High Court papers show senior ministers tried to stop a covert 2021 airlift that brought Afghan special forces and officials to Britain on security grounds but were overridden after accusations of “emotional blackmail”, casting fresh doubt on the Government’s handling of the Kabul evacuation and the safeguards applied to those subsequently resettled.

A leaked dossier reveals ministers secretly spent £7 billion housing thousands of Afghan personnel in the UK after a data breach exposed them to reprisals, prompting allegations of a prolonged cover-up and demands for transparency.

Donald Trump has warned Beijing it will face punitive 100 per cent tariffs on oil imports within 50 days unless it halts controversial crude dealings, arguing the measure would strengthen Western leverage and align Washington with London, though economists caution it risks significant market disruption.

Middle-class earners may face steeper charges under Labour’s evolving definition of “working people,” as higher-rate taxpayers are drawn into plans that could extend levies beyond their traditional scope.