A scientist describes Saturn's moon Titan as potentially looking 'a bit like Sweden'. No comment is available from the Swedes at this time, but Norwegian comedians are reportedly working overtime

A Guardian Q&A; on the working rights citizens of the 10 accession countries will have in the 15 current members of the EU

The first jackpot - €15million - in the EuroMillions lottery was won by someone who bought their ticket in France, the BBC reports

Kofi Annan will have the power to set the final terms for a referendum on the reunification of Cyprus raising real hopes that the island could be reunified before it joins the EU

Der Spiegel only seems to have some of the facts about the pretender to the British throne. I have some more information on it here from when the news came out in Britain in January.

Ivan Rybkin now claims that his disappearance wasn't entirely voluntary after all. Just to be on the safe side, he'll stay abroad till the elections are over. (From the BBC.)

If Der Spiegel has its facts right, Elizabeth II is a pretender and the true King a beer-drinking Australian farmer. If so, this would clear things up for the Scots, who wonder how they can have an Elizabeth 'the second' when they never had a first one: Good Queen Bess would've had as little claim to the throne as her latter-day namesake. The putative King Mike I, though, would just as soon stay on in Oz with his mates. (Report in German.)

The European Commission has approved the merger of Air France and KLM

Britain's Conservatives have agreed a deal to remain within the EPP-ED group in the European Parliament

From the BBC: headscarf ban passes in French lower house by huge majority.

Ivan Rybkin wasn't 'disappeared', it turns out. As the BBC reports, he simply disappeared of his own accord for a few days. Odd thing for a presidential candidate to do; what's the 'backstory' here, one wonders?

Here's the official website for the Athens Olympics. A three day security drill, dealing with potential terrorist threats to the Games has just been completed

Palestine's European aspirations: report in English (from EUobserver).

Ireland's taoiseach (and current EU head) Bertie Ahern expresses sympathy for Germany's position on voting under the proposed EU constitution, reports EUobserver.

Doctors and pilots stage a one-day strike in Italy. (BBC) If you're flying Alitalia in for that emergency appendectomy, try to hold on till tomorrow.

Russian Presidential candidate Ivan Rybkin has gone missing. Police are now looking for him and he has not been seen since Thursday

The EU's Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen is confident a deal can be struck to reunite Cyprus before it joins the EU on May 1st

Palestinian Authority foreign minister Nabil Shaath sees Joschka Fischer's suggestion of an EU/Near East free trade zone, and raises it. Speaking at the Munich security conference, Shaath suggested that an independent Palestine, after concluding peace with Israel, should join the European Union. (Der Spiegel; in German.)

Get your hands on a real fistful of Euros - Europe's first transnational lottery starts selling tickets today in Britain, France and Spain

Reports on Schroeder's resignation in English: BBC CNN WaPo