Hungary

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary has condemned a decision by the Moody's corporation to downgrade the country's credit rating to a non-investment 'junk status'.  Moody's announcement came after Hungary asked the International Monetary Fund and European Union for possible financial aid as the country suffers from the debt crisis in the 17-nation eurozone, although it does not use the euro currency.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary has introduced Saturday, January 1, a controversial media law that critics say turns the clock back and re-introduce totalitarian rule in the former Communist nation. Under the legislation, journalists can face huge fines if their coverage is deemed unbalanced. The controversy comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union on New Year's Day.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Thousands of Hungarians celebrated in downtown Budapest late Sunday, March 11, as official election results showed that the center right Fidesz party had won Hungary's parliamentary elections with at least 206 of the 386 seats in parliament -- ousting the ruling Socialists -- amid widespread anger over economic difficulties and corruption scandals.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- In a major shift from their past policies Hungary's former Communists, now Socialists, want the country's top court to overturn religious legislation that they claim will make it difficult for smaller congregations to be recognized as churches and threatens social programs and religious education.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary's center-right government said Saturday, July 6, it had reached a multimillion dollar deal with a US-based Holocaust restitution organization on compensation for Hungarian survivors living abroad, prompting some angry reactions from former Nazi death camp inmates.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Sopronpuszta SOPRONPUSZTA, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the site Wednesday, August 19, where exactly 20 years ago Hungary briefly opened its border with Austria, allowing over 600 refugees to flee to the West.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUCHAREST/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Twenty U.S. congressmen have urged Secretary of State John Kerry to pressure Romania's government to end "persecution" and "fully restitute" properties that were "illegally confiscated" from churches and other religious groups under Communism after 1945.

By BosNewsLife News Center BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- The Austrian and German chancellors and prime ministers of Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Poland have condemned the arrests of dissidents in Belarus and say they support a travel ban and freeze of assets of Belarus officials.

By BosNewsLife News Center BRUSSELS/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- A suspected French jihadist who spent time in Syria has been detained over his alleged involvement in the shooting deaths of three people at Brussels’ Jewish Museum, police said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungarian evangelical Christians have protested against a poster carried during last weekend's annual Budapest Gay Pride Parade for more rights for homosexuals. The poster says: "Jesus had two fathers too."