BBC News

Newspaper headlines: PM delay plea to Biden and UK evacuation steps up

By BBC News
Staff

Published
image captionOnce again the ongoing situation in Afghanistan continues to dominate the front pages. The Guardian says Boris Johnson will personally lobby US President Joe Biden to keep US troops at Kabul airport beyond 31 August. It says it has been a weekend of tension between the UK and US, adding that the Taliban has tightened its grip at the airport.
image captionThe Daily Mail has a picture of "an unholy alliance", with British troops and Taliban fighters standing feet apart as they try to quell chaos at Kabul airport. "Don't cut and run yet, Joe" is the headline as it says there are fears mercy flights will be halted within 48 hours.
image captionThe Daily Telegraph also leads on talks between the UK prime minister and US president and says that unless Biden relents, UK troops are due to start withdrawing from the airport within days. It says pressure is mounting on the US president, who told a press conference that discussions about an extension were ongoing.
image captionThe i newspaper headline is "rift grows with US over Afghan withdrawal". It says 20 people are thought to have been killed in stampedes amid chaos at Kabul airport.
image captionThe Financial Times says Boris Johnson will host crisis talks on Afghanistan with world leaders as Britain presses the US to extend the evacuation timetable. The paper says that the prime minister accepts that following the US withdrawal there is an acceptance that China and Russia are now key players in the region. The paper also carries a story on women on the boards of UK blue-chip companies being paid 40% less than men.
image captionThe Times says that Britain will step up its evacuation plans, with an aim to fly 6,000 people out of Afghanistan this week. The paper says the RAF has extended the deadline for its last evacuation flight, with the plan being significantly expanded as new cases come to light.
image captionThe Metro leads on a British paratrooper who was seen cradling a baby amid chaos at Kabul airport. The unnamed corporal said he was "just doing my duty" and said the picture showed what soldiers are doing on a daily basis.
image captionThe Daily Express says time is running out for trapped Britons but quotes a senior diplomat saying that the effort to evacuate UK nationals was gathering pace.
image captionThe Daily Star chooses to lead on cheerier news as it says a 12-day heatwave is due to start. "Summer has finally burst back," the paper says, "after weeks of washout".
image captionThe Mirror reports on the parents of a woman who was left brain damaged by nurse Beverley Allitt who fear she may soon be freed on parole. They say their daughters asks "Will she come and get me?" Allitt, known as the Angel of Death, was convicted of murdering four children and harming nine more.

This morning's papers are dominated by the government's attempts to persuade US President Joe Biden to extend his deadline for withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan beyond the end of the month.

The Daily Mail goes with the headline "Don't Cut And Run Yet, Joe" - military sources tell the paper that an extra two weeks may be required for the evacuation mission due to the constantly evolving situation at Kabul Airport.

The I claims that a rift is growing between the two leaders ahead of the G7 online summit tomorrow - an assessment shared by the Guardian's defence and security editor Dan Sabbagh.

He says there's been a "high-speed deterioration in Anglo-American relations," and urges both sides to move away from "sniping and recrimination" to save lives.

image sourcePA Media
image captionThere are reports of tension between the leaders of the UK and US over Afghanistan

The Financial Times says a meeting of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the UK, US, France, China and Russia - is also expected to take place this week to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

It says UK officials were encouraged by the progress of talks between the Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, last week - but that no discussions have yet been held with Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.

The Daily Telegraph reports that UK troops will start to withdraw from Kabul airport within days if Mr Biden refuses to commit to staying longer. It quotes a sceptical government source, saying the White House is "in listening mode rather than making any commitments".

However, the Times claims the RAF has already pushed back the date of its final planned evacuation flight to next weekend, as part of efforts to transport another 6,000 people out of the country. The paper says ministers still fear thousands of people who are eligible for resettlement in the UK may be left behind.

Former Army generals tell the Sun that the prime minister must continue the rescue mission for as long as necessary, even if the US sticks to its 31 August deadline. Major General Tim Cross asks "what's the point of having armed forces if we cannot hold a single airfield?"

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On the front of the Telegraph there's a warning about the effectiveness of this year's flu vaccines, due to scientific resources being diverted to focus on Covid-19.

Experts say laboratories have struggled to gather enough data on influenza which could lead to vaccines being mismatched to the virus - and health services being overwhelmed by cases this winter.

The Times reports that officials in Venice have approved plans to install turnstiles at the city's entrances and charge tourists a fee to visit.

People will have to pre-book tickets from next summer, which will cost between £8.50 and £2.50, depending on the season.

image sourcePA Media
image captionTourists could have to book tickets to enter Venice

Officials hope the new measures will reduce overcrowding and raise funds to repair the Unesco World Heritage site, but critics say they risk making the city look like a theme park.

The paper's leader rejects those fears, calling the initiative "an imaginative and overdue solution to the problems caused by mass tourism".