'Smuggler' duped by fake diamond

A would-be smuggler has reportedly been released by the authorities after the diamond he was trying to get through Germany's Frankfurt Airport was revealed to be a fake.

According to Ananova, the rock was initially believed to be worth £2.2 million but gem experts later concluded that it was common crystal worth a maximum of £18.

Customs officer Juergen Bland said: "Everyone was surprised. Especially the person who had been carrying it. He thought it was worth millions but has been released because, despite what he thought, he wasn't actually doing anything illegal.

"Our understanding is that he paid a substantial amount for the worthless trinket - we think it may have been switched after he had examined the real gem or else he didn't check properly what he was buying."

Prosecutor Doris Moeller-Scheu, who told the accused Angolan man that he was free to go, added: "Instead of losing his freedom he's lost a fortune - its like they say - crime doesn't pay."

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Ringo Starr: `I`m really bad at The Beatles: Rock Band`

Ringo Starr when speaking on a US talk show has admitted he isn't that good at The Beatles: Rock Band game

Ringo who turns 70 in July confessed he’s tried his hand at the popular computer game but fears he’s too old to get it right.

He said: “I’m really bad at it but I’ve tried it. We tried it when they were putting it together and they’d bring all these geniuses out to play it. It’s too frantic for me.”

He added to US TV talk show host: "The graphics are great, I love the game and I love the music. But it's for young folk."

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Russell Brand shops for diamond ring

Russell Brand has sparked speculation he's planning to propose to Katy Perry - he went shopping for a diamond ring on Friday.

The funnyman has been dating Perry since October after they met at the MTV Video Music Awards the previous month.

He has spoken frequently of his deep feelings for the I Kissed A Girl hitmaker, recently admitting: "I am in love."

And he's now fuelled rumours he is about to pop the question, after he was photographed browsing diamond rings at top London jewellers Cartier.

An onlooker tells the News of the World newspaper, "His face lit up when he saw this one diamond ring. He put it on his hand and he just gazed at it for ages, deep in contemplation."

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Corries Blanche Dies Aged 75

R.I.P BLANCHE

Maggie Jones, who played Corrie battle-axe Blanche Hunt, has sadly passed away aged 75.
The much-loved actress had been making a slow recovery after falling ill in October, but her condition deteriorated early on Wednesday morning and she died peacefully in her sleep at the Salford Royal Hospital on the 2nd of December.

Coronation Street Executive Producer Kieran Roberts said: “Maggie was a much-loved colleague and a wonderful actress who turned Blanche into a true Coronation Street icon. She will be hugely missed by Coronation Street’s many millions of viewers and by everyone who works on Coronation Street".

Maggie made her debut on the show in the early 1960s as a policewoman and later returned as a shoplifter. More than a decade later she was back to play Blanche in 1974, but only became a regular cast member in 1999.

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Corrie Script Team Win Writers' Guild Gong

Coronation Street's writing team have been honoured at this year's Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards. The annual ceremony, which took place on Sunday evening at the Free Word Centre in London, celebrates the best scripts of the year across all platforms, including TV, film, theatre, radio and video games.

This year, the 'Best Continuing TV Drama' trophy was handed to the Coronation Street team, whose writers include Simon Crowther (husband to producer Kim), Jonathan Harvey, Debbie Oates, Chris Fewtrell and Peter Whalley.

Speaking about their success, Harvey told DS: "The Coronation Street writing team are thrilled to accept this award and it's doubly thrilling as it's voted for by our peers. We'd like to thank our producer Kim Crowther, the series editor Louise Sutton and all our fantastic script editors and storyliners for giving us the support to allow us to tell the stories we want to tell five times a week, 52 weeks a year... and counting!"

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