CIS (ex-USSR)

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with additional reporting by Charles Collins and Christopher Wells, Vatican Radio KYIV, UKRAINE (BosNewsLife)-- The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, whose denomination has been threatened with closure by authorities, appealed for peace Wednesday, February 19, after at least 25 people died and over 240 others were injured in the worst violence in Ukraine's post-independence history.

Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife MINSK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Members of one of Belarus' largest evangelical churches continued a five-day “fasting and prayer” action, Friday, January 30, amid attempts by authorities to seize their place of worship as part of an alleged crackdown on non-Orthodox groups.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Armenia says it is cutting all ties with Hungary for allowing an Azerbaijani military officer who killed an Armenian colleague to return home, where he was immediately pardoned and freed by his country's president.

Listen to this BosNewsLife News Report via Vatican Radio:  By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Russian President Vladimir Putin has eased restrictions on protests in and around the Black Sea resort of Sochi, where the Winter Olympics and Paralympics will be held next month, but concerns remain whether local residents complaining about construction can hold rallies.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest MINSK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical church in the Belarus' capital Minsk faced uncertainty Thursday, July 16, as authorities threatened to close it because a foreign pastor preached at a worship service.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- European Union monitors arrived in Kiev Friday, amid international pressure on Ukraine and Russia to settle their dispute over natural gas prices that has effected shipments to at least 20 countries.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest with reporting from Moscow MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- At least 37 people died when two female suicide bombers attacked two different locations at Moscow's underground metro system, including near the Kremlin, Russian officials and witnesses said Monday, March 29.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest ASTANA/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Kazakh Christians gathering without government approval were expected to face more punishments after officials said Kazakhstan's long-time President Nursultan Nazarbayev won Sunday's presidential poll.

By BosNewsLife News Center with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos KIEV/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- A Ukrainian court has reportedly sentenced an elderly human rights activist, known for her fight against corruption and police abuse, to a psychological hospital resembling the Soviet-era, amid a wider crackdown on political opponents.

By BosNewsLife News Center ASTANA/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- An evangelical pastor who was detained and tortured in a Kazakhstan prison following a controversial trial has been conditionally released, rights activists told BosNewsLife Tuesday, February 18.