Drug smuggler who mixed crack cocaine with coffee beans jailed for six and a half years

A woman who attempted to smuggle crack cocaine into the UK disguised as coffee beans is jailed.

Maxine Spence denied knowing the drugs were in the coffee but was found guilty after a trial

A woman who attempted to smuggle crack cocaine into the UK disguised as coffee beans has been jailed.

Maxine Spence, 45, was arrested at Manchester Airport after arriving on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Thousands of rocks of crack cocaine with a street value of £160,000 were found in her luggage, mixed into six bags of coffee beans.
Spence, of Lozells, Birmingham, was jailed for six-and-half years at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.
She initially denied knowing the drugs were present in the coffee and claimed she had bought the bags from a market in Jamaica.

But she was found guilty of importing a Class A drug after a three-day trial.

After the sentencing, Rob Miles, head of the National Crime Agency's border investigation team at Manchester Airport, said: "This was a professional attempt.
"The rocks of crack had been sealed into the bags using sophisticated industrial processes.
"Spence claimed not to know the drugs were in there but she knew exactly what she was doing and the evidence we put before the court demonstrated this, resulting in her being found guilty by a jury."

The mother and daughter who gave birth days apart for the same man

A South African woman, Mildred Mashego, and her daughter Patricia, have entered the record books as the first mother and daughter to give birth to their babies in the same month and for the same man.
Times Live reports that 38-year-old Mashego of Casteel, South Africa, was pregnant when she learned that her 19-year-old daughter was also pregnant, and the two were due just days apart.
But her anger turned to shock when she found out that the man responsible for her daughter's condition was the same man who was going to be the father of her child, Vincent Malumane.
Patricia was the first to put to bed a bouncing baby boy, with her mother following suit four days after, wait for it, another boy, making them brothers, a nephew, an uncle and grandson.
The sharp shooter Vincent Malumane, admitted that he secretly had sex with the mother and daughter.
"I cannot go back now and explain what happened. All we have to do is focus on making sure that the children are properly cared for."
Mother Mildred admits that during her pregnancy, she was bitter that her daughter had slept with her boyfriend and had even considered having an abortion over the fact that her daughter was carrying a child from the same man.
However, after their babies were born, Mildred decided to forgive her daughter for the sake of her grandson. They are raising their children together.
The mother and daughter are concerned about what they will tell their children when they grow up.

Mumbai 2006 train bombing victim Parag Sawant dies

Parag Sawant, victim of the July 11, 2006, serial blasts on Mumbai local trains died at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital on Tuesday morning after nine years in coma.

Sawant, resident of suburban Bhyander in Thane district was heading home in the first-class compartment of a Virar-bound train when a bomb exploded in his compartment at Mira Road station.

On 11^th  July 2006 one of seven bombs exploded in his train carriage.
The bombings killed at least 187 people and injured more than 800, PTI said.The bombs were packed into seven pressure cookers and put in bags during the evening rush hour.

His wife, Preeti Sawant, who was pregnant at the time of the incident, was given a job in the Western Railway.

Sawant was in coma and briefly showed signs of recovery. But he suffered from convulsions and lapsed back into vegetative state.

Sawant's last rites will be performed on Wednesday.

World's oldest man Sakari Momoi dies at the age of 112 in Japan

THE world's oldest man, Japanese Sakari Momoi, has died at the ripe old age of 112.

Mr Momoi, who cited healthy eating and a good night's sleep as the secrets to a very long life, died of kidney failure at a care home in Tokyo on Sunday.
The former high school principal and father-of-five was born on February 5, 1903 - the year the teddy bear was introduced and the Wright brothers made their first powered flight. He was 42 when the Second World War ended.
Mr Momoi was named the oldest man by Guinness World Records in August. Born in Fukushima, Mr Momoi first worked as a teacher and later become a principal in high schools across his home town as well as neighbouring Saitama.He enjoyed reading, especially Chinese poetry, and also travelling around Japan with his late wife.
On receiving his Guinness World Record title, Mr Mamoi said: "I want to live about two more years."In April the world's oldest person and oldest woman, Misao Okawa from Japan died at the age of 117. Her titles are now held by 116-year-old American Susannah Mushatt Jones.
Guinness has not yet announced who is now the world's oldest an - although it may well be 112-year-old Japanese Yasutaro Koide who was born a month after Mr Mamoi. The oldest person who has ever lived according to Guinness was Jeanne Calment from France, who lived 122 years and 164 days. She died in August 1997.

Tongan king crowned in traditional ceremony

Tupou VI has been formally crowned King of Tonga in front of thousands of people, including heads of state and dignitaries from around the world.
Balls, lunches and block parties have been held during the eight day's leading up to the coronation, which took place on Saturday in Nuku'alofa.
Foreign royals from Japan, Hungary and Austria were at the event, while New Zealand sent a delegation which included the Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae, Labour leader Andrew Little, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters and Pacific Peoples Minister Peseta Sam Lotu-Iiga.

King Tupou VI suceeded his older brother, who passed away in 2012. 

The activities started last Saturday with ancient kava ceremonies and gift-giving to local chiefs, then continued with dancing, fashion shows, balls and block parties held in the streets of its capital.

A fireworks display will go off later in the evening, before a church service and a musical showcase on Sunday. 

Tonga is the only country in the Pacific that still has a monarchy. The new king also becomes the 24th Tu'i Kanokupolu, an ancient Tongan title that pre-dates the monarchy by centuries, AFP reported.

There are more than 60,000 people of Tongan ethnicity in New Zealand. An estimated 15,000 people, mainly expatriate Tongans, flew in from around the world for the coronation.