Hungary: Hold ‘public outrage day’ protests
Hungarians held rallies across the country on Monday in a protest dubbed ‘public outrage day’. In Budapest more than 10,000 marched accusing Prime Minister Viktor Orban of employing corrupt officials, curbing freedom of speech, failing to manage the economy and changing direction by moving away from the EU and towards Russia. It was the fifth major demonstration in a month. One protester said: ‘Corruption has become widespread in Hungary, and it is impossible to have a normal standard of living.’ Meanwhile Euronews’ reporter asked whether it was only the fault of the current government? A protester responded saying: ‘Over the last decades – as we have heard in the speeches – many bad things happened and the country started to go the wrong way.’ Another protester’s concerns were more about unemployment.
Austria: Radical Islam is active and growing
Has Austria become a growing regional centre for Islamic religious extremism? In this analysis, Benjamin Weinthal, who reports on European affairs for The Jerusalem Post, sees three different jihadist movements working actively in Austria. This small Central European country has recently made headlines because of its jihadi teenagers who have gone to fight in Syria. But it's radical Islam problem stretches beyond the Islamic State's recruitment of young Austrian men and women. The Alpine state has become a hub of extremism that includes not only Islamic State (IS) terrorism but also Iranian nuclear proliferation activities as well as active support for Hamas. ‘IS: Austria is terror hotspot,’ ran the headline of an interview published in September by the Osterreich newspaper's online news outlet. In April, Samra Kesinovic, 17, and Sabina Selimovic, 15, two Austrian girls who had been radicalised by a local mosque, departed to join the Islamic State in Syria.
Egypt: Forgiveness by Christians opens doors and a hunger for truth
Three years after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down in the wake of nationwide protests, Christian workers in Egypt are finding an openness rarely experienced before. Forgiveness, and the non-retaliation of Christians, were both unexpected and unprecedented, but have had a huge impact on many non-Christians. Egyptians are now openly questioning their traditional faith, and expressing doubts aloud, said Patrick Stein, a Christian worker in Egypt and leader of a church-planting team there. To doubt isn't rare, but to openly challenge beliefs is. ‘They are hungry for truth in a way that was not present before,’ said Stein. ‘If I am talking to people at a teashop, people around who are not a part of the conversation will often stop me afterwards and want to know more,’ he said. ‘They will ask me their deep questions that have been troubling their hearts for years.’
Romania: Presidential election victory for Christian candidate Klaus Johannis
Romania has a new President, Mr Klaus Johannis. The new president has a personal relationship with the Lord. (See last week’s Prayer Alert) Thank you for your prayer support. The Lord is setting free the Romanian people after 70 years of the demonic influence of communism. Mr Johannis started the election day worshipping the Lord in his local church in Sibiu. There are many things to be shared about the election, but one is clear for all: around 3:00 pm the people started to vote in huge numbers on behalf of Mr Johannis until the end of the legal time. The difference is almost incredible for the politicians: Mr Johannis won by a margin of over 8%. This was considered as an answer to the prayers of His people and God's intervention in the nation.
