■ LONDON. Britons prepared to give up sex if it meant they would live to be 100. The Mori research found that 40 percent would pass on the passion for longevity, although far more women (48 percent) were willing to make the sacrifice than men (31 percent). However nearly all (94 percent) would not give up their friends or family in order to reach their century while a half thought scientists should keep trying to prolong people?s lifespans. Private health care provider BUPA commissioned the survey as part of a debate on the implications of an aging population. ?Britain is facing an aging time bomb with major challenges presented by retirement, the desire to live longer and the increasing burden of caring for older people,? said Andrew Vallance-Owen, BUPA?s medical director.

■ JAPAN. Observation satellite launched with the United States and Britain. Led by Japan?s space agency JAXA, the Solar-B mission was launched to improve scientists? understanding of solar flares and eruptions that can have devastating effects on satellite systems. The 900-kg (1,984-lb) satellite was launched from Kagoshima, southern Japan, and was headed for a north-south orbit around the earth pointing continuously at the sun.

?In this modern world, we can?t separate communication, broadcast and weather satellites from our life,? said Takeo Kosugi, Solar-B project manager at JAXA. ?So it is becoming very important to protect satellites from solar eruptions,? he said. Solar-B is Japan?s third solar observation satellite after launches in 1981 and 1991. It will begin full-scale observations around late November.

■ HELSINKI. Way too much to charge a man for fondling. The court jailed a couple in their twenties for more than a year for charging a 74-year-old who suffers from dementia a total of 25 500 euros to enjoy the woman?s breasts on 10 occasions. ?Based on general life experience alone, it is indisputably clear that a 25,500 euro charge is disproportionate to the compensation in question,? Judge Hasse Hakki, who heard the case, told Reuters Friday.

But he said the court in Kokkola, about 300 miles north of Helsinki, would not decide ?the proper financial value of the compensation.? The retiree filed charges against the couple, who were convicted of extortionate overcharging, even though he told the court he paid the price willingly at the time.

■ VIENNA. Burglars afraid of mummified heads. Burglars in Vienna opted for a speedy getaway after they found eight severed human heads when breaking into the basement of an apartment building, Austrian police said Friday.

A dentist had stored the mummified heads, which he used for research, in a chest in the basement. Burglars stumbled upon the collection when they broke in, police said. ?The burglars were looking for loot when they discovered the heads,? said a spokeswoman for Austrian police. ?From what it looks like, they just left them lying and bolted away.? Austrian authorities said they were investigating whether there had been a breach of the regulations for storing research materials.