Simon Furness

New measures to fight extremist groups are being brought forward by the government, the home secretary confirms, as she defends its counter-terrorism strategy.
BBC News – UK

Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq are the most dangerous threat the US has faced in recent years, senior American officials warn.
BBC News – US & Canada

The World Health Organization says the speed and extent of the Ebola outbreak is “unprecedented”, as it confirms more deaths from the disease.
BBC News – Africa

Bank of America agrees to pay a record $ 16.7bn (£10bn) to US authorities for selling toxic mortgage loans that helped trigger the financial crisis.
BBC News – Business

An Israeli air strike kills three senior Hamas military commanders as Israel vows to pursue its Gaza campaign until it achieves “full security”.
BBC News – Middle East

The chief of the armed forces in Guatemala, General Rudy Ortiz, has died in a military helicopter crash near the border with Mexico, the Guatemalan government says.
BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean

The Red Cross says Ukrainian customs checks have begun on Russian aid lorries destined for the besieged city of Luhansk.
BBC News – Europe

Hundreds of thousands of pupils are receiving their GCSE grades, with an overall rise in results despite changes to the exam system
BBC News – UK

Islamic State jihadists demanded a $ 132m (£80m) ransom for the release of US journalist James Foley, his employer GlobalPost says.
BBC News – US & Canada

Northern Nigeria’s riot police training academy has been overrun by Boko Haram Islamist militants, sources in Borno state tell the BBC.
BBC News – Africa

Two out of nine members of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee voted to raise interest rates earlier this month, the first time in three years that policymakers have done so.
BBC News – Business

The wife and child of Hamas militant leader Mohammed Deif have reportedly been killed as Israeli air attacks leave 19 people dead in Gaza.
BBC News – Middle East

An emotional President de Kirchner says proposed legislation will return control of its debt to the government.
BBC News – Latin America & Caribbean

Ukrainian government and rebel forces both claim control of a small town after fierce fighting, as the death toll among civilians mounts.
BBC News – Europe

The apparent beheading of a US journalist by militants Islamic State was “shocking and depraved”, UK Prime Minister David Cameron says.
BBC News – UK

The US, UK and France voice abhorrence at the apparent beheading of American journalist James Foley by an Islamic State (IS) militant.
BBC News – US & Canada

Security forces in Liberia’s capital deploy to enforce a quarantine in a large slum area in Monrovia in order to contain the spread of Ebola.
BBC News – Africa

It was one of those February nights on the road in the NBA when nothing seemed to be going right for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug.
Oklahoma City Thunder

Rail passengers will learn on Tuesday how much their fares will go up by in January next year, amid protests about the high cost of tickets.
BBC News – Business