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

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

mel b’s hubby:

i don’t beat

up women«pAGE 3

Metro Herald to stop publishing this Friday

AFTER nearly a decade as Dublin’s best-loved source of bite-sized news, sport, celeb gossip and cute animal pictures, it is with enormous regret that we bring you possibly our worst ever news story – this Friday, December 19, will be Metro Herald’s last ever edition.

Paul Crosbie, managing director of publisher Fortunegreen Ltd, said: ‘It’s extremely unfortunate that we have come to this decision which sadly means the loss of jobs.

‘Metro Herald, and the people who have worked here, have been extremely resourceful and hard-working, breaking new ground in creative print advertising. I’m very proud of what we have achieved here over the last six

years and feel privileged to have worked with such talented and creative people.’

Mr Crosbie added: ‘We have been fighting a rear-guard action fuelled by a prolonged recession and an evolving media landscape.

‘I would like to thank our board and shareholders for their support over the years, in what was a historic joint venture

agreement between all three organisations – The Irish Times Ltd, DMG Media Ltd and Independent News & Media PLC.’

Daily Mail publisher DMG Media and The Irish Times launched Metro in Dublin in 2005. This was immediately followed by a counter launch of Herald AM from Independent News & Media.

Both media groups made significant losses over the five-year period until the decision to merge the titles into one paper, Metro Herald, in 2010. However, the business model has become unsustainable in a difficult advertising environment.

Fortunegreen Ltd employs 13 full-time staff, plus our team of merchandisers who distribute the

paper every weekday in the Greater Dublin Area.

All these positions will become redundant, subject to a collective consultation process, which will conclude in January.

Mr Crosbie concluded: ‘I would also like to thank our excellent merchandisers on the streets of Dublin every weekday morning, who will be missed, our advertisers who stayed loyal to us and finally, and not least, all our valued commuting readers.’

Our farewell edition this Friday will feature the best bits from the paper, so if you have any favourite memories you think we should feature, tell us via @metrohnews, editor@metroherald.ie or Facebook.com/metroherald.

Gunman and two hostages killed in explosive climax to 16-hour siege

Run foryour life

HOSTAGES flee from an Islamic militant who responded by opening fire – killing two victims at a Lindt Chocolate café.

The captives ran for safety after Man Haron Monis conducted a siege for 16 hours at the shop in Sydney.

As the fanatic began spraying bul-lets, special forces burst in and shot him dead. At least three more people inside the café were injured.

Police commissioner Andrew Scipi-one praised police, saying: ‘While everybody might now second guess as to what’s occurred in the last hours,

Alert: Hostage is helped Picture: aPTURN TO pAGE 4 «

by AidAn RAdnedge

Don’t shoot: Hostages break free Picture: getty

� METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

A R N O T T S , I L A C , J E R V I S , D E B E N H A M S , M A R K S & S P E N C E R , T K M A X X ,S M Y T H S , N E W L O O K , F O R E V E R 2 1 A N D S O M U C H M O R E .

Easy to get to, easy to park and open late every day – with every kind of store you could ever wish for.

For more information on what’s on offer in Henry Street log onto: www.dublintown.ie/henryFor more information on what’s on offer in Henry Street log onto: www.dublintown.ie/henryFor more information on what’s on offer in Henry Street log onto: www.dublintown.ie/henry

Henry Street. Where the magicof Christmas comes to life.

Tuesday 16/12/14

Ireland’s rate of newsprint recycling is now more than 80%. Keep reading,

keep recycling – thank you.

How to contact usEmail: news@metroherald.ie mail@metroherald.ie sports@metroherald.ie features@metroherald.ie sales@metroherald.ieText: ‘Mail’ to 53131

(30c plus usual text charge)Editorial: 01 705 5088Advertising: 01 705 5010Distribution: 01 705 5007

Today’s birthdays Tony Hicks, guitarist, 69; Benny Andersson, musician (Abba), 68; Billy Gibbons, hirsute ZZ Top guitarist, 65; Dennis Wise, former footballer and cheating git, 48; Krysten Ritter, (pictured) US actress (Breaking Bad), 33.

Social media

Best of the web…Watch: Kissing you alreadyWould this workon the streets ofDublin? Decide foryourself as thislovely youngfellow has jolly time with hismistletoecontraption.Gometro.ie/watch-mistletoe-kissing-contraption In the know on the go Twiddling your thumbs on the

train? Get tapping for the latest news and travel GoMetro.ieFacebook.com/ metroherald

@metrohnews #metromailbox

WeatherToday

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Cloudy, wet and windy. However, it will be mild with top temperatures between 10° and 13°C. Wednesday night will continue mild, wet and windy.

A cold morning with frost in places and many areas dry. Cloud and rain will spread eastwards during the day with some heavy outbreaks developing. Feeling cold but temperatures will gradually rise during the afternoon and evening to 10° to 1�°C in strengthening southwesterly winds.

Mild with heavy and persistent rain clearing eastwards to scattered showers. Fresh to strong southerly winds will veer westerly but continue strong and gusty. Overnight temperatures between 8° and 11°C.

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D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD �

Belafonte: Untrue and disgusting to say I hit Mel B

Speculation: Fans claim Mel B had a bruised cheek and scratches on arms

MEL B’s husband, Stephen Belafonte,yesterday took to Twitter to vehementlydeny claims he had hit his wife.

The ex-Spice Girl was forced to missSaturday’s X Factor final after beingtaken ill due to a mystery illness.

She was back on Sunday but notwearing her wedding ring.

Concerned fans pointed out she alsohad a bruise on her cheek and scratcheson her upper arms.

But after being accused of‘beating up his wife’ online,film producer Belafonte(pictured, right, withhis wife) hit back.

‘I don’t usuallyrespond to Twittermessages but willrespond to com-ments of hittingmy wife, which arequite disgusting...untrue,’ the 39-

year-old wrote. ‘Mel was very ill. Iffans can’t just relax before being nega-tive they are not real fans of Mel B.’

Friends close to the TV judge, 39,also insisted the claims were untrue.

Show insiders say Mel B missed Saturday’s show after being struckdown with a stomach ulcer.

The domestic violence claims appeart o have been sparked after the

star’s sister, DanielleBrown, accused Belafonteof lying about her illness.

The X Factor boss SimonCowell said: ‘Things hap-pen when you make liveTV, you’ve just got to deal with it.’Praising Mel B, he added: ‘She is a trooper.’

The singer’s camp made no comment on the claims.

by AnDREI HARMswORTH

Where is it? Mel B flashes ring (left) but it was missing on Sunday Pictures: rex/Pixel 8000

Clash:Hamilton(left) andBarton Pictures: Pa/

rex

Barton hits out at BBC gong for HamiltonLEWIS HAMILTON is ‘a terriblerole model’ who should nothave been named SportsPersonality Of The Year, feelsfootballer Joey Barton.

The F1 champion’s claim to theBBC title should have hit theskids because he lives abroad asa ‘tax exile’, the QPR midfielder, 32, tweeted.

Barton, who was jailed forassault in 2008, posted: ‘Can’tbelieve they gave SPOTY to Hamilton. 1. Formula 1 is themost boring sport ever. 2. Hebrought a dog with him. 3. He’sa tax exile.’ Barton added: ‘Tax exile’s should be exempt fromwinning trophies paid and votedfor by the tax/licence payer.’

‘He should never have won. Heis a terrible role model... What precedent does that set. Badday in our history.’

Hamilton, 29, refused to bite back but has insisted: ‘I pay tax here, but I don’t earn all my money here.’

The Mercedes driver also toldthe Sunday Times’s Stylemagazine that his sportingprowess keeps ‘a team of more than 1,000 people employed’.

Thank you for being a star forSimon this year

� METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

Twitter hashtag fights the bigotsAS THE siege unfolded, a Twitter campaign sprang up in Sydney offering support to Muslims fearing a backlash.

More than 100,000 people tweeted ‘illridewithyou’ to stick up for those fearing anti-Islamic abuse on public transport.

Killer’s demand: Bring me a proper IS banner‘Holy man’ faced

dozens of sexual assault charges SELF-STYLED cleric Man HaronMonis was facing more than50 sexual and indecent assaultcharges and was on bail forbeing an accessory to themurder of his ex-wife.

He appeared in court last yearcharged with helping to killNoleen Hayson Pal, 30. She wasstabbed and her home in westSydney was set alight.

He was also convicted ofsending offensive letters to theAustralian families of Pvt Luke Worsley and LCpl Jason Marks,who were killed in Afghanistan.

Monis was sentenced to 300hours of community service and put on a two-year goodbehaviour bond for the letters.

TV image:MonisPicture: aaP

they are the ones who had to make the decision. It was tough, exacting work.

‘I want to point out that they have saved many lives, and to those men and women, all that were involved, we thank you.’

A 34-year-old man and a woman aged 38 were confirmed dead after Monis, 50, started shooting inside the café in Martin Place, in the heart of Sydney’s business district.

Of the three injured survivors, a wom-an in her 40s was said to be in a ‘serious but stable’ condition in hospital after being shot in the leg.

A 39-year-old police officer was being treated for a gunshot graze to the cheek, and a 30-year-old woman was also having treatment in hospital.

Ten of the 17 hostages managed to flee the siege. Five made a break for it after a few hours of lockdown, while the other five burst clear when Monis ordered them from one side of the café to anoth-er, moments before police moved in.

Monis – an Iranian refugee notorious for send-ing abusive letters to Australian and British families mourning fallen soldiers – entered the café at about 10am. He dispelled suggestions that the raid was a robbery by telling hostages to wave an Islamist flag.

Later – after observers on Twitter made com-ments about the banner – he demanded that au-thorities bring him an ‘official’ flag of the mili-tant movement Islamic State.

David Cameron said the raid, in a country ‘close to our hearts’, was a reminder of ‘the threat from Islamic extremist terror’.

Going in: Police take aim outside the café. Above left, hostages are forced to hold up an Islamic flag

Stretcher: A victim is carried away from the café Pictures: getty/ePa

FROM PAgE ONE«

Terrorist: Man Haron Monis

gunman kills six in dawn rampageA mAn killed six people as he weaved across the Philadelphia suburbs in a predawn rampage yesterday and then holed up in a house.

Bradley William Stone, 35, started at his ex-wife’s Harleysville apartment, breaking in through a glass door at around 4am firing multiple rounds and fleeing with their two children, the woman’s neighbours said.

He then went to two nearby communities, where he killed five other people and severely wounded another person before holing up in a Pennsburg home, authorities said.

‘She would tell anybody who would listen that he was going to kill her, and that she was really afraid for her life,’ said Evan Weron, a neighbour of Stone’s ex-wife, nicole Stone.

Stone had a ‘familial relationship’ to all the victims, montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said. The two children Stone took from his ex-wife’s house were safe, Ferman said.

The shootings occurred before dawn at homes in Harleysville, Lansdale and Souderton, which are within a few miles of each other.

Police with armoured vehicles and rifles flocked to Pennsburg

after spending several hours at the home in Souderton where several victims were found. In Pennsburg, police tried to compel his surrender with a bullhorn and loud explosions.

In march 2009, Stone and his then-wife, nicole, filed for divorce. They recently sparred over custody of their two children, with Stone filing an emergency petition on December 5 and nicole responding with a counterclaim December 9, according to court records. The outcome of their dispute was not clear.

nicole Stone’s neighbours say they were awoken by the sounds of breaking glass and gunshots.

Weron described Brad Stone as a former member of the military. He said nicole Stone would talk frequently about the custody dispute.

Horror: Bradley Stone began killing killing beganbegan

spree at ex-wife’s home

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD �

‘He wants a flag’... hostage forced to speak on video carried to safetyA HOSTAGE forced to parrot the gunman’s demands was carried out by police after armed officers stormed the Lindt cafe.

She grimaced in pain and blood was seen pouring down her legs as she clung to her rescuers. Earlier, the blonde woman had had to recite the demands of the gunman on video.

In the recording, she said he wanted an Islamic State flag and to speak to prime minister Tony Abbott.

‘He doesn’t understand why his demands have not been met yet,’ she added. ‘They are not unreasonable, he’s only asking for a flag and a phone call, that’s it’. Video: She parrots demand Picture: youtube

Terror: Police take woman from siege cafe Picture: getty

#Self-ish... Sydney siege selfiesspark a social media backlash

PEOPLE posing for ‘shameless’ selfies at the scene of the Sydney gun siege sparked outrage yesterday. A number of onlookers posted pictures of themselves near the police cordon on Twitter and Instagram. But their actions were widely condemned on social media. One person wrote: ‘Awful, do they not have any feelings?’, while another said: ‘You deserve a high five... in the face... with a chair.’

Exclusionzone

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100ft

ChannelSeven TV

Martin Placerailway station

NSWparliament

Hospital

Library

Sydney

Monday 9.45am(local time): Firstemergency call

Tuesday 2.20am:Commandosstorm café

LINDT CAF� SCENEOF SIEGE

� METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

Panda isn’twasting any festive spiritPANDA Recycling will pick up any extra recycling material for free from its 150,000 domestic customers over the Christmas period. It is encouraging its customers to put their extra recycling in clear plastic bagsand leave them out forcollection alongside their binsfrom December 22 to January 6.

The waste management company said over this two-week period most Irishhouseholds will see a 30 percent increase in the volume ofrecyclables they produce.

Panda CEO Brian McCabeadded: ‘This is our way ofsaying thank you to ourmany loyal customers thisChristmas season.’

Christmas snow is ‘not on the cards’Those dreaming of a white Christmas can keep dreaming,according to Met Éireann, who ruled out festive snowfall.

The weather forecaster saidthe prospect of snow ‘appeared to be recedingaround Ireland’ as the coldsnap comes to an end.

Last week there were many reports warning of a big freezepreparing to sweep acrossIreland, plunging the country into its coldest winter in almost50 years.

‘I am not sure what these reports were based on, butthere is no scientificforecasting beyond a week orten days,’ said a Met Éireannspokesperson.

A musical night to aid homelessA DuBlIN musical society isteaming up with St Vincent dePaul to help collect all mannerof woolly and warm paraphernalia for homelessmen, women and children.

Tomorrow, the Clé Club will present renowned ‘vulgar versifier’ Vincent Caprani in support of the charity’s ‘Presents For All’ homeless appeal. Proceedings begin with a mulled wine reception from 7.30pm.

Those looking to attend are asked to bring along clean socks, scarves or gloves to donate for the homeless this Christmas. Admission is €5 and no booking is required.

Low-paid workers to help decide minimum wageThe Government has launched a search for people with experience in low pay to help set the national minimum wage.

It is also looking for applicants with a management background and academics to form the new Low Pay Commission.

Business Minister Ged Nash said the nine-member panel will take the politics out of the minimum

wage and will also have the power to examine other low-pay issues.

‘I want to see the minimum wage progressively increased where the economic circumstances, the demands of job creation and social conditions and requirements converge,’ he said.

‘It represents a floor beneath which no working person should be allowed to fall.

‘It will be up to the Low Pay Commission to examine these issues on an evidence basis and revert to Government with a recommendation.’

The Government is seeking applications through the State Boards process. It is looking for an independent chairperson, three people with a ‘deep understanding’ of low-paid

workers, three from an employer background and two members experienced in economics or employment law. The minimum wage is currently €8.65 an hour.

Up until the setting up of the commission, it could be changed following a recommendation in a national agreement, a recommen-dation by the Labour Court or directly by the business minister.

Irish Water to foot bill for its own leakIrIsh Water just burst the irony meter as its work crews finally managed to plug a leak right outside its city centre headquarters.

according to the utility, a hydrant leak was the root cause behind thousands of litres of water gushing out on to James Joyce street.

It is not known whether the pipe had been spewing the costly water all weekend but Dublin City Council

workers, there on behalf of Irish Water, spent most of yesterday morning trying to bring the flow under control.

asked by the Metro herald who

would have to foot the bill for the leak when charges come in next year, the

utility was forced to admit it ‘most likely would have’.

‘Based on its location, it is pretty clear Irish Water would be liable,’ said a spokesperson.

eight DCC workers spent most of yesterday morning trying to fix the ‘minor’ problem and were forced to drain the area before they could bring in heavy equipment to tear up the street to get at the source of the leak. Water lark: Council staff at work

by bRIAn HuTTOn

More than 12 people a week die from overdoses or drug-related causes in Ireland, a new report shows.

Latest figures reveal a slight drop in the number of drug deaths, down to 633 in 2012 compared with 645 the previous year.

analysis by the health research Board (hrB) shows one in three of those who died had a history of mental illness.

alcohol and benzodiazepines – including tranquilisers like diazepam – play a big part in the number of deaths through drug poisoning, each being involved in a third of all overdose deaths, the study shows. Graham Love, chief executive at the hrB, said mixing drugs was increasingly proving to be lethal.

‘What is clear is that alcohol remains the sub-stance implicated in most poisonings, polydrug use features in more than half of poisonings and we continue to see an increase in the number of people dying by hanging,’ he said, but added that interventions can reduce deaths.

‘since 2004, there is a sustained decrease in the number of deaths among drug users linked to road traffic collisions, which have fallen by 62 per cent since 2006,’ he said. ‘this corre-lates with tough drink-driving campaigns from the road safety authority and the introduction of random breath testing in 2006.’

some 350 people died as a result of poisoning or overdose, while 283 were drug-related in-cluding suicide, drowning or by medical causes such as liver failure. half of all poisoning were under the age of 40, with three out of four men.

Methadone was involved in a quarter, in most cases mixed with another drug. More than half of the victims died after taking a mixture of drugs, a massive jump of 60 per cent in poly-drug deaths since 2004. the study also shows heroin deaths down to 61 from 115 in 2009.

Slight drop in number of drug-related deaths

‘Alcohol is implicated in most poisonings’

‘eight workers spent day seeking source’

A policeman, with a rescue dog, stands in an excavator as they search for landslide victims at sampang village in Banjarnegara, Indonesia. The death toll has risen to 39 Picture: reuters

Desperate search for survivors

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD �

www.dublincitydevelopmentplan.ie

*CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS14th JANUARY 2015

Dublin City DevelopmentPlan 2016 – 2022

HAVE YOUR SAY* INTHE FUTURE SHAPE

OF YOUR CITY

(L-r) Conor Buggle and Dave McMahon at the Irish premiere of Dumb And Dumber To at the Savoy Cinema, Dublin Picture: Brian Mcevoy

Rule of Dumb

Irish search list revealed‘WORLD Cup 2014’ was the most searched trend among the Irish, Google has revealed.

Among those topping the search engine’s list in 2014 was the Garth Brooks’ Croke Park saga, featuring across four of the review’s listing; TopTrending searches, TopTrending News, Top TrendingMusic Artists and Top trendingpeople lists of 2014.

The reign of snow queen Elsacontinued as Frozen was theyear’s top trending movie.

Cycle ban fortheft accusedA 16-YEAR-OLD Dublin boyaccused of stealing an officialGarda bike has been given acycling ban.

The boy is charged with theft of the Garda bicycle worth€500 at Benburb Street in thecity-centre on November 26last. He is also accused ofpossessing another stolen bike on the same date, the DublinChildren’s Court heard.

Judge John O’Connor orderedhim not to use a bike or bailwill be revoked.

Major blow to World Cup bid after GAA ground ruling

by LEsLEy-AnnE MCkEOWnDoubt has been cast over the future of a multimillion-euro revamp of a stadium capable of hosting 2023 Rug-by World Cup matches in the North.

A High Court judge has ruled that the decision to grant planning permission for a 38,000-seat sports facility in the heart of west belfast was unlawful.

Mr Justice Horner told a packed sitting of belfast High Court the decision-making process had been ‘inadequate and unlawful’ but stopped short of quashing the approval of expansion plans for the GAA’s Casement Park.

the judge said: ‘the department (of environment) was wrong legally and factually to make the decision.’

Permission for the €97million stadium, which has a pivotal role in Ireland’s 2023 Rugby World Cup bid,

was given by the North’s Environ-ment Minister Mark Durkan in December last year.

the GAA wants to build a 38,000 all-seater stadium including confer-ence, bar/restaurant and community facilities plus car parking on the site at Andersonstown Road.

However, residents from about 60 nearby homes objected to the size of the planned development and launched a legal challenge to halt construction which is being part-funded by the taxpayer.

tom Daly, chairman of the Casement Park Project board, said he was ‘deep-ly disappointed’ by the outcome.

the court is expected to reconvene tomorrow when a final ruling will be delivered.

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IRISH celebs and Irish Heart Foundation fundraisers

have joined together to put

the cork back in the bottle in January for the inaugural ‘On The Dry’ campaign launched yesterday. In a campaign to raise funds to help fight heart disease and stroke, a host of Irish celebs including Dublin GAA star Bernard Brogan are getting on the wagon and abstaining from alcohol for January.

ON THE

fuha

ON THE

DRY…

KIm KARDASHIANseemed unwilling

to share the spotlight with her year-olddaughter North Westafter cropping out mostof her face from anInstagram selfie, takenat Disney On Ice onSunday. Fans brandedKardashian, 34, ‘narcissistic’, with onetweeting: ‘You crop outyour own child soeveryone can focusmore on you? Ick...Pathetic.’

★

Selfie-centred: Kim’s Instagram shot

Double indenim-ity: Becks and family out for dinnerPictures: xPosurePhotos

THE fashion police order us to

never wear denim on top

and bottom. But David

Beckham has always been

a law unto himself style-

wise – and he again bucks the trend by successfully pulling off

double denim.The 39-year-old

daddy cool was joined by his family at Benihana Japanese restaurant in Chelsea on Sunday. Becks was effortlessly trendy, adding a flat cap and burgundy jumper to his DD ensemble.

Taking the driver’s seat, he was joined in the front by his son Brooklyn,

15, while wife Victoria, 40,

sat in the back with Romeo, 12, Cruz, nine, and

three-year-old Harper.

X FACTOR champ BenHaenow wants to buy hismother a new homeafter the ‘sacrifices’ shemade for him. mumRosanna, 51, is a singleparent who works at asupermarket and lives ina council house. ‘I’d like to get my mum out ofwhere we are living andinto a nicer place. And forher not to have to workevery single day,’ he said. Proud mum: Ben and Rosanna

WHILE Ben Haenow was romping to victory at The X Factor final, a topless photo of his big brother Alex went viral – bagging him a legion of fans of his own.‘Oh my god, Ben’s brother Alex!’ one fan said breathlessly on Twitter as the image circulated online.Meanwhile, Ben says he hopes to include his brother on his upcoming album as the two used to write together in a band.‘I’ve talked to one of the guys who works on the music team and he has said, “It would be good to get your brother involved with the writing”, so it is a dream come true,’ he added.

COMING UP NEXT... IT’S BIG BROTHER

Haenow: I’m left stunned by the Sex FactorWinner Ben is bemused by legions of female fans

Triumph: Ben at the final Picture:

sPlash

BEN HAENOW is poised to be Britain’s newest sex symbol after his X Factor victory.

The number of female fans he has attracted left the 29-year-old London lad stunned.

‘It’s been, um… great, I suppose is the word. I’ve had a lot of nice

feedback,’ he exclusively told Guilty Pleasures. But he doesn’t feel comfortable as a sex symbol, adding: ‘I would never want to say that.

‘But if people like to look at me, then that’s great.’

Haenow would pose topless for a calendar – but needs to go to the gym first. ‘I’ve not had much time to work out,’ he said. ‘I saw head-lines saying me and Andrea [Faustini] were The X Fatter!’

He says his girl-friend Jessica Jones, 27, has nothing to worry about as his sex appeal soars

– he plans to propose in the New Year. ‘My girlfriend will deal with it just fine. I don’t want to specu-late, but she has been great so far,’ he added.

Now Haenow, whose single Some-thing I Need may be the Christmas No.1, wants to unleash his own sound. ‘Success-wise I would love

to be like Olly Murs, but sound-wise I am looking for a different vibe,’ he

said. ‘I’d love to take a Paolo Nuti-ni sound.’

DAvID DOES DO

DOUBLE DENIM

Thor blimey! Chriswas naughty in Oz

THOR star Chris Hemsworth ‘got away with a lot more’

as a soap actor than he does now. ‘The

fame, the parties, the women…,’ the 31-year-old said.

Jen: My pain over ‘no kids’ remarks

JENNIFER ANISTON says it’s ‘painful’ when

she’s accused of putting her career before having kids. The 45-year-old said she’d been called ‘selfish’ for not embracing motherhood.

★

SIMON COWELL has revealed Tulisa Contostavlos was the only name on his mind when an emergencyjudge was needed on The X Factor after Mel B dropped out due to illness. ‘She was the only name who

came up. She loves doing the show. She was quite quick on the phone to say she was available!’ Cowell said.★

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD �

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Stage is set for superstars to perform at top awards

Sam goes head to head with Ed at the Brits show

ED SHEERAN and Sam Smith will be squaring off to be crowned man of the moment when the Brit Awards swing round again.

They will take centre stage during Britain’s biggest night of music after being revealed last night as the headline acts for the show at The O2, London in February.

Sheeran, 23, is the biggest-selling UK album artist of the year after X romped to No.1 in both the UK and America.

Smith also cracked America when his debut album, In The Lonely Hour, reached No.2. How-ever, the 22-year-old is set for

bragging rights after he bagged six Gram-my nominations.

However, Taylor Swift could steal their thunder when she returns to the Brits.

The last time the 25-year-old per-formed at the ceremony, in

2013, she took a pop at ex Harry Styles by using a Brit-ish accent during her

performance of I Knew You Were Trouble. The Brit

Awards with Mas-terCard will be at The

O2 in London on Wednesday, February 25, and broadcast live on UTV.

Sing-off: Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran will perform at the Brits PictureS: Getty/PA

Hitting out: Strictly’s Caroline

CAROLINE FLACK threw ex-boyfriend Jack

Street’s recent show of support back in his

face – suggesting that perhaps their break-up

was not as amicable as they claimed.

During Saturday’s Strictly Come Dancing semi-

final, Street, 26, who manages Sam Smith and

Disclosure, urged his followers to vote for Flack on

the BBC One show. He tweeted: ‘Vote for

@carolineflack1. You’d be silly not to.’

But the next day contestant Flack, 35, posted:

‘@jackb_street easing your guilt??? Fill yourself

with glee jack.’However, she later appeared to have a change of

heart and deleted the message, adding: ‘It’s not

bad to be sad.’The couple ended their 18-month romance last

week, with a source claiming it ‘came to a natural

end and was mutual’.

CAROLINE FLACK threw ex-boyfriend Jack

EX TAKES SOME FLACK

FOR STRICTLY TWEET

Star support: Ben meets Ed Sheeran

backstage after his victory PictureS: SPlASh

Speechless: Ben is grilled by Dermot O’Leary

Big Ben: Champion gets mobbed

This has been the dream and the ambition for a long, long time. If I don’t stop working, it is going to be an amazing thing

‘

10 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

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and finally...ROMANIA: Violinist Vasilica Ceterasu, 23, hopes to earn a Guinness World Record after playing while jumping out of a plane at more than 900m. He was strapped to a pilot who controlled the parachute.

AMERICA: The first family made sure they had back-up vocals when they sang carols at the National Building Museum, Washington. Rita Ora (right) was hugged by Michelle Obama after the sing-song ap

Uber budget service faces a national banFRANCE: Uber’s low-cost cab service will be banned in the country from next year, ministers announced yesterday. The US company came under fire as hundreds of taxi drivers blocked roads around Paris in protest. They claim UberPop has an unfair advantage as its drivers do not have to pay insurance and taxes.

4,700 dead, 10,000 wounded in conflictUkRAINE: Fighting in the east has killed at least 4,700 people since the conflict began earlier this year, UN investigators said yesterday. More than 10,000 have been wounded and 5million are living in areas where they face rising hardships. At least 1,300 have died since the much-ignored ceasefire began in early September.

Shark kills teen in front of his friendsAUSTRALIA: A teenager was mauled to death by a shark in front of two friends yesterday. Daniel Smith, 18, was attacked while spear-fishing with a group on the Great Barrier Reef. Daniel, who was bitten on his right leg, arm and groin, was pronounced dead shortly after he was pulled ashore at Port Douglas in Queensland.

Macadamia nut sales are really taking offSOUTH kOREA: Demand for macadamia nuts has rocketed after the Korean Air furore. Sales surged nearly 1,200 per cent in the five days to Sunday after Cho Hyun-ah, the daughter of the airline’s chairman, resigned from her executive roles having forced an attendant off a flight for serving the nuts in a bag, not on a plate.

HONg kONg: A campaigner cries as he is arrested by police at the last pro-democracy protest site in the Causeway Bay district yesterday. Earlier, demonstrators chanted: ‘We will be back.’ picture: getty

50,000 passengers stranded by strikebELgIUM: Air and rail traffic was paralysed and many businesses were forced to close yesterday by a national strike. About 50,000 plane passengers were hit by cancellations of up to 600 flights at Brussels airport. The strikes cap a month of demonstrations against austerity policies by the government.

At least 100 feared dead in landslides INDONESIA: The death toll from a landslide that flattened a village in Java has risen to 51, it emerged yesterday. A further 11 bodies were found in Jemblung as rain halted the search for another 55 people declared missing. More than 100 homes were engulfed in mud on Friday when heavy rains caused landslips in Banjarnegara region.

Lost phone cost €24,000by LIAM CORCORAN

A HOLIDAYMAKER who lost his iPhone in Ibiza has been charged £19,000 (€24,000) by Vodafone for failing to tell the firm it was missing for five days.

Corey Pye, 21, says he faces a lifetime of debt after his phone was stolen. He assumed his iPhone 4S could not be used as it was pass-word protected. But when he returned from holiday he was hit with a £6,500 (€8,170) bill.

Realising he made a mistake, he took out a three-year loan to pay off the debt – but his next bill landed for £12,500 (€15,700).

‘It’s ruined my Christmas. I don’t know what to do,’ he said. ‘I shouldn’t be punished for the naivety of failing to report my mobile missing.’

Lost phone cost €24,000

Debt: Corey Pye picture: SWNS

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D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD 11Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 December 16, 2014 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HMETRO HERALDMETROMETROO HERALDMETRO HERALD 11111111

Financier who dodged rail fares banned from industry

by jOHn-pAuL FORD ROjAs

BLinD spOT? nOT wiTH

sEE-THROugH jAguAR

Clear view: Drivers can see through the pillar picture: swns

DANGER can come straight out of left field when you drive a car.

Now blind spots may be a thing of the past thanks to motoring engineers.

Jaguar Land Rover has fitted cameras to the outside frame of a concept car which provide a live feed on to screens on the other side.

The feed starts the moment the driver indicates, moves his head over his shoulder or approaches a junction. It is hoped the technology could reduce accidents.

Fare dodger: Burrows

A €25,000-a-week executive who was caught dodging rail fares for five years has been banned from the City of London.

Jonathan Burrows, who earned €1.25million a year, was unmasked in the summer as the fare dodger who repaid €53,000 to Southeastern Rail soon after being caught.

Burrows, 44, quit his job as a man-aging director of BlackRock Asset

Management Investor Services and yesterday he was banned by the Fi-nancial Conduct Authority from per-forming any function in the industry. The FCA says the fund man-ager’s conduct in not pay-ing the €25-a-day fare is not ‘fit and proper’.

Burrows boarded the London-bound train from Stonegate, a rural station with no barriers in East

Sussex, without buying a ticket, before ‘tapping out’ using an Oyster card at Cannon Street.

It meant he only paid a €10 maxi-mum Oyster fare for the 82-minute journey. Tracey McDermott FCA di-rector of enforcement and financial crime, said: ‘Burrows held a senior position within the financial services

industry. His actions fell short of the standards we expect.’

He was caught in No-vember last year by a ticket inspector standing next to the barriers and was able to pay the

€53,000 in dodged fares and his legal costs within

three days.A BlackRock

s t a t e m e n t said: ‘What he admitted to the FCA is totally contrary to our v a l u e s and our p r i n c i -ples.’

‘Burrows earned €1.25million a year’

Beowulf is set to roar back on TVThE epic poem Beowulf is being adapted into an ITV drama, the broadcaster hasconfirmed.

The Old English poem,which documents theeponymous hero’s battleswith a monster and adragon, will be made intoa 13-part drama.

Described as a ‘Western set in the Dark Ages ofBritain’s mythic past’, theseries will be filmed ‘in thebreathtaking beauty ofEngland’s north-East’.

It comes after ITV announced a string ofperiod dramas, such asThe FrankensteinChronicles starring SeanBean, and Jekyll & hyde,set in 1930s London.

‘Beowulf is a series aboutcourage, greed, betrayal, revenge, loyalty, power,man versus wildernessand, of course, love,’ an ITV statement said. ‘It is aseries that explores thenotion of good and evil.’

Writer and executive producer James Dormersaid: ‘hundreds of yearsago people listened to thestory of Beowulf because itwas a great adventure story – it scared them, thrilled them, made them laugh and cry. So it’s incredibly exciting to have the opportunity to make it relevant again.’

The cast has not yet been announced.

60 seconds

“

I’ve had enough of this. We have been promised all sorts of things by this Government only for them not to come through with the goods when

it matters most. The latest example of this is the so-called polar storm. We were told it would hit just in time for Christmas, but it seems now that too was a false promise. Someone must answer for ruining Christmas in this way for the people of Dublin.

Olaf

Pubs turning away 12 pubs of Christmas revellers? About bloody time. I’ve had many a quiet festive pint ruined in my local by hordes of scumbags in Christmas jumpers and Rudolph noses dropping pints, shouting foul language, falling all over the place and fighting.

The 12 Pubs phenomenon was

■

funny for a couple of years but is now just another trite excuse for this country’s drinking culture to masquerade as light-hearted cele-brations.

John Joe

The fact that our MePs are the worst at attendance at plenary sessions should really come as no surprise...

It just goes to show that you can take the gombeen, weed-smoker politician out of the dysfunctional democratic state but you can’t suddenly make them operate at an eU level.

Al

More injury crises in Leinster is just another symptom of the dan-gers rugby players are being put under due to a lack of forethought by the International Rugby Board.

■

■

If laws are not brought in to limit the amount of weight modern pro-fessional players can carry then these injuries will not only contin-ue, they will get worse.

This will one day lead to a house-hold name of the game getting an injury so extreme their career and permanent wellbeing will be fin-ished.

Brian

To the large meteorite wearing a Santa hat that flew over my house last night, that is waaaay cooler than putting a red nose and plastic reindeer antlers onto a vehicle with four wheels.

Rex Broadbent, Dublin

To those who put red noses and antlers onto their vehicles – have some self-respect.

Scrooge

■

■

THAT FESTIVE FELINE: We considered reporting Mandy Iremonger for animal fashion animal fashion

emonger fIremonger for

cruelty violations but her cat Dita doesn’t actually look entirely miffed about the whole thing

Quick pic

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

A massive thank you to the guy who picked me up and drove me to the hospital when I slipped and hit my head on Saturday. Sorry it ate into your Christmas shopping time. I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas. CJ

Thanks a mill to Evelyn Cusack, the hard-working, intelligent meteorologist who put an end to all that hysteria about snow at Christmas. This would have been a disaster for everyone! You’ve saved Christmas... FTS

●

●

good on yaTo the beautiful lady walking up Waterloo

Rd from Baggot St near the bus stop – Damn! I hope it wasn’t the car you were admiring. Had my brother not been driving and on the phone, I would’ve said hello. You’d definitely be on my Christmas wish list... D

●

yeh bIg rIde

random acts of kIndness

your rush-hour crush

I snow what I think of this government

Email:mail@metroherald.ie

@metrohnews #metromailbox

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*Please include a name and location. Emails with attachments cannot be received. 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

in the know, on the go

taylor-ann hasselhoff, 24, is the daughter of multitalented Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff and is currently filming a documentary about him

My dad is such an awesome

person and really is my best friend… he is just

a kid in a big guy’s body

Why are you making a documentary? My dad is always travelling around the world. He can be in three countries in one week doing commercials, Tv shows, performances, and it’s interesting to see an entertainer take on all those roles and continue to build a brand. His brand has been relevant for 40 years and I want to share that story.

What is his brand? He’s a world-class entertainer – he does Broadway, pantos, he’s a singer, he’s doing his own Hoff The Record show right now, he performs in different countries.

Who is your audience?People know him from Knightrider, Baywatch and now kids know him from Spongebob, America’s Got Talent and Britain’s Got Talent.

What have been the most difficult bits of doing it? I’ve learned different ways to shoot things. The most difficult bit is I want to film everything. I have no idea how much I’ve filmed. I was in London with my dad recently and I was shooting for eight hours a day for eight days. I could have finished this documentary a while ago but I keep finding things to put in there.

Are there any misconceptions about your dad? He’s such an awesome person and really is my best friend. He’s so grateful to every single fan who asks for an autograph – every person who asks he’ll take pictures with and talk to. It took us so long to get through Piccadilly Circus because he’s so friendly to everyone who comes up to him. He teaches me a lot about self-respect and respecting others – he really is just a kid in a big guy’s body.

What was your childhood like? Was Pamela Anderson always around for tea? No way. It was

completely normal. We went to school, did our homework, went to soccer practice. The exception was we went to the beach a lot. Sometimes Dad would be shooting Baywatch until 8pm and we’d go to the beach and hang out.

Will you be going to see your dad in Peter Pan? I go to see him every year. We don’t have pantos in LA and it’s so cool to see how the audiences are different – the matinees are full of little kids who are terrified of my dad.

They’re like: ‘Mummy, I’m scared of Captain Hook.’

It’s so cute. Then in the evening, the older

kids have had a few beers and they’re just loving it and joining in – it’s such a party.

Has this inspired you to

do panto yourself?Absolutely – I love the

vibe of singing and interacting with the audience. Hopefully I might get to play Wendy in Peter Pan one day.

Ever had a supernatural experience? We were doing our reality show in a haunted castle somewhere in england. They turned off all the lights and had a lady who was going into a trance,

her eyes were going back, she was doing the whole thing. She said there was the spirit of a girl in the kitchen we were

sitting in who liked to play with people’s hair. Then halfway through dinner, I felt someone touching my hair and told my sister to stop doing it – and she said she wasn’t. Then I felt something

like little fingers touching my back. I was

so weirded out. I don’t know if there was something out there that was happening or if it was just in my head – but it felt pretty real.

Any new year’s resolutions? every year, I

resolve to clear out my closet more often and never do. I keep everything. I need to stop

hoarding things I don’t really need. andrew Williams

Taylor-Ann’s documentary will be released next year.

12 metro herald Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

24, is the daughter of multitalented Baywatch legend David Hasselhoff and is currently filming a documentary about him

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD 13

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The wonders of Japan, P18

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features@metroherald.ie14 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

Best laid plans Rev up your Christmas lunch with show-stopping festive table decorations – and then eat, drink and be very merry! By Lara Sargent

Warm metallics are flying high on the interiors radar for 2015, so whether you plump for a 24-carat blast of bling or a subtle sprinkling of bronze, your Christmas table will be on trend with a treasure trove of glittering decorations. Before euro signs start chu-chinging in your ears, such a glam dusting of pieces doesn’t mean spending a small fortune.Above: 12-piece dinner set, €50, charger, €2.50, candle holder, €10, crackers €9 for six, all from tesco.com

Gold rush Dazzling disco brights Scandi chicShun tradition and go for a high-voltage jolt of bold shades instead. A clash of neon pink, zesty orange and eye-dazzling turquoise won’t fail to get you in the festive mood and will add flamboyance to any Christmas table. Anything goes, so mix up shiny bauble table place holders with rainbow-hued glasses. This is a kitsch, fun-filled look that doesn’t take itself seriously. Above: Glasses, €7.50, Christmas House PVC tablecloth, €33, napkins, €19 for four, candles, €15 for six, all cathkidston.com

Channel a crisp Scandinavian look for your festive table with lashings of crimson and white and a friendly, folksy charm. It’s a simple, homespun look to pull off too, as Nordic-inspired decorations are everywhere this season. Fill old jam jars with tealights for a warm, festive glow and scatter silver sleigh bells and paper snowflakes across a white or dove-grey linen cloth.Above: Scandi heart dish, from €5, teapot, €15.70, storage tins, €21.50 for set of three, houseoffraser.co.uk

Mixology crystal coupes, €250for four, waterford.co.uk

Pink twinestag, €15, paperchase.co.uk

Neon crackers, €39, hedgehogshop.co.uk

Pink candles, €1 each, tiger-stores.com

Russian Christmas napkins, €5, talkingtables.co.uknapkins,

Kitchen Craft felt placemats, €16.50 for set of four, amazon.co.uk

Traditional Scandinavian Tomte, €31.50, cloudberryliving.co.uk

Vinterfint mug, €2each, ikea.ie

Circlecandleholder, €29, articledublin.com

Vinterfint tablecloth, €15, Ikea.ie

Vinterfint table-runner, €7, Ikea.ie

Batttery-operatedlantern, e6, ikea.ie

Reindeer dinner plates (4), €10woodies.ie

Twig Berry Leaf Wreath, €34.95 carraigdonn.com

Glitter tea lights,€13, marksandspencer.ie

party fare

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Deep fried tequila shots will give your Christmas party a hefty shot in the arm, says Victoria Gray

Planning to serve mince pies at your Christmas party? Snore! One look at Pinterest shows that originality is

the only way to keep your guests entertained. and, in my case, friends are always intrigued by what i’ll serve as drinks during a soirée. Cue one frantic scour of the internet and up pops the perfect solution – deep fried tequila shots.

‘What in the name of Bacchus is a deep fried tequila shot?’ i hear you cry. Much to my relief, it’s not an impossible to make melt-in-the-middle croquette, but a cake, soaked in tequila and cooked in oil.

it’s sourced from US blog ‘Oh bite it!’ by amy Erikson, a keen amateur chef who swears by the motto ‘life’s too short to never stop and smell the sugar!’ – you know her creations won’t be good for you. But the recipe sounded simple and i was keen to try something new.

The ingredients are minimal – a cake (you don’t even need to make your own – amy recommends shop-bought), tequila and oil. a lot of oil. a 500ml bottle of tequila will cover two Madeira cakes, making about 60 shots, with tequila to spare. But this recipe demands 750ml of sunflower oil too.

i started by chopping the cake

into ‘bite-sized’ cubes to see how much cake my friends and i could fit in our mouths. a lot, as it turns out. The recipe recommends dipping them ‘quickly’ in tequila, but this meant that the taste didn’t really come through.

it’s a lot easier to simply pour tequila over a pile of cake cubes. But beware – some of the bottom pieces may dissolve into a soggy mess. next was the dreaded oil – two inches of it. That’s right, inches, which resulted in nearly melting a ruler while trying to measure how high our hot oil had got in the pot.

nearly a whole bottle of sunflower oil measured just an inch, so we had to pop out for more. Using an old-fashioned thermometer – inherited from grandma – it took about ten minutes until the oil reached 180C.

Dropping the pieces into the oil, we recoiled as they started fizzing

viciously, spurting up oily bubbles as if we were frying meat. One even landed on my friend’s top, so we had to pause proceedings and

get our anti-grease kit out. The cakes had a tendency to float, so they need to be submerged to go the golden colour required before being pulled out and patted down with kitchen paper to

remove the rather worrying levels of grease.

i styled them in shot glasses, just as the blog showed, and presented

them to my excited friends, who thankfully were approving – and not just being polite.

They tasted like fairground doughnuts, minus the jam. The more alcoholic ones were a hit – and dubbed ‘dangerously moreish’. The verdict? They’re definitely an interesting mixer for a party – shots without the spillage. Just keep your party dress away from the stove.

IAN

DEW

SBU

RYCake with a

kickGIVE IT YOUR BEST SHOTS ‘The more alcoholic ones were dubbeddangerously moreish’

measured just an measured just an

grandma – it took grandma – it took

Hic-cup cakes: Tequila-drenched Madeira cubes were deep-fried and sprinkled with sugar – much to the delight of Victoria’s pals

A taste of honey: Alan and Gary Keery with cuddly hero the Honey Monster

CRUNCH TIMEIrish twins Alan and Gary Keary are cereal offenders Irish twins Alan and Gary Keary are cereal offenders Irish twins Alan and Gary Keary are cereal offenders in their new London café, munches Gareth May

CaP’n CrUnCh, Froot loops, reese’s Puffs, Canadian nutri-grain, South african Strawberry Pops and South Korean Oreo O’s. if

ever there was a church dedicated to cereal, this is it: Cereal Killer Café on london’s Brick lane.

Faced with a wall of brekkie brands, my inner child is drooling. Co-owner alan Keery steps forward with a box of cereal and a spoon, as if he’s about to anoint me with milk.

‘These are my favourite,’ he says, pouring me a bowl of reese’s Puffs.

‘But my fave of all time,’ he adds, pointing at a wall of vintage cereal boxes, ‘is Banana Bubbles, discontin-ued in the 90s...’

‘…and my favourite,’ his identical twin gary shouts across the breakfast counter, ‘is the one i’m eating right now.’ he jabs his spoon at a bowl of yel- lowing milk, dotted with

tiny rice Krispies Treats. ‘it’s so good.’For two men for

whom cereal is clearly some kind of

religion, it’s apt that the idea for the café came as an

epiphany. hung-over in

Shoreditch and

desperate for a ‘lovely big bowl’ of their favourite brand, they wondered why people only ever ate cereal at home. a year-and-a-half on, they’re looking to change all that.

a bowl of each brother’s favourite and i’m a convert. But with more than 130 on offer, 30 types of milk and 20 toppings, this is just the start of my cereal eating odyssey. all along the sugar spectrum, there’s something for everyone; from ultra-healthy alpha Bites with no refined sugar or salt, to ‘once-in-a-while treat’ Strawberry Pops, a cereal so red it doesn’t look natural.

‘Because it’s not natural,’ gary says, warning me it’s pumped full of gMOs (genetically modified organisms), something he has to warn customers who venture to the outer limits of sugar exploration. One mouthful and i feel like i’ve injected my eyeballs with the sweet stuff. a few more bowls of absolute awesomeness and i’ve found my fave: Poppin’ Pebbles. it’s like Flintstone’s spin-off Fruity Pebbles,

only with popping candy. One spoonful and toast is dead to me.

Yet there’s more to this place than just fun – if not bizarre – eating. limited-edition boxes line the walls (Batman, Star Wars, Teenage Mutant ninja Turtles); cereal toys such as Kellogg’s bike reflectors and spoon toppers sit behind display cases, while a portrait of TV serial killer Dexter made entirely from Cheerios looms over the bar. These are the spoils of months online searching for breakfast memorabilia.

‘We want you to leave having had a complete cereal experience, over-whelmed by the amount of craziness in here,’ says alan before gary interrupts with the excitement of a little boy on Christmas morning. ‘We’ve got

the honey Monster coming to the launch party. The actual honey Monster. not just a man in a suit.’

i’m so jacked up on sugar and nostalgia i actually believe him.

16 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

1. Memory SlamWatch, 8pmIf you have trouble remembering where you left your car keys this morning then prepare to be mind-boggled by this documentary on the powers of recall at the disposal of the contenders in the UK Schools Memory Championships. PS if – you’re going out, don’t forget to record it.

2. The Apprentice: The Final FiveBBC1, 11.05pmSo now we know that Mark, Bianca, Róisín, Solomon and Daniel are the five still standing as The Apprentice switches from being good at tasks to having the best business plan. Here we meet the five off-duty, get a glimpse of their families and see the proud moment when young Daniel called Alan Sugar ‘Daddy’.

3. Black Mirror: White ChristmasC4, 9pmWhat would life be like if you could ‘block’ people in real life the way you can on social media? That’s one of the ideas bubbling away in Charlie Brooker’s latest dark vision of the near future. The stellar trio of Jon Hamm, Rafe Spall and Oona Chaplin give human life to Brooker’s chilling take on the way we’re heading.

4. Adam Buxton’s Shed Of ChristmasSky Arts 1, 9.30pmThe wryly amusing Adam Buxton probably spends too much time alone with the internet – but we should be thankful because he comes up with some very diverting material. Fellow funnyman Tim Key drops in for a cheery mix of songs and animation.

5. The MissingBBC1, 9pmThere’s an aching slowness to The Missing which adds to its power and that feeling remains in tonight’s agonising closing chapter. Tony and Emily finally discover what happened to son Olly after that fateful day in 2006 when his hand slipped from his father’s grasp .

6. Brian Pern: A Life In RockBBC2, 11.20pmRoger Moore, Annie Nightingale,

4

Diverting material is on offer in Adam Buxton’s Shed Of Christmas

3

Oona Chaplin stars in dark drama Black Mirror: White Christmas1

Countdown’s Rachel Riley tests teams’ mettle in Memory Slam

2

Solomon Akhtar is seen off-duty The Apprentice: The Final Five

YOUR GUIDE TO THIS EVENING’S ESSENTIAL VIEWING Paul Young and Dan Snow are among the backing band in this lovably daft prog rock spoof that finds frontman Brian Pern (Simon Day) attempting to stage vanity rock musical project Brian Pern’s Musical Version Of Day Of The Triffids.

7. Gray MattersRTÉ1, 10.15pmDocumentary exploring the life and career of Eileen Gray, who was

5

James Nesbitt and Frances O’Connor reach the end of the line in The Missing

critically acclaimed for her work as a designer and decorator, before moving into the world of architecture. While in the field, she worked quietly and to her own specifications, which led to a large body of her work only recently being re-discovered and revered...

8. The Supervet: Christmas In The ClinicC4, 8pmThis seasonal special from vet Noel

Fitzpatrick’s clinic catches up with some of the animals to have benefited from his revolutionary techniques. Pick of the litter? The plucky cat given a new lease of life thanks to a bionic limb.

9. Bressie’s Teenage KicksRTÉ2, 10pmIn the finale of the programme following Niall Breslin’s project putting together a band of five young musicians from Limerick, the group

comes together after six months of rehearsing, recording and writing.

10. Today’s Film: WaterworldUTV, 11.10pmWhen Kevin Costner first paddled about on a raft in this 1995 drama, it seemed pure fantasy. But as flooding becomes more frequent, Kev now looks well ahead of the game as he drifts about in a world where the polar ice caps have melted.

TVTVTV1616 METRO HERALDMETRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D D

TVTVTVTVTVTONIGHT’S

TVTVTVTOP 10

tech&gaming to advertise, call 01 7055010

features@metroherald.ieD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD 17

cROfT ORiginAL:lara’s evoluTionLara Croft has been a significant part of gameculture ever since her October 1996appearance in Core Design’s first outing.Naturally, graphic fidelity has improved herlook over the years, with each consolegeneration adding realism and, on the whole,lower bra cup sizes. However, the basic modelhas remained the same.

Tomb RaideR (1996)In the first TombRaider, which many enjoyed on the originalPlayStation, Croft wasan angular collectionof pixels butwonderfully animated and a leap forward foraction adventure games.

LaRa CRofT: Tomb RaideR (2001 fiLm)Although actress Rhona Mitra and modelssuch as Nell McAndrew have portrayed Lara in real life for promotional purposes,Angelina Jolie is best known for bringing thecharacter to life in two flawed butunderrated action movies.

Tomb RaideR: TheangeL of daRkness(2003)Many of the gamespreceding Angel OfDarkness featureda similar Lara, albeitwith slight jumps ingraphic definition,but this introduceda darker and more

rounded character. Shame, then, that thisgame was the worst in the franchise.

Tomb RaideR: Legend (2006)Crystal Dynamics was first handeddevelopment duties for Tomb Raider:Legend and instantly the game serieslooked promising again. Lara became a more confident action star, with a fewJames Bond-like sequences.

Tomb RaideR (2013)This 2013 rebootchanged everythingby telling theoriginal story ofCroft in a heartfelt,sinister and bloodyway. RH

The big release LaRa CRofT and The TempLe of osiRis (12) XO/PS4/PC

a big return: Lara Croft and

The Temple of osiris

lara’s TeMPle oF BOOML

ara Croft is one of the most enduring and endearing of video-game characters. Her first appearance was in 1996’s tomb raider and her adventures have

since spanned almost 20 games across a vast array of formats.

Her last outing, in the tomb raider reboot, featured a younger, less experienced Lara at the beginning of her journey, but fans will be

pleased to find that the kick-ass Croft we know and love is still in the hearts and minds of publisher Square Enix.

Lara Croft and the temple of osiris sees the much welcome return of not only the older Lara but actress Keeley Hawes, who as well as gracing our tV screens

in ashes to ashes and other dramas, provided the voice of the heroine for seven years prior to Camilla Luddington (Lara’s voice in the 2013 game). It adds a sense of nostalgia to proceedings, as does

the entire game’s format.Like the previous isometric

offshoot game, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, temple of osiris is part puzzle game, part Gauntlet-style

dungeon crawler. and though it’s possible to complete it entirely as a solo player, it’s an adventure best

played with a friend or three. In fact, up to four players – either online or locally – can take on one of the characters of Lara, rival treasure hunter Carter Bell or Egyptian gods Horus and Isis as they battle evil god Set.

there are puzzles throughout here that cleverly adapt to the number of players in attendance, requiring more effort the greater the presence. While cooperation is a must to progress through the Egyptian tombs, competitive elements add humour to the action. as artefacts and treasures can be gathered by individuals, you might find yourself fighting your friends more than your enemies at times.

It’s worth it, though, as items you pick up can also help beef up your character. rings, weapons and amulets all give you additional powers. Developer Crystal Dynamics will also be putting in

community challenges, inviting players to complete certain goals for even greater

power-ups, thus increasing longevity.

Lara Croft and the temple of osiris is a great appetiser to feast on while waiting for next year’s rise of the tomb raider. although as that is an Xbox exclusive initially, other platform owners might have to make this last a bit longer. Rik Henderson

THE gifT Of gADgETsn Looking for a tablet this Christmas? Check out thenew Linx Windows 8.1 32gb. Available in 7in, 8in or10in display, it comes with a 12-month subscriptionto Office 365 Personal. From €119.99, Meteor

n know someone who’s addicted to selfies? perhaps a bluetooth selfie stick would make

solo player, it’s an advsolo player, it’s an adventure best

istmas? Check out theailable in 7in, 8in or

iption

perhaps a bluetooth selfie stick would make their Christmas.

€24.99, Vodafone

n Thought about a new laptop for

your commute? Check out the

android ToshibaChromebook.

€299, PC World

kick-ass: angelina Jolie as Lara

travel18 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

Learn Spanish and enjoy our culture!

¡Hola !

Lincoln House, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2h t t p : / / d u b l i n . c e r v a n t e s . e s

D u b l í n

E n r o l n o w !

artthou haiti?

A Beginner’s guide To HAiTi

What aND WhErEA country of 10.5million people,which borders Dominican Republicto the east. Under the French it wasthe Caribbean’s jewel, producinghalf the world’s coffee and 40 percent of its sugar before declaringindependence in 1804.

hEaLth aND SaFEtYRoads aren’t great and there’s stilldamage from the earthquake, butHaiti is now one of the safest placesin the Americas in terms of crime.Stick to bottled water and protect yourself against cholera and malaria.

GEttiNG arouNDBuses and tap-taps, hand-painted trucks that serve as transport. Even the longest journeys won’t costmore than €12.

Clockwise from top: A Haiti hotel; Jacmel town; graffiti in Jacmel; red snapper; Bassin Bleu waterfall

A gu

What aND WhErEA country of 10.5million people, which borders Dominican Republic to the east. Under the French it was the Caribbean’s jewel, producing half the world’s coffee and 40 per ceindependenc

hERo

The best time to visit is in the dry season from

November to March when the mercury

hovers around 26 degrees.

more than €12.

Vira

n D

e Si

lVa

travel to advertise, call 01 7055010

features@metroherald.ieD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 MEtro hEraLD 19

Five years after a devastating earthquake ravaged Haiti, the Caribbean country is on a mission to woo back tourists through its unusual arts scene. By Patrick Welch

as far as tropical getaways go, Cormier Plage ticks all the right boxes. I’m by the beach, rum punch in hand, plate of lobster in front of me, palm

trees crackling in the breeze and waves lapping on the sand. It couldn’t be much more of a Caribbean idyll, really. Except I’m in Haiti. surprised? Perhaps you shouldn’t be.

Up until the 1950s, Haiti, along with neighbouring Cuba, was the go-to destination for the European and american jetset, but the following 30 years of dictatorships and 2010’s earthquake put paid to all that, and the majority of foreigners left here are missionaries, NGO workers or UN staff.

But that might be about to change. I’m on a newly launched tour of the island with adventure travel operator G adventures, taking in the capital, Port-au-adventures, taking in the capital, Port-au-adventures, taking in the capital, Port-au-Prince, as well as the seaside towns of Prince, as well as the seaside towns of Prince, as well as the seaside towns of Jacmel and Cap-Haitian. We hike up Jacmel and Cap-Haitian. We hike up Jacmel and Cap-Haitian. We hike up to the breathtaking hilltop fortress, La Citadelle Laferrière, drink sugar cane rum straight from a bubbling distillery and dive off a jungle waterfall at Bassin Bleu. so far, so wonderfully Caribbean.

and then there’s the art. Haitian handicrafts have long been commercially successful, at least locally. The papier-mâché masks and bowls you find in Jacmel, the country’s arts centre, get sold all over the Caribbean, passed off as local work, but now Haitian artists are starting to exhibit on the international scene too.

We head to a slum off Port-au-Prince’s Grand rue, which is home to atis rezistans, a collective of sculptors. Part sea of shacks, part open-air gallery, the slum was home to les tourneurs (woodworkers) before branching out into metal 20 or so years ago. It’s home to 25 artists and people trudge through with scrap – car parts, broken street furniture – while chickens and cats wander around under the searing midday sun. You can’t help but notice the phallic imagery in the work as well as one material that stands out among the metal and wood: human skulls.

Local artist romel Jean Pierre, 22, tells me that it’s not about being macabre: ‘We get revolutions, earthquakes and political trouble, so themes of death and regeneration are appropriate.’

another big influence is Vodou, one of Haiti’s two official religions. Derived from Catholicism and the religions that slaves brought from West africa, it was renamed Voodoo by Hollywood, who went to town on its sinister side. Presumably, scriptwriters were taking their cues from the sort of Vodou-inspired art we see later in Port-au-Prince’s Marché-en-fer metal market: mutilated children’s dolls in bottles and a two-headed statue of a knight for $600 (€480).

Later, in another artistic enclave,

Noailles, near Port-au-Prince, we meet Noailles, near Port-au-Prince, we meet Noailles, near Port-au-Prince, we meet artist Jean Baptiste Jean-Joseph, who is a Houngan or Vodou priest. He shows us his beautiful embroidered flags representing Vodou spirits that have fetched several thousand euro in Europe, before explaining that Vodou isn’t the black magic cult that the likes of films like Live and Let Die would have you believe. People use Vodou to heal, prosper and move forward, he says. It’s celebratory and accepting religion with joyous ceremonies. accepting religion with joyous ceremonies. accepting religion with joyous ceremonies.

It’s intriguing stuff and makes you feel It’s intriguing stuff and makes you feel It’s intriguing stuff and makes you feel about a million miles away from the all-about a million miles away from the all-about a million miles away from the all-inclusive holiday resorts. Nevertheless, I’m inclusive holiday resorts. Nevertheless, I’m inclusive holiday resorts. Nevertheless, I’m told that Hilton and Marriott are opening told that Hilton and Marriott are opening told that Hilton and Marriott are opening hotels here and Carnival Cruise Lines is hotels here and Carnival Cruise Lines is hotels here and Carnival Cruise Lines is investing €50million in the region. Great news, surely, but it will be a while before Haiti can compete for the crowds. so the truly adventurous should get there quick.

puzzlesNEMI by Lise

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

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

METROSCOPEby Patrick Arundell

Aries Mar 21 – Apr 20If life seems chaotic you might feelbetter by looking into experiences that offer some relief. Yet, whatever ishappening could take time to resolve– even though further reflection canbring answers. For your forecast, call 15609 114 70

Taurus Apr 21 – May 21Today’s Libra Moon hints at findingbalance. You might find it easier to dothis by settling into your routine andallowing it to soothe away any angst.Exercise that takes you out into nature or appeals to a love of movement could also help. For your forecast, call 15609 114 71

Gemini May 22 – Jun 21The current Sun-Jupiter aspect helpsyou look on the bright side. Andwhatever you’re dealing with, you’lllikely find that friends will offersupport. Meanwhile, with Saturn inthe final degree of Scorpio, workpressures might increase. For your forecast, call 15609 114 72

cancer Jun 22 – Jul 23A Venus-Jupiter link encourages you to say no to a big expense that might notseem entirely justified. With theseasonal sales coming up, you couldbenefit from hanging on for a whileand snaffling yourself a bargain.For your forecast, call 15609 114 73

Leo Jul 24 – Aug 23While a self-indulgent whim can begreat fun, a moderate approachshould help you stay on the straight and narrow. Meanwhile, a desire to opt out may be hard to resist. Mind,you’ll experience greater peace ofmind if you get jobs finished. For your forecast, call 15609 114 74

Virgo Aug 24 – Sep 23Although the day can begin on a note of optimism, watch out for somesurprising news. Don’t reactimmediately – allow time for it to percolate into your awareness, as ameasured response may be best. For your forecast, call 15609 114 75

Libra Sep 24 – Oct 23Friends may be in a lively mood,wanting to involve you in their

projects orplans for fun.Yet, perhapsyou’d preferquieteractivities, so you can take the day at your own pace. Meanwhile, the Moonin your sign could help you connectwith your emotions. For your forecast, call 15609 114 76

scorpio Oct 24 – Nov 22It will help to keep things inperspective and to be wary ofmaking assumptions or of beingtoo trusting. Neptune links hint that all is not what it seems, so check before you make a promise.For your forecast, call 15609 114 77

sagittarius Nov 23 – Dec 21Excitement regarding a plan might mean you’re looking to the future with greater optimism. Despite this, youcan more easily enhance yourpotential for success by taking eachday as it comes rather than playing foran outcome which is contrived.For your forecast, call 15609 114 78

capricorn Dec 22 – Jan 20If the week has brought upunexpected events or news, a chance to make sense of it can help youdecide on your next step. It seems youcould be heading in a new direction,which though potentially challenging,will offer fresh opportunities. For your forecast, call 15609 114 79

Aquarius Jan 21 – Feb 19The Libra Moon encourages abalanced view of the future as a wayto offset any disruptions, especially ifany have been unnerving. TheUranus-Pluto square is still powerful, soreduce your schedule if possible,especially if events seem to run away.For your forecast, call 15609 114 80

Pisces Feb 20 – Mar 20Kindness and pleasant conversationmay be helpful in lessening any stresses today, even though you may be keen to assert your independence.When the push to do more and bemore is balanced by a desire to volunteer your time to others, it canhelp you to feel settled.For your forecast, call 15609 114 81

20 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

QUIZ ANSWERS: ENIGMA: Guilty. WHO AM I? Alan Sugar. WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN? Sunil Gavaskar; Dark volcanic rock; Kyoto; 1763.

ENIGMASome people, up before the beak,Will plead this when they’re asked to speak.It saves time and, if they confess,They hope their fine may be the less.

WHO AM I?An entrepreneur, I was born in London in 1947. I set up my own company in the 1970s, and in the 1980s I launched the Amstrad PCW8256, the first line of affordable PCs. I do the hiring and

firing on the BBC reality show The Apprentice.

WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN?

WHO... became the first batsman to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket in 1987?

WHAT... is obsidian?

WHERE... was the city in and around which the Ōnin War in 15th-century Japan began?

WHEN... did the Seven Years War end?

ACROSS DOWN7 Mend (6)8 Hurry (6)

10 Guard (7)11 Pamphlet (5)12 Pitcher (4)13 Underneath (5)17 Ill-defined (5)18 Independent (4)22 Depress (5)23 Honest (7)24 Noiseless (6)25 Style (6)

1 Seer (7)2 Against (7)3 Compare (5)4 Wariness (7)5 Filch (5)6 Concord (5)9 Energetic (9)

14 Tramp (7)15 Bandit (7)16 Bonds (7)19 Near (5)20 Reside (5)21 Fracture (5)

Solutions to previous puzzle:Across: 1 Rival; 4 Diverts; 8 Fatuous; 9 Ledge; 10 Idle; 11

Profound; 13 Etna; 14 Heat; 16 Archives; 17 Part; 20 Irate; 21Elevate; 22 Natural; 23 Dress. Down: 1 Refrigeration; 2 Vital;3 Loot; 4 Desert; 5 Vilified; 6 Redoubt; 7 Steadfastness; 12

Engineer; 13 Enchant; 15 Reveal; 18 Abate; 19 Send.

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD 21

P W D L F A PtsChelsea 16 12 3 1 36 13 39Man City 16 11 3 2 33 14 36Man Utd 16 9 4 3 29 17 31West Ham 16 8 4 4 27 19 28Southampton 16 8 2 6 25 13 26Arsenal 16 7 5 4 28 19 26Tottenham 16 7 3 6 20 22 24Newcastle 16 6 5 5 18 22 23Swansea 16 6 4 6 21 19 22Everton 16 5 6 5 27 24 21Liverpool 16 6 3 7 19 22 21Stoke 16 5 4 7 18 21 19Aston Villa 16 5 4 7 10 20 19West Brom 16 4 5 7 15 20 17Sunderland 16 2 10 4 14 24 16C Palace 16 3 6 7 19 24 15Burnley 16 3 6 7 11 24 15QPR 16 4 2 10 17 30 14Hull 16 2 7 7 15 23 13Leicester 16 2 4 10 15 27 10

table

Onward Christian’s soldiers fit for purposeCHRISTIAN ERIKSEN believes Tottenham’s new fitness levels are responsible for their run of dramatic late Premier League victories.

Eriksen fired an 89th-minute winner in Spurs’ 2-1 win at Swansea on Sunday to maintain their recent fine away form and take Mauricio Pochettino’s side up to seventh.

The Denmark midfielder (pictured) scored an even later winner at Hull last month in another 2-1 win and Spurs also struck twice in the final six minutes to overturn a 1-0 deficit at Aston Villa at the start of November. ‘You see the last few games and we’re still

100 per cent ready to go at the end of the game,’ Eriksen said. ‘Before we wouldn’t have been fit enough to go the whole game.

‘There were periods when they had the ball but we had

the confidence and the power to keep going for 90 minutes. Everybody would rather win a little bit earlier but it does give us an extra feeling of confidence.’

Whelan decides to accept Fa chargeWigAN chairman Dave Whelan is facing a Football Association ban after accepting a misconduct charge over comments he made regarding Jewish and Chinese people. Whelan, 78,

(pictured) will be writing a letter in mitigation to the FA after requesting a non-personal hearing to decide the sanction. He has admitted an aggravated misconduct charge

after a newspaper interview defending his decision to appoint Malky Mackay, who is the subject of an investigation into alleged racist and anti-Semitic texts. Whelan had said he would resign if found guilty.

Championship trio facing transfer banBLACKBURN, Leeds and Nottingham Forest will all have a transfer ban for the January window after breaching Football League financial fair play rules.The League announced the three clubs incurred financial losses of more than the £8million permitted last season. They will be prohibited from signing any new players – either on a permanent or loan deal – unless they have 24 or fewer ‘established players’.

Chest must replayCHESTERFiELD have been ordered to

replay their FA Cup second-round tie with MK Dons by the Football Association. The Spireites won 1-0, but after the game admitted a charge of fielding an ineligible player – george Margreitte, on

loan from Wolves – and will now play Karl Robinson’s side again.

fOOTbALL DigEsT

41 People, including Manchester United’s Ander Herrera (left) and Atletico Madrid’s Gabi, have been named in an alleged case of match-fixing involving a La Liga match in 2010-11.

‘You can see we’re still 100 per cent ready to go at the end of the game’

EVERToN were drawn againstSwiss outfit Young Boys in thelast 32 of the Europa League.Celtic will face a difficultshowdown with inter Milan.

boys eye everton

boss barkley has Toffees in charge on Merseyside

pREMiER LEAguE

by Danny griffiths

everton .............. 3qpr ........................1

royals make new plans after nigelREADiNg have sacked manager Nigel Adkins in the wake of Saturday’s humiliating 6-1 defeat at Birmingham.Adkins leaves with the Royals in 16th position in the Championship. Reading have also confirmed the exits of assistant manager Andy Crosby and first-team coach Dean Wilkins. Adkins succeeded Brian McDermott in March 2013, presiding over relegation from the Premier League before missing out on the play-offs by a point on the final day last term. However, results have been far more patchy this season.

football

ROSS BARKLEY hit a stunning goal to light up Goodison Park last night as Everton climbed above neighbours Liverpool and into the top half of the table.

The England midfielder’s belter sent QPR to an eighth straight away defeat in the top flight this term and leaves them stuck in the bottom three.

The Hoops are the only club in all four divisions not to have gained a point on their travels.

Barkley’s moment of brilliance began when he picked up the ball just inside his own half just after the half-hour mark.

He then surged forward, played a one-two with Romelu Lukaku

before lashing a scorching, but slightly deflected, left-foot drive beyond Rob Green from 25 yards.

The Toffees then increased their lead just before half-time when Kevin Mirallas bagged his sixth goal of the campaign thanks to a huge piece of good fortune.

The Belgium midfielder’s fierce

free-kick took a wild deflection off Eduardo Vargas before flying past the luckless Hoops goalkeeper.

Steven Naismith headed home Aiden McGeady’s 53rd-minute cross after Green made a real hash of a clearance, before substitute Bobby Zamora hit a late consola-tion with his first of the season.

Goodison spark: Barkley hammers Everton in front, main picture, before a deflected Mirallas free-kick, below left, makes it 2-0 and Naismith, bottom right, heads home

main picture: reuters

Spurs will play Fiorentina in the

last-32 of the Europa League

EuRO DRAw

22 METRO HERALD Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D football champions league

u SWANSEA will tell admirersincluding Liverpool andTottenham that star strikerWilfried Bony will cost themat least £30million.u HOLLAND starWesley Sneijderhas emerged as aJanuary target forSouthamptonboss Ronald

Koeman, who wants to pepup his faltering side. But

Manchester United are also keen on theGalatasaray man(pictured).

u ANDErLEchTforward AlekMitrovic is beingtargeted by Newcastle.

TRANSFER TALk @metrosporthQ

Roma refusing to talk about kevinrOMA have slammed the door on Manchester Unitedsigning holland international midfielder Kevin Strootman

United boss Louis van Gaal has been strongly linked withthe 24-year-old after becoming an admirer during his timein charge of the Dutch national side. But roma generalmanager Mauro Baldissoni said: ‘Our president [JamesPallotta] has already spoken about this and he gets angry with the rumours that link Kevin to Manchester United. We want to build our future with young players like Kevin.’ Wanted: Strootman

Poyet plans to strike for goalsSUNDERLAND boss Gus Poyet isafter a new striker even thoughhe has just signed ConnorWickham to a new long-term deal. The Black Cats have scoredjust 14 goals in 16 league gamesand Poyet said: ‘Even if youlisten on the radio, you know what we are missing.’

Nou Spanish test in store for CityOld rivals Barcelona lie in wait after daunting drawmanchester city have been warned they will need to be at their best to avoid more champions League heartache at the hands of Barcelona.

city were not seeded for the knockout stages after scraping through their group. the result is a return to the nou camp, and a two-legged tie with the team who ended their interest at the same stage last season.

elsewhere chelsea play Paris saint-Ger-main, who they beat in the quarter-finals last term, while arsenal manager arsene Wenger will be reunited with his former club monaco.

But it is city who face the sternest test of the english clubs, as director of football txiki Begiristain acknowledged.

‘We don’t like facing Barcelona very much, we would have preferred to face a team that isn’t as strong,’ he said.

‘We hope we’ll reach our best form when the tie with Barcelona comes around, be-cause that’s the only way we’ll be able to beat them.’

But Begiristain, who won the european cup with Barca during his playing days, admits the closing group-stage wins over Bayern and roma which secured city’s qualification, give reasons for optimism.

‘We have plenty of confidence with the way we qualified beating Bayern munich at home and roma away, so the players will be working hard to get fit and arrive in con-

fidence for those games,’ he added. ‘every tie in that draw is the same, it is fantastic, so we are looking forward to it.’

city’s hopes of further progress may lie with their medical staff, with top scorer sergio aguero, striker partner edin Dzeko and captain Vincent Kompany all currently significant injury concerns.

But whichever side they manage to put out in February, Barcelona boss Luis enrique is confident they will again be disappointed.

‘If we’re on form, we’re good enough to cope with [anybody]. I always think positively, ’ he said.

by DANNy GRiFFiTHS

LAST16TiESParis St Germain v chelseaShakhtar Donetsk v Bayern MunichFebruary 17 & March 11Schalke v real MadridBasle v PortoFebruary 18 & March 10Manchester city v BarcelonaJuventus v Borussia DortmundFebruary 24 & March 18Bayer Leverkusen v Atletico MadridArsenal v MonacoFebruary 25 & March 17

Gunners getfortunate with dream pairing arsene WenGer was granted his wish yesterday as arsenal were handed the easiest draw they could hope for and their manager was granted a return to one of his former clubs.

the Frenchman managed monaco from 1987 to 1994 and the current monte carlo outfit represented the dream draw for arsenal who, as group runners-up, could have faced real madrid, Bayern munich or Barcelona in the champions League last 16.

Instead, they will take on a team who managed just four goals in eight games on their way to winning Group c.

Heading home: Wenger is going back to Monaco

‘Monaco! I’m sure our fans will enjoy the away trip .. great draw’‘Whoever we played would have been tough.

and I know people will say we have a favourable draw but nevertheless it’s going to be difficult,’ said club secretary David miles.

‘monaco have earned the right to be there, the same as we have, and I’m sure arsene will be delighted to go back to one of his former clubs. everyone at the club is looking forward to it.’

Gunners midfielder aaron ramsey (pictured) spoke for many fans when he tweeted: ‘monaco! I’m sure our fans will enjoy the away trip... great place, great draw!’

D Tuesday, December 16, 2014 METRO HERALD 23

r

JAMES Ward-Prowse hopes Southampton can end their run of five matches without a win tonight by beating Sheffield United in their Capital One Cup quarter-final.

Saints made a flying start to the season but are now without a win since beating Leicester on November 8.

Boss Ronald Koeman has seen his men draw at Aston Villa before suffering successive defeats to Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United and Burnley and wants them to turn around their fortunes against the League One opponents at Bramall Lane.

‘We’re all desperate to turn around the run at the moment and get back to winning ways,’ midfielder Ward-Prowse (pictured) said.

‘The Christmas period, there’s always another game around the corner to change the fortunes around. I don’t think there’s any better opportunity than the quarter-finals of the cup.

‘We’re very confident that we can beat them and take it on. The manager’s made it very clear we want to win every game, whether it’s a league game, a cup game, whatever it is. We’ve got enough quality to win this game.’

James seeks to end Saints slide

Barcelona face a La Liga clash with Real Madrid the weekend after the second leg with City

on March 18

cLASicO TiMing

GARY CAHILL has been taken out of the firing line by Jose Mourinho and will miss Chelsea’s trip to Derby for their Capital One Cup quarter-final.

Hull manager Steve Bruce accused Cahill of ‘diving’ in the Blues’ 2-0 win on Saturday.

The centre-back will be replaced by Kurt Zouma tonight but Mourinho has vowed to field a strong team.

‘We’re going to play a top team in the Championship,’ he said. ‘The difference between a top team in the Championship and Premier League teams is very, very small.

‘The only one not going because he played against Sporting [in the Champions League last week] – I never gave him a break – is Cahill.’

Chelsea have played four times in December and face six games in 19 days between now and their FA Cup third-round tie with Watford on January 4.

‘I don’t think one player is going to play six matches,’ added Mourinho.

‘We gave a rest to some [against Sporting] and we’re going to do this from now until the end of the month.’

cahill sits out Rams raid after ‘dive’ claim

derby manager steve mCClaren‘At the moment they are the strongest. I can’t see a weakness, we tried to find one and it lasted about five seconds.’

Friends and foes: Argentina strike partners

Lionel Messi, left, and Sergio Aguero will meet

again for their clubs

Defeat for City in the first leg in Manchester last

February. They lost the second leg 2-1 in the

Nou Camp a month later

2-0

picture: anadolu/gettypicture: anadolu/gettypicture: anadolu/getty

Holding on: Rodgers has been under fire after a terrible run this season

Mata: We can’t just rely on de geaJUAN MATA hopes Manchester United will become less dependant on David De Gea.

The goalkeeper put in a man-of-the-match display at Old Trafford to help United record a 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, saving two close-range efforts from Raheem Sterling and tipping Mario Balotelli’s fierce shot onto the bar.

The 24-year-old also won United three points against Everton earlier this season with two stunning late saves and played a key role in the team’s triumph over Southampton last Monday.

But Mata said: ‘[De Gea] is in top form. Everybody’s praising him and now we have to

keep working hard so we don’t need so many saves from him in the next few games. We have to get better in that regard.’

De Gea is now looked upon as one of the best goalkeepers in the world alongside the likes of Manuel Neuer, Joe Hart and Thibaut Courtois.

Mata added: ‘It’s tough to find anyone better than him. He’s been in top form since the beginning of the season and has saved a lot of points for us.

‘David gives us complete confidence. Liverpool created chances and didn’t score because of him.’ Safe hands: De Gea is in great form

Kolo: We’re all behind much-loved rodgersKOLO TOURE thinks speculation over Brendan Rodgers’ future is ‘crazy’ and has backed the Liverpool boss to turn things around at Anfield.

The Reds slumped to tenth in the Premier League after their worst start to a season in 50 years continued with a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United.

The heat is on Rodgers following a display far removed from nine months ago when Liverpool won by the same scoreline as they chased the title. This time around the Reds are a shadow of their former selves, lacking goals without the departed Luis Suarez and injured Daniel Sturridge.

But, despite his side being 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea, Toure is backing his manager ahead of tomorrow night’s Capital One Cup quarter-final at

Bournemouth. ‘It’s crazy to even talk about his future,’ said the centre-back. ‘He’s a great manager and we all know that. Just look at how fantastic he did [for the club] last season.’

Toure says he will forever be indebted to Rodgers for handing him an exit route from Manchester City, where he struggled to hold down a regular spot, in the summer of 2013. He insists the squad have complete faith in the Northern Irishman following a run of just two wins in ten matches in all competitions.

‘We’re all behind him and we’re all trying to make things better,’ Toure added. ‘We all love him. I enjoy my football under him. We will all do our best to get him and the club

out of this situation.’

It’s deja BluesParis saint-Germain have warned Chelsea they will be out for revenge after being drawn with the Premier League leaders in the Champions League knockout stages.

The two clubs will meet in the last 16, with the first leg in February, in a rematch of last season’s quarter-final, which Jose Mourinho’s men won on away goals thanks to Demba Ba’s late strike at stamford Bridge.

‘We hope we will have revenge on Chelsea after last season,’ said their sporting director Olivier Letang.

President Nasser al-Khelaifi added: ‘What happened last year was a good experience that shall not be repeated.’

and defender Marquinhos admitted: ‘Last year’s setback was a painful one. We’ll learn from that and avoid the mistakes we made then.’

Yesterday’s draw in Nyon also had a familiar look to it for Manchester City – who will play Barcelona in the first knockout round for the second successive season – and arsene Wenger, whose arsenal side face one of his former clubs, Monaco.

by gavIn Brown

Revenge in mind as PSG get Chelsea

24 Metro Herald Tuesday, December 16, 2014 D

Aussie legend calls for Irish cricket team to get full Test statusFormer Australia paceman Jason Gillespie has called for Ireland to be elevated to the Test cricket ranks.

The 39-year-old, now head coach of Yorkshire, believes the move would both reward Ireland’s performances in limited-overs internationals and provide a necessary boost to the five-day format.

Gillespie told All out Cricket: ‘Let’s face it, outside of Australia and england and, to a lesser extent, South Africa, people don’t turn up to watch Test cricket. That’s just the way it is, and it’s sad.

‘one fantastic way to give Test cricket a lift straight away would be to give Ireland full Test status. It’s something that should

happen sooner rather than later from the ICC.

‘Imagine if Ireland were given Test status. That would be huge news in world cricket, and it would be a massively positive story for the world game.

‘The ICC and all the national boards talk a lot

about the importance of protecting the integrity of Test cricket. If it is that important, then we should look to improve it, and in my view including Ireland would improve it.’

Ireland reached the Super

eight stage of the 2007 World Cup, beating Pakistan and Bangladesh in addition to a memorable tie with england, and also qualified for the World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2010.

Gillespie added: ‘Ireland are ticking all the boxes. They’ve punched well above their weight in limited-overs tournaments.

‘Think of the list of names who’ve plied their trade in english domestic cricket and who have even played for england. It would make a decent Test side.

‘I don’t see why it couldn’t happen. eoin morgan is obviously with england full-time now but, apart from him, you’ve got ed Joyce

(Sussex), William Porterfield, Boyd rankin (both Warwickshire), George Dockrell (Somerset) and Peter Chase (Durham).’

Surrey captain Gary Wilson, middlesex opener Paul Stirling and brothers Niall and Kevin o’Brien are also among the Irish contingent to make their way in the county game across the water.

‘Ireland have punched above their weight’

Ambition: Jason Gillespie thinks elevating Ireland would be a shot in the arm for Test cricket PICTuRe: GeTTy

PICTuRe: ReuTeRS

ross Is tHe BossFlying start: Ross Barkley celebrates after his stunning first-half strike set Everton on their way to a 3-1 Premier League victory at home to QPR last night

lasT-16 Draw – pages 22-23«reporT – page 21«

SPorT Rodgers dismisses axe talk as Toure backs ‘much-loved boss’

see page 23«