Papers look towards war

The possibility of a war with Iraq takes up much space in both the news pages and comment columns.

The Guardian urges caution on the Prime Minister.

It says that UN weapons inspectors need more time to carry out their job thoroughly, and there should be no rush to judgment about attacking Iraq.

In the Daily Telegraph, columnist Tom Uttley argues against the use of force, saying that George Bush has already managed to achieve much as a statesman over the Iraq issue, without its deployment .

But equally, he fears that the build-up to the war against the regime has now acquired " an unstoppable momentum".

Such momentum is reflected in the Sun, which claims that fourteen thousand British troops will be sent to the Gulf next week, including one hundred and fifty Challenger tanks.

The Express, in an editorial, argues that the time has come for resolve.

The paper declares:" If George Bush and Tony Blair are convinced that Saddam is a danger to the world, then they must take military action before it's too late".

Likely fate

On the domestic front, several papers report that the Home Secretary - David Blunkett - has been accused of "cronyism", following the appointment of the Labour politician Trevor Phillips as chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality.

One opponent of the move told the Independent that Mr. Phillips would have to convince many people that he wasn't a " mouthpiece for the Labour Party hierarchy".

A number of papers, among them the Telegraph, speculate on the likely fate of Abu Hamza, the radical Muslim Cleric.

According to the paper, he's expected to be expelled from his Mosque in North London by the Charity Commission.

The paper says that the Commission claims Mr. Hamza has been making inflammatory speeches, breaching the Mosque's charitable status.

The prospect of what the Government will do over the problem of fees for university teaching prompts much speculation on news pages and in editorials.

The Times, leading on the story, claims that universities will be allowed to charge fees of up to three thousands pounds per year, which students would later have to repay.

The Independent reports that the issue was the subject of a stormy Cabinet meeting, prompting the Prime Minister's spokesman to insist that the Government would do nothing to deter students from poorer backgrounds getting to university.

Terrible morale

The Telegraph reports that the English National Opera - facing more financial problems - is to cut its chorus of sixty singers by one third.

The Telegraph says the ENO - which will also cut administrative staff - is three million pounds in the red - and will take its " begging bowl" back to the Arts Council, in the hope of getting more cash from the national lottery.

One anonymous musician told the paper: "Morale is terrible and the company is in chaos".

If you thought the days of space adventure were on the back-burner-- think again.

The Guardian reports that the United States is planning to send an astronaut to Mars in a nuclear powered rocket.

According to the paper, the ambitious project, including exploration of the red plant, has its doubters, especially on cost grounds at a time of recession.