From today's UK papers

The Independent

Advances in technology have made it possible for terrorists to kill millions of people with chemical or biological weapons, the World Health Organisation warned yesterday.

Africa's youngest country, Eritrea, has launched a clampdown on political reformists, students and journalists, according to campaigners.

The Times

Children as young as six will be asked to ponder the meaning of life and the nature of the universe when they become the first primary school pupils in Britain to take classes in philosophy.

French schoolchildren will take classes in Eastenders to improve their English under a state-sponsored iniative.

A new vaccine against breast cancer is to begin clinical trials in Britain next month at Hammersmith Hospital.

One person in seven shows lung damage of a kind caused by exposure to asbestos, a meeting of Europe's top lung experts in Berlin was told yesterday.

The Guardian

Prospects of war are causing students to join pacifist campaigns and sign up for courses on Islam.

Universities and demos used to go hand in hand. What broke the link? And where have all the students gone?

Along with advice on safe sex, freshers' fairs now have to offer tips on safe eating.

Daily Telegraph

Leading British universities are predicting that their deficits will increase in the coming year, adding to pressure on the government to increase funding. The forecast came as students at Oxford University were being warned that they could soon be charged top-up fees.

Asthma is most common in English-speaking countries, according to a study by the University of Uppsala, Sweden, that has linked the illness to lifestyle and not to genes.

Financial Times

Stoke-on-Trent is the worst place to live in Britain, according to a survey by Experian. The market research company said quality of life was the poorest in the country as a result of low incomes, high unemployment, congestion and the poor performance of local schools.

Daily Mail

Employees are shunning the nine-to-five routine and turning to more flexible working patterns, research from the University of Essex reveals.

One in five Britons could have diabetes, but most of them are unaware of it, according to research by Manchester University.