Newspaper headlines: Royal wedding 'odds on' and wage freeze By BBC News

Staff Published duration 24 November 2017

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The papers continue to examine the reaction to the Budget, with many looking at the money allocated to the health service.

The Times reports the findings of the Institute for Fiscal Studies , which suggests that the cash injection "is far less generous than it looks". The think tank says real spending on the NHS will essentially be "unchanged" between 2009 and 2022 after accounting for population growth and ageing.

The Daily Telegraph highlights the suggestion by the chancellor's aide , Kwasi Kwarteng, that the NHS could still get the £350m of extra funding every week, promised on the Brexit bus.

Elsewhere, the Guardian and the i focus on predictions from economic think tanks of "two lost decades of earnings growth".

And the Financial Times says it is time to listen to the Office for Budget Responsibility and its sober forecasts on productivity.

Lame duck PM?

The Irish Times reports on its website that the Dublin government "is in crisis" , with Fine Gael preparing for a possible election after Prime Minister Leo Varadkar refused to sack his deputy.

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It says no Taoiseach has ever chosen to collapse his government to save one of his ministers before, and suggests there is concern about the impact of the Taoiseach appearing at the crucial Brexit summit next month as a "lame duck".

The Financial Times notes that Mr Varadkar is under pressure to bolster his authority and he cannot be seen as a pushover in the highly sensitive talks. The outcome of Brexit for Ireland is crucial, it says.

Meanwhile, the Daily Telegraph says Theresa May will tell the European Council president Donald Tusk that she is prepared to increase Britain's offer to settle the Brexit divorce bill.

EU sources have told the Telegraph that Brussels would refuse any attempt to link the offer to an agreement on future trade talks.

Helmets mandatory?

It says the government is to hold a consultation in the new year which will consider making helmets and high-visibility vests mandatory.

But the proposal is being opposed by some cycling groups, which suggest the measures give cyclists and motorists a false sense of security.

The paper says congestion has hit an all-time high, with drivers suffering delays of up to six minutes every mile.

It is thought the jams have been increased, in part, by vans delivering online purchases.

'Black skiveday'

Demand for internet bargains has been so high ahead of today's Black Friday sales that the websites of John Lewis and Debenhams crashed, according to the Daily Telegraph.

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And it suggests shoppers can expect more online outages.

The Daily Star believe employers may suffer , saying thousands of staff plan to take sickies on what it calls "black skiveday."

'Engagement bets off'

Finally, alongside a picture of Prince Harry's girlfriend, Meghan Markle, with a dog she has brought to the UK, the Sun asks on its front page "Has Harry pupped the question?"

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