In Brief: Boy (16) faces cocaine charge

A DUBLIN youth has been given another week to decide how he will plead to a cocaine dealing charge.

The 16-year-old boy has been accused of possessing cocaine for the purpose of sale or supply at Sundrive Road, in Dublin, last July 18.

Yesterday Judge John O'Connor was told at the Dublin Children's Court that the boy's lawyer needed to discuss matters with gardai.

Judge O'Connor ordered the boy to appear next Monday.

NZ set to ban cigarette logos

New Zealand plans to make tobacco companies remove their logos from cigarette packs, but will wait until a challenge to Australian legislation is resolved.

New Zealand already has increased cigarette taxes and makes retailers hide packs below the counter.

The new legislation would be similar to an Australian law that took effect in December and replaced logos on packs with graphic warnings, including cancer-riddled mouths.

Maid 'threw baby on floor'

Malaysian police say an Indonesian maid has been detained for allegedly abusing a four-month-old baby by violently tossing him around like a doll.

National television showed closed-circuit TV footage of the 24-year-old maid sitting down, flipping the boy into the air and throwing him repeatedly on the floor.

The baby's mother, Nina Suraya Sulaiman, said she was having breakfast nearby when she saw the incident on her mobile phone, which was linked to the CCTV.

Top self-help author dies

Debbie Ford, best-selling author of self-help book The Dark Side Of The Light Chasers, has died at 57.

A family spokeswoman said she died at her home in San Diego after a long battle with cancer.

The Dark Side Of The Light Chasers spawned a self-help enterprise for the writer. The 1998 book aimed to help readers overcome their darker side.

She wrote eight more books, led workshops and hosted TV and radio shows. She often shared her battle with drug addiction, divorce and other struggles.