For the Mail and the Express this morning,things are getting better.

A year of punishing increases in petrol and food bills, which have heaped misery on to millions of struggling families, has finally come to an end.
The price of petrol was slashed to below £1 a litre last night, while the new Daily Mail Cost of Living Index shows food inflation is at last falling sharply.
And consumers were promised further relief after the cost of crude oil fell again, taking it down by almost 50 per cent against the summer peak.

says the Mail

PETROL LESS THAN £1 A LITRE says the Express

A supermarket petrol price war yesterday pushed the cost at the pump to under £1 a litre.
Retailers slashed up to 7p a litre off unleaded and up to 6p off diesel in the latest wave of cuts

The optimism though is not shared

In the UK the total number of people out of work is expected to rise to 3million within two years after figures yesterday showed that unemployment rose at its fastest rate in 17 years in the three months to August. Numbers out of work soared by 164,000 to 1.79 million in the three months to August on the Government's preferred Labour Force Survey gauge of unemployment.

reports the Times

The Independent reports that

Stock markets around the world suffered another day of huge losses yesterday as fears of the global recession spreading to China prompted a renewed bout of negative sentiment.
The FTSE 100 index of leading UK companies lost more than 7 per cent and the Dow Jones Industrial Average in the US was down by almost 6 per cent by mid-afternoon. The gloom in credit crunch-hit Western economies deepened with UK unemployment figures showing a 164,000 rise in the three months to August, and US reports of the biggest monthly fall in retail sales for more than three years

And the Guardian reports that the Brown bail-out under threat

Gordon Brown's lauded banking bail-out risked unravelling last night as Lloyds TSB lobbied the government to ease the repayment conditions attached to an emergency injection of taxpayers' money.
The urgent attempt to renegotiate parts of the bail-out terms - and allow rescued banks to pay a dividend to their shareholders - came as the stock market wiped out all of the gains made in the euphoria following the bank rescue package, amid anxiety that the global economy was plunging into recession

But the big news of the day makes most of the papers

Now for the parting of the riches, after Madonna and her Guy decide it’s over says the Times

When Madonna married Guy Ritchie in the Great Hall of Skibo Castle eight years ago, there was a piper to serenade the couple inside and security men outside to keep the paparazzi at bay. The celebrations and accompanying tabloid hysteria resembled a royal wedding.
It seemed fitting, then, that with the couple’s confirmation yesterday that they are to divorce it was also disclosed that Madonna has hired Fiona Shackleton, the lawyer who represented the Prince of Wales when his first marriage came to an end. Nothing but the best for the Queen of Pop.

Richties gets Bitchy is the headline in the Sun which reports that

THE marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie has been dogged by bitterness and recrimination for YEARS — and any notion that they have battled to save it is a myth.And Guy has told lawyers he wants “not one penny” of her estimated £300million fortune.

It was a circus-it just had to finish says the Mirror

Dejected Guy Ritchie told friends his troubled marriage to Madonna had to end because it had turned into a “three-ring circus”.
His frank admission came as the couple yesterday confirmed they are to divorce – four months after the Mirror revealed their seven-year marriage was over.
Guy, 40, told pals: “I just wanted a regular husband and wife thing. But it was always a great song and dance just to do ordinary stuff.”

Other news and the Indy reports that

Millions of pounds of British aid to poor and war-torn countries has been wasted because of mismanagement and corruption, an official report reveals today.
An investigation by the National Audit Office (NAO) found a series of expensive blunders by the Department For International Development (DFID) in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq have undermined reconstruction efforts.

The Guardian says that

Healthcare improving but infections and GP waiting times need work

The quality of NHS care in England has improved by leaps and bounds over the past two years, the independent health watchdog says today.
However, 60% of hospitals are still not dealing with superbug infections effectively, and 69% of GPs do not provide patients with the easy access to appointments that ministers want to see.

The Telegraph though reports that

The most comprehensive study of its kind has shown that millions of people are being failed by their local surgeries.
Under key NHS targets, patients should be able to see their family doctor within two working days.
However, the report said that just one third of people were able to see their GP within this time.

Bomber was brainwashed online by Pakistani extremists says the Times

A vulnerable Muslim convert was persuaded online by shadowy Pakistan-based extremists into trying to carry out a suicide bomb attack on a busy restaurant.
Nicky Reilly, 22, who has Asperger’s syndrome and a mental age of 10, was directed how to build bombs filled with hundreds of nails, which he attempted to detonate at the Giraffe restaurant in Exeter in May. The devices went off prematurely, injuring only him.
As Reilly admitted at the Old Bailey yesterday charges of attempted murder and preparing terrorist attacks, counter-terrorism officials said that extremists had taken advantage of his low IQ to groom him.

The Mail reports that

A teacher was ordered to retrain for spanking a teenage pupil on the bottom and calling her a ‘naughty girl’.
Science master Trevor Towers, 49, crept up behind the 14-year-old girl as she bent over a school printer.
A hearing at which Towers faced being struck off as a teacher was told that he slapped the girl in full view of her classmates.

Poison stalks trial of murdered Putin critic reports the Indy

A lawyer representing the family of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya has apparently been targeted by poisoners as the trial of three men accused of involvement in her murder was about to begin.
French police confirmed the discovery of mercury pellets in the car of Karinna Moskalenko, who suffered headaches, dizziness and nausea after getting into the vehicle.

According to the Times

A Spanish judge is questioning three mechanics with a view to charging them with manslaughter due to negligence in the crash of the Spanair MD-82 airliner at Madrid airport in August, court officals said today.
Judge Javier Pérez summoned the three after a preliminary accident report said that the aircraft attempted its take off for the Canary Islands from Barajas airport on August 20 without the deployment of the wing flaps and leading-edge "slats".

Thai and Cambodian military chiefs in talks says the Guardian

The commanders were discussing troop levels and weaponry at the meeting in Thailand near the scene of the clashes adjacent to a 900-year-old temple site.
Both governments said they were anxious to calm the situation and resolve the bitter row over the land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple through peaceful negotiations.

The Mirror reports that 'Tapas Seven' accept £375,000 libel damages from Express Newspapers

The friends will donate the money to the official Madeleine's Fund, set up to help look for the missing child

The Telegraph reports that

Road travel in Britain 'as dangerous as it was 500 years ago'

Researchers examining coroners' reports from Sussex between 1485 and 1688 found 30 per cent of deaths were a result of injury involving travelling on land.
Accidents included falling into ditches and being hit by a horse and cart.
The study found 413 of around 1,000 adult inquests involved unintentional injuries, with 124 from land travel.

Finally the Sun reports that

A RESTAURANT chain has sparked fury by serving up pizzas with a topping of FROGS’ LEGS.
The “Hopper” contains eight limbs on a traditional base with capers and an anchovy sorbet.
The £17.95 dish has angered campaigners who slammed it as “barbaric” — because frogs’ legs are amputated while they are still alive.
An Animal Aid spokeswoman urged people to boycott London chain Eco.