Elsewhere, Syrian security forces purportedly "seized" explosive, weapons and ammunition in Homs and in Idlib province.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

His role was to provide search and clearance support, uncovering hidden weapons, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and bomb-making equipment.

BBC: Army sniffer dog Theo given top honour

The Act banned the ownership of semi-automatic and pump-action rifles, weapons which fire explosive ammunition, short shotguns with magazines and elevated pump-action and self-loading rifles.

BBC: Mass shootings and gun control

Still more dangerously, by treating nuclear weapons as just another explosive in the arsenal, rather than as a deterrent weapon of last resort, America would dangerously blur the line against nuclear use by anyone.

ECONOMIST: Why some weapons are best left unexplored

Libya, which had provided the IRA with tonnes of weapons, including the military explosive Semtex, also withdrew its support.

BBC: Enniskillen survivors plea to McGuinness over attack

But there are two serious questions that worry genuine doubters: can America's nuclear weapons be kept safe and effective without explosive tests, and can the promise of a comprehensive test ban be comprehensively verified?

ECONOMIST: No more tests

Iran replies that some of the allegations make no sense, that some of the documents are forgeries and that the high-explosive tests and other activities listed by the agency were done to aid civilian industry or else develop conventional weapons.

ECONOMIST: Nuclear proliferation