After removing an anti-Iranian terror group from their blacklist, European Union lawmakers are now urging President Barack Obama to follow suit.

More than 100 members of the European Parliament have tried to persuade the US president to lift an American ban on the Mujahedin Khalq Organization (MKO), AFP reported on Thursday.    SOURCE ARTICLE

Asians and Africans see religion as most important in their daily lives, with Europeans least of the view that faith matters, according to a study published Thursday.

The study also found that Muslims in key European states identify with their country of residence more than the general population, contrary to the widespread view that they are not loyal to their homeland.   SOURCE ARTICLE

Tony Blair has said he does not regret leading Britain to war in Iraq when he was Prime Minister and has called on the world to take on and defeat Islamic extremists. He believes that, without intervention, the problem will continue to grow in countries such as Afghanistan.

He called for a battle to be waged against militant Islam similar to that fought against revolutionary communism.   SOURCE ARTICLE

Pope Benedict XVI reiterated the Roman Catholic Church's opposition to homosexual behavior and warned that humanity could destroy itself.

The pope's year-end message to Church leaders sparked anger among gay and lesbian religious groups.

The Church "demands that the order of creation be respected," the pope said Monday, defining "the nature of the human being as man and woman," according to excerpts released by the Vatican.   SOURCE ARTICLE