"There was never a good time to withdraw US forces," says President Joe Biden who, despite the criticism, continues to defend the decision to pull out of Afghanistan. Not long after the withdrawal was announced in April, the Taliban started seizing territory before making rapid advances, culminating in them taking control of Kabul - the last major city to hold out against the group. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled and the government collapsed. The Taliban - ousted by US forces in 2001 - have since declared victory and people are trying to flee, although the city seems quiet and subdued. So far, more than 60 countries have issued a joint statement urging the Taliban to let people leave. The UK, which has sent 900 troops to help evacuate British nationals and eligible Afghan nationals, is set to announce a new resettlement scheme for Afghan refugees and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to call for a co-ordinated global response to the crisis.
Mr Biden admits the withdrawal - after 20 years - has been "messy", but the Taliban gains "reinforce that ending US military involvement in Afghanistan now was the right decision". He says: "American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves." However, the situation has been met with intense political backlash. Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says it’s an "unmitigated disaster", and he fears the decision will "leave a stain on the reputation of the United States". But Mr Biden says the US mission in Afghanistan was never supposed to have been about nation-building. "I will not mislead the American people by claiming that just a little more time in Afghanistan will make all the difference.” To keep up to date with the story, follow our live page.

Under current travel rules, holidaymakers must take coronavirus tests, the cost of which has been met with criticism - and now the ex-chairman of the Competition and Markets Authority has waded in. Lord Tyrie says PCR tests for travel - which cost an average £75 but in some cases can be in the hundreds - have become "a predictable Covid rip-off". According to Lord Tyrie, the competition regulator "could and should have been better prepared". It should be taking action or advising the government on “how to obtain a quick remedy”, he says.Health Secretary Sajid Javid has asked for an investigation into "excessive" pricing and "exploitative practices. The regulator describes the cost of PCR testing as a pressing issue and is reviewing the situation.

Ordering food and drink online or via apps is popular and has become commonplace during the pandemic, but do you think about what personal information you’re handing over and why it’s being requested? The Information Commissioner's Office, which oversees data privacy, says people should think about the data they are giving out and know that sharing those details is a choice. "I think it's too easy to upload an app and straight away put your name, email address, payment details in, without actually understanding fully where that information may be shared and why it's being used," says Suzanne Gordon, the director of data protection at the Information Commissioner's Office. Over the last year, lots of businesses have suddenly got a mountain of information about their customers that they didn't have access to before, says our consumer affairs correspondent Colletta Smith.

A photograph of a US aeroplane surrounded by a crowd at Kabul’s airport appears on many of the front pages this morning. People have been trying to flee after the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital. The Metro headlines on "the flight from hell" with claims some people clung to a US military plane as it took off. "Desperate" declares the Mirror as it shows a picture of around 640 Afghans "crammed" on to a US plane leaving Kabul. According to the Times, Britain is racing to evacuate thousands of UK and Afghan citizens. Meanwhile, the i says there’s "no way out" as all flights were grounded due to crowds on the runway "pleading for help". Read the newspaper review in full here.

Air travel is getting back off the ground now coronavirus restrictions have eased but around a quarter of the world's passenger jets remain idle. They’ll either fly again, be put in storage or disassembled. With about 200 parts for older models and up to 1,200 components or more on newer ones, how do you recycle a jumbo jet? We’ve taken a look.
Next, have you seen the aerial photo of the huge Hollywood-style sign that’s appeared in Wrexham? There’s speculation on social media it’s linked to Wrexham AFC, owned by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The club say the sign spelling out the name of the Welsh town has nothing to do with them, and so far whoever’s behind it remains a mystery.
And finally, if you’re on Twitter you might have noticed it’s changed. The social media platform had a redesign but it’s given people headaches and discomfort. Find out what people have been saying and what Twitter plans to do about it.

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