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Men Charged In Us Over Gambia Plot To Overthrow Yahya Jammeh
Two men have been charged in the US with attempting to overthrow The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, the justice department has said.
The defendants, who are of Gambian origin, are accused of conspiring against a friendly nation and conspiring to possess firearms.
Gambian authorities said they had thwarted a coup attempt on 30 December.
Mr Jammeh seized power in the tiny West African nation in 1994 and has been accused of authoritarianism.
He was abroad when gunfire broke out near the presidential palace in the capital, Banjul, on 30 December.
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LRA Commander Dominic Ongwen Surrenders To US
Uganda's military has confirmed that a senior commander in the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) movement has been taken into custody by US forces.
The army spokesman told the BBC that soldiers had visited Dominic Ongwen, who surrendered in the Central African Republic, to formally identify him.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants to put Mr Ongwen on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
But the Ugandan government has said it would prefer to try him at home.
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Tail Of Flight AirAsia QZ8501 Found In Java Sea
Part of the tail of crashed AirAsia flight QZ8501 has been found in the Java Sea, Indonesian searchers say.
The tail houses the "black boxes" - the voice and flight data recorders - which could give investigators clues as to the cause of the crash.
It was found in a secondary search area, lending weight to theories that strong currents have moved the debris.
The plane was lost en route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore on 28 December, with 162 people aboard.
No survivors have been found.
Buried in mud
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UK Vehicle Sales Reach A 10-year High In 2014
New UK car sales hit a 10-year high in 2014, boosted by confidence in the economic recovery, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders has said.
In total, 2.47 million new cars were registered last year, up 9% on 2013 and the best annual performance since 2004.
Sales rose each month last year, with December's rise representing the 34th consecutive monthly jump.
The SMMT said the strong performance reflected the release of pent-up demand from the recession years.
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Barrel Of Brent Crude Oil Falls Below $50
The price of Brent crude oil has fallen below $50 a barrel for the first time since May 2009.
It fell more than a dollar to $49.92 a barrel in early trading on Wednesday before edging back above the $50 mark.
Slowing global growth and increased supply of oil and gas have pushed prices sharply lower in recent weeks.
The price of oil traded in the United States, known as West Texas Intermediate crude, has already fallen below $50.
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Attack On French Magazine Charlie Hebdo Leaves 12 Dead
Gunmen have attacked the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people and injuring seven, French officials say.
At least two masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside before escaping by car.
President Francois Hollande said there was no doubt it had been a terrorist attack "of exceptional barbarity".
A major police operation is under way in the Paris area to catch the killers.
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Death Sentence For Bangladesh Islamist Leader Motiur Rahman Nizami
The head of Bangladesh's largest Islamist party has been sentenced to death for war crimes committed during the independence war against Pakistan in 1971.
Motiur Rahman Nizami, 71, faced 16 charges including genocide, murder, torture and rape.
A state prosecutor said the sentence reflected the "gravity of the crimes".
The defence said that the charges were not proven beyond reasonable doubt and that it would appeal.
There are different estimates for the number of people killed in the nine-month Bangladeshi war of secession.
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Computer Network At White House Hacked
A White House computer network has been breached by hackers, it has been reported.
The unclassified Executive Office of the President network was attacked, according to the Washington Post.
US authorities are reported to be investigating the breach, which was reported to officials by an ally of the US, sources said.
White House officials believe the attack was state-sponsored but are not saying what - if any - data was taken.
In a statement to the AFP news agency, the White House said "some elements of the unclassified network" had been affected.
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North Korea Leader Has Surgery On Ankle
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has had surgery to remove a cyst from his ankle, according to South Korean intelligence.
A spy agency briefing to lawmakers on Tuesday said that a foreign doctor operated on Mr Kim in September or October.
Mr Kim recently dropped out of public view for nearly six weeks leading to speculation that he was seriously ill.
He has been seen walking with a stick in recent official photographs.
One such photo, used by North Korean media, showed him using a stick on 14 October as he inspected a new residential district.
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Michael Sata Zambian President Dies In London Hospital
Zambian President Michael Sata has died at the age of 77 after receiving treatment for an undisclosed illness, the government says.
President Sata, who was being treated in the UK, died in London's King Edward VII hospital on Tuesday night.
Media said that he died after "a sudden onset \[of\] heightened heart rate".
It is not immediately clear who will succeed the president. The issue may be decided by the Zambian cabinet which meets on Wednesday morning.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing on of our beloved president," cabinet secretary Roland Msiska said on national TV.
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