comedian TREVOR NOAH grew up as under the apartheid regime in South Africa, an experience he deconstructs in his stand-up show The Racist. He plays Dublin later this month

You grew up in Soweto, the child of a black Xhosa mum and a white Swiss father. Was it a difficult childhood? Under

the laws of apartheid, mixed marriages weren’t permitted so it was certainly an interesting experience. In the show I describe myself as being ‘born a crime’ but my parents tried to shield me from the worst of it. Still, it was weird having to walk on the opposite side of the street to my own dad. Luckily, by the time I was conscious of our position in society apartheid was ending and the country was slowly changing.

Being designated a secondclass citizen doesn’t seem like obvious subject matter for comedy... Well, I’ve been doing

and Scottish audiences from the off. It’s hard to explain why but there’s a strong storytelling thread to Irish comedy that’s not dissimilar to what I do. I’m friends with a lot of Irish comics like David O’Dohery and Dylan Moran – it surprises me that despite growing up in vastly different worlds on different continents we really get each other. I’ve tried to get Dylan to do a show in South Africa. I think some people might struggle with the accent but once they get past that – and his hair – they’d love him.

You spent two years living in the US and have performed regularly in the UK. How does the attitude to racism differ? I

found in the US and South Africa there’s a shared awareness of racial discrimination but in the UK it’s interesting because people like to believe that racism isn’t a factor in their lives – but if you look at the case of [the killing of] Mark Duggan we can see it’s not something that goes away.

comedy for six or seven years and speaking about it was really organic. Whenever you have a bad experience in life you have to choose how to appropriate it. I grew up in a family who didn’t do negativity – particularly my mothSouth Africa I’ve tried to get er – and that’s a and stand-up trait I admire. I Dylan Moran to do a c o m e d y understand how show in South Africa. aren’t exactly people living synonymous. under apartheid Once people get past What’s the became conhis accent –and his sumed by hate scene like? It’s and anger but I’ve hair – they’d love growing and growalways found it’s ing, which is lovely him easier to laugh – that’s to see. It might seem not to negate the gravity trivial but we now have of that regime. Look at Nelson two fully-fledged comedy clubs in Mandela: he was criticised by many the country which is really heartenof his countrymen for being almost ing. I mean even Eddie Izzard, who too conciliatory and not suitably introduced me to Britain, has a folmilitant. When you fight you create lowing over there. further division but with laughter you discover you have more in com- You and Eddie are good pals. mon with people than you think. How did you meet? We met in London several years ago and really How did your parents feel hit it off, so when he came to South about your career choice? My Africa to play I put him in contact mum was just happy I could pay my with the right people. As a transbills. She doesn’t understand what I sexual comic, he’s more popular in do. My father is still weird about it South Africa than you might beand thinks I get paid to talk rubbish lieve. He’s also into promoting gloon a stage. I’ve asked them to see me bal stand-up and helped me out play live but my mum just laughs and when I played the Edinburgh Fringe says she doesn’t want to share me Festival last year. with an audience; just getting my dad Tell me a joke. I actually heard out of the house is a mission. this from a great Irish comic, whose This is your second visit to name escapes me, at the Vodafone Dublin following a sold-out festival in the Iveagh Gardens last show at the Vodafone Come- year. He said ‘Guinness is a South dy Festival last year. How did African drink. It’s 90 per cent black you find Irish audiences? I but the white is on top.’ Daragh Reddin think they really got me and I found we connected almost immediately. English audiences, though they real- Trevor Noah brings his stand-up ly enjoy the show, can be quite re- show The Racist to Vicar Street on served but I tend to click with Irish Jan 31.

“

oPeL has borrowed the ‘Best Built Cars in the World’ tag line of rival Toyota for its latest triumph – a 2006-registered opel Astra surviving these waves virtually unscathed. The drama started last monday morning, when the Jackson family set off on their commute past Tragunma Beach near Skibbereen, Co Cork at the height of storm Christine. Rory Jackson, his wife Celine, son Aaron and German exchange student Sid were forced to abandon the car when it was engulfed by a wave. The family, who escaped to safety by climbing an embankment, watched as their car was swept by the tide nearly 10metres along the road. before being battered by waves for more than two hours, as these photos from Aine Hayes show. Rory had already rung his insurance company before he investigated the scene but was delighted to find that not only were the cabin and boot completely dry, the car also started first time. He had arranged to have the car towed away,

PicTuReS: Aine HAyeS

but when he inspected the car he was ‘pleasantly shocked’ to find that it was completely dry inside and valuables such as a laptop and school books were undamaged. ‘I checked the engine and battery thinking that there would be severe damage. All was clean and looked ok apart from the debris in between the wheels and underneath. ‘on turning the key it started immediately and I drove it back to my house’. In fact Rory discovered that the only damage caused to the car was a missing passenger door mirror cover.

Roache ‘raped girl then sent signed pic’ by HAYDEN SMITH CORONATION Street legend William Roache twice raped a 15-year-old girl and carried out a sex attack on another aged 14 – before sending her a signed photo, it was claimed yesterday. The 81-year-old actor, who has played Ken Barlow since 1961, went on trial accused of five indecent assaults and two rapes in the 1960s. Among the alleged victims, who were aged between 11 or 12 and 16 at the time of the ‘attacks’, were two sisters, one of whom says she was raped twice by Roache in 1967. The 15-year-old was first led to a house, pushed on to a bed and raped by Roache, Preston crown court heard. ‘She describes feeling panic-stricken. She had never had sex before,’ said prosecutor Anne Whyte. The other of the siblings, who would visit Granada Studios in Manchester during school holidays, says she was once offered a lift home by Roache in his silver Rolls-Royce when he forced her to perform a sex act on him, Ms Whyte told jurors. He allegedly gave her money to get a bus home. A 14-year-old told police Roache led her into a studio toilet and made her commit a sex act on him, later sending her a letter and a signed photo. Roache denies all charges. The trial continues.

In the dock: A court artist’s drawing of actor William Roache at Preston crown court PicTuRe: PA

Chuckle Brother ‘foiled DJ attack’ FoRmeR BBC DJ Dave Lee Travis was disturbed while molesting a young woman backstage at a panto by the sound of a Chuckle Brother approaching, a court heard yesterday. The former Top of The Pops presenter, who was playing evil wizard Abanazar in Aladdin, allegedly pinned his victim to the wall in his room and attacked her. But he relented when he heard one of The Chuckle Brothers – Barry and Paul elliott – in the corridor outside, the jury heard. The 68-year-old, real name David Griffin, is accused of 13 indecent assaults between 1976 and 2003. meanwhile, TV entertainer Rolf Harris appeared in court yesterday to deny a series of indecent assaults said to date back 46 years. The 83-year-old pleaded not guilty to 12 counts, which are alleged to have taken place between 1968 and 1986.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Getting off your face on Facebook... a warning

Foamy head: Boozy surfer and beachgoer slurping from hole in can

Punch bowl: A drinker laps from a toilet while being held upside-down Pictures: Facebook

WHEN pubgoers complain their pint of beer ‘tastes like p***’, they usually lack hard evidence. But this drinker – dangling by his legs and slurping lager from a toilet bowl – could make the claim with little fear of contradiction. He is among devotees of a questionable new social media drinking game, which sees players daring each other to find strange new ways to neck booze – and doctors are warning is fraught with risk. You might think the sight of someone drinking alcohol from a loo would put people off joining in with the ‘Neknominate’ craze. But you’d be wrong, because videos posted online reveal the lavatory-lapper is far from the daftest drinker involved. One player accepted a challenge to down beer and shots while having fireworks thrown at him and his pants set on fire. Two men quaffed tipples while hanging beneath a helicopter – while another chugged beer on

by NicOLE LE MARiE the roof of a garage before somersaulting into a paddling pool. Other participants have been filmed drinking litre bottles of vodka in seconds. ‘Neck your drink. Nominate another. Don’t break the chain, don’t be a d**k,’ says one of many Facebook pages set up to promote the game. Neknominate – which is sweeping Australia and now being ominously referred to by social media users over here – is no laughing matter, according to doctors. ‘Competitions to drink excessively in a short space of time can be dangerous and this should not come as a surprise,’ said Dr Sarah Jarvis, medical adviser to charity Drinkaware. ‘Apart from the risk of accident or injury, there is another aspect to these online drinking games, which is the “cybershame” some young people may experience.’

Exercise helps MS patients to boost energy SHORT bouts of moderate exercise such as walking or steady cycling can improve energy levels among people with multiple sclerosis (MS). Patients said they had an improved quality of life and suffered less fatigue after taking part in exercise sessions lasting just a few minutes. In a 12-week programme, 60 patients undertook short periods of aerobic exercise in 18 supervised and 18 home-based exercise sessions. The results were compared with 60 MS patients who were not told to take exercise. Researchers at the University of East Anglia found that people on the moderateintensity programme reported improved fatigue levels and had better quality of life. The study was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal. More than 8,000 people in Ireland have MS.

Boogie away those blues... without booze GENTS, if you can get with the groove without the aid of some Dutch courage and you’re at a loose end tomorrow, then get yourself down to the After Worky Boogie Woogie Club. It’s a new after-work sober (yes, sober) event where you can strut your stuff to great music and shake off the January blues or the stresses of life. The club’s third event is at the Centre for Creative Practices, Pembroke Street, at 6.30pm, and while plenty of ladies have signed up, they need more guys. Cover charge is €5 and there are only two rules – no alcohol and ‘no standing at the side watching’. See the club’s Facebook page for more details.

METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

★

★★ ★ ★

Swift too comfy for Jared fans...

Taylor Swift has caused consternation among Jared Leto fans after the pair were caught cosying up on Sunday. The country singer provoked outrage from the diehards when photos emerged of Leto ‘chatting her up’ at the Golden Globes after-party. ‘Get away from that b*tch!’ one unhappy obsessive posted to the actor after he uploaded a snapshot of himself and the 23-year-old. One guest at the celebrity bash posted a photo of the pair on his Twitter page. ‘Golden Globe winner Jared Leto chatting up Taylor Swift,’ Marlow Stern wrote, with a snap of Leto leaning in and whispering into Swift’s ear. And on Monday morning, the 42-year-old seemed to confirm rumours of a love connection when he posted his own photo of himself with an arm around Swift’s waist. ‘Me. Taylor Swift. Golden Globes. xo,’ he wrote.

Kanye may face charge for ‘hitting out at racist teen’ K

Anye West could be in trouble after allegedly punching a teenager who hurled racist abuse at his fiancée Kim Kardashian. The yeezus rapper came to the defence of Kardashian after the 18year-old reportedly called her a ‘n***** lover’ in the waiting room of a chiropractor’s office in Los Angeles, it was claimed. The man approached 33-year-old Kardashian after she had to apparently force her way through a crowd of paparazzi who had gathered. He allegedly referred to the photographers as ‘f*****-ass n******’ – and then snapped when Kim told

by sEAMus Duff

him not to use racist language. He allegedly ranted: ‘F*** you, b****. Just trying to help you. Shut up n***** lover, stupid s***.’ It was halfway through this tirade that 36-year-old West – who was due to be treated – called his partner and overheard the abuse... before rushing down and smacking the teenager in the face, gossip website TMZ claimed. Kardashian has also claimed that the teenager threatened to kill her. The reality TV star warned him that the entire episode had been captured on camera.

However, a different version of events has been told by one eyewitness, who claims the incident didn’t get physical or develop beyond a heated discussion. ‘The two ended up in a stairwell where the man was in her face and continued to verbally assault her,’ the source told e! Online. ‘She was genuinely scared. ‘Kanye called her phone and she answered and the man continued yelling at her. ‘Kanye overheard and came running down... he confronted the guy.’ West is already facing assault charges after he allegedly attacked a photographer in July last year.

J.Lo goes hell for leather at party All eyes were on Jennifer Lopez when she rocked up to the Fox TCA party in a figure-hugging little black dress. The 44year-old flaunted her toned body in the racy leather and lace number at the celebrity bash in Pasadena, California. And J.Lo loved her dress so much she wore it for an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Other stars in attendance at the annual party included J.Lo’s fellow American Idol judges Keith Urban and Harry Connick Jr, Zooey Deschanel, Kiefer Sutherland and Billy Bob Thornton.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

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Kim Cattrall says she might be up for a third Sex And The City film – for the right price. But the 57-year-old, who played promiscuous PR Samantha Jones, admitted there may be nowhere for the show’s characters to go. ‘For me, financially, it would be fantastic, for all of us. But I am really about content and where is it going to take me? I think it is about the story and if there is something more to say,’ she said. The last film came out in 2010.

Model mum? I’d rather keep on overachieving T

Focused: Tyra Banks picture: rex

yrA Banks is adamant she won’t be slamming the brakes on her hectic work schedule to start a family. The retired supermodel says she is an ‘overachiever’ and offers no apologies for preferring business life to that of a stay-at-home mother. ‘I don’t want to slow down and stop,’ she said. ‘I think there’s a weird thing with women when we’re high achievers and have high g o a l s ,

by jEnni McknigHT sometimes it’s like “Why don’t you just sit down and have a baby?”. ‘I know I’m an overachiever and I’m not apologetic about it. I won’t be slowing down any time soon, it’s only going to get bigger.’ The 40-year-old keeps her life offcamera under wraps and reveals she can never be ‘bothered’ to answer rumours about herself. ‘I’m very private and it’s interesting because I share a lot, like the gross girly stuff like menstrual cycle stuff,’ she told Metro in an exclusive chat.

‘I want women to feel safe enough to talk about these things so I try to be as open as I can. But when it comes to my day-to-day life, I think it’s just gossip fodder so I try to keep that private.’ After unflattering paparazzi pictures were taken of Banks in 2007 she hit out at the press for branding her ‘fat’. She has now teamed up with Kellog’s Special K to help women change their self-image. ‘Body image is something that has been important to me for a very long time, so when those photos came out it wasn’t new for me to be called fat, it was something that I had heard a lot during my modelling career.

‘But what was new about it was that I was on the cover of magazines with headlines. ‘So when people were saying I was fat, gross and disgusting they weren’t just saying it about me they were saying it about any woman whose body looked like mine in the photos. ‘I felt like I needed to say something so I was very vocal and told the people that had negative things to say about me, or women that looked like me, to kiss my fat ass. ‘It was almost a blessing that those photos were taken because it allowed me to have a message that was like a rallying cry for women everywhere.’

Nina turns up heat to the Max If the January blues are leaving you at an all time low, here’s a sight sure to raise your spirits. Danish beauty Nina Agdal – who is currently dating Max George of The Wanted – has stripped off to showcase the latest bikini collection from Californian swimwear company Beach Bunny. The stunning 21-year-old model looks radiant in a collection of snaps as she poses in a white and nude coloured bikini against a tropical beach backdrop

picture: Scope FeatureS

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Shia LaBeouf has hit back at Jim Carrey after the 51-year-old actor dissed him during the Globes. LaBeouf appeared to criticise Carrey’s parenting skills in a bizarre tweet about his daughter Jane before then backtracking. ‘Jim Carrey states that he is deeply involved in his daughter’s life – I accept that,’ the 27-year-old wrote. He was provoked by Carrey’s mockery of his decision to ‘retire’.

ITT Dublin PREPARING OUR GRADUATES FOR THE REAL WORLD!

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They say opposites attract – and Lady Gaga’s boyfriend, Taylor Kinney, certainly believes so. The Chicago Fire actor credits his quiet demeanour for helping keep the balance between him and the extrovert 27-year-old. ‘I’m reserved. She’s not. For whatever reason, it works,’ he told E! News. The 32-year-old previously revealed he is ready to start a family with Gaga, saying: ‘I think I’d be a good dad.’

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Gabourey Sidibe has hit back at trolls who mocked her Golden Globes dress. The 30-year-old star of Precious had the last laugh when she responded to jibes over her appearance on the red carpet on Sunday. ‘To people making mean comments, I mos def cried about it on that private jet on my way to my dream job last night. #JK’ Gabourey tweeted on Monday. The plus-sized actress was likened to the ‘chubby ghost from Casper’ by one Twitter user after she was snapped in a cream coloured Grecian-style gown.

www.ittdublin.ie Full & Part Time Courses & CAO Information Open Evening for Mature & FETAC Students, Parents & School Leavers Monday 27th January 5pm - 8pm Business Accounting, Marketing, Advertising, Management Humanities Social Care, Culinary Arts, Digital Media, Hospitality & Tourism, European Studies Science Sports Science, DNA & Forensics, Pharmaceuticals, Bioanalysis

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10 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Beanie Baby creator escapes jail term for tax evasion appeared composed as he made a brief statement before he was sentenced to two years’ probation in a Chicago court. He apologised and said he felt ‘shame and embarrassment’ for what he had done.

THE billionaire creator of Beanie Babies has escaped a prison sentence after pleading guilty to tax evasion in the US. Sixty-nine-year-old H Ty Warner, whose fortune came from the popular stuffed animal playthings,

Yingluck: ‘Preserving democracy’

Thai power stalemate goes on amid road protests THAI prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra has repeated her refusal to quit as protesters blocked roads in the heart of Bangkok for a second day. The demonstrators had pledged to shut down the city of 12 million people, but life in most of the vast metropolis was unaffected, with school classes restarting, commuters heading to work and most businesses open. The Southeast Asian nation’s latest bout of unrest began late last year and prime minister Shinawatra has tried to ease it by dissolving parliament and calling for new elections on February 2. There are growing doubts that will take place, however, and protesters and the main opposition Democrat Party are calling for a boycott. Yingluck’s opponents are demanding she step aside so an interim, non-elected government can take over and implement reforms before a poll is held. ‘I am not holding on (to my position) but I have to keep political stability. I’m doing my duty to preserve democracy,’ said Yingluck, who proposed to meet groups including her opponents to discuss postponing the vote.

He could have been jailed for up to five years after pleading guilty to a single tax evasion count for not paying taxes on $25million (€18.2m) in income stashed in Swiss bank accounts. District Judge Charles Kocoras also

ordered Warner to serve 500 hours of community service. Warner is among the highest-profile targets in the federal government’s push to prosecute Americans concealing income from the US tax collectors overseas.

Hollande appeals for privacy over reports of tryst with actress

Can’t this just be the end of the affair?

Painful moments: François Hollande addresses reporters at the Élysée Palace Picture: reuters

FRENCH president François Hollande yesterday refused to answer questions about his alleged affair with an actress and appealed for reporters to respect his ‘private life and dignity’. He said his indignation was total after reports he was sleeping with actress Julie Gayet, 41, surfaced in celebrity magazine Closer. It touched ‘a fundamental freedom that can concern you all’, Mr Hollande told reporters during a conference in Paris designed to outline his economic policies. ‘Everyone in their private life can go through tough times. It’s our case, these are painful moments.

World

by TARIq TAHIR Private affairs must be handled in private in an intimacy that respects everyone,’ he added. France’s first lady Valérie Trierweiler has been in hospital since Friday after photos said to be of Mr Hollande in a motorcycle helmet visiting Ms Gayet were published. Mr Hollande said he would announce whether she was still his first lady before he leaves for a trip to the US next month. Political analyst Dominique Moisi said Mr Hollande was being seen ‘in a less glorious manner, even a ridiculous manner’.

digest

Kim executed uncle ‘for sleeping with teen girls’

NORTH KOREA: The uncle of leader Kim Jong-un was executed because he slept with teenage girls that had been picked to provide ‘pleasure and entertainment’ for top officials, it has been claimed. A Japanese sushi chef who worked for Kim’s dictator father said Jang Song Thaek had overstepped the mark. ‘Kim could not forgive this, so he executed him,’ claimed cook Kenji Fujimoto.

Dotcom party for ‘internet electorate’ NEw ZEALAND: Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom yesterday launched a political party to contest this year’s general election. The 39-year-old German national – born Kim Schmitz – cannot run for office but plans to ‘activate non-voters, the youth, the internet electorate’. Dotcom (pictured) is fighting US attempts to extradite him on internet piracy charges.

Soldier’s peace offering leaves family in tears Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, D2 http://dublin.cervantes.es Tel: (01) 631 15 00

VIETNAM: A US soldier, who took home a Vietcong helmet with an image of a dove scratched on it, has returned it to the dead soldier’s relatives. In 1968, John Wast grabbed it as a war souvenir but, in an act of reconciliation, it was handed over to the family of Bui Duc Hung yesterday. His nephew, Bui Duc Duc, wept as he placed it by the family’s altar in his house 70km from Hanoi.

and finally... CHINA: Teachers and pupils have been told to stop making sacrifices to the gods to ensure success. One headteacher in Shanxi province, where pupils burned ‘gold’ ingots made of paper, said: ‘I don’t really know why there is such a fuss.’

EgypT: An election worker waits at the ballot box as the country votes on a new constitution, which may set the stage for a presidential bid by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi Picture: reuters

A RETIRED policeman shot a fellow cinemagoer dead for texting during a war film, it is claimed. Curtis Reeves asked Chad Oulson, 43, to stop – but a row allegedly ensued and he opened fire, also injuring Mr Oulson’s wife, Nichole. The 71year-old has been charged with second-degree murder. Witness Charles Cummings said: ‘I can’t believe people would bring a pistol, a gun, to a movie. ‘I can’t believe they would argue and fight and shoot one another

by nicOLE LE MARiE over popcorn. Over a cell phone.’ The argument broke out during a screening of new movie Lone Survivor at the Cobb Grove 16 cinema in Wesley Chapel, 32km north of Tampa, Florida. Mr Oulson explained to Reeves he was texting his three-year-old daughter, Mr Cummings reported. But an argument broke out and popcorn was thrown before Reeves allegedly pulled out a gun and fired.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Killed ‘for texting’ in middle of war movie Mrs Oulson’s hand was wounded as she tried in vain to protect her husband, Mr Cummings said. Other pa-

trons tried to help but the couple were taken to hospital, where Mr Oulson later died. His wife’s injuries

were not considered life-threatening. Reeves is expected to appear in court next Tuesday.

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Two Door Cinema Club up for NME band gong

ARCTIC Monkeys lead the field for this year’s NME Awards with eight nominations. The annual music bash sees the Sheffield quartet competing for a haul of top awards including Best Band, Best Album, Best Video and Best Musical Moment for their Glastonbury set, with nearest rivals Haim – the Californian all-sister trio – up for six prizes. Northern Ireland’s Two Door Cinema Club will challenge Arctic Monkeys for the Best British Band title at the ceremony in London’s O2 Arena on February 26, along with Foals, Palma Violets, Biffy Clyro and Disclosure.

Lying doctor sentenced for trafficking babies

Tough education: Palestinian students take part in a graduation ceremony for a military-style training programme. About 13,000 students, some of them of school age, joined the course, which is aimed at preparing them for ‘liberating Palestine from Israel’, Hamas officials said Picture: demotix

A DOCTOR who sold seven babies to traffickers was handed a suspended death sentence yesterday. Zhang Shuxia persuaded parents to part with the newborns by pretending they had incurable diseases or deformities, before selling them for as much as €2,600. The obstetrician, who worked in Fuping county, Shaanxi province, is likely to see his sentence reduced to life in prison. The case caused widespread anger in China, where the traditional preference for male offspring and policy restricting couples to having one baby have fuelled child-trafficking.

12 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Mailbox

Email: Twitter:

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

‘Mail’ to 53131* Facebook.com/ metroherald

*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

Stop taking fares and hit Irish Rail where it’ll really hurt

message to all Irish rail train drivers regarding the imminent and apparently inevitable strike action due to take place in the coming weeks: You do not need to stop working in order for the strike to be effective? simply stop charging the public for the service during this period and allow the public to use the service free of charge. This approach will hit the management of Irish Rail where it really hurts (financially) – and more importantly, it will keep the public on your side. Do the right thing! Tom Brady ■ Donna, I understand the thrill of flicking through albums in a music store and coming across that elusive gem, and I’m sure there are many out there like us. I’m sure as long as there are people who feel as we do then specialist music shops will exist. It’s the big chains like HmV who cater to the masses who are really threatened by the online market. Muso Type ■ I am hoping that your readers may be able to help me. I am currently working on a photo book about the women of the Irish Revolution, the focus of which is to try to acknowledge many of the lesserknown female participants who were involved in the events that took place in Ireland between 1913-23. I hope to include women from all

over the country who had a direct role to play – whether that meant fighting, carrying out intelligence work, first aid, transporting arms etc – but also those women who were not directly involved, for example the mothers, daughters, sisters, wives, girlfriends and fiancées of men who were active, as these women suffered just as much if they had been fighting themselves. Theirs is a story that needs to be told and if there are any readers who have such stories of their female relatives and have photographs and would be willing to contact me I would be most grateful. Full credit for use of the photographs would be of course acknowledged and copyright would rest with the owner and I do not need original photographs, scans of images would be great.

Quick pic

STREET SCENE: Mateus Frizzo captured this shot on George’s Street, with the dust from the roadworks in the sunshine providing a smoky effect

any help in this matter would be greatly appreciated. Liz Gillis, c/o Mercier Press info@mercierpress.ie ■ my partner and I were wondering if there were any charities in Dublin who might be able to make use of a 21” analogue TV set, in good working order, and with a scart point for digital connection for their service users. Can any readers help? Jeffrey Nilsen ■ This morning I opened page 6 of your great publication on the

Dart and began to read about the pet owl and its owner who watch Top gear, star Wars and even madagascar together. ah, I thought, how sweet. That was until I got to the part where she said she handfeeds it chicks and mice – how disgusting. Really metro Herald there should be a warning for animal lovers like myself, who acknowledge that many animals are carnivores, but draw the line at carrying out the slaughter on their own pet’s behalf. Gagging Gertie

Send your photos to pictures@metroherald.ie with ‘Quick pic’ as the subject and we will print the best

TREnDIng #sixnations ● Ireland name seven new faces Ireland have named seven uncapped players in their 44man training squad.

@RCNews_Mag

● Whoop Whoop!! So excited after founding out who is on the Irish Team for the Six Nations!! @MsSarahJaneC

No joke: Globes Tina Fey is funny ■ @MetroHNews Leave Tina Fey &Amy Poehler alone, if men made those jokes you’d say they were witty and that anyone offended has no sense of humour. @VanillaRooibos

They didn’t make Justin Timberlake resign when he broke up with Britney Spears! Mr Cranky, Dublin 7

■ Dear Dolly makes my Monday Miss Romantic Vs Mr Baffled, you can’t make this stuff up. @MsEmbles

■ Great to see @irishhockey men getting some coverage in this mornings #metroherald. Even if it was only a paragraph! #greenmachine @stephendcole

Build-up: Joe Schmidt names players for Ireland squad

■ That’s a bit harsh, calling for Valerie Trierweiler to lose her job as first lady just because her husband has been dicking around.

■ Imagine it two women fighting over Francoise Hollande, it’s amazing how power makes even toadish-looking nerds attractive. Oh là là

● @andiv12 you’ll be delighted to hear @ooMARTYMOOREoo was selected for the #SixNations @gillvee

gOOD On yA

● A massive thanks to the taxi driver who picked me up from Summerhill to Aston Quay last Thursday and refused to charge me after overhearing my dad is going through radiotherapy. You’re a true gent, it defo helped my day! : ) M ● A big thank you to the lad in Malahide, who picked up my phone in a taxi and got it back to me. If only everyone was so sound.

Carrie, D5

● We are a local community preschool in Donaghmede and due to the bad storms recently we had upwards of 40 bags of leaves collected from our playground. We approached the manager of Donaghmede Shopping Centre and explained our predicament and he very kindly sent a large bin over to the school and took all the bags off our hands. We would like to thank him for his help and his support of local community projects such as ours.

Maria O’Keeffe, manager of Mead Day Care Centre

RAnDOM AcTS Of kInDnESS

yEH bIg RIDE ● Checking out a beardy Michael Fassbender getting his groove on at a Globes party made my day. What a big ride. Fassy’s biggest fan ● To the Jedward look-alike in the leather jacket who gets the Swords Express home in the evenings. ‘I’ve got my lipstick on, better run da da dum’...

An admirer

yOuR RuSH-HOuR cRuSH

● Wales have Roberts and Davies back from injury! Cant wait for the Six Nations #WRU

@AnturJones

● Can February hurry up please. #sixnations. @kayl_anne ● Thinking about it, overall Ireland have the best wingers in the game #sixnations.

@harveykellz

@metrohnews #metromailbox

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Having just turned 40, former Spice Girl Melanie C is glad of a new self-confidence, she tells Andrew Williams

ho can forget the fateful summer of 1996 (if you were alive), when tracksuit-wearing sensation Melanie ‘Mel C’ Chisholm backflipped into our lives, proclaiming: ‘If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends’? And what friends she had – Posh, Ginger, Baby and Scary, aka the Spice Girls, an unlikely line-up of showbiz hopefuls who went on to global pop domination. It’s hard to believe so much time has passed but last week Mel C turned 40. has this milestone made her take stock of her life? ‘Not at all,’ she says. ‘I’m probably regressing a bit, actually – maybe it’s a midlife crisis.’ So, Melanie, why not let MetroLife take you on a trip down memory lane? how, for example, has your approach to pop stardom changed over the years?

Still a good sport at 40

‘I’m less serious about things now,’ she says. ‘When you’re in your twenties, you’re figuring out who you are and what you want to achieve in life. I’m more relaxed about things now. I spend my time with my family and people I love, I enjoy my career, I’m less caught up with making things perfect all the time.’ This is a change that’s occurred over the past few years. Before then, Chisholm would put herself under a lot of pressure. ‘I’ve always been ambitious and was lucky enough to enjoy massive success with the Spice Girls,’ she says. ‘But when you have that sort of success, you feel you have to be your absolute best to deserve it. Sometimes it can be a burden. It’s nice to be more relaxed.’

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14 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

music

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Chisholm may be enjoying a laid-back approach to life now but she’s also had a busy couple of years – recently touring with Jools Holland (‘a real badge of honour’), playing Mary Magdalene in the arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar and judging on the tiein reality show, and releasing Stages, an album of musical theatre numbers. Less happily, she split from her partner of ten years, Thomas Starr, in 2012, with whom she has a four-yearold daughter, Scarlet. With age comes self-confidence, she reckons. ‘I’m less self-critical than I was. We live in a world where people are happy to leave comments on newspaper websites or Twitter – but what makes me laugh is that, as a performer, I know we’re our own worst critics. No one can criticise you as much as you criticise yourself.’

“My absolute fantasy was being a pop star” The worst manifestation of her self-critical streak came with the huge success of her 1999 debut solo album Northern Star, which spawned five Top 20 singles. ‘It was the most difficult time of my life personally but also the most successful time professionally, which is a shame,’ she says, referring to her struggles with depression and bulimia. ‘I’d worked away from home so much, my reality was completely ripped away

from me. I was trying to almost integrate myself back into society after the Spice Girls. That’s how depression happened for me. But it feels like another life. I’ve been happy and healthy for over a decade.’

HISHOLM’S pop-star ambitions started at home in Liverpool. Her mum had been in bands from the age of 14 and still performs today. Chisholm was used to seeing musicians rehearsing in her living room but initially wanted to become a dancer before discovering her love of singing at arts college. After belting out her first solo number, Chief Cook And Bottle Washer from musical The Rink, she was a convert. ‘Nothing gave me as much satisfaction as being able to express myself through singing,’ she says. ‘I was working towards musical theatre, I thought that was more realistic, but my absolute fantasy was being a pop star.’ While at an audition for Cats, she saw the advert for ‘streetwise, outgoing, ambitious and dedicated’ young women to join the group that was to become the Spice Girls – and the rest is pop history. Two No.1 albums, nine No.1 singles, a film and a brain-boggling number of branded products followed. For Chisholm, the highlights include performing, and winning, at the Brit awards, meeting Nelson Mandela (‘I’ll be telling my grandchildren about that, he had such a warm presence’) and, most recently, performing at the Olympics. ‘Being there, looking at all these musical legends, was wonderful – and knowing everyone was in the same boat,’ she says. ‘We were all extremely proud to be there but petrified – you couldn’t f*** it up.’ In the past, Chisholm wasn’t keen on her Sporty persona and tried to distance herself

Back in the groove: Melanie C performing last month at a Boyzone tribute from her Spice Girls days. All that has changed. ‘Now I’m happy to be called Sporty and make jokes about wearing tracksuits – I’m just so proud of it all.’ While her bandmates’ careers have taken them in all sorts of directions – Mel B has recently become the face of online bingo – Chisholm has always stuck to music, releasing four albums on her own independent label. ‘I’ve tried to put my energies into things I’m passionate about – and there’s nothing that excites me more than music and performing,’ she says. Her latest foray into the charts was alongside X Factor winner Matt Cardle. The campaign

for duet Loving You came with a slightly odd are-they-a-couple-or-aren’t-they promotional onslaught. Were they canoodling in real life? ‘Only on screen,’ laughs Chisholm, before adding, surprisingly, that Cardle is ‘the most incredible vocalist I’ve sang with – he really is the most talented singer’. Kind words that might perk Cardle up during his stay in rehab for painkiller addiction. What does the future hold? More musical theatre? ‘I’ve missed working as a solo artist and miss my band so I want to work on a new album. Hopefully, my future lies in music, theatre, performing – I’m a triple threat,’ she laughs.

Books

My mother was my first heroine

We often read about heroines to find out how to be heroines ourselves. I was inspired to re-read the literary heroines I loved as a child after an argument with a friend about whether we’d rather be Cathy Earnshaw [from Wuthering Heights] or Jane Eyre. Re-reading them was like dipping into a well of memories. I’ve learnt a lot from my heroines. To be a heroine you have to defy fate, not be trapped by expectations, find your own way. The heroines I liked most were also great altruists, in a feminist way. Scarlett O’Hara seems ruthless but she’s very generous. Anne of Green Gables is a wonderful altruist. Feminism is not just about equal pay, it’s also about being socially conscious – it’s important to be empathetic. Heroines have a willingness to investigate their own heart, and the valour to get lost in the dark and come out again, like Esther in The Bell Jar. I’m interested in people faced with extreme situations who rise to the occasion.

Samantha Ellis tells Anita Sethi how books taught her about the wider world Books were a lifeline to me. They showed me there were other worlds, other ways to be. I grew up in an Iraqi-Jewish community. I always felt a bit different. The women tended to get married early and be housewives – I didn’t want to do that. I read to see what the world was like. I was looking for paths I might take. But I’m very close to my family and proud of being an Iraqi-Jew. Finding the Middle-Eastern heroine Scheherazade was a way to come back to that. The Little Mermaid faced obstacles in her quest to marry a prince. Anne of Green Gables taught me that imagination might not be a terrible flaw. Scarlett O’Hara gave me courage to fight for independence. Lucy Honeychurch gave me ideas about living an artist’s life. Cathy and Heathcliff were my template for

a love affair. Cold Comfort Farm’s Flora was my guide to the art of being single and happy.

My mother is my first heroine. She had a fairy-tale childhood in Baghdad, which went wrong: there was terrible persecution of the Jews and they tried to escape but they got stopped at a checkpoint and imprisoned. My family were refugees and often told stories to remind themselves where they had come from. It’s important to know where you’re from so you know where you’re going. I love writers who pour their dreams into their heroines. A lot of these writers were trying to turn the stories of their own lives into happy endings. I feel the urge to do that when I write plays – I like to tell stories in which people can change. How To Be A Heroine (Or, What I’ve Learned From Reading Too Much) by Samantha Ellis, published by Chatto & Windus, is out now.

Her own way: Iraqi-Jewish author and playwright Samantha Ellis

Life home cinema

with Siobhán Murphy

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How the other half live: Sorrentino’s wry examination of an ageing playboy’s introspection pokes fun at the pool party lifestyle of Italy’s jetset

Kelly + VicTor (18)

DVD, Blu-ray

Italian director Paolo Sorrentino’s sumptuous hymn to the filmed image featured high on many a 2013 best film list. Harking back to the age of Fellini and Antonioni, The Great Beauty bursts with exuberance, twisting the sacred, the profane and the playfully strange together with insouciant glee, while our guide to the modern-day dolce vita, Sorrentino regular Tony Servillo, looks on. He plays Jep Gambardella, whose outlandish 65th birthday party begins the film proper: a man who, since writing a novel in his youth, has dedicated his life to terrace parties with the haute bourgeoisie, celebrity journalism and studied imperious cynicism. Time is running out for this king of the Roman party scene and the death of his boyhood true love hammers that home. The film’s narrative drive is tentative but Sorrentino’s satire of the Berlusconi set is a cavalcade of visual delights, his camera swooping and diving, caressing Rome’s architectural treasures and revelling in jetset excess. It’ll sweep you away.

DVD, Blu-ray, VoD

HHH✩✩ Sweetly boyish Victor (Julian Morris) meets adventurous Kelly (a skeletal Antonia Campbell-Hughes) in a Liverpool club on his birthday; in no time, they’re high as kites and at it like rabbits. Kelly’s penchant for one particular transgressive sex act has Victor gasping (literally) for more – but her bedroom games quickly become frightening. Debut feature director Kieran Evans directs his adaptation of Niall Griffiths’ novel with a sure feel for visual textures. Liverpool both sparkles and appals on screen, and the intensity of Kelly and Victor’s relationship is stiflingly drawn, especially when locked together in their various bedroom scenes. Morris and Campbell-Hughes give admirably committed performances and Evans displays his muso credentials through a well-integrated soundtrack. But the fractured storytelling and the curiously cypher-like quality of his lead characters, whose motivations remain frustratingly opaque, means you’re rather more aware of the contrivances of this tale of dark obsession than is entirely comfortable.

Five films to see at the cinema

1 2 3

The Frozen Ground (15A)

DVD, Blu-ray

HHHH✩

12 Years A Slave with a Golden Globe for best film in the bag, this true account of a free man (Chiwetel ejiofor, right with Michael Fassbender) kidnapped into slavery will be the one to beat come Oscars night. Gravity Back for a limited time in Imax, this breathtaking 3D spectacular sees George Clooney and sandra Bullock lost in space. Don’t miss. American Hustle The darling of the Golden Globes, this con caper sparkles with an A-list ensemble including Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams.

HHH✩✩

John Cusack seems to be carving out a new niche for himself as a nasty psychopath – and he does it very well in this chilling thriller. He plays real-life serial killer Robert Hansen, who kidnapped, assaulted and murdered women in Alaska in the 1970s and 1980s, disposing of their bodies in the icy ground and getting away with it for a staggering number of years. Nicolas Cage is the cop on his trail while Vanessa Hudgens plays the key witness, Cindy Paulson. While Cusack is creepy and Cage on solid form (thankfully no overacting this time), it’s Hudgens who most surprises with a meaty turn as the stripper who managed to escape Hansen’s grasp. There’s a thankless, underwritten role for Radha Mitchell as Cage’s wife and a few scenes that slightly sensationalise the material. However, a strong, suspenseful story means it’s still a decent watch for thriller fans who relish seeing the good guys close in on the bad.

looKinG ahead InsIDe LLewyn DAVIs A new one from the Coen brothers is always a treat and this low-key masterpiece, set in the 1960s new york folk scene, won’t disappoint. Out January 24.

4 5

features@metroherald.ie

Great Beauty hits the spot

The GreaT BeauTy (15A)

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

Frozen Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The snow Queen, this is a classic Disney princess story with a zesty and subversive twist. Nebraska A funny and sublimely shot black-and-white comedy from the creator of The Descendants and sideways.

STAND-UP KeVin harT: leT Me explain (15A) DVD HH✩✩✩ US comedian Kevin Hart has impressed in films such as Soul Plane and Think Like A Man, while his BET show, Real Husbands Of Hollywood, is a blast. But the excessive puffery at the start of his latest concert film suggests we’re about to witness the second coming of Richard Pryor. Although Hart is recorded playing a soldout Madison Square Garden, he’s not that. The ‘over-stimulated Chris Tucker’ delivery style is even more staccato on a live stage but his choice of material doesn’t always gel with his desire to present himself as an over-emotional, pocket-sized bundle of insecurities. A lot is quite tired (some nicked from Real Husbands) and he comes across as far from endearing with extended routines on his adultery and a Patrick Bateman-style rant aimed at homeless people. Hart often labours his jokes by going over them repeatedly, rather than delivering swift jabs – as though he lacks faith in his own punchlines. In fact, although he came up on the Philadelphia stand-up circuit, you’re left wondering if he’s not better suited to acting, where he can spark off his fellow performers, rather than attempting to stand alone in the spotlight.

16 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Life television WHat i’m WatCHing magician rua peaky blinders

I completely stumbled upon this gem of a series, that features Cillian Murphy and Sam Neill. It’s a gangster family series on the BBC set in Birmingham after World War 1. The Peaky Blinders were a real life gang who hid razor blades in the peaks of their caps, and in this series they’re led by the ambitious, and lethal Tommy Shelby, played by Murphy. The series is really exciting and engaging, the acting is absolutely phenomenal, and the whole thing is beautifully shot as well. The final scene in season 1 will blow you away.

broadchurch tv3, 9pm As the crime drama centring on the investigation into the murder of a young boy in a British seaside town continues, detectives Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman), and Alec Hardy (David Tennant) begin to identify suspects. Will it become clear why Ellie’s son Tom began deleting text messages and files on his computer at the end of last week’s episode? Meanwhile, Daniel’s mother Beth Latimer (Jodie Whittaker) tries to carry on with her life, but a chance meeting at the supermarket results in her disclosing a private dilemma. Later, pushy reporter Karen White (Vicky McClure) arrives in Broadchurch determined to do whatever it takes to land herself a scoop.

film of the day Tropic ThunDer, BBc1, 11.05pm Tom Cruise is in rare ‘funny’ mode in Ben Stiller’s action comedy. A cast of Alisters (Stiller, pictured, Jack Black, a ‘blacked-up’ Robert Downey Jr) is stranded in the jungle while filming ‘the best Vietnam movie ever’. As a satire, it’s never quite as on the money as you’d hope, but it’s worth watching just to see Tom Cruise jiving in a fatsuit. So let’s hope this television edit includes the spoof opening trailers, which include the ‘Oscar-winning’ drama of repressed monastic passion, Satan’s Alley.

modern family

I think Modern Family is one of the bestwritten comedy series we’ve had on TV in a long long time. It’s a mockumentary series that follows the lives of a large, eccentric family who all live near each other. The storylines are brilliant, and the actors are hilarious. I think everybody’s favourite character is Phil, his alter ego ‘Clive Bixby’ and his ‘Phil’s Philosophies’. He never fails to crack me up, and Ty Burrell, the actor who plays him is really excellent.

how to make it in america

This and Entourage are my two favourite series. They’re all about individuals who are trying to be successful in their industries. In HTMIIA, Ben and Cam are two best friends trying to ‘make it’ in the fashion industry in New York City. It’s really well shot across a number of really cool locations in NYC. Anybody who needs a bit of motivation to achieve a dream should watch this show (and Entourage!).

the kumars SKy1, 9pm Back after a seven-year absence, the Kumars return with some top-of-therange acting talent dropping in on their downsized Hounslow home for a dysfunctional family grilling. With Olivia Colman holding her own against an onslaught of inappropriate questions from Sanjeev (Sanjeev Bhaskar), Daniel Radcliffe (pictured) getting his cheeks tweaked by Ummi (meera Syal) and US comedian Chevy Chase quivering under the gaze of new landlady Hawney (Harvey virdi) we’re all set for the laughs to pick up right where they left off.

finding mum and dad CHannel 4, 10pm An ‘adoption activity day’ is where prospective parents meet difficult-toplace children in need of a home. If it all works out, this ‘play date’ could lead to children such as six-year-old Connor and his four-year-old brother Daniel finding a permanent, loving home. We follow the boys’ progress at the activity day: will they find their perfect parents?

my faVourite tV character

midweek tv3, 10pm w on tonight’s show ck colette Fitzpatrick talks to Dr Joseph roche (right) from Kildare, one of three irish people who made tlist the 1,058 shortlist for the mars one project, which aims to establish a human colony on the red planet.

It’s Ari Gold from Entourage, played by Jeremy Piven, who plays the most revered talent agent in Hollywood. At work he’s arrogant and abusive, but at home he’s a caring family man. Ruth Doris Paul Gleeson, AKA Rua’s magic show, Draíocht, is on TG4 on Sundays at 7.30pm

screen

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Amish life is simple US actor Verne Troyer, 45, grew up in an Amish community in Michigan I grew up in a small town called Centreville, with an older brother and a younger sister. my parents were factory workers, there wasn’t much money in the house and we struggled financially at times but we always made it through. They were disciplinarians – if we did something wrong, we got the belt. I don’t necessarily agree with it now but that’s how it was back then. It taught me right from wrong. It is understandable it’s a controversial issue now but there’s a difference between discipline and abuse. My parents were Amish but left the religion when I was a year old. The Amish have a lot of rules and my dad thought many people in the faith were being hypocritical – they’d say not to do something then do it themselves. We still had a religious upbringing, though. Even though my parents were no longer Amish, it still played a big role in my life – there were Amish kids at my school, some of my best friends were Amish, our neighbours were Amish, my grandparents who lived 100 yards away were Amish and I was always in their house. The differences were I could do things like watch TV and use a telephone, which they couldn’t – they were old-school, they had horses and buggies, gas lamps, it was a very simple life. The community is very tight-knit. If something bad happens, your neighbours are there to lend you a hand – that’s a great thing about the Amish people.

ROSS MCDONAGH finds his Irish driver’s licence gets him into a spot of bother with a bouncer

’m standing outside the front door interject with the addendum that my of Villain’s Tavern near Down- $20 will make my ID proper. town LA, and apparently I’m not ‘I don’t know what you’re talking going any further. about,’ he stone-facedly declares. Once again, a bouncer is not enAfter a lengthy awkward silence amoured with my flimsy Irish driver’s (punctuated by my disbelieving laughlicence. I sigh and pull the usual rigma- ter) the manager tells him to let me in. role, make a gag about it in my thickest Once inside it occurs to me I should Dublin accent. write up a Yelp review. Now, I am pretNormally they realise you’re foreign, ty new to the whole Yelping thing. scratch their heads at our strange for- While I use the app to find shops or eign customs, shrug and let you in. But businesses or whatever and check ratnot this guy. He’s adamant that ‘I could ings the odd time, I’ve only ever writhave made this in my shed’. ten one review before, (a couple of Ironically, I’ve also brought my weeks ago for this awesome jeweller friend’s ID, who arrived earlier who refuses to take my money). much like metro Herald, I after forgetting hers, but managed to get in anyknow people only ever way. I bring this fact to read the bad reviews on The following his attention. Yelp. I feel a bit bad ‘Oh yeah, I rememmorning I awake to a for the bouncer as I ber him, I let him in probably already got text from my friend because he looked him into trouble, but after me.’ it’s not like I’m lying. informing me my I pause. First of all, I recount the night’s review got the he doesn’t remember events, despite more ‘him’ very well because than one person pointbouncer fired ‘he’s’ a tiny Asian female. ing out that ‘it’s not like Secondly, there’s no way in it’s going to have any imhell she ‘looked after him’ to get pact’. into this place. And thirdly, did he just The following morning I awake to a blatantly ask me for a bribe? text from my friend (whose friend I call my friend inside whose birthday works at the bar) informing me the party I’m supposed to be attending and bouncer got fired because of my relet her know aloud that ‘they don’t let view. Irish people in’. Besides feeling terrible, I’m even The bouncer guffaws and mutters more surprised to learn that most Angesomething about $20. I turn to him. linos are used to being asked upfront ‘So let me get this straight: if I give for money to get into clubs. Surely you 20 dollars, my ID will become that’s illegal? good enough and you’ll let me in?’ It got me thinking about the wider is‘Yes,’ he replies. sue of door policy and discrimination. What?! This isn’t how bribes are sup- I’ve been to many clubs where women posed to work! Aren’t you supposed to enter free while men have to pay, or be a little subtle about it? Like slickly even wait outside until the gender ratio look for a palmed note with a clandes- is more acceptable. But if sex is one of tine handshake or something? Nope, the nine grounds for discrimination, he’s basically asking for money up why is this any different from forcing front in order to break the law. black people to wait outside because I’m still laughing out loud at the sheer there aren’t enough white people inblatancy of it when a manager arrives side, or asking gay people to pay in at the door courtesy of my friend. She while straight people go free? asks the bouncer what the problem is, @rossvsross he tells her I don’t have a proper ID; I

“

Disciplined: Verne Troyer was taught to be selfsufficient by his parents My parents brought me up to be self-sufficient. I had to do everything my brother and sister, who are of average size, had to do – I didn’t get any breaks because of my height. I had to feed the cows, the chickens, raise the rabbits. I rarely had any problems from people about my height. There was one incident when I was nine when another kid called me names and I punched him – my parents always taught me to stick up for myself. I had a lot of jobs before acting came along and my parents never pushed me down any particular career path. I was a telephone operator, a candy wrapper, I worked in a women’s abuse shelter, customer service – lots of things. I left home at 21 to move in with my brother, who was living in Texas. my parents didn’t show they were concerned but I’m sure they were – it was the first time I had been so far

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My parents were proud when I became an actor. It wouldn’t have been possible if they hadn’t made me independent and encouraged me to do things on my own. They found out I married my girlfriend, who was a Playboy model, when they saw it on TV. I didn’t tell them. I got it annulled three days later. I knew they didn’t like her that much but, whenever she was around, they made her feel at home. It was an unspoken thing. The most important things my parents taught me were to stay optimistic, that you can do anything you put your mind to and to do the right thing. Andrew Williams Troyer appears in documentary series Incredibly Small World, on Tuesdays at 9pm on National Geographic Channel.

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body matters 1. BODYWEIGHT TRAINING A few years ago, people turned to hi-tech gym equipment to get the most out of their workouts but this year we will be shedding prop-heavy fitness in favour of simple, effective exercise. ‘Your body was designed to run, jump, swim and squat, so you can keep it in perfectly good condition doing all those things,’ says personal trainer Anna Reich. ‘People have been using their own body weight for years as a form of resistance training and I think there will be a move away

2. HEALTHY FUELS

health trends for this year

How will you be keeping fit in the months ahead? Our experts share their tips and predictions for 2014. By Vicki-Marie Cossar

We saw a surge in people opting for healthy green juices last year but in 2014, market research company Mintel says there will be a big move egetable juices’ over towards ‘green vegetable caffeinated energy drinks. ‘In late 2014, new EU food ion and drink labelling legislation will see drinks containing more than 150mg of caffeine per litre having to change the labelling to show a more explicit warning,’ says Mintel’s Richard Cope. ‘It will also require additional labelling for high-

from complicated classes and gimmicky equipment this year. ‘It’s about working with your natural range of movement so your body can excel at doing the things it is designed to do.’ Most people wrongly think of bodyweight training as being limited to push-ups and pull-ups. ‘It’s things like burpees, lunges, squats, crunches,’ says Reich. ‘What’s more, it doesn’t cost anything. Your body is your own portable home gym, so you can do it anywhere, any time, for free.’

caffeine drinks and foods where caffeine is added.’ Cope says it will affect brands such as Rockstar, which is 32.1mg c of caffeine per 100ml, and ener shots that are more energy co concentrated doses of caffeine. ‘This is going to place pressur on the energy drink pressure brands and w we’re going to see a w of competition from new wave natur and vegetable drinks,’ he natural says ‘We’re going to see a lot of says. activ from brands in launch activity a bid to react early to this pending legislat legislation.’

3. TECHNOLOGY

David Stalker, CEO of UK Active, says the health and fitness sectors will find new ways to get people engaged with exercise this year. ‘This includes wearable technology, mobile phone apps and videogames,’ he says. ‘For those looking to measure all facets of their lifestyle, from their calorie intake to their sleep patterns, wristbands can measure your habits and point out where you’re going wrong. ‘The key thing about these devices is the way they are designed to link up with your mobile phone via apps.’ Stalker says this will make measuring progress easier and means people will be able to share their achievements, or failures, with friends on social media. ‘Microsoft’s next-gen gaming console, the Xbox One, is another revolutionary way to help you break a sweat,’ he says. ‘The console has made great strides in virtual technology. Studies have shown that games such as Kinect Sports Boxing (pictured) can boost heart rates by 194 per cent

4. FLEXITARIANISM

compared to traditional, controller-held games, and the game can increase energy expenditure by 263 per cent on resting values, comparable to light cycling.’ These types of technology are accessible to everyone and are an alternative for those too daunted to go to the gym.

Many of us will go ‘flexitarian’ this year, according to the British Dietetic Association (BDA). ‘Someone who follows a flexitarian diet tends to follow a vegetarian diet for most of the time but will eat meat on occasion,’ says BDA’s Sioned Quirke. ‘A flexitarian might only eat meat only once a year at Christmas or they might have it a couple of times a month: there is no set rule.’ The Office of National Statistics says there are 1.2million vegetarians in Britain – a number food trends organisation The Food People says will increase by half in two years. It’s a trend that dieticians in Ireland are also observing. ‘With this, and an apparent increase in public awareness about meat production,’ says Quirke, ‘it is fair to say we will see a marked rise in the number of people following a flexitarian diet. Maintaining nutrient levels is key, however. ‘There is a misunderstanding that if you cut out meat, or you eat less meat, then you are healthy,’ says Quirke. ‘If you are cutting it out, you need to make sure you replace it with other protein foods such as eggs.’

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 mETRO hERaLD

features@metroherald.ie to advertise, call 01 7055010

Low on carbs, big on taste

iet books don’t often appear in these pages. they’re frequently badly written and the recipes can be, not surprisingly, pretty joyless. But when someone who really understands food makes a gesture towards healthy eating, the resulting book is surely worth a look. Low Carb Revolution is by the author of 2012’s fabulous Baking Bible. She took up low-carbohydrate habits after a period of appetite loss, felt better for it and wanted to spread the news. there’s no pretence at complete carb denial here – there’s even a moussey flourless chocolate cake and a couple of fruit desserts – but carnivores, gluten-avoiders, sugar-deniers and bloat-haters will find plenty to conjure with. Followers of Dukan and Atkins will be able to pluck and adapt too, especially as the carbohydrate and protein

No, this isn’t about existing on a diet of Brussels sprouts. Sprouted seeds, pulses and beans are collectively known as ‘sprouts’ and they’re going to be big in 2014. ‘The trend for sprouts originated in Australia, where they understand the importance of “living” food,’ says nutritionist Vicki Edgson. ‘And they have gained the name “sprouts” from the fact that, when soaked in water, rinsed, drained and placed in a dark space, they produce a shoot. ‘Sprouts are effectively living foods and one of the richest forms of nutrients known.’ Edgson says people are becoming more anxious and inquisitive about the origins of their food and health blogs are all talking about ‘real’ (ie unprocessed) and sprouted foods. ‘All the takeaway stores, as well as the healthy food delivery companies, are adding sprouts to their salads,’ she says, adding that you can grow your own mung beans, split peas and lentils alongside hazelnuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds at home within a couple of days. ‘Add these to salads and soups for a rich source of complete vegetarian protein,’ she says.

CURRIED ChICkEN aND COCONUT SOUP

INGREDIENTS serves 5

Sea salt ♦ 1kg free-range chicken thighs and drumsticks ♦ 2 thinly sliced banana shallots ♦ 2 finely chopped garlic cloves ♦ 1 mediumhot deseeded green chilli cut into thin strips ♦ 1 rounded tsp Goan curry powder ♦ 400g leeks, sliced ♦ 1 x 400ml can ‘light’ coconut milk ♦ 2tbsp lime juice ♦ large handful coarsely chopped coriander

mEThOD Step 1: Preheat the oven

to 160C fan. Heat a large cast-iron casserole over a medium heat, season the chicken pieces with salt and colour on either side, then put in a bowl. Add the shallots and fry for a minute or so, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and chilli, and fry briefly until fragrant. Step 2: Stir in the curry powder and fry for a moment, stir in 600ml water, add salt then return the chicken to the pan and bring to the boil, cover and cook in the oven for 90min, stirring in the leeks halfway through. Step 3: Remove the chicken pieces and shred the flesh, discarding the skin and bones. Stir the meat back into the soup base, then add the coconut milk and a little salt and gently reheat without allowing the soup to boil. Stir in the lime juice and coriander and serve in warm bowls scattered with coriander.

Dan Jones

5. SPROUTING

count of each recipe is given. Chapters cover soups, eggs (the wafer-thin omelette wraps look great), chops, steaks and tray bakes, burgers (no buns) and kebabs, pies with clever toppings, lots of fish and lowcarb alternatives to potatoes, should you be avoiding them. Part of the plan is that, if diners still want carbs, you can add some on the side. it was sorely tempting to boil some rice to go with the slow-roast salt-and-pepper duck with spring greens and sherry gravy i tried but, as promised, we didn’t miss it. After three hours’ cooking and a quick blast to crisp the skin, the duck was tender and gorgeously burnished and easy to pull apart rather than carve; i doubt i’ll bother cooking it any other way now i’ve tried this. And when a ‘diet’ book teaches you a better way to cook, it’s a keeper.

Emma Sturgess

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RELAX, DETOX & MAKE TIME FOR TEA NOW that the festive period is well and truly over, it’s time to recharge and reboot, so how about incorporating some Zen into your 2014?

We’ve teamed up with Robert Roberts Speciality Teas and Yoga Dublin Studios (yogadublin.com) to offer readers the chance to win a 12-class yoga course with Yoga Dublin Studios and that’s not all!

THREE runners-up will win a yoga mat and bag, and a selection of teas from the Robert Roberts detox and herbal teas collection.

Introducing speciality teas into your daily life is one of the simplest ways to help cleanse the body, and two of the most popular teas from Robert Roberts are its Detox Infusion Apple Tea and the celebrity favourite, Pu’erh Tea.

To be in with a chance of winning simply answer the below question.

which fruit is robert roberts’ detox tea infused with? a. orange b. apple c. strawberry Text ROBERTS, followed by your answer A, B or C, your name, email, postal address to 53133

( TEXTS COST 60C + STANDARD NETWORK CHARGE)

Terms & Conditions: The competition closes at Midnight Friday 24th January 2014. Open to all residents in Ireland over 18 years. The winners will be chosen at random and notiﬁed by telephone. Usual Metro Herald rules apply. Editor's decision is ﬁnal. Yoga Dublin Studios prize to be redeemed before 28th February 2014 and has a validity of 6 months once redeemed. There is no cash alternative. By entering this competition you agree to sign up to the Metro promotions list - To optout text NOMETRO to 51155. SP. Oxygen8 Communications, 4th Floor, Malt House North, Grand Canal Quay, D2. Customer Service number 0818 286 606.

20 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

puzzles

METROSCOPE

by Patrick Arundell

NEMI by Lise

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20

You may find yourself increasingly juggling the work-life balance issues. Also, there may be someone in the family who needs help. With Uranus in your sign linking brilliantly with Mercury, an ingenious solution can emerge to help you. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21

It would be a good idea to choose your words carefully over the next week or so. It’s not that you should tippy toe around, more that you should just be conscious of the situations which require a sober approach. An old contact can come up trumps.

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

For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21

For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22

Do you tell someone how you feel, or do you decide it’s better to rationalise the issue within your own mind? Only you can decide. But it is a time to be conscious of the impact your words can have. For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21

Someone may have a very different view of a shared financial situation to you. A friend can give you a lift by supporting your view. They may even give you an idea of how to deal with it.

Your mind can be super quick. However, this could trick you into rushing something that may require a more considered approach. You can find yourself being increasingly optimistic around some kind of spending decision.

Cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23

Capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20

For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

If you have been silently fuming while someone has not been appreciating your situation, but in contrast expecting you to support them, this can be the time when all your frustration pours into the open. For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23

Mercury encourages you that if there have been tensions, better communication can improve things. Yet you may wonder if in one situation things have gone too far.

PEARLs BEFORE swINE

this week. This suggests surprise phone calls, text messages, emails and conversations. You could find yourself having an amazing connection to one new person.

For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23

It’s been a surprising start to the year, at least from a planetary viewpoint, with a raft of supportive and transformational energies flooding into the most self-expressive part of your situation. Yet this may actually be creating some challenges. For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23

Mercury and Uranus are combining in a magnificent way for the rest of

For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

If any relationship is out of kilter, this would be an excellent time to try to improve things. It could just be that you’ve been so busy you’ve not had the chance to catch up with a key person in your life. If so, it would be wise to make the time soon. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19

Self-doubts and anxieties may have swirled around your situation just that little bit more of late. Even if you’re someone who is usually very cool, calm and collected, you may have found yourself more conscious of your own perceived weaknesses. For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20

If you’ve been focused on some key objectives this year, you might find yourself doubting the validity of some of these. We all have hopes, we gain more knowledge, and then we attune our targets, and this might be the process that you are set to go through now. For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

DOWN 1 Concern (8) 2 Severe (6) 3 Lazy (4) 4 Divert (8) 5 Horrified (6) 6 Labour (4) 11 Petition (8) 13 Conquer (8) 15 Salad-plant (6) 17 Sailor (6) 19 Spoken (4) 21 Jog (4)

Yesterday’s Solutions Across: 1 Scab; 8 Leadership; 9 Isotherm; 10 Even; 12 Ascent; 14 Temper; 15 Leased; 17 Oddity; 18 Stye; 19 Mediocre; 21 Amalgamate; 22 Need. Down: 2 Consistent; 3 Blot; 4 Patent; 5 Permit; 6 Esteemed; 7 Spin; 11 Electorate; 13 Easterly; 16 Demean; 17 Ordeal; 18 Snap; 20 Open.

ENIGMA When upon the studio floor Someone dries or stutters or Does something funny, big or small, This kind of clip reminds us all. WHO AM I? An athlete, I was born in Pembury near Tunbridge Wells in 1970. I joined the Army at the age of 18 and became a PT instructor. I won gold in both the 800m and 1500m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? WHO… in entertainment was Maria do Carmo Miranda da Cunha better known as? WHAT... is the most abundant element in the universe? WHERE... is Fez, the former state capital which gave its name to a type of hat? WHEN... did Kirov Ballet star Natalia Makarova defect?

SCRIBBLE BOX

ACROSS 7 Great Britain and Northern Ireland (6,7) 8 Taciturn (8) 9 Competent (4) 10 Mild (6) 12 Deed (6) 14 Roadway (6) 16 Tried (6) 18 Urge forward (4) 20 Way in (8) 22 Religious organisation (9,4)

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

QuIz

Crossword No. 892 See next edition for solutions

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Out-take. WHO AM I? Kelly Holmes. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Carmen Miranda; Hydrogen; Morocco; 1970.

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rugby international

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERAlD

picture: inphO

schmidt names 7 uncapped players for ireland squad

O’Gara on target for season’s openers

by DAnny HOgAn Joe Schmidt has named seven uncapped players in an extended 44-man RBS 6 Nations squad. cardiff Blues back-five forward Robin copeland, who will join munster in the summer, leads the list of new additions for head coach Schmidt. the former Leinster boss has also selected connacht’s New Zealand-born prop Rodney Ah You, Robbie diack, Rob herring, martin moore and Jordi murphy up front, with Kieran marmion the sole uncapped recruit to the backline. Richardt Strauss, donnacha Ryan, Roger Wilson, tommy Bowe, Simon Zebo, declan Fitzpatrick and craig Gilroy have been given the opportunity to prove their fitness with their provinces, with Schmidt reserving the right to call them into the squad during the course of the tournament. ireland’s coaching staff accept longer-term absentees Sean o’Brien, Stephen Ferris, mike Sherry and Stuart olding are unlikely to play a part in the Six Nations. ‘As always a number of the selections were very tight,’ Schmidt told irish rugby’s official website. ‘Following on from the Guinness Series, there is an experienced core of players in the squad who will offer continuity, as well as some new additions who have been selected with an eye to the future. ‘With Robin copeland returning to play in ireland next season it will be an opportunity for him to impress during the training week, while some of the younger or less experienced players such as Rob herring, iain henderson, Rhys Ruddock, Kieran marmion and Felix Jones have turned in some very positive performances to earn spots in the squad.’ ireland will open their Six Nations campaign by hosting Scotland at the Aviva on February 2.

Teaming up: Ireland coach Joe Schmidt says the selection for the 6 Nations includes some new additions selected with an eye to the future picture: inphO

iRElAnDsquAD (Ulster), D Varley (Munster), I Boss (Leinster), D Cave (Ulster), G D’Arcy (Leinster), K Earls (Munster), L Fitzgerald (Leinster), R Henshaw (Connacht), P Jackson (Ulster), F Jones (Munster), D Kearney, R Kearney (both Leinster), I Keatley (Munster), I Madigan (Leinster), K Marmion (Connacht), L Marshall (Ulster), F McFadden (Leinster), C Murray (Munster), B O’Driscoll, E Reddan (both Leinster), J Sexton (Racing Metro), A Trimble (Ulster).

Ireland’s 44-man extended RBS 6 Nations squad: R Ah You (Connacht), S Archer (Munster), R Best (Ulster), R Copeland (Cardiff Blues), S Cronin (Leinster), R Diack (Ulster), C Healy, J Heaslip (both Leinster), I Henderson, C Henry, R Herring (all Ulster), D Kilcoyne (Munster), M McCarthy, J McGrath, M Moore, Jordi Murphy (all Leinster), P O’Connell, T O’Donnell, P O’Mahony (all Munster), M Ross, R Ruddock, D Toner (all Leinster), D Tuohy

Sports drive: GAA stars Anna Geary, Laura McEnaney, Tony Kelly and Eoghan O’Gara are pictured yesterday as the Irish Blood Transfusion Service and the GAA announce a partnership to raise awareness of blood donation and access for GAA clubs

Injury-plagued Dublin attacker Eoghan O’Gara has revealed he asked searching questions of himself during last year’s lengthy lay-off, writes Paul Keane. The forward had a double hip operation and was sidelined for months before returning to aid their All-Ireland title tilt. He famously tore his hamstring late in the final win over Mayo and had to stay on the pitch because substitutions had been made. His most recent setback was elbow surgery before Christmas which leaves him in a race against the clock to be fit for the Allianz League. But the 28-year old admitted his worst period was last year’s double hip surgery which ruled him out of the successful league campaign. He said: ‘you’re very much on your own, especially when the guys are playing away and winning games and doing very well. But you just have to stay positive and see the bit of light at the end of the tunnel.’ The Templeogue/Synge Street man is optimistic he can overcome his latest problem in time for the league opener with Kerry on February 1. ‘My plan is to be back for the first two games of the league. I would certainly see myself playing a part in either of those two games,’ O’Gara added.

spORT DigEsT

Revitalised Rory expecting a big year gOlf Twelve months ago, Rory

McIlroy’s year kicked off in a blaze of fireworks to mark his multi-million pound switch to Nike, only to fizzle out amid poor form and courtroom confrontations. A year on, he says things could not be more different. ‘I feel I’m much better prepared heading into the first event of the season than I was last year,’ McIlroy said ahead of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, which begins tomorrow. ‘I’m in a really good frame of mind and I’ve built a lot of momentum at the back end of last year, and am going to try to continue

that into this season. Last year there was a lot of instability and I feel I’m starting this year on a different sort of platform. Everything feels like it fell into place and I can just focus on my golf.’ McIlroy missed the cut with his new clubs in Abu Dhabi last year. However, buoyed by an upturn in results and his engagement to Caroline Wozniacki, the world No.7 is in a better place. ‘From a professional standpoint, 2013 was disappointing. But as a whole, 2013 was a great year personally and I’m excited to start 2014 and get back to playing the golf that I know I can,’ he added.

Excited: McIlroy

80 Minute Ryan and Mullen to delay to the start of play at snooker’s Masters after an Alexandra Palace power cut. Shaun Murphy then came back from 4-2 to beat Ding Junhui 6-4 and reach the last eight.

compete in Mexico cycling Ireland will be

competing in the final leg of the UCI Track Cycling World Cup Series in Guadalajara, Mexico, this weekend, with Caroline Ryan and Ryan Mullen competing. Mullen, who won two bronze medals in the European Championships last year, will race in the Points Race and the Individual Pursuit, while Ryan will be competing in the Scratch Race. Making his senior debut, Mullen will gain valuable experience in Mexico, while Ryan (pictured) will be focusing solely on the bunch competition.

22 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

tennis australian open

Murray bids to address heat issues ANDY Murray has warned the Australian Open it risks damaging the reputation of tennis after players were forced to play in searing heat in Melbourne. Temperatures topped 42.2C at 5.45pm, just after Murray began his first-round match against Japan’s Go Soeda, which he went on to win 6-1 61 6-3. The pair were fortunate that Hisense Arena is one of the stadium courts, so they were at least able to play in shade. Canadian player Frank Dancevic and a ball boy both collapsed on court while China’s Peng Shuai vomited, then suffered cramp during her defeat by Kurumi Nara. Murray said: ‘It’s definitely something you have to look at. As much as it’s easy to say the conditions are safe – a few people said there’s doctors saying it’s fine – it only takes one bad thing to happen. ‘It looks terrible for the whole sport when people are collapsing, ball kids are collapsing, people in the stands are collapsing. That’s obviously not great. You don’t want to see anything bad happen to anyone.’

football premier league

United ‘not happy’ but will stick with Moyes, says Jose by JAcK FOx

PICTURE: PA

JOSE MOURINHO claims he has ‘inside information’ the struggles of Manchester United under David Moyes have left the club unhappy, but they are going to give their boss more time to turn things around. United’s 2-1 defeat by Swansea in the FA Cup was their fifth loss at home this season, while they have dropped to seventh place in the Premier League table, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal. But Chelsea manager Mourinho, whose side host United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, believes Moyes will be given the backing of Old Trafford bosses. ‘My feeling, which is based on years of communicating with Sir Alex and some inside information, is Man United are not happy, but they are calm. They trust David, and he trusts them,’ he told the Evening Standard. ‘I don’t think David is under pres-

‘It’s probably too late for them to win league’

DIPLO-MATIc APPROAcH TO bRIDGE RETURN BENFICA midfielder Nemanja Matic is closing in on a return to Chelsea. The 26-year-old (pictured), who was used as a makeweight in the deal that took David Luiz to the Blues in 2011, is on the verge of completing a £20million switch back to Stamford Bridge. Serbian midfielder Matic confirmed Sunday’s

murray: heat fears

Sharapova’s battling win

MARIA Sharapova battled her way into the second round of the Australian Open with victory over America’s Bethanie Mattek-Sands. The 6-3 6-4 scoreline did not really do justice to how hard Sharapova was made to work. Mattek-Sands was a tough draw for the third seed and she scrapped all the way to the finish as Sharapova, playing her first grand slam match since Wimbledon, struggled to put the match to bed. She now goes through to face Italy’s Karin Knapp.

match against Porto was his swansong in Portugal, saying: ‘Yes, it was my last game. ‘I want to thank all the people at the club and all the supporters. Benfica will be forever in my heart. ‘Now is the right time to leave. I want to improve, I want to go to a better league and want to go to Chelsea, the club I also like.’

sure. The pressure is something virtual. It is something that comes from the media as a consequence of not having the best results. ‘The most important thing is not the pressure that comes from the outside, it’s the reality of the inside.’ He went on: ‘The manager is calm and they are thinking this is our manager for the next two, three, four, five years. So they’re all together and are going to rebuild again a big team. ‘The bad results will finish. They will get back on track, [although it is] probably too late to win the league because they are too many points behind the leader.’

TRANSFER TALK

Healthy Guidetti is Stoked at fresh start JOHN GUIDETTI is ready to hit the heights after being laid low by a mystery virus. Without a Premier League appearance in five years at Manchester City, striker Guidetti has joined Stoke on loan until the end of the season. A stunning loan spell with Feyenoord in 2011-12, in which he scored 20 goals in 23 games suggested his time was at hand. That was until the virus, which was ultimately diagnosed as a nerve issue, sidelined him for a year. ‘It’s

been a frustrating and difficult time for me but I am firmly back on the road again,’ said the 21-year-old Swede, who was once described as the best young talent in world football by former Manchester City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson. ‘This is a great chance for me to hopefully play some games, score some goals and enjoy myself.’ The Potters, meanwhile, have made midfielder Stephen Ireland’s loan move from Aston Villa permanent.

u CARDIFF are in talks to sign Manchester United full-back Fabio on loan. u NORWEGIAN midfielder Stefan Johansen expects to complete his move from Stromsgodset to Celtic today. u MANCHESTER United’s loan move for Fabio Coentrao has stalled as Real Madrid want a £20 summer switch instead. u NOttINGhAm Forest have agreed a deal with hull for defender Jack hobbs.

Drax off? Schalke fear Horst over Arsenal bid ARSENAL fans have been given fresh hope the Gunners could sign Julian Draxler. The highly-rated Germany midfielder has been linked with a move to the Emirates, Manchester United and Chelsea in recent months. However, the latest reports suggest Arsenal still lead the chase, and Schalke general manager Horst Heldt said: ‘We continue to hope Julian remains but there are factors Coveted: Draxler we cannot influence.’

£2m Loss tottenham will make on Etienne Capoue if they accept a reported £7m Napoli offer. Lewis holtby, meanwhile, could also be on his way out of White hart Lane, with his former club Schalke his expected destination.

football

Wednesday, January 15, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

Ireland makes a permanent move to Brittania

Stoke of genius: Ireland

Stephen Ireland has turned his dream into reality after being handed a permanent deal by Stoke boss Mark hughes. Ireland joined Stoke on a seasonlong loan from aston Villa earlier in the season, and following that he made no secret of his desire to make the move more long-term. In signing Ireland permanently, hughes has also been able to bring in Manchester City striker John

Guidetti on loan for the remainder of the campaign. Midfielder Ireland has so far performed admirably at the Britannia, making 16 appearances under hughes – including nine starts – and scoring three goals. It is the second time in their careers Ireland and hughes have joined forces, as the 27-year-old played under the Welshman for 18 months at Manchester City.

Speaking to the official club website, hughes said: ‘We’re delighted to have made his switch a permanent arrangement as it also gives us the opportunity to bring in another player on loan.’ that player is Sweden Under-21 international Guidetti, now in his fourth loan spell away from City, playing previously for Swedish side Brommapojkarna, Burnley, and then Feyenoord.

it’s Deja vu as Norwich are sunk at the Cottage fA Cup

pIcture: Ian nancollas/sportpIx.org.uk

FULHAM ..................................3 NORWICH...............................0 by JOHN pAYNE FULHAM’S remarkable domination of fixtures against Norwich continued as they coasted into the fourth round of the FA Cup last night. Darren Bent, Ashkan Dejagah and Steve Sidwell were on target at a soggy Craven Cottage as Rene Meulensteen’s men booked a trip to League One Sheffield United. Norwich’s last win over Fulham came way back in 1986 but they started with real intent. In the third minute, Nathan Redmond forced a fine stop from Fulham keeper Maarten Stekelenburg before Robert Snodgrass saw a 20-yarder thud back off the bar. But that was as good as it got for Chris Hughton’s side and Fulham were already in the ascendancy when

Vital second: Dejagah Bent finished smartly from Pajtim Kasami’s 16th-minute pull-back for only his fifth goal of the season. The hosts got a well-worked second five minutes before the break, Alex Kacaniklic squaring for Dejagah to sidefoot home. Having brought on Dutch striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel at half-time, Norwich saw plenty of the ball in the second half without ever looking like getting back into the game. And they were hit by a classic sucker punch in the 68th minute as Sascha Riether crossed from the right and Sidwell headed powerfully home from close range to wrap up the tie.

fOOTbALL DigEsT Shock exit: Devlin is angry at his being shown the door

Devlin hits out at Wanderers’ act of ‘disloyalty’ FORMER Bray Wanderers boss Pat Devlin has criticised the club’s decision to replace him with hiw own ex-protegé Alan Mathews, calling the act ‘disloyal’. Budget issues and benefits for players are believed to have led to a clash between Devlin and the club’s board, with the FAI Cup-winning manager shown the door in a shock move. In a statement, Devlin said: ‘I have always tried to be fair in my dealings with players and staff and I had hoped that others would act in a like manner. ‘After many great years of involvement I am extremely disappointed I will not be involved with Bray Wanderers for the 2014 Airtricity League season. ‘During those years I am proud of my service as a player, manager, director of football and shareholder at the club. ‘My record includes two FAI Cup wins, First Division titles as well as participation in European club football. I am proud of my work too in bringing in sponsorship and other financial resources to the club. ‘I am disappointed that loyalty has not been recognised. My disappointment is compounded by the fact that a new team has now been put in place without previous commitments being delivered upon.’

Rio salutes ‘perfect specimen’ Ronaldo HARD work is the secret of Cristiano Ronaldo winning the Fifa Ballon d’Or, according to his former Manchester United team mate Rio Ferdinand. Real Madrid star Ronaldo (pictured) made a big impact on Ferdinand after arriving at United as an 18-year-old. ‘When I first met Ronnie he came across as a rough diamond who was prepared to work as hard as he could in order to fulfil his potential,’ Ferdinand said. ‘Thousands of hours of graft both in the gym and on the training ground turned him into the perfect specimen.’

uNiTED kiD pOwELL is HERO fOR HOLDERs nICK pOWell saved Wigan from a shock exit as the holders advanced. the latics trailed to luke Chadwick’s tenth-minute Milton Keynes opener but onloan Manchester United attacker powell (pictured giving a lift to Stephen

fA Cup Mk DONS ...................................1 WIgAN ....................................... 3 (AET: 1-1 after 90 mins)

Crainey) forced the replay into extra-time from close range with just 11 minutes

left. powell, 19, then added to his equaliser with a fine run and clipped finish after 77 seconds of the extras. a third goal from Marc antoine-Fortune made sure of Wigan’s place in round four, where they will take on Crystal palace.

Vid won’t give up NEMANJA VIDIC says Manchester United are entering a period which could make or break their season. The champions are 11 points off the top as they head to third-placed Chelsea on Sunday at the start of a five-match sequence which ends at leaders Arsenal. ‘We have to win regularly. In the next month we will know exactly where we are,’ said the United captain. ‘By the start of February we will show what our capability is in the Premier League.’

24 METRO HERALD Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Murray warns Oz Open chiefs playing in heat is not cool

«see page 22

Best is yet to come A speedy recovery from a broken arm has left Rory itching for the 6 Nations by DAnny HOgAn RoRy Best took one look at the Xray and feared his goal of finding fitness for the RBs 6 Nations might be just out of reach. surgery to repair his broken forearm had gone well, specialists said, offering a copy of the scan as souvenir. the Ulsterman half expected a horde of sniggering team-mates to spill around the corner, owning up to defacing that scan as a practical joke. the metal plates and pins to fix his fractured radial bone could almost have been added to that X-ray with a marker pen. this was no laughing matter, and Best knew he faced a grind to beat the injury picked up in Ireland’s 24-22 November loss to New Zealand. Just seven weeks after surgery though, Best made a prompt return for Ulster’s 27-16 victory over Montpellier on Friday night. Named in Joe schmidt’s 44-man RBs 6 Nations squad, Best admitted he must prove his recovery is complete. ‘All that will stay in,’ Best said of the metal additions to his forearm. ‘Most of the boys t h a t h ave broken their arm have plates in there. ‘A couple have them in their face and

pictuRe: ActiON imAgeS

their leg, that’s just part of the job these days. I’m not sure what the rust protection is like to be fair, but hopefully it’ll be all right. Fingers crossed it won’t set off any metal detectors. ‘During the game on Friday it was fine, that was probably as nervous as I’ve been in an Ulster game for a while. ‘But as the game went on I felt more comfortable, taking the hits and getting stuck in and that side of things. ‘so I was very happy, it felt fine over the weekend and I was always pencilled in for another X-ray just to make sure everything was where it should be and that nothing has slipped.’ Ireland boss schmidt has named seven uncapped players in his extended six Nations squad, also catering for the Ireland Wolfhounds’ clash with england saxons on January 25. Robin Copeland leads that group, the Cardiff Blues back-five forward primed for his move to Munster. Connacht’s former New Zealand Under-19s prop Rodney Ah you has also made schmidt’s squad, after qualifying on residency terms.

BEnT HAs cAnARiEs in A fLAp AT fuLHAM – «tHe squaD page 21

Craven attention: Darren Bent, middle, celebrates after putting Fulham ahead in their FA Cup thirdround replay against Norwich last night. Further goals from Ashkan Dejagah and Steve Sidwell secured a 3-0 win at Craven Cottage last NigHt’s actiON – page 23

Sources of biting allegations ‘should stick to their story’ – O’Neill GAA President Liam O’Neill has urged those who made allegations of biting against a Dublin player to stick by their story, writes Paul Keane. Leinster Council disciplinary officials will meet this evening to consider suggestions of a biting incident in Dublin’s O’Byrne Cup defeat to DCU last Sunday. It’s a similar scenario to last year when another Dublin player, Kevin O’Brien, was hit with a proposed three-match ban for

biting Donegal’s Paddy McBrearty. But that case eventually collapsed due to a lack of evidence, with McBrearty not taking part in the hearing. O’Neill revealed his frustration at the time by stating there was ‘disappointment’ that the case didn’t reach some conclusion. Speaking about the latest Dublin biting claim he said: ‘I said last year that if you make an allegation you should follow it

Robust: Players should ‘follow through’ on biting claims in order to help the inquiry into the alleged incident

through and I am not really going to go back into that. ‘That surfaced a few times during the year as if it was an awful thing I said. But I’d hope if an allegation is made, the person who made it will follow through. That’s a huge help to a disciplinary process. If you don’t follow through, it really is better not to make it,’ he said. ‘There is a collective responsibility here on players that if you make an allegation you

should follow through on it. Otherwise you shouldn’t do it.’ O’Neill said the GAA is treating the latest incident seriously. ‘Our disciplinary process is robust and if the allegations are followed up and if people give evidence then it is easy to create a case if there is a case to be made. And I am stressing I am sitting here not knowing the facts. I wasn’t around at the weekend.’

eOgHaN O’gaRa – p 21