Netherlands

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife URK, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife)-- The Dutch town of Urk, known for its many churches and fishing traditions, says it will not dismiss public servants refusing to officiate at gay weddings, despite a draft law adopted by parliament forcing municipalities to fire registrars opposing same-sex marriage.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, BosNewsLife BRUSSELS/TEHRAN (BosNewsLife) -– A Christian member of the European Parliament urged the European Union's executive body, the European Commission, on Wednesday, December 1, to prevent the death sentence of Iranian house church leader Yousef Nadarkhani.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (BosNewsLife)-- A Christian member of the European Parliament has urged the European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, to make more rights for Egyptian Christians, also known as Copts, a policy priority and to develop an EU strategy for religious freedom.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with reporting from Amsterdam AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife) -- A Turkish Airlines passenger plane with 135 people aboard crashed into a field in light fog while trying to land at Amsterdam's main airport Wednesday, February 25, killing nine people and injuring more than 50, an area official said.

Listen to this BosNewsLife News report via Vatican Radio:  By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST/THE HAGUE (BosNewsLife)-- The trial of former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic, the last fugitive sought by the United Nations Yugoslav war crimes tribunal, has resumed at The Hague.

By BosNewsLife Chief International Correspondent Stefan J. Bos URK, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife)–- A Dutch town known for its traditional churches and fishing community has forbidden an evangelism tent campaign, a move Christian Democrats say further threatens freedom of religion in the Netherlands.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife with BosNewsLife Special Correspondent Johan Th. Bos reporting from Amstelveen AMSTELVEEN, NETHERLANDS (BosNewsLife)-- A small Christian party which made world headlines with protests against local government support for a Hindu religious festival has been re-elected in the municipal council of Amstelveen, a strategic town near the Dutch capital Amsterdam, according to local election results.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos ISLAMABAD/AMSTERDAM (BosNewsLife)-- The lawyer who helped free a Christian woman who faced the death sentence in Pakistan for blasphemy has fled to The Netherlands amid international fears for his safety.

By Eric Leijenaar, BosNewsLife Senior Special Correspondent MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA (BosNewsLife)-- Christians have set up an underground church in Mecca, viewed by Muslims as the "holiest city in Islam", while tens of thousands of other Saudi Christians are worshipping via the Internet, a mission group confirmed Friday, April 24.