Syria

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife ISTANBUL/DAMASCUS (BosNewsLife)-- Turkey's Syrian Christians urged prayers on Friday, October 11, as Turkish forces pounded northeast Syria...

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- A Syrian priest and some 20 other Christians remained missing Wednesday, October 8, after they were kidnapped by Islamist militants near Syria's border with Turkey, church officials said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Leaders of Syria's embattled Christian minority urged prayers Monday, January 20, as prospects for a peace conference in Geneva were thrown into doubt after the opposition threatened to withdraw from the planned talks. The Syrian Opposition Coalition, which had only voted to attend the day before, said it was suspending its decision because the United Nations unexpectedly invited Iran to the January 22 conference, also known as 'Geneva II'.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Syria's minority Christians faced another day of anxiety Thursday, December 5, amid mounting concern about the fate of a group of nuns who were abducted by suspected Islamic fighters.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service with reporting by BosNewsLife's Stefan J. Bos DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Mourning Christians in Syria were still awaiting answers Monday, July 8, as to why Islamic militants with links to opposition rebels entered Christian villages more than a month ago killing several people, including children, in what locals called a "massacre".

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- A Dutch priest, who became known for his insistence on staying in the war-torn Syrian city of Homs, was shot dead there Monday, April 7, by suspected Islamic militants, Catholic sources said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife DAMASCUS/VIENNA (BosNewsLife)-- Hundreds of Syrian Christians have been killed and several Christians kidnapped as fighting rages between government forces and rebels, an aid group working in the region told BosNewsLife Thursday, February 16.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife reporting from Budapest and border areas BUDAPEST, HUNGARY (BosNewsLife)-- Pope Francis call for solidarity with migrants fleeing war and poverty amid Europe's worst refugee crisis since World War Two comes while Hungary's government says it has completed a razor-wire barrier near the border with Serbia. It is among several measures Hungary is taking to halt back refugees after some 150,000 migrants reportedly entered the country illegally this year alone. In Budapest refugees have demanded safe passage to the West during spontaneous demonstrations over the weekend.

By BosNewsLife Middle East Service DAMASCUS, SYRIA (BosNewsLife)-- Assyrian Christians in Syria are celebrating the release of the remaining 43 Christians taken hostage by the Islamic State group from villages along the Khabour River in Hassaka Governorate in February 2015, but warn that several other believers remain detained. Monday's release came one day short of the anniversary of their abduction, said Middle East Concern (MEC), an advocacy group closely monitoring the situation.

By Martin Roth, BosNewsLife Senior Columnist MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (BosNewsLife Columns)-- One of the modern-day saints of the Middle East is Father Douglas Bazi, a Chaldean priest who endured nine days of captivity and torture after being kidnapped by the al-Qaida terror group. During my Skype interview with him last year, I was startled at how surprisingly cheerful and relaxed he appeared when recalling his harrowing experiences.