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Democrats mourn death of Hollywood star and activist Rob Reiner

Democrats are mourning the death of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle Singer Reiner after they were found dead in their California home on Sunday. The Hollywood star was known not only for classic films like “The Princess Bride” and “When Harry Met Sally,” but for his outspoken support of progressive causes.

Former President Barack Obama said he and Michelle Obama were “heartbroken” by the news. Former Vice President Kamala Harris said Reiner “fought for America’s democracy.” And former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) called him “remarkable and excellent” in everything he pursued.

“Rob’s achievements in film and television gave us some of our most cherished stories on screen,” Obama said in a statement. “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.”

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer called the news of the Reiners’ death “horrific.”

“Not only was Rob an incredibly talented actor & director, he was also a relentless defender of democracy and the values so many of us share,” Schumer said. “He will be missed dearly. My prayers this morning are with the Reiner family and all those who loved his movies and what he and Michele stood for.”

In her own statement, Pelosi reflected on Reiner’s contributions to Democratic causes.

“Personally, Rob cared deeply about people and demonstrated that in his civic activities — whether by supporting the First 5 initiative or fighting against Prop 8 in California,” said Pelosi, referring to the California Children and Families Commission, which supports programs for children under 5 years old. Proposition 8 was California’s 2008 ballot proposal to ban same-sex marriage.

Pelosi continued, “Civically, he was a champion for the First Amendment and the creative rights of artists. And professionally, he was an iconic figure in film who made us laugh, cry and think with the movies he created.”

Reiner and Singer Reiner’s bodies were discovered in their Los Angeles home on Sunday after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a medical aid request shortly after 3:30 p.m., according to The Associated Press.

Authorities are investigating their deaths as an “apparent homicide,” said. Capt. Mike Bland of the Los Angeles Police Department. Police are continuing to investigate the deaths.

The son of legendary comedian Carl Reiner, Rob Reiner was a strong supporter of LGTBQ+ rights and early childhood education. Reiner often held fundraisers and campaigned for Democratic issues. In 2008, he co-founded the American Foundation for Equal Rights, which challenged California’s ban on same-sex marriage. In 1998, as chair of the campaign for the state’s Proposition 10, which led to the creation of the First 5 initiative, Reiner advocated for funding early childhood development services with a tax on tobacco products.

He was also a sharp critic of President Donald Trump, previously accusing the president of “treason” and being “mentally unfit” to serve in office. In an October interview with MSNBC, now MS NOW, Reiner compared the current political climate under the Trump administration as “beyond McCarthy era-esque.”

“Make no mistake: We have a year before this country becomes a full-on autocracy and democracy completely leaves us," Reiner said at the time. “I believe the way to stop it is to educate people who may not understand what democracy is. They may not know what the impact of losing it is. We have to explain it, us storytellers have to explain to them what they’re going to wind up with if an autocrat has his way."

Harris on Monday said she was “devastated” to hear of Reiner and his wife’s deaths.

“Rob Reiner's work has impacted generations of Americans,” she said. “The characters, dialogue, and visuals he brought to life in film and television are woven throughout our culture. Rob loved our country, cared deeply about the future of our nation, and fought for America's democracy.”

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom praised Reiner — who he called a “big-hearted genius” — for his empathy.

“His boundless empathy made his stories timeless, teaching generations how to see goodness and righteousness in others — and encouraging us to dream bigger,” said Newsom in a statement. “That empathy extended well beyond his films. Rob was a passionate advocate for children and for civil rights — from taking on Big Tobacco, fighting for marriage equality, to serving as a powerful voice in early education. He made California a better place through his good works.”

Newsom added that Reiner will be remembered for his “extraordinary contribution to humanity.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the Reiners’ deaths a “devastating loss” for both the city and the nation.

“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 in a post on X.

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© Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Human Rights Campaign

卢浮宫因员工“全面”罢工关闭,抗议盗窃案引发系列运营问题恶化 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

15/12/2025 - 15:56

在法国民主劳工联合会(CFDT)、法国总工会(CGT)和团结工会(SUD)发起的集体罢工号召下,卢浮宫周一被迫关闭,数千名游客被拒之门外。据法新社报道,周一上午,卢浮宫标志性的玻璃金字塔前聚集了大批罢工员工,他们手持“卢浮宫罢工”标语封堵主入口,并齐声高呼:“谁拥有卢浮宫?是我们!”

安保人员则站在一旁,劝返络绎不绝的游客。由于卢浮宫每周二例行闭馆,若罢工延续,游客将至少连续三天无法入内。

自从 10 月 19 日发生引人注目的盗窃案以来,这座世界上最大的博物馆正经历一段动荡时期,受到一系列管理失调问题困扰。员工代表谴责与现任管理层关系破裂。

法新社指出,卢浮宫员工周一(12月15日)一致投票决定举行可延续的罢工,以抗议这座世界上参观人数最多的巴黎博物馆的公共接待服务质量下降。博物馆管理层表示,正在清点非罢工人员,以便考虑博物馆是否能开放。

然而,面对不间断的游客流量、建筑物定期出现的损坏以及微薄的薪水,卢浮宫的 2,200 名员工提出了多项诉求。法国总工会的克里斯蒂安·加拉尼(Christian Galani)首先指出了人员短缺:“在 15 年内,我们失去了 200 个全职等效岗位。而在同一时间段内,参观人数增加了三分之一。”

谈判进行中

据本台法语部报道,工会、博物馆管理层和文化部正在进行多轮谈判,试图结束这场史无前例的危机。文化部长拉希达·达蒂(Rachida Dati)已委托目前负责圣母院修复公共机构的负责人菲利普·乔斯特(Philippe Jost),对卢浮宫进行深度重组。

工会代表对此继续说道:“这给我们一种感觉,机构总裁最终被置于监管之下。要么我们认为总裁失职,在这种情况下,就应该接受她所说的辞呈;要么相反,我们认为她有可能力挽狂澜,在这种情况下,就没有理由任命乔斯特先生来重组机构。”

可延续的罢工

面对工会,部长还承诺取消 2026 年财政法案中计划削减的 570 万欧元公共拨款。然而,法国总工会遗憾地表示“没有取得任何重大进展”,而法国民主劳工联合会则认为讨论是在“明智而平静的方式下”进行的。无论是任命乔斯特还是宣布拨款,似乎都不足以让工会满意。

本周,参议员们将继续调查博物馆的功能失调问题。参议院文化委员会定于本周二听取前总裁让-吕克·马丁内斯(Jean-Luc Martinez)的证词,他曾收到两份被忽视的令人警惕的审计报告;周三将听取劳伦斯·德卡尔(Laurence des Cars)的证词,以了解这些审计报告为何直到 10 月 19 日盗窃案发生后才被发现。

游客的失望

卢浮宫的罢工对于游客来说,无疑是最糟糕的“意外”。

37岁的韩国游客金敏洙(音译)与妻子专程来巴黎度蜜月,他说:“我非常失望,因为卢浮宫是我们此行的主要目的,我们就是想来看《蒙娜丽莎》。”

28岁的伦敦游客娜塔莉亚·布朗则表示理解员工的诉求,但也忍不住感叹“对我们来说时机太不巧了”。

据美联社报道指出,卢浮宫作为“过度旅游”的典型代表,卢浮宫每天要接待 3 万名游客,远超最初设计容量。长期超负荷运转下,导致排队冗长、卫生间和餐饮设施简陋,游客体验大打折扣。

事实上,近期发生的漏水事件以及因结构问题关闭的展厅,也暴露了这座地标建筑的失修窘境。卢浮宫首席建筑师弗朗索瓦·沙蒂永上月在议员面前表示:“这座建筑的状态并不好。”

为应对这些问题,法国总统马克龙曾在今年宣布一项耗资7亿至8亿欧元的大规模翻新计划,但问题也没有得到根本解决。

中国拟于2026年起实现生娃“零自付”

德闻
2025-12-15T11:58:03.622Z
2024年中国总人口数连续第三年减少,自然增长率降至-0.99

(德国之声中文网)国家医保局称,到2026年,中国将力争在全国范围内,对纳入政策范围的所有生育相关医疗费用实现全额报销,包括产前检查费用。该机构在周六发布的一份报告中表示,此举将“提升产前检查医疗费用保障水平,力争明年全国基本实现政策范围内分娩个人‘无自付’”。

但根据中国官媒报道,生育保险“覆盖范围”不包括参保人自主选择更高服务标准的医疗机构进行分娩,或使用不在生育保险目录内的药品耗材等。

报道还称,吉林、江苏、山东等7个省份目前已实现政策范围内住院分娩医疗费用“全额保障”。

人口连续三年负增长

这一举措正值中国面临人口持续下滑的挑战。

中国人口在2022年出现数十年来首次下降,2024年中国总人口数连续第三年减少,出生率(6.77‰)低于死亡率(7.76‰),自然增长率降至-0.99‰。

人口学家预计,由于出生率下降,这一趋势还将继续。与此同时,劳动力规模缩小与老龄人口不断增长,可能会给本就负债沉重的地方政府带来更大压力。

从独生子女到三孩政策的制度演变

中国出生率连续几十年下降与1980年至2015年实施的独生子女政策以及快速城市化进程密切相关。

1982年中国人大第五次会议将计划生育定为基本国策。

2011年底实施双独二孩政策,即夫妻双方均为独生子女被允许生育第二个子女。

2013年底通过单独二孩政策,即一方是独生子女的夫妇可生育两个孩子。

2015年10月全面实施二孩政策。

2021年6月三孩政策实施。

生孩压力大 多重激励措施并行

虽然全面实施三孩政策以来已有4年,然而高昂的育儿和教育成本、就业的不确定性以及经济增长放缓,仍让许多中国年轻人对结婚生子望而却步

中国在今年3月表示,将“积极”出台政策应对快速增长的老龄人口和年轻群体的需求,包括发放育儿补贴、推动学前教育免费化等措施。

此前,相关部门也曾通过延长产假、提供财政和税收优惠,一次性生育奖励、育儿补贴、购房补贴等方式,鼓励夫妇生育

今年7月,中国宣布自2025年起向3岁以下婴幼儿发放现金补贴,且该补贴免征个人所得税。

虽然政府不断修改并出台政策以鼓励生育,但据中国国家发改委今年二月发表的文章预测,中国人口总量在“基准场景下”仍将呈持续下降趋势,2025年将下降至14.06亿人,2035年下降至13.57亿人,2050年下降至12.12亿人

(综合报道)

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© 2025年德国之声版权声明:本文所有内容受到著作权法保护,如无德国之声特别授权,不得擅自使用。任何不当行为都将导致追偿,并受到刑事追究。

泽连斯基称乌克兰放弃加入北约计划

德正
2025-12-15T13:48:40.865Z
德国总理梅尔茨、美国特使史蒂文·威特科夫(Steve Witkoff)在柏林欢迎泽连斯基前来会谈

(德国之声中文网)在与记者进行WhatsApp聊天中,泽连斯基表示,接受美国、欧洲和其他国家提供类似北约第五条的安全保障,而不是直接加入北约,是乌克兰为推动和平进程和获得安全所能做出的妥协。

他说,“从一开始,乌克兰就希望加入北约,因为北约能够提供真正的安全保障,然而,美国和欧洲的一些伙伴并不支持这条道路。”

泽连斯基的这番表述标志着乌克兰方面的一个重大转折。乌克兰一直倡导加入北约以抵御俄罗斯的攻击,并将这一目标纳入了该国宪法。

据美国安全专家称,乌克兰放弃加入北约的提议不太可能对和平谈判的进程产生重大影响。卡托研究所(Cato)国防与外交政策研究主任洛根(Justin Logan)表示,“这改变不了任何事情。乌克兰试图表现得更理智些。”

美国佛罗里达大学战略研究教授米赫塔(Andrew Michta)也认为,乌克兰加入北约早已不是现实范畴,目前,乌克兰加入北约的事宜并未在考虑的事项当中。

泽连斯基是在与美国代表就结束俄乌战争举行的会谈之前发表上述声明的。这次在柏林举行的会谈定于周一继续进行。泽连斯基的顾问利特温(Dmytro Lytwyn)通过WhatsApp宣布,泽连斯基届时将发表声明。美国特使史威特科夫(Steve Witkoff)在X上宣布,俄乌会晤取得了“很大进展”。

(美联社)

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© 2025年德国之声版权声明:本文所有内容受到著作权法保护,如无德国之声特别授权,不得擅自使用。任何不当行为都将导致追偿,并受到刑事追究。

中国最大矿企之一洛阳钼业将以10亿美元收购巴西金矿

中国最大矿企之一洛阳钼业斥资10亿美元(12.9亿新元),收购Equinox Gold Corp的巴西业务,进一步扩大在贵金属领域的布局。

据彭博社报道,洛阳钼业将全资收购Equinox旗下的两家实体,即Leagold LatAm Holdings BV和Luna Gold Corp。这两家公司在南美国家控制着多个矿山或矿藏。洛阳钼业星期一(12月15日)在提交给交易所的文件中称,Equinox将获得9亿美元现金,并在交易完成一年后,视条件另获最高1.15亿美元的或有支付。

洛阳钼业是全球增长最快的矿业公司之一,在2023年已超越嘉能可(Glencore Plc),成为全球最大的钴生产商,同时还有规模庞大的铜业务。受益于工业金属价格高企,公司盈利表现强劲,并在今年早些时候称将把并购重点放在铜、黄金和小宗金属领域。

今年以来,黄金价格飙升近三分之二,在避险资产需求升温的推动下屡创新高。铜价也因强劲消费需求和矿山停产影响,上涨超过30%,同样创下历史新高。

下午察:中国空中“航母”“大蝙蝠”先后首飞的威慑

被称为“空中大蝙蝠”的中国国产大型高空高速隐身无人机“彩虹7”,星期一(12月15日)被官宣在西北成功首飞。 (航天科技11院)

全球体型最大军用无人机、号称“空中航母”的无人机母舰“九天”,上周被官宣在中国西北的陕西省完成首飞。紧接着,被称为“空中大蝙蝠”的中国国产大型高空高速隐身无人机“彩虹7”,星期一(12月15日)同样被官宣在西北成功首飞。

这两款新军备去年底以真机形式公开亮相珠海航展,当时引发军迷瞩目,时隔一年接连实现首飞,标志着中国在高性能、高隐身无人机领域研制的重大里程碑。海峡对岸也尤为警惕,担忧解放军再添两柄“空中利刃”。

彩虹7由中国航空工业集团开发,外形科幻,翼展超过27米,形同蝙蝠的飞翼布局,类似美军B2轰炸机或X47B无人机。

王毅:中海达成自贸协定将发出捍卫多边主义有力信号

中国外长王毅与海湾阿拉伯国家合作委员会(简称海合会)秘书长布达维会面时说,中海达成自贸协定,将对外发出捍卫多边主义的有力信号。

据中国外交部官网消息,王毅星期天(12月14日)在利雅得与布达维会面。王毅说,海合会是中东重要的次区域组织,多年来有力促进海湾国家团结合作、共谋发展,国际影响力日益提升。

王毅称,2022年底,中国国家主席习近平同海合会各国领导人齐聚利雅得召开首届中海峰会,推动中海关系迈上新台阶,为中海关系发展开辟了新前景、擘画了新蓝图。中国愿同海合会加强战略沟通,维护共同利益,合力应对变乱交织的国际局势,为全球南方联合自强作出新的贡献。

王毅表示,中国支持海合会加强战略自主、增进团结协作、践行多边主义,推进海合会一体化进程。希望双方在涉及彼此核心利益问题上继续相互坚定支持。中国愿同海合会国家携手推进共建“一带一路”,深化经贸、投资等领域互利合作,密切民间交往和人文交流,夯实中海友好的民意基础。

王毅也说,中国愿同海合会国家加强多边协作,推动全球南方共同发展,携手构建人类命运共同体。他承诺,作为负责任大国和联合国安理会常任理事国,中国将继续为推动解决地区热点问题、维护中东地区和平稳定发挥建设性作用。

王毅还说,中海自贸协定谈判已持续20多年,各方面条件基本成熟,到了临门一脚,作出决断的时候。当前保护主义抬头、单边主义盛行,自由贸易遭受冲击。他强调,在此形势下,中海达成自贸协定,将对外发出捍卫多边主义的有力信号。

海合会由六个阿拉伯湾国家组成,即沙特阿拉伯、卡塔尔、阿联酋、巴林,以及科威特和阿曼。

另一方面,王毅上星期六(12月13日)在阿布扎比与阿联酋总统中国事务特使哈勒敦会面。

王毅说,中国是阿联酋可依靠、可信赖的长期战略伙伴。中国发展同阿联酋的关系是中国外交始终坚持大小国家一律平等、始终站在广大发展中国家一边的体现。

王毅表示,中国的发展壮大是世界和平力量的增长、全球南方力量的上升、世界稳定因素的增强。他进一步说,当前国际形势下,中国愿同阿联酋保持高层交往,增进战略互信,将两国元首重要共识落到实处,促进两国各领域合作向前发展,推动中阿全面战略伙伴关系迈上更高水平。

A 10-year-old, two rabbis and a Holocaust survivor - who are the victims?

AFP via Getty Images Two women comfort each other as they stare at flowers left in tribute to the victims of Sunday's shooting attack at Bondi beach. One of the women, dressed in a yellow shirt, is sitting on the road, while the other kneels next to her with her hand on her shoulder. AFP via Getty Images

At least 15 civilians have been confirmed dead in Sunday's shooting attack at Bondi beach.

Many were attending an event to mark the first day of the Jewish festival of Hanukkah.

Authorities have confirmed that two rabbis, a Holocaust survivor and a 10-year-old girl were among the victims.

This is what we know about those identified so far:

Matilda, 10

Authorities confirmed that a 10-year-old girl, named by her family to local media as Matilda, was among the dead.

Irina Goodhew, who organised a fundraiser for the girl's mother and said she was the child's former teacher, wrote: " I knew her as a bright, joyful, and spirited child who brought light to everyone around her.'

The Harmony Russian School of Sydney also confirmed that she was one of its students.

"We are deeply saddened to share the news that a former student of our school has passed away in the hospital due to injuries sustained from a gunshot," the school wrote on Facebook.

"Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and everyone affected by this tragic event … Her memory will remain in our hearts, and we honor her life and the time she spent as part of our school family."

Meanwhile her aunt spoke to ABC news and said that Matilda's sister, who was with her when she was shot, was struggling to come to terms with the loss.

"They were like twins — they've never been separated," she told the ABC.

Rabbi Eli Schlanger

Supplied A middle aged man with glasses looks at the camera, behind him is a grassy field.Supplied
Eli Schlanger was known as the Bondi rabbi

Known as the "Bondi Rabbi", Eli Schlanger, 41, was one of the key organisers of Sunday's event. He was head of the local Chabad mission, an international Hasidic Jewish organisation based in Brooklyn.

The death of the British-born father of five was confirmed by his cousin, Rabbi Zalman Lewis.

"My dear cousin, Rabbi Eli Schlanger @bondirabbi was murdered in today's terrorist attack in Sydney," Zalman wrote on Instagram. "He leaves behind his wife & young children, as well as my uncle & aunt & siblings … He was truly an incredible guy".

In a post on its website, Chabad said Schlanger's youngest child was just two months old.

"He was the most godly, humane, kind, gracious human being I think I've ever met," Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australia Jewry, told reporters at Bondi on Monday morning.

Dan Elkayam

The death of French national Dan Elkayam was confirmed by Frances's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.

"It's with immense sadness that we have learnt that our compatriot Dan Elkayam was among the victims of the terrorist attack that hit Jewish families gathered on the beach at Bondi in Sydney," he wrote on social media. "We mourn with his family and loved ones, with the Jewish community and the Australian people."

According to his LinkedIn profile, Elkayam worked as an IT analyst for NBCUniversal and had moved to Australia last year.

He was also a keen footballer, and "an integral member" of our premier league squad, the Rockdale Ilindin Football Club in west Sydney wrote on its Facebook page.

He was "an extremely talented and popular figure amongst team mates. Our deepest and sincerest condolances to Dan's family, friends and all that knew him. He will be missed," the club wrote.

Alexander Kleytman

Alexander Kleytman was a holocaust survivor who came to Australia from Ukraine.

"I have no husband. I don't know where is his body. Nobody can give me any answer," his wife Larisa Kleytman told reporters outside a Sydney hospital late on Sunday.

"We were standing and suddenly came the 'boom boom', and everybody fell down. At this moment he was behind me and at one moment he decided to go close to me. He pushed his body up because he wanted to stay near me," she told the Australian.

Chabad wrote on X that Alexander "died shielding her from the gunman's bullets. In addition to his wife, he leaves behind two children and 11 grandchildren."

The couple shared some of their life story with Jewish Care in 2023.

"As children, both Larisa and Alexander faced the unspeakable terror of the Holocaust," the health organisation wrote in its annual report.

"Alex's memories are particularly harrowing; recalling the dreadful conditions in Siberia where he, along with his mother and younger brother, struggled for survival."

How Bondi Beach shooting unfolded minute by minute

Peter Meagher

Former police officer Peter Meagher was working as a freelance photographer at the Hanukkah event when he was killed, his rugby club confirmed.

"For him it was simply a catastrophic case of being in the wrong place and at the wrong time," Mark Harrison, the general manager of Randwick Rugby Club, wrote on its website.

"'Marzo, as he was universally known, was a much loved figure and absolute legend in our club, with decades of voluntary involvement, he was one of the heart and soul figures of Randwick Rugby."

The club said he had spent almost four decades in the NSW Police Force where he was "hugely respected by colleagues".

"The tragic irony is that he spent so long in the dangerous front line as a Police Officer and was struck down in retirement while taking photos in his passion role is really hard to comprehend," the club said.

Reuven Morrison

Reuven Morrison migrated to Australia from the former Soviet Union in the 1970s as a teenager, according to an interview he gave to the ABC exactly a year ago.

"We came here with the view that Australia is the safest country in the world and the Jews would not be faced with such anti-Semitism in the future, where we can bring up our kids in a safe environment," he told the national broadcaster.

Confirming his death, Chabad said that he was a longtime resident of Melbourne, but that he "discovered his Jewish identity in Sydney".

"A successful businessman whose main goal was to give away his earnings to charities dear to his heart, notably Chabad of Bondi," the organisation wrote on X.

'I've grown up in fear': Jewish Australians say rising antisemitism made attack predictable

Watch: BBC at the scene of Bondi Beach shooting

Bondi Beach is almost unrecognisable. The sun is out but the surf is empty. The usually heaving main street is hushed.

Helicopters track overhead. Forensic investigators - bright blue figures in the distance - comb over the crime scene from Sunday afternoon when two gunmen opened fire at an event marking the Jewish festival of Hannukah, killing at least 15 people and injuring more than 40 others.

Beach chairs, crumpled towels, wads of clothing, a pair of children's sandals lie in a neat pile at the edge of the sand - all the things people left behind as they fled what police are calling Australia's deadliest terror attack.

Nearby, a wall of floral tributes has begun to grow over the footpath. Milling around are shocked locals. Hands cover trembling lips. Sunglasses do their best to hide puffy eyes.

"I've grown up in fear my whole life," 22-year-old Jess tells the BBC. As a Jew, this felt inevitable, she adds.

That is the overriding sentiment here today – this is shocking for such a "safe" country and yet predictable for one that has been grappling with rising antisemitism.

"Our innocence is over, you know?" says Yvonne Harber who was at Bondi on Monday to mourn the previous day's horror.

"I think we will be forever changed, a bit like Port Arthur," she adds, referring to the massacre in 1996 – Australia's worst – which prompted sweeping, pioneering gun reform.

Questions and regrets

AFP via Getty Images A man draped in an Australian flag and wearing a kippah stands in front of the Bondi PavillionAFP via Getty Images
Many Australian Jews say they've been fearing an attack like this

More than 24 hours on, the Jewish community is still locating the missing and counting the dead.

Among them is a prominent local Rabbi, Eli Schlanger, who only a month ago had welcomed his fifth child.

"The family broke. They are falling apart," his brother-in-law Rabbi Mendel Kastel told reporters after a sleepless night. "The rabbi's wife, her best friend, [they] both lost their husbands."

The youngest victim is a 10-year-old named Matilda, whose only crime was being Jewish, says Alex Ryvchin, the co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the main body for the Jewish community here.

"A man who I knew well, in his 90s, survived the Holocaust in the Soviet Union, only to be slaughtered standing next to his wife at a Hannukah event on Bondi Beach."

Mr Ryvchin says he is somehow both numb and distraught. "It's our worst fear, but it's also something that was outside the realm of possibilities."

His organisation has been warning about a spike in recorded antisemitism incidents since Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. But, Mr Ryvchin says, authorities didn't heed the alarm.

"I know these people. They get up every morning to try to keep Australians safe. That's all they wanna do. But they failed, and they will know it better than anybody today."

BBC/Isabelle Rodd A pile of belongings on the beach at BondiBBC/Isabelle Rodd
Evidence of the night's chaos lingered on Bondi Beach on Monday

From the moment news of this attack broke, leaders including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New South Wales premier Chris Minns and the state's Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon have fielded questions to this effect – why wasn't this prevented?

There have been a spate of antisemitism-related offences in Australia recently. A synagogue was set on fire in Melbourne last year, a Jewish MP's office was vandalised and a car was torched in Sydney. A childcare centre in Sydney was also set alight and sprayed with anti-Jewish graffiti in January.

Two Australian nurses were suspended and charged this year after a video appeared to show them threatening to kill Israeli patients and boasting about refusing to treat them. There was also an anti-Jewish protest outside the New South Wales (NSW) parliament in November, organised by a neo-Nazi group.

As people began to quietly gather on a grassy slope on Monday in front of the iconic Bondi Pavillion, reflecting on the terror of the night before, Prime Minister Albanese visited to pay his respects.

"What we saw yesterday was an act of pure evil - an act of terror and an act of antisemitism," he said later on Monday, before rattling through a list of things he says his government has done to stamp it out.

This includes setting up a federal police taskforce to investigate antisemitic incidents, and an amendment to hate crime laws. Hate symbols, including performing a Nazi salute, and terror offences are now punishable with mandatory jail terms. NSW set up its own state-level task force because many of the recent incidents were in Sydney.

BBC/Isabelle Rodd Katherine Pierce kneels in front of floral tributes and praysBBC/Isabelle Rodd
Katherine Pierce is worried about the country's future

But Albanese's words were nowhere near enough to console Nadine Saachs.

Standing side by side with her sister, both draped in Israeli flags, she says the government set the tone in October 2023 on the day after the horrific attack on Israel by Hamas. She points to the official response to a protest outside the Opera House, where some members of the crowd started offensive chants.

"If they had put their foot down straight away this would not have happened. The Albanese government is a disgrace as far as I'm concerned."

"They have blood on their hands," her sister Karen Sher adds.

Down the beach, a young woman kneels, eyes closed, palms up, praying.

Katherine Pierce, 26, tell me she's driven from Tahmoor, about an hour and a half away, to commemorate those who died.

"I just feel concern for our country… I think Australia needs to wake up to be honest," she says.

'Australia has your back'

'All we can do': Sydney residents line up for hours to donate blood after Bondi attack

As the Bondi community and Jewish Australians reeled on Monday, hospital workers were still desperately trying to heal many of the injured.

They include Syrian Ahmed al Ahmed, who was captured on camera valiantly disarming one of the attackers. He was shot multiple times, his parents have told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Police were combing the house where the attackers – now revealed to be a father-son duo, 50-year-old Sajid Akram and 24-year-old Naveed – lived. They also searched a rental property where they are believed to have planned the assault.

Other community leaders tried to quell divisions. What connections the attackers might have had are not clear, but police admitted they're worried about reprisals.

Authorities have been clear there's also been a drastic uptick in Islamophobia since 7 October.

Leaders from every state and territory met to weigh up tougher gun control measures, a lever they pulled the last time Australia experienced something even remotely like this.

"Do we need a gun crackdown like John Howard carried out after Port Arthur? He took leadership on that. Will you?" Albanese was asked by a journalist on Monday.

Getty Images Mourners gather by floral tributes at the Bondi Pavillion in memory of the victims of a shooting at Bondi Beach, in SydneyGetty Images
Mourners gather at the Bondi Pavillion

There has also been an outpouring of support.

When the agency which oversees Australia's blood banks revealed stocks had dipped dangerously low, hundreds of people heeded their call.

The overwhelming demand crashed the booking website, so people like Jim just turned up and joined a queue estimated to be six hours long at some locations.

He says he barely slept, and woke resolved to help.

"I don't necessarily agree with what is happening overseas, but that doesn't mean that you open fire on innocent people here... They cannot justify [it] by saying there are dead children over there, so a… little girl should die here on the beach," he said.

Gesturing to the line stretching out in the sun behind him, 21-year-old Alex Gilders said he hoped the city's reaction was a comfort to the Jewish community.

"Australia has your back."

Additional reporting by Katy Watson.

Watch: BBC's Katy Watson reports from Bondi gunmen's house

Resident doctors vote to go ahead with strike in England as hospitals battle flu wave

Getty Images Doctors on a picket lineGetty Images

This week's five-day doctor strike in England will go ahead after British Medical Association members voted to continue with a planned walkout despite a new offer from the government.

The strike by resident doctors, the new name for junior doctors, is due to start at 07:00 on Wednesday with ministers warning patients will be put at risk because of the huge pressures on hospitals which are battling a wave of flu.

Some 83% voted for the strike to go ahead in the online poll held over the weekend.

The BMA agreed to the snap poll last week after the government came forward with a fresh deal which included increasing speciality training posts and covering out-of-pocket expenses like exam fees.

But it did not include any promises on pay – Health Secretary Wes Streeting has maintained he will not negotiate on that after resident doctors pay has been increased by nearly 30% in the past three years.

The union argues that, despite the pay rises, resident doctors' pay is still a fifth lower than it was in 2008, once inflation is taken into account.

This will be the 14th strike in the long-running dispute which began in March 2023.

Resident doctors, which represent nearly half the medical workforce, will walk out of both emergency and non-urgent care. Senior doctors will be drafted in to provide cover.

'We don't blame dad for killing mum, he was ill'

Family photo Chris and Ruth Stone-Houghton sit on a picnic bench, smiling into the camera. They are holding alcoholic drinks, and behind them is a body of waterFamily photo
Chris and Ruth Stone-Houghton died at their Portsmouth home in September 2022

The children of a man who killed his wife in a psychotic episode, before taking his own life, have told the BBC they do not blame their father for what happened.

Chris and Ruth Stone-Houghton died in September 2022 at their home in Portsmouth.

An inquest found there had been a "failure to fully support" the family after Chris was discharged from a psychiatric hospital weeks earlier.

Their son Oliver said "we don't need to forgive him. I never once questioned that it was anything other than his illness".

The NHS trust in Hampshire has been approached for comment.

Chris and Ruth were loving and caring parents, Oliver and Abbie Stone-Houghton said, and devoted to one another.

"We had such a brilliant childhood, and even in their adult life we were so close with both of them," explained Abbie.

Chris ran a jewellery business which Ruth had also worked in. He had no previous mental health issues but as the company struggled during the Covid pandemic, eventually closing in April 2022, he began to experience delusional thoughts.

He became increasingly paranoid, wrongly believing he was being listened to by his phone and computer, and terrified someone was out to get him. He became withdrawn, looked noticeably frailer and experienced suicidal thoughts.

"He didn't feel like he had anything to offer anymore," his son Oliver, now 30, remembered.

Oliver and Abbie Stone Houhgton. Oliver is wearing a cream woollen jumper, Abbie is wearing a white t-shirt and dark green cardigan. Behind them are trees and a path
Oliver and Abbie Stone-Houghton say they did not receive the help they needed to support their father

Chris was eventually diagnosed with psychotic depression, and in July 2022 attempted to take his own life.

He was sectioned and placed on a mental health ward at St James' Hospital in Portsmouth, run by the local NHS trust, where the family believed he would spend several months.

Within four weeks, he was discharged back home against the family's wishes. Ruth was "terrified" that her husband would further self-harm, the inquest heard.

Being a loving family worked against them, Oliver said, believing staff felt "they didn't have to worry so much about him being returned home than perhaps in other cases".

"We didn't really get any advice on what to do, what not to do," said Abbie. "We were just doing what we thought was right and just hoping for the best really."

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Denzel Mitchell, who worked at St James' Hospital, said the decision to discharge was made in large part because Mr Stone-Houghton had not self-harmed or had psychotic episodes on the ward.

Coroner Rachel Spearing found that though the decision was "appropriate", the way it was carried out was "unsafe", with an "inadequate risk assessment".

Chris had a history of refusing anti-psychotic medication at home, and had to be cajoled into taking it in hospital. The family had not been fully supported given the burden placed on them to ensure he took his medication, Ms Spearing added.

She found it was "unlikely" he had taken his medication at the time of the deaths.

Family photo Chris and Ruth Stone-Houghton. Their heads are next to one another as they lean in for the photo. Chris is wearing a patterned shirt, and Ruth a red and white top. She is wearing a necklace and holding a wine glass.Family photo
Chris and Ruth had a "loving" 32-year relationship, the coroner said

There had also been a lack of access to support, the inquest heard. Chris had not received psychological intervention in hospital, because the ward did not have a psychologist.

Once back home, his community crisis team twice asked for Chris to have early intervention for psychosis treatment, the best and quickest option available, but this was denied.

Chris was 66, and the NHS trust's cut-off age was 65.

"Had he had that treatment, we don't know what would have happened," said Oliver.

Chris was instead placed on a year-long waiting list for specialised talking therapy support.

The plan was for the family to alert the crisis team if they noted signs of relapse, the inquest heard, but no formal carer's assessment had been carried out for Ruth, 60, who looked after her husband.

'Extremely close' as a family

On 14 September 2022, Chris killed Ruth at their family home in Portsmouth before taking his own life. Coroner Rachel Spearing concluded he was "in the likely grip of a psychotic episode".

She said the deaths could not have been predicted, and that Chris and Ruth were a "loving and happy" couple.

Oliver and Abbie said they were "extremely close" as a family, and do not hold their father responsible for what happened.

"We both feel very strongly and know in our hearts," said Oliver, "that [dad] wasn't capable of this as a sane, rational person, and that it was the illness that had caused these events to happen in that way.

"We don't let it affect our memories of them both."

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust have been approached for comment.

At the inquest, Dr Charlotte Hope, representing the trust, said "as an organisation we are forever improving our services" and that "a lot" of changes had been made since the couple's death.

If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, support is available from organisations listed by BBC Action Line.

Airbnb fined £56m by Spain for advertising unlicensed properties

Getty Images A protestor holds a banner that reads ''Boicot Airbnb'' during an anti-tourism demonstration in Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain, on June 15, 2025Getty Images
Protests in Spain against Barcelona have grown in popularity

The Spanish government has fined property rentals giant Airbnb €64m (£56m) for advertising unlicensed apartments.

It also said that some of the properties advertised in the popular tourist destination were banned from being rented.

The fine, which cannot be appealed against, means Airbnb has to withdraw the adverts promoting unlicensed properties. The BBC has contacted Airbnb for comment.

Spain, one of the top most visited countries in the world, has a buoyant tourism economy but that has fuelled concerns about unaffordable housing, as high demand from visitors raises the price of housing, pushing local people out of the market.

"There are thousands of families who are living on the edge due to housing, while a few get rich with business models that expel people from their homes," said Spain's consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy in a statement.

Like many countries, Spain's government is also concerned about how short-term holiday lets can change a neighbourhood, fuelled by a transient population of holiday-goers.

The country has been fighting a battle with thousands of Airbnb listings, banning them and clamping down on how many properties the firm can advertise. In May, there were demonstrations against the firm ahead of the busy summer season.

Spain's government said 65,122 adverts on Airbnb breached consumer rules, including promotion of properties that were not licensed to be rented, and properties whose licence number did not match with those on official registers.

Writing on social network Bluesky, Mr Bustinduy said: "We'll prove it as many times as necessary: no company, no matter how big or powerful, is above the law. Even less so when it comes to housing."

Globally, several popular tourist cities place heavy restriction on Airbnb, including Barcelona, New York, Berlin, Paris and even San Francisco, where Airbnb was founded.

The tech firm started up in 2007 but became hugely popular around 2014, as tourists looked for cheap accommodation without the tax costs imposed on hotels.

Users swelled as anybody could become a "host" and make some extra cash from renting out their spare room - though many major cities have since placed limits on these types of rentals, as complaints of noisy house parties and absent hosts became an issue.

Kylie leads three-way race for Christmas number one

Getty Images Kylie Minogue poses in a pink shirt next to a pair of Christmas TreesGetty Images
Kylie Minogue has had seven UK number one singles - but never at Christmas

Pop star Kylie Minogue is leading a three-way race for this year's Christmas number one, says the Official Charts Company.

Her festive single XMAS is currently 7,000 units ahead of the nearest competitor, Wham's Last Christmas - which has topped the charts for the last two years.

In third place, and only 231 sales behind Wham, is the charity single Lullaby, by Together For Palestine - a supergroup featuring Bastille's Dan Smith, Celeste, Neneh Cherry, Nadine Shah, Brian Eno and Little Mix's Leigh-Anne Pinnock, amongst others.

If Kylie maintains her lead, XMAS would become her first number one single since Slow in 2003. "I think I'd cry," she told BBC News.

"It's been an unbelievable year, so that would be the cherry on top."

Kylie's song, which she performed on Strictly Come Dancing on Sunday night, comes complete with a dance routine spelling out the letters X-M-A-S, making it a yuletide YMCA.

More importantly in chart terms, it's an Amazon exclusive. That means every time someone asks their smart speaker to play Christmas songs, Kylie comes first - and every stream is eligible for the charts.

Kylie's Christmas jigsaw

XMAS is a brand new song, recorded for the 10th anniversary edition of the star's Kylie Christmas album, which topped the album charts last week.

It dates back to the original recording sessions, but never quite made the cut. Kylie told the BBC it had always bothered her that the song wasn't finished.

"It's not something I've constantly thought about, but it's had a place in my mind.

"As the years went by, I kept thinking someone else was going to release a song called Xmas - and it would have been so annoying that I didn't get it done in time.

"It's the only song that's ever lived with me this long."

However, it's not the first time that Kylie's been in the running for the festive top spot: In 1988, Especially For You was a close runner-up to Cliff Richard's Mistletoe and Wine.

However, no matter what happens, the star won't be in the UK to celebrate.

"I'm heading home," she told BBC News. "I'm looking forward to spending time with my family and, you know, obsessing over a jigsaw with the cricket on.

"That's about the level I want to get to."

Getty Images Andrew Ridgeley from Wham holds up festive copies of Last ChristmasGetty Images
Last Christmas was denied the top spot in 1984 by Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas, and eventually rose to number one in 2021

Wham's Last Christmas is the current number one single; and it's huge streaming numbers could allow the band to hold on to the top spot.

If they do, Last Christmas will make history as the first ever song to reach Christmas number one three times.

Meanwhile, the UK's best-selling song of the weekend was Together For Palestine's charity single, which will raise funds for aid for people in Gaza.

It's based on the traditional Palestinian folk song Yamma Mwel El Hawa (Mama, Sing to the Wind), with new English lyrics written by Peter Gabriel.

"The song's really been a part of my life since an early age," says Nai Barghouti, a Palestinian singer who features on the track.

"I remember recording it for the first time when I was 11 years old, and it's been going a lot of places with me since then.

"The lyrics are always a strong confirmation of what it means to be Palestinian - a never-ending sense of resilience, defiance, beauty, dignity and hope."

Getting into the Christmas chart, she says, would represent "a small beam of light in such darkness".

The song has sold just under 10,000 copies so far according to Official Charts Company data. However, it has yet to make Spotify's Top 100 - which means it may fall down the rankings as the week progresses and streams for other contenders accumulate.

Getty Images The Pogues and Kirsty MacCollGetty Images
Fairytale of New York is another perennial favourite

Those songs include Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You (currently predicted to land at number four) and The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale of New York (which is at five).

Fairytale is the third best-selling single of the week thanks to a limited-edition zoetrope vinyl, which was released on Friday.

The song has famously achieved every position in the Top 20 except for number one; and strong streaming numbers could help it leapfrog the competition.

Less than 10,000 "sales" separate the top five, according to the Official Charts Company.

"However, with this also being preliminary data only, expect the picture to evolve as more streaming data arrives throughout the week."

'Hero' who tackled Bondi gunman was driven by his humanity, father says

BBC A still image of a man in a white t-shirt tackling a gun from a shooter BBC
Mr Ahmed managed to wrestle the gun from the attacker in the struggle

A "hero" bystander who was filmed wrestling a gun from one of the Bondi Beach attackers has been named as 43-year-old Ahmed al Ahmed.

Video verified by the BBC showed Mr Ahmed run at the gunman and seize his weapon, before turning the gun round on him, forcing his retreat.

Mr Ahmed, a fruit shop owner and father of two, remains in hospital, where he has undergone surgery for bullet wounds to his arm and hand, his family told 7News Australia.

Eleven people were killed in the shooting on Sunday night, as more than 1,000 people attended an event to celebrate Hanukkah. The attack has since been declared by police as a terrorist incident targeting the Jewish community.

Mr Ahmed's cousin, Mustafa, told 7News Australia: "Still he is in hospital and we don't know exactly what is going on, the doctor says he is OK.

"We hope he is OK, he is a hero, 100% he is a hero. He has two shots, one in his arm and one in his hand, he has had to have an operation."

Watch: Eyewitness captures moment man tackles and disarms Bondi shooter

Two gunmen are believed to have carried out the attack, with police investigating whether others were involved. One of the gunmen was killed, with a second in "critical condition," police say.

The footage of Mr Ahmed's intervention has been shared widely online.

It shows one of the gunmen standing behind a palm tree near a small pedestrian bridge, aiming and shooting his gun towards a target out of shot.

Mr Ahmed, who was hiding behind a parked car, is seen leaping out at the attacker, who he tackles.

He manages to wrestle the gun from the attacker, pushes him to the ground and points the gun towards him. The attacker retreats.

He then lowers the weapon and raises one hand in the air, appearing to show police he was not one of the shooters.

Nearby on the bridge, another gunman continues firing. It's unclear who or what he is aiming at.

At a news conference late on Sunday, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns paid tribute to the bravery of Mr Ahmed, who was unnamed at the time.

"That man is a genuine hero, and I've got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery."

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "We have seen Australians today run towards danger in order to help others.

"These Australians are heroes, and their bravery has saved lives."

Shots fired from bridge and police message to take shelter - what we know about attack

Watch: Eyewitness captures moment man tackles and disarms Bondi shooter

Twelve people have died - including one gunman - following a shooting at Australia's Bondi Beach which targeted the Jewish community on the first day of Hanukkah.

According to police, at least 12 others have been injured and two officers were shot during the event, which has since been declared a terror attack by officials. The surviving gunman is in a critical condition.

More than 1,000 people were attending an event on the beach celebrating Hanukkah.

Chris Minns, the premier of New South Wales, said: "Our heart bleeds for Australia's Jewish community tonight.

"I can only imagine the pain that they're feeling right now to see their loved ones killed as they celebrate this ancient holiday".

Mass shootings in Australia are very rare, and the attack at Bondi is the deadliest incident in Australia since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996.

Here's what we know so far:

Where is Bondi Beach?

Bondi Beach is located in eastern Sydney in the state of New South Wales, on Australia's east coast.

It is one of Australia's most popular beaches, attracting millions of visitors each year. The area is a significant attraction for tourists.

Map showing Bondi Beach in New South Wales, Sydney

What happened?

New South Wales (NSW) police responded to reports of gunfire at around 18:47 local time (07:47 GMT), with video showing hundreds of people fleeing from the coastline.

In their initial statement posted on X, NSW Police urged people at the scene to take shelter and other members of the public to avoid the area.

Around the same time, local media began reporting people "on the ground" in the vicinity of Campbell Parade.

A video verified by the BBC appears to shows two gunmen firing from a small bridge which crosses from the car park on Campbell Parade towards the beach itself.

An event to mark the first day of the Jewish celebration Hanukkah was taking place on Bondi Beach, very close to the bridge where the men were firing from. More than 1,000 were in attendance.

Premier Minns also paid tribute to a man filmed wrestling a gun from one of the attackers.

"That man is a genuine hero, and I've got no doubt there are many, many people alive tonight as a result of his bravery," Minns said at a press conference.

In the video, the man is seen sneaking up on the attacker, before grabbing him in a bear hug.

The now-disarmed man then retreats back towards the bridge, where the other attacker is still firing from.

As the video continues, another man appears to be injured and flees the scene, as a policeman arrives behind the attackers and opens fire at them.

A separate video, also verified, shows several policemen on the same bridge. One appears to be administering CPR to a motionless man as someone shouts "he's dead, he's dead".

How many people were killed and injured?

Getty Images A man holds his head surrounded by police at the scene of a shooting on Bondi beach.Getty Images
The attack targeted a Hanukkah celebration on the beach, police say

Apart from police confirming one gunman as dead, details on who has been killed and injured are sparse.

Twelve people including one of the armed men have been confirmed dead by police. Another gunman is said to be in a critical condition.

Officials say 29 other people were taken to hospital, and two officers were also shot during the incident.

One eyewitness, Barry, was attending the Hanukkah event on Bondi when with his children when he heard gunshots.

He told the BBC he saw two men on a bridge shooting towards the crowd.

He said there were bodies on the ground. He and his children were able to escape with a friend in a car, he added.

What is the latest?

Getty Images A group of concerned onlookers at the scene of the Bondi beach shooting. It's nighttime and the three people's faces are partially lit with emergency service lights.Getty Images
Police have urged for calm as they carry out their investigation

Police have declared Saturday's shooting a terror attack.

An exclusion zone has been set up around the scene as police use specialist equipment to check improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in a car linked to the dead gunman, and police are still urging the public to avoid the area."

"No stone will be left unturned" in the investigation, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon said.

He said police would not release any information about the gunmen at this time, and urged for calm while police carry out their duties, adding that this was "not a time for retribution".

Police said they cannot confirm if there was a third gunman involved or if there was anyone else involved in the attack, but enquires are ongoing.

During a televised address, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the Bondi Beach shooting "an act of evil antisemitism, terrorism that has struck the heart of our nation".

"We have seen Australians today run towards dangers in order to help others. These Australians are heroes and their bravery has saved lives", he added.

Six classic movies from Rob Reiner, the 'big-hearted genius' director

Invision/AP Rob ReinerInvision/AP

Rob Reiner, the son of the legendary comedian Carl Reiner, was one of Hollywood's best known filmmakers.

As an actor, he became a household name on the 1970s sitcom All in the Family and later appeared as the father of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in The Wolf of Wall Street.

But it was as a director that he'll be best remembered. He made a string of classic films across a range of genres, including the cult mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and A Few Good Men, as well as The Princess Bride, Stand By Me and Misery.

Here's a look back at his life through the lens of some of his best-loved movies.

Spinal Tap

Authorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock Rob Reiner as on-screen director Marty DiBergi interviewing Christopher Guest as Nigel Tufnel surrounded by guitars a scene from This Is Spinal TapAuthorized Spinal Tap LLC/Shutterstock

Following his acting stint on All in the Family - where he earned the Emmy Award for best supporting actor twice for portraying Michael "Meathead" Stivic, a 1960s hippy - Brooklyn-born Reiner turned his attentions to directing on the 1974 TV movie Sonny Boy.

But his first big success came with the 1974 mockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, which chronicled the misadventures of a fake British heavy metal band.

Created alongside comic actors Christopher Guest, Harry Shearer, and Michael McKean, Reiner himself played documentary maker Marty DiBergi.

Much of the deadpan dialogue was improvised and the film became a classic, coining phrases such as "turn it up to eleven".

Reiner told the BFI in 2022 that DiBergi was based on Martin Scorsese's work on the concert film The Last Waltz.

"A lot of it is," he said. "He had put himself in The Last Waltz, and I thought, 'That'll be the way I'll do it.' When he first saw it, he was a little upset I was making fun of him, but now, over the years, he loves it. He's come to love it."

Reiner once said Sting had told him he had seen Spinal Tap 50 times, with the English singer adding: "Every time I watch it, I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

Just a couple of months ago, Reiner reprised his role as DiBergi In Spinal Tap II: The End Continues, which he also directed.

Stand By Me

Everett/Shutterstock Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton standing next to each other with arms folded and draped on each other in front of trees and a blue skyEverett/Shutterstock
The young cast of Stand By Me included (left-right) Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix and Wil Wheaton

The 1986 coming of age classic, Stand by Me, followed.

Adapted from a Stephen King story, it told the tale of a group of young friends in the 1950s who embark on a two-day journey to find the body of a missing boy,

Concerned with the bittersweet transition from childhood innocence to adulthood, it helped to establish the likes of River Phoenix and Kiefer Sutherland as stars.

Reiner told the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast: "This one meant the most to me because it was the first time I ever did anything that was so far afield from anything my father would have done."

He added: "This was the first time that it was something really reflective of my personality - it had humour in it but it also had some melancholy and nostalgia, and so I thought, this is really the kind of thing I want to do."

The Princess Bride

Moviestore/Shutterstock Cary Elwes and Robin Wright standing facing each other and holding hands in a sunlit field in a scene from The Princess BrideMoviestore/Shutterstock
Cary Elwes and Robin Wright starred in The Princess Bride

His next hit was the 1987 fantasy fairy tale, The Princess Bride, based on a novel by William Goldman.

It threw actors Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, and Billy Crystal into a world of adventure, romance and satire.

A woman once told Reiner how the film had saved her life, recounting how when she and several other skiers had been trapped by an avalanche, she quoted every line from the movie to keep herself and everyone else awake.

"That was the best line I ever got," Reiner told Variety. "The Princess Bride saved my life."

When Harry Met Sally

THA/Shutterstock Billy Crystal, Rob Reiner and Meg Ryan sitting together on a step and smiling while filming When Harry Met SallyTHA/Shutterstock
Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan were Reiner's lead stars in When Harry Met Sally

In 1989, Reiner effectively set the standard for the rom-com genre with When Harry Met Sally.

It paired Billy Crystal with Meg Ryan as two friends who fall in love, climaxing in one of Hollywood's most iconic restaurant-based scenes.

After Ryan's Sally fakes an orgasm to prove a point, it prompts another customer, played by Reiner's mother Estelle, to declare: "I'll have what she's having!"

Sydney Sweeney recently delivered the line in a Hellmann's Super Bowl advert, which acted as a nostalgic parody of the film.

While directing the film, Reiner was introduced to photographer Michele Singer. The meeting influenced his decision to change the film's ending.

He told Ted Danson's Where Everybody Knows Your Name podcast: "We started seeing each other during [the making of] this film, and one thing led to another and, you know, I changed the ending of the movie. I didn't figure I was ever going to be with anybody, I couldn't figure out how to be with anybody, and I had it where Harry and Sally don't get together. They run into each other in New York, they talk a little bit and then they walk in opposite directions.

"But I meet Michele and I said, 'Well, I see how this works', and I changed it. I reshot the ending where you see Billy running and seeing Meg at the New Year's Eve party."

Reiner and Singer were soon married, going on to have three children together.

He had been married before, to actress and director Penny Marshall in 1971, adopting her daughter, actress Tracy Reiner.

Misery

Getty Images Kathy Bates apparently tending to James Caan, who is in bed with injuries, in a scene from MiseryGetty Images
Kathy Bates won an Oscar for appearing alongside James Caan in Misery

The director's work took a darker turn in 1990 with Misery, another adaptation of a King novel.

It starred Kathy Bates as Annie Wilkes, a crazed woman who imprisons her favourite writer, played by James Caan.

Bates won the best actress Oscar for her chillingly humane performance.

During an appearance at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, Reiner recalled how he had a feeling at the time that Misery might be the one and only thriller he would ever do.

"But I studied Hitchcock," he said. "I studied every thriller I could to see what is the grammar for film thrillers. 'Cut to the insert of the key.' 'The foot hits the ground.'"

Bates, then a theatre actor, feared she had blown her big screen audition. But her director had no such reservations.

"She read like two lines, I think, two or three lines, and I said, 'that's enough, you can do this,'" Reiner said, according to Entertainment Weekly. "She was like, 'what do you mean?' I'm cutting her off. I'm like, 'no, no you can do this, I know you can do it.'"

"And she went, 'really?'" he continued. "And as she walked out of the room, she said, 'can I call my mother?'"

A Few Good Men

Getty Images Tom Cruise in a baseball shirt and cap looking at Rob Reiner, speaking on the set of A Few Good Men with heaphones and capGetty Images
Reiner directed Tom Cruise, as well as Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore and others, in A Few Good Men

The 1992 courtroom drama, A Few Good Men, concerned the court martial of two marines for the death of a fellow soldier.

It saw Reiner direct the Hollywood stars Tom Cruise, Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon, as well as Jack Nicholson.

Nicholson played a colonel, who, while testifying, delivered the immortal line: "You can't handle the truth!"

The actor enjoyed delivering the line so much he kept doing so with gusto even during every off-camera take when Reiner was shooting Cruise's character's reaction.

"Every time we did the scene, Jack did it perfectly," Reiner laughed. "After a couple of takes, I said, 'Jack, maybe you want to save a little bit for when we've got the camera on you.' And he replied, 'Rob, you don't understand - I love to act.'"

The film received an Oscar nomination for best picture.

'Known for speaking up'

Away from the big screen, Reiner was also known for his political and social activism, often speaking out on issues ranging from climate change to gun control.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 live on Monday, LA-based entertainment journalist K.J Matthews described him as "a big hearted genius behind so many of the classic stories we love".

"So many people have been touched by him and his generosity," she noted.

"He was really known for speaking up for members of the LGBTQ community, [and] trying to help lower income people in various neighborhoods in Los Angeles."

She added: "So he wasn't just a figure in front of the camera and producing and known for giving us great films throughout the years... He really was a humanitarian."

Reiner campaigned for early childhood education and health care, as well as gay rights.

His other movies included 1994's North, starring Elijah Wood, and 1995's The American President, starring Michael Douglas and Annette Bening; as well as the 1996 film Ghosts of Mississippi about the trial of Byron De La Beckwith, who killed civil rights activist Medgar Evers.

The filmmaker returned to form, following several commercial flops, with 2007's The Bucket List, which starred Nicholson alongside Morgan Freeman as two terminally ill men who set about fulfilling their life ambitions before they die. It helped to popularise the now widespread titular term.

In 2015, the semi-autobiographical Being Charlie, co-written by Reiner's son Nick, looked into the painful relationship between a young man dealing with addiction and his father.

Two years later, Reiner directed and appeared in the 2017 film Shock and Awe, about a group of reporters covering the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.

He also played the father of Zooey Deschanel's character in New Girl and versions of his larger than life self on TV shows like Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, 30 Rock, and Happyish.

Reiner, who also appeared as a movie studio executive in the 2020 miniseries Hollywood, was once quoted as saying: "If you are a creative person, you try to create things that are an extension of yourself."

What to delete from your emails to be taken more seriously at work

Getty Images Female entrepreneur remote working, holding pen and contemplating, sitting at table, WFHGetty Images

At first glance, my emails are polite and warm, after all "I'm just checking" in on a deadline but "no worries either way".

However, a closer look reveals my messages are punctuated by unnecessary apologies, smiley faces, exclamation marks and even kisses.

I like to think I'm being friendly and approachable, but according to experts, these linguistic habits may be quietly undermining how seriously I'm taken at work.

Careers coach Hannah Salton and etiquette coach William Hanson explain why so many of us write like this and the impact it could be having on how we're perceived, and even promoted at work.

Is your punctuation extra?

"Thanks very much!" I've replied to many an email - my punctuation may be extra but a full stop feels blunt.

People use exclamation marks to show "positivity and enthusiasm," says Hannah.

Women use them three times more often than men, a recent study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology found.

She thinks that’s likely down to the idea that "women are often judged more harshly than men when they are direct and are called bossy and other gendered negative words".

And while a single exclamation mark isn't the problem the cumulative effect can be, warns Hannah.

“If it looks fake or like it's covering up insecurity it could impact credibility,” she explains.

Would you kiss them in real life?

Written communication is notoriously easy to misread, which is why many of us insert an emoji as a picture of our warmth or humour.

But etiquette coach William Hanson warns this can backfire.

"One emoji can mean different things to different people or something entirely unintended," he says.

"It would be better if people used words and a good command of English," he advises.

Emojis can have an "infantile connotation" which could lead to people perceiving you as younger, less senior, capable or responsible, he says.

"I would not put an emoji in an email," he says. "You can be friendly in your writing and remain professional at the same time."

And when it comes to signing off with a kiss, he says: "I would never put a kiss on the end of an email unless I would kiss them on the cheek in real life."

Softening language can dilute authority

"Just checking that you're following me and this all makes sense?"

Emails containing reassurance checkers can be self-depreciating," Hannah says, adding that over time, that tone can subtly shape how someone is perceived.

"As a manager, it's a difficult balance of being liked and respected and if you're not direct, there's a risk of creating an impression of being less capable," she says.

"There are definitely times where communicating in an overly apologetic or overly measured way can make you come across as less impactful."

"A lot of it is unconscious," Hannah says. "No one reads an email and thinks 'oh, they don't back themselves', it's more subtle than that.

"But if you're consistently communicating in a people-pleasing way, that can build up an impression of someone who doesn't back themselves, or who is potentially less competent."

What to cut out of your emails

Here are some of the things you might want to consider losing to appear more professional, our experts suggest:

  • Qualifying words such as "just" ("just checking", "just wondering")
  • Pre-emptive apologies like "sorry to bother you" or "I'm sure you're really busy but…"
  • Reassurance checkers such as "does that make sense?", "hope that's ok" or "no worries either way"
  • Exclamation marks
  • Emojis
  • Kisses or overly warm sign-offs

Hannah and William stress it's not about stripping all warmth or personality from professional communication.

"Personal style is important," Hannah says. "Showcasing personality at work is not a bad thing. You don't want to feel like you have to filter everything you write and remove any personality from it."

But at the same time you shouldn't use certain words and symbols "as a tool to be liked".

A practical way to spot and reduce these habits without losing personality is to pay attention to the emails you receive and notice how different styles make you feel - what sounds clear, confident or reassuring, and what feels excessive, she says.

Salton says AI tools can also be useful for reviewing drafts and removing excess filler or qualifier words.

Ukraine ceasefire talks continue as US says 'progress was made'

Reuters Several men sit around a long oval table. On the left are Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and on the right are Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus GrynkewichReuters
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukrainian negotiator Rustem Umerov and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, US envoy Steve Witkoff in Berlin on Sunday

Talks between Ukraine and the US aimed at reaching a peace deal with Russia are continuing in Berlin for a second day.

Zelensky and his chief negotiator Rustem Umerov met US envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner for five hours on Sunday, joined by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

"A lot of progress was made," a US readout said. The same team resumed talks on Monday morning.

Ahead of the start of the meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky signalled he would give up ambitions to join Nato in exchange for security guarantees.

Recognising that "some partners from the US and Europe" did not support Ukraine's bid for Nato membership, Zelensky said he was instead seeking strong security guarantees modelled on Nato's Article 5 clause of mutual protection.

"And this is already a compromise on our part," he said on Sunday.

Witkoff has travelled to Moscow to hold talks with Vladimir Putin on several occasions, but Sunday's meeting at the chancellery in Berlin was the first time he met Zelensky. Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Alexus Grynkewich was also present at the talks.

Several European leaders as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are expected to join further talks with the Ukrainian and US delegations on Monday evening.

At the core of the discussions in Berlin is the 20-point peace plan proposal presented to the US by Ukraine last week to counter an initial American plan which was seen as heavily favouring Russia.

Details haven't been shared, but last week Zelensky said the points should be seen as a "foundation" on which to build provisions for the reconstruction of Ukraine and security guarantees.

For Russia, Kyiv's membership of Nato is a red line, and Moscow has repeatedly demanded that any ambitions for Ukraine to join the alliance are shelved forever. "This issue is one of the cornerstones and requires special discussion," said the Kremlin on Monday.

The US too has repeatedly stated it does not want Ukraine to be part of Nato. But Kyiv fears that a peace deal without watertight security guarantees would fail to detract Russia from attacking again.

Before the talks began, Zelensky also addressed the thorny issue of sovereignty over the eastern region of the Donbas, which Russia mostly occupies and which it wants Kyiv to hand over in their entirety.

The Ukrainian president said that while he was open to freezing the conflict along the current front line he was not prepared to have his troops withdraw from the percentage of the Donbas they still hold - unless Russian forces did the same in the areas they control.

For it to be a fair arrangement Russia would have to withdraw the same distance, Zelensky said. This matter was "extremely sensitive and heated," he added.

Any proposal hashed out by the Ukrainian, American and European side will still have to be presented to Moscow – although Zelensky said that the US delegation "so to speak present the Russian side's perspective, because they relay Russia's signals, demands, steps, and indications of readiness or lack thereof."

The Kremlin said it expected the US to provide us with the "concept" discussed on Monday.

The talks in Berlin come at a crucial time for Ukraine, which is enduring its fourth winter of war amid sustained power cuts caused by Russia's attacks on its energy facilities. Over the weekend more than a million households in Ukraine were left without electricity following a barrage of strikes.

Later this week, EU countries will be voting on a plan to send €90bn (£78.6bn) worth of frozen Russian assets held in a Belgium-based financial institution to prop up Ukraine's economy.

On Friday, EU governments agreed to immobilise the Russian assets indefinitely - but there is no consensus yet on whether they can be sent to Ukraine. Belgium has been resisting the legally contentious proposal, and in recent days other countries, including Italy, have said "alternative options" should be put forward.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas acknowledged the discussions were "increasingly difficult".

"But we're doing the work, and we still have some days," she added.

A map of Ukraine's south-eastern territories under Russian occupation

Smooth end to Messi India tour after Kolkata chaos

AFP via Getty Images Argentina's footballer Lionel Messi waves to fans during his GOAT Tour at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on December 15, 2025. The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, are part of a so-called GOAT Tour of a cricket-crazy nation. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Messi concluded his India tour with an event at a stadium in Delhi on Monday

Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.

On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.

As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled the pitch - kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children and signing autographs - the crowd chanted his name.

His flight to the Indian capital from Mumbai was delayed due to fog and poor visibility, local media reported, and his itinerary had to be trimmed.

Getty Images A fan holds a jersey of Argentine footballer Lionel Messi and poses for a photo at Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium during the Lionel Messi G.O.A.T Tour on December 15, 2025 in Delhi, IndiaGetty Images
A fan holds a jersey of Messi at the event in Delhi
AFP via Getty Image Argentina's footballer Lionel Messi (2R) plays football with children during his GOAT Tour at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on December 15, 2025. The 38-year-old Argentina and Inter Miami superstar Messi, along with his Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo de Paul, are part of a so-called GOAT Tour of a cricket-crazy nation. (Photo by Sajjad HUSSAIN / AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Image
Messi played football with children at a stadium in Delhi

Messi kept a packed schedule in India, attending a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.

Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.

The tour, however, got off to an unfortunate start after angry fans ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.

Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state - of which Kolkata is the capital - and thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (£100; $133) to catch a glimpse of Messi.

However, most of them couldn't even catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.

Kolkata's The Telegraph newspaper said in an editorial that "poor management of a hyped-up event, lack of coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans - denied even a glimpse of Messi after he was ring-fenced by officials, celebrities and security - "vented their anger by indulging in violence".

The ruckus, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.

The event organiser in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.

Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.

Anadolu via Getty Images A general view of the Lionel Messi's 70-foot-tall statue in Kolkata, West Bengal, India on December 14, 2025. The statue's unveiling took place virtually during Messi's visit to Kolkata. (Photo by Sumit Sanyal/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu via Getty Images
Messi virtually unveiled a 70ft statue of himself in Kolkata
Getty Images Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar interacts with Argentine footballer Lionel Messi during the Lionel Messi G.O.A.T Tour on December 14, 2025 in Mumbai, India. Getty Images
Messi met Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai

Messi also met several politicians and celebrities - Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata (at his hotel before the stadium fiasco), opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.

In between these interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.

There were reports earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia and Oman.

Messi's popularity stems not just from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football, but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.

Follow BBC News India on Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.

Manhunt resumes for Brown University gunman after 'person of interest' released

Reuters Police in US lit by blue police sirens on dark night Reuters
Rachel Muller-Heyndyk

A person of interest has been detained in connection with a US shooting at Brown University that left two people dead, police said.

Nine others were injured when a gunman opened fire at the university in Providence on Saturday.

Police confirmed on Sunday a person had been detained, and an earlier order for people on the Brown campus and surrounding areas to shelter had been lifted.

Of those injured, medics said one person was in a critical condition, six were "critical but stable" and two others were less severely hurt.

The gunman opened fire in a classroom at around 16:00 local time (21:00 GMT) on Saturday at the Holley engineering building at the eastern end of Brown's campus, according to officials.

The identities of those killed or injured have not yet been released, but Brown University President Christina Paxson told reporters in a press briefing on Saturday that all the victims, including those killed and wounded, were students.

Police had earlier released CCTV footage of a male suspect walking away from the scene wearing all black clothing. Officers said a firearm was not found in a sweep of the building.

SpaceX’s Next Big Launch Could Be an I.P.O.

Elon Musk’s rocket and satellite giant is already planning a stock sale at an $800 billion valuation. Going public could put it in the trillion-dollar club.

© Meridith Kohut for The New York Times

SpaceX is set to be valued at $800 billion — and potentially a lot more if it goes public.

英国欧盟:裁决“出于政治动机” 黎智英之子呼吁伦敦“采取更多行动”争取获释 其父的时间不多了! - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

15/12/2025 - 13:53

法新社香港电稿称,各国政府和人权组织周一12月15日谴责了香港亲民主媒体大亨黎智英的定罪,他在国家安全审判中被裁定三项控罪全部成立。北京方面则驳斥了国际上的强烈反对,指责批评者“抹黑”这个中国城市的司法系统。中国外交部发言人郭嘉昆表示,北京“坚定支持”香港“惩治危害国家安全的犯罪行为”。

法新社引述新闻观察者表示,此次审判凸显了在北京于 2019 年大规模、有时甚至是暴力的亲民主抗议活动后实施的国家安全法之下,新闻自由正在消亡。

美国和欧盟的外交官都在场旁听了判决宣布。欧盟驻港办事处副主任马提亚斯·考夫曼(Matthias Kaufmann)表示,他来到法庭是“为了表示对这些案件的密切关注”。

截稿前据法新社整理的反应摘要如下:

英国:“出于政治动机”

伦敦谴责对拥有英国公民身份的黎智英的“出于政治动机的检控”。

英国外交部的一份声明称:“黎智英因和平行使其言论自由权利而成为中国和香港政府的目标”,并呼吁立即释放他。“英国一再呼吁废除《国家安全法》,并停止对所有根据该法被起诉的人士的检控。”

欧盟:“出于政治动机”

欧盟表示“深感遗憾”黎智英的定罪,并呼吁释放他。欧盟进一步指:“这次检控是出于政治动机,并象征着自《国家安全法》实施以来,香港的民主和基本自由遭到了侵蚀。”

澳大利亚:“深感担忧”

澳大利亚政府表示,“对有罪裁决深感担忧”。外交部表示:“我们已经清楚地表达了强烈反对香港当局继续广泛应用国家安全立法来逮捕和施压亲民主人士、反对派团体、媒体、工会和公民社会。”

台湾:“深切的悲痛”

台北谴责黎智英的拘留是“对正义的侵犯”,并表示他的定罪在台湾引起了“深切的悲痛和失望”。

台湾陆委会表示:“这项裁决向世界传达了一个信息,即香港的自由、民主和司法独立已被持续侵蚀。”

国际特赦组织:“新闻自由的丧钟”

人权组织国际特赦组织表示:“今天判决的可预见性并没有减少它的沮丧感——对黎智英的定罪感觉像是香港新闻自由的丧钟,在那里,新闻报道这项基本工作已被重新定义为一种犯罪。”

“黎智英被监禁仅仅是因为他和他的《苹果日报》批评了政府。”

无国界记者组织:“令人震惊”

无国界记者组织对判决表示愤慨,称这些指控是“捏造的”。该倡导组织表示:“这种非法定罪只表明了该地区媒体自由令人震惊的恶化。请不要搞错:受审的不是个人,而是新闻自由本身,而这个判决已经将新闻自由粉碎。”

保护记者委员会:“可耻”

保护记者委员会称这项裁决是“可耻的迫害行为”。该组织亚太区主任贝玲怡表示:“这项裁决凸显了香港对新闻自由的彻底蔑视,新闻自由本应受到香港小型宪法《基本法》的保护。”

香港记者协会:“不可逆转的损害”

香港记者协会表示,此次审判早已“对香港新闻界造成不可逆转的损害”。它描述了一种媒体自我审查和恐惧的氛围,“以至于当权者甚至无法通过新闻准确评估公众情绪”。

黎智英之子呼吁伦敦“采取更多行动”

在宣判后,黎智英的儿子周一呼吁英国政府“采取更多行动”,以争取其因危害国家安全罪被定罪的父亲获释。

塞巴斯蒂安·黎(Sebastien Lai)在伦敦举行的新闻发布会上表示,他希望其拥有英国国籍的父亲能够获释,“而要实现这一点,英国政府必须做得更多”,“言行一致”。

他认为,释放他的父亲必须成为工党首相斯塔默自 2024 年 7 月上任以来所希望推动的英中关系改善的“先决条件”。

塞巴斯蒂安·黎坚称:“如果他们连让一位健康状况如此糟糕的七旬老人坐上飞机送回国都做不到,又怎能指望建立富有成效的关系?”

他表示,香港法院公布的数百页判决书中,“没有一处可以证明”他的父亲有罪。

塞巴斯蒂安·黎再次强调,他父亲的案件“是国家安全法如何被塑造和工具化,来对付一个仅仅说了他们不喜欢的话的人的完美例子”。

自他父亲五年前被捕以来,他的儿子一直在世界各地奔走,谴责针对他的指控,并争取国际支持。

塞巴斯蒂安·黎强调:“不幸的是,鉴于他的健康状况迅速恶化,他获释的时间已经不多了”,他补充说自己正在与英国外交部门保持联系。

去年,英相斯塔默曾在二十国集团(G20)峰会期间向中国国家主席习近平提及黎智英的案件,对他的健康状况恶化表示担忧。

智利变天:极右翼压倒性胜利助卡斯特当选总统 - RFI - 法国国际广播电台

15/12/2025 - 13:12

智利在周日举行的总统选举中,极右翼领导人、共和党候选人何塞·安东尼奥·卡斯特(José Antonio Kast)以明显优势获胜,当选新一任总统。这是自1990年皮诺切特军事独裁结束以来,智利立场最右的总统。

根据对绝大部分选票的计票结果,智利59岁极端保守派候选人卡斯特获得约58%的选票,击败了得票率42%的左翼候选人、共产党人珍妮特·哈拉(Jeannette Jara)。哈拉随后承认败选,并表示将在国会中展开“严格而负责的反对工作”。

在圣地亚哥东部富人区拉斯孔德斯的竞选总部,卡斯特向支持者表示,将在全国“恢复法治与秩序”。他的胜选引发多地的庆祝活动,支持者挥舞国旗、鸣笛庆祝。与此同时,也有反对者在首都标志性的广场上举行抗议,警方出动了水炮驱散人群。

竞选期间,卡斯特主打治安和移民议题,承诺严厉打击犯罪,并驱逐约34万名非法移民。他本人是天主教徒,反对堕胎和同性婚姻,但在竞选后期,他弱化了这些保守立场。分析认为,治安焦虑、经济增长乏力,以及对左翼执政的不满,是他胜选的关键因素。

在国际方面,美国国务卿鲁比奥向卡斯特表示祝贺,强调双方在安全、移民和贸易方面的共同优先事项。阿根廷总统米莱也公开表示支持卡斯特。巴西总统卢拉则祝愿智利新总统“取得成功”。

卡斯特将在明年3月正式就职。此次选举被视为智利社会在经历2019年大规模抗议和疫情冲击后,明显向保守方向转移的重要信号。

台立法院副院长江启臣宣布参选台中市长

距离地方县市长选举还有一年,但台湾立法院副院长、国民党立委江启臣星期天已松口宣布参选台中市长。他强调,一定会全力争取党内提名参选。

综合《联合报》、ETtoday新闻云、镜新闻等报道,江启臣星期天(12月14日)晚在台中出席活动时说,他身为国民党党员,会努力争取党内提名,参选台中市长,同时设法完成对大台中的愿景。

对于台中现任市长卢秀燕的施政结果,江启臣说,卢秀燕已打造出一座幸福城,他希望接下来能朝着“旗舰城”的目标前进。

江启臣也说,这段时间很多人在讲2026年的选举,他看到民众对自己的期待,不会让大家失望,会全力以赴,继续努力。

对此,卢秀燕星期一(12月15日)受访时仅简短回应,“很好,恭喜、加油”。

同样宣布参选台中市长的国民党立委杨琼璎则说,国民党人才济济,只要是愿意为城市付出的好人才都乐观其成,并强调她与江启臣是立法院的好同事,应保持君子之争的风范。

杨琼璎也说,若是她赢得国民党党内初选,会邀请江启臣进入竞选团队。

民进党已确定派出立委何欣纯参选台中市长,先前民众党立委麦玉珍也一度表态有意愿争取。

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