Putin agrees to trilateral talks with Ukraine, US to end war

By Josh Christenson
Published Oct. 21, 2026, 10:02 a.m. ET


WASHINGTON — Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed to return to trilateral negotiations with the US and Ukraine to end its war, a Kremlin official told reporters Wednesday.

Moscow’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said that Putin said “in principle” peace talks will continue after Nov. 10, following a meeting with US special envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg.

Witkoff met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders in Oslo, Norway, on Tuesday to weigh a proposal that laid out Kyiv’s security guarantees, economic recovery funds and other items, before heading to Russia to present the document to Putin.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, shakes hands with US special envoy Steve Witkoff during a meeting at the Constantine Palace in Saint Petersburg, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026.via REUTERS

Ushakov said Wednesday following the sitdown with Witkoff that future trilateral talks will focus on “building a security system for Russia and Ukraine after the conflict ends” — another item that was to be considered as part of the peace proposal, a source previously told The Post.

The about-face comes after the Russian leader had resisted summits with Trump and Zelensky to wind down the more than four-year war.

Raging at Zelensky last week over Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy sites, Trump also floated excluding the embattled nation from trilateral talks — and inviting China and Russia to meet with the US instead.

The president has groused that the destruction of Russian oil refineries by Ukrainian drones has tanked global energy markets, prompting him to announce a deal with Putin on Oct. 9 to waive sanctions and buy up some portion of those exports.

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Franklin Graham Meets with President Zelenskyy to Pray for Peace in Ukraine

In a private moment with Ukraine’s president, Franklin Graham points to prayer, not politics, as the only hope for lasting peace.

Milton Quintanilla
Updated Jun 02, 2025



Evangelist Franklin Graham recently revealed that he prayed with Ukrainian to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for peace amid the ongoing Ukrainian-Russian war. He made the surprise announcement at the European Congress on Evangelism Tuesday evening, which was hosted by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, The Christian Post reported.

"Today, I had the privilege to meet with President Zelenskyy," Graham told delegates. "And I prayed with him that God will give them wisdom and that God will give them a path forward for peace."

He also shared how he met with Russian President Putin in the past and shared "with him what we as Evangelicals believe."

"Now, when I said that to him, he kind of listened very politely, but maybe it was the first time he understood. He was probably thinking this is the craziest thing I've ever heard. I don't know."

Although the "complications" in Ukraine and Russia were "very difficult," Graham contended that "only God can solve this." He then encouraged delegates to pray out loud regarding the end of the conflict.

"I think the most important thing maybe we can do for the next few minutes is to pray, and to pray for Ukraine, to pray for Russia, for the leaders of these countries and for the president of my country (U.S.), President Trump, that God will give a way forward.

"As God leads us, pray out loud for the leaders with heavy hearts as we think about fighting in the war and the people that have been killed, the families that are hurting, have lost loved ones."

Press conference after Warsaw meeting of EU members using euro

Pastor Marlowe Parks' Invitation to Meetings in Berlin, Germany

Russian patriarch in Cuba before pope meeting

By Carlos Batista

1 hour ago



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Havana (AFP) - Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill arrived on Thursday in Cuba, where he will sit down with Pope Francis in the first meeting of its kind since the historic 11th-century church schism.


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The 69-year-old Kirill, in black robes and white headdress, was greeted by Cuba's communist President Raul Castro at Havana airport, where the Russian church leader was due to meet with Francis on Friday.

That meeting, set for Friday afternoon, will be the first of its kind since Christianity split into Western and Eastern branches in 1054.

It is Kirill's fourth visit to Russia's Cold War Latin American ally Cuba, but his first as patriarch, overall head of the powerful Russian Orthodox church.

"I am visiting Cuba for the fourth time with very warm feelings. I have come here on a visit of friendship," the white-bearded patriarch said in a short speech after arriving on a Russian government plane.

"The Russian and Cuban people are united by many years of collaboration, cooperation and friendship," he added.

"I wish the Cuban people well."

Francis makes a short stopover in Havana on Friday on his way to Mexico for an official visit.

View gallery

Pope Francis on February 10, 2016 at the Vatican (AFP Photo/Alberto Pizzoli)

Kirill's 11-day trip will also take him to Paraguay and Brazil.

"This will be a long and difficult journey," the patriarch said in Moscow before leaving. "It requires spiritual and physical strength."

- Historic Orthodox-Catholic meeting -

The Russian church said their meeting would focus on the persecution of Christians around the world and that a joint declaration would be issued.

"This historic meeting clearly marks a new stage in our relations," the Orthodox Church's spokesman Alexander Volkov said Tuesday.

He said it was not political and could open "new prospects" for cooperation between the two branches of the church.

A meeting between the two religious leaders has been on the cards for some time, with Francis saying in 2014 he was willing to meet Kirill "wherever you want. You call me and I'll come."

View gallery

Cuban president Raul Castro (L) welcomes Patriarch Kirill (C), upon his arrival at Jose Marti Intern …


Relations between the two churches have been frosty for centuries because of the legacy of the Great Schism of 1054 and the recriminations and mutual excommunications that followed.

The Orthodox Church's refusal to accept the primacy of the Roman pontiff has long been the primary barrier to a rapprochement. But more recently, relations have been strained by the fallout from the conflict in Ukraine.

A close ally of President Vladimir Putin, the patriarch has fervently backed Moscow's military action abroad.

The patriarch denounced the "anti-Russian" policies of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, an Eastern rite church that recognizes the pope and is a source of friction between Moscow and the Vatican.

- Meeting Fidel Castro -

Kirill was due to meet on Friday morning with Cuba's atheist president before the pope's arrival in the afternoon.

On Sunday, Kirill will hold a mass in the Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox cathedral, which he consecrated in 2008.

He was expected to meet with Cuba's former president Fidel Castro, 89, the revolutionary leader who handed the presidency to his brother Raul, 84, in 2008 due to ailing health.

The patriarch was also due to visit a school for children with disabilities, attend a concert and lay flowers at a Soviet memorial in Havana.

Cuba hosted Russian personnel during the Cold War and is currently home to some 3,000 Orthodox worshippers.

They are outnumbered in the former Spanish colony by Roman Catholics, Protestants and practitioners of African-rooted cults.

The Cuban state is officially secular.

Fidel Castro has said that Kirill "is not the enemy of socialism. He does not condemn to eternal fire those of us who use Leninist Marxism as a basis to fight for a just world."

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Arab League calls for multinational force to fight militants

Foreign ministers of the Arab League take part in an emergency meeting at the League's headquarters in Cairo March 9, 2015. (Reuters)

Reuters, Cairo
Monday, 9 March 2015

The Arab League called for the creation of a regional force to combat militants as countries face a growing threat from Islamic State and other groups.

The ultra-radical group has taken over swathes of Iraq and Syria and splinter groups in other countries like Egypt and Libya have pledged allegiance to it. Yemen's al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is also very active.

The United States leads a coalition that is fighting Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Washington says Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain have participated in or supported air strikes in Syria. Iran is also playing a major role in fighting Islamic State in Iraq.

Egypt, the most populous Arab state, struck Islamic State targets in Libya last month after the militants beheaded 21 Egyptians.

But there has been no comprehensive Arab force to fight militants. Previous calls for a unified force have failed to produce results.

Speaking at the opening session of an Arab League meeting of foreign ministers, Secretary General Nabil el-Araby called for action.

"What is required now and urgently is to look into creating a...multi-national force that is able to look at what unites them in terms of responsibilities in the areas of quick intervention to fight terrorism, the activities of terrorist groups, helping in peacekeeping operations and securing humanitarian operations," he said.

It was not immediately clear which countries would join such a force or where or when it would be created.

The Arab League is due to hold a summit of Arab leaders later this month in Sharm el-Sheikh.


Last Update: Monday, 9 March 2015 KSA 21:05 - GMT 18:05

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Queen Elizabeth meets privately with Pope Francis

CBS NewsApril 3, 2014, 10:27 AM




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A week after Pope Francis welcomed President Obama to the Vatican, he has another high-profile visitor: Britain's Queen Elizabeth.

10 Photos

Pope Francis blesses Harley-Davidsons

CBS News' Mark Phillips said the meeting between the Pope and The Queen is a bit of a happy accident. The Queen was supposed to come to Italy before Francis became pope, but the trip had to be postponed. So instead, there is a meeting between two of the world's iconic figures

Queen Elizabeth doesn't travel much anymore. She's about to turn 88. Her husband Prince Philip, who's 92, has had a series of health issues lately. But his day-trip to Italy is a full day.

Officially, this is a visit with the Italian President Giorgio Napolitano. He's a friend of the queen's and enticed her to drop by saying she could also squeeze in a chat with the pope.


Queen Elizabeth -- now in the sixth decade of her reign -- has met five popes.



 

42 Photos
Royal Life: Queen Elizabeth II through the years

This is being billed as an informal encounter, a chance for a cup of tea, and not in the elegant setting of the Apostolic Palace, but in a meeting room elsewhere in the Vatican. Pope Francis still seems to prefer less ostentatious venues for the exercise of papal power.


There's been a well worn path to Francis' door since his election. President Obama was there just last week. Russian President Vladimir Putin was here late last year. It can be useful for a politician of whatever stripe to be seen with a pope with this kind of popularity.


And Vatican writers -- like Massimo Franco -- see another reason.


"The church, the catholic church, is coming back on the international stage as a mediator so its a key position for all the leaders all the west to come and greet the pope," he said.

To see Mark Phillips' full report, watch the video in the player above

© 2014 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.



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Obama Meets the Pope

Politics Religion



Noah Rayman @noahrayman 7:48 AM ET

President Obama met with Pope Francis in Vatican City today, an opportunity for both world leaders to discuss their shared commitment to combatting economic inequality. "Welcome, Mr. President," the Pontiff said. "I'm a great admirer," the President told the religious leader


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Inside Obama’s Meeting With Pope Francis





President Barack Obama met with Pope Francis on Thursday at the Vatican, in his second Papal visit and first with the new Pontiff.

“Wonderful meeting you,” Obama told the Pope upon being greeted outside the Papal Library, following a ceremonial procession led by the Vatican’s Swiss Guards.

“It is a great honor. I’m a great admirer,” Obama said. “Thank you so much for receiving me.”

The White House said before the visit that the meeting would be an opportunity for the two world leaders to discuss their shared commitment to combatting economic inequality, an issue Pope Francis has prioritized during his first year in office. Democrats have increasingly used the Pope’s emphasis on inequality as a political cudgel against Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.

But the gathering is also seen as an opportunity for the president to smooth ties with the Vatican and the large Hispanic Catholic population in America whose support for Obama has waned since helping vote him into office. The Vatican has been critical of a measure in Obama’s health care reform law that mandates contraception coverage, and officials said before the meeting that Pope Francis would likely raise those concerns.

Pope Francis, who was TIME’s Person of the Year in 2013, is widely popular globally and in America, where 8 in 10 Catholics viewed him favorably in a recent Pew Research Center poll.

“He can cause people around to the world to stop and perhaps rethink old attitudes and begin treating one another with more decency and compassion,” Obama said in an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera before the meeting.



The White House said Obama presented Pope Francis with “a custom-made seed chest featuring a variety of fruit and vegetable seeds used in the White House Garden,” noting that the Pontiff said earlier this month that he would open the gardens of the papal summer residence to the public.

“I bring greetings from my family,” Obama told the Pope upon meeting him. “The last time I came here to meet your predecessor I was able to bring my wife and children.”

Obama, on a week-long tour in Europe that has primarily focused on regional security amid recent tension with Russia, is the ninth president to make an official visit to the Vatican.


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Raw: Kerry, Lavrov Meet at Rome Conference

AssociatedPress
 

Published on Mar 6, 2014


http://smarturl.it/AssociatedPress

Secretary of State John Kerry met with his Russian counterpart at an international conference in Rome on Thursday. The meeting took place as Washington slapped new visa restrictions on Russian opponents of the new Ukraine government. (March 6)

The Associated Press is the essential global news network, delivering fast, unbiased news from every corner of the world to all media platforms and formats.

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Why meet at Rome?
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Governors erupt in partisan dispute at White House

Photo by: The Associated Press

President Barack Obama toasts after delivering remarks during a dinner for the National Governors Association in the State Dining room of the White House on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2014, in Washington. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)



Monday, February 24, 2014

By: Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The nation's governor's emerged from a meeting with President Barack Obama Monday claiming harmony, only to immediately break into an on-camera partisan feud in front of the West Wing.

Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal lashed out first, saying if Obama were serious about growing the economy he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline project and take other executive actions.

Instead, Jindal said, Obama "seems to be waving the white flag of surrender" on the economy by focusing on raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10, up from $7.25. "The Obama economy is now the minimum wage economy. I think we can do better than that," Jindal said.

Jindal's statements were the kind that Republicans often make on television appearances or at partisan events. But his colleagues had been instead expressing wide agreement and appreciation for the president's time. Some of the governors began shaking their heads, and Hawaii Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie began audibly mumbling to others around him even as Jindal was speaking.

Connecticut Democratic Gov. Dannel Malloy took over the microphone from Jindal and responded sharply, "Wait a second, until a few moments ago we were going down a pretty cooperative road. So let me just say that we don't all agree that moving Canadian oil through the United States is necessarily the best thing for the United States economy."

Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin, a Republican who chairs the National Governors Association and supports Keystone, earlier said she asked Obama when the administration would decide whether to allow it and he told her there would be an answer in the next couple months.

Malloy said the white flag statement was the most partisan of their weekend conference and that many governors support a minimum wage increase.

"I don't know what the heck was a reference to white flag when it comes to people making $404 a week," Malloy snapped. "I mean that's the most insane statement I've ever heard."

Jindal did not the back down. "If that's the most partisan thing he's heard all weekend, I want to make sure he hears a more partisan statement," Jindal responded. "I think we can grow the economy more if we would delay more of these Obamacare mandates."

As the news conference broke up, Colorado Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, vice chair of the governors association, called Jindal a "cheap shot artist."

The public dispute came after Obama addressed the group in the State Dining Room and appealed for their help to advance his economic policies that stand little chance of winning passage on Capitol Hill.

"Even when there's little appetite in Congress to move on some of these priories, on the state level you guys are governed by practical considerations," Obama told the governors during a meeting at the White House. "You want to do right by your people."

The president pressed in particular for states to act on their own to raise the minimum wage and expand access to early childhood education, two initiatives that have gained little traction in Congress since Obama first introduced them last year.

Several governors are seen as potential presidential candidates in 2016. Obama made light of the speculation about the race to replace him, saying he "enjoyed watching some of you with your eyes on higher office size up the drapes, and each other."

Not every governor met Monday with the president.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie left the NGA meeting early to attend his daughter's birthday and prepare for a budget address.

Facing multiple investigations in a political-retribution probe in New Jersey, the Republican leader also skipped a Monday news conference by the Republican Governors Association, which he leads.

___

Associated Press writers Nedra Pickler and Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.


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A Locked Door, A Secret Meeting And The Birth Of The Fed

by Robert Smith and Jacob Goldstein
December 23, 2013 3:43 AM


Listen to this Story
Morning Edition

5 min 38 sec





J.P. Morgan: Not a pussycat. Hulton Archive/Getty Images

In 1907, the U.S. economy was in the grip of a financial crisis. Unemployment was up. The stock market was down.

People started panicking. They were lining up overnight to pull their money out of healthy banks This can be deadly for an economy: Healthy banks have to shut down, businesses can't get credit, they lay people off, and the economy gets worse.

At the time, the U.S. government had no way to deal with the panic. There was no institution that could step in to stop the run on healthy banks. So the job of stopping the panic fell to one man: J.P. Morgan (of J.P. Morgan fame).

He summoned dozens of the leading financiers in New York to his private library on Madison Ave, and essentially ordered them to contribute to a $25 million pool that would be used to backstop the system. Then he locked them in and made them stay there through the night, until they all agreed to his plan.

The plan worked — it essentially ended the Panic of 1907.

But some powerful people in Washington wondered: what about the next panic? Do we really want the fate of the U.S. economy to hinge on one rich guy in New York?

One person in particular decided this was a problem: Senator Nelson Aldrich, chairman of the Senate finance committee. Aldrich knew there was something America could do so that it would no longer have to rely on one guy to end panics. The U.S. could create a central bank.

This was not a new invention. Countries in Europe already had central banks. And, during panics, the central banks basically did what J.P. Morgan did in the U.S.: Act as lenders of last resort for healthy banks. When depositors were lined up out the door yelling for their money, banks that were basically sound could borrow from the central bank.

But just consider that name: central bank. Throughout American history, both of those words — "central" and "bank" — had been deeply unpopular. The thought of a bunch of rich bankers in New York controlling a powerful central bank did not inspire confidence.

Still, Aldrich realized he needed bankers' help to draw up a plan for a central bank. So he came up with a plan to gather in secret.

He told a handful of New York bankers to come on a given night, one by one, to a train station in New Jersey. There they would find a private rail car hitched to the back of a southbound train. To conceal their identities, Aldrich told the bankers to come dressed as duck hunters and to address each other only by first name.

The train headed south, and the bankers got off in Georgia. They spent the next week holed up in a private club at a place called Jekyll Island. (Apparently, the name didn't sound as sketchy then as it does today.)

At Jekyll Island, Aldrich and the bankers came up with a plan. They knew many Americans thought a central bank could become too powerful, too influential in the economy. So they came up with a classic, American workaround: The decided the U.S. should create lots of little central banks, scattered all around the country.

The plan they came up with still had a long way to go. It got shot down the first time in Congress. The plan for a central bank was debated, changed significantly, renamed. But the basic idea held up. And on December 23rd, 1913 President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law.

Creating the Fed didn't solve the nation's economic problems. In fact, a few decades after the Fed was created, its policies made the Great Depression worse. And the Fed has changed significantly over the course of a century. But even after all those changes, there are still a dozen Federal Reserve banks scattered around the country in cities like Dallas, Richmond and, of course, New York.


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Iran-Vatican Detente?

President Hassan Rohani meeting with Archbishop Leo Boccardi

Photo (Courtesy)  http://www.mfa.gov.ir/index.aspx?siteid=3&pageid=2014&newsview=25114

Signs Of the Times
November 25, 2013From CNS, Staff and other sources


Iran’s President Hassan Rohani has informally begun a dialogue between the Islamic and Christian worlds. He expressed hope for an alliance between Iran and the Holy See regarding major issues that shake humanity, like the fight against radicalism, injustice and poverty. Rohani’s appeal was launched on the occasion of his meeting with Archbishop Leo Boccardi, the new apostolic nuncio, on Nov. 2 in Tehran. Rohani published a photo of the meeting on his Twitter account, writing, “Islam and Christianity need to dialogue more than ever today, as the basis of conflicts between religions is mainly ignorance and the lack of mutual understanding.” Rohani remarked that the Vatican and Iran have “common enemies,” like terrorism and extremism, and “similar goals,” like the defeat of injustice and poverty in the world. Archbishop Boccardi called for “closer bilateral relations between the Holy See and the Islamic Republic,” expressing the wish that the two countries can work together to resolve regional crises in the Middle East, particularly the current one in Syria.


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Obama Snubs, Russia Laughs, Putin Wins

 

Vladimir Putin was this close to caring that Barack Obama decided not to meet with him. Photographer: Jochen Eckel/Bloomberg

 

By Leonid Bershidsky Aug 7, 2013 12:53 PM ET





In the U.S., President Barack Obama's decision to cancel a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin for harboring fugitive Edward Snowden is seen as an important diplomatic demarche.

From the Russian perspective, it's a bit of a joke.

One freshly minted Russian witticism, picked up by the news site Gazeta.ru, portrayed the U.S. president as a jilted suitor: "Obama won't see Putin because Putin is already seeing Snowden."
The White House issued a statement saying Obama "looked forward to" the September G-20 summit in St. Petersburg, but that he had decided against a one-on-one meeting with Putin "given our lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, and human rights and civil society in the last 12 months." As regards the man wanted in the U.S. for leaking information on government surveillance, the White House said: "Russia’s disappointing decision to grant Edward Snowden temporary asylum was also a factor that we considered in assessing the current state of our bilateral relationship."

The fact that Obama stopped short of skipping the entire G-20 meeting was seen in the Putin camp as a sign of weakness. The dominant theory is that the U.S. president did not really want to make hostile moves against Russia, but domestic interests forced him to make a show of chastising Putin.

"Obama is under powerful pressure from the cold war lobby," political analyst Sergei Markov told the news agency Interfax.

"This is clearly a political defeat for Obama," pro-Putin newspaper editor Vitaly Tretyakov wrote on the social network Vkontakte. In an eerie echo of the White House statement, Tretyakov added: "Russia, strictly speaking, does not care. What could we expect from Obama's visit? A second reset? But the first one failed. A second detente? Who even remembers the first one?"

Putin's liberal opponents, for their part, could not sympathize with Obama's move. They saw better reasons than Snowden's asylum to chastise Putin.

"It's sad that Obama did not refuse to meet with Putin because of human rights violations in Russia but rather because of rights violations in the U.S.," blogger Oleg Kozyrev wrote on Twitter.

The two leaders did not have much to discuss, anyway.

Russia and the United States do not see eye to eye on most issues, from gay rights to the civil war in Syria. The differences have been starkly evident for at least a year, since Putin returned to the Kremlin after a four-year hiatus. Now a man wanted in the U.S. for espionage has found an apartment in Moscow, is looking for a job and sending out invitations to family in the U.S. If a meeting would not have changed anything, neither does its cancellation.

"Obama canceled his meeting with Putin," Russia's most popular anti-Putin politician Alexei Navalny, who is now running for mayor of Moscow, wrote on Twitter. "As for me, I held my meeting with the residents of Zyablikovo neighborhood as planned."

(Leonid Bershidsky, an editor and novelist, is a Bloomberg View contributor. Follow him on Twitter.)

 

 

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Obama Canceled Russia Meeting In Part Over Putin’s War On Gays

by David Badash on August 7, 2013





President Barack Obama, as reported earlier today, has canceled his long-scheduled meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, citing tensions stemming from the imbroglio over granting asylum to whistleblower Edward Snowden, and “human rights” issues. But to the chagrin of some in the LGBT community, and despite the President’s chastising of Russia’s anti-gay laws last night on Leno, LGBT civil rights were not specified in the official statement, which the New Civil Rights Movement received via an email from the White House (below).

Now, blogger John Aravosis has determined that indeed LGBT civil rights played a part in Obama’s decision to cancel his meeting with his Russian counterpart.

“An Obama administration official just confirmed to me that today’s sudden cancellation of President Obama’s anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during next month’s G20 meeting in Russia was in part due to the President’s concerns about the deteriorating gay rights situation in Russia,” Aravosis writes:

The official told me that among the concerns leading to the cancellation of the bilateral meeting with Putin was the worsening human rights situation in Russia, which specifically included the Russian government’s recent crackdown on the gay and trans community.
Aravosis acknowledges that “no one is claiming that gay rights is the sole, or even lead, reason that the President canceled the Putin meeting,” but notes, “it is hugely significant that the administration is acknowledging that Russia’s draconian crackdown on gay and trans people figured into the President’s calculus at all.”
Elections matter.



Via the White House:

 

 

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 7, 2013

 

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President’s Travel to Russia


Following a careful review begun in July, we have reached the conclusion that there is not enough recent progress in our bilateral agenda withRussia to hold a U.S.-Russia Summit in early September. We value the achievements made with Russia in the President’s first term, including the New START Treaty, and cooperation on Afghanistan, Iran, and North Korea. However, given our lack of progress on issues such as missile defense and arms control, trade and commercial relations, global security issues, and human rights and civil society in the last twelve months, we have informed the Russian Government that we believe it would be more constructive to postpone the summit until we have more results from our shared agenda. Russia’s disappointing decision to grant Edward Snowden temporary asylum was also a factor that we considered in assessing the current state of our bilateral relationship. Our cooperation on these issues remains a priority for the United States, so on Friday, August 9, Secretaries Hagel and Kerry will meet with their Russian counterparts in a 2+2 format in Washington to discuss how we can best make progress moving forward on the full range of issues in our bilateral relationship.


The President still looks forward to traveling to St. Petersburg on September 5-6 to attend the G-20 Summit.

 

 

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Image: President Barack Obama and members of the American delegation, including National Security Advisor General Jim Jones, Under Secretary for Political Affairs Bill Burns, and NSC Senior Director for Russian Affairs Mike McFaul, meet with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin at his dacha outside Moscow, Russia, July 7, 2009. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza, via Flickr

 

 

 

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Baptist World Alliance: annual gathering

Mon, July 1, 12am – Sun, July 7, 12am

Where - Ocho Rios, Jamaica

map

Calendar - Religion calendar

Created by - religionnewsservice@gmail.com

Description  - Contact: Emmett Dunn at 703-790-8980; email: emmett(at)bwanet.org; website: www.bwanet.org

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Bilderberg 2013, the world's most secretive conference: live

The latest from Bilderberg, the secretive annual conference attended by some of the world's most powerful people, which begins today in Watford.

(Clockwise from left) Christine Lagarde, a protester from the 2012 meeting in Virginia, Henry Kissinger, George Osborne and David Petraeus Photo: PA/REUTERS/AP



By Josie Ensor, and Matthew Holehouse

3:06PM BST 06 Jun 2013


This page will automatically update every 90 seconds


Four-day conference at Watford's The Grove hotel begins
Millions spent on security as protesters demonstrate outside
Lord Healey: 'the most useful of all the meetings I attend'

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1,000 United Methodists to convene Sunday for regional meeting in Mobile

By Carol McPhail | cmcphail@al.com

on May 30, 2013 at 1:02 PM, updated May 30, 2013 at 1:21 PM

MOBILE, Alabama – About 1,000 United Methodists will converge on Mobile beginning Sunday for an annual regional conference that will conclude with announcements about clergy appointments.

The conference, to be held June 2-5, is expected to draw clergy and lay people from about 300 churches in the Alabama-West Florida Conference, the denomination’s regional organization, said Mary Catherine Phillips, director of communication. It will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, located at 6101 Grelot Road.

This is Mobile’s fourth year to host the event. The conference was also held here in 2012, 2006 and 2005.

The theme this year will be “The Great Commission: Seeking Disciples.” Speakers include Bishop Lindsey Davis of the Louisville, Ky., area, and David E. Cann of the lnterdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta.

Participants will take time away from sessions Tuesday afternoon to serve organizations in the community. Projects will target 15 Place, Bay Area Food Bank, Dumas Wesley Community Center, Light of the Village, MATthew 6 Ministry and Tent City, among others.

During opening worship on Sunday, a special offering will be collected to help Hurricane Sandy victims in New Jersey.

Phillips said clergy appointments will be among the last business conducted at the conference. A few changes have already been announced, including the appointment of the Rev. Doug Pennington as superintendent of the Mobile District, replacing the Rev. Tonya Elmore, who is taking a position at First United Methodist in Enterprise. The change is effective July 1.

The Mobile District includes 58 congregations.

The Rev. Don Woolley of Saraland United Methodist, meanwhile, is being appointed to a new position that will help churches engage in their communities.

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Europe Needs a Social Dimension –Church Leaders Tell Irish EU Presidency

Joint Irish Council of Churches-CEC-COMECE Press release



European economic governance needs to be balanced by a social dimension, according to Churches in Europe. At a meeting with the Irish EU Presidency in Dublin this morning (Friday March 8), they questioned the sense in discussing economic austerity without including measures for social cohesion. Efforts aimed at the eradication of structural poverty and inequality should all be considered when measuring economic progress, they maintained.

This was the main focus of a delegation of church representatives from across Ireland and Europe who met with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny (the Irish Prime Minister) in Government Buildings. The meeting carried on the tradition of regular encounters between churches and EU Presidencies.

In a cordial and open meeting, the delegation, representing the broad spectrum of Christian traditions in Ireland, raised a number of issues for consideration by the Irish EU Presidency including the social and economic crisis in Europe and development aid policy. The group was pleased with the sensitivity to their concerns shown by the Taoiseach and the other members of his delegation.

The meeting was organised by the Irish Council of Churches on behalf of the Conference of European Churches (CEC) and the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE).



Social Crisis in Europe



The delegation highlighted the social consequences of the severe economic crisis in the European Union and stated that those consequences were evident in the parishes of all of the churches and were a key concern for churches at local, regional and national level. The Irish churches were particularly concerned about the impact of austerity on present and future generations and on the most vulnerable in Society.

While acknowledging that employment and the creation of jobs in Europe was one of the main requirements to overcome the crisis, the churches highlighted the increased numbers of working poor. They urged that a common weekly day of rest, which they described as being a clear and visible sign for the reconciliation of personal, family and professional life, be included in the revision of the working time directive.

They also called for greater participation of civil society, social partners and social actors in shaping the National Reform Programs, the National Social Reports and the Country Specific Recommendations.



Development Aid Policy



The delegation stressed that Development aid continues to transform lives and highlighted the importance of EU member states recommitting to meeting overseas development aid targets by 2015. However, the churches spoke of the need to use aid to work towards a situation where countries no longer need aid. To reach that point revenue authorities in developing countries need to be able to collect the correct amount of tax from multinational companies operating in their jurisdiction. Strengthening the capacity of revenue authorities in these countries is important, but tackling the accounting rules and financial regulations that enable this to happen is crucial, the group said.

Highlighting recent successful negotiations on banking regulation in Europe completed under the Irish Presidency, the church representatives called for strengthened negotiations on:

· Defending the agreement reached on banking reform (CRD) between the Council, Parliament and Commission

· Including a robust review clause in the Accounting and Transparency Directives that allows for the inclusion of additional sectors, and more detailed information similar in scope to that agreed in the banking reform agreement

· Working towards tackling the insidious impact of tax havens

· Implementing the recommendation to OECD countries contained in the 2011 OECD/IMF/UN/World bank report Supporting the Development of More Effective Tax Systems, to conduct a spill over analysis of domestic tax policy to ensure there are no negative consequences for developing countries.



Delegation Members

Archbishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland (Anglican) Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland.
Rev Fr Godfrey O'Donnell, President of the Irish Council of Churches and Chair of Orthodox Network of Churches.
Bishop William Crean, Bishop of Cloyne.
Ms Gillian Kingston, Lay Leader of the Methodist Church in Ireland.
Dr Nicola Rooney, Council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Episcopal Conference.
Dr Kenneth Milne, Coordinator of European Engagement group, Irish Council of Churches/Irish Inter Church Meeting..
Mervyn McCullagh, Executive Officer, Irish Council of Churches/Irish Inter Church Meeting.
Rev Frank-Dieter Fischbach, Executive Secretary of CEC-Church and Society Commission.
Fr Patrick Daly, General Secretary of COMECE.
Michael Kuhn, Vice General Secretary of COMECE.

The meeting took place within the framework of Article 17 of the EU Treaty establishing a regular dialogue between churches and the EU.

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2013 Annual Meeting Schedule of Christian Churches Together in USA

Christian Churches Together in the USA

2013 Annual Meeting Schedule

Omni Austin Hotel Southpark

Austin, Texas

January 29-February 1, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

2:30 – 5:30 PM Registration Lower Foyer

3:30 – 5:15 PM CCT Steering Committee Meeting Southpark B

5:30 – 6:30 PM Dinner The Oaks

Welcome, Call to Meeting and Prayer

Father Leonid Kishkovsky, CCT Moderator

Rev. Carlos L Malavé, CCT Executive Director

Video: “Dying to Live”

6:45 PM Board buses to Saint Mary Cathedral Omni Main Entrance

7:15 PM Opening Worship St. Mary Cathedral

Celebration of Catholic-Reformed Baptism Agreement

CCT Annual Meeting Opening Worship

Homily: Bishop Joe Vazquez, Diocese of Austin

Announcements - Rev. Carlos Malavé

8:15 pm Walk to Reception at Central Presbyterian Church

9:30 PM Board buses to return to the Omni Hotel

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

6:30 AM Breakfast (open) Southpark A & B

8:30 AM Worship: Historic Protestant Family, Rev. Dr. Wes Granberg-Michaelson The Oaks

9:00 AM Prayer and Sharing Groups of Five (see list in binder for names)

Sharing faith journeys and praying for one another

9:45 AM “US History of Immigration: Dynamics of Inclusion and Exclusion” The Oaks

Introduction: Ms. Lisa Sharon Harper

Speaker: Rev. Jenny Yang, Director of Advocacy and Policy for the 

Refugee and Immigration Program at World Relief

10:45 AM Break

11:00 AM Plenary: “The Immigration Experience at the Border” The Oaks

Introduction: Fr. Ronald Robertson

Speaker: Bishop Daniel Flores, Diocese of Brownsville

12:00 PM Lunch Omni D

1:00 PM Board buses to University of Texas Austin Omni Main Entrance

2:00 PM Free time

 Seminarians meet with Dr. Jay Alanis for debriefing. Room 102

 Experts meet to finalize document with pastoral message and Room 104

points of agreement on legislative actions.3

3:00 PM Brief report from Seminarians/Young Leaders Omni C

Plenary: Introduction and discussion on CCT Common Statement on Immigration

Lead by Mr. Alejandro Aguilera-Titus

4:15 PM Break

4:30 PM Praise and Worship: Evangelical/Pentecostal Family, Rev. Gary Walter Omni C

Introduction: Rev. Gary Walter

“Biblical Foundations of Welcoming the Stranger” - Preaching: Rev. Samuel 

Rodriguez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference

Announcements – Rev. Carlos L Malavé

6:00 PM Dinner Omni D

7:00 PM Brief report from Rev. David Beckman, President, Bread for the World Omni C

Open Space Opportunities:

1. “I Was a Stranger Challenge” & “10,000 Pastor’s initiative” - Ms. Lisa

Sharon Harper, Director of Mobilizing, Sojourners

2. “Justice for Immigrant Campaign” - Mr. Tony Cubé, National Field 

Manager for Justice for Immigrant Campaign Office of the USCCB

3. “Church Between Borders“ Curriculum - Ms. Shannon Jammal-Hollemans, 

CRCNA Office of Social Justice and Office of Race Relations

4. “Gospel Without Borders” - video discussion led by Dr. Robert Parham, 

Executive Director, Baptist Center for Ethics, and Rev. Stephen Copley, 

Executive Director, Arkansas Interfaith Conference

5. "The Church As Provider of Physical Sanctuary While We Wait For The 

Dawning of a New Day for Immigrants in America" - Rev. Seth Kaper-Dale, 

Reformed Church in America

8:00 PM Good night rest

Friday, February 1, 2013

6:30 AM Breakfast (open) Omni D

8:30 AM Morning Opening Prayer: Bishop Mary Ann Swenson Omni D

Speaker: Rev. Stacy Martin, LIRS Vice President for External Relations and 

Development - Reflection on what we have heard at the gathering.

9:40 AM Stretch Break (5 min)

9:45 AM Final considerations & affirmations on CCT Statement on Immigration Omni D

Lead by Rev. Carlos L Malavé

Final Business Session

Election of at-large Steering Committee members

Other business

11:00 AM Break

11:15 AM Worship: African American Family Omni D

Commissioning Prayer and Closing of Annual Meeting

Noon......Safe travels!

Source: //christianchurchestogether.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/CCT-AM-2013-Agenda.pdf

Submitted by: http://BobtheBerean.blogspot.com

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Northern Fairfield Professionals - Newtown

Networking Group Moving To Newtown


Northern Fairfield Professionals, a networking group focusing on people in transition, has updated its meeting dates, times, and location to better accommodate members.

Beginning December 11, the group will meet the second Tuesday of every month from 5:30 to 8 pm at the Knights of Columbus building at 46 Church Hill Road (behind the St Rose Church Rectory, to the far left of the parking lot).

Attendance remains free.

On December 11, the group will host networking, followed by a Personal Pitch/Ask a Recruiter session. Guests will meet and network with peers, managers, local business owners, and professionals.

NFP is a local business professionals’ networking group that allows individuals to meet and network with peers, managers, local business owners and professionals.

For more information, e-mail NFP@itechcp.com or call Amanda at 203-270-0051, extension 310.

Source: http://newtownbee.com/Features/Features/2012/11-November/2012-11-30__11-37-25/Networking+Group+Moving+To+Newtown

Related:

Business calendar
Published 8:26 pm, Friday, December 7, 2012

THE NORTHERN FAIRFIELD PROFESSIONALS, a networking group focusing on people in transition, will meet from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Knights of Columbus, 46 Church Hill Road, behind St. Rose of Lima Church in Newtown. The meeting will be followed by an opportunity to meet and network with peers, managers, local business owners and other professionals. Attendance is free. For information, email NFP@itechcp.com.


Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Business-calendar-4100821.php#ixzz2FEE1SR23

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