IS seizes last Syrian Government

Islamic State militants have seized the last Syrian government-controlled border crossing between Syria and Iraq. Government forces withdrew from al-Tanf - known as al-Waleed in Iraq - crossing as IS advanced, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The loss of al-Tanf to IS follows the group's takeover of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra on Thursday. The US says that fighting the militants will be a "difficult challenge". Islamic State now controls "more than 95,000 sq km " of Syria, which is 50% of the country's entire territory. The militants dominate the provinces of Deir al-Zour and Raqqa and have a strong presence in Hasakeh, Aleppo, Homs and Hama.
IS has also made significant gains in neighbouring Iraq, capturing the strategically-important city of Ramadi in Anbar province after weeks of fighting.