Jamaica’s ruling People's National Party (PNP) says it has returned the controversial J$31 million (US$467,000) campaign contribution it had received from the Dutch oil company, Trafigura Beheer.

Information Minister Donald Buchanan, speaking at the end of the weekly Cabinet meeting late on Monday, said that the money had been returned in full. He said he expected the money to be fully re-funded by Wednesday.

With questions and speculations surrounding the USA’s reaction to the new alliance formed between the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and Caracas, those in the Diaspora and at home now have an answer. According to a top United States representative, Washington has no difficulties with Caribbean countries developing closer ties with Venezuela.

Mary Ourisman, the newly-appointed US Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, delivered this message on Monday when she made her first call to Kingstown since taking up ambassadorial duties in the region last October.

Plenty of justifiable publicity has been given to Oprah Winfrey’s altruistic contribution in building a school worth tens of millions for underprivileged girls in South Africa. However, what is hardly known is that a group of Jamaican Rastafarians have quietly built, and is operating a school for underprivileged children in Shashamane, Ethiopia.

The educational project undertaken by the Jamaican Rastafarian Development Community (JRDC) is a phase of the Shashamane Community Education Skills Training and Recreation Center Project. In 2002 the JRDC incorporated the kindergarten and elementary school that really started during the 1970’s in the home of Brother Donald Leach, who gave lessons to the pioneers in that that Ethiopian town. Today, through the efforts of the JCDC, and volunteers, a building capable of housing 500 students has been built.

Jamaican health authorities said they would be establishing desks at the island’s two international airports to increase surveillance of malaria and other communicable diseases during the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup 2007 that begins early next month.

The health desks as the Norman Manley and Sangster International airports will be manned by public health nurses, with a doctor on call.

Chairman of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Baldwin Spencer says that plans for a single OECS Economy could be in place by next year.

The Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister made the announcement during a weekend visit to St. Lucia during which he called on Prime Minister Sir John Compton and visited the Castries-based Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Secretariat.