Browsing: UK Papers

The Guardian highlights a Foreign Office risk assessment from less than a month before the fall of Kabul, which warned the Taliban could rapidly return to power.

The Daily Mail says “Now give Britain booster it needs!” is the message in its front-page headline, as it calls for all over-50s to be offered another dose.

The Mirror says the move comes after experts warned two doses are unlikely to have worked for the most severely immunosuppressed.

The Daily Express says there is “outrage” over proposals to make millions of over-60s pay for prescriptions, calling it a ‘tax on the sick’.

“Death to the West” is the headline for the Metro, which has a picture of fake coffins draped in western flags being carried through the streets of Khost by the Taliban.

The i says the UK is attempting “Dunkirk by WhatsApp”, as the government tries to rescue more Afghans who fear for their lives under the Taliban.

The Guardian focuses on the experiences of ordinary Afghans who fear for their future under the Taliban. One woman says she lost her job after the militants overran her city.

The Sun reports that the “26-day stand-off” over Geronimo the alpaca has ended in “misery”, with the animal killed by officials after testing positive for bovine tuberculosis.

The Daily Express says health chiefs have described the drug as a “game-changer”. It got the go-ahead after a deal was done with makers Novartis for discounted supplies.

The Daily Mirror leads with a new “miracle jab”, which it says could save thousands of lives by preventing heart attacks and strokes.

The Metro says gunfire was heard across the Afghan capital as the US ended their 20-year presence in the country, with reports suggesting the shots were in celebration.

There is an atmosphere of “fury and fear”, according to the i, which says tens of thousands of people who worked for the West were left behind, despite evacuation efforts.

The Guardian says there was “chaos” as the US withdrew, with the Pentagon investigating reports of civilian casualties from a drone strike targeting a suicide bomber in Kabul.

There is more positive news for the UK tourism industry on the front page of the Daily Mirror, which says Brits have “fallen back in love” with domestic holidays.

Daily Mail reports that disposable nappies could be taxed to encourage parents to switch to green alternatives. A source says it is the next item the government is looking at targeting.

“We’re in charge now”, is the headline for the Sun alongside a picture of Taliban militants posing with their weapons behind a UK police helmet and US state trooper’s hat.

The Daily Mail says that in some parts of the country fewer than half of patients see their GPs face-to-face, with the rest having phone consultations.

“Home Safe” declares the Daily Express, as it carries a picture of UK troops getting off an aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire.

The Daily Mirror focuses on the Covid pandemic and fears the government has not done enough to prevent a surge in infections when children return to school.

Sunday’s papers focus heavily on the end of the UK’s 20-year involvement in Afghanistan. The papers are dominated by the fate of ‘those left behind’ as the Foreign Office is accused of ‘negligence.’

The twin bomb attacks at Kabul airport, which targeted people trying to flee the country after the Taliban takeover, features across the front pages.

Refugees and US Marines were murdered side by side, says the i. The paper adds that the UK and US will continue with the airlifts but the final British flight from Kabul could depart on Friday.

The Guardian reports the explosions took place among frantic crowds trying to leave Afghanistan. It says one of the bombs was near a hotel where the British embassy is based

The Sun carries the headline “Hell on Earth”. Its story mentions the crowds of people who had been outside the airport.

The Daily Mail says the attacks triggered fresh condemnation of Joe Biden’s decision to remove US troops from Afghanistan.