more INT'L NEWS in brief

el-Sissi wins election by a landslide

CAIRO (AP):

Egypt's interim president says turnout in presidential elections has reached some 46 per cent, as the former army chief claims a crushing victory over sole opponent with more than 93 per cent of the vote.

Adly Mansour said in a statement yesterday that preliminary tallies showed that some 25 million people cast their ballots in the three-day vote, which he said was free of "any serious misconduct".

He says the vote shows "broad consensus for the road map" for political transition announced after the military overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July.

With nearly all votes counted, the campaign of retired Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he won 23.38 million votes, with left-wing politician Hamdeen Sabahi taking 736,268. Invalid votes were 1.03 million.

50-y-o J'can arrested for drug smuggling

ST JOHN'S (CMC):

A 50-year-old Jamaican has been jailed for 18 months after he was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine as he attempted to board a flight to London this week.

The Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy said Robert Barrington Goldson, who has British citizenship, had appeared unwell and was taken to the Mount St John's Medical Centre where an X-ray revealed the objects in his stomach.

"Over a period of days, Goldson expelled 86 pellets of cocaine weighing 650 grams with an estimated street value of EC $22,815 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents).

Goldson who appeared before Magistrate Clarke on Wednesday, pleaded guilty to the possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to transfer, being concerned in the supply of cocaine, and attempting to export cocaine.

Goldson will serve 18 months for each charge to run concurrently.