Europe

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary's center-right government is under international pressure to revoke a new church law that critics say resembles the Communist-era, BosNewsLife established Sunday, August 14.

By BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent Eric Leijenaar CAIRO/AMSTERDAM (BosNewsLife)-- A Netherlands based advocacy group expressed concern Thursday, January 29, over a young Christian convert in Egypt after a judge allegedly threatened to kill her for abandoning Islam and trying to flee Egypt because of harassment by family and police.

By BosNewsLife Middle East and Africa Services CAIRO, EGYPT (BosNewsLife)-- A Muslim men was awaiting execution Monday, January 17, after a court in Egypt sentenced him to death for his alleged involvement in the January 2010 killings of six Coptic Christians following Christmas mass.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife)-- A widow asked for prayers and rights activists expressed concern Saturday, May 8, after a Turkish court released suspects accused of torturing and murdering three Christian missionaries in 2007.

By BosNewsLife News Center with reporting by Philippa HitchenVATICAN CITY, VATICAN CITY, VATICAN (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Francis and leaders of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) group agreed Thursday, December 14, to cooperate on tackling the "worst persecution" of Christians in church history despite "major theological differences", officials said following talks in the Vatican.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife VIENNA, AUSTRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Austria's pro-Europe, centrist coalition partners have narrowly won Sunday's parliamentary elections, but their victory party was spoiled by the far-right Freedom Party which became the third largest political force in the Alpine nation, rocking the political establishment.

By BosNewsLife News Center THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife)-- Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands announced Monday she is abdicating in favor of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander.

By BosNewsLife News Center VATICAN CITY/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Francis has called a Christian Syrian woman "a martyr" after hearing she was killed by Islamic militants for refusing to deny her faith in Jesus Christ. The leader of the world's one billion Catholics told the faithful in St. Peter's Square that he spoke with the young woman's widow during his visit Saturday, April 16, to the Greek island of Lesbos where he also visited refugees held in an overcrowded detention center.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- British Prime Minister David Cameron is visiting Hungary on Thursday amid tensions over his plans to cut benefits for Eastern Europeans in Britain, including Hungarians, though he is expected to agree with his Hungarian counterpart on limiting the power of the European Union.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hundreds of evangelical leaders have agreed to improve cooperation between their organizations amid mounting concerns about the moral and economic decline of Europe, organizers said.