From today's UK papers

The Guardian

Doing a lot of homework in the early years of secondary school has little or no impact on grades, according to a report from the National Foundation for Educational Research.

Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, and colleagues in Munich and Tübingen, Germany have found out how plants open and close their stomata - the tiny pores through which they breathe. The discovery could open the way for genetically engineered crops that can survive drought.

Inspection service Ofsted is to demand that schools show how many teacher vacancies they have and how many lessons are taught by underqualified staff.

Financial Times

The private finance initiative will encourage sophisticated service delivery in health and education, writes Nicholas Timmins.

Daily Telegraph

A genetically modified cat that allows allergic humans to own the animal without sneezing will be produced in America within two years, a pet-cloning company claimed yesterday.

Almost one in five students has experimented with cocaine at university, researchers claimed yesterday.

A team of scientists is to camp overnight in a lettuce field as part of an experiment to extend the shelf life of salads. (University of Southampton)

An ingredient of aspirin may explain why people who eat plenty of fruit and vegetables are less prone to heart disease and some forms of cancer. (Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary)

Young men are risking fatal heart problems by indulging in heavy drinking sessions at least once a week, according to a government report published yesterday. (Office for National Statistics Omnibus)

The Independent

A survey has shown that trained teachers and doctors from around the world are seeking residence in the UK, prompting calls to give them work permits to ease staff shortages (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education)

Oxford University is fighting back against the critics who accuse it of being slow-moving and elitist.

Miscellany

The number of children with autism could be four times higher than suspected, say scientists. ( Independent , DailyTelegraph ; from Journal of the American Medical Association )