King Abdullah on Wednesday urged greater efforts by France and the EU to help revive the Middle East peace process, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

BBC correspondent Alan Johnston was released early Wednesday after being held for 114 days, ending the longest-ever captivity of a journalist kidnapped in Gaza.

Egyptian border guards shot a Sudanese refugee and arrested two others early Wednesday as they tried to cross from Egypt into Israel, a police official said.

Egypt’s state-appointed Grand Mufti, who last week declared female genital cutting as banned in Islam, defended his decision by likening the practice to an ancient custom once wrongly seen as necessary for good health.

An Egyptian court accepted an appeal Monday from 45 Copts who were denied the right to reclaim their religious identities after they decided to convert back to Christianity from Islam, a lawyer and court officials said.

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan (Reuters) – Thousands of American troops celebrated their 4th of July independence holiday in Afghanistan on Wednesday, far from home but treated to a feast of hotdogs, burgers, corn on the cob and ice cream.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AFP) – A bomb struck a NATO vehicle in southern Afghanistan Wednesday, killing six Canadian soldiers and their interpreter, while a German national was reported kidnapped in a remote and dangerous area.

Liderul PNL Gorj, Dan Ilie Morega, îi cere şefului său de partid, premierul Călin Popescu Tăriceanu, să demită un înalt funcţionar public din Ministerul Educaţiei.

EuroNews, the European news channel, in a news report that was broadcasted repeatedly about the gathering of 50,000 Iranians in Paris on Saturday described the event as the one that rarley Paris has witnessed.

Congressman Bob Filner, Democrat from California, spoke to a crowd of 50,000 Iranians in Paris, Saturday June 30.  He criticized the EU policy toward the Iranian regime and expressed support for Mrs. Maryam Rajavi’s proposed “Third Option” as the only solution the current Iran-West crisis.