Terror charge for Southport suspect and Reeves' first budget

The news that more charges have been brought against the teenager accused of murdering three young girls in Southport in July leads many of the papers. On Tuesday, 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana was charged with producing the poison ricin and possessing a military study of an al-Qaeda training manual.

The Times leads, external on questions raised by the two Conservative leadership contenders about whether police and the government withheld information about the suspect. A government source tells the paper that Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are peddling "conspiracy theories", and that to do so on the back of the heart-breaking losses in Southport is "despicable".

The Telegraph says, external Downing Street has denied any "cover up". The Guardian highlights, external a plea made by Merseyside Police for people not to speculate about the alleged offences.

The Financial Times, external says that, on the eve of Wednesday's Budget, the cost of the government's long-term borrowing hit its highest level since the election. The paper says Chancellor Rachel Reeves has £50bn of headroom for borrowing and she'll be hoping the markets react calmly.

The Daily Telegraph, external reports that the armed forces are in line for a funding boost of nearly £3bn in the statement. It's said the money will fund a backdated pay rise of 6% for personnel, as well as the replenishment of weapons stockpiles left depleted by arms donations to Ukraine. It means, according to the paper, that defence spending as a proportion of GDP will remain at roughly 2.3%.

The Daily Mirror, external uses its leader column to praise the government for plans to increase the minimum wage by 6.7%. The paper says the move will create a genuine living wage and make work pay.

But business group the Institute of Directors warns in the Times, external that the change - along with an expected rise in employers' National Insurance and workers' rights legislation - will create a "perfect storm" for firms.

The Daily Mail's, external editorial condemns the Budget as being nakedly destructive and ideological. The paper says Rachel Reeves is hobbling business at every turn and should focus instead on trimming the public sector and getting more people into work.

Ukraine and Russia are holding preliminary talks about halting strikes on each other's energy infrastructure as winter looms, according to the Financial Times, external.

A Ukrainian official tells the paper that Moscow and Kyiv have already reduced the frequency of such strikes after their respective intelligence agencies came to an understanding. However, a senior figure at the Kremlin explains to the paper that Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to agree to a total halt until Ukrainian forces withdraw from Russia's Kursk region.

The Sun reports, external that a flight from Heathrow to Austin in Texas was delayed because of a punch-up over a woman wearing a red Donald Trump "Make America Great Again" hat. A brawl is said to have broken out in Terminal Five after another woman demanded she remove the red baseball cap and was met with refusal.

The pair are said to have squared up again in the premium economy cabin before they were both removed. A source at Heathrow tells the Sun that tensions over the US election are "sky high" and that the crew couldn't risk a punch-up at 30,000 feet.

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