Iraq

Russia and the United States have agreed to a ceasefire in southwest Syria starting from midday on July 9, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov announced on July 7.

"Today in Amman Russian, American and Jordanian experts... agreed on a memorandum of understanding to create a de-escalation zone" in the regions of Daraa, Quneitra and Sweida, Lavrov said.

Lebanese authorities are holding a daughter and an ex-wife of the head of the Islamic State in IRaq and the Levant (ISIL), Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the interior minister said.

It was initially reported that a wife and son of the self-proclaimed "caliph" had been arrested last month.