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British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced that after "intensive and complex discussions," the U.S. government would release the remaining four Britons being held at Guantá namo Bay. The release, expected within weeks, would bring to an end an embarrassing diplomatic tussle between Downing Street and its closest ally; the detainees' three-year confinement and allegations of mistreatment and torture have triggered a huge outcry in Britain. But what will happen to the men — Feroz Abbasi, Moazzam Begg, Richard Belmar and Martin Mubanga — isn't clear.

While the Pentagon, which also plans to release an Australian detainee, said that Britain had made "a number of security assurances" and agreed to "work to prevent [the men] from engaging in or otherwise supporting terrorist activities," Straw told M.P.s that Britain had made no promises on how the men would be treated on their return, and that any action against them would be a matter for the police. British legal experts believe that, though the men will be closely watched, it is unlikely that they will face prosecution; any evidence gathered against them at Guantánamo

Moonstruck UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA/ESA/NASA/EPA Saturn's moon Titan has been shrouded in smog for eons. The HUYGENS PROBE last week pierced the veil, parachuting in for a landing. Titan's orange, rubbly terrain is like Mars', though the -178°C temperatures mean the rocks are probably made of ice. Other images showed what could be liquid ethane and methane, resembling a flash-frozen Earth before life emerged. Data still to come may shed light on how all biology came to be. — By Jeffrey Kluger

Bay in the absence of a lawyer would not be admissible. (Five other British prisoners released in March were briefly detained, then freed without charge.)

But the arguments may not be over yet. Abbasi and Mubanga's lawyer, Louise Christian, says she is considering taking American officials to court. "I'm also looking at suing the British government," she says, "for not bringing them back sooner." — By Aatish Taseer

No Vote
GERMANY The governing Social Democratic Party decided not to hold a national referendum on the proposed new European Union constitution. The parliament will vote on the document instead.

Stubbing Them Out
ITALY Police in Naples handed out the first €27 no-smoking fine just past midnight on Jan. 10, minutes after the introduction of a nationwide ban on lighting up in public places. The ban prevents Italy's estimated 14 million smokers from puffing in cafés, restaurants and offices unless there is a separate smoking room. Bar and restaurant owners in Bulgaria — where nearly 40% of the population smokes — struggled to comply with a similar ban that came into force on Jan. 1, requiring certain tables to be reserved for nonsmokers.

Last-Ditch Effort
UKRAINE Viktor Yanukovych, the runner-up in the Dec. 26 re-run of the presidential election, filed a final appeal against the result. According to the Central Electoral Commission, Yanukovych lost to opposition leader Viktor Yuschenko by more than 2 million votes. The court has already rejected several appeals from Yanukovych over the re-run; Yuschenko's inauguration cannot take place until all legal challenges are exhausted.

Peace Progress
SUDAN More than two decades of civil war formally came to an end as the government and southern rebels signed a peace deal that will install insurgent leader John Garang as Vice President. Khartoum announced that fresh talks with rebels in the western Darfur region would start within weeks.

Making Nice
NORTH KOREA Pyongyang indicated it was willing to resume talks on its nuclear program, following a four-day visit by a U.S. congressional delegation.

Weathering Disaster
UNITED STATES Rain- and snowstorms killed 28 people in California and caused an estimated $100 million in damage in the southern part of the state. Ten of the victims died when a mudslide buried part of the beachside town of La Conchita.

MEANWHILE IN FRANCE...
Smell the Bouquet
As part of a campaign to convince Parisians that tap water is a healthy alternative to bottled mineral water, the company that manages the capital's water supply has renamed itself Eau de Paris, and is offering residents downloadable labels extolling its product's virtues. The new name is certainly more glamorous than the old one, Société Anonyme de Gestion des Eaux de Paris — but what's next: Eau de Cologne?