Student editor suspended after printing cartoon
A student newspaper has been forced to recall thousands of copies after it became the first British paper to publish one of the controversial cartoons satirising the prophet Muhammad. University of Cardiff student newspaper Gair Rhydd - which means Free Word in Welsh - was forced to recall copies after it reprinted one of the 12 cartoons originally published in a Danish newspaper, which have resulted in Muslim protests around the world. The British press has so far refrained from publishing the drawings, although many newspapers, including The Guardian , have linked to websites showing the cartoons.
The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times, The Independent
Oxford braced for attacks by animal rights extremists
An unprecedented security crackdown is being mounted at Oxford University in the face of threats from animal rights extremists. Police have warned the university to tighten up its vetting checks on new staff, and college deans, who believe that attacks are inevitable, have ordered students to sign in night-time guests with gate porters. The Dean of Pembroke College, Adrian Gregory, acknowledges that students may regard the tighter restrictions as an invasion of privacy. But he says that he fears that it is necessary because activists will conduct reconnaissance trips to identify the easiest targets among Oxford’s colleges.
The Times
University cities linked by air
Air services between two of Britain’s great academic cities has been re-established for the first time in 50 years. Twice-daily services between Oxford and Cambridge started on February 1 and are the first route for newly established airline Skycommuter. Skycommuter’s sales and marketing director Barry Considine says: “Other than the M4, rail and road routes in this country are made for north-south rather then east-west commuting. Oxford-Cambridge is an obvious route that people have been wanting for some time.” But the launch was not without its problems. “We had some initial problems with the weather, particularly at the Oxford end, because Oxford airport doesn’t support instrument landings," says Considine. "We were forced to divert to RAF Benson a few times, although it’s very close to Oxford airport.”
The Times
Don't vote Boris! Students come out against Johnson
The shadow Higher Education Secretary is sparking noisy demonstrations in the Scottish capital after putting himself forward as the next rector of Edinburgh University. For the first time in its 150-year history, the students' association has taken sides in the election to the prestigious post, by advising members not to vote for Boris Johnson because of his support for top-up fees. On Thursday the Henley MP will have to negotiate a crowd of protesters hell-bent on pelting him with eggs "à la Ruth Kelly" outside the official hustings. It promises to be even more memorable than Bozza's last visit, in January. That saw him autograph a young lady's cleavage before a left-leaning undergraduate tipped a pint of beer over his head.
The Independent
Chinese crab's coastal invasion
The Chinese mitten crab, brought to Britain during the last century in ships' ballast water, is spreading at an alarming rate throughout the coast and rivers, a new study suggests. Researchers at Newcastle University say the crab could cause devastating environmental problems if populations are not monitored and controlled by trapping. Their study is based on the first comprehensive modelling of the crab's migration through Europe and the UK. The crab preys on protected native species such as white-clawed crayfish and salmon eggs and puts river banks at risk of collapse because of the boreholes it burrows into them.
The Financial Times, The Scotsman, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph
How broccoli helps you combat cancer
Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage can help beat cancer - and now scientists believe they have found out why. Research shows that chemicals found in the vegetables can boost DNA repair in cells to prevent them creating tumours. A naturally - occurring compound called I3C, found in brassica vegetables such as brussels sprouts and others, and a chemical called genistein - found in soy beans - both increase the levels of vital DNA repair proteins in cancer cells. Previous studies have suggested a link between eating such vegetables and protection against cancer. But the latest research puts forward a molecular mechanism on how they might work, according to the British Journal of Cancer .
The Daily Mail