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Authorities Release Man Detained In Brown University Shooting; Reiner Family Announces Deaths Of Rob And Michele Reiner; Australian PM Seeks Tougher Gun Laws After Deadly Bondi Attack; At Least 15 Killed In Attack On Australia's Jewish Community; Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Found Guilty; Witkoff Says "Progress Made" In U.S.- Ukraine Talks. Aired 2-3a ET

Aired December 15, 2025 - 02:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[02:00:00]

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UNKNOWN (voice-over): This is CNN Breaking News.

ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us here in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church. We are following several major breaking news stories this hour, including the latest from Rhode Island. Well, authorities now say the person of interest detained in Saturday's deadly shooting at Brown University has been released from custody. The mayor of Providence assured the city there is no immediate threat to the community despite the suspect still being at large.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BRETT SMILEY, PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND: 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, now a day and a half ago, we have not received any credible or specific threats to the Providence community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: And across the country in Los Angeles, the family of famed director, Rob Reiner, has announced his death and that of his wife, Michele. This comes after a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman were found dead at an address associated with the Hollywood director. The Los Angeles Police Department has yet to officially identify the victims. They say they are seeking a search warrant to conduct a full crime scene investigation at Rob Reiner's home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN HAMILTON, DEPUTY CHIEF, LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT: Our detectives will be responding, along with our forensic science division and our technical investigation division investigators, to conduct a full crime scene investigation and determine the appropriateness of the investigation moving forward. At this time, the Los Angeles Police Department is not seeking anyone as a suspect or as a person of interest or in any other manner, and we will not be doing that until we conduct our investigation and we move forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: Providence officials, including the chief of police, held a news conference late Sunday night addressing the release and what that means for the future of the investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OSCAR PEREZ, CHIEF, PROVIDENCE POLICE DEPARTMENT: I want to make sure that we all understand that this was a very complex investigation and it still is. So, in the sense, we follow the lead and we follow a specific lead. But we're able to examine every single evidence that led us to this individual. And at that point -- that's how investigations work. 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. And our responsibility is to make sure that we conduct the proper investigations.

When I saw you all earlier today, I'm very proud of the detective work that they do. Detectives that work throughout the night, as the general stated, were here last night, making sure that we lift every rock, that we investigate everything we needed to investigate because we're not in the business of putting people in jail that don't deserve to be.

And so, at this point, we'll continue to follow on every lead that comes our way. Our federal partners are on board. We'll be meeting again tomorrow with them and continue to do the work that we need to do to bring this person who's responsible to justice.

UNKNOWN: So, is it safe to say that you all believe at this point, the suspects behind this shooting, are they still in this community? I know you said there's no danger to this community, but is that person, do you believe they're still here? Have they left the state?

SMILEY: Honestly, we have no way of knowing. And the investigation is ongoing. We continue to follow leads that have been developed over last day and a half. And we're continuing to ask for help. One of the things that Providence Police will be doing, and we should let our neighbors know, is that we are searching for additional video evidence.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN law enforcement contributor Steve Moore joins me now. Appreciate you being with us as we cover yet another deadly school shooting in America. And this time, police had what they called a person of interest in custody for many hours, but that man has now been released, and police are following another lead, perhaps. What happened here?

STEVE MOORE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTRIBUTOR: Well, you know, I'm going to disagree with the police chief there and say that this was a mistake. I will agree with him that no investigation is perfect and you're going to go through ups and downs. [02:05:00]

But this was an unfortunate thing that set the case back a little bit time wise and is leading to some uncertainty now in the public, I'm sure.

CHURCH: Yes. I mean, a lot of people would be very uneasy. No doubt. Of course, two people are dead, nine injured as a result of this horrifying school shooting. And once police have a suspect in custody, they will be able to try to establish a motive, at least. But, for now, they're still trying to find the person behind this deadly shooting. What would they be doing right now to try to track this person down?

MOORE: Starting over because whatever led them to this person, whatever investigation they did that they think supported taking this person into custody was obviously an error. So, you pretty much have to throw out not the evidence, but the conclusions from the evidence.

And you start basically as if you're seeing the evidence for the first time and say, where should this lead us? And adding other evidence that is coming in, evidence that's still coming in pretty rapidly. I would suspect cell phone traces, things like that. These things are all coming together. They will have a lot more information and evidence with which to go forward now.

But I do think that jumping on that one suspect prematurely has set the investigation back about 24 hours.

CHURCH: Yes, and unnerved everyone in the area, of course. And Steve, Brown University students are scared, of course. They're traumatized as a result of this shooting with many of them saying this keeps happening because lawmakers are not listening and are failing to take the necessary action. What needs to be done to stop this from happening over and over again?

MOORE: Well, the first thing -- I mean, in America, there are 450 million guns in circulation. So, even if we went to, say, Australia's system tomorrow, we would have -- we would still be dealing with this for the foreseeable future. So, I think we have to start -- in the meantime, we have to start hardening schools, we have to start protecting our kids as well as we protect our money.

And things like the doors in this hall that were just routinely propped open by students, that's what we call the normalized deviance, something that they do, the rule they break so often, it ceases to become a rule. This kind of things have to be cleaned up.

And we have to start taking security seriously because, unfortunately, with 400 and some million guns in circulation, we're not going to get those guns away from people, and we're certainly not going to get those guns out of society within decades, if we were to even try.

CHURCH: Yes. I mean, it is a unique situation, isn't it? A country where there are more guns than people. Horrifying to many people living overseas. So, just very quickly -- MOORE: Right.

CHURCH: -- what would you make of the sense there of trying to calm people down when -- if there's a killer on the loose? Why would they be giving that message?

MOORE: Right.

CHURCH: It's very confusing, isn't it?

MOORE: I totally understand what you're saying. The public safety people have a need and a job description of keeping the public safe, keeping the public feeling safe, keeping panic from becoming an issue. So, part of the thing is they're going to tell people it's safe to keep them calm, and that's probably not something that's going to help the people sleep at night.

However, there is one thing that is a significant positive indicator. During this 19, 24 hours where they had the other suspect looked at, arrested, and in custody, the actual shooter didn't attack again when they could have. So, that would indicate to me strong evidence that there was no secondary attack planned and it would indicate to me that they didn't have further plans for violence. So, to me, it mitigates towards people having a reason to feel safer.

CHURCH: Let's hope that's the case. Steve Moore, we appreciate you joining us and sharing your analysis on this disturbing story.

[02:10:00]

MOORE: Thank you.

CHURCH: Thank you. Well, back to our breaking news out of Los Angeles. Politicians, celebrities, and fans alike are offering up their heartfelt condolences after the family of director Rob Reiner announced his death and that of his wife, Michele.

Now, this comes after a 78-year-old man and 68-year-old woman were found dead at a home associated with the Hollywood director. The Los Angeles Police Department has not officially declared the identities of the two victims. They say they are seeking a search warrant to conduct a full crime scene investigation at Rob Reiner's home. An LAPD spokesperson added that they are not searching for anyone as a suspect or in any other manner at this time.

Joining me now with the latest live from Los Angeles is CNN's Julia Vargas Jones. So, Julia, the shocking and sudden deaths of legendary film director and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, have truly shaken not only L.A. but the country and indeed the world. Police have not officially announced their passing, but the family has. In fact, police revealed very little during their press conference, didn't they? They're seeking this search warrant. Explain to us what more you're learning and what all of this means.

JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're still piecing together a lot of different parts, information coming from different places, and that is key to keep in mind here at this point.

Now, police did not connect those two incidents, right? We have the statement from the family, and we do also have both Los Angeles Fire Department and the Los Angeles Police Department speaking about this incident and saying that they found two people dead in the home associated with Rob and Michele Reiner.

But we do have from CNN's Josh Campbell reporting, from a law enforcement source, that does confirm Rob and his wife were the two people found deceased at the residence.

Now, the reason perhaps we can speculate over why the Los Angeles Police Department is not giving any further information at this point is because they seem to be in a very early stage of this investigation. They've made it very clear both in that press conference and slightly before that when we were able to speak to a press information officer who said they hadn't yet started to process the scene. And that is part of how the proceedings happen here in California, that they need to seek a warrant in order to go on and continue to do that.

Now, a few key things that we were able to take away from that press conference. One of them is that the person who reported the two people dead in the house was at the residence at the time. That was according to the deputy chief. And then CNN has, from a law enforcement source as well, that the person who found the couple in their home was a family member.

Another interesting point that the deputy chief made at the press conference is that they were not seeking a suspect or a person of interest at this point. They said that the investigation is still in this early phase. But they did say that they were going to try to speak to as many family members as possible. But, as well, we're hearing from sources close to CNN that they were interviewing family members already this Sunday evening.

CHURCH: All right. Julia Vargas Jones joining us there live from L.A., we will, of course, come back to you with more details on this shocking story. Appreciate it.

All right, we turn now to Australia where the prime minister is promising a push for tougher gun laws after the deadly shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach. At least 15 people were killed and dozens injured in what authorities are calling a terror attack targeting Jewish people celebrating the start of Hanukkah.

Police say the gunmen were a father and son. The father was shot and killed by authorities at the scene. The son is in the hospital in critical but stable condition. Officials say the younger suspect was previously on the radar of authorities, but he wasn't deemed a threat. He's now expected to face charges.

Here's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese talking about the need for gun reform in Australia.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA: We'll put on the agenda of the National Cabinet tougher gun laws, including limits on the number of guns that can be used or licensed by individuals. A review of licenses. Over a period of time, people's circumstances change. People can be radicalized over a period of time.

[02:15:00]

Licenses should not be in perpetuity. And checks. Of course, making sure that those checks and balances are in place as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: CNN's Angus Watson joins us live from Sydney. Angus, what more are you learning about this horrifying terror attack, the worst gun violence in Australia in almost 30 years?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: That's right, Rosemary. What we have here is the community reaction to this horrific terrorist attack on Sunday afternoon at Bondi Beach. Now, close to 24 hours later, the community is gathering around its own here, gathering at Bondi Beach to lay flowers, to take a moment to reflect, to hug one another, to cry, to try to process this horrific incident in which 15 people were killed and some 27 people are still hospitalized.

Now, Rosemary, I want to show you one of those victims, the youngest victim of this antisemitic terror attack. Her name is Matilda. She was 10 years old. And these pictures were taken just moments before she was shot at this event, this Hanukkah by the sea event, which included a petting zoo, face painting. Fun for families. Elderly people celebrating this first night of Hanukkah. It's the second night of Hanukkah now. The Jewish community should still be celebrating. And instead, it's mourning the loss of people like Matilda. She was 10 years old.

The most elderly person to have been killed was 87. His name was Alex Clayton (ph). He was a Holocaust survivor. Now, he survived the second world war, moved from Ukraine to Australia for a more peaceful life, and he was killed yesterday afternoon in this shocking attack.

So, as you mentioned just then, one of the shooters was killed at the scene. Another one was shot, taken to hospital where he is in a critical but stable condition. Of course, he is the focus of the police investigation going forward. Police have raided two houses in Sydney, one where he and his father spent the night before coming to Bondi to perpetrate that attack and the other where they lived.

So, police combing the scene, which is just behind me here, a little further on down the beach from where this memorial is taking place, to try to piece together exactly what happened on that horrific afternoon. Rosemary?

CHURCH: It is shocking, of course, for all of us, particularly Australians watching on because, I mean, there are very powerful gun laws in Australia. Of course, we're reporting another gun story here in America where it's less shocking, I suppose, but still hard for everyone to wrap their minds around this.

Angus Watson, thank you so much for talking with us and bringing us up-to-date on the story from Sydney. Thank you.

Well, still to come, the world reacts to the deaths of Rob and Michele Reiner, their lives, artistry, and political activism. We'll have a live report on their legacy after a short break. Stay with us.

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[02:20:00]

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COATES: Let's take a look at our top breaking news stories today. In Providence, the man detained in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University has been released. Authorities say the evidence is pointing them in another direction and there's no suspect at this time. Investigators are calling upon the community to contact them with any tips or video footage from the surrounding neighborhoods.

And in Los Angeles, the family of actor and director Rob Reiner has announced his death and that of his wife, Michele. L.A. police homicide detectives are on the scene after two people were found dead at an address associated with Reiner. Officials say they are investigating but are still working to obtain a search warrant for the property.

Among the many, many reactions to the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife, California Representative Nancy Pelosi expressed her shock. The former speaker of the House wrote in a post, "The news of a deadly assault on Rob and Michele Reiner in their home is devastating. It's hard to think of anyone more remarkable and excellent in every field and endeavor they pursued. Rob was creative, funny, and beloved. And in all of their endeavors, Michele was his indispensable partner, intellectual resource, and a loving wife.

Well, for more on other reactions and a look at the Reiner's legacy, I'm joined now by Sandro Monetti, editor-in-chief of Hollywood International Filmmaker Magazine. He is in Los Angeles. I want to thank you so much for talking with us as the country and indeed the world tries to process this shocking news of the deaths of legendary film director, producer, and actor Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele. Let's start with his iconic movies. How would you describe his legacy in the movie world?

SANDRO MONETTI, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL FILMMAKER MAGAZINE: Well, as Christmas lights sparkle all around the world, a real light has gone out in Hollywood, which is a darker place tonight for the loss of Rob Reiner, who I would describe as the most underappreciated director in Hollywood history.

Of the 23 films he directed, 10 are legitimate classics. I don't even need to say the titles. I can just say lines from them. You can't handle the truth. I'm your number one fan. I'll have what she's having. Just those very words conjure up some of those most memorable movie scenes of all time created by that great director.

CHURCH: Yes. I mean, it's just amazing, isn't it? Hard to comprehend, really. And not only was Rob Reiner a legendary filmmaker, but he was also politically active, as was his wife. What can you tell us about that part of their lives?

MONETTI: Well, he had a big voice in Hollywood, but he stood up for people who didn't have as loud a voice.

[02:25:02]

And you can see in the tributes tonight, it's not just the Hollywood A-list, it's the political A-list who also paid tribute because he was an activist devoted to so many causes who made a real difference.

CHURCH: And let's look at their relationship because I believe Rob Reiner met his wife on the set of "When Harry Met Sally." Is that right? So, let's look at where that relationship started, their life together and, of course, their adult children. What more are you learning about their personal lives?

MONETTI: They were such an incredible team. You know, as the days and weeks go by, people will learn much more about Michele. The world already knows about Rob. But yes, what a wonderful supporter she was in all things. You know, a producer, a photographer, and side by side with him very much with a social conscience.

You know, this was a couple that loved each other dearly, worked together closely, and worked for causes that they were both so passionate about. You know, both of them had incredible amount of empathy. And I notice in the tributes, people are very accurately pointing to their niceness and their kindness, as well as their professionalism and their quality, and that says a lot for them.

CHURCH: Right. And what about family life? Tell us about the kids and their relationship with their children.

MONETTI: Yes. Four kids. They, you know, very much putting sort of family first. In fact, you know, their most passionate cause as parents themselves was for early education of the children. Children's causes were so key to them because that was so important to them as a couple. You know, there's so much talk in Hollywood. I'm normally reporting, you know, Hollywood divorces, breakups, fights. You know, this couple was sort of really tight and together and supportive of each other, very loving. It's not a story you often hear too much in Hollywood.

CHURCH: Yes. You're very right. A tragic story and the loss of two incredible people. The legacy is just extraordinary. Sandro Monetti, thank you so much for joining us as we all try to process this news. Thank you.

We have much more to come on the shooting at Brown University and, of course, the latest on what authorities are saying about the release of the lone person of interest in this case.

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[02:31:18]

CHURCH: Updating two of our breaking news stories this hour.

First, in Rhode Island, where authorities are still searching for the person responsible for Saturday's shooting at Brown University, which left two people dead and nine injured. The person of interest detained in that investigation has now been released, with officials saying the evidence now points in another direction.

And in Los Angeles, police say they are seeking a warrant to search the home of director Rob Reiner. His family says he and his wife, Michele, were found dead on Sunday at an address associated with Reiner.

Well, meantime, Brown University officials say there is no immediate threat to the area after the release of the man police had detained, but they are still looking for the person shown in this video. Here's what the Rhode Island attorney general had to say about the investigation so far.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETER NERONHA, RHODE ISLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL: This is what these investigations look like. I've been around long enough to know that sometimes you head in one direction and then you have to regroup and go in another, and that's exactly what has happened over the last 24 hours or so. Collectively, the team developed leads and a number of areas. One was chased to ground. It led to the -- to the -- to us detaining a person of interest.

So those words and how we choose those words when we're talking about an investigation matter and what it means here is that certainly there was some degree of evidence that pointed to this individual, but that evidence needed to be corroborated and confirmed. And over the last 24 hours leading into a just, just very, very recently, that evidence now points in a different direction.

So, what that means is that this person of interest needs to be and should be released.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: We are also following developments from Australia, where authorities say the suspects in a deadly shooting at Sydney's Bondi Beach were father and son. At least 15 people were killed in the attack, targeting the Jewish community. A bystander is being hailed as a hero after he was able to stop one of the gunmen in Sydney.

A warning to viewers, the video you are about to see may be disturbing to some. The footage, circulated on social media shows the man bravely tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. According to Seven Network news, the man was injured and remains in the hospital.

Australia's home affairs minister spoke about his bravery and the courage of others on scene.

(BEIGN VIDEO CLIP)

TONY BURKE, AUSTRALIAN HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER: All Australians stand together against that attack. The police who were there standing together against the attackers, first responders standing together against the attackers and even a bystander like Ahmed al Ahmed standing there putting their own lives at risk against those attackers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHURCH: I'm joined now by Robert Gregory, CEO of the Australian Jewish Association.

I want to thank you so much for joining us at this tragic time for the Jewish community in Australia, and our deepest condolences to you.

So how are you and those around you holding up in the wake of this horrifying terror attack? And what more are you learning about what happened here?

ROBERT GREGORY, CEO, AUSTRALIAN JEWISH ASSOCIATION: There's a lot of emotions going around in the Jewish community. Now. Initially, it was a lot of shock. People were searching for their loved ones, messages were going round, missing children, missing parents.

[02:35:03]

I quickly turned to grief as names started coming through of some of the murdered people. Some of them I know personally. It's quite a small community. Everyone knows someone, and now it's turning to anger, anger that this was allowed to happen. Anger at the government, anger that antisemitism wasn't taken seriously over the last couple of years. Despite repeated warnings from the Jewish community. So, these are some of the emotions that are swirling around at the moment.

CHURCH: And just after the attack, you said that Australia needs to deal with what's at the source of this surging antisemitism in the country. What did you mean by that exactly?

GREGORY: So, the government appointed a commissioner on antisemitism. That's made some recommendations which have not been adopted yet, and different things about targeting antisemitism in university campuses, which are a hotspot in the media in different places, coming from extreme parts of the Islamic community, radical preachers, some of the radical organizations out there, immigration policies. So there's a whole wide range of things that can be done and that should be looked into rather than just dealing with these incidents when they occur.

CHURCH: And Israel's foreign minister says Australia must take significant action, while the Australian prime minister and indeed other leaders say they will do whatever it takes to stamp out antisemitism in the country. And the prime minister is vowing to put tougher gun laws in place. Of course, there are already very tough gun laws in Australia, certainly compared to America and even other nations.

So how do they do that exactly? What more needs to be done and how does it get done?

GREGORY: Well, the focus by the prime minister on gun laws is seen in the Jewish community as a bit of a deflection. As you mentioned, Australia has very tough gun laws. In fact, one of the issues was the event was allegedly apparently unable to have armed guards, which would have had a major difference.

So, this is seen as a deflection. We want the government to focus on fighting the root cause, fighting the incitement, the weekly rallies that have been going on where we've heard these chants in our cities calling to globalize the intifada, and now we're seeing the results, focusing on the gun laws we don't think will have a major impact.

We appreciate any support in terms of security for the community, which is bearing a very heavy burden. All our buildings have to be protected, our preschool children. It's a huge cost, but we think that it will be much more effective for the government to focus on some of the root causes of the problem.

CHURCH: And what role do you think has the war in Gaza played in this surging antisemitism across Australia and across -- in other nations, too?

GREGORY: Well, the October 7th attacks famously sparked a lot of antisemitism in Australia, just hours after before Israel had even responded at all. We saw crowds gather at the Sydney Opera House chanting antisemitic slogans. So, this has certainly sparked some hatred which was already in the community and made people feel more entitled to express it.

We've seen two years of surging antisemitism on the -- and now, this is the worst terrorist attack in Australian history, which of course can be connected to the October 7th attacks, which also occurred on a Jewish holiday and seemed to have sparked this wave of antisemitism around the world.

CHURCH: Robert Gregory, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it at this very difficult time for you and your community.

GREGORY: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, the verdict is in in a landmark trial that's being seen as a test of Hong Kong's freedoms under Beijing. Media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of national security offenses. We will go live to Hong Kong for the reaction to a verdict that will be closely watched around the world.

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[02:42:15]

CHURCH: Media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty in a landmark national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai was one of the highest profile critics of Beijing after a series of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. He was charged under a sweeping national security law imposed on the semi-autonomous city in 2020. Lai was found guilty on two national security charges, as well as a lesser sedition charge.

So, let's bring in CNN's Kristie Lu Stout. She joins us live from Hong Kong.

Kristie, the verdict is finally out. What did the -- what did you hear in court and what's been the reaction?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Rosemary, this was a marathon trial lasted some 156 days. And the former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of sedition and two counts of colluding with foreign forces. And here in Hong Kong, collusion is a very serious crime, punishable with up to life in prison.

Now, sentencing will come next. Earlier, jimmy lai had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. And yes, I was inside the courtroom for the verdict. At one point, I saw Jimmy Lai. Jimmy Lai was wearing a blazer, his glasses, a light green sweater. He raised his hand and he smiled at his wife and one of his sons, who were sitting right behind me, alongside with another prominent Chinese Communist Party critic, Cardinal Joseph Zen.

And when the verdict was read out, a judge said this, she called for, quote, absolute silence. No reaction to the verdict. And when it was read aloud in English, Jimmy Lai was wearing headphones. He looked straight ahead. There was utter silence in that courtroom.

This is one of the highest profile national security cases that Hong Kong has seen since the national security law was imposed on the territory by Beijing in the summer of 2020. It has been roundly criticized by Western governments. Western governments have also called for the release of Jimmy Lai, including the U.S. government. In fact, Donald Trump a couple of months ago urged the Chinese leader Xi Jinping during their talks in South Korea to free Jimmy Lai.

But Beijing all along has warned against foreign interference. Hong Kong has said that this trial, along with other national security law trials, has been conducted in a timely and fair manner and Beijing is backing Hong Kong authorities. I have this statement. This was from the ministry of foreign affairs spokesman saying this, quote, "On Friday, the central government firmly supports the Hong Kong SAR in safeguarding national security in accordance with the law and punishing crimes that endanger national security," unquote.

Rosemary, sentencing will come out again. Jimmy lai he is facing a possible sentence of up to life in prison. Jimmy Lai is now 78 years old, so that for him could quite possibly mean life. And he has already served about five years behind bars.

[02:45:01]

Back to you.

CHURCH: All right. Kristie Lu Stout joining us there live from Hong Kong. Many thanks. Appreciate it.

STOUT: Thank you.

CHURCH: Well, Syrian forces have arrested five suspects in connection with an ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and a U.S. civilian interpreter. U.S. Central Command and the Department of Defense say the attack was carried out by a lone ISIS gunman, who also wounded three other people on Saturday, according to the Pentagon. The soldiers were operating as part of a regional counterterrorism support mission. On Sunday, President Trump again warned of severe U.S. retaliation.

A Russian drone strike on Ukraine was caught on camera. Police and journalists gathered at the scene of two earlier drone strikes on Sunday, when a third hit. Nobody was hurt in this incident at a parking lot in Zaporizhzhia, although two people were injured in the initial strikes. Police said several cars had already been destroyed when the drone hit, setting off new fires.

Well, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff says progress has been made during talks with Ukrainian officials in Berlin. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been meeting with Witkoff and President Trump's son in law, Jared Kushner, as well as European officials. On social media, Witkoff said Sunday's meeting lasted over five hours. He also said the delegates discussed the peace plan to end the conflict in Ukraine, as well as economic agendas. Those talks continue Monday.

So, let's get more now from Steven Erlanger. He is "The New York Times" chief diplomatic correspondent for Europe, and he joins me live from Berlin.

Good to see you, Steven.

STEVEN ERLANGER, NEW YORK TIMES CHIEF DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT, EUROPE: Hello.

CHURCH: So what progress has likely been made in these talks between the U.S. and Ukraine after five hours or so of discussions?

ERLANGER: Well, we don't really know yet, to be honest, the fact that this meeting is happening I think is very important. It's under the egis of Friedrich Merz, who Trump seems to trust. We have this bizarre situation where Europeans and European leaders will gather in Berlin later today for their own meeting on Ukraine, are with Ukraine negotiating against an American delegation, which is pushing Ukraine to make concessions on a peace plan that that is heavily favored toward Russia.

So, the main progress, I believe, is on the issue of security guarantees, which is the most important thing for Ukraine. Zelensky has already said they would give up the idea of joining NATO now, not that that was about to happen, but the only way they're going to make any territorial concessions is if they feel they have a secure binding guarantee that the rest of Ukraine will be protected from another Russian incursion or invasion down the road, and for that, they need American support, American backup.

So I think that's the central question that comes first. There are also talking about a reconstruction plan for Ukraine and how to use Russia's frozen assets. Here, the Europeans are very much opposed to Trump's idea. Trump would take the $200 billion or so in Europe of Russian frozen assets and, and basically use them with Russia to create a fund from which Russia and the U.S. would profit trying to help Ukraine while the Europeans are actually voting this week on how to use those frozen Russian assets to actually support Ukraine with a big loan or in some other fashion, because Ukraine needs about $100 billion, every year, if it's going to keep up the fight.

So, it is a very key moment, and we'll see where we come out. Of course, the one thing we haven't discussed is what will Russia say? Because it's one thing for the U.S. and Ukraine and Europe to come up with a proposal. But at the moment, Moscow has indicated no interest in any kinds of concessions.

And you know, it is very likely that Putin will take whatever comes out of these meetings down the road and say, well, that's all very nice, but I want some more. So, let's keep talking about it. So, I don't see this ending anytime soon.

CHURCH: Yeah. And as you point out, of course we don't know what, if any, real progress has been made in these latest talks between the U.S. and Ukraine.

[02:50:02]

But we do know that territorial issues are pretty much the stalled issue here, security guarantees as well. But when it comes to territory, Russia really wants it all, doesn't it? I mean, in the end it wants all of the land that it has already taken, any land that it's occupied. It wants more than that, really. And anything less than that, it appears Putin's not going to be interested.

How much do you think? How much land will Ukraine likely end up having to give up? Because the United States doesn't appear to be completely on side with Ukraine and really just wants to end this war at any price apparently.

ERLANGER: Yes. I mean, I agree with you. I mean, basically Witkoff and Trump see this as a real estate deal. Sure. You give up some real estate and in return you get security guarantees, supposedly. And peace and the killing stops.

But for the Ukrainians, first, their constitution bans just handing over territory. So, the Americans are pushing this sort of compromise, which would take the rest of the Donbas, which is really Donetsk, about 30 percent of the Donbas, and create a sort of demilitarized zone.

Now this is area that the Russians have not conquered. And on current pace would take two or three more years to conquer. But the American idea is to create this sort of free enterprise zone, a demilitarized zone where the Ukrainians would have to pull back all their troops, including from their fortress cities while Russia would not have to pull back its troops from where it is now in the Donbas.

So, for the moment, Zelenskyy is objecting. But this is why the security guarantees are so crucial, because the only way he can possibly come up with some kind of territorial concession is if he's sure the future is secure.

CHURCH: Steven Erlanger, thank you so much for joining us, and we'll be right back

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[02:55:57]

CHURCH: More now on the breaking news we're following. Rhode Island police have released a man detained as a person of interest in the deadly shooting at Brown University on Saturday. Officials say they did not have enough evidence to prosecute anyone and evidence they have now has led them in a different direction.

And politicians and celebrities are sending their condolences after a spokesperson announced the deaths of actor and director Rob Reiner and his wife, actor and producer Michele Singer Reiner. A source told CNN their bodies were found in their Los Angeles home on Sunday. The Los Angeles police are investigating the deaths.

Want to thank you so much for joining us this hour. I'm Rosemary Church. I will be back with more of CNN's breaking news coverage after a short break. Stay with us.

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