For a few joyful days, more than 20,000 people around the world thought they had beat the odds and won a lottery that gave them a chance to come and live legally in the US.

Parents and Western diplomats pressed the Taliban today to be allowed to see eight jailed foreign aid workers to develop a legal defence as their trial into charges of preaching Christianity went into its second week.

Western diplomats have arrived in Kabul to plead for the release of their jailed nationals, accused by the ruling Taliban of preaching Christianity.