Reports indicate that 85 Nigerians, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram earlier this week, have been rescued by Chadian troops.

An unnamed senior Nigerian security official told AFP that the troops intercepted a convoy with gunmen and the villagers during a routine check, but neither Nigeria nor Chad have confirmed the rescue.

Islamic State’s hold on Iraq’s largest dam has been broken by Kurdish forces, who are now in near complete control of the dam.

Kurdish troops launched the operation to recapture the Mosul dam on Sunday morning, with the support of US air strikes. The US said its air strikes hit 19 IS vehicles and a checkpoint around the dam on Sunday.

AP quoted an unnamed Peshmerga officer, who explained the importance of the dam.

Two Burkinabe UN peackeepers were killed and seven wounded in a suicide attack on a UN base in the north of Mali.

The attacker drove a pickup laden with explosives into the base in Ber. It is unclear who was behind the attack, which was condemned by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

“Such attacks will not deter the United Nations from its efforts to support the Malian people in their search for peace in their country,” Mr. Ban said in a statement.

Two French journalists were arrested in West Paupa by Indonesian police last week.

Police charged that the men had engaged in journalistic activities on their tourist visa, without obtaining a journalist visa.

Papua province police spokesman Sulistyo Pudjo Hartono said the two documentary filmmakers from German-French channel Arte, could face up to five years in prison and a 500 million rupiah ($42,000) fine, reported France24.

Thomas Dandois, 40, and Valentine Bourrat, 29, were reporting on the separatist movement in the province of West Papua.

The Governor of Missouri has declared a local state of emergency and imposed a curfew on Ferguson, hit by riots after the shooting of an unarmed black teenager by police.

Speaking at a press conference, Governor Jay Nixon said that the curfew would be in place from midnight until 5am.

Missouri State Highway Patrol’s take-over of policing in the suburb of St Louis on Friday saw a period of calm, but tensions flared again, with renewed rioting and looting.

Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond has blasted Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott over his comments on the Scottish independence campaign, calling them “ludicrous” and “bewildering”.