A South African held hostage by al-Qaeda in Mali since 2011 has been released.  Stephen McGown was kidnapped from a hotel in Timbuktu along with two other foreign nationals. 

In December 2015 a video of Mr McGown and another hostage - Swede Johan Gustafsson, freed in June - was posted on YouTube to show they were alive.

Authorities say he was released after efforts by the two countries' governments and NGO Gift of the Givers.

Read more: BBC News