The war in the Middle East and a photo Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Mandelson dominate Saturday’s papers. The Daily Telegraph is among the front pages to feature the first known picture of the trio together, which was found in documents released by US officials. It shows the men wearing bathrobes and sitting around a wooden table, reportedly in Martha’s Vineyard in 1999. Both Andrew and Lord Mandelson have denied any wrongdoing in their relationships with the late sex offender. The headline on the Telegraph’s lead story is “Trump to take Strait by force”, reporting that the US president is sending Marines to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as global oil prices continue to soar.
The Daily Mail shifts its focus to accusations from opposition MPs that Sir Keir Starmer showed a “dereliction of duty” after Downing Street said there was “no requirement” for the prime minister to interview Lord Mandelson before making him US ambassador, despite his ties to Epstein. Sir Keir continues to face criticism over the scandal, the paper reports, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accusing the government of a “cover up”, which No 10 rejected.
