Nineteen aircraft were last year refused use of Irish airspace or airports over concerns they were carrying indiscriminate military hardware like cluster bombs.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai has written letters to top political and religious leaders in Pakistan, denouncing the Taliban attack on a Pakistani teenager who is promoting girls’ education and asking them to help battle extremism in both countries.

The large Secret Service agent at the back of the Oval Office glared at me and I quickly scooped my notebook off Barack Obama’s desk.