At least six suspected ISIL fighters and three Turkish police officers were killed in a shootout after police raided a home in northwestern Turkiye. It was part of a massive security sweep across several Turkish provinces targeting alleged hiding spots for ISIL operatives.
Published On 29 Dec 202529 Dec 2025
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A shootout ensues after police raid a home in northwestern Yalova province, local media reports say.
Published On 29 Dec 202529 Dec 2025
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Seven Turkish police officers have been wounded in a shootout during an operation against alleged ISIL (ISIS) fighters, local media report.
Broadcaster TRT Haber reported that police carried out a raid at a home in Yalova province’s Elmalik village, located south of Istanbul, when fire was exchanged on Sunday.
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The officers were not seriously injured, the broadcaster reported. It was not immediately clear whether any suspects were wounded or arrested.
Special forces from nearby Bursa province joined the operation to provide support, including enacting ongoing security measures in the area.
Locals and vehicles were not allowed into the area surrounding the targeted home, the broadcaster said, while the Yalova governorate also suspended classes at five nearby schools.
On Thursday, Turkish authorities said they had conducted raids on 124 locations and apprehended 115 ISIL suspects.
Police had received intelligence that operatives were “planning attacks in Turkiye against non-Muslims in particular” during the holiday period, the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office said.
The United States military also carried out extensive strikes against ISIL in neighbouring central and northeastern Syria earlier this month, hitting more than 70 targets. The strikes came a week after two US soldiers and an interpreter were killed in an attack in the Syrian city of Palmyra.
Turkiye, which shares a border with Syria, has expanded its efforts against ISIL in recent years. Turkish authorities say some ISIL operatives relocated to the country in 2019 after the group was vanquished in the parts of Iraq and Syria it then controlled.
Previous raids in March had led to the capture of nearly 300 suspected ISIL members across 47 provinces over two weeks.
Between 2013 and 2023, authorities arrested more than 19,000 people for suspected affiliations with the group, according to the Turkish presidency.
A man carrying 55 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in gift-wrapped boxes was arrested for drug trafficking near Louisville, Ky., on Monday. File Photo by Justin Lane/EPA-EFE
Dec. 27 (UPI) — A Nebraska man was arrested near Louisville, Ky., when police found 55 pounds of suspected methamphetamine in Christmas wrapping inside his vehicle’s trunk on Monday.
Jeffersontown Police Department officers arrested Jacob Talamantes, 23, while he was at a shopping center near the Bluegrass Parkway after a police dog detected drugs in his 2013 Chevrolet Malibu.
Police officers searched his vehicle and found the meth in gift-wrapped boxes inside the trunk and arrested him.
“No amount of festive wrapping can disguise the harm these drugs inflict on families and communities,” JPD Chief Richard Sanders said in a news release.
“The coordinated efforts of partner agencies ensured these holiday-wrapped packages never reached the streets,” Sanders said.
The police were conducting a drug investigation at the shopping center when the dog alerted them to the drugs when Talamantes arrived in the vehicle, WLWT reported.
He tried to walk away from the police, but they detained him.
Talamantes told officers he was driving from Iowa and intended to traffic the drugs, and he was arrested and charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance.
The Drug Enforcement Agency and Kentucky State Police assisted with the arrest and are helping with the investigation into the matter.
Jeffersontown is located about 15 miles southeast of Louisville.
Istanbul officials on Thursday announced they detained 115 suspected members of ISIS who were planning terror attacks in Turkey aimed at mostly non-Muslim people at Christmas and New Year events, such as the Christmas mass at Saint Antuan Church pictured in 2022. File Photo by Erdem Sahin/EPA
Dec. 25 (UPI) — Police in Turkey detained 115 people on Thursday suspected of planning to stage terror attacks at Christmas and New Year’s Day celebrations in the country.
The Istanbul Provincial Police Department, on instruction from the city’s Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, carried out 124 raids targeting 137 suspected members of ISIS, officials said in a press release.
“These suspects were identified as being in contact with conflict zones within the scope of terrorist organization activities,” the prosecutor’s office said in a press release posted to X.
The suspects, prosecutors said, were “planning attacks and issuing calls for action targeting our country — specifically aimed at non-Muslim individuals — within the context of upcoming Christmas and New Year events.”
Officials apprehended 115 of the 137 suspects and seized pistols, cartridges and “numerous organization documents” during the raids.
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization had earlier captured what it said is a senior ISIS figure who is suspected of being sent to carry out a suicide attack in Turkey, the Daily Sabah reported.
Other ISIS operators had as a result been investigated in Turkey after spending time in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region where they trained and planned for potential security attacks, according to Turkish intelligence figures.
Turkey, which shares a border with Syria, where ISIS continues to operate, has worked with Syria’s new president, as well as officials in the United States and Europe, to investigate and root what is left of the terrorist group, the BBC reported.
Interior Ministry says the raid killed Mohammed Shahadeh, describing him as one of ISIL’s senior commanders in Syria.
Published On 25 Dec 202525 Dec 2025
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Syrian authorities say security forces have carried out a second operation against ISIL (ISIS) fighters near Damascus, killing a senior figure described as the group’s governor of Hauran.
In a statement on Thursday, the Ministry of Interior said the raid killed Mohammed Shahadeh, also known as Abu Omar Shaddad, calling him one of ISIL’s senior commanders in Syria and a direct threat to local security.
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Officials said the operation followed verified intelligence and extensive surveillance and was carried out by specialised units, operating in the Damascus countryside, that conducted a targeted raid in the town of al-Buweida, near Qatana, southwest of the capital.
The operation also involved the General Intelligence Directorate and took place in coordination with international coalition forces, the ministry said.
The announcement came a day after Syrian internal security forces arrested another senior ISIL figure in a separate operation near Damascus, according to the state-run SANA news agency.
SANA reported that forces arrested Taha al-Zoubi during what it described as a “tightly executed security operation” in the Damascus countryside. The agency said officers seized “a suicide belt and a military weapon” during the arrest.
Brigadier General Ahmad al-Dalati, head of internal security in the Damascus countryside, told SANA that the raid targeted an ISIL hideout in Maadamiya, southwest of the capital.
ISIL, which considers the current authorities in Damascus illegitimate, has largely focused its remaining operations on Kurdish-led forces in northern Syria.
At the height of its power, the armed group controlled vast areas of Iraq and Syria, declaring Raqqa its capital.
Although ISIL suffered military defeat in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria two years later, its cells continue to carry out attacks in the region and beyond, including in parts of Africa and Afghanistan.
Three people – including two police officers – have been killed in an explosion in Moscow, Russian authorities have said.
Two traffic police officers saw a “suspicious individual” near a police car on the city’s Yeletskaya Street, and when they approached the suspect to detain him, an explosive device was detonated, Russia’s Investigative Committee has said.
Reports in Russia say the third person killed was the suspect, but this has not been officially confirmed.
The blast took place close to the location where a senior Russian general was killed in a car bombing in the capital on Monday. Lt Gen Fanil Sarvarov died after an explosive device – which had been planted under a car – was detonated.
Investigate Committee spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement on Telegram that a criminal case was being investigated in Moscow “regarding an attempt on the lives of traffic police officers”.
The officers have been named by Russian media as Ilya Klimanov, 24, and Maxim Gorbunov, 25.
Sources in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, HUR, told the BBC that a local resident, eliminated two representatives of the Russian law enforcement agency, “as a sign of disagreement with the Kremlin’s aggressive policy” and said that a man “threw an explosive package through the car window, causing an explosion”.
According to the HUR sources, two other people were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
Ukrainian military sources also told the BBC on Wednesday that the two officers killed had “participated in hostilities against Ukraine,” and added there was “evidence of their involvement in the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war”.
There are no details and Moscow has not commented.
Speaking to Reuters news agency, Alexander, a resident who lives close by, said: “There was an explosion.
“It was loud bang – like with the car a few days ago.”
Russia said it suspected Ukraine was behind Monday’s explosion, without providing any evidence.
However Ukraine has not said whether it was involved in Fanil Sarvarov’s death.
It is also not known whether the two explosions are linked.
Sarvarov, 56, was the head of the armed forces’ operational training department.
He was the third military official to have been killed in bomb attacks in the Russian capital over the last year.
Palestinian, Jewish and Indigenous groups say they will launch constitutional challenge to anti-protest laws described as ‘rushed’.
The state of New South Wales (NSW) will have the toughest gun laws in Australia as well as wide-reaching new restrictions on free speech in the wake of the Bondi Beach mass shooting, which left 15 people dead.
Less than two weeks after the attack on a Jewish celebration, new legislation was passed by the state’s legislative assembly in the early hours of Wednesday morning, including restrictions that appear to target speech in solidarity with Palestinians.
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Notably, the Terrorism and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 gives police powers to restrict public protests for up to three months “following a terrorism declaration”, while the public display of symbols of prohibited organisations will be banned.
“Once a declaration is made, no public assemblies can be authorised in designated areas, including by a court and police will be able to move people on if their behaviour or presence obstructs traffic or causes fear, harassment or intimidation,” the NSW government said in a statement.
In the statement, NSW Premier Chris Minns and other top officials said that the sweeping changes would involve a review of “hate speech” and the words “globalise the Intifada” were singled out as an example of speech that will be banned. The term is often used in solidarity with Palestinians and their civil struggle against Israeli military occupation and illegal settlement expansion, dating back to the 1980s.
Minns acknowledged that the new laws involved “very significant changes that not everyone will agree with” but he added, “our state has changed following the horrific anti-Semitic attack on Bondi Beach and our laws must change too.”
He also said that new gun laws, which restrict certain types of guns to use by farmers, would also help to “calm a combustible situation”.
Three NSW-based pro-Palestinian, Indigenous and Jewish advocacy groups said on Tuesday, before the final vote on the legislation, that they would be “filing a constitutional legal challenge against the draconian anti-protest laws”.
Palestine Action Group Sydney said in a statement shared on Facebook that it was launching the challenge together with the Indigenous group Blak Caucus and Jews Against the Occupation ’48.
“These outrageous laws will grant NSW Police sweeping powers to effectively ban protests,” the Palestinian advocacy group said, accusing the NSW government of “exploiting the horrific Bondi attack to advance a political agenda that suppresses political dissent and criticism of Israel, and curtails democratic freedoms”.
Changes to the state’s protest laws also come just months after more than 100,000 people marched over the Sydney Harbour Bridge in protest against Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, after a court overturned an attempt by the Minns government to try to stop the peaceful protest from taking place.
Following the huge display of public support for ending Israel’s war on Gaza, Australia joined more than 145 other UN member states in recognising Palestinian statehood at the United Nations in September this year, much to the outrage of Israeli officials.
Within hours of the Bondi attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC), linked the shooting to Australia’s recognition of Palestinian statehood.
UN special rapporteur Ben Saul, who is also an international law chair at the University of Sydney, criticised Netanyahu’s comments.
Saul, whose UN mandate focuses on ensuring human rights are protected while countering terrorism, called for a “measured response to the Bondi terrorist attack”.
“Overreach does not make us safer – it lets terror win,” Saul said in a post on social media.
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that he plans to create a special honours list to recognise the people who rushed in to try to stop the two attackers as they targeted the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on December 14.
Australian public broadcaster the ABC reported those honoured would likely include Australian-Syrian shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed, as well as Boris and Sofia Gurman, a local couple who tried to stop the gunmen but were among those killed in the attack.
While al-Ahmed has been widely hailed as a hero around the world, less is known about a second Muslim man who ran in to help, even as he was tackled by bystanders because he was mistaken for being an attacker.
The man’s lawyer, Alisson Battisson, says that her client, whom she did not name, is a refugee who is potentially facing deportation due to a past criminal record, despite his repeated attempts to help stop the Bondi attack.
The 50-year-old comedian is already facing similar charges, including rape and sexual assault, involving four women.
Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025
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British authorities have brought new counts of rape and sexual assault against comedian Russell Brand, who is already facing similar charges involving four women.
The United Kingdom’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said on Tuesday that the new charges – one count of rape and one of sexual assault – against Brand were in relation to two further women. The alleged offences took place in 2009, the CPS said.
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Brand, 50, had already been charged in April with two counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault and one count of indecent assault. The charges were brought after an 18-month investigation launched when four women alleged they had been assaulted by the comedian.
Prosecutors said these offences took place from 1999 to 2005, one in the English seaside town of Bournemouth and the other three in London.
Brand pleaded not guilty to those charges in a London court.
He is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on January 20 in relation to the two new charges. A trial has also been scheduled for June 16 and is expected to last four to five weeks.
The Get Him to the Greek actor, known for risque stand-up routines and battles with drugs and alcohol, has dropped out of the mainstream media in recent years. He built a large following online with videos mixing wellness with conspiracy theories as well as discussions about religion.
When the first group of charges was announced in April, Brand said he welcomed the opportunity to prove his innocence.
“I was a fool before I lived in the light of the Lord,” he said in a social media video. “I was a drug addict, a sex addict and an imbecile. But what I never was, was a rapist. I’ve never engaged in nonconsensual activity. I pray that you can see that by looking in my eyes.”
Detective Chief Inspector Tariq Farooqi said the women involved in the case “continue to receive support from specially trained officers”.
He added the police investigation was ongoing and urged “anyone affected by this case or anyone with information to come forward”.
Members of the Bolivian Workers’ Union clash with police during a protest demanding the repeal of a law that removes fuel subsidies in La Paz, Bolivia, on Tuesday. Photo by Luis Gandarillas/EPA
Dec. 23 (UPI) — At least four law officers were injured Tuesday in La Paz during clashes between marchers from the Central Obrera Boliviana, the country’s largest labor federation, and police as protests intensified over the government’s decision to end fuel subsidies.
President Rodrigo Paz issued a decree Dec. 18 eliminating fuel subsidies that had been in place for nearly 20 years. He also declared an “economic, financial and social emergency” to justify the reform and paired the measure with a 20% increase in the minimum wage to cushion its impact.
As a result of the decision, gasoline and diesel stopped being sold at state-controlled prices of about 53 cents per liter and shifted to prices reflecting the real cost of imports, leading to increases of nearly 200% for consumers.
According to reports by the Bolivian newspaper El Deber, the incidents that left police officers injured occurred near Plaza Murillo, close to the government palace, when miners and transport workers attempted to approach areas secured by law offivers.
The Ministry of Government said the injured officers were attacked with stones and blunt objects while carrying out public order duties.
Police said a miner was detained for allegedly throwing fireworks and dynamite. Labor leaders, meanwhile, criticized using tear gas to disperse demonstrators.
Union leaders warned that protests will continue unless their main demand is met — the repeal of the decree that eliminated fuel subsidies.
Bolivia’s Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office said that after the fuel price changes, fares for interdepartmental, interprovincial and urban transportation rose by as much as nearly 200% in several regions, according to La Razón.
After inspections at transport terminals and hubs in La Paz, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, the ombudsman’s office documented widespread and unilateral fare hikes that in many cases doubled or even tripled prices, directly affecting the cost of living for Bolivian families.
El Deber reported that similar protests were recorded in Santa Cruz, including temporary road blockades and clashes with police, amid growing public anger over the impact of higher fuel prices on transportation and household expenses.
Authorities reiterated calls for dialogue and warned they will not tolerate violence, while unions said they will maintain mobilizations until the government reviews the measure.
Police say there is ‘insufficient evidence’ to bring charges after investigating comments made at Glastonbury festival.
Published On 23 Dec 202523 Dec 2025
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British police have said they will take no further action over comments made by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan about the Israeli military during a performance at the Glastonbury music festival in June.
Avon and Somerset Police said on Tuesday that the remarks did not meet the criminal threshold required for prosecution “for any person to be prosecuted”.
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During the performance, the group’s lead singer – Pascal Robinson-Foster, known by his stage name Bobby Vylan – led chants of “death, death” directed at the Israeli military over its genocidal war in Gaza.
Police said there was “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction”. The force added that it interviewed a man in his mid-30s and contacted about 200 members of the public as part of the investigation.
The chant, which was livestreamed by the BBC as part of its Glastonbury coverage on June 28, prompted a widespread backlash. The broadcaster later apologised for transmitting what it described as “such offensive and deplorable behaviour”, and its complaints unit found the BBC had breached editorial guidelines.
Avon and Somerset Police said it had considered the intent behind the words, the wider context, relevant case law and freedom of expression issues before concluding the investigation.
“We believe it is right this matter was comprehensively investigated, every potential criminal offence was thoroughly considered, and we sought all the advice we could to ensure we made an informed decision,” the statement said.
“The comments made on Saturday 28 June drew widespread anger, proving that words have real-world consequences.”
Following the performance, the United States revoked the visas of Bob Vylan, forcing the cancellation of a planned US tour scheduled to begin in October.
Bob Vylan have launched defamation proceedings against Irish broadcaster RTE, alleging it falsely claimed they led anti-Semitic chants during the Glastonbury performance.
In July, the British police also dropped an investigation into the Irish-language rap group Kneecap after chants of “Free Palestine” during a performance.
Detectives sought advice from the Crown Prosecution Service and decided to take no further action, citing “insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction for any offence”.
Police arrest three people outside insurer of Israeli arms maker Elbit, including Thunberg for holding placard.
British police have arrested Swedish activist Greta Thunberg and two other people at a pro-Palestine protest in central London, according to campaign group Defend Our Juries.
The group said Thunberg was arrested on Tuesday at the Prisoners for Palestine protest held in the heart of London’s Square Mile financial district outside the offices of Aspen Insurance, which provides coverage for Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems.
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The group said Thunberg had arrived after the protest began, and it shared video footage of the activist holding a sign reading, “I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide.” Thunberg has called Israel’s war in Gaza a genocide and has twice joined flotilla campaigns to try to break Israel’s siege of Gaza.
The City of London Police, which polices the financial district, confirmed that a 22-year-old woman, a description corresponding to Thunberg, was arrested for displaying a placard “in support of a proscribed organisation (in this case Palestine Action) contrary to Section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000”.
This is the latest protest in solidarity with activists from the Palestine Action group, six of whom are currently on hunger strike in British prisons with two now hospitalised. The direct action group has been proscribed as a “terrorist organisation” by the United Kingdom’s government.
Defend Our Juries said Tuesday’s protest was held to draw attention to Aspen Insurance’s “complicity in genocide” and to express solidarity with prisoners affiliated with Palestine Action.
Two others, a man and a woman, were also arrested at the protest although they had “glued themselves nearby”, according to the City of London Police, which described damage with “hammers and red paint” to “a building on Fenchurch Street”, where the offices of Aspen Insurance are located.
Defend Our Juries confirmed the damage, saying in a news release that two activists “covered the front of the building with symbolic blood-red paint, using re-purposed fire extinguishers” before attaching themselves to the front of the building in the aim of “drawing attention to Aspen’s complicity in Genocide, disrupting their business, and closing down the building”.
The group said Aspen Insurance, a global insurer and reinsurer, was targeted because of its affiliation with Elbit Systems UK, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, which is Israel’s largest arms producer. It describes its drones as “the backbone” of the Israeli military.
Palestine Action protesters had targeted one of the UK subsidiary’s operations in Bristol last year. Among their five key demands, the group’s hunger strikers want the manufacturer, which has several UK factories, to be shut down.
Defend Our Juries said in its news release that Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister David Lammy has “refused to speak to legal representatives of the hunger-strikers, or their families”.
A few days earlier, Thunberg had voiced solidarity with the hunger strikers on Instagram, saying: “It is up to the state to intervene, and put an end to this by meeting these reasonable demands that pave the way for the freedom of all those who choose to use their rights trying to stop a genocide, something the British state has failed to do themselves.”
A Palestine Action spokesperson said in relation to her arrest that it was not clear whether police had “made another one of their mistakes in interpreting the crazy ban on Palestine Action” or whether they had “turned anyone expressing support for prisoners locked up beyond the legal time limit for taking action to stop a genocide into alleged terrorists”.
Footage shows security forces dispersing crowds with tear gas at rallies for Ugandan presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, in Kampala. The pop star-turned-politician is campaigning ahead of Uganda’s January 2026 elections, as officials warn against interference.
Published On 22 Dec 202522 Dec 2025
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Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te has ordered sweeping security reforms after a knife and smoke grenade attack killed three people and injured 11 in Taipei. The suspect, Chang Wen, 27, set fires and struck multiple sites before dying from a fall.
Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025
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Mario Lubetkin on Washington’s revived sphere-of-influence doctrine, Venezuela, and China’s growing footprint.
The United States is reviving a policy first set out in the 1800s that treats Latin America as its strategic sphere of influence. As Washington expands maritime operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, critics warn of legal violations and rising regional instability.
Uruguay’s Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin joins Talk to Al Jazeera to discuss US strikes, Venezuela, migration pressures, and China’s growing role in the region — and whether diplomacy can still prevent escalation in a hemisphere shaped once again by power politics.
Published On 20 Dec 202520 Dec 2025
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THE slashing deaths of Hollywood star Rob Reiner and his wife have sparked a raft of questions, many of which stem from their alleged killer son, Nick.
Here is a look at five mysteries that leave glaring holes in the murder investigation, from hazy information about Nick’s mental health to debates on his unconfirmed motivation.
Nick, 32, is accused of murdering his parents, filmmaker Rob, 78, and his wife Michele, 68, after a chaotic weekend that spiraled from a celebrity bash to a late-night arrest near the University of Southern California.
The couple was found dead at their Brentwood home on Sunday with their throats slashed.
Nick was arrested later that night and is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, meaning he could face the death penalty if convicted.
However, his fate is still hanging in the balance, as his arrest is complicated by missing hours, unclear motives, and unanswered questions about what he did while his parents lay dead.
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Here is what has been revealed about the case and what remains to be revealed.
On Saturday night, Rob, Michele, and Nick were all said to have attended a star-studded holiday party hosted by comedian Conan O’Brien.
And according to several insiders, the night reportedly went sideways for the trio.
Guests present at the party claimed that Nick behaved erratically the entire night
According to the Wall Street Journal, there was one awkward moment where Nick interrupted Saturday Night Live alum Bill Hader during a private conversation and was told to butt out.
Nick was said to have asked Hader odd questions like ” What’s your name? What’s your last name? Are you famous?”
One witness told the Daily Mail, “Nick just stood there and stared before storming off.”
Tensions escalated when multiple attendees saw Rob, Michele, and Nick locked in a heated argument.
At one point, a guest suggested calling the police, Daily Mail reported.
“They got into an argument, the father and son. It got so bad and loud someone wanted to call the police to report it,” an insider told the outlet.
Rob Reiner and his wife of Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025.
Timeline:
But O’Brien reportedly intervened before anyone rang 911, the insider claimed.
“But Conan stepped in and said, ‘it’s my house, my party, I’m not calling the police.’ He talked them out of calling the police.”
“When the s**t was hitting the fan, somebody said we need to call the police. The conversation was about getting this kid put into a mental-health hold,” the source told the Mail.
Nick eventually stormed off the party.
Outlets have also reported that Rob confided to friends that he is scared of Nick.
“I’m petrified of him,” Rob told his friends.
“I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m afraid of my own son. I think my own son can hurt me.”
No official details have been released saying Nick was on drugs or drunk at the time of the alleged killings.
But questions are swirling because he has a documented history of substance abuse, and the hours after the party, and after he is believed to have fled the family home, are still largely unaccounted for.
Nick had a substance abuse problem for years, his parents also tried to help him recover from it.
According to a TMZ report, Nick was receiving care from a Los Angeles-based rehab facility that focuses on mental illness and substance abuse, and costs $70,000 a month.
Nick had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and a report claims his behavior became increasingly “alarming” as doctors worked to fine-tune his treatment.
Things got worse three to four weeks before the murders after doctors changed his medication, leaving him even more unstable.
“Nick was out of his head,” a source told TMZ, with the report also alleging his substance abuse made his condition worse.
Nick’s defense could try to lean on mental health in court, but that doesn’t mean he will walk free.
One avenue his attorney, Alan Jackson, could explore is having him declare mentally unfit for trial, which would pause the proceedings while he is evaluated and treated.
That’s different from an insanity defense, which argues he wasn’t legally responsible at the time of the alleged killings.
Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer Daniel Rubin told Fox News the defense strategy will depend on “the weight and admissibility” of evidence, witness testimony, the events before the deaths, “the defendant’s mental health issues,” and any mitigating factors.
Rubin said if Reiner is found mentally incompetent, a judge can order a formal competency assessment by specialists.
“If he is found ‘incompetent,’ he will need to be medicated or treated to the point where he will be able to assist in his own defense and understand the proceedings,” Rubin added.
This process could take several weeks to several months.
If a judge finds him unfit, the case typically goes on ice while doctors work to restore competency, and it can restart if he stabilizes.
Even if he’s never restored, that doesn’t mean he goes home; he could still be held in a secure hospital setting rather than a prison.
And if he’s found fit and later convicted, prison is still very much on the table.
If Nick already has cash or there is a trust that allows discretionary payouts, it’s possible funds could be used toward his legal bills while the criminal case is pending – because he’s presumed innocent and the inheritance question isn’t “final” yet.
Some reports say that, until there’s a conviction or a civil finding, he isn’t automatically treated as disqualified in every setting.
But any move to use estate or trust cash could trigger an immediate probate war, with other relatives or beneficiaries pushing to freeze payouts while the murder case is pending.
If Nick is convicted, California’s so-called “slayer statute” would likely kick in, a law that blocks someone from inheriting from a person they feloniously and intentionally killed.
In that scenario, he’d be treated as if he died before his parents for inheritance purposes, meaning he wouldn’t collect from their estate.
If he’s barred, the money would typically flow to other heirs or whoever is next in line under the will or trust.
Rob and Michele’s combined estate has been estimated at around $200 million, making the financial stakes enormous as the case heads toward court.
COPS investigating the deaths of Hollywood director Rob Reiner and his wife have shared more details about the scene that greeted them at the couple’s sprawling home.
Reiner, 78, and Michele Singer Reiner, 70, were allegedly murdered by their 32-year-old son, Nick, on December 14.
Both deaths have been ruled as a homicide by Los Angeles County medical examiners.
And, both died from multiple sharp force injuries. Only one cause of death has been listed on their reports.
Cops on the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners spoke briefly about the scene at the $13.5 million Brentwood home.
Dominic Choi said the couple were found in the master bedroom of the home.
“Officers conducted a thorough search of the residence to determine whether there was any additional victims or suspects,” he said.
“No one else was located.”
Los Angeles Fire Department was among the first agencies to rush to the Reiner home.
The first call was made at 3:30pm and a unit was requested to respond to a Code two situation, as per dispatch audio obtained by People.
A code two situation is where trucks respond with lights flashing and no sirens.
This was then upgraded to code three, where crews respond with sirens and flashing lights.
The Reiners died on December 14, according to the medical examiner’s report.
A masseuse called the couple’s 27-year-old daughter, Romy, on Sunday when they weren’t let into the home.
She found her dad’s dead body before suddenly charging out of the home, as reported by the New York Times.
Romy didn’t see her mom’s body before learning that she was also dead.
FAMED actor, director and producer Rob Reiner, 78, died on December 14 alongside his wife Michele Singer, 68, in an apparent homicide.
Here is a look at the prodigious list of achievements the Hollywood powerhouse earned before his tragic and sudden death.
Director’s Beginnings
Hollywood Career
Personal Life
Nick was arrested near the Expo/Vermont metro station in the Exposition Park area of Los Angeles at around 9:15pm – around six hours after Romy rushed to the scene.
Around one hour before he was arrested, he bought a Gatorade from an Arco gas station.
He was reportedly fidgety before buying the drink and kept looking behind him.
At around 4am on Sunday, he checked into the Pierside Santa Monica hotel – located around four miles from the family home.
Nick has been charged with two counts of first degree murder.
Prosecutors are still considering the death penalty.
Nick made his first court appearance on Wednesday and wore a blue suicide vest.
He had been on suicide watch while in custody, according to reports.
In the court hearing, he waived his right to a speedy arraignment, and his next scheduled appearance is January 7.
Rob Reiner and his wife of Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025.
Timeline:
Nick did not enter a plea at the court hearing.
His lawyer, Alan Jackson, told the lawyer it was “too early” to enter a plea.
Outside court, Jackson later told reporters the case involves “complex and serious issues” that needed to be dealt with “thoroughly and carefully”.
Nick’s siblings, Jake and Romy, described the deaths of their parents as a “horrific and devastating” loss.
“Words cannot even begin to describe the unimaginable pain we are experiencing every moment of the day,” they told TMZ.
“They weren’t just our parents; they were our best friends.”
Jake and Romy didn’t mention Nick in their statement.
Nick allegedly killed his parents after attending a Christmas party held on December 13.
But at the shindig, Nick and his dad reportedly had a bust-up, family sources told TMZ.
Nick also had a tense moment with Bill Hader at the party, according to Page Six.
He reportedly stared at the ex-Saturday Night Live star before storming off.
Nick also quizzed A-listers at the bash, reportedly asking if they were famous.
At the party hosted by Conan O’Brien, Reiner expressed concern for his son’s well-being.
Nick has been candid about his battles with drug addiction.
His stints in rehab facilities began when he was just 15.
Nick, also a producer, co-wrote the 2015 film Being Charlie and the inspiration behind it was his relationship with his dad during his addiction.
Charlie, played by Nick Robinson, becomes addicted to drugs and his dad in the movie urges him to get help.
The movie follows Charlie’s battle as he fails at different rehab programs.
“It was very, very hard going through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows,” Reiner said.
“And then making the movie dredged it all up again.”
Reiner said making the movie with Nick helped the two become closer.
“I said it to his face. I’ll say it on the air: He was the heart and soul of the film and any time I would get an opportunity to work with him I would do it,” he told NPR.
Police in the UK have said they will arrest people who hold placards or chant the phrase “globalise the intifada,” arguing that the slogan now carries heightened risk in the wake of recent attacks on Jewish communities, Anadolu reports.
The term “intifada,” an Arabic word meaning “uprising,” came into widespread use during the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1987.
In a joint statement, London’s Metropolitan Police and Greater Manchester Police said the move followed Sunday’s mass shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia.
Fifteen people were killed on Sunday when two suspected shooters—father and son—opened fire along the beach in Sydney, the New South Wales capital and Australia’s largest city by population.
The two forces also referred to a knife attack at the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in Manchester, northern England, on Oct. 2, in which two people were killed.
“Violent acts have taken place, the context has changed—words have meaning and consequence. We will act decisively and make arrests,” the police said.
They added: “We know communities are concerned about placards and chants such as ‘globalise the intifada,’ and those using it at future protests or in a targeted way should expect” the two forces “to take action.”
The statement said frontline officers would be briefed on what police described as an “enhanced approach,” and that powers under the Public Order Act would be used, “including conditions around London synagogues during services.”
“Visible patrols and protective security measures around synagogues, schools, and community venues have been stepped up in London and Greater Manchester. We are intensifying investigations into hate crime, and Counter Terrorism Policing continues to operate 24/7 to identify and disrupt threats,” it added.
The UK’s chief rabbi told the BBC this week that chants of “globalise the intifada” had helped lead to the two attacks.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in parliament on Wednesday that his government has increased funding for Jewish security.
“I’m pleased to do that, but I’m sad to do that,” he said, adding that he has ordered a review of protest and hate crime laws.
KIERAN Hayler has pleaded not guilty to raping and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl while he was married to Katie Price.
The 38-year-old is accused of three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against the girl.
He allegedly attacked the girl in West Sussex between June 2016 and October 2016 when he was married to Katie, 47.
She is not a member of his or Katie’s extended family.
Hayler appeared at Lewes Crown Court today where he pleaded not guilty to the four alleged offences.
The ex-stripper, who was charged in October following a probe by Sussex Police, was bailed to next appear at the same court in April.
His Honour Judge Stephen Mooney set a provisional trial set to last one week for next October.
A representative for Hayler previously said: “Kieran Hayler strongly denies the allegations made against him in its entirety.
“Mr Hayler is fully engaged and has been co-operating with the police throughout the investigation and will continue to do so.
“He looks forward to his name being cleared believing in the judicial system to do so.”
Hayler, who has worked as a stripper and actor, married Katie at a luxury resort in the Bahamas in 2013.
He was her third husband following her marriages to singer Peter Andre and cage fighter Alex Reid.
Katie and Hayler split in 2018 following cheating allegations on his side and formally divorced in 2021.
He got engaged to Michelle Penticost but the pair separated in February this year.
Sussex Police said: “We can confirm Kieran Hayler, 38, of Northchapel in West Sussex, has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl.
“The offences are alleged to have occurred at an address in West Sussex between June 1 and October 13, 2016.
“Hayler remains released under investigation and is due to appear before Crawley magistrates’ court on November 19.
“The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has received support from specially trained officers as our enquiries continue.”
ROB Reiner’s daughter has broken her silence over her dad’s death – revealing she saw him just one day before the film director and his wife Michele were murdered.
Tracy Reiner, 61, said the brutal double killing left her devastated – before paying her respects to the “the greatest family ever”.
Tracy, who was adopted by Rob during his marriage to Penny Marshall, said she was left speechless.
The actress said: “I came from the greatest family ever.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m in shock.”
She added that she had seen her late dad at a family gathering just one day before horror knife attack.
The iconic director was married to Marshall from 1971 to 1981, during which time he adopted Tracy.
Rob, 78, and Michele, 68, were found dead by their other daughter Romy, 28, with their throats slit at their sprawling $13.5million Brentwood mansion on Sunday afternoon.
The Hollywood icon’s youngest son Nick has been charged with murder in connection with the grisly killing.
A source revealed to The U.S. Sun that Rob and Michele got into a heated public argument with Nick at a Hanukkah party on Saturday evening.
The clash is believed to have continued overnight at the family’s home where Rob and Michele were found dead at around 3:30pm local time.
The party was hosted by Conan O’Brien, according to TMZ.
Nick, 32, was booked into a Los Angeles jail on Monday morning, according to online records viewed by The U.S. Sun.
He has since been charged with murder and is being held at Parker Center Jail on $4 million bail, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell announced during a press conference on Monday.
Nick, who reportedly lives in the Los Angeles area, is rarely seen in public since he opened up about his struggles with drug addiction in 2016.
He admitted to first going to rehab at the age of 25 and said his addiction issues even led him to being homeless at one point in his life, according to People.
“When I was out there, I could’ve died. It’s all luck. You roll the dice and you hope you make it,” Nick said.
In 2015, Nick and his father worked on the semi-autobiographical film, Hey Charlie, which centered around the entitled, drug-addicted son of a renowned actor turned political candidate in California.
Rob told the Los Angeles Times at the time that he had to push past trauma and tough memories during filming.
“It was very, very hard going through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows,” the beloved director told the outlet then.
“And then making the movie dredged it all up again.”
Fellow Hollywood stars paid tribute to both Rob and Michele.
Ex-Monty Python member Eric Idle said he had spoken to Rob the night before his death.
Paying his respects, he said: “Rob Reiner was a lovely man. I spoke to him last night for over an hour. I always enjoyed his company.
“I met him at his Dad’s in 1975. He was telling me about filming at Stonehenge and his thoughts for the future … I shall miss him.
“A clever, talented and very thoughtful man. So awful.”
Ben Stiller said Rob was one of his favourite directors, and called him “a kind caring person who was really really funny”.
Josh Gad, who voiced Olaf in Frozen, described Rob and his wife’s deaths as a “devastating” loss.
Actor John Cusack, who starred in Rob’s 1985 film The Sure Thing, said he “saw the soul in others”.
ROB Reiner and his wife of Michele Singer Reiner were found dead in their Los Angeles home on December 14, 2025.
Timeline:
The gruesome homicides of Rob and his wife, Michele, 68, shocked the world of Hollywood after reports emerged that the couple were discovered with multiple lacerations.
The Misery director and his wife, who had been married for 36 years, had their throats slit by a family member following a heated argument, according to TMZ.
Romy, 28, told authorities that a family member “should be a suspect” because they’re “dangerous,” the outlet reported.
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the deaths as an apparent homicide.
Alan Hamilton, the deputy police chief of the LAPD, told reporters on Sunday evening that authorities would interview several family members of the Reiners as the investigation continued.
Hamilton said the property showed no signs of forced entry.
Rob, who was raised in the Bronx by famed actors Carl and Estelle, was a huge presence in the film industry after more than five decades as one of Hollywood’s top directors and actors.
His career as an actor began in the early 1960s, but it was not until the 1970s that Rob gained recognition after portraying Michael “Meathead” Stivic on the TV comedy All in the Family.
Throughout the 70s, Rob continued to make guest appearances on several TV series, including The Partridge Family.
However, it was in the director’s chair where Rob flourished into a star in the world of film.
He helmed a string of hit movies, including, When Harry Met Sally, The Princess Bride, and the Academy Award nominated film A Few Good Men, among others.
It was on the set of When Harry Met Sally that he met the photographer and his eventual wife, Michele Singer.
“I look over and I see this girl, and ‘Whoo!’ I was attracted immediately,” Rob told The New York Times in 1989.
The couple wed in 1989, the year the film was released.
After their marriage, Michele began helping her husband with producing films, including Shock and Awe and Albert Brooks: Defending My Life.
FAMED actor, director and producer Rob Reiner, 78, died on December 14 alongside his wife Michele Singer, 68, in an apparent homicide.
Here is a look at the prodigious list of achievements the Hollywood powerhouse earned before his tragic and sudden death.
Director’s Beginnings
Hollywood Career
Personal Life
Rob and Michele are survived by their children, Romy, Jake, Nick, and Tracy, the director’s daughter, whom he adopted from his previous wife, Penny Marshall.
Tributes have been paid to the actor and director and his wife following their deaths.
“Rob was the big-hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love, with projects as wide-ranging as The Princess Bride to A Few Good Men,” California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X.
“His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others — and encouraging us to dream bigger.
“Rob will be remembered for his remarkable filmography and for his extraordinary contribution to humanity.”
Former US president Barack Obama spoke warmly about the couple.
“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen,” he said.
“But beneath all of the stories he produced was a deep belief in the goodness of people—and a lifelong commitment to putting that belief into action.
“Together, he and his wife lived lives defined by purpose. They will be remembered for the values they championed and the countless people they inspired.”
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described Rob as someone who was creative and funny.
She also hailed him as an actor who could make fans laugh and cry when they watched his films.
Pelosi described Rob’s wife as an “indispensible partner and intellectual resource.”
Published On 15 Dec 202515 Dec 2025
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Rob Reiner’s son Nick has been taken into custody after the deaths of the director-writer and his wife, Michele, according to US media reports.
The LA Police Department said in a statement on Sunday that they were investigating the deaths of two people in an apparent homicide.
More to come…
Dec. 15 (UPI) — An individual detained by police as a person of interest in the Brown University shooting will be released, authorities said late Sunday as the investigation into the crime continues.
The person of interest was taken into police custody early Sunday following a tip that led police to a Hampton Inn in the Rhode Island town of Coventry.
The announcement of the person’s imminent release was made before midnight Sunday in a social media statement from Providence Police.
“We know that this is likely to cause fresh anxiety for our community, and we want to reiterate what we said earlier, which remains true, which is ever since the initial call a day and a half ago, we have not received any credible or specific threats to the Providence community,” Providence Mayor Brett Smiley said during a late Sunday press conference about the individual’s release.
“And so the status of safety in our community remains unchanged and we believe that you remain safe in our community.”
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha explained that evidence initially pointed toward the individual taken into police custody, but as the investigation has continued, the evidence “now points in a different direction.”
“So, what that means is that this person of interest needs to be — and should be — released,” he said.
Police are continuing to investigate and develop leads as they hunt for a suspect, he said, as he asked the public to be patient as investigators comb through the facts.
“There is too much at stake for the victims of this horrific crime and their families to take chances with respect to this investigation,” he said.
Providence Police Chief Oscar Perez added that neither the individual’s apprehension nor their release was the result of an error, noting that such developments are part of the investigative process.
“Investigations will tell us whether something is valid or not, whether something needs to be ruled out. It’s not a mistake. It’s just how investigations work,” he said. “And our responsibility is to make sure that we conduct the proper investigations.”
Two people were killed and eight were injured in a late Saturday afternoon shooting at the Brown University campus as students were taking exams in the Barus and Holley Engineering Building.
Police had initially taken another person into custody, but later released them after determining they were not a suspect.
Authorities have released a short, 10-second clip from surveillance video showing a person of interest in the shooting.
During the Sunday press conference, Perez said the individual seen in the clip is not the person who was detained and is being released.
“I would describe that person as a person of interest,” Neronha added.
“There are a lot of unknowns in this case, and that’s one unknown … that what we’re working towards,” he said.
Brown University said in a late Sunday statement that Providence police have kept officials informed of their search efforts.
“We know that this update may prompt numerous questions,” the university said in a statement. “We continue to make every effort to ensure the safety and security of the campus. We are also advising every member of the Brown community to be vigilant in their own activities on campus.”
Hong Kong’s highest court has found former media mogul Jimmy Lai guilty of sedition and conspiring to collude with foreign powers. The 78-year-old is known as the territory’s most outspoken critic of Beijing and could face life in prison.
Published On 15 Dec 202515 Dec 2025
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