Asia/Pacific

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Cricket is little known outside countries that were once part of the British Empire. Yet in some of those places, and particularly on the Indian sub-continent, it enjoys immense popularity. In India itself it is by far the most popular sport, and here in Australia our national team attracts a large and enthusiastic following. So it was big news in early October when Cricket Australia announced that it had abandoned plans for a short series of test matches in Bangladesh, because of security concerns.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Spring has arrived here in my home city of Melbourne, Australia, the fruit trees are in blossom and once again our garden is full of color. And not before time. We have just endured our coldest winter in twenty-six years. So much for global warming.

By Mark H. Junayed, BosNewsLife Special Correspondent reporting from Nepal KATHMANDU, NEPAL (BosNewsLife)— Christians in Nepal flock to prayer services after several church bombings, carried out by suspected Hindu militants, injured at least three people in recent days, church leaders told BosNewsLife.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos VIENTIANE, LAOS (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical pastor has been killed in northern Laos by a policeman and four others who opposed his evangelism and church activities, relatives and rights activists say.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos VIENTIANE, LAOS (BosNewsLife)-- A devoted Christian who was jailed nine months in southern Laos for praying for a sick person has died because prison authorities denied him medical treatment, his supporters told BosNewsLife.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos RANGOON, BURMA (BosNewsLife)-- Burmese Christians are being denied aid by local Buddhist authorities after devastating flooding killed more than 100 people, while many survivors remain afloat in boats and others return to homes or fields sealed in mud, missionaries have told BosNewsLife.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest and border areas BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Francis call for solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty amid Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War Two comes while Hungary's government says it has completed a razor-wire barrier near the border with Serbia. It is among several measures Hungary is taking to halt back refugees after some 150,000 migrants reportedly entered the country illegally this year alone. In Budapest refugees have demanded safe passage to the West during spontaneous demonstrations over the weekend.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest and border areas BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Four people remain detained after the decomposing bodies of 71 migrants fleeing war and poverty, including eight women and four children, were found in a truck on Austria's main highway after apparently arriving from neighboring Hungary. Hungarian police said they detained the suspects as part of a wider investigation into human smuggling.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Hungarian-Serbian border area ÁSOTTHALOM, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Macedonia has seen fighting among migrants at a train station as they rush to reach Serbia and from there Hungary, a European Union member state. Refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other nations are racing to reach Hungary before it finishes building a fence to keep them out.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- I found myself in a mild Twitterstorm the other day, if Christians politely disagreeing with one another can be called a Twitterstorm on social networking service Twitter...