USA
After more than two years imprisoned at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, five Britons were released and flown home, the Pentagon said. The London government agreed to accept transfer after extensive talks about the detainees, who were among more than 600 foreigners held in Cuba because of suspected Taliban and Al Qaeda ties. British authorities now assume responsibility for ensuring the men do not pose a security threat to the US or its allies. Above, Azmat Begg, the father of one of the detainees, appears with actress Vanessa Redgrave at a march to the gates of the White House to urge due process for relatives.
President Bush's reelection campaign will ask the Federal Election Commission to investigate the legality of $4.5 million in TV ads critical of his policies that begin airing Wednesday. The Bush campaign has filed a complaint that the ads by the Democratic-leaning Media Group ignore a ban on the use of "soft money" - corporate, union, and unlimited contributions - for federal election activity. Bush backers began their own $10 million ad blitz last week.
The Council on Foreign Relations, a bipartisan group of foreign policy experts, released a report showing that public support of US involvement in Iraq is eroding just when Iraq is "entering an exceptionally challenging and dangerous phase." The council called on leaders of both political parties to stay the course to avert a foreign policy catastrophe.
After meeting with probation officials Monday, Martha Stewart, who was convicted in a stock-trading trial late last week, emerged from a Manhattan courthouse and thanked her supporters. Stewart's financial empire, meanwhile, began crumbling. Her syndicated TV show "Martha Stewart Living" was canceled on Viacom-owned CBS and UPN stations, the price of her company's stock continued to drop, and she quit the board of directors of cosmetics giant Revlon.
Relatives of individuals whose remains were donated for research at the University of California at Los Angeles sued the school over allegations that it allowed illegal trafficking in body parts. UCLA officials apologized and pledged to reform the program. But they said all sold parts were used for medical research.
Four California lawmakers proposed a constitutional amendment that would allow 14- to 16-year-olds fractional votes in state elections (quarter- or half-votes, depending upon age). If the proposal wins passage, it could appear on the ballot in the Nov. 5 election.
