A suspected American drug dealer is to be extradited from Bermuda back to the US to face trial.

Magistrate Carlisle Greaves yesterday granted an application from US authorities and signed a warrant of committal to extradite Corey Ewings, 20, from New Jersey.

Ewings was arrested in Bermuda on Charges of importation of cocaine and possession of the drug with intent to supply.

The application from the US government District Attorney?s Office in Newark, New Jersey was presented before the court by Crown Counsel Anthony Blackman.

Mr. Blackman told the court the extradition order, which Ewing?s lawyer Victoria Pearman, did not oppose, will need to be signed by Governor Sir John Vereker.

Ewings was remanded in custody pending his extradition.

Although motor car insurance premiums have risen across the board, one of the Island?s insurance companies said it is not increasing comprehensive motor insurance premiums.

A senior underwriter at the Colonial Insurance company told The Royal Gazette yesterday that insurance premiums on comprehensive car insurance coverage have increased across the board by ten to 15 percent, but comprehensive coverage has not gone up in price.

Customers have not been affected since the last annual increase in February 2003.

Peter Oliver, Executive Vice President of the Property & Casualty Group, contacted The Royal Gazette to clarify motor premium increases which affect Colonial customers.

Mr. Oliver said motor insurance premiums for third party coverage have increased by less than ten percent since last year. Comprehensive rates have not gone up since the company made adjustments in the first quarter of last year.

The case of a former assistant dog warden accused of illegally breeding puppies and not having a licence was adjourned at Magistrates Court yesterday.

Gino Brangman is charged with 16 counts of illegally breeding dogs and failing to secure a licence.

He was scheduled to stand trial yesterday but Crown counsel Shakira Dill asked for the case to be adjourned for legal arguments.

Defence lawyer Mark Pettingill said the dog legislation allowed owners 30 days to get a licence, but Brangman?s puppies had been seized when they were just three days old.

Magistrate Edward King ordered the case to be adjourned until August 10.

VSB TV may be on the air soon after a replacement part for it?s television broadcasting tower was delivered yesterday, almost a week after it was damaged in a lightning strike.

Mike Bishop of VSB said yesterday ?we were waiting for one part to allow the antennae to be replaced?, adding that the lightning strike damaged several pieces of equipment on its main antennae but because most of the equipment was offline at the time, it was only when the machines were turned on again, that they knew they had a problem.

?Lightning damaged the equipment, but we did not know until late Saturday,? Mr. Bishop said. ?The antennae was being replaced and it took three days until the power was up again, so for that time we were not sure how things stood with the lightning.?

Mr. Bishop said that VSB was still waiting for the necessary part to get to them but by yesterday afternoon the part had reached the Island.

He said the part was not waiting on the docks but was being delivered express mail.

?We need a part. But once the part is in, we we?ll be back on the air,? he said.

Movie buffs can now rent their favourite DVDs from Leisure Time on Queen Street for as little as $2.

Jan Hollis, Store Manager of the Queen St. shop, said the company is experimenting with the new sale price indefinitely to give themselves a competitive edge in the movie rental business. The price has been in effect since last Friday.

?It?s starting out as a special, we do not know the time period for how long this will be in effect,? said Ms Hollis.

New release DVDs are also priced at $2. A new batch arrives at the shop every Tuesday.

With students off school during the summer months the store usually enjoys good business, and Ms Hollis said the weekend had been ?pretty good?. DVDs were previously priced at $4 per day.