Richard Engel of NBC Is Freed in Syria

Richard Engel, the chief foreign correspondent for NBC News, and three of his crew members were freed on Monday after five days in captivity in Syria, the news organization said on Tuesday.

The journalists were unharmed. The news organization released a short statement that said, “We are pleased to report they are safely out of the country.”

The identities of the kidnappers and their motives were unknown. But an article on the NBC News Web site quotes Mr. Engel as saying their captors “were talking openly about their loyalty to the government” of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Their kidnapping once again highlights the perils of reporting from Syria, which is said by the Committee to Protect Journalists to be “the world’s most dangerous place for the press.”

NBC declined to specify the number of crew members that were with Mr. Engel. Two of the crew members, John Kooistra and Ghazi Balkiz, appeared with Mr. Engel on NBC’s “Today” show on Tuesday morning. A third, Aziz Akyavas, spoke at a news conference in Turkey. Mr. Akyavas said in an interview on the Turkish television channel NTV that a technician who traveled with the crew was still missing. NBC did not respond to a request for comment about that report.

Mr. Engel and the crew members covertly entered Syria several times this year to report on the insurgency that is fighting Mr. Assad there. Mr. Engel was last seen on television last Thursday in a taped report from Aleppo, Syria’s commercial capital, where he reported that “the Syrian regime appears to be cracking, but the rebels remain outgunned.”

In order to transmit their report in safety, Mr. Engel and his crew apparently crossed the border into Turkey. Their effort to cross back into the country on Thursday led to their capture.

About 15 men, Mr. Engel said on the “Today” show, “just literally jumped out of the trees and bushes” and “dragged us out of the car.” The kidnappers killed one of the rebels whom the crew had been traveling with, he said.

NBC’s Web site said there was “no claim of responsibility, no contact with the captors and no request for ransom during the time the crew was missing.”

Mr. Engel said on “Today” that the kidnappers had a plan to exchange the crew for several people being held by Syrian rebels. “We were told that they wanted to exchange us for four Iranian agents and two Lebanese people who are from the Amal movement,” he said.

But the crew members were freed when the captors “ran into a checkpoint manned by members of the Ahrar al-Sham brigade, a Syrian rebel group,” NBC’s Web site reported. “There was a confrontation and a firefight ensued. Two of the captors were killed, while an unknown number of others escaped.” The rebels then helped escort the crew to the border with Turkey.

“We are very happy to be back in Turkey,” Mr. Engel said, speaking in front of cameras at Cilvegozu border gate in southern Turkey. He added, “The last five days are the days that we want to forget.”

NBC tried to keep the crew’s disappearance a secret for several days while it sought to ascertain their whereabouts. Its television competitors and many other major news organizations, including The New York Times, refrained from reporting on the situation, in part out of concern that any reporting could worsen the danger for the crew. News outlets similarly refrained from publishing reports about a 2008 kidnapping in Afghanistan of David Rohde of The New York Times and a local reporter, Tahir Ludin. The two reporters escaped in June 2009 after seven months in captivity.

In the case of Mr. Engel, some Web sites reported speculation about his disappearance on Monday. NBC declined to comment until the crew members were safely out of Syria on Tuesday.

While none of the crew members suffered any physical injuries, there was “psychological pressure,” Mr. Akyavas told NTV. He said they were blindfolded, handcuffed, and “every now and then had guns pointed on our heads. It was not pleasant.”

In his comments on “Today” Mr. Engel said: “They made us choose which one of us would be shot first, and when we refused there were mock shootings. They pretended to shoot Ghazi several times.”

The crew members were also filmed for a video that showed them being held in a small, nondescript room.

Mr. Engel is perhaps the best-known foreign-based correspondent on television in the United States. Hop-scotching from Iraq to Afghanistan to Egypt and other countries in recent years, he has had more airtime than any other such correspondent at NBC, ABC or CBS. Thus the news of his kidnapping and safe release is likely to generate widespread interest from viewers.

Mr. Engel has worked for NBC since May 2003, two months into the Iraq war. He was promoted to chief foreign correspondent in 2008. At the time, the NBC News president Steve Capus said, “There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the work that Richard has done in some of the most dangerous places on earth for NBC News. His reporting, his expertise on the situation in the Middle East, his professionalism and his commitment to telling the story of what is happening there is unparalleled.”

The “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams has been among Mr. Engel’s most ardent fans. Without alluding to his disappearance, Mr. Williams brought up Mr. Engel while being interviewed onstage at a charity fund-raiser in New Jersey on Sunday night. “What I know about Richard Engel is, he’s fearless, but he’s not crazy,” Mr. Williams said. When Mr. Engel’s name came up, there was spontaneous applause from the crowd.

Brian Stelter reported from New York and Sebnem Arsu from Istanbul. Bill Carter contributed reporting from New York.

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EU’s Almunia sets deadline for Google antitrust plan

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – The European Union set Google an ultimatum on Tuesday, giving it a month to come up with detailed proposals to resolve a two-year investigation into complaints that it used its power to block rivals, including Microsoft.

The EU’s antitrust chief, Joaquin Almunia, delivered the deadline in a meeting with Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt in Brussels.

If it fails to address the complaints, the world’s most popular search engine could face a lengthy battle with what is arguably the world’s most powerful antitrust authority. If found guilty, it could mean a fine of up to 10 percent of its revenue, or $ 4 billion.

“Since our preliminary talks with Google started in July, we have substantially reduced our differences regarding possible ways to address each of the four competition concerns expressed by the Commission,” Almunia said in a statement.

“On the basis of the progress made, I now expect Google to come forward with a detailed commitment text in January 2013.”

Almunia said he would seek feedback from rivals and users once he has received Google’s proposal.

Google said it continues to work co-operatively with the Commission.

The European Commission has been examining informal settlement proposals from Google since July but has not sought feedback from the complainants, suggesting it is not convinced by what Google has put on the table so far.

The EU watchdog’s two-year investigation has centered on complaints that Google unfairly favored its services over its rivals in search results, and that it may have copied material from travel and restaurant websites without permission.

The Commission is also looking into whether Google restricted advertisers from transferring their data to rivals.

The Commission’s decision to press Google to offer more far-reaching concessions comes in sharp contrast to the case U.S. regulators have against the company.

Sources told Reuters the U.S. Federal Trade Commission could drop their investigation into Google without requiring any major change in how the company does business.

(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Robin Emmott, Louise Heavens and Nick Zieminski)

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How to Help Those in Need After Shooting in Newtown

By Alison Schwartz

12/18/2012 at 02:20 PM EST

Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

Google/AP

Even as some sort of routine is being reestablished in Newtown, Conn., after the horrific events of Dec. 14, help for those directly involved is being offered from far and wide.

Counseling services are available through Friday, according to the Newtown Public School District website. Those in need can also call 211.

"We are grateful for all the prayers, thoughts and outpouring of support offered to our community during this difficult time," reads the school district's message.

Those wishing to offer financial donations can make them to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, which can be accessed here. (Checks also can be mailed to Sandy Hook School Support Fund, c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main St., Newtown, CT 06470.)

For now, the elementary school will remain closed, although students are due to return to class at the vacant Chalk Hill School, in nearby Monroe. "Welcome Sandy Hook Elementary," reads a sign across the street, according to news photos.

The family of Sandy Hook's beloved principal Dawn Hochsprung, who was killed Friday, is also organizing a scholarship fund in her honor to help a local high-school senior pursue a career in education, reports the community's Patch.

Hochsprung's daughter Erica Lafferty said the scholarship will be awarded to "a student who has a deep passion for inspiring the love and learning in children."

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Experts: No link between Asperger's, violence

NEW YORK (AP) — While an official has said that the 20-year-old gunman in the Connecticut school shooting had Asperger's syndrome, experts say there is no connection between the disorder and violence.

Asperger's is a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness.

"There really is no clear association between Asperger's and violent behavior," said psychologist Elizabeth Laugeson, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Little is known about Adam Lanza, identified by police as the shooter in the Friday massacre at a Newtown, Conn., elementary school. He fatally shot his mother before going to the school and killing 20 young children, six adults and himself, authorities said.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the unfolding investigation, said Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's.

High school classmates and others have described him as bright but painfully shy, anxious and a loner. Those kinds of symptoms are consistent with Asperger's, said psychologist Eric Butter of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, who treats autism, including Asperger's, but has no knowledge of Lanza's case.

Research suggests people with autism do have a higher rate of aggressive behavior — outbursts, shoving or pushing or angry shouting — than the general population, he said.

"But we are not talking about the kind of planned and intentional type of violence we have seen at Newtown," he said in an email.

"These types of tragedies have occurred at the hands of individuals with many different types of personalities and psychological profiles," he added.

Autism is a developmental disorder that can range from mild to severe. Asperger's generally is thought of as a mild form. Both autism and Asperger's can be characterized by poor social skills, repetitive behavior or interests and problems communicating. Unlike classic autism, Asperger's does not typically involve delays in mental development or speech.

Experts say those with autism and related disorders are sometimes diagnosed with other mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder.

"I think it's far more likely that what happened may have more to do with some other kind of mental health condition like depression or anxiety rather than Asperger's," Laugeson said.

She said those with Asperger's tend to focus on rules and be very law-abiding.

"There's something more to this," she said. "We just don't know what that is yet."

After much debate, the term Asperger's is being dropped from the diagnostic manual used by the nation's psychiatrists. In changes approved earlier this month, Asperger's will be incorporated under the umbrella term "autism spectrum disorder" for all the ranges of autism.

__

AP Writer Matt Apuzzo contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Asperger's information: http://1.usa.gov/3tGSp5

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Man kills grandmother with barbeque fork, police say

Police are trying to determine a motive after a 22-year-old man allegedly killed his grandmother Sunday using a barbecue fork.

Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Paul Vernon called the incident in Mission Hills "especially sad and tragic."

The suspect, identified as Joe Calderon, was raised by his
grandparents and stabbed his grandmother at their Mission Hills home
Sunday morning, police said.

Investigators believe Calderon fought with his grandparents Saturday
night and, after his grandfather went to work Sunday, again argued with
his grandmother, Vernon said. This time, the suspect allegedly began
beating his grandmother, who called her daughter for help.

When the daughter arrived at the home in the 11100 block of Rincon
Avenue, Calderon "confronted her" outside the home "with a long metal
stick," Vernon said. She went around the corner and called police about 9
a.m.

Responding officers detained Calderon, whom Vernon said had blood on his hands.

The grandmother was found dead in the kitchen, Vernon said. Her name
has not been released, though authorities described her as a woman in
her 70s. It was unclear what relationship her daughter is to the suspect.

Vernon said investigators found several possible weapons at the
scene, including the barbecue fork that "appeared to have blood on the
prongs." Forensic tests will be conducted to determine if the utensil
was in fact the murder weapon, he added.

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North Korean Satellite Most Likely Dead, Astronomers Say

The North Korean satellite launched into space last week is out of control and most likely dead, astronomers reported Monday. The apparent failure will not cause the spacecraft to fall quickly back to earth but represents a major setback in Pyongyang’s bid to portray the launching as a patriotic and technological success.

“It’s tumbling and we haven’t picked up any transmissions,” said Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astronomer who tracks global rocket launchings and space activity. “Those two things are most consistent with the satellite being entirely inactive at this point.”

North Korea’s state-run news media said nothing about the satellite’s dysfunction, focusing instead on the somber one-year anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il, the longtime leader. As part of the coverage, state television broadcast video footage of his daughter-in-law appeared to confirm that a new member of Pyongyang’s notoriously reclusive Kim dynasty is on its way.

The images showed Ri Sol-ju, the wife of the late Mr. Kim’s son and successor Kim Jong-un, dressed in a dark flowing dress and walking slowly beside her husband inside the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, the Pyongyang mausoleum where Kim Jong-il and his father, Kim Il-sung, lie in state. Although she was wearing a high-waisted, loose-fit traditional "hanbok" dress, and there was no official mention of pregnancy, South Korean media detected what they considered a visibly swollen belly. The South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted a government source as saying that birth was "imminent."

State media has been describing the satellite launching as a triumphal achievement of the young leader, done in the face of worldwide criticism and United Nations sanctions on the North’s ballistic missile program.

The satellite, said to be about the size of a washing machine, reportedly carries an onboard camera to observe the earth. That mission requires the spacecraft’s orbit to be rock-steady.

Dr. McDowell said the tumbling implies that onboard systems meant to control and stabilize the craft had failed.

He added that radio astronomers had picked up no signals from the satellite and that optical astronomers had observed it brightening and dimming as it slowly tumbled end over end.

“It’s clear that the rocket part of this mission worked very well for the North Koreans,” Dr. McDowell said in an interview. “They ended up in the right orbit. But the preponderance of the evidence suggests that the satellite failed either during the ascent or shortly afterwards.”

The possibility that Ms. Ri might be pregnant emerged in August, when South Korean newspapers, which scrutinize every photo of the reclusive Kim family, found out that a small handbag she was carrying was a Christian Dior, a startling display of the luxury enjoyed by the super-elite, even as its people suffer widespread hunger. The papers also noticed what they called a "belly fat" or a "baby bump." When Ms. Ri suddenly dropped from public view in September, it triggered rumors in Seoul that she was expecting. When she re-appeared in late October after a 50-day hiatus, she was wearing a long yellow coat. Her appearance Monday was the first in 40 days.

In keeping with the Kim dynasty’s tradition of reclusiveness, it is not clear how old Kim Jong-un is.

The South Korean spy agency told lawmakers in July that it believed that Mr. Kim was born in 1984 and married Ms. Ri in 2009. The couple already had a child, it said.

Some analysts speculated that Mr. Kim, who studied in Europe as a teenager, was trying to build a new leadership style by showing up with his wife, whose dresses have reportedly begun setting a fashion trend among the young elite women in Pyongyang.

But recent defectors from the North also reported that Mr. Kim has also intensified control on his people as he tried to consolidate his grip on power. In recent months, many military generals have been fired or demoted.

William J. Broad reported from New York and Choe Sang-hun from Seoul, South Korea.

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Massachusetts fines Morgan Stanley over Facebook research

BOSTON (Reuters) – Morgan Stanley, the lead underwriter for Facebook Inc’s initial public offering, will pay a $ 5 million fine to Massachusetts to settle charges that its bankers improperly influenced its research analysts when the Internet company went public.

Massachusetts’ top securities regulator, William Galvin, charged that Morgan Stanley improperly helped Facebook disclose sensitive financial information selectively, perpetuating what he calls “an unlevel playing field” between Wall Street and Main Street.

Morgan Stanley has been under criticism since the social media company went public in May for having revealed revised earnings and revenue forecasts to select clients on conference calls before the media company’s $ 16 billion initial public offering. A Morgan Stanley spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

Galvin, who has been aggressive in policing how research is distributed on Wall Street ever since investment banks reached a global settlement in 2003, said the bank violated that settlement. He fined Citigroup $ 2 million over similar charges in late October.

Massachusetts says that a senior Morgan Stanley banker helped a Facebook executive release new information and then guided the executive on how to speak with Wall Street analysts about it. The banker, Galvin’s office said, rehearsed with Facebook’s Treasurer and wrote the bulk of the script Facebook’s Treasurer used when calling the research analysts.

The banker “was not allowed to call research analysts himself, so he did everything he could to ensure research analysts received new revenue numbers which they then provided to institutional investors,” Galvin said in a statement.

Retail investors were not given any similar information, Galvin said, saying this case illustrates how institutional investors often have an edge over retail investors.

(Reporting By Svea Herbst-Bayliss with additional reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in New York; Editing by Theodore d’Afflisio)

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Stephen Fishbach Blogs: How Denise Stapley Won Survivor

TV Watch

Survivor

By Stephen Fishbach

12/17/2012 at 02:30 PM EST

Stephen Fishbach and Denise Stapley

Rob Kim/Landov; Startraks

Stephen Fishbach was the runner-up on Survivor: Tocantins and has been blogging about Survivor strategy for PEOPLE.com since 2009. Follow him on Twitter @stephenfishbach.

"You need willpower, strength, integrity, intelligence and a little bit of luck."
– Ethan Zohn, winner, Survivor: Africa

"Everyone loves an underdog story," Malcolm said earlier this season. On Sunday night, Survivor: Philippines came down to one big question: Who was the underdog that was telling the story?

Two sets of underdogs were dog-fighting for dominance. Mike Skupin and Lisa Whelchel were tails among lions: outcast at the bottom of Tandang, the dominant tribe. Malcolm Freberg and Denise Stapley were heads among sheep: leaders of Matsing, a tribe that every week went to the slaughter.

Through great play and good luck, Denise emerged as the alpha – winning the title of Sole Survivor, the $1 million prize and the Final Fishy.

Denise Wins Survivor
How did she do it? Straight out of the gate, Denise used her empathy and curiosity to build bonds with everybody, from a day-one friendship with Zane to a season-long alliance with Malcolm.

"I listened and I observed," she said at final tribal. "Being a therapist is what I do. And some of that is appeasing ... I couldn't not bring it into the game."

Like some Marvel comic action hero (The Spectacular Honey Badger?), Denise also had disproportionate speed and strength. Matsing was by far the weakest tribe, and Denise often found herself competing head-to-head against 20-something male jocks. If she didn't anchor her tribe, she certainly held her own.

That combination of social skills, physical prowess and a dogged work ethic made people love and respect Denise. Early on, Russell Swan predicted that if Denise made it to the final tribal, the jury would stand up and applaud. The full force of her charisma never really translated through the screen. But you still got the sense that she was really nice.

The other big thing Denise had going for her was Malcolm. If Denise had a weakness, it was that she preferred to slip through the cracks of the game and not build her own structures. Her ally Malcolm, however, wanted to guide. Denise often found herself swimming comfortably in his wake.

That worked out particularly well at the final four. On any other season, the beloved challenge-beast mom would be the big target. (See: Holly on Nicaragua). But with even-more-beloved Malcolm around, Denise got a pass.

Did Malcolm blow it when he didn't commit to Denise at the final four? If they'd made a pact, would Denise have forced a stand-off against Lisa and Skupin? We can never know for sure. Personally, I suspect Denise would have voted out Malcolm anyway, the same way she voted out Carter instead of Abi. Loyalty in Survivor's a nice ideal – but not worth a million dollars.

The entire season came down to that last immunity challenge. Had Malcolm won, the underdog story would have been his. But he didn't.

Final Tribal
Nowhere was the issue of storytelling more important than at final tribal, where the three finalists laid out their narratives. Denise talked about how she survived every elimination. Lisa, usually so focused at tribal, had a meandering opening in which she discussed her growth as a gamer. Skupin argued that he was an early target and had to fight harder than the others.

A series of weak questions concluded with a bombastic performance from Penner, who was clearly delighted to have the cameras on him for another moment, where he exposed Lisa's TV backstory. To her credit, Lisa never flinched.

In the end, the jury felt that Lisa and Skupin didn't really do anything. Denise's epic journey of surviving every tribal was unmatchable. The vote came 6-1-1, and the Spectacular Honey-Badger saved the day.

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Grandmother stabbed to death with BBQ fork, LAPD says

A 22-year-old man was arrested on murder charges after he allegedly stabbed his grandmother to death, apparently with a barbecue fork, Los Angeles police said.

The suspect, identified as Joe Calderon, was raised by his grandparents and stabbed his grandmother at their Mission Hills home Sunday morning, according to Los Angeles Police Department Lt. Paul Vernon, who called the incident "especially sad and tragic" in a statement.

Investigators believe Calderon fought with his grandparents Saturday night and, after his grandfather went to work Sunday, again argued with his grandmother, Vernon said. This time, the suspect allegedly began beating his grandmother, who called her daughter for help.

When the daughter arrived at the home in the 11100 block of Rincon Avenue, Calderon "confronted her" outside the home "with a long metal stick," Vernon said. She went around the corner and called police about 9 a.m.

Responding officers detained Calderon, whom Vernon said had blood on his hands.

The grandmother was found dead in the kitchen, Vernon said. Her name has not been released, though authorities described her as a woman in her 70s.

Vernon said investigators found several possible weapons at the scene, including the barbecue fork that "appeared to have blood on the prongs." Forensic tests will be conducted to determine if the utensil was in fact the murder weapon, he added.

ALSO:

Full coverage: Connecticut school shooting 

More rain, snow coming to Southern California

Fashion Island shooting: 'Luck was on our side,' police say

— Andrew Blankstein and Kate Mather

Read More..

Liberal Democratic Party Returns to Power in Japan

Christopher Jue/European Pressphoto Agency

Japanese poll workers counted ballots at a polling station in Tokyo during parliamentary elections on Sunday.

TOKYO — Japan’s voters handed a landslide victory to the Liberal Democratic Party in parliamentary elections on Sunday, giving power back to the conservative party that had governed Japan for decades until a historic defeat three years ago.

In a chaotic election crowded with new parties making sweeping promises, from abolishing nuclear power after the disaster at Fukushima to creating an American-style federal system, the Liberal Democrats prevailed with their less radical vision of reviving the recession-bound economy and standing up to an increasingly assertive China. The win was a dramatic comeback for the party that built postwar Japan, but was ejected from power in 2009 after failing to end two decades of social and economic stagnation.

A victory all but ensures that the Liberal Democratic leader, Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who is one Japan’s most outspoken nationalists, will be able to form a government with himself as prime minister.

However, many Japanese saw Sunday’s vote not as a weakening of Japan’s desire for change, or a swing to the anti-Chinese right, but as a rebuke of the incumbent Democrats, who had swept aside the Liberal Democrats with bold vows to overhaul Japan’s sclerotic postwar order, only to disappoint voters by failing to deliver. Mr. Abe acknowledged as much, saying that his party had simply ridden a wave of public disgust in the failures of his opponents.

“We recognize that this was not a restoration of confidence in the Liberal Democratic Party, but a rejection of three years of incompetent rule by the Democratic Party,” Mr. Abe told reporters on Sunday.

In the powerful lower house, the Liberal Democrats held a commanding lead, winning 266 of the 400 seats that had been decided. NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, was forecasting that the Liberal Democrats could win more than 300 of the 480 seats up for grabs, which would almost mirror the results in 2009, when the Democrats won 308 seats. The Democrats won only 44 of the seats that had been decided, putting them in a dead heat for a distant second place with the news Japan Restoration Party, which was started by Osaka’s popular mayor. It was a crushing defeat for a party whose victory three years ago was heralded as the start of a vigorous two-party democracy.

Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda resigned as head of the Democratic Party to take responsibility for the loss, despite holding onto to his own seat in Chiba, outside Tokyo.

“We failed to meet the people’s hopes after the change of government three years and four months ago,” Mr. Noda told reporters.

In a sign of how far the pendulum had swung against the incumbents, former Prime Minister Naoto Kan was fighting to keep his seat from an unknown Liberal Democratic challenger in a contest that remained too close to call. Other prominent members also lost their seats in what was increasingly looking like a rout.

“We tried the Democratic Party for three years, and it was a total disaster,” said Hideyuki Takizawa, a 52-year-old stockbroker at a polling station in the Tokyo suburb of Kawagoe. Mr. Takizawa said he had voted for the Democrats in the last election but had opted for the Liberal Democrats this time. “I have higher hopes now in the Liberal Democratic Party, especially in foreign affairs,” he said.

On declaring victory, Mr. Abe quickly promised to pass a massive spending bill, and said stimulating the faltering economy and ending deflation were his top priorities. He also promised help for the nation’s beleaguered export sector including more aggressive steps to drive down the yen and make Japanese products cheaper abroad.

There had been concerns that the hawkish Mr. Abe might try to fan Japanese anxieties over China’s growing strength, particularly that nation’s increasingly assertive claims to disputed islands in the East China Sea known as the Senkaku in Japan and the Diaoyu in Chinese. But Mr. Abe promised to move quickly to improve ties with China, Japan’s largest trading partner.

Makiko Inoue in Kawagoe, Japan, contributed reporting.

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