US and Russia agree Syria ceasefire to start on Saturday

US officials said the US and Russia have agreed a plan for a ceasefire in Syria starting on Saturday that would exclude attacks on the Islamic State (IS) group and al-Qaida’s local affiliate.

The officials said that the two superpowers have agreed on the terms and conditions for the “cessation of hostilities”.

The announcement caps weeks of diplomacy that intensified in the past few days, aimed at reaching a temporary truce that would allow the parties to return to the negotiating table in Geneva.