In the headlines
The August 31 deadline for the US to pull out of Afghanistan is unlikely to be extended, though Boris Johnson will try to persuade President Biden to delay the withdrawal on a call this afternoon. The Taliban says any extension will be met with unspecified “consequences”. Extinction Rebellion shut down parts of central London yesterday, the start of a fortnight of protest. McDonald’s has run out of milkshakes in its British restaurants because of a lack of lorry drivers.