Europe

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife TIRANA, ALBANIA (BosNewsLife)-- Victims of Albania's former Communist regime will finally be able to see who spied on them, after Parliament passed a law opening up communist-era secret police files. The decision came more than two decades after protests ended nearly half a century of dictatorship in what Pope Francis called "a land of martyrs" when devoted Christians and political opponents were being persecuted.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife Columns)-- Covering the Christian persecution “beat” as a writer can be depressing. On a near-daily basis I receive newsletters from Christian groups such as Voice of the Martyrs and Barnabas Fund, and I scan the Internet regularly to check the latest developments. The news invariably seems to be bad, and getting worse. So it's refreshing to gain a different perspective.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife SKOPJE, MACEDONIA (BosNewsLife)-- The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is planning to bury 14 undocumented migrants from Africa and Asia who died Thursday after they were hit by an overnight passenger train. Investigations are ongoing into the latest deadly tragedy involving young people on the Balkan route to Western Europe.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife KIEV, UKRAINE-- With the world focused on war in Ukraine, many disabled children living there are apparently forgotten. International rights activists have expressed concern that thousands of minors are being condemned to live in orphanages and institutions where they face neglect and abuse.

By BosNewsLife News Center TRIPOLI/ROME/WASHINGTON (BosNewsLife)-- Italian police say they have detained 15 Muslims who allegedly threw 12 Christians from an overcrowded migrant boat after they expressed faith in Jesus Christ. Vatican Radio, citing survivors, reported that the Christians had been praying for their lives during during a recent crossing from Libya.

By BosNewsLife News Center with reporting by Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife VATICAN CITY, VATICAN (BosNewsLife)-- In historic remarks Pope Francis marked the 100th anniversary of the mass killings of mainly Christian Armenians by calling it "the first genocide of the 20th century," a move that was expected to provoke anger in Turkey.

By BosNewsLife News Center VATICAN CITY, VATICAN (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Francis urged the world on Easter Monday not to remain “silent and inactive” amid the "unacceptable crime" of the persecution of Christians around the world.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent KIEV/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- One year after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula by Russia, Ukrainian Christians say they are still facing persecution there by pro-Russian separatists who already killed several believers.

By BosNewsLife News Center BERLIN/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Churches have offered support for family members and relatives of the 150 people who died when a Germanwings Airbus A320 plane crashed March 24 in the foothills near Digne-les-Bains, in the Alpes de Haute Provence in southeastern France.

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos LONDON/LAHORE (BosNewsLife)-- Influential South Asian Christians urged Britain on Tuesday, March 17, to pressure Pakistan's government to protect Christians after Sunday's bombings of two churches in Lahore left 17 people dead and more than 70 injured.