Lithuania: US supports Lithuania against Russia
On Wednesday, America’s House Speaker John A. Boehner ended a three-day trip to Lithuania, where aides said he reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to resisting Russian aggression in the region.
Visiting the capital, Vilnius, to mark the country’s 25th anniversary of independence, Mr. Boehner and seven other House members discussed security issues with the nation’s leaders, including legislation that gave the Obama administration the ability to provide arms to Ukraine. Mr. Boehner frequently says that American allies in world trouble spots are uncertain about the Obama administration’s foreign policy intentions and he has used overseas trips such as the one to Lithuania to offer reassurances to friendly nations. ‘Whether it’s arming Ukraine or declaring energy independence, Lithuania sets an example for the region and ‘the world,’ Mr. Boehner said.
Liechtenstein: An end to ‘justice of the peace’
Liechtenstein: An end to ‘justice of the peace’
The ‘justice of the peace’ has had its day. From 1 July there will be no more brokers elected in communities. This ends 100 years of the system and is a concession to developments of modern times. The importance of intermediaries as ‘magistrate’ has fallen sharply in recent years.
Latvia: Two Christian movements to pray for
The Agape Students Movement is an active student network, formed by student initiatives. It wants every student’s university experience to be successful, not only academically, but also in relations with others and life in the spiritual field. Its aims are to help Christian students to look at their university as a place where they can serve God as well as to train and encourage them to take steps in faith to give every student the opportunity to invoke the gospel truths and encourage other Christians to do the same. Also in Latvia is a Christian Music Movement called Crescendo which unites professional Christian musicians and music students. Their main goal is to introduce and encourage musicians who have similar interests with each other; in many ways a sign of faith, making Christian accents in their society through the arts; and serve the churches and other Christian ministries.
Kosovo: Iranians and IS
Last Wednesday, as reported by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), a foreign-funded news agency, the government of Kosovo sent police to raid the offices of five Iranian-controlled non-governmental organisations in the Balkan country. Kosovo authorities said the five entities are suspected of money-laundering and financing terrorism and that action against them conforms to a state anti-extremist strategy. ‘The raids are tied to a case that is being investigated, with the goal of preventing and fighting terrorism in the Republic of Kosovo,’ an official representative said. Two targets of the police sweep were identified – Bregu i Diellit (Sunny Hill) in Pristina, the Kosovan capital, and the Koran Foundation in Prizren, the country’s main southern city and a centre of Muslim and Christian religious life. Express, which takes a strong line against all forms of radical Islam, was the main media source in the latest incidents. Duriqi, following threats to him and allegations that he is an apostate from Islam, now lives in Germany.
