Europe

By BosNewsLife Asia Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Johan Th. Bos in the Netherlands and Stefan J. Bos at BosNewsLife News Center AMSTERDAM/JAKARTA (BosNewsLife)-- The Dutch far right Party for Freedom (PVV) says the Netherlands should demand that Indonesia improves protection of Christians amid reports that hard-line Muslims prepare for a religious war with that country's Christian minority.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Hungary's parliament has elected the country's new president, amid opposition concerns he will be too accommodating to plans of the ruling center right Fidesz Party, which include changing the nation's constitution.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest, Hungary BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Proposed legislation in Hungary to reform the country's media has drawn critcism from journalists and opposition politicians, saying it would return the former Soviet satellite to the days of repression of press freedom.

By George Whitten, Jerusalem Bureau Chief MOSCOW/AQUILA (BosNewsLife) -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has called for a new global currency to replace the dollar as the World's Reserve Currency.

By George Whitten, Jerusalem Bureau Chief JERUSALEM, ISRAEL (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Benedict XVI has urged the creation of a "true world political authority" to "guarantee the protection of the environment" and to manage the global economy, BosNewsLife learned Tuesday, June 22.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Slovakia's president has requested Prime Minister Robert Fico to form a government, despite a center-right opposition coalition winning more seats in Saturday's parliamentary vote. President Ivan Gasparovic said Sunday, June 13, he would will give Fico the first chance to form a Cabinet, because his left-leaning party won the most votes.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Slovakia's three-party leftist governing coalition is fighting for survival in a parliamentary election Saturday as it is challenged in a tight race by the center-right opposition. The election campaign has been overshadowed by scandals, nationalism and tensions with neighboring Hungary.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife BISHKEK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- New clashes in southern Kyrgyzstan have killed dozens of people and wounded more than 500 in the city of Osh, a little over two months after the uprising that toppled the Central Asian nation's former government. The United States and Russia - both of which have military bases in Kyrgyzstan - and China are watching the situation with concern.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service ISTANBUL, TURKEY (BosNewsLife)-- A Turkish court on Friday, June 4, charged a Turkish man with murdering a Roman Catholic bishop -- the latest in a series of violent attacks against the country's tiny Christian minority.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest TASHKENT/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- An influential evangelical organization, which claims to represent over 400 million Christians worldwide, expressed concerns Tuesday, June 1, about police raids on Protestant congregations in Uzbekistan and the detention of several Christians in the former Soviet republic.