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Slate’s Washington, 1707 L St. NW, Washington, D.C., 20036.
The Times leads with a new tranche of documents released by the US Department of Justice relating to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, including “a previously unseen photograph of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor lying across the laps of five women”. The photo appears to show the former prince, Ghislaine Maxwell, and the redacted faces of six people. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has repeatedly denied all wrongdoing, and says he did not “see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction”. Being named or pictured in the files is not an indication of wrongdoing.
The Prince of Wales “joins the SAS” as a “patron of [the] elite unit’s charity”, which “supports soldiers, veterans and families”, reports the Daily Mirror citing an unnamed royal source. Also featured on the front page is the black-and-white photo of Andrew “draped across women’s laps… as Maxwell looks on”, according to the paper.
The Daily Telegraph leads with publisher HarperCollins UK dropping best-selling author and comedian David Walliams. The paper says it investigated allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women. The publisher does not specify the reason for dismissing Walliams. A spokesperson for Walliams says he has “never been informed of any allegations raised against him” by his publisher. “He was not party to any investigation or given any opportunity to answer questions. David strongly denies that he has behaved inappropriately and is taking legal advice,” the spokesperson adds.
The Walliams story also leads the Daily Star’s front page. A spokesperson for HarperCollins says it has decided not to release any new titles by Walliams “after careful consideration, and under the leadership of its new CEO”.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves is accused of ruining Christmas for retailers, reports the Daily Mail. It says customers “surprisingly shunned” Black Friday sales, as retailers say “December has been disastrous, with the ‘bleak’ outlook stretching into January”. Critics cited by the paper blame the government’s “£30bn Budget tax raid”.
The i Paper leads with its interview of Reeves, who does not “rule out tax rises in 2026”. The paper quotes the chancellor saying she hopes “further changes to tax are less necessary”, while noting “the world is incredibly volatile at the moment”. Her remarks follow the government’s “£66bn in tax hikes” laid out in the November Budget, which the paper reports led to accusations of “breaking the Labour manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, NI (national insurance), or VAT (value-added tax)”.
The Financial Times leads with the EU’s €90bn (£79bn) loan to Ukraine, calling it a “lifeline for hard-up Kyiv”. It notes the bloc’s “plan to use frozen Russian assets collapsed” following objections from Belgium, warning it would be legally and financial liable.
The Independent leads with the latest in Ukraine, combining the EU’s €90bn (£79bn) loan and strike on a Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea in its headline. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s response is also included, “as he accuses Western allies of ‘dirty tricks'” over the European loan and “vows revenge for (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky’s drone attack”.
A “robot surgery revolution” is splashed on the Daily Express’s front page. It says the new technology could “cut patients’ recovery time and free up beds”.
Warnings to the government that it could “risk a ‘lost generation'” due to “rising inactivity among young people” leads The Guardian. Former health secretary Alan Milburn tells the paper the government must tackle some “uncomfortable truths” about the labour market, as he leads an inquiry that will include a review into the “future of the youth minimum wage”.
And finally, the Sun reports TV chef James Martin has announced he is engaged to his personal trainer partner Kim Johnson. The paper writes he got “down on one knead”.
Most of the papers went to print before the files on Jeffrey Epstein were released, but later editions have the story on their front pages. Several feature the black and white image of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as the Daily Mirror puts it, “draped across women’s laps”. “How can Andrew stay silent now?” asks the Daily Mail.
The Times, meanwhile, highlights photos of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at Ascot, as guests of the then prince, writing it “will deal fresh embarrassment to the Royal Family”. The paper says the files are a reminder of how Epstein spent “years rubbing shoulders with the elite”.
The Daily Telegraph focuses on Bill Clinton, who it says “faces renewed questions over the extent of his relationship” with the late sex offender. But the report also acknowledges that Donald Trump has “sought to draw attention to” the relationship between Epstein and the former president, as “scrutiny intensifies over his own links to the paedophile”. Politico says the files have prompted the Trump administration to pounce on his supporters’ “favourite boogeyman”. Clinton denies any wrongdoing and his spokesperson is quoted as saying that the US government is trying to “shield” itself.
The Guardian reports that an inquiry into rising inactivity among young people will examine the future of the youth minimum wage. The former health secretary, Alan Milburn, who is leading the probe, tells the paper that unless the government tackles “uncomfortable truths” about the labour market, there is a risk of creating a “lost generation” of young people.
In an interview with the i Weekend, Chancellor Rachel Reeves refuses to rule out tax rises next year. She tells the paper that the world is “incredibly volatile at the moment”, and says it would be “wrong to start writing future Budgets”.
Finally, according to the Financial Times, growers of real Christmas trees in the US are among the winners in President Trump’s tariff war with China. It says people are turning to what the paper calls the “real deal” because Chinese artificial trees have been hit with big import taxes.
