What the papers say – August 23

Trans-Atlantic tensions over the Afghanistan withdrawal dominate the nation’s papers.
A collection of British newspapers (PA)
PA Archive
Pa22 August 2021

Boris Johnson’s expected plea with Joe Biden to extend his deadline for mercy flights out of Kabul amid straining US-UK relations leads most of the front pages on Monday.

The Prime Minister will plead with US president Joe Biden at the G7 leaders’ virtual summit tomorrow to leave American troops at Kabul airport beyond the end of August to facilitate evacuations, The Guardian reports.

And the i says tensions are growing between Britain and the US over how long Mr Biden plans to leave his troops at the airport.

The Daily Mail runs a similar story and adds fears are rising mercy flights out of Kabul will be halted within 48 hours.

The Daily Express also leads on that increasingly tense issue, under a headline of “Time running out for trapped Britons”.

But The Times says Britain’s deadline on mercy flights has been extended, and reports there will be a “mass airlift” to evacuate 6,000 Britons and Afghans from the “Kabul chaos”.

The Daily Telegraph also says Mr Johnson will “push Biden” over the Afghanistan withdrawal, while also reporting the Covid emergency may mean flu jabs will not be effective this winter.

The Financial Times picks up on another geopolitical aspect of the US-led pull-out under a headline of “Johnson hosts crisis talks as role emerges for China and Russia”.

And Metro focuses on the British paratrooper shown holding a baby in an iconic image from Kabul airport, who says “I was just doing my duty”.

In other news, the Daily Mirror says the family of a woman left brain damaged by Beverley Allitt are fearful the “murdering nurse” could soon be freed from prison on parole.

And the Daily Star leads on forecasts of a new heatwave for Britain.

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