BBC news with Marion Marshall.
Boko Haram militants have captured a key mililtary base in the far Northeastern Nigeria which was used by multinational force set up to fight the insurgents. They also seized the town of Baga. Fleeing residents said many people had been killed and the town set on blaze. From * here's *.
This is a significant town in the northeast on the shores of Lake Chad. And accroding to the senator, it was the last town that was still been held by the government forces. So it is quite a significant move by Boko Haram. And of course, for the people who have to flee, they are now at a very very precarious situation. Some of them went across the lake, and towards Chad, others just running into the bush and some that we spoken to have made it to the safty of Maiduguri city.
Huge car bombs exploded near the international airport in the Somali capital Mogadishu. A government spokesman said 4 civilians and suicide bomber died in the blast. It's believed somali security forces were the target of the attack which is claimed by the Islamic group al-Shabab.
Hundreds of police officers in the US have slammed their mayor of New York by turning their backs as he was speaking in the funeral of a murdered policeman. The officer Wenjian Liu and a colleage were shot dead by a gunman with the grievance of recent police killings of black men. Many police resent mayor Bill de Blasio's expression of sympathy for anti-police protestors. Mr. Bill de Blasio appealed for harmony.
New York has been from its earliest days the most tolerant of cities. A place where people of diverse backgrouds, and occupations and races and craves lived together in harmony. But there always been times when that harmony is been chanllenged. As we start a new year, let us rededicate ourselves to those great New York traditions of mutual understanding and living in harmony.
Egypt says archaologists have unearthed the tomb of a previously unknown queen, dating back to the 5th dynasty of the Pharaohs. It was located by Czech archaeologists and in the necropolis of southwerstern Cairo. As ? reports.
Egyptian Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty said the tomb was discoverd in the Abu-Sir, which's said this is the Cemetry for the ancient Egyptian capital Memphis. Inside the tomb he said, was inscribed the name of the woman Khentakawess. She's believed to be either the wife or mother of Pharaoh Neferefre who reined about four and a half thousand years ago. The Czech archaologists also found about 30 utensils made of limestones and copper. They say the discovery will help shed light on unknown aspects of the 5th dynastry of Egypt's Pharaohs which along with the 4th dynasty witnessed the construction of the first pyramids.
World news from the BBC.
A bomb explosion in Southern Yemen has killed at least 4 people and wounded more than 20 others. Police said the bombing in the city of Ibb, south of the capital Sanaa targed a gathering of the Shia Muslim members of the Houthi rebel group. Al-Qaeda in Arabian peninsula said it carried out the attack, in a statement posted on Jihadist websites.
The Afghan president Ashraf Ghani has said the timetable for the withdrawl of American troops from his country may have to be re-examined. In an interview with the US news program, Mr. Ghani said deadlines concerntrated the mind, but should not become dogmas. President Obama has pledged to pull out all remaining US troops by the end of 2016. Afghan forces have been increasingly taken control of the security as international forces withdraw.
The former prime minister of Bangledesh Khaleda Zia says police are continuing to prevent her from leaving her party office. But she says she's been bisieged since Saturday evening. * reports.
Khaleda Zia said she was unable to leave the party office in Dhaka. She wanted to allege that 2,000 of her party workers have been arrested over the past 24 hours. That's not been possible to verify, but there has certainly been tough action against her party the BMP over the past year after an election bycott, dozens of Mrs. Zia's supporters have dissapeared and their whereabouts are unknown. Meanwhile the advisor to the prime minister has insisted Mrs. Zia is not knocked up, but has been given as he put it, enhanced security protection.
Pope Francis has continued the efforts to reform the leadership of the Roman Catholic church with the appointment of 20 new cardinals. Pope said the cardinals came from 14 countries including Ethiopia, Thiland and Tonga and reflected to the churches' diversity. 15 of the new cardinals are under 80, which make them eligible to take part in a conclave to choose the Pope successor.