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.

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.

The man police want to question in connection with the robbery

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.

The tunnel had ceiling supports

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.

Police said it was a 'professional' job

It was elaborately constructed and even had ceiling supports.

The preferred entrance to the Berliner Volksbank

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.

A French court handed him a $8,000 (£5,043) suspended fine after finding him guilty of anti-Semitic behaviour.

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.

Police say the 53-year-old's son had taken the handgun to his Queens elementary school on Thursday.

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.

Intel's Profit Disappoints As PC Sales Slip

Intel Corp has reported a fall in sales and profit as consumers turn away from PCs - most of which use the company's chips - to smartphones and tablets.

The world's largest chip maker said revenue in the fourth quarter was $13.5bn (£8.4bn), compared with $13.9bn (£8.7bn) a year earlier, and net income was down over 26% to $2.47bn (£1.5bn).

It also announced plans to boost its spending to $13bn (£8.14bn) this year - more than expected.

Some $2bn (£1.25bn) of this investment will go towards research into future manufacturing technology, it added.

Intel’s shares fell over 5% in after-hour trading on Thursday after the release of the results.

The company’s chief executive, Paul Otellini, insisted it had performed well given the broader economic conditions.

"The fourth quarter played out largely as expected as we continued to execute through a challenging environment," he said.

He assured analysts that in the long-run, the company's investment plans would lower costs.

Intel, known for manufacturing chips used in Microsoft computers, has struggled to adapt its technology for smartphones and tablets, which are growing in popularity with consumers.

Sales of PCs are slipping - just this week research company Gartner found that global PC shipments were down 4.9% in the fourth quarter compared to a year earlier.

And Microsoft's new Windows 8 operating system, launched in October, failed to boost sales in the way that Intel and PC manufacturers had hoped.

As such, Intel is pushing to get its chips into more mobile technology, and Mr Otellini said its new "Atom" processors - used in ten tablet models - have the same or better battery life as the competition.

He also did not rule out manufacturing semiconductors for rival companies, as long as it did not give them an advantage over Intel.

Google CEO: Facebook Doing 'Really Bad Job'

Google's chief executive Larry Page has said rival Facebook is doing "a really bad job on their products", as his company announced the development of massive new UK headquarters in London.

Mr Page gave a wide-ranging interview to Wired magazine, which was conducted before Facebook launched its new Graph Search tool.

Asked whether competition from Facebook had motivated Google's social products, he said: "It’s not the way I think about it. We had real issues with how our users shared information, how they expressed their identity, and so on."

"And yeah, they're a company that's strong in that space. But they're also doing a really bad job on their products."

Mr Page said he was happy with the progress made by Google+.

"For us to succeed, is it necessary for some other company to fail? No. We're actually doing something different. I think it's outrageous to say that there's only space for one company in these areas."

Mark Zuckerberg unveiled Facebook's new search tool this week

Meanwhile, Google has bought a huge plot of land in King's Cross for a new UK office complex that could be worth £1bn when completed.

The US tech giant plans to build a 1 million square-foot office and has purchased a 2.4 acre plot at the Kings Cross Central development, the property developers behind the project said.

Construction on the site is expected to start late this year and be completed in 2016, when Google would leave its current offices in Victoria and Holborn districts.

The new building will range in height from 7 to 11 storeys.

The price of the purchase was not disclosed.

The Reuters news agency quoted sources as saying Google was investing £650m to buy and develop the site and that, once finished, the office building would be worth up to £1bn.

"This is a big investment by Google, we're committing further to the UK," Google's Vice President for Northern and Central Europe, Matt Brittin, said in a statement.

"It's good news for Google, for London and for the UK."

In the past two years Google has bought premises in Paris and Dublin.

Lance Armstrong Admits Doping On Oprah Show

Lance Armstrong has admitted he took performance-enhancing drugs and used blood transfusions as he won his seven Tour de France titles.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, the 41-year-old said it was "not possible" to win the gruelling race so many times without doping.

Armstrong confessed that he doped during all seven Tour victories from 1999 to 2005, using blood-boosting agent EPO; blood doping; testosterone, cortisone or human growth hormone.

He said: "My cocktail was EPO, transfusions and testosterone. I made my decisions. They're my mistake. And I'm sitting here today to acknowledge that and to say I'm sorry for that."

The Texan, who won the world road race title in 1993, added that his drug use began in the "mid-90s".

"I suppose earlier in my career there was cortisone and then the EPO generation began," he said.

However, he said that at the time he did not believe what he was doing was cheating.

Armstrong was interviewed in his hometown of Austin, Texas

"I looked up the definition of cheat. The definition of cheat is to gain an advantage over a rival or foe," Armstrong said. "I didn't do that. I viewed it as a level playing field."

Although Armstrong acknowledged the doping, he rejected some of USADA's claims about his US Postal team, saying: "It was definitely professional and it was definitely smart, if you can call it that. But it was very conservative, very risk averse.

"But to say that that programme was bigger than the East German programme in the mid-80s, it's not true."

Armstrong denied doping on his return to cycling in the late 2000s

He denied forcing others on the team to take banned substances, but said he led by example.

Armstrong was adamant he did not dope or perform blood transfusions in 2009 or 2010, when he made his comeback to the sport, saying: "The last time I crossed that line was 2005."

He said that allegations that he did take banned substances during this comeback period were the only thing in the USADA's detailed report that "really upset" him.

It was out-of-competition testing and the so-called biological passport, which collates biological markers of doping and doping tests, that forced him to stop.

USADA chief executive Travis Tygart called the admission a "small step in the right direction".

"But if he is sincere in his desire to correct his past mistakes, he will testify under oath about the full extent of his doping activities."

The interview, which you can see again on Discovery at 8pm, was recorded in Armstrong's home town of Austin, Texas, three days before it was broadcast.

Cycling's governing body, the UCI, welcomed Armstrong's confession.

President Pat McQuaid said: "It was disturbing to watch him describe a litany of offences including, among others, doping throughout his career, leading a team that doped, bullying, consistently lying to everyone and producing a backdated medical prescription to justify a test result.

Armstrong confessed he took drugs during all his seven Tour de France wins

"However, Lance Armstrong also rightly said that cycling is a completely different sport today than it was 10 years ago. In particular the UCI's introduction of the biological passport in 2008 - the first sports federation to do so - has made a real difference in the fight against doping."

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), which on Thursday stripped Armstrong of his bronze medal from the 2000 Sydney Games, said: "There is a positive side if these revelations can begin to draw a line under previous practices.

"We now urge Armstrong to present all the evidence he has to the appropriate anti-doping authorities so that we can bring an end to this dark episode and move forward, stronger and cleaner."

Sky's US Correspondent Amanda Walker joined cyclists at Nello's Cycles in Armstrong's hometown of Austin, Texas, to watch the interview.

She said: "Bike enthusiasts here have followed Austin's most famous son throughout his career. Most say they knew Armstrong was doping. Finally, they got to hear it from the man himself:

"With part one of the interview broadcast, this was the verdict from some of his closest followers. Bike shop manager David Figueroa said: "I think he had a good performance. I think he spent a lot of time preparing for it and I think he's proud of himself."

"Customer and cyclist Gregg Dansom said: "As a human being, I think he's a jerk. Would I ride with him? Yeah, I don't care - I know plenty of jerks - the difference is he made up lies about people and destroyed peoples lives."

"America has another instalment to go before deciding whether to accept accept Armstrong's plea for atonement."

The Sunday Times, which was sued by Armstrong in 2004 after the paper printed allegations of his doping, said it will now be pursuing its case against him "vigorously".

A spokesman for the newspaper said: "We watched Lance Armstrong's interview with interest and noted his numerous admissions regarding taking performance-enhancing drugs.

"The Sunday Times believes that our case for recovering the £1m he obtained from us by fraud is now even stronger. We will be pursuing that case vigorously."

Ex-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin Indicted

Former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, who led the city during Hurricane Katrina, has been indicted on 21 corruption charges.

The counts against the 56-year-old include bribery, wire fraud, money laundering, filing false tax returns and conspiracy.

The charges stem from a corruption investigation that has already led to guilty pleas from two former city officials and two businessmen.

Nagin is accused of accepting more than $160,000 (£100,781) in bribes in exchange for helping a local businessman who was awarded millions of dollars in work by the city.

He is also alleged to have accepted $60,000 (£37,792) from another businessman in exchange for city contracts.

The indictment says he took free flights and limousine rides, and gave illegal tax waivers to a complicit businessman. 

Nagin, a former cable television executive, grabbed the national spotlight when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.

He famously denounced the federal government's preparation for and response to the disaster, using sharp language to urge action.

Nagin had been a political novice before being elected to his first term as mayor in 2002. His second term ended in 2010.

Subway Attack: Suspect Held By US Police

Police investigating a horrific attack on a woman on the Philadelphia subway have arrested a man.

Surveillance video shows the 23-year-old woman being viciously punched and then dragged across the platform.

She is then pushed onto the railway track at the station in the city's Chinatown neighbourhood.

The attack happened around 3.30pm on Tuesday, after the suspect initially approached the victim and asked for a light.

The woman miraculously suffered only cuts and bruises and managed to climb off the tracks onto the opposite platform.

Police say they arrested the man around 2.30pm on Thursday, identifying him by his distinctive, multicoloured jacket with an image of the Taj Mahal on the back. 

"It was so distinct that we tried to keep the description of that jacket in law-enforcement circles, because it was our best lead on clearing this," transport police Chief Thomas Nestel said during a news conference.

Officers said a mobile phone belonging to the woman was also recovered.

However the police decision to keep quiet about the attack was criticised by some for leaving a potentially dangerous suspect at large with no public warning.

Unlike two recent fatal subway attacks in New York, the woman was not thrown in front of an approaching train, Chief Nestel said.

However, he advised subway passengers to "always be aware of their surroundings" and avoid standing close to the edge of the platform.

Sundance: Robert Redford's Film Festival Opens

The Sundance Film Festival 2013 has kicked off, with screenings, a gala and a party to celebrate independent films.

Instead of one star-studded premiere, five separate screenings gave audiences a taste of the diversity that is one of the festival's main themes.

May In Summer, an East meets West film about a young American woman planning her wedding in Jordan, opened the event, with three other feature films and a programme of short films also showing on day one.

Sundance founder Robert Redford said diversity was "the point" of the annual independent film showcase, which is held in Park City, Utah.

Now in its 35th year, there are contributions from 32 countries and 51 first-time filmmakers.

"As long as we go forward and we adapt to change, we keep in touch with our original purpose which is simply to support and develop new voices to be seen and heard," Redford said at a news conference

The purpose of Sundance was to create a platform for low-budget filmmakers and people that have experienced life changing events to tell their story.

It has helped launch the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez, while such Academy Awards contenders as In The Bedroom, Little Miss Sunshine, Precious and Winter's Bone premiered at the festival.

Asked where independent film would be without the festival, Redford said: "I don't think it would be as vibrant and healthy if it wasn't for Sundance."

Actress Quvenzhane Wallis who starred in Beasts Of The Southern Wild

This year's Oscar nominations show the ripple effect Sundance has for highlighting low-budget films.

Beasts Of The Southern Wild, which was the top prize winner at Sundance last year, picked up four Academy Award nominations, including best picture, best director for first-time filmmaker Benh Zeitlin and best actress for nine-year-old Quvenzhane Wallis, who had never acted before.

"That's why we're here," Redford said.

"When somebody comes out of nowhere and with our support goes somewhere, that's a real pleasure to me."

Philadelphia Vandalism of Quaker Building Is Seen by Some as Union Intimidation

PHILADELPHIA — It was several weeks ago when vandals struck the building site, setting fire to a crane, cutting deep gashes in steel columns and loosening the bolts that anchored them. The episode resulted in about $500,000 in damage and was, the authorities believe, apparently an attempt to halt the construction of a Quaker meeting house.

The $5.8 million building was being constructed for the Chestnut Hill Friends, a Quaker community in a northern section of Philadelphia. Cuts in the steel columns that make up the building’s frame were made with an acetylene torch, indicating that the attack was carried out by someone with both the equipment and the expertise to operate it, the police say, suggesting that it may have been the work of trade unionists who were disgruntled after being refused work on the site.
“It’s not being done by 12-year-old vandals,” said Lt. George McClay of the Philadelphia Police northwest detectives division, which is leading an investigation. Fire officials are treating the attack on the crane as arson.
Asked whether the damage might have been an attempt at intimidation by union members, Lieutenant McClay said: “It does point in that direction. Can I prove it? Absolutely not.”
Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents about 60,000 construction workers, rejected suggestions that members were responsible. He said that the relatively small project would not generate enough work to explain any such attack, and that union members would not want to jeopardize chances of future work by alienating potential employers.
The episode may have been a result of a payment dispute, he said. “Maybe that person had business dealings that didn’t go too well.”
Four union members visited the site during the week before the overnight attack on Dec. 20-21, asking questions about who was doing specific construction tasks, said Robert N. Reeves Jr., the president of E. Allen Reeves Inc., the contractor. The company operates an “open shop” that does not employ union members but may work with unionized subcontractors, Mr. Reeves said.
Each of the union members left the site after being told by employees that they could not give out information about the construction, Mr. Reeves said. The fourth told the site manager on Dec. 17 that “I’ll do what I have to do,” said the manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The vandalism has led the eastern Pennsylvania chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors, a trade association, to offer a $50,000 reward to anyone whose information leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
The episode is the latest in Philadelphia to prompt allegations that unions engage in violence and intimidation in an effort to secure work.
In mid-December, an employee of Post Brothers Apartments, a local developer, was attacked with a crowbar by a member of the Ironworkers Union, according to Michael Pestronk, chief executive of the company. Post Brothers is in a dispute with unions over its refusal to hire all-union labor to work on an apartment building in central Philadelphia
Mr. Gillespie said he was not aware that any union member had used a crowbar to attack Post Brothers employees, and he accused Mr. Pestronk of “exaggerating” the confrontations that have occurred at the site. “There have been some pushing and shoving instances that have happened on that site that I’m aware of,” Mr. Gillespie said. “If anyone gets assaulted with a crowbar, that’s a serious charge.”
Post Brothers initially wanted to hire 40 percent union labor on the project, converting a factory into 163 loft apartments, but is using all nonunion workers after unions withdrew their members in protest at the company’s position, Mr. Pestronk said.
“They told me, ‘If you don’t make this project 100 percent union, we are going to do everything in our power to stop this job,’” Mr. Pestronk said. Picketing of the Goldtex site began in December 2011 and employees have been harassed and attacked in episodes that have been captured on video and posted on a company Web site, he said.
Michael Resnick, Philadelphia’s director of public safety, said that if the authorities were presented with evidence that union protesters were committing crimes, the offenders would be arrested and charged, as they have been in “two or three cases” during the Post Brothers protest.
Mr. Resnick rejected accusations by Mr. Pestronk and others in the construction industry that city authorities are lax in cases involving union harassment and intimidation. He said unions had a constitutionally protected right to protest against working practices, and that developers like Post Brothers must recognize that.
“People have a right to express their views,” Mr. Resnick said.
Meg Mitchell, clerk of Chestnut Hill Friends, said the contractor for the meeting house was selected on the basis of price, quality and its track record of building houses of worship. She said the community, which like all Quakers advocates nonviolence, was aware that the contractor was not unionized.

Obama Tells Senate That It’s Time to Confirm A.T.F. Director

At a news conference, the president unveiled a series of executive actions and legislative proposals to help reduce gun violence, and he said he would nominate the agency’s acting director, B. Todd Jones, to be its permanent leader.

“Congress needs to help, rather than hinder, law enforcement as it does its job,” Mr. Obama said on Wednesday.

Mr. Jones, 55, a former Marine who is also the United States attorney in Minnesota, has led the beleaguered agency since August 2011, when he was appointed by the administration to take over in the aftermath of the scandal surrounding the bungled gun trafficking investigation known as Operation Fast and Furious, in which agents lost track of firearms they were allowing to pass into Mexico.

Until 2006, the president had the power to install a director of the firearms bureau without Congressional approval. But under pressure from gun lobbyists, Congress changed the law that year to require Senate confirmation. Since then, the Senate has failed to confirm any nominee by either President George W. Bush or Mr. Obama as senators who support gun rights have used their powers to delay nomination votes; Mr. Jones is the bureau’s fifth acting director since 2006.

One of the more vocal critics of the Justice Department and the firearms agency, Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, said Wednesday that he agreed with the president that it was time for the Senate to confirm a permanent director of the agency, but he raised questions about Mr. Jones’s credibility.

“The new nominee, B. Todd Jones, is a familiar face to the committee, but his ties to the Fast and Furious scandal raise serious questions,” Mr. Grassley said.

“In any case, he’ll receive a thorough and fair vetting by the Judiciary Committee,” said Mr. Grassley, the committee’s senior Republican.

For years, the A.T.F. has been battered by scandals and has had its authority undercut by gun lobbyists, who have pushed to limit its power and cut its funding. The bureau most recently came under scrutiny in 2011 for its handling of Fast and Furious after; two of the firearms used in the investigation were found at the scene of a shootout in which a United States Border Patrol agent was killed in Arizona.

Mr. Jones said in a meeting with reporters in September that during his tenure the agency had refocused its efforts on fighting violent crime and was “recalibrating” how it did business by revamping its policies and procedures.

“We are well on our way to tightening up our unity of effort and our communications,” Mr. Jones said, adding that senior officials in Washington now had more oversight over the agency’s field offices.

Mr. Jones said that some procedures had not been updated in 15 to 20 years.

“We are back to the basics, and that is what I have been working very hard at, the fundamentals,” he said, “and the fundamentals for us is protecting the American public from violent crime.”

Mr. Jones has told the agency’s offices to work closely with police departments in large cities to combat sudden increases in crime and “to focus on cases that will have the greatest impact,” a senior agency official said in a recent interview.

This year, A.T.F. agents have been part of so-called surges of law enforcement officers in the country’s most violent cities, including Oakland, Calif., and Philadelphia, working to make arrests and seize guns.

Fears for hostages after Algerian military attacks plant

British Prime Minister David Cameron warned his compatriots to prepare for "bad news ahead" related to kidnapping of dozens of hostages at a gas facility in Algeria.

Nearly 600 workers and four foreign nationals -- two Scots, a Kenyan and a French citizen -- were free by late Thursday after an operation launched by Algeria's military, according to the state-run Algerian Press Service.

Some hostages were still presumably being held, and the crisis is far from over.

"It is a fluid situation, it is ongoing," Cameron told the Reuters news agency. "But I think we should be prepared for the possibility of further bad news, very difficult news, in this extremely difficult situation."

The Algerian military operation was over by Thursday evening, according to the Algerian Press Service. At that point, there was no immediate indication as to how many hostages were still being held, what their condition was or if future action would be taken.



The military operation led to numerous casualties, though the exact number wasn't known, APS reported. Two people -- an Algerian and British national -- died when the kidnappers attacked Wednesday, according to the same news agency. Cameron acknowledged, in his Reuters interview, that a British citizen "very sadly died."

While the Algerian military raid wrapped up on Thursday, a senior U.S. official stressed later that night that more military operations could be coming.

"There are still hostages, and there are still terrorists," the official said. "So tomorrow is another day."

Algerians and foreign workers were taken hostage at the gas plant in Wednesday's assault, apparently in direct response to France's offensive in nearby Mali. The gas field is 60 kilometers (40 miles) west of the Libyan border and 1,300 kilometers (about 800 miles) from the Algerian capital, Algiers.

The kidnappers have AK-47 rifles and put explosives-laden vests on some of the hostages, a U.S. State Department official said. It is not clear whether the hostage takers wore the suicide vests when they staged the action, another U.S. official said.

Islamists take foreign hostages in attack on Algerian oil field

The attackers put the number of hostages at "more than 40," including seven Americans, two French, two British and other Europeans. Another Islamist group told the Mauritanian News Agency there were 41 "Westerners."

The APS, though, reported that just over 20 foreign nationals were being held.

Officials from Norway, the United States, Japan and Great Britain have said some of their nationals are among the hostages.

Nine Norwegian employees of Statoil are unaccounted for, while five Norwegian nationals -- as well as three Algerians -- who work for the company are safe, the company said in a statement.

CNN affiliate BFM-TV reported that a French citizen, who is a nurse who worked on the site, was recently freed. CNN could not independently confirm the report.

An Irish hostage is also free, said Ireland's taoiseach, or prime minister, Enda Kenny.

"I believe he has already spoken to his family in Belfast and I wish him a safe return home to his loved one," Kenny said of the freed hostage, Stephen McFaul.

An unspecified number of Americans are among the hostages held by terrorists at BP's In Amenas facility in Algeria, White House spokesman Jay Carney said. There could be as few as three American hostages, two U.S. officials said Wednesday.

One of the kidnapped Americans is a Texas man, a family member told CNN.

By Thursday night, some Americans had been freed and spoke with family members back home, while others remained unaccounted for, U.S. officials said.

"This incident will be resolved -- we hope -- with a minimum loss of life," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "But when you deal with these relentless terrorists, life is not in any way precious to them."

Heavy clashes and drones

The man behind the group claiming responsibility for the attack and kidnappings is a veteran jihadist known for seizing hostages.

Moktar Belmoktar, an Algerian who lost an eye fighting in Afghanistan in his teens, has long been a target of French counterterrorism forces. Libyan sources said he spent several months in Libya in 2011, exploring cooperation with local jihadist groups and securing weapons.

Algerian troops fired on two SUVs trying to leave the kidnapping site, Algerian radio said, citing local sources. An Algerian reporter saw heavy clashes near the site, APS and radio reports said.

An unarmed Predator drone has flown over the plant to gather intelligence, a U.S. official said Thursday. Satellite imagery was taken previously.

Earlier, Algeria's state media reported that all Algerian nationals who had been held hostage were free: some had fled, while others were released. The hostages still detained are foreigners, Algerian Interior Minister Dahou Ould Kablia said.

In addition to the hundreds of freed workers, 30 Algerian workers escaped -- recovered by helicopters flying over the site -- according to the GPS report.

Meanwhile, two oil companies that operated at the site -- BP and Statoil -- are pulling non-essential personnel from Algeria.

"Our focus is 100 percent on the safety and welfare of those people and their families, and we are now beginning a staged and planned reduction in non-essential workforce on a temporary basis, pulling them out of the country," said BP Vice President Peter Maher from London's Gatwick Airport, where a chartered flight from Algeria was set to arrive Thursday night.

Militants blame Algeria for letting French use its air space

The militants said they carried out the operation because Algeria allowed French forces to use its air space in attacking Islamist militants in Mali. Media in the region reported that the attackers issued a statement demanding an end to "brutal aggression on our people in Mali" and cited "blatant intervention of the French crusader forces in Mali."

The fallout escalated after rebels kidnapped the Westerners, dragging governments beyond Africa into the region's conflicts and insecurity.

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, in Europe meeting with NATO allies, called the hostage-taking "a terrorist act."

Japan and the United Kingdom sent officials to Algeria to get the latest information. French President Francois Hollande earlier confirmed the presence of French citizens on site but would not say whether any were hostages.

Cameron -- who canceled a Friday speech in the Netherlands -- talked with U.S. President Barack Obama about the situation Thursday, according to a Downing Street statement.

Before Algeria launched its military operation, U.S. officials urged the Algerians to be cautious and make the hostages' safety their first priority, an Obama administration official said.

However, Algerian government officials did not tell their U.S. counterparts in advance about their military raid, according to the official.

A senior U.S. official said, at this point, the United States doesn't trust the information it is getting from the Algerians, "because we hear one thing and then we hear something else."

There are also fears that the tactics used by the Algerian forces may have put hostages in jeopardy, though the official acknowledged they could have hit even harder.

"In all fairness, they could have ended it today," the senior U.S. official said. "They haven't used all the severeness they could. They know hostages are left."