US authorities have confirmed the death of American aid worker Kayla Mueller, who had been held hostage by militants in Syria since 2013.
Jordan has executed two convicted jihadists in response to the gruesome killing of one of its air force pilots.
Jordan has confirmed the death of pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh after a video published online by the Islamic State (IS) showed him being burned alive.
Iranian aircraft have been used to bomb Islamic State positions within Iraq, a US official has confirmed, but the action was not coordinated with US forces.
Lebanese security forces have detained a wife and son of the secretive leader of the Islamic State (IS) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, after they were discovered in a town near the Syrian border.