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BBC News with Jonathan Izard.
Washington has acknowledged Islamic State victories in Syria and Iraq in the past week as a setback. President Obama promised more help to Iraq's security forces, and said the U.S. would try to increase military training in Sunni areas. Here is our Arab Affairs Editor, Sebastian Usher.
With reports of beheadings in the streets of Palmyra after the Syrian desert city fell to IS on Wednesday, the jihadist threat is looming large again. That victory comes just days after a possibly more significant one in Ramadi in neighbouring Iraq. These gains have undercut the core pillar of the U.S. strategy against IS，that airstrike in limited ground of operations by local forces can't contain the group if not defeated as yet.
Despite the setback in Palmyra at a magazine interview, President Obama insisted that the U.S. was not losing the war with the IS militants, also known as ISIL. Marie Harf is the spokeswoman for the State Department. We have in place a strategy that we believe is the right one to eventually achieve our goals. And in Iraq, for example, we've talked a lot about Ramadi, and that is a serious setback. We have had success in helping the Iraqis push ISIL out of a lot of its territory. And in a long conflict like this, there will be days like we saw in Ramadi, and there will be ebbs and flows.
The United States has, for the first time, admitted that its airstrikes against Islamic State targets have killed civilians. In a Pentagon briefing, officials said that two children were killed during a strike in Syria last year. Our correspondent, Gary O'Donoghue, says Washington believes accidents like this are few and far between. One thing you'll find American defence establishment people are stressing is that there's been more than four thousand airstrikes in Iraq and Syria as part of this Inherent Resolve Operations, and they would argue that is a pretty low strike strategy like in terms of civilian casualties. There are other groups, of course, who argue that there have been far higher civilian deaths that the U.S. would be prepared to admit to.
A monitoring group says the Syrian government has lost control of its border with Iraq after Islamic State militants seized a crossing in Homs Province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said all the crossings with Iraq were now controlled IS or Kurdish fighters.
In the United States, a grand jury in the city of Baltimore has indicted all six of the police officers charged in connection with the death of a black man in custody. Freddie Gray died from a severe spinal injury sustained during his arrested in April. His death sparked protests and riots over police violence towards black men. The charges include assault, manslaughter and murder. The State's Attorney in Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby, gave the statement. Our investigation revealed that we had sufficient probable cause to bring charges against six police officers. As our investigation has continued, additional information has been discovered. And as is often the case, during an ongoing investigation, charges can and should be revised based upon the evidence.
World news from the BBC.
The BBC has learned that at least two hundred and sixty women and children rescued from the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, have been transferred to a Nigerian military facility, where they are being given medical help and counselling. It's part of a programme to rehabilitate the victims of extremism.
Mexican federal investigators are looking into the disappearance of at fifteen people in the city of Chilapa in the state of Guerrero, after the city was overrun for five days armed men. Here's our Americas Desk Editor, Candace Piette. The families of the disappeared said hundreds of masked men with rifles arrived in pickup trucks in Chilapa on May 9th. The men said they were community police. They disarmed the town's security force and set up checkpoints. They started searching the town and taking people away. Most of the disappeared are young men under the age of thirty. The town of Chilapa has been a battleground for two rival gangs, fighting for territorial control. Local media say the number of the disappeared could be much higher.
The European Security Organisation says that two Russians captured by Ukrainian forces have admitted to being members of Russia's Armed Forces. Both men said they were armed, but have no orders to attack. They said they were on a reconnaissance mission.
The President of the Dutch Football Association, Michael van Praag, and the Portugese former football star, Luis Figo, have dropped out of an election for the presidency of the sport's world governing body, FIFA. In comments seen as referring to the incumbent, Sepp Blatter, who's seeking a fifth term of office, Mr. Figo said the process was designed to deliver absolute power to one man. We read Figo's statement. This election process is a plebiscite for the delivery of absolute power to one man, something I refuse to go along with. I do not fear the ballot box, but I will not go along with, nor will I give my consent to a process which will end on the May 29th and from which soccer will not emerge the winner.
And that's the latest BBC World Service News.