French cement company Lafarge has been convicted of paying millions of dollars in protection money to jihadist groups, including the Islamic State (IS), to maintain its operations in Syria during the civil war.

France is reducing the number of its diplomatic staff in Mali due to the worsening security situation in the West African country, which has been affected by a jihadist-imposed fuel blockade, a foreign ministry source confirmed on Friday.

Mozambique's military announced on Thursday that it had launched an operation in the country's northern region following a recent attack attributed to jihadist militants, who are accused of beheading three local residents.