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Saturday, January 19, 2013
Barca suffers first league loss Barcelona's Lionel Messi reacts after missing a goal opportunity against Real Sociedad.
Real Sociedad hit back from two goals down to endBarcelona's unbeaten Primera Division record in stunning fashion with a 3-2 win at the Anoeta.
All looked to be going to plan for Tito Vilanova's visitors when Lionel Messi and Pedro Rodriguez put them two goals up within 25 minutes.
But Gonzalo Castro's brilliant strike gave Sociedad hope before half-time and then, after Barca had lost center back Gerard Pique to a red card, Castro's curling effort was deflected into his own net by Barca substitute Javier Mascherano.
That sent the home fans wild, but it got even better in stoppage time when Imanol Agirretxe poked Carlos Martinez's cross from the right past Victor Valdes.
There was no sign in the early stages of the drama that was to unfold as the Catalan giants, who had headed to San Sebastian having dropped only two points in La Liga all term, started brightly.
Messi passed up a straightforward opportunity after five minutes but swiftly made amends, latching onto Andres Iniesta's pass and cutting in to slot a left-footed shot low past Sociedad goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from the edge of the penalty area.
It was the prolific Argentina forward's first goal in four attempts at the Anoeta, and meant he equaled a club record in scoring in 10 straight league games.
Pedro saw a brilliant curling effort hit the post after 14 minutes before being rewarded for his industry with a neat second goal. After a spell of solid possession, Xavi dinked the ball over the top for Dani Alves, who crossed for the Spain forward to prod home from close range.
Martinez thought he had pulled a goal back for the hosts in the 34th minute but was denied by the offside flag.
Messi almost made it 3-0 six minutes before the interval but again the woodwork came to the Basque club's rescue. Xavi was again the provider with the ball over the top and, with the out-rushing Bravo committed, Messi got there first and lofted a left-footed chip goalwards only to see it strike the right post and trickle agonizingly along the line before being cleared.
Moments later Castro halved the deficit for Sociedad. He was afforded too much space by Dani Alves on the left and, after being picked out by Carlos Vela, drilled a powerful low shot across Valdes.
Barca - 11 points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid - immediately pushed forward once more looking to restore their two-goal cushion, their best attempt before half-time resulting in Messi's stinging volley being parried by Bravo for a corner in the 44th minute.
Ninth-placed Sociedad came out firing at the start of the second half, though, and had their visitors very much on the back foot.
Pique, having been needlessly booked before the break for not retreating 10 yards at a set-play, paid the price 11 minutes after the restart when he was shown a second yellow card for a trip on Vela.
Iniesta soon followed Pique into the referee's notebook when he clipped Martinez as he made another surging run towards goal.
The 10 men were looking rattled, Jordi Alba getting in the way of Antoine Griezmann's shot and then Valdes - who earlier this week announced he would not be renewing his contract when it expires in June 2014 - nervously spilling Castro's blast for a corner on the hour.
Soon after, the hosts were level. Mascherano, who had replaced Cesc Fabregas following Pique's dismissal, deflected Castro's right-footed effort and, although Valdes got a hand to it, he was unable to keep it out.
Barca's frustrations threatened to boil over 10 minutes from the end as Alba squared up to Sociedad substitute Diego Ifran.
Iniesta was then fortunate not to become the second visiting player sent off when he brought down Vela, the referee showing leniency following his earlier caution.
However, it did get worse for the leaders as the game entered stoppage time when Agirretxe tapped the winner past a helpless Valdes.
Friday, January 18, 2013
German Bank Heist: Robbers Tunnel Into Vault
Robbers dug a 30-metre tunnel into the vault of a Berlin bank, German police have said.
The criminals escaped with the contents of safety deposit boxes, setting fire to the tunnel as they left to destroy any evidence.
Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf said the tunnel led from an underground garage into Volksbank's safe deposit room.
Mr Neuendorf said the tunnel was "very professional" and must have taken weeks or possibly months to complete.
It was elaborately constructed and even had ceiling supports.
Police were alerted to the break-in early on Monday when a security guard noticed smoke coming from the deposit room.
Mr Neuendorf said officers were still trying to determine what valuables had been stolen from the deposit boxes.
Baby Elephant Trapped In India Well Is Saved
An elephant calf that had fallen into a well after straying from its herd in eastern India has been rescued.
The baby elephant had been trapped in the well near the village of Bundu, in the country's eastern state of Jharkhand, since Wednesday.
Its age is estimated at eight or nine months.
Residents were alerted by the calf's cries for help as it struggled to find a way out, and called forest officials.
The rescuers used diggers to create a passage and help the baby elephant escape.
On Thursday, they succeeded after five hours of digging, to the cheers of locals gathered around the well to watch the operation.
The baby elephant slipped into the passage but soon got stuck under the bulldozer's wheels. Rescuers tilted the vehicle on one side to finally set the calf free.
Berlin Bank Heist Tunnel Pictures Released
Police in Berlin have released pictures of a 100ft tunnel dug by robbers from an underground car park into a bank's safe deposit room.
Police have also issued a composite sketch of a man suspected of involvement in the digging of the tunnel.
The audacious criminals spent weeks digging the tunnel into a vault of the Berliner Volksbank and, earlier in the week, escaped with the contents of several hundred safety deposit boxes.

They set fire to the tunnel as they left to destroy any evidence.
Police were alerted to the break-in early on Monday when a security guard noticed smoke coming from the deposit room.

Berlin police spokesman Thomas Neuendorf said at the time of the discovery that the tunnel was "very professional" and must have taken weeks or possibly months to complete.

It was elaborately constructed and even had ceiling supports.

Mr Neuendorf said officers were still trying to determine what valuables had been stolen from the deposit boxes.
Galliano Returns To Fashion With De La Renta
Disgraced John Galliano is returning to the fashion industry with a temporary role at Oscar de la Renta's New York studio.
The British designer, who was once heralded as one of the most talented names in fashion, was fired in 2011 by fashion house Dior after being caught on camera making anti-Semitic remarks in a Paris cafe.
He will spend three weeks with de la Renta as he prepares for his forthcoming New York Fashion Week show.
"He has worked long and hard on his recovery, and I'm happy to give him the opportunity to re-immerse himself in the world of fashion and re-acclimate in an environment where he has been so creative," de la Renta said.
He said he had known Galliano for many years and added: "I'm a great admirer of his talent."
Galliano, 52, said an addiction to drugs and alcohol had caused him to lose control, and that he was determined to make amends.

In a statement he said he has been in recovery for alcoholism for the past two years but that he had previously "descended into the madness of the disease. I said and did things which hurt others, especially members of the Jewish community."
"I am grateful to Oscar beyond words for inviting me to spend time with him in the familiar surroundings of a design studio. His support and faith in me is humbling," he added.
Dior has since hired Raf Simons as its head designer.
Scarlett Johansson Back On Broadway Stage
Hollywood star Scarlett Johansson has returned to Broadway to star in a new revival of Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.
Johansson last appeared on Broadway in 2010 when she won a Tony Award for her part in Arthur Miller's A View From The Bridge.
In Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Tennessee Williams' 1955 Pulitzer-winning play, Johansson plays Maggie, a Southern belle who married into a wealthy family to escape poverty.
But she is having problems with her husband Brick, played by Benjamin Walker and fears for his inheritance.
After its premiere on Thursday Johansson told Reuters news agency that she is happy to be back on stage.
"It's wonderful to be back on Broadway. I am born and raised in New York and grew up just dreaming about some day of treading the boards and you know to be able to have this opportunity in such a wonderful production is, it's just a dream come true for me."
Many actresses including Elizabeth Taylor, Jessica Lange and Kathleen Turner have portrayed Maggie.
The Lost In Translation star said that it was a challenge to follow in their footsteps but "seemed like the right challenge for me".
"I knew that I wanted to do it, I didn't know how I would do it, but I knew that I could do it. I thought, I hope so. And it just seemed that all the pieces just fit into place."
Johansson said the part demanded a lot of stamina. "I spend a lot of time on stage, and I spend a lot of time talking to Brick which is essentially like talking to no one at times.
"And I think just the stamina of just doing a three hour show has been a bit draining."
Walker praised Johansson for her on-stage performance, saying: "The fact that she is attractive is kind of the least interesting thing about her.
"She is so highly intelligent, and so is Maggie. In the same way that Maggie is a real modern woman, so is Scarlett."
The revival, the second in three years, received mixed reviews but Johansson's part in it was largely praised.
The Associated Press said: "Scarlett Johansson turns in a nifty turn as Maggie, finding humour and barely hidden desperation in her role as frustrated wife and mother-to-be."
The Guardian said: "Johansson should get plenty of audience members purring. But despite these charms, director Rob Ashford's production is little more than a star vehicle, erratically driven."
The New York Times said it did not live up to her previous Broadway appearance but added: "Ms Johansson confirms her promise as a stage actress of imposing presence and adventurous intelligence."
Johansson is reportedly being paid $40,000 (£25,000) a week for her role as Maggie, plus at least 7.5% of ticket sales when the show reaches a certain financial threshold.
The play also stars Belfast-born Ciaran Hinds as family patriarch "Big Daddy" Pollitt and Debra Monk as his wife "Big Mama".
It will run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway until March 30.
Mother Arrested After Son Takes Gun To School
Police in New York City have arrested the mother of a seven-year-old boy who took a gun and ammunition to school in his rucksack.
Deborah Farley was arrested on Friday on several charges including criminal possession of a weapon and endangering the welfare of a child.
They said it was not clear whether the boy initially knew it was in his bag.
Police said when the mother learned about the gun she rushed to school and told officials her son had a dental appointment.
The boy said he had given the weapon to a friend, at which point she alerted the principal.
The school, which has been practising for security drills since the Sandy Hook massacre, was immediately locked down.
The seven-year-old's rucksack was searched and the semi-automatic pistol, a magazine containing ten rounds and a plastic bag with bullets in it was found.
A flare gun was found in the second boy's bag, police said.
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