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World News

World in Brief

  • Azerbaijan: illegal gift

    Barnabas Fund

    A six-year-old boy who took Christian booklets to school as gifts for classmates landed his parents in trouble with authorities, it was reported in June.

    The boy’s act led to the headteacher calling the police who then raided the parents’ home, seizing Bibles, Christian pamphlets and CDs of worship songs. The couple were charged with possessing religious literature that did not bear a government ‘control mark’ and were fined the equivalent of three months wages. They lost their appeal against the fine.

  • Bulgaria: thankful

    Fellowship of European Broadcasters

    After eight weeks of peaceful protest and much prayer, the government dropped proposals to restrict the freedoms of believers and the activities and funding of churches, it was reported in June.

    The breakthrough came during parliamentary voting on the second reading of the amendments to the Religious Denominations Act 2002, when all the controversial changes were suddenly dropped. Church leaders, with support from thousands of Christians across Bulgaria, had prayed in public, often in severe weather.