Concern over fizzy drinks

The Times

Teenagers who drink large amounts of fizzy drinks are more likely to be aggressive and violent, researchers claim. Drinking more than five cans a week was linked to significantly higher levels of violent assaults, US researchers reported in the journal Injury Prevention. The researchers, who surveyed 1,872 teenagers aged 14 to 18 from 22 state schools in Boston, suggested sugar or caffeine might lead to aggression, but others say social factors are a more likely cause.

Abertay to get principal

The Scotsman

Abertay University is to go ahead with the recruitment of a new principal, following discussions with the Scottish Funding Council. The SFC had previously asked Abertay to delay the move while a full evaluation and analysis of the role was undertaken as part of a wider look at post-16 education in Tayside and across Scotland. The request was followed by proposals for a merger between Abertay and Dundee universities.

Youths screened for STIs

Scottish Daily Mail

Girls as young as 10 are being screened for sexually transmitted infections amid rising promiscuity rates among primary school children. Shocking new figures show that soaring numbers of youngsters are being tested for chlamydia, as thousands of children continue to engage in underage sex. Figures obtained by the Scottish Daily Mail show that more than 1,600 youngsters between the ages of 10 and 14 were tested last year - a 12 per cent rise on the previous year.

Postcodes impact places

Sunday Herald

School pupils can be nearly 18 times more likely to go to university than other children educated just seven minutes away. An analysis of the numbers of pupils leaving school between 1999 and 2010 has revealed the chances of young people entering higher education is still largely influenced by their postcode. Despite increases in funding by successive governments, the school system remains as scarred by inequalities after a decade of devolution as it was before.