Rugby World Cup organisers apologised to supporters on Wednesday for the problems they experienced in reaching the stadiums in Marseille and...

The US State Department released its Afghanistan After Action Review report, detailing the failures of both the Trump and Biden administrations during the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan in 2021. The long-awaited report found that the decision by both administrations had detrimental consequences and laid out the shortcomings of a “chaotic and dangerous environment” during the pullout after nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan. “The decisions of both President (Donald) Trump and President (Joe) Biden to end the US military mission in Afghanistan had serious consequences for the viability of the Afghan government and its security,” said the unclassified report. “Those decisions are beyond the scope of this review, but the AAR (After Action Review) team found that during both administrations there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios and how quickly those might follow,” it added. Out of the 85-page After Action Report, the department made only 24 pages public, keeping the remainder classified. The details emerged more than a year following a 90-day long review of the handling of the evacuation operation and include details of what happened in the final days of US presence in Afghanistan and recommendations to prepare for future events. The finding of the reports also highlighted the shortcomings of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, without naming him. It included the state department’s failure in expanding its crisis management task force as the Taliban advanced on Kabul in August 2021 and the lack of a senior diplomat “to oversee all elements of the crisis response”. Referring to the State Department’s top floor where Mr Blinken and other top diplomats have their office, it said: “Naming a 7th floor principal ... would have improved coordination across different lines of effort.” The report stated that senior Biden administration officials had “not made clear decisions” regarding at-risk Afghans. There were no clear instructions about who would be included in the evacuation operation or about where they would be taken. “That added significantly to the challenges the Department and DoD faced during the evacuation,” it said. The State Department’s noncombatant evacuation operation (NEO) “was hindered by the fact that it was unclear who in the Department had the lead”, it said. The review also stated the concerns about signalling and maintaining confidence in the Afghan government hindered crisis preparation and planning. This inhibition ultimately contributed to the collapse of the Afghan government in mid-August 2021. The report comes as the Biden administration was criticised for its chaotic pullout of US troops and its officials from Kabul after the takeover of the Taliban, toppling president Ashraf Ghani’s government. The unprecedented scenes showed hundreds of thousands of Afghans and other citizens trying to flee Taliban rule and attempting to enter Kabul airport. Videos showed men clinging onto aircraft as they taxied down runways and others trying to climb the big walls of the airport. During the evacuations, an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 13 US servicemembers and more than 150 Afghans outside an airport gate. According to the report, approximately 125,000 individuals, including nearly 6,000 Americans, were evacuated from Kabul prior to the departure of the last US soldiers from Afghanistan on 20 August. Defending Mr Biden’s handling of evacuations, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the decisions were made to end the war. “He had to make a decision,” she told reporters on Friday. The US had poured “billions of dollars into a war with no end in sight” and that “he wanted to stop that, he wanted to end that,” she said. A Trump spokesperson said: “There’s only one person responsible for the disastrous pullout of Afghanistan — Joe Biden.” The State Department’s critical review was not reflected in the White House report which was released in April. Read More Over 1,000 Afghan civilians killed in violence under Taliban rule, says UN Xi undecided on whether to order military unification with Taiwan by 2027, top US official claims Ukraine Russia – live: CIA director William Burns ‘called Kremlin’ after Wagner mutiny Who are Isis-K? Al-Qaeda ‘could regroup in Afghanistan in two years and threaten US’ Biden overruled Blinken and Austin on Afghanistan pullout, book says

Minneapolis mayor urges Taylor Swift to cheer on Travis Kelce at the Chiefs' game versus the Vikings at US Bank Stadium

Wayne Barnes, the referee for the Rugby World Cup final, thought about retiring last year due to social media abuse which threatened his family sparked by tweets made by South...

The series ran for ten seasons on Fox from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000, and is the first of six television series in the 'Beverly Hills, 90210' franchise

President Joe Biden turned up in a mask for the first time in months on Tuesday, a day after his wife tested positive for COVID-19

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman presented a gift to former Atlanta Braves teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. after becoming the first player to record a 30 home run, 60 stolen base season.

For a bunch of people who supposedly hate social media, we sure do spend a

Conor McGregor has paid tribute to his ‘friend’ Sinead O’Connor, following the singer’s death at the age of 56. O’Connor’s passing was confirmed in a statement by her family on Wednesday (26 July), though no cause of death was disclosed. The Dublin-born musician’s death comes just 18 months after her son Shane, 17, committed suicide. O’Connor, most famous for her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” (released in 1990), sang during McGregor’s walkout at UFC 189 in July 2015, and her compatriot paid tribute on Wednesday. “The world has lost an artist with the voice of an Angel,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot. And I have lost a friend. “Sinead’s music will live on and continue to inspire! Rest In Peace, Sinead you are home with your son I am sure.” O’Connor sang “The Foggy Dew” at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas as McGregor walked to the Octagon to face Chad Mendes. McGregor knocked out the American in the second round to win the interim UFC featherweight title. The Irishman’s entrance that night (which you can watch below) is widely considered to be the most iconic walkout in UFC history. McGregor, 35, would go on to become undisputed featherweight champion later in 2015, before becoming the UFC’s first ever dual-weight champion by winning the lightweight title in 2016. O’Connor changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, but she continued to perform under her birth name. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More ‘It isn’t good’: Sinead O’Connor’s heartbreaking final video just days before her tragic death Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend

Harry Maguire has thanked David Beckham after the former Manchester United star contacted the troubled England defender to offer support when he was booed by...

Plunging necklines and naked backs are no longer reserved for femmes fatales, becoming regular features of menswear shows at this Paris Fashion Week, with plenty of skin on show right...

The White House says President Joe Biden will thank Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez for Spain’s recent commitment to collaborate with the United States “to expand safe, humane and regular migration pathways” for people from Latin America