'Reality bites for Moyes and Man Utd'

David Moyes made all the right noises and pulled all the brave faces - but he was fooling nobody by declining to call time on Manchester United's title challenge.

No talk of throwing in the towel or taking aim at anything less than top spot from United's manager as Moyes continues to endure a tough initiation in succession to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Stamford Bridge, however, was where it all ended. Chelsea's 3-1 win cut United adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal by 14 points and they are hardly closer to Manchester City or the team who beat them in relative comfort on Sunday.

Moyes was never going to concede defeat, despite the mounting evidence, but there will be no 21st title for Manchester United this season and the Scot faces a major rebuilding project before another will come into view.

United, in a manner reminiscent of Moyes's many fruitless visits to Stamford Bridge during his 11 years at Everton, hinted very briefly at getting something while there was an ominous inevitability that they would get nothing.

And so it proved. This is why it is time to adjust the sights and focus on claiming a top-four place in the Premier League as the best this season has to offer.

United have lost seven out of 22 Premier League games. This is not an unflattering reflection on a side that are now reduced to the ranks rather than leading from the front, the position they made their own on so many occasions.

Reality has hit the "Theatre Of Dreams" and the cold blast feels even worse when Chelsea do not even have to go near their highest gear to take the three points.

A broad smile played across the face of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich watching from his private box at Stamford Bridge, and with good reason. He has Jose Mourinho back and the old adversary no longer has Ferguson and it shows.

Mourinho attempted to kill United with kindness - and kill them he did by pointing out that, while they may claw back one of Arsenal, Manchester City or Chelsea, it would take capitulation by all three for United to have a sniff of the title.

On current form, that is not going to happen, either via a sudden upsurge in United or from teams and squads who look better equipped, better balanced and more confident than Moyes's.

And when Mourinho added that he hoped United would finish in the top four after beating the teams around Chelsea, it only acted as another pinch of salt on the wounds. He may not have meant it this way, but there was almost pity in his tone.

Moyes was clutching at straws when he suggested United did well enough except in both penalty boxes. This would be splendid news if goals were not scored and conceded in those two rather crucial areas.

In mitigation, it should be stressed that Moyes was without Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie, two players who might have made better use of United's short early superiority than Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck.

Adnan Januzaj demonstrated why so many hopes for the future are pinned on him but United must get Rooney and Van Persie back in short order if this squad is to even have the appearance of one that can reach the top four.

For all the loss of those two pivotal players, the concern for Moyes is that it was dreadful defending (or "terrible" to use his own word) from Manchester United that was at the root of their downfall.

Nemanja Vidic no longer has the intimidating presence of old, although he did not deserve a red card for a challenge on Eden Hazard that was unwise but surely only a yellow. This once formidable figure no longer inspires fear in the opposition and his vulnerability is shared by others.

Rio Ferdinand's United career is also coming to a close, while Patrice Evra went off injured and none of Jonny Evans, Phil Jones or Chris Smalling have inspired complete confidence as replacements for the old pairing.

United's midfield has long been a bone of contention and, once again, Chelsea had little or no trouble dealing with them. There is a lack of class, creation and authority that can be seen in abundance at Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

In attack Welbeck has his moments and Javier Hernandez is a poacher but the real business is done by Rooney and Van Persie. The hole left behind is gaping when they are missing, an absence that would be felt by any team.

Moyes must hope they are fit to somehow push United back towards the top four - especially as the likelihood of Rooney leaving Old Trafford will increase if they are not in the Champions League and such an eventuality will hardly appeal to Van Persie's sense of challenge.

Put simply, Moyes has work to do in all areas. Major work. And with every passing week it appears that Ferguson may just have demonstrated exquisite timing when knowing when to get out.

United still have the Champions League to keep them interested but they cannot be taken seriously as potential winners. The next job is to reach the Capital One Cup final and even that rests on turning around a 2-1 deficit against Sunderland in the semi-final second leg at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Of course, January's transfer window may offer some respite and the chance to bolster his squad, but even here Moyes must exercise extreme caution.

United's summer transfer policy was a fiasco, with the £27.5m signing of Marouane Fellaini from Everton looking like an attempt to be seen to be doing something as opposed to recruiting a player essential to the future.

There could be opportunities, but Moyes may be wiser to keep his cash until summer rather than risk spending on a player that fits a short-term profile as opposed to the long term.

One thing is certain. United and Moyes face a defining summer in the transfer market when it comes to shaping a brighter future and demonstrating to their rivals they mean business.

Days and defeats like this, when Chelsea's squad looked so much more fit for purpose, should only act as a sharp jab in the ribs to United's hierarchy that the inertia of last summer - irrespective of the change of manager after the departure of such a towering personality in Ferguson - cannot be repeated.

Moyes is a fighter and wants the challenge that has been presented to him. He will not throw in the towel when it comes to the title. Can the same be said of United's players?
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Murray battles through to last eight

Andy Murray came through his first rocky moments at this year's Australian Open to beat French 'lucky loser' Stephane Robert in four sets and line up a heavyweight quarter-final.

The three-time finalist won 6-1 6-2 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 in two hours and 42 minutes to reach the last eight.
There he will meet the winner of the much-anticipated clash between Roger Federer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Robert, ranked 119, was outclassed for the first two sets on a blustery and relatively cool afternoon at Melbourne Park, but took the third with a surge of form that saw a fuming Murray smash his racquet in frustration.

The 33-year-old was probably being more sincere than most players when he said before the match that he had nothing to lose, having already been beaten in qualifying.

A late call-up as a replacement to the main draw saw the man who describes his style as "casino tennis" make an unprecedented run to the last 16.

As promised, the Frenchman came out swinging, firing one huge forehand winner down the line in the opening game, but after Murray saved a break point with a big serve, it was one-way traffic for the next 90 minutes.

Twelve winners, several of which came in a run of 11 points in a row, helped him race to the first set in 25 minutes.

With plenty of vocal support on his third visit to Hisense Arena - the second show court - the Wimbledon champion powered through nine successive games on his way to a two-set lead.

Robert had given the crowd some entertaining tennis but made barely a dent on Murray's defences.

Three service holds spoke of some more dogged resistance in the third set as he fought off six break points at 3-3, but when Murray crunched a backhand return on the seventh, the win appeared to be as good as his.

It was not quite that straightforward. Suddenly edgy, Murray faced break point in his next service game and was then broken trying to close out the match.

Robert had turned the tables and finally started to get the Briton on the run, moving into a 4-2 lead in the tie-break, before Murray reeled off three attacking volleys and a thumping backhand to earn two match points.

Still the 'lucky loser' refused to yield, and when he battled back to take the set, a forlorn Murray challenged the call before cracking his racquet in anger when it went against him, prompting jeers from the crowd now engaged in a contest they had not expected.

Playing only his second tournament since undergoing back surgery in September, Murray was now being extended into a fourth set for the first time since the US Open - and he did not plan to prolong the match into a fifth.

Murray broke to love for a 3-1 lead and, with Robert now feeling the effects of his seventh match of the tournament, there was no second comeback.

A loud "Come on!" and a fist pump towards coach Ivan Lendl and the rest of Murray's team followed when match point was finally converted, securing a fifth successive Melbourne quarter-final.
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Scottish independence: Minister Alistair Carmichael critical of SNP's EU plan

Alistair Carmichael is speaking in Brussels Scottish Secretary Alistair Carmichael will use a speech in Brussels to say the Scottish government's plan for European Union membership was flawed.

The address to the Centre for European Policy Studies comes after the latest UK government paper criticising Scottish independence.

Meanwhile, the SNP's Angus Robertson will make a speech in Dublin focusing on Scotland's role in Europe.

The people of Scotland decide on their country's future on 18 September.

They will be asked the straight "yes/no" question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

If voters opt for independence, the current Scottish government says it wants to make the transition to EU membership within 18 months.

However, Mr Carmichael will say: "The 18-month timetable the first minister proposes to place both on himself and the rest of the EU is a negotiating position of extraordinary weakness.

"One man's obsession to deliver independence not just to a specific timetable, but to a specific day of the week, would not just undermine Alex Salmond's hand in negotiations, but Scotland's future in Europe.

"Instead of showing he has Scotland's interests at heart, this obsession with a date rather than the deal reveals just how much of a vanity project this really is.

Angus Robertson believes a yes Scotland will have a better place in the world
"Of course the reality is that the terms of membership could not be known until such a time as they were agreed."

He will add that the Scottish government was "morally bound" to set out in detail what terms of membership they would seek.

The SNP argues that Scotland has already suffered a bad deal in Europe as part of the UK.

In a speech last week, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon drew on calculations that Scotland could have expected an extra £850m in funds through the common agricultural policy, leading to a £1bn economic boost between this year and 2020.

The Scottish government's White Paper, published on 26 November last year, said the 18-month timetable was "realistic".

In his speech at the Institute for International and European Affairs, Mr Robertson will argue that independence means Scotland taking its place in the international community and playing a "positive, proactive international role".

'Anti-Europe agenda'

The SNP's foreign affairs spokesman, will add: "We will be able to promote a bigger role for the British-Irish Council that brings together the home nations, work constructively within the European Union and join our Northern European neighbours to fully address the challenges and opportunity of our region.

"Scotland will be a trusted security partner for our allies, play a full role in the Commonwealth, properly fulfil our international development responsibilities and we have an ambition to fully support peace and reconciliation efforts around the world."

He will continue: "This contrasts with an ever growing parochial anti-European agenda at Westminster.

"Sadly politics at a UK level is massively influenced by the anti-immigration, europhobic agenda of UKIP and large swathes of the Tory Party, which is almost entirely absent in Scotland.

"Their priorities are leaving the EU, walking away from European Human Rights commitments and ignoring the opening gulf in political priorities with Scotland."
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Mikaeel Kular: Boy's mother arrested and charged over death

Mikaeel Kular was last seen at his Edinburgh home on Wednesday
The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular has been charged in connection with the death of her son after his body was found in Fife.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, was detained on Friday night and arrested and charged on Saturday. She is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.

Mikaeel was reported missing from his Edinburgh home on Thursday morning, prompting a major search.

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for him on Saturday evening.

Deacon Helen Fisher, who led the service, had asked the congregation to light candles at 19:00 on Sunday.

Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham thanked rescue teams and the public

A house in Kirkcaldy was searched by police officers after Mikaeel's body was found in a wooded area behind it
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, of Police Scotland, told a briefing outside police headquarters in Edinburgh on Saturday evening that the investigation into the disappearance of Mikaeel had continued "at pace".

"Following formal identification, I can now confirm that a 33-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with Mikaeel's death," he said.

"The woman is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday."

He said police had received more than 500 calls to a dedicated phone line in relation to Mikaeel's disappearance.

ACC Graham thanked rescue teams and the public for their help in searching for him.

"I would like to again recognise the overwhelming public assistance that Police Scotland have received during the course of this very complex investigation. This includes his family and friends, with whom our thoughts remain," he said.

The officer said inquiries were continuing, led by the force's major investigation team.

Mikaeel's home was in Ferry Gait Crescent in Edinburgh, about 20 miles away from a house in Kirkcaldy where his body was found
"I ask that anybody who has any information that they feel would assist the investigation contacts the police," he added.

House searched

Mikaeel's body was earlier removed from woodland behind a property in Dunvegan Avenue, Kirkcaldy, and taken away by ambulance on Saturday.

A house in the road was searched, along with an area of woodland to the rear and side of the property.

Forensic teams are expected to continue their search around the property for a couple of days.

Soft toys and flowers were left outside his home in Edinburgh

Hundreds of people attended a memorial service for the three-year-old
A neighbour said Ms Kular and her five children had lived at the Dunvegan Avenue address until 18 months ago and that Mikaeel and his twin were born while the family lived at the house.

The house is about 20 miles away from the family's home in Ferry Gait Crescent in the Muirhouse area of Edinburgh.

Mikaeel had been a pupil at Flora Stevenson Primary School, close to his home. He had not returned to the nursery after the Christmas break because his mother said he had been ill.

In a letter sent to parents on Sunday, head teacher Irene Brennan said pupils would be given extra support to help them come to terms with Mikaeel's death.

She wrote: "Our thoughts and prayers are with Mikaeel's family, particularly his brothers and sisters.

"I am sure you will recognise that this is an extremely difficult time for everyone at the school but we are determined to work together to support our pupils over the coming days.

"Over the weekend I have met with my deputes, teachers and all nursery staff to discuss how we would manage things and we are receiving advice and guidance from the Children and Families Psychological Services Team on the approaches we can take to support our children.

"I am pleased to report that we are continuing to be supported by staff throughout the council. A number of senior educational officers will come down to the school first thing tomorrow morning to provide whatever support we need and they will continue to do so."

More than 200 volunteers from the community had joined the emergency services to look for Mikaeel before his body was found.

Hundreds of people gathered at Muirhouse St Andrew's Church in Edinburgh on Saturday evening for a service in his memory.

Many also left flowers and soft toys and lit candles outside his home in Edinburgh.
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Mikaeel Kular: Mother Rosdeep Kular due to appear in court

Mikaeel's body was found in Kirkcaldy following a massive search operation
The mother of three-year-old Mikaeel Kular is due to appear in court in connection with his death.

Rosdeep Kular, 33, is expected to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court later.

She was detained by police investigating her son's disappearance on Friday night before being formally charged on Saturday.

Mikaeel had been reported missing from his Edinburgh home on Thursday morning, prompting a major search.

His body was found about 20 miles away in Kirkcaldy, Fife, late on Friday.

It was later removed from woodland behind a property in the town's Dunvegan Avenue, and taken away by ambulance.

Search operation

A house in the street was searched, along with an area of woodland to the rear and side of the property.

Forensic teams have also been carrying out a search around the bungalow.

Ms Kular and her five children had previously lived at the address. A neighbour told the BBC that Mikaeel and his twin sister were born while the family was living there.

Mikaeel's mother had told police she put her son to bed in their home in Ferry Gait Crescent, Edinburgh, at about 21:00 on Wednesday.

Her son was not in the flat when the family woke at 07:15 the next morning, she said.

More than 200 volunteers from the community joined the emergency services in a huge search operation for the young boy.

School support

Hundreds of people gathered at Muirhouse St Andrew's Church in Edinburgh on Saturday evening for a service in Mikaeel's memory.

Many also left flowers and soft toys and lit candles outside his home in Edinburgh.

On Sunday, the head teacher at Flora Stevenson Primary School, where Mikaeel had been a nursery pupil, assured parents that children would be given additional support when they returned on Monday morning.

Irene Brennan said staff were being given advice by the council's psychological services team, and senior educational officers would attend the school to provide additional help.
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Syria talks in disarray over Iran invitation

Opposition coalition threatens to pull out of conference shortly after UN chief asks Assad's main backer to participate.

Syria's political opposition has threatened to withdraw from international peace talks scheduled this week if an invitation made to Iran is not rescinded.

UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon said on Sunday that he had invited Tehran, President Bashar al-Assad's main backer, to attend the first day of talks on January 22 in Montreux, Switzerland, after it pledged to play a "positive and constructive role" if it was asked to participate.

This prompted Syria's main political opposition group in exile, the Istanbul-based National Coalition, to threaten to boycott the talks, dubbed Geneva II, less than 48 hours after they've signalled approval to participate. 

"The Syrian Coalition announces that they will withdraw their attendance in Geneva II unless Ban Ki-moon retracts Iran's invitation," it said in a Twitter post quoting Louay Safi, National Coalition's spokesman.

Another senior National Coalition member, Anas al-Abdah, told Al Jazeera by phone the body was "surprised" by the invitation to Iran, saying: "It is illogical and we cannot in any way accept it."

Syrian opposition groups and the US, which accuse Iran of supporting Assad with manpower and arms during the three-year uprising, have long had reservations about the participation of Iran, although Ban and the UN special envoy on Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, have long backed Iran's involvement.

The US suggested on Sunday it could support Iran's participation if it explicitly declares its support of a June 2012 plan for a political transition meaning Assad would have to step down.

"This is something Iran has never done publicly and something we have long made clear is required," Jen Psaki, State Department spokeswoman, said in a statement.

"If Iran does not fully and publicly accept the Geneva communique, the invitation must be rescinded."

Earlier this year, the US said Iran might play a role on the sidelines of the Syria peace conference in Montreux, which Tehran turned down, saying being relegated to the sidelines was beneath its dignity.

About 130,000 people have been killed and a quarter of Syrians driven from their homes in the civil war.

Assurance of support

Western and Gulf Arab states have been reluctant to support the idea of Iran participating at all because it has never backed the plan for a political transition in Syria.

However, Ban, who was speaking at the UN headquarters, said he had spoken at length with Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, in recent days and that he believed Iran to be on board with the transition plan.

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"He has assured me that, like all the other countries invited to the opening-day discussions in Montreux, Iran understands that the basis of the talks is the full implementation of the 30 June, 2012, Geneva communique," he said.

"It was on that basis that Foreign Minister Zarif pledged that Iran would play a positive and constructive role in Montreux," Ban said, adding that he expected Iran would issue a statement soon in response to his invitation.

He also said he had invited on Sunday a total of 10 additional countries to attend on January 22 - the Vatican, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Korea and Iran.

He made clear that the full negotiations between the government and opposition would begin in earnest on January 24 in Geneva.

The key players in the talks are Assad's government and opposition rebels.

The Islamic Front, an alliance of several fighting forces that represents a large portion of the rebels on the ground, said on Sunday it rejected the talks, further dampening hopes of success.
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Indonesia's ore export ban comes into effect

Law requiring minerals to be processed domestically has some fearing job losses and worsening air pollution.

On Sunday, the Indonesian government put into effect a ban on exporting raw ore from the mineral-rich country. 

The ban - which included a last-minute exemption for the copper industry - was greeted by howls from the international mining industry. As the world's largest exporter of nickel, thermal coal, and tin - and home to the world's largest gold and second-largest copper mine - Indonesia plays a crucial role in the international supply chain of minerals. 

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's eventual exemption of 66 mining companies that committed to building smelters in Indonesia and processing ore domestically included mining heavyweights Freeport Indonesia and Newmont Nusa Tenggara, which together produce 97 percent of Indonesia's copper.  

However, the ban could still potentially have a large impact on markets for nickel and bauxite - especially for China, which buys most of Indonesia's exports of these two minerals. Nickel is used to produce stainless steel, and bauxite is processed into aluminum. 

"In the longer run, if the ban sticks, it could mean a tighter market [for bauxite and nickel] starting next year," said Hong Kong-based commodities analyst Nate Taplin of GaveKal Dragonomics, a market research consultancy that focuses on China. In 2012, Indonesia exported 48 million metric tons of nickel ore, 43 million of which went to China, according to Nikhil Shah of London-based metals market analyst CRU Group. 

Indonesian ore is of a higher grade than what is available in the Philippines, so it will be difficult to replace.

- Nikhil Shah, CRU Group

Dragonomics estimates that, in anticipation of the ban, Chinese stainless steel and aluminum producers have stockpiled a six-month supply of nickel and up to a year of bauxite. CRU Group estimates that China has a nine-month supply of nickel stowed away.

If the government does not ease purity levels or instate pro-industry regulations, the implications to the price and supply of nickel ore and bauxite could be serious.  

Chinese firms will look to substitute supply from Indonesia elsewhere, like the Philippines. Nickel Asia, a nickel mining company in the Philippines, saw its shares rise to a six-month high in response to the ban. 

"Indonesian ore is of a higher grade than what is available in the Philippines, so it will be difficult to replace," said Shah. 

Implications at home

The export ban stems from a law passed by Indonesia's parliament in 2009 that gave mining companies five years to build domestic smelters to process ore before export to global markets. The policy was intended to add value to Indonesia's mineral exports and create jobs. 

Since the passage of the law, however, few companies have built processing facilities, betting that the Indonesian government would not enforce the law. The ban was put into effect on Sunday, but the administration has tried to salvage industry confidence and modify some regulations, leaving the industry in a state of uncertainty. 

First it was announced that the minimum purity level for copper exports would be set below what the major copper producers currently export. Then the president issued exemptions for 66 companies. But R Sukhyar, director general of minerals and coal for Indonesia's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said no exemptions would be made for nickel, bauxite, chromium, gold, silver and tin; they must be fully processed before exporting.  

The mining industry had lobbied fiercely against the ban. Rozik Soetjipto, the CEO of Freeport Indonesia, which operates the largest gold mine in the world, claimed it would force the company to lay off half of its 15,000 Indonesian workers and slash production by 60 percent, which would result in $1.6bn in lost revenue for the government. The Indonesian Mineral Entrepreneurs Association reported that the lead-up to the ban already caused 30,000 mining industry workers to lose their jobs. 

Critics of the ban added that domestic smelting capacity is insufficient to handle the vast amounts of minerals that are extracted and sold in international commodity markets. 

Things did not have to come to this, said Sutan Bhatoegana, the head of the parliamentary committee that wrote the 2009 mining law. Back in 2009, "we said that we should give them seven years, the government said let's give them five", he told Al Jazeera at the National Legislature building last week.

There's a big push in China to reduce domestic air pollution right now ... there could potentially be some overlap of interests, if China is able to export some of its pollution to Indonesia by investing in smelters there.

- Nate Taplin, commodities analyst

With a large current account deficit and a weak currency, the law's implementation will likely exacerbate Indonesia's economic troubles, at least in the short term. The rupiah was Asia's worst-performing currency in 2013, depreciating to a five-year low against the dollar. The current account deficit, in excess of $30bn in 2013 (the official number has not yet been announced), became the government's biggest economic concern. 

In recent months Indonesia has posted a trade surplus, but economists worry that the ore export ban could cause the surplus to erode. The country's policymakers are already cautious about capital flowing out of the country as a result of the US Federal Reserve tapering its stimulus programme.

But supporters say the ban's impact on long-term economic stability will be worth the short-term pain. Last week, Finance Minister Chatib Basri told the press that the policy would lead to a trade surplus in 2016-2017 once new processing facilities become operational. Parliament members from opposition parties echoed his optimism. Bobby Adhityo Rizaldi from Golkar referred to the short-term losses as "a fever" the country has to endure before it can get better, while Muhammad Najib from the Amanat Nasional Party called the policy "a test of our commitment to our natural resources".

An environmental boon?

On the eastern Indonesian island of Sulawesi, at least 13 Chinese freighters loaded with nickel ore are stalled in port, and nickel mining operations have halted in many locations on the island. In the past decade, nickel mining has surged in this remote region, so environmentalists were relieved with the reprieve resulting from the ban. 

However, they understand that the halt is only temporary, said Susiyanti Kamil, director of the Southeast Sulawesi regional branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Wahli). 

Kamil is concerned about the damage that smelters will have in this environmentally fragile region. She has already received reports of respiratory problems from the region's only running smelter, operated by the national mining company PT Aneka Tambang. 

China's concerns about air pollution may complement Indonesia's ore export ban and cause even more problems for the residents of Sulawesi. Chinese companies and the Indonesian government have been discussing plans to build billions of dollars' worth of nickel and bauxite smelters in Sulawesi and Kalimantan. 

Indonesia already faces many environmental problems, including high rates of deforestation from the timber and palm oil industries. In the debate over the export ban, few have discussed another potential environmental issue it could cause: air pollution resulting from a big increase in mineral processing facilities.

"There's a big push in China to reduce domestic air pollution right now and iron/steel production, fuelled by coal power, is one of the main culprits," explained Taplin. "So there could potentially be some overlap of interests, if China is able to export some of its pollution to Indonesia by investing in smelters there." 
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