ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Russian President Vladimir Putin has rejected a proposal by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a face-to-face meeting, saying he sees “no point” in it. Speaking Friday at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin described Zelenskyy’s open letter a day earlier proposing the meeting as “boorish.” In earlier remarks at the investment forum, Putin said that by freezing Russian assets abroad, Western nations eroded trust in their own currencies. He alleged that soaring state debt had helped undermine global trust in Western institutions. The Russian leader said the world needed a “modern, flexible and responsible financial architecture – free from risks, bans and barriers.”
DIBBINE, Lebanon – Israel’s air force struck parts of southern Lebanon, and the military issued evacuation warnings for nine villages. Lebanon’s state news agency reports six people killed. The strikes come after Hezbollah rejected a ceasefire agreement, demanding a complete Israeli withdrawal. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu says he wants to continue the offensive until Hezbollah is no longer a threat. Nearly 2,500 displaced people were sheltering in one of the villages that was hit, Anqoun. U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troops arrived at Dibbine after Israeli forces withdrew following clashes.
WASHINGTON – The U.S. military is still waiting for clarity from the Pentagon following President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on troop levels in Europe. That’s upending the lives of military personnel and potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars. That’s according to two U.S. defense officials who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters. NATO allies were bewildered in May when Trump said he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number pulled out of Europe. U.S. Transportation Command says sending all the equipment to Europe for the canceled unit cost the military $32 million.
Southern Baptists will gather for their annual meeting on Tuesday. And for the fourth year in a row, they’ll debate whether to formally ban churches with a woman in any role resembling that of pastor. One thing they’re unlikely to debate is any noticeable change in the politics of many Southern Baptists. They form the vanguard of the broader white conservative evangelical support for President Donald Trump. More than 11,000 church representatives have preregistered for the two-day meeting in Orlando, Florida. The Southern Baptist Convention’s membership has declined to its lowest since 1973, but it remains influential as the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S.
– The Associated Press
