LONDON  –   Britain’s government said Friday it had launched an investigation into the sale of The Telegraph newspaper to the owner of the Daily Mail, a rival right-wing publication, citing competition concerns. The Labour government’s Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has issued a Public Interest Intervention Notice in relation to the planned takeover, a statement said.  The Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) struck a £500-million ($682-million) deal with US-Emirati consortium RedBird IMI in November for the purchase of The Telegraph, which is 170 years old.                 The tie-up has the potential to create one of the biggest right-leaning media groups in the UK. In a statement late Thursday, a spokesperson for DMGT said it welcomed the intervention notice, “which marks a significant step forward in our proposed acquisition”. “We remain committed to investing in The Telegraph and its journalists, preserving its distinctive editorial voice and team, and accelerating its global expansion, with a focus on the US,” the statement added. It said DMGT would work “constructively with regulators and the government to secure a timely completion of the transaction”. The investigation will involve UK competition and media regulators.  Nandy said it was motivated by “public interest considerations” and “the need for a sufficient plurality of views in each UK market for news media”. The investigation will also look at “the need for a sufficient plurality of persons with control of media enterprises serving every different UK audience”, she added.