Central Europe's First Christian News Agency Launched

BosNewsLife.com starts as European Union expands eastwards

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife) - Central Europe’s first Christian news agency on the Internet started operations Saturday May 01, 2004 as 10 mainly ex-Communist countries joined the European Union.                                                               

"We wanted to launch BosNewsLife and its website BosNewsLife.com on the day former Soviet satellite states rejoined Europe after decades of Communism to inform people living here and around the world about the spiritual and political challenges ahead," said Dutch Journalist and founder of BosNewsLife Stefan J. Bos.

The Budapest based news agency will report on "hard hitting news stories" with a special focus on persecuted Christians, Jewish people and other minorities in former and current Communist countries as well as other nations experiencing difficulties, Bos added.

"In former Communist countries new churches and Christian groups are often viewed as sects, while press freedom is still under pressure. In Communist countries religious groups are persecuted and several leaders are fined, tortured and put in prison".

He said BosNewsLife want to reach "a dedicated audience of traveling compassionate professionals ranging from business people, journalists and decision makers to missionaries, aid workers and others caring for a hurting world…"

BosNewsLife’s first stories included the impact of European Union expansion on the lives of ordinary Hungarians and an interview with Budapest Mayor Gabor Demszky.  The mayor and others told BosNewsLife there is "widespread fear" among especially elderly people about price hikes and competition with Western countries.
 
In addition social workers have warned that European Union expansion will initially mean more suffering for poor people from East European countries, as income gaps are expected to increase.