* US begins expanded strikes against Islamic State US' first offensive air attacks hit militants in Iraq; officials prepare to hit Syrian forces if attacked; Kerry open to talks with Iran.
* U.S. Pushes Back Against Warnings That ISIS Plans to Enter From Mexico Militants for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria have traveled to Mexico and are just miles from the United States.
* Doing nothing about jihadists who will never stop trying to outdo 9/11 Here's the first and last rule of Islamic jihad: If at first you don't succeed, plot, plot again.
* US general: Ground troops option if anti-IS strategy fails US ground forces could be deployed against Islamic State (IS) militants if the current US-led strategy fails, top US General Martin Dempsey has said.
* Islamic State post threatens to target 'the American depth' After Counter-Terrorism Bureau warns of attacks against Jews and Israelis abroad, supporter of terror group gives further signal that Islamic State may act beyond Middle East.
* Mideast Christians urge Arabs to lead fight against Islamic State Patriarch of Syrian Catholic church blasts Arab states for "timid" reaction so far to extremist group's killings and expulsion of Christians, ethnic minorities.
* Ebola outbreak: UN calls for $1bn to fight virus More than $1bn (£618m) is needed to fight the West Africa Ebola outbreak - a tenfold increase in the past month, the UN's Ebola co-ordinator has said.
* Turkey 'Would Welcome' Exiled Muslim Brotherhood Leaders Turkey-Egypt tensions spike further as Erdogan offers new home to Islamists booted out of Qatar, rejects reports he is buying oil from ISIS.
* Gaza Imam: Weapons Are Our Only Means to Establish the Caliphate In a Friday sermon, a Gazan cleric brandishes a gun and declares that weapons are the only means "to establish a caliphate."
* EU's Ashton to handle Iran talks beyond November deadline Outgoing European foreign policy chief said to lead P5+1 nuclear negotations even after she's replaced by Italy's Federica Mogherini