PM knew all along

Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding has admitted to parliament that he knew of attempts to lobby the US government to drop its extradition request for Jamaican national Christopher “Dudus” Coke, who is wanted on drug-related charges.

Golding on Tuesday acknowledged that he had “sanctioned” persons in the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) to approach US-based law firm Manatt, Phelps and Phillips to lobby Washington on the extradition issue.

However, he said he had done so as JLP leader and not as prime minister.

Prime Minister Golding had earlier denied any involvement in engaging the firm.

His statement in parliament on the matter has generated calls for his resignation and at least one political analyst is suggesting that he has suffered a loss of credibility over the affair.
Donors urged to honour pledges

World Bank President, Robert Zoellick, says turning the many promises made in support of Haiti’s reconstruction into reality for the Haitian people is an urgent task.

Zoellick, while acknowledging that many donors require the approval of their legislatures before they can make their contribution to the World Bank-supervised Haiti Reconstruction Fund, said making promised cash available would help support the next phase of rebuilding Haiti.

The World Bank president made the appeal after Brazil became the first contributor to the fund by paying in $55 million. In March, international donors pledged $10 billion over a decade to help quake-hit Haiti rebuild.

Exploring for new
sources of energy

Grenadian Prime Minister Tillman Thomas says his government is exploring ways of diversifying its sources of energy.

The prime minister says such a move is necessary because of the island’s dependence on imported oil and the high cost of that commodity.

The government wants to focus on developing geothermal energy to supplement the island’s energy needs.
Liat keen on night landing

Liat Chairman, Jean Holder, says night landing operations at Dominica’s main Melville Hall Airport could give a much needed boost to tourism on the island.

The government of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit says a project to facilitate this has already been completed and the authorities expect flights to begin landing at Melville Hall at night time in the very near future.

Holder told state-owned DBS the development would help Dominican tourism take off.

He said night landing “will be very useful and valuable for Liat, when it happens”.