US President Donald Trump said Monday that a deal to end Russia’s war in Ukraine was closer than ever, as European leaders proposed a “multinational force” to enforce a potential peace accord.The upbeat remarks came as key powers met in Berlin with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to push forward efforts to end the war — although Russia had yet to react to the latest proposals.”I think we’re closer now than we have been ever,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, adding that he had “very long and very good talks” with Zelensky and others, including the leaders of Britain, France, Germany and NATO.The European leaders in a joint statement at the Berlin talks proposed a force as part of US-backed “robust security guarantees” aimed at guaranteeing that Russia would not violate an agreement to end the war, which started with Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.Zelensky said earlier that talks with Trump’s envoys were “not easy” but brought “progress” on the question of security guarantees.He met for a second day with Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for talks aimed at ending the war, building on a proposal initially put forward by Trump.Zelensky hailed new security guarantees offered by Washington but also said differences remained on the question of what territories Ukraine would have to cede to Russia.”There has been sufficient dialogue on the territory, and I think that, frankly speaking, we still have different positions,” Zelensky told reporters.- US security guarantees -An upbeat German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the talks had created the “chance for a real peace process” and praised the US for offering “substantial” security guarantees.The European statement — whose signatories included the leaders of Britain, France and Germany — also outlined what it said were other points of agreement between the European leaders and US officials.Ukraine’s military should continue receiving extensive support and maintain a peacetime strength of 800,000 troops, it said.Peace would also be maintained by a “US-led ceasefire monitoring and verification mechanism” that would identify violations and “provide early warning of any future attack”.US officials warned Ukraine must accept the deal, which they said would provide security guarantees in line with NATO’s Article Five — which calls an attack on one ally an attack on all.”The basis of that agreement is basically to have really, really strong guarantees — Article Five-like — also a very, very strong deterrence” in the size of Ukraine’s military, a US official said on condition of anonymity.”Those guarantees will not be on the table forever. Those guarantees are on the table right now if there’s a conclusion that’s reached in a good way,” he said.Trump has previously ruled out a formal entry of Ukraine into NATO and sided with Russia in calling Kyiv’s aspirations to the alliance a reason for the full-scale invasion by Moscow.Merz said “substantial legal and material security guarantees” from the United States were “truly remarkable” and “a very important step forward”.- ‘Criminal attack’ -Zelensky said of the talks with the US side that “these conversations are always not easy” but that it had been “a productive conversation”.An official briefed on the US-Ukrainian talks earlier told AFP that US negotiators still want Ukraine to cede control of the eastern Donbas — made up of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions.Moscow controls almost all of Lugansk and about 80 percent of the Donetsk region, according to the US-based Institute for the Study of War.Russian President Vladimir Putin “wants territory”, said the official, adding that the United States was demanding that Ukraine “withdraw” from the regions and that Kyiv was refusing.One of the US officials acknowledged that there was no agreement on territory. Trump has called it inevitable that Ukraine would need to surrender territory to Russia, an outcome unacceptable to Zelensky.Russia, meanwhile, has signalled it will insist on its core demands, including on territory and on Ukraine never joining NATO.Moscow has previously objected to any European-led force in Ukraine to police a peace agreement.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday that Russia was expecting the United States to “provide us with the concept that is being discussed in Berlin today”.burs-fz/rlp/rmb

Rob Reiner’s cinematic career spanned decades and defied categorization, embracing courtroom drama, fantasy, horror, comedy, and satire.Each success was distinguished by incisive writing and a deep humanity that wove his work into the fabric of popular culture.Few filmmakers have matched Reiner’s breadth — or left behind so many lines that endure in memory, quoted everywhere from comedy stages to political podiums.In the wake of his shocking killing, that legacy has only come into sharper focus, as tributes pour in to a filmmaker whose work blended wit, empathy and moral clarity with rare consistency.Here are five Reiner classics, endlessly rewatched and quoted, that now stand as both entertainment and epitaph.- This Is Spinal Tap (1984) -Reiner’s directorial debut didn’t merely lampoon rock culture — it helped invent the modern mockumentary.The film chronicles a hapless British heavy-metal band on a US tour gone spectacularly awry.Initially overlooked, earning just $6 million and no major awards, it later joined the US National Film Registry for its cultural significance.Home video and its endlessly quotable dialogue transformed it into a cult phenomenon.Notable quotable: “These go to 11.” — Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) with a deadpan declaration about an amplifier’s volume knob that has become shorthand for trying to turn everything up beyond the limit.- The Princess Bride (1987) -A fairy tale brimming with swordplay, true love, revenge, rodents of unusual size and — again — relentlessly quotable dialogue.Another modest box-office performer at $31 million, it blossomed into one of the most cherished films of the 1980s.Though it earned no Oscars, its cultural immortality is unquestioned.Notable quotable: “As you wish.” — Westley (Cary Elwes) with a romantic refrain expressing his devotion to Buttercup — later revealed to mean simply “I love you.”- When Harry Met Sally… (1989) -Two neurotic New Yorkers spend more than a decade debating whether men and women can ever be “just friends.” This became the blueprint for the modern rom-com — sharp, adult and emotionally honest. Nora Ephron’s screenplay earned an Oscar nod, and the film grossed $93 million worldwide, cementing Reiner’s commercial clout.Notable quotable: “I’ll have what she’s having.” — Customer (Estelle Reiner) delivers a deadpan line in an iconic diner scene that steals the movie. So beloved it was placed in the American Film Institute’s list of memorable movie quotes.- Misery (1990) -Reiner plunged into psychological horror with this Stephen King adaptation: a novelist (James Caan) survives a car crash only to be held captive by an unhinged superfan who insists he rewrite his latest book — or else.It was proof Reiner could pivot from straight-up comedy into darkness without missing a beat.He directed Kathy Bates to an Academy Award for her turn as deranged nurse Annie Wilkes and the film netted roughly $61 million worldwide on a modest budget.Notable quotable: “I’m your number one fan!” — Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) makes a chilling proclamation of obsessive devotion that perfectly captures her menace.- A Few Good Men (1992) -A taut courtroom drama about a young Navy lawyer uncovering a deadly conspiracy while defending Marines accused of murder at Guantanamo Bay.Reiner delivered a morally complex thriller at full throttle, powered by Aaron Sorkin’s script and Jack Nicholson’s volcanic performance.The film scored four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and grossed $243 million worldwide — Reiner’s biggest hit.Notable quotable: “You can’t handle the truth!” — Col. Nathan R. Jessup (Jack Nicholson) with a thunderous courtroom declaration that has become one of cinema’s most quoted lines, epitomizing the film’s central moral conundrum.

Born to Hollywood royalty, Rob Reiner made a string of movie hits showcasing remarkable range and was prominent in Democratic Party circles as a backer of liberal causes.The apparent murder of Reiner and his wife, photographer Michele Singer in Los Angeles, stunned the director’s friends and admirers. The arrest of his troubled son in connection with the killings only deepened the tragedy.Reiner’s film career spanned the romcom “When Harry Met Sally,” the nail-biting thriller “Misery,” adapted from a Stephen King novel, and coming of age classic “Stand by Me,” which launched River Phoenix’s career.Reiner worked in almost every genre, often to critical and Box Office acclaim, with many of his productions becoming cult classics.Born into showbusiness on March 6, 1947, in New York, Reiner was the son of comedian and director Carl Reiner of “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” fame.After training in film and theater at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he embarked on a glittering Hollywood career alongside his father’s friends, including Mel Brooks.His first forays were as an actor in television series, notably “All in the Family,” before moving behind the camera.In 1984, his first feature film, the hilarious mockumentary “Spinal Tap” about an imaginary rock band, was an overnight success.Then in 1986, Reiner directed “Stand by Me,” an adaptation of King’s novel “The Body” in which four teenagers in the early 1960s set out to find the body of a missing boy. A coming-of-age film that has become a cult classic, both tragic and funny, it is widely considered to be his first masterpiece. The following year, Reiner directed “The Princess Bride,” a surprising, swashbuckling fantasy genre romp starring Peter Falk. – ‘My wife and kids’ – In 1989, he changed course again with the timeless romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally” in which Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan made cinema history as the golden couple of the era. Sally’s imitation of a loud orgasm in the middle of a restaurant while her companion looks on stunned remains one of the most memorable scenes in cinema history.”I’ll have what she’s having,” a fellow diner says in the scene’s oft-quoted punchline. Reiner shifted course again in 1990 with “Misery,” also adapted from a King novel. Kathy Bates won the Oscar for Best Actress.A year later, Reiner directed “A Few Good Men,” a chilling courtroom drama starring Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, and Jack Nicholson at his terrifying best.That hit was followed by the more modestly received romcom “The American President” and buddy comedy “The Bucket List” among several other cinematic outings that failed to replicate the magic of his 1990s output.Reiner returned to his acting career, appearing in Martin Scorsese’s 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street,” alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. More recently, he starred in the hit TV series “The Bear.”Alongside his Hollywood credits, Reiner was a long-time activist with close ties to the Democratic Party. He championed same-sex marriage and remained a vocal critic of the Trump administration.Prominent Democrats, including former president Barack Obama and former vice president Kamala Harris have paid tribute to him.President Donald Trump issued an extraordinary, crude attack, suggesting that Reiner was to blame for his own murder.For all his success, Reiner told The New York Times last year that “my wife and kids…. That’s the most important to me.”  He told the paper that he had no regrets about his career choices, saying: “Nobody on their death bed ever said, ‘I should have spent more time at the office.'”

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai was found guilty on all three charges in his national security trial on Monday, convictions that rights groups denounced as the death knell for press freedoms in the Chinese financial hub.Prosecutors said Lai was the mastermind behind two conspiracies to ask foreign countries to take action against Hong Kong or China, and accused him of publishing material that “excited disaffection” against the government.The 78-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced. He can appeal against the convictions.”There is no doubt that (Lai) had harboured his resentment and hatred of the PRC,” Judge Esther Toh told the court, referring to the People’s Republic of China.She said he had invited the United States “to help bring down” the Chinese government, “with the excuse of helping the people of HK”.Lai is a British citizen, and the UK government condemned his “politically motivated prosecution” in a statement that called for his release.The media mogul, wearing a light green cardigan and grey jacket, listened impassively as the verdicts were read out.He nodded to his wife Teresa and his son Lai Shun-yan in the public gallery as he left the court, an AFP reporter saw.Defence lawyer Robert Pang told reporters that Lai was “in fine spirits” and that they would need to read the 886-page verdict before deciding on their next steps.Lai’s other son Sebastien urged Britain to “do more” to help free his father.”It’s time to put action behind words and make my father’s release a pre-condition to closer relationships with China,” he told a press conference in London.In Washington, his daughter Claire Lai said that he represented the best in Hong Kong and warned, “Don’t let my father die a martyr in prison. It’s going to be a stain on your history that you won’t be able to erase.”US, EU and French consular representatives were in court, as well as veterans from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp, including Cardinal Joseph Zen and former legislator Emily Lau.The European Union said the conviction was “emblematic of the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong since the imposition of the National Security Law”, imposed by Beijing after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.Beijing hit back at the international criticism, saying it opposed the “smearing of the judicial system in Hong Kong by certain countries”.- ‘Dismaying’ -Lai, who founded the now-shut Apple Daily newspaper, has been behind bars since 2020.His case has been widely criticised as an example of eroding political freedoms under the national security law.The Hong Kong Journalists Association described a Hong Kong media climate of self-censorship and fear.Beijing’s national security agency in Hong Kong and its Liaison Office in the city both called Lai a “pawn” for anti-China forces.A former Apple Daily employee surnamed Chan recalled before the verdicts were delivered that Lai wished for a “free and democratic China”.”He loved the country a lot, he just didn’t love the regime,” Chan told AFP.Lai looked thinner on Monday than when he first entered custody, an AFP reporter saw, and some of his supporters who gathered at dawn in front of the court expressed concern for his well-being.”I really want to see what’s happening with ‘the boss’,” said Tammy Cheung, who worked at Lai’s newspaper for nearly two decades.- Health concerns -Lai’s daughter Claire told AFP last week that her father, a diabetic, had “lost a very significant amount of weight” and showed signs of nail and tooth decay.National security police chief superintendent Steve Li said her concerns were smearing.Authorities have said Lai was receiving “adequate and comprehensive” care, and that he had been held in solitary confinement “at his own request”.Prosecutors cited 161 items Apple Daily published in their case against Lai.Those items, including opinion articles with Lai’s byline and talk shows he hosted, were deemed seditious under a colonial-era law because they “excited disaffection” against the government.Prosecutors also accused Lai of being the mastermind and financial backer of the protest group “Stand with Hong Kong, Fight for Freedom”.Lai maintained that he never sought to influence other countries’ foreign policies, saying Apple Daily represented Hongkongers’ core values, including “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy”.Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 following police raids. Six top executives were charged as co-defendants and have already pleaded guilty.