US forces helping to evacuate Afghans desperate to flee Taliban rule braced for more attacks after bomb attacks yesterday killed 85 people, including 13 US soldiers outside the gates of Kabul airport.

Hundreds of Afghan families who have been camping in searing heat at a Kabul park after the Taliban overran their provinces begged for food and shelter yesterday, the most visible face of a humanitarian crisis unfolding in the war-torn country.

British forces have entered the final stages of evacuating people from Kabul's airport and processing facilities have closed, Britain's defence ministry said.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that all operations to evacuate civilians out of Kabul Airport are now "effectively closed", but efforts will continue to assist another 75 people who want to return to Ireland.

The Cabinet Covid Committee meets today to decide on the pace of lifting all remaining restrictions.

The Health Service Executive has said it walk-in vaccination centres will cater for children 12 -15 for the first time this weekend.

Just over 53,500 mortgages to the value of almost €13.2 billion were approved in Ireland in the 12 months to the end of July, according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland.

Dogs Trust Ireland has said it is receiving eight requests every day from people who wish to surrender their dogs as lockdown restrictions ease.

Day three of the Paralympics brings us another final with an Irish interest as Róisín Ní Riain is back in action, while there's action in equestrian, athletics and archery. Follow it all here.

A Dublin school has come up with a novel way of inspiring its pupils and honouring Ireland's Olympic heroes.

Fatigue and shortness of breath still afflict many patients a year after their hospitalisation for Covid-19, according to a new Chinese study calling for a better understanding of the pandemic's long-term health effects.

The increased risk of being admitted to hospital or dying due to blood clots for someone with coronavirus is "much higher" than in people who had a first dose of vaccine, a study has found.

The US Supreme Court has blocked the extension of a federal moratorium on evictions, ending a protection granted to millions struggling to pay rent during the pandemic, as the US suffers a huge uptick in cases, driven by the Delta variant.

New Zealand has extended a national lockdown sparked by a Delta virus outbreak into next week but warned restrictions would last longer in the infection epicentre of Auckland.

Issues relating to faulty goods and services topped the list of queries to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in the first six months of this year.

The British Foreign Office has defended its Afghanistan embassy staff after documents identifying Afghan workers and job applicants were found left on the ground at the British diplomatic mission in Kabul.

US President Joe Biden said "it's been a tough day" as he delivered an address following the deadly attacks in Afghanistan.

A total of 36 Irish citizens and residents have evacuated Afghanistan, as Ireland announced it was ending its emergency mission in Kabul.

The National Public Health Emergency Team has called for 90% of over 16s to be fully vaccinated before a further widespread easing of restrictions, it is understood.

Ellen Keane has won Ireland's first medal of the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, claiming gold in the SB8 100m breaststroke with the best performance of her life.