Iran is holding five British sailors after stopping their racing yacht in the Persian Gulf, the British government said Monday.

Iran – Foreign and Commonwealth Office – Middle East – Society and Culture – Foreign Office

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American troops did not expect to play a role in stabilizing Iraq after overthrowing Saddam Hussein, a key adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday.

Iraq – Tony Blair – Saddam Hussein – United States – Society and Culture

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Roman Polanski remained in jail Monday, despite visits from his lawyer and a French diplomat, and it was unclear if the director had met Switzerland’s demand of a full bail payment of $4.5 million to be released.

Roman Polanski – House arrest – Switzerland – France – Swiss government

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A top Swiss official said that voter approval of a ban on minarets next to mosques could be struck down in court, as critics at home and abroad swiftly condemned the vote.

Mosque – Society and Culture – Politics – Recreation and Sports – Islam

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A lawyer for the ex-boyfriend of Amanda Knox painted the U.S. coed as naive, spontaneous and imprudent as she argued that both Knox and her lover were innocent of murder.

Murder – United States – Lawyer – Crime – Games

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Finns on Monday marked the 70th anniversary of the Winter War, a conflict that saw this tiny country hold off Stalin’s Red Army for 105 days and suffer one-third as many casualties in weather that was so cold some soldiers hallucinated.

Red Army – Winter War – History – Finland – Twentieth Century

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A German court put John Demjanjuk on trial Monday to face charges of being an accessory to the murder of 27,900 Jews at a Nazi death camp.

John Demjanjuk – Nazism – Murder – Extermination camp – Politics

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On the beginning of what may be the last Nazi trial, the son of Holocaust survivors recalls encounters with two accused war criminals.

Nazism – War crime – Holocaust – List of Holocaust survivors – History

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The Florida Highway Patrol have distanced themselves from reports that they are seeking search warrants for medical records relating to Tiger Woods’ facial injuries from last week’s car crash.

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