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/ 6 November 2004

European robot looks for clues on Saturn moon

After a journey of seven years and more than 3,2-billion kilometres, a £1,7-billion United States-European mission is preparing for the unknown. Cassini, a Nasa spacecraft the size of a truck, carrying Huygens, a European robot not much bigger than a commercial washing machine, will complete one more preparatory loop around Titan, the largest moon of Saturn.

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/ 5 November 2004

Russian nuclear accident spooks residents

A reported accident at a nuclear power plant in central Russia spread panic on Friday, as residents rushed to buy radiation antidotes despite official assurances that the malfunction was a minor glitch. Universities in Samara, 300km north-east from the plant, were closed and businesses advised employees to stay home and close the windows.

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/ 5 November 2004

EU, US are ‘natural and indispensable partners’

The European Union and the United States recommitted themselves to a smooth transatlantic relationship on Friday and hoped the second term of US President George Bush will no longer be marred by nasty political and trade disputes. But French President Jacques Chirac remained wary of Washington’s global economic and political clout.

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/ 5 November 2004

A sneeze too many

Police in western Germany were called to a city church on Friday after two women began fighting outside because one of them could not stand the other’s incessant sneezing during a service. A 28-year-old woman began insulting another woman whose cold could not be controlled at the church in Kaiserslautern, city police said.

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/ 5 November 2004

Popcru still plans prison disruptions

The Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) has given the Department of Correctional Services 14 days to reinstate 127 prison workers dismissed for striking illegally. The 127 Modderbee prison officials were dismissed during an illegal strike in July, after ”defiantly” ignoring ultimatums to disengage.

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/ 5 November 2004

Darfur rebels kill mayor, kidnap 10 children

Darfur rebels killed a mayor, abducted 10 children and injured four police officers in fresh unrest in the troubled western region of Sudan, news reports and police said on Friday. Local authorities have reported the incident to the African Union ceasefire commission charged with monitoring a fragile truce in Darfur.

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/ 5 November 2004

Wrap your lips around this

Fancy a bit of bhaji? You’ll need a big bite to put away the biggest fried onion ball in the world, which set a record on Friday weighing in at an astounding 84kg, event organisers said. The big bhaji — a fried and breaded South Asian snack — swells to a diametre of 86cm, the organisers said.