NEWS WATCH: Lithuania Shuts Down Its Only Nuclear Power Plant
Lithuania has closed down its Soviet-built nuclear power plant as part of an agreement with the European Union, ushering in a new era of energy uncertainty for the country.
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Croatia to Hold Presidential Runoff Vote
Official results show Social Democrat Ivo Josipovic has won the most votes in the first round of Croatia’s presidential election, but not enough for a first round victory. Josipovic will face the controversial mayor of the capital Zagreb in a run-off election next month.
Nobel Prize Winner Wiesel Concerned About Hungarian Extremism
Nobel Peace Prize winner, author and activist Elie Wiesel has urged Hungary to consider banning Holocaust denials to improve its image abroad and has expressed concern about growing extremist parties in the country and Europe.
NEWS WATCH: Hungarian Radio Scandal Highlights Corruption Problem
Hungary’s government has admitted it has a serious corruption problem following the sudden closure of radio stations by Hungarian authorities. Ambassadors of nine wealthy nations, including Germany, have warned Hungary that foreign investors could be scared off.
Serbia Pledges Cooperation As Karadzic Trial Adjourns
The trial of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity including genocide, was adjourned till Tuesday, October 27, after the defendant refused to show up.
NEWS WATCH: US VP Warns Europe of Missile Threats
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has called on America’s European allies to step-up their defense efforts, saying they the face growing security threats from outside Europe.
Armenia, Turkey Sign Landmark Accord Despite Tensions
The former Soviet republic of Armenia and Turkey have signed a historic accord on normalizing relations after a century of hostility.
Row Over Dutch Support For Hindu Goddess
Citizens in the Dutch town of Amstelveen have condemned plans by local authorities to support a controversial Hindu festival that would involve praying to a Hindu goddess from India, in the heart of the town.
Hungary Marks Anniversary of Beginning of Collapse of Iron Curtain (Feature)
Hungary is marking the 20th anniversary of it decision to allow tens of thousands East Germans to cross the Hungarian border and flee to the West. It was a risky decision that contributed to the collapse of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Former refugees from then-communist East Germany and aid workers still recall the often traumatic experiences that preceded the mass exodus to freedom.
EU Ambassadors Discuss Belarus Threats To Close Megachurch
European ambassadors to Belarus have met with the leader of New Life Church in the capital Minsk to discuss “threats” by authorities to “destroy” one of the country’s largest evangelical churches by confiscating its building, a former cowshed, church officials said in a statement obtained by Worthy News Thursday, August 27.
Int’l Journalists Federation Condemns Murder Russian Rights Activist
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Thursday, July 16, “strongly condemned” the murder of Natalya Estemirova, a prominent journalist and human rights activist who was found dead in Ingushetia, following her kidnapping the previous day at her home in Grozny, the Chechen capital.
World Meeting Pledges Urgent Social Support for Holocaust Survivors
The European Union and dozens of countries have pledged to speed up social support for Holocaust survivors and the search for art and other items that were stolen during World War II by the Nazis. At a meeting in Prague, they agreed to establish a special European institute to deal with these issues and education.
BREAKING NEWS: Hungary’s Far Right Party Enters European Parliament (UPDATE)
Hungary’s main far-right party, accused by rights groups of spreading anti-Semitic views and hatred towards the country’s up to 800,000 Gypsies, known as Roma, has received three seats in the European Parliament, official results showed.
Hungary’s “Anti-Roma, Anti-Jewish” Party Marching To Europe (Special Feature)
Lawyer Krisztina Morvai is a beautiful blond mother who smiles on campaign posters of the far-right party, the Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik). However the red, lipstick smile, of Jobbik’s primary candidate for the European Union Parliament soon disappears when asked about her views on Hungary’s estimated 800.000 gypsies, who prefer to be known as the Roma, and Jewish people.
NEWS ALERT: Belarus Evangelical Church Faces Imminent Eviction By Security Forces
There was uncertainty about the future of one of the largest evangelical churches in Belarus Tuesday, June 2, after authorities ordered it to abandon its building in the capital Minsk.
Over Thousand Muslim Clerics Watch Gospel Film In Syria (Investigation)
A film about the life of the biblical Apostle Paul, which “clearly reflects the Gospel,” has been watched in Syria by over a thousand Muslim clerics and politicians, including a government minister, organizers said.
American Christian Convert Flees Netherlands Amid Death Threats
A well known American scholar who converted from Islam to Christianity has interrupted his tour in the Netherlands because of death threats, an organizer said Wednesday, April 22.
Czech Republic Government Collapses After Losing Confidence Vote
The Czech government has collapsed after losing a non-confidence vote in parliament late Tuesday, March 24. The vote came after the center right government of Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek was criticized for the way it handled the economic crisis and for supporting a controversial American anti-missile defense system.
Bulgaria To Appeal European Court Ruling In Orthodox Row
Bulgaria’s government is planning to appeal a ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which found Bulgaria guilty of violating religious rights of over 100 Bulgarian Orthodox priests, bishops and lay-workers, who were violently thrown out of their churches, Worthy News learned Monday, March 23.
China Closes ‘House Church’ Law Firm
One of China’s prominent law firms, known for defending house churches and other human rights cases, was weighing its legal options Monday, March 9, after it was forced to shut down for six months for “illegally” hiring a Christian attorney.