'Starmer may send drones to the Gulf' and 'Panic hits the pumps'
A mix of stories on Sunday's papers, with the war in the Middle East remaining prominent. "Over a barrel" is the Observer's headline as the paper fills its front page with plumes of black smoke rising from a key oil depot in the UAE after an Iranian strike.
The Sunday Telegraph reports Sir Keir Starmer could send thousands of interceptor drones to the Middle East to counter attacks from Iran. The anti-drone systems are currently being manufactured in the UK for Ukraine to use against Russia, but military officials are examining whether they can be deployed in the Middle East, the paper says.
Donald Trump is piling pressure on nations to step up their involvement in the war, urging the UK and others to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to break Iran's blockade of the waterway, says the Independent. Elsewhere, the paper features a photo of a man standing in front of his destroyed building in Lebanon's south, which has been heavily bombarded by Israeli strikes.
The Sunday People features an image released by the US military of the aftermath of its strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, a major oil export site. Alongside, the paper also spotlights the Duke of Sussex hitting back against claims made in a new book on the Royal Family.
The Sunday Mirror focuses on effects of the war closer to home, with Energy Secretary Ed Miliband vowing to help keep household bills down as Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz continues to choke oil supplies. The paper quotes Miliband saying the war in the Middle East is no excuse for price gouging amid signs of panic buying at the pumps. A photo of a line of cars outside a petrol station in Manchester features on the front page.
The Sunday Times reports a woman has said that late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her to former Harrods boss Mohamed Al Fayed. The paper says the revelation is the first reported connection between Epstein and Al Fayed, who has been accused of sexual assault by multiple women.
There's been a fresh spike in migrants applying for British citizenship, according to the Sunday Express. It says the numbers have risen since the three main political parties vowed to crack down on welfare payments for foreign nationals.
The Sun leads on the news that actor John Alford has died in prison two months after he was jailed for sexually assaulting two teenage girls. The 54-year-old former star of Grange Hill and London's Burning was serving an eight-and-a-half years sentence at HMP Bure in Norfolk.
Finally, Gladiator start Jet, Diane Youdale, has told the Daily Star about her "stalker nightmare", saying she feared for her safety when she called police after being stalked by two people.
The Sunday Times says a victim of Jeffrey Epstein has claimed she was trafficked by him to Mohamed Al-Fayed. The woman claims she was "sent" to Al-Fayed on his yacht in St Tropez in "about 1997" and was sexually assaulted. The paper says it is the "first such connection to be reported between the late sex offenders".
"Over a barrel", declares the Observer, as it leads on the oil crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East. "We will fight to keep bills down", is the message from the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, in the Sunday Mirror. He tells the paper "it's important readers know we are going to fight their corner".
The Sunday Telegraph says Sir Keir Starmer could send thousands of intercepter drones to the Middle East. They are currently being manufactured in the UK for Ukraine to deploy against Russia. Military officials are now reportedly looking at whether the intercepters could be used to bolster the UK's defences against Iran's Shahed drones.
According to the Sunday Express, a record number of migrants have applied for British citizenship since Labour, the Conservatives and Reform UK vowed to crack down on welfare handouts for foreign nationals. Almost 292,000 applications were lodged with the Home Office last year - up from about 250,000 in 2024.
The Sunday Times reports that by next spring it will be possible to walk all 2,700 miles of the English coastline. The project has involved creating more than 1,000 miles of new path as well as building bridges and boardwalks and removing stiles. "From soaring cliffs to expansive beaches", the Sunday Times says, the English coastline "is a jewel in the nation's crown".
"A game that had so many stunning moments that it beggared belief", is how the Sunday Telegraph describes last night's Six Nations finale between England and France. The Sun on Sunday says England went down "all guns blazing". The Mail on Sunday describes the match as an "instant classic" with France's last-gasp winning penalty "a dagger to English hearts". The Sunday Times asks: "Was this rugby's greatest game?"