Epstein files photo ‘bombshell’ and ‘Iran war spirals’
The war in the Middle East and the photo of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor with Jeffrey Epstein and Peter Mandelson dominate Saturday’s papers. The Daily Telegraph is among the front pages featuring the first known photo of the trio together, found in documents published by US authorities. The footage shows men wearing bathrobes and sitting around a wooden table in Martha’s Vineyard in 1999. Both Andrew and Lord Mandelson denied any wrongdoing in their dealings with the late sex offender. “Trump to seize Strait by force” is the headline of the Telegraph’s lead story, reporting that the US president is sending sailors to the Middle East to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as global oil prices continue to rise.
The Daily Mail focused on accusations from opposition MPs that Sir Keir Starmer had shown a “dereliction of duty” after Downing Street said there was “no need” for the prime minister to interview Lord Mandelson before making him US ambassador despite his ties to Epstein. The newspaper reported that Sir Keir continues to face criticism over the scandal, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accusing the government of a “cover-up”, which No 10 denies.
