Papers focus on Darling's Budget

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The Budget is the main story for most papers - with the focus firmly on its impact on drinkers and motorists.

The Sun headline sums it up with this advice for its readers: "Don't drink or drive." It describes Alistair Darling as the killjoy chancellor.

The Guardian says Mr Darling forced drinkers to foot the bill for Labour's crusade to eradicate child poverty.

The Times calls it the "hangover Budget" - the hangover from City excess and the Gordon Brown years.

The Daily Telegraph calls the Budget's showroom tax on the most-pollution cars punitive, and has pictures of four popular models indicating how much extra each will cost.

The Daily Mail is sceptical about the chancellor's forecast of steady long-term growth.

The Daily Express highlights a row surrounding an alleged comment by Children's Minister Ed Balls.

It says that when David Cameron stood up in the Commons after the Budget speech and accused Labour of the heaviest tax burden in history Mr Balls retorted: "So what?" But the minister's officials maintain he said "So weak".

Empty seats

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is to address the Knesset during a visit to Israel next week.

A number of papers report that she faces empty seats in protest at her decision to speak in German.

The Daily Telegraph says several Israeli MPs believe the sound of German in their parliament is a disgrace.

The Independent quotes one of them as saying: "German was the last language my grandmother and grandfather heard before they were murdered."

Race row

The Daily Mirror front page announces "Cheltenham Returns" - after the cancellation of Wednesday's races because of gale-force winds.

According to the Daily Express many race-goers accused the organisers of over-reacting to the weather.

One punter from Dublin tells the Times he had spent nearly £500 - to end up sitting in a pub in Cheltenham.

The Sun says race-goers blamed jobsworth health and safety officials for the late cancellation.