Among the likely government proposals will be the introduction of an age limit of 18 on the use of shotguns, as well as making it harder for people to own the weapons. This would prevent young gun-users, such as Prince William, 15, and Prince Harry, 12, from shooting. Other measures likely to be introduced are a licensing system for airguns, which currently are unregulated, and a ban on most rifles above .22 calibre. The move is expected to provoke a second battle with the powerful shooting lobby, which mounted a ferocious campaign against the outlawing of revolvers and pistols, introduced as a response to the Dunblane massacre. A fresh drive against firearms, including tighter restrictions on the use of rifles, shotguns, and airguns, is to be launched by the Government. The move to insist that students pay for part of their education has been described privately by education ministers as "the most difficult policy decision on education faced by the Government". The announcement is expected to follow the publication of Sir Ron Dearing's independent report into higher education funding - which is due out on Wednesday.Sir Ron is expected to recommend that students be offered loans to cover part of their tuition fees and ministers will use his recommendation to justify the policy move.Before the election, Labour told the Dearing inquiry that it wanted to abolish the grant for living costs, which would be repayable through a loan, while tuition would remain free.However, the inquiry's analysis suggests that this would not produce the money which universities need.The Treasury is believed to be particularly keen on the move to demand partial repayment of tuition fees as that will enable the Government to show its commitment to university expansion without demanding more money from the taxpayer.One senior Whitehall source said: "I don't think we have got any other option than to grasp the nettle on this one."The Dearing report presents a number of options to ministers, but indicates clearly that graduates should be required to repay part of their tuition fees.It lists a number of options for recouping tuition fees, but most of the committee favoured a repayment of pounds 1,000 a year - compared with actual fees which average between pounds 4,000 and pounds 5,000 and can be much higher for medical degrees.The committee members felt that the pounds 1,000 option provided the best balance between raising money to fund universities and not deterring people from becoming students.Repaying tuition fees would immediately generate income for the Treasury, which would be under pressure to pass all its savings on to universities.The Government may encounter stiff opposition from its own back benches - whose members include six past presidents of the National Union of Students.A spokesman for the NUS said last night that it would remain "fiercely opposed" to any suggestion that students should pay towards their tuition costs.He said the NUS had taken what it considered a "radical" step in finally accepting that graduates should contribute towards their living costs while at university."But to include tuition fees in the debt graduates are expected to repay would be a step too far," he said.He added: "Once the principle of free tuition is gone, there will be nothing to stop governments in the future asking students to pay a greater and greater contribution."Neither would there be anything to stop universities increasing tuition fees, or deciding that the education they had to offer justified higher fees than other institutions.". Versace shops in Rome, Milan, London, New York and Paris will re-open today, the company said in Milan.Vendetta, pages 10 and 11. University students will have to repay part of their tuition fees in the biggest overhaul of higher education under plans expected to be announced by the Government next week.

The steps of Versace's oceanfront mansion were turned into a shrine yesterday as curious sightseers left bouquets, sweets, trinkets or lit candles on the spot where the designer fell to the pavement after being shot twice in the head.Meanwhile fashion designers in Lucina, Italy, prayed for Versace at a special mass in his honour. Almost 12 hours after the murder Miami Beach police revealed that the van was thought to be one stolen by Cunanan from a cemetery attendant he is suspected of murdering in New Jersey in May.It also emerged yesterday that reported sightings of Cunanan in the Palm Beach area, north of Miami, caused the FBI to issue wanted posters of him two weeks ago. There was no confirmation of reports that Cunanan may have met the 50- year-old designer before.The key evidence was a scarlet lightweight Chevrolet pick-up van abandoned in a public car park two blocks from the Versace murder scene with bloodstained clothes dumped around it. "Right now we are looking at things we believe are very important but unfortunately what's taking place right now cannot be made public because it's very sensitive.But we believe we are moving forward."He said the information could include videos from surveillance cameras at Versace's mansion or nearby establishments, but declined to be specific.

"Everybody's got to help us get this man off the streets," said spokesman Paul Philip. A Florida police spokesman also warned: "Anyone who has had previous contact with this individual should be concerned."Late last night a Miami Beach police spokesman said they had received "very important" information in their hunt for Cunanan. Cunanan is wanted for five murders in four states over the past three months. He has been called a high-flying rent boy, well-spoken and extremely bright, who may have embarked on an orgy of murder against wealthy homosexuals after being told he was HIV-positive. An FBI spokesman appealed to the large gay population of Miami Beach to watch out for the suspect but not to approach him. Florida police searched cars and hotel rooms and issued detailed wanted posters, describing the 27-year-old Californian as "armed and extremely dangerous". It's not impossible that it will win our poll, but I hope it doen't Would you want your child to read Junk?". The FBI and police in the United States launched a nationwide manhunt yesterday for the alleged gay serial killer Andrew Phillip Cunanan, now the prime suspect in Tuesday's Miami Beach murder of the Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace.

The best children's books are an escape from all of that."The children we have been talking to are impressed with the book because it's about such a sexy subject. Every year now this prize goes to a book that has the goriest, socially shocking subject matter, and I'm not sure that's what children's literature should be about. BBC's The Bookworm programme is conducting its own poll of the nation's favourite children's books, and has been talking to children about the Burgess book.The programme's editor, Daisy Goodwin, said yesterday: "It is drug tourism for middle-class children. She said: "Junk is an outstanding, ground-breaking book - an extraordinary mixture of social commentary and gripping drama."But others were more critical. He is indignant about criticism of the book, saying: "It is just nonsense that anyone should object to any child who is 14 or 15 reading something like this."The book was defended by Lesley Sim, chairwoman of the Youth Libraries Group judging panel.