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Speculation about the measures Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is to include in Wednesday's Budget leads many of the papers. The Financial Times says Mr Hunt will announce a 2p cut to national insurance that will be worth an average of £450 a year to 27 million workers, and notes that the move would repeat an identical cut in last year's Autumn Statement. It adds that Tory MPs are looking to Mr Hunt to convince voters he "has a plan to drag Britain out of recession, raise growth, and cut taxes ahead of an election expected this year".
The national insurance pledge will come into effect in April and be funded in part by higher taxes on holiday lets, a new levy on vaping and a scaling-back of the non-dom regime, according to the Times. The paper adds that Mr Hunt will pledge to "make work pay" and deliver "more opportunity and more prosperity".
The Daily Express says the cuts are part of a "feelgood package designed to ease families' finances" and that Mr Hunt is "gambling on the measure being enough to boost Tory election hopes and economic growth".
The expected tax cuts have sparked speculation that the government is preparing to call an election in May, according to the Daily Telegraph. The paper reports that Lord Mandelson, a central figure in the New Labour government, has said the move could help the Tories avoid a huge defeat and that, on Tuesday, shadow paymaster general Jonathan Ashworth made a £10 bet with Sky News presenter Kay Burley that the election would be held in May.
The i says that Labour is fearful of a "Tory Budget trap" and that shadow ministers are concerned that, if they win the next election, they will be forced to announce cuts to public spending within weeks of taking office.
Mr Hunt would be defying warnings about the impact tax cuts will have on funding for public services if he goes ahead with them, according to the Guardian. The paper quotes a Conservative Party insider saying the cuts are "going to require even more unrealistic public service cuts" after the election.
The Daily Mail reports that military chiefs have recommended murder charges for five SAS soldiers over the death of a suspected jihadist in Syria two years ago. It says the soldiers, who remain on active duty, say the man was planning to carry out a suicide attack before he was killed, but that an investigation concluded that they used excessive force and he should have been arrested. Sources tell the paper that a primed suicide vest was found nearby but that the suspect was not wearing it at the time.
The headline in the Metro reads: "Palace's anger at Kate date clanger". It comes after the British Army advertised tickets for the Trooping of the Colour on 8 June and said the Princess of Wales would be attending the event, an appearance Kensington Palace said it had not confirmed. The Metro calls the incident an "embarrassing falling out" that has "clouded" the princess's possible return to duties.
The princess's uncle has claimed that the arrival of the Duchess of Sussex put a "stick in the spokes" of the relationship between the princess, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex, the Daily Mirror reports. The paper says the "astonishing outburst" came just minutes after Gary Goldsmith entered the Celebrity Big Brother house.
The Sun reports that a woman who says she attended a party with Prince Harry in Las Vegas in 2012 has threatened to post naked photos of him on her OnlyFans. The paper says Carrie Royale claims she was invited to the event in a suite in the famous Wynn Hotel and saw the prince "starkers playing air guitar with a pool cue".
And the Daily Star says that squirting other people's snot up your nose could help prevent hay fever. The people behind the claim are labelled "bogey boffins".
Speculation about the measures Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is to include in Wednesday's Budget leads many of the papers.
"Hunt looks to win over voters with £900 tax cut" is the headline in the Times, a reference to an expected 2p reduction in National Insurance. The Daily Express has a similar take, declaring: "Hunt's tax cut gamble will put £900 in workers' pockets."
But the Financial Times says trimming National Insurance for a second time "falls short" of the reduction in income tax that "many Tory MPs had been pushing for". The paper says the lower rate already introduced in January "failed to move the dial politically". The Daily Mail points out the move won't benefit pensioners because they don't pay National Insurance. It quotes a campaign group called Silver Voices, which says pensioners will be "bitterly disappointed" if they miss out again.
"Budget to bring return of austerity" declares the Daily Mirror. It accuses the chancellor of plotting more cuts to the NHS, schools, and council services to pay for his budget. The Guardian highlights similar concerns, saying Mr Hunt is defying the "public services alarm". The paper has spoken to an unnamed Tory insider who said the changes would "require even more unrealistic public service cuts" after the election.
The i focuses on the repercussions for the Labour Party. The paper says shadow ministers fear a "Tory budget trap" and says Labour will be forced to "announce cuts to spending within weeks of taking office" if it wins the next general election.
"Tax cuts spark election talk" is the headline on the front of the Daily Telegraph. It says what Mr Hunt is due to announce has caused speculation that the government could go to the polls as early as May. The paper suggests the expected reduction in National Insurance leaves space for income tax cuts in an election manifesto. But Tory sources point to the prime minister's previous comments signalling a vote in the second half of the year.
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,The freeze on alcohol duty is to be extended until February next year, according to the Sun
The Sun claims the freeze on alcohol duty - which is due to end in August - will be extended until February next year. It's spoken to the Scotch Whisky Trade association, which called the support "good for industry, good for the economy and good for consumers who enjoy a dram".
The Daily Mail reports that military chiefs have recommended murder charges for five SAS soldiers over the death of a suspected jihadist in Syria two years ago. It says the soldiers, who remain on active duty, say the man was planning to carry out a suicide attack before he was killed, but that an investigation concluded they had used excessive force and that he should have been arrested. Sources tell the paper that a primed suicide vest was found nearby but that the suspect was not wearing it at the time. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence says personnel are "held to highest standards" and that any allegations of wrongdoing are "taken seriously".
And the Daily Mirror carries the story of the 71-year-old grandmother who was hoisted into the air when her coat got stuck in a shop security shutter. Anne Hughes was left dangling upside down outside the store in Tonteg, South Wales, until a shopkeeper came to her rescue. Speaking to the Sun, Ms Hughes said her grandchildren had called her to say "Nan, you're famous" after a video of the incident gained millions of views online.
