Turkey will be allowing the United States and coalition forces to use its military bases in the fight against Islamic State, and has also agreed for moderate Syrian rebels to be trained on its soil.

Although Turkey has so far refused to send troops into Syria, MPs voted to allow foreign forces to use its bases for activities in Syria and Iraq.

The development was announced by US National Security Adviser Susan Rice, although Turkey is yet to to publicly confirm the news.

"The Scottish Government urges the UK Government to formally recognise the State of Palestine and as an immediate step in that precognition process, upgrade the political representation to a fully functioning embassy. In that vein, the Scottish Government would welcome the opening of a Palestinian Consulate in Scotland."

FC Barcelona, the city's world famous football club, backed the call for Catalan self-determination, despite a threat from Spain's football league that it would be excluded if the region chose to secede.

Photograph Yes Catalonia Facebook

"FC Barcelona has already signalled its position in favour of self-determination for Catalonia in a declaration made in the President’s Report at the 2013 Members Representatives Meeting – the maximum authority of the Club."

Islamist militant group Boko Haram has released 27 hostages including 10 Chinese workers and the wife of Cameroon's vice-Prime Minister Amadou Ali, according to a statement from Cameroon President Paul Biya’s office.

UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has implicitly appealed to Turkey to allow fighters across the Syria border to protect the city of Kobani from Islamic State.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva on Friday, Mistura stressed the dangers of an impending invasion of Kobani by Islamic State said,

"Please take action to protect the civilians, in this case of Kobani –Ayn al-Arab. Do we have an international scenario to justify any type of action?… Everyone who can should be doing what he can in order to control and hopefully stop this atrocious terrorist movement, especially when they are clearly indicating where they are going."

"We would like to appeal to the Turkish authorities in order to allow the flow of volunteers at least and their own equipment in order to be able to enter the city and contribute to a self-defence operation. And if they can, to support the deterrent actions of the collation through whatever means from their own territory."