American director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife Michele have been found dead at their Los Angeles home, according to media reports.

A spokesperson for Reiner’s family confirmed the director and his wife died, CNN reported. 

Earlier, authorities had said that two bodies were found at Reiner’s home in the upscale Brentwood neighborhood.

What do we know so far?

The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that detectives with the Robbery-Homicide Division were probing the circumstances of the deaths as an “apparent homicide.”

Police have not immediately confirmed the identities of the bodies found in the home, and are not yet seeking any suspects. 

Earlier, the Los Angeles Fire Department had said it responded to a medical aid request just after 3:30 p.m. local time on Sunday and found the bodies of a 78-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman.

Who was Rob Reiner?

Reiner, 78, was a prominent name in Hollywood.

He began his career as an actor in the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom “All in the Family.”

He then shifted focus to directing. Some of his popular works include  “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally” and “The Princess Bride.”

Rob was the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner.

He met photographer Michele Singer Reiner while  directing “When Harry Met Sally”.

The couple got married in 1989 and have three children together. 

Reiner was also a liberal activist.

He was the co-founder of the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which initiated the court challenge that lifted the ban on same-sex marriage in California.

Condolences pour in for Reiner

California Governor Gavin Newsom posted a statement on X saying that was “heartbroken” by the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner.

“Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity,” Newsom said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said Reiner’s death was a “devastating loss.”

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” Bass said.

Actor John Cusack, who was the male lead in Reiner’s film “The Sure Thing,” called the director a “great man.” 

“Shocked by the death of Rob Reiner – a great man,” he said.

Edited by: Rana Taha

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Actor and filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife Michele were discovered dead inside their home in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon, according to law enforcement officials.

The city fire department said the bodies of a 68-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man were found in the home on Chadbourne Avenue in the Brentwood neighborhood.

The identities of the victims were not initially confirmed, but a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation told the Associated Press that they were Reiner and his wife.

Investigators believe they suffered stab wounds and a family member is being questioned by investigators. The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

A spokesperson for the Reiner family told CNN late Sunday that Michele and Rob Reiner have died.

“It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner. We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Los Angeles Police Department deputy chief Alan Hamilton told a press conference that the investigation was being handled by the LAPD’s robbery homicide division, that it would take place through the night and “continue over the coming days”.

Hamilton said the police are not seeking anyone as a suspect or a person of interest in the case until they’ve moved forward in the investigation.

He declined to confirm the identities of the two people found dead, saying that information would come from the city’s county coroner.

He added that investigators are waiting for a warrant to search the home.

“We’re waiting for the legal process to move forward. We have to obtain a search warrant for the residence. Once that is complied with, we will be conducting a full crime scene investigation on the interior and exterior of the residence and the surrounding neighborhood.”

Paramedics were dispatched to the residence at roughly 3:30 p.m., and Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived minutes later for an “ambulance death investigation.”

A sizable police presence was observed outside the home Sunday evening. Neighbors told NBC News that Reiner and his wife lived together in the home, and property records confirmed that they own the property.

Reiner, 78, has directed films including When Harry Met Sally and Misery (Getty Images for SiriusXM)

A spokesperson for the Los Angeles Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent.

Reiner was an American actor, film director, writer and liberal activist. He directed such films as When Harry Met Sally, A Few Good Men, The Princess Bride and Misery.

He first rose to prominence after playing Mike “Meathead” Stivic on the CBS series All in the Family, a role that garnered him multiple Emmy Awards.

The son of comedy legend Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was married to photographer Michele Singer Reiner since 1989. The two met while he was directing When Harry Met Sally and had three children together.

Reiner was previously married to actor-director Penny Marshall from 1971 to 1981. He adopted her daughter, Tracy Reiner. Carl Reiner died in 2020 at age 98 and Marshall died in 2018.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement that it was “a devastating loss for our city and our country”.

“Rob Reiner’s contributions reverberate throughout American culture and society, and he has improved countless lives through his creative work and advocacy fighting for social and economic justice,” she said, according to ABC7 Los Angeles.

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Rob Reiner, the actor and director who was known for his role on All in the Family and for directing classic films including When Harry Met Sally, Stand by Me and An American President, was found dead at age 78 alongside his wife Michele, 68. Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that they were killed by their son Nick, and their bodies were found by their daughter Romy.

Reiner, the son of comedy legend Carl Reiner and his wife Estelle, grew up on the set of his dad’s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show and then got his breakout role on another classic sitcom, All in the Family. After several years playing Meathead, he wanted to try directing instead, and launched his career with the instant classic mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. A string of hits followed, including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men.

He met wife Michele while filming When Harry Met Sally… and was a father to four. Look back at Rob Reiner’s life and career in photos.

Rob Reiner’s Childhood

Seth Poppel/Yearbook Library

Rob Reiner was born on March 6, 1947, in the Bronx, New York, to comedian Carl Reiner and his wife, singer and actress Estelle. They lived there until Reiner was 13, at which point they moved to Los Angeles thanks to his father’s work in Hollywood. Reiner (seen here in his senior yearbook in 1964) attended Beverly Hills High School alongside Richard Dreyfuss, Bonnie Franklin and Albert Brooks.

Rob Reiner’s Early Days in Hollywood

CBS via Getty

Here, a young Rob Reiner joins his father Carl on the set of The Dick Van Dyke Show in 1965. He had small roles on TV and in films for several years, and worked as a writer (alongside Steve Martin) on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, before becoming a full-time actor.

Rob Reiner’s Breakout Role

CBS via Getty

Reiner was cast in the Norman Lear sitcom All in the Family playing Mike, Archie Bunker’s son-in-law not-so-fondly referred to as “Meathead.” The role earned him two Emmy Awards, in 1974 and 1978.

Rob Reiner with his Emmy alongside Julie Kavner (who won for Rhoda) in 1978.

AP Photo

Rob Reiner on ‘All in the Family’

Art Zelin/Getty 

Reiner and costar Sally Struthers shared a silly moment backstage as dad Carl looked on.

Rob Reiner’s First Marriage to Penny Marshall

Art Zelin/Getty

Rob Reiner and Penny Marshall were married from 1971 to 1981, during which time he adopted her daughter Tracy from a previous marriage. The two had grown up near one another in the Bronx, but didn’t meet until they began acting years later.

After Marshall’s death in 2018, Reiner said,  “I grew up with her. She was born with a great gift. She was born with a funnybone and the instinct of how to use it. I was very lucky to have lived with her and her funnybone. I will miss her.”

Rob Reiner with His Parents Carl and Estelle

Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Though Carl’s success was the one Reiner emulated, Estelle had one of the most indelible comedic moments ever committed to film with her line “I’ll have what she’s having” in his film When Harry Met Sally…. He’s pictured with his parents in 1978.

Rob Reiner’s Directorial Debut

Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock 

Reiner was looking to distinguish himself from his “Meathead” character, and did so by directing This Is Spinal Tap, the 1984 film starring Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer that followed the fictional washed-up band Spinal Tap as they attempted to stage a comeback tour. It was a massive hit, and Reiner was particularly pleased that he shared cinematic success with his father, whose film All of Me also made many “best of” lists.

“I said, ‘Dad, has it ever been where there’s been a father and a son both have films in the top 10 in one year?’ I didn’t ever remember it,” Rob recalled to PEOPLE. “And we looked it up – nobody could remember! So we took out an ad. We were both very proud of each other, to be able to be thought of in the same way.”

Rob Reiner Directs ‘Stand By Me’

Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock

Reiner then went on an incredible streak in the 1980s, directing one instant classic after another including The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally … and Stand by Me (pictured). Cast member Wil Wheaton recently told PEOPLE about how he and his castmates, then all young unknown actors, were guided by Reiner.

“Even as an adult, I have worked on sets where the director, for whatever reason, just gives you the feeling that you don’t deserve to be there. [Like,] ‘You’re lucky to be there, and just shut up and do the thing.’ Rob never did that,” he said. “Even though we were little kids, Rob pointed us in the right direction. And he had cast four kids who absolutely were our characters in extremely meaningful ways, and he let us just live, and exist and relate naturally and honestly.”

Rob Reiner Meets His Wife

Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

The ending of When Harry Met Sally… was initially very different: The main characters went their separate ways at the end. But meeting wife Michele Singer (pictured here with Reiner in 2014) while directing the film changed his outlook — and the ending.

“Because I had been married for 10 years, I’d been single for 10 years and I couldn’t figure out how I was ever going to be with anybody that gave birth to When Harry Met Sally,” he said on CNN. “I met my wife Michele, who I’ve been married to now 35 years, I met her while we were making the film, and I changed the ending.”

Rob Reiner As a Dad

Broadimage/Shutterstock

Reiner and Michele welcomed three more children together in the ’90s: Sons Nick and Jake and daughter Romy.

Reiner was a proud parent, and was inspired by his experience to become an advocate for early childhood eduction and universal preschool. In recent years, he spoke to The Guardian about how his own relationship with his superstar father was both inspirational and complicated when it came to his career, and he saw the same for his own kids.

“My son is 32 and my daughter’s 26. They both want careers, they’re both talented. Should I lean into it? Should I back away from it? They’re confused. I said, once they find their own path, it won’t matter. I was very conscious when I was carrying out my career that I didn’t rely on [my dad]. I didn’t ask him for money, and if you know in your heart that what you’re doing is true, you can block out all that stuff.”

Rob Reiner Directs His Son’s Film

Rommel Demano/Getty 

Reiner’s son Nick co-wrote a 2016 film, Being Charlie, loosely based on his own experience with drug addiction starting at age 15. It follows the story of a troubled son whose dad is a former actor running for governor, and in an interview with PEOPLE at the time, Nick said that his struggles with homelessness and rehab helped inform the script.

Said Reiner at the time, “it forced us to look at what each other was going through. Anytime you get an insight into what somebody else is experiencing, it makes you understand them more. And if it’s a father-son, a child and a parent, it makes the relationship better. Our relationship is better now than it was, and it’s got places to go.”

Rob Reiner’s Film Career

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty

Rob Reiner (pictured getting his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999) worked steadily throughout the ’90s and ’00s on hits including A Few Good Men and The American President, as well as more sentimental films such as The Bucket List and North (which earned one of the most famous Roger Ebert pans of all time). Several of his films earned Oscar nominations, with Kathy Bates winning Best Actress for her work in Misery.

“You start and all you want to do is make a story and you just have to think: I’ll make it and then somebody will either like it or they won’t like it. And you have no control over that,” he said of his filmmaking career.

Rob Reiner’s Recent Work

FOX Image Collection via Getty

After years of directing, Reiner returned to acting — often playing himself, but notably taking a role as the dad of Jess Day (played by Zooey Deschanel) in New Girl from 2012-2018.

Rob Reiner’s Recent Years

Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock

Reiner released Spinal Tap II: The End Continues in September 2025, and spoke to PEOPLE at the time about why the time was right to revisit the film.

“It was like falling back into something that was very familiar,” he said. “We’ve all known each other even more than 40 years: you pick up where you left off, you just fall right back into it. And we don’t talk as fast as we used to, but our brains are still sharp and we start making each other laugh, and then you’re off to the races again.”

He also had a role on The Bear in 2025, and continued his activist work, including speaking up frequently against President Trump’s policies, particularly those regarding the media.

He was accompanied at the Spinal Tap II premiere by his entire family, including Nick, Jake and Romy. And he retained his sense of humor even when looking back at his legacy. As he once told The New York Times, “I could win the Nobel Prize, and the headline would read, ‘Meathead Wins Nobel.’ ”

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The actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer, were found dead inside their Los Angeles home on Sunday in what police are investigating as a double homicide. 

Law enforcement sources have said the couple’s bodies were discovered with what appeared to be knife wounds. 

‘It is with profound sorrow that we announce the tragic passing of Michele and Rob Reiner,’ a family spokesperson said in a statement. ‘We are heartbroken by this sudden loss, and we ask for privacy during this unbelievably difficult time.’ 

The couple met while working on the hit romantic comedy When Harry Met Sally and went on to have three children: Jake, born in 1991; Nick, born in 1993; and actress Romy, born in 1997. 

Reiner, 78, also adopted another daughter, Tracy Reiner, with his ex-wife Penny Marshall. 

Tracy and Romy followed in their father’s footsteps, going on to be actresses themselves, with Romy’s IMDB page also describing her as a producer and writer, whose credits include You People and Voices.

Jake Reiner, though, went a different path and is a news reporter in Houston, Texas.

‘I just had a different passion, the passion for news and I found it at Syracuse University,’ he told the Houston Chronicle in 2016. 

Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer were found stabbed to death at their Los Angeles home on Sunday. They are pictured together in 2000

Michele and Rob Reiner are pictured with their children, Nicholas Reiner, Romy Reiner, Jake Reiner in 2014

Nicholas Reiner is pictured attending the AOL Build Speaker Series in 2016

‘I didn’t get into journalism to avoid being compared to my father,’ he continued. ‘Think about it, my dad followed in his dad’s footsteps.’

Reiner was born in the Bronx to Estelle and noted writer, director and comedian Carl Reiner, who was known for creating The Dick Van Dyke Show.

He soon followed in his father’s footsteps, attending the University of California Los Angeles Film School and getting some minor roles on shows like The Andy Griffith Show, The Partridge Family and Batman in the late 1960s.

The 78-year-old had gained international fame for the critically-acclaimed films he has directed over the years – including The Sure Thing in 1985, The Princess Bride in 1987, When Harry Met Sally in 1989, American President in 1995 and A Few Good Men in 1992, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

Over the course of his career, Reiner earned four nominations for Golden Globe for Best Director and three Directors Guild of America Awards.

In more recent years, Reiner has become an activist for liberal causes. 

Reiner is pictured with his father at a hand and footprint ceremony in 2017

Reiner was previously married to Penny Marshall. They are pictured here together in 1970

Rob Reiner and Michele Singer are pictured in September 

Reiner also began his writing career alongside Steve Martin on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in the late 1960s, before becoming nationally-known for playing Michael Stivic, Archie Bunker’s liberal son-in-law on All in the Family – which was the most watched television program from 1971 through 1976. 

He was chosen for the role over actors like Richard Dreyfuss and Harrison Ford. It seemed the producers made the right call – as Reiner wound up winning two Emmy Awards and five Golden Globe nominations for his work on the show.

He also acted in films such as Sleepless in Seattle, the First Wives Club and the Wolf of Wall Street. 

Soon, Reiner started working on the big screen as a writer, director and co-star in the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap in 1984. 

In the decade that followed, Reiner had a number of box-office hits, including Stand By Me, Misery, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride. 

By 1987, Reiner co-founded his own production company, Castle Rock Entertainment, which released several of his films, including In the Line of Fire and Malice before it was acquired by Turner Broadcasting in 1993. 

Reiner started out as an actor, earning national prominence with the role of Mike Stivic on All in the Family. He is pictured here in that role along with actress Sally Struther, his wife on the show

Among Reiner’s many hits is the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally

But in more recent years, Reiner had only occasional hits like The Bucket List, starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman.

Still, Reiner defended his films.

‘I’m making the movies I want to make,’ he told the Guardian in 2008. 

‘Studios are looking for hundreds and hundreds of million dollars in profit, and you’re not going to get it with a little movie,’ Reiner explained.

‘But I came into this business to express myself and tell stories, not just churn out a product.’ 

At the same time, Reiner has become more politically active as an ardent supporter for Democratic candidates and an outspoken supporter of liberal causes.

He was also a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, even announcing in 2021 that he was working on a 10 to 13-episode television project covering Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.

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The Met Office has warned of heavy rain today leading to travel disruption and flooding – which could cause damage to buildings, power cuts and ‘danger to life’

(Image: Geoffrey Swaine/Shutterstock)

The Met Office has urged Brits in 15 areas to prepare an “emergency” kit ahead of heavy rainfall due to sweep parts of the UK today.

An amber weather warning is in place from 4am this morning until 9pm tonight for south Wales, as heavy rain could lead to travel disruption and flooding in some areas. With around 100mm of rain expected the Met Office issued some important advice for residents in the area.

The weather conditions are likely to cause flooding to homes and businesses and delays or cancellations to train and bus services. The heavy rain expected can make driving difficult and result in some road closures.

The Met Office has issued a “danger to life” rain weather warning (Image: PA)

READ MORE: Man and woman ‘found dead’ in legendary filmmaker Rob Reiner’s mansion

READ MORE: Bondi Beach shooting: Police issue major condition update on alleged shooter

The Met Office said there is “a good chance some communities will be cut off by flooded roads” and could experience power cuts. There is also a ‘danger to life’ wanring in place due to the likelihood of fast flowing or deep floodwater.

A message on the Met Office website reads: “Heavy rain is expected across parts of south and southwest Wales during Monday. 50-80 mm of rain is likely to fall quite widely with some places seeing close to 100 mm. Given the recent wet weather and saturated ground, the likelihood of impacts is higher.”

The Met office has urged Brits to prepare a ‘flood kit’ which includes specific items which could save you from loss or damage due to flooding to your home or business. Floodwater can cause catastrophic damage to properties and can end up costing thousands in repairs in severe cases.

Flooding in York after the River Ouse burst its banks. December 9(Image: Charley Atkins / SWNS)

The specific items needed for a flood kit:

• In your flood kit have: insurance and any other important documents; a torch & spare batteries; a first aid kit, prescription medicines and supplies for looking after your family members or pets; and warm, waterproof clothes, blankets, food and water.

Regions and local authorities affected:

Wales

• Blaenau Gwent
• Bridgend
• Caerphilly
• Cardiff
• Carmarthenshire
• Merthyr Tydfil
• Monmouthshire
• Neath Port Talbot
• Newport
• Pembrokeshire
• Powys
• Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Swansea
• Torfaen
• Vale of Glamorgan

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At Bondi Beach, the site of a celebration is now a memorial to a siege, where Jewish people came under attack. 

Muadhi Slaven is clearly still processing what he saw. He speaks softly and thoughtfully as he recalls the harrowing scenes that unfolded in the middle of a Hanukkah celebration he was attending with friends.

“When the shots started, I didn’t know what was happening. It was really loud bangs and my friend turned to me and said, ‘don’t look and after that we just ran for our lives. It was utter panic and chaos. Mums grabbing their kids, dads running. Old people tripping over each other. Just panic.”

Bondi Beach shooting latest updates

Image:
Muadhi Slaven

Among those killed was Mr Slaven’s friend, Eli Schlanger, a London-born rabbi and father of five.

“He was a great person, a father, a husband, an introvert, great one-on-one and whenever I saw him he would smile,” Mr Slaven told me. He fears other friends were killed too.

On a poster close to where he died, there’s an image of Rabbi Schlanger with his own words next to it: “In the fight against antisemitism, the way forward is to be more Jewish, and appear more Jewish.”

It’s a sentiment shared by his friend, Mr Slaven. “I’ll continue walking around being a visible Jew and it won’t stop me,” he says quietly but defiantly.

Minutes before he fled for his life, he described a joyous scene. “There were hot dog stands, rock climbing, candy floss, little kids running around. People with their families, schmoozing, chatting with friends, having a good time.” But he couldn’t sleep last night – nightmares of the horror that followed replaying in his mind.

At Bondi Beach, there is a stillness now and there was an almost instant show of solidarity – people from all walks of life coming to pay their respects, the Israeli flag flying proudly alongside the Australian one. There’s been song, prayer, silence.

Read more: What we know so far

Mass shootings are rare in Australia because of the country’s strict gun laws. But already, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has committed to discussing more restrictions.

But at the core, this isn’t about weapons. It’s about attitudes, about hatred and about people’s right to exist safely. This event didn’t happen in isolation. There has been a rise in antisemitic attacks and Australia must quickly confront not only how to heal, but critically how to protect Jewish people, who right now feel very vulnerable.

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The High Court of Hong Kong has convicted pro-democracy activist and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai on three charges related to accusations that he undermined China’s national security, as part of a widely scrutinised trial.

Lai now faces the possibility of a life sentence in prison.

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On Monday morning, a panel of three judges found Lai, 78, guilty of two counts of conspiring with foreign forces to threaten national security and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious material.

Lai had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. He has been in detention since December 2020, when he was arrested in the midst of a series of antigovernment protests that gripped Hong Kong.

The case has been seen as a test of Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” principle, which was established after the former British colony was returned to China in 1997.

The principle affirmed that Hong Kong was part of China, but in theory, it allowed the territory to retain its own governance and administrative structure, separate from Beijing.

But activists say that autonomy has been threatened in recent years, as China seeks to assert greater control over Hong Kong. The territory, once seen as a beacon of free speech in Southeast Asia, has seen its protesters, journalists and publishers targeted for arrest and prosecution in recent years.

On Monday, Judge Esther Toh accused Lai of making “constant invitations” to the United States to take action against the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its ruling Communist Party.

She and her fellow judges, Alex Lee and Susana D’Almada Remedios, issued an 855-page verdict in the case, which described Lai as the “mastermind” of a criminal conspiracy.

“There is no doubt that the first defendant had harboured his resentment and hatred of the PRC for many of his adult years,” Toh told Monday’s packed courtroom.

Human rights groups and media advocacy organisations quickly slammed the verdict as a miscarriage of justice.

“We are outraged that Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s symbol of press freedom, has been found guilty on trumped-up national security charges,” Thibaut Bruttin, the general director of Reporters Without Borders, said in a statement.

“This unlawful conviction only demonstrates the alarming deterioration of media freedom in the territory,” he added.

“Make no mistake: it is not an individual who has been on trial – it is press freedom itself, and with this verdict, that has been shattered.”

Another free-speech organisation, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), also denounced Lai’s conviction, calling it an act of “persecution”.

“The ruling underscores Hong Kong’s utter contempt for press freedom, which is supposed to be protected under the city’s mini-constitution, the Basic Law,” Beh Lih Yi, the group’s Asia-Pacific director, said.

“Jimmy Lai’s only crime is running a newspaper and defending democracy.”

Lai is set to reappear in court on January 12 for a pre-sentencing hearing. It is not yet clear whether he will seek to appeal Monday’s verdict.

The trial against him stretched for 156 days. Lai himself testified for 52 days, arguing that he had not called on the US to impose sanctions or other economic penalties on China, as the prosecution alleged.

The charges he faced came under the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law, a far-reaching piece of legislation enacted in the midst of the pro-democracy protests of 2019 and 2020.

The law imposed steep penalties for actions deemed to be “subversion” or “secession”, effectively criminalising Hong Kong’s pro-independence movement, as well as any criticisms of the Chinese Communist Party.

As an outspoken critic of the government in Beijing, Lai was quickly charged under the newly imposed law.

His publication, the Apple Daily, published its first edition in 1995, and it became known as Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy newspaper.

During Lai’s trial, prosecutors presented 161 articles from the newspaper as evidence.

In August 2020, less than two months after the national security law came into effect, Lai was arrested for the first time, then released. He was arrested again in December, only to be released and re-arrested a third time. He has remained in custody ever since.

By May 2021, authorities had frozen Apple Daily’s assets. And in June of that year, five Apple Daily executives, including its editor-in-chief, were taken into custody amid a police raid on the newspaper’s headquarters.

The newspaper printed its final edition that month.

Lai’s defence team and family have repeatedly petitioned Hong Kong’s High Court for leniency, citing Lai’s age and health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure.

World leaders like US President Donald Trump have previously called for Lai’s release.

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Flash floods from torrential rains have killed at least 21 people in Morocco’s coastal town of Safi.

What do we know about the flooding in Morocco?

An hour of heavy rain on Sunday triggered a deluge of muddy water which inundated dozens of homes and shops, swept away cars and severed access to many roads in the Atlantic coastal city, located around 300 kilometres (186 miles) south of the capital Rabat.

Authorities reported that some 32 people were injured in the floods, most of whom have been discharged from the hospital.

At least 70 homes and businesses in the Safi old city were flooded.

The water levels decreased by Sunday evening as rescue personnel continued  a search for other possible casualties.

Meanwhile, the weather service has predicted more heavy downpour on Tuesday across the North African country.

Morocco is witnessing heavy rain and snowfall on the Atlas mountains after seven consecutive years of a severe drought  left some of the nation’s major reservoirs parched.

Fishing for clouds

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Edited by: Rana Taha

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Person of interest came from FBI tip, police say

Colonel Oscar L. Perez said the FBI acted on a tip to track down the person of interest.

“There was a tip that came in specifically identifying a person of interest, which was this individual,” he told reporters Sunday.

“Our detectives got on it but this specific one was actually picked up by the FBI … They ended up locating this individual of interest,” he added.

“At that point, we did a thorough investigation … drafted some search warrants, came up with some evidence,” Perez said.

But “we didn’t have enough to prosecute anybody so that person was released,” he said.

Alex Woodward15 December 2025 04:55

They survived school shootings. Now these Brown students are angry and in shock after university killings

For two Brown University students, receiving a campus-wide emergency text message of an active shooter triggered memories of school shootings they experienced as children.

Ariana Baio15 December 2025 04:45

Rhode Island Attorney General: ‘Obviously we have a murderer out there’

As officials acknowledged a massive blow to the Brown University, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha told reporters Sunday that “sometimes you head in one direction, and then you have to regroup and go in another, and that’s exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so.

“Obviously we have a murderer out there, frankly, and so we’re not going to give away the game plan,” he said.

Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said the news of the release of a person of interest — with no suspect in hand — is “likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community.

“We believe that you remain safe in our community,” he added.

Alex Woodward15 December 2025 04:40

Breaking: Manhunt continues as person of interest to be released

The person of interest in the Brown University shooting is being released, according to the mayor of Providence.

“I once again encourage anyone who thinks that they might have relevant information to assist with our ongoing investigation,” Mayor Brett Smiley said in a hastily arranged news briefing Sunday night.

Law enforcement officials said “evidence now points in a different direction.”

The manhunt continues for a suspect who killed two people and injured nine others more than 30 hours after the attack.

Alex Woodward15 December 2025 04:22

Victim named in mass shooting attack was from Alabama, church says

Cathedral Church of the Advent in downtown Birmingham said one of its parishioners, Ella Cook, was killed in Saturday’s attack.

“Heartbroken tonight over the news that Ella Cook from Birmingham was killed in yesterday’s shooting at Brown University,” Alabama Rep. Terry Sewell wrote, sharing new

“My prayers are with her family and loved ones,” she said.

Alex Woodward15 December 2025 04:15

Democratic senator says Trump Trump launched ‘dizzying campaign’ of violence after Brown shooting

Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy told CNN’s Dana Bash on State of the Union that the president’s rhetoric and actions since returning to the White House made violence “more likely” in America.

“He has been engaged in a pretty deliberate campaign to try to make violence more likely in this country, and I think you’re unfortunately going to see the results of that on the streets of America,” Murphy said.

Brendan Rascius15 December 2025 03:44

‘Person of interest’ in the Brown University mass shooting was detained on Sunday

A “person of interest” in the Brown University mass shooting was detained at hotel in Coventry, Rhode Island, early Sunday morning, officials said.

“The people of Providence should breathe a little easier this morning,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said at a Sunday press conference.

Graig Graziosi reports…

Brendan Rascius15 December 2025 03:02

Rhode Island officials say investigation into Brown University shooting remains ‘active and ongoing’

Providence officials announced on Sunday evening that the investigation into the mass shooting at Brown University “remains active and ongoing.”

More information will be provided as officials obtain “a clearer and more complete picture of the circumstances involved,” Providence Chief Public Information Officer for Public Safety Kristy DosReis said in statement released at 7:58 p.m.

Brendan Rascius15 December 2025 02:35

Brown student aided shot classmate ‘to keep them from bleeding out’

Amith Chintalapati, a junior at Brown University, told NBC News that he was walking on campus yesterday when he saw victims of the mass shooting on the street.

“I saw some people huddled on the ground, and I realized that two people got shot and had made their way to the street, and people were applying pressure and trying to keep them from bleeding out,” he told the outlet on Sunday.

He said one of the victims was a classmate of his and that he rushed to assist.

“I just kept telling him he was OK and to breathe and just wait for the EMTs to arrive,” Chintalapati said.

Soon after, police arrived and instructed him to take shelter. He hid out in a dorm room for about eight hours and was informed around midnight that his classmate was in stable condition in the hospital.

Brendan Rascius15 December 2025 02:03

Federal agents visited Wisconsin home tied to person of interest in Brown University shooting

Federal agents were observed at a home tied to Benjamin Erickson, a 24-year-old Wisconsin man, who is a person of interest in the mass shooting at Brown University, according to the Providence Journal.

Agents were seen at the home, located in Cedarburg, around 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Brendan Rascius15 December 2025 01:05

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NEED TO KNOW

• Both Billy Crystal and Larry David were at the home of Rob Reiner shortly after reports of his death
• Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home on Sunday, Dec. 14
• He collaborated with Crystal on projects including When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride, and made an appearance on David’s hit HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm

Billy Crystal and Larry David were at the home of Rob Reiner shortly after reports of his death in an apparent homicide, PEOPLE confirms.

A source has conformed to PEOPLE that that actors Crystal, 77, and Larry David, 78, arrived separately at the home on the night of Sunday, Dec. 14.

Crystal, 77, and David, 78, were seen at the Brentwood, Calif., home of Reiner on Sunday, Dec. 14 after the news broke that both Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their home. Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that the couple was killed by their son, Nick.

Crystal “looked like he was about to cry,” a neighbor told ABC 7 Los Angeles.

Reiner collaborated with Crystal on projects including When Harry Met Sally, This Is Spinal Tap and The Princess Bride. He also made an appearance on David’s hit HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm.

Rob Reiner and Billy Crystal at the premiere of “Spinal Tap II: The End Continues” on September 9, 2025.

Kevin Winter/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty

On Sunday at about 3:30 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) was called to a home in the city’s Brentwood neighborhood to provide medical aid, the LAFD told PEOPLE. Upon arrival, they found a man, 78, and a woman, 68, dead. Sources confirm the victims were Rob and Michele, and others told PEOPLE that they were first found dead by their daughter, Romy.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Rob Reiner and Larry David in 2019.

Jon Kopaloff/Getty

Reiner is a director, producer and actor whose career includes some of Hollywood’s most beloved films — from his 1984 directorial debut, This Is Spinal Tap, to Stand by Me (1986), The Princess Bride (1987), When Harry Met Sally… (1989), Misery (1990) and A Few Good Men (1992).

He rose to fame for his role as Mike on the Norman Lear sitcom All in the Family.

Rob and Michele met when Rob directed When Harry Met Sally, and the couple married in 1989 before having three children. Previously, Rob was married to the late Penny Marshall, who died in 2018 at age 75 of complications from diabetes.

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