What the papers say – August 13

The front pages cover the tragedy in Devon, a rescue mission to Kabul and Britain’s “biggest test for living with Covid”.

The Daily Mail reports six people have been fatally shot in Plymouth, in a story also covered by The Times and the Daily Mirror, with the latter referring to a “rampage” in the city.

The UK and the US are sending troops to evacuate their personnel in Afghanistan as the Taliban advances, according to the Financial Times and The Guardian.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is quoted on the front of The Independent saying “we must do everything we can to ensure the safety” of British nationals and Afghan staff in the war-torn country.

Metro calls the rescue mission “Operation Kabul”, while The Daily Telegrah reports the Taliban advance is “gaining pace” after the western city of Herat became the latest major centre to fall.

The biggest weekend for mass gatherings since the pandemic began will see 1.7 million people join crowds in what the i calls Britain’s “biggest test for living with Covid”.

New official figures showing a 4.8 per cent bounce in the economy from April to June prove the UK is “on the mend”, Chancellor Rishi Sunak is quoted as saying in the Daily Express.

And the Daily Star describes the British embassy guard held on suspicion of spying for Russia in Berlin as “not exactly 007 material” as he drives a Ford Fiesta “and collects caps and teddy bears”.