KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Despite its troubled economy, Jamaica will not default on its ballooning debt or seek to restructure its payments, the prime minister said Thursday.

The Caribbean island will continue making timely payments on its debt, estimated at Jamaican $650 billion (US$11 billion), or 165 percent of the gross domestic product, Prime Minister P.J. Patterson said.

More than half of Jamaica's budget goes to paying down the debt.

"Regardless of how onerous is the debt burden, we will not renege on our obligations or unilaterally restructure the debt," Patterson said.

He cited this week's approval of a US$100 million loan from Canadian-owned Bank of Nova Scotia as proof of international confidence in the country's economy.

The loan, reached after weeks of negotiations, will help cover a rising budget deficit estimated at Jamaican $24 billion (US$400 million).
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KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - The estranged father of convicted U.S. sniper Lee Boyd Malvo expressed sorrow over his son's guilty verdict Thursday and pleaded with jurors to spare his life.

Jamaican-born Malvo, 18, was convicted Thursday on two counts of capital murder by a Virginia jury for his role in the October 2002 shooting spree that terrorized the Washington-area and left 10 dead.

The jury rejected Malvo's defense that he was brainwashed by John Allen Muhammad and will now decide whether to give him the death penalty or life imprisonment.

"I'm very sad," Leslie Malvo said when reached by cell phone at Kingston's airport. "I would like them to spare my son's life. He wouldn't do such a thing on his own."
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Captions for Saddam's capture. Very funny.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/all..._page.html

How puss walk a no so him ketch ratta.