The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) plans to carry out urgent repairs to Tabqa Dam near the Syrian city of Raqqa in an area recaptured from Islamic State, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

Syrian farmers near the Euphrates river are terrified the Islamic State group will literally open the floodgates to defend its stronghold Raqa, drowning their tiny villages in the process.

A US-backed alliance of militias has made unexpectedly rapid gains against Islamic State near its Syrian headquarters in Raqqa, advancing to within a few kilometres of a major dam, its spokesman said.

Myanmar yesterday reached a tentative peace deal with ethnic minority Kachin rebels aimed at ending the country’s last major active civil war,...