Officials say smaller countries such as St. Lucia will benefit from joint tourism marketing

Saint Lucia's minister of Tourism, Allen Chastanet, has brushed aside concerns expressed by Antigua's former Prime Minister, Lester Bird, over Caricom's plan to try again at marketing the region as a single Caribbean brand.

Mr Chastanet said smaller territories stand to benefit from the one Caribbean brand initiative.

In response to Mr Bird’s other worry that the governments would be footing the 60 million dollar bill for the marketing campaign, Mr Chastanet told BBC Caribbean that hoteliers and other private sector interests in the region are fully behind the plan.

British Army seeking Caribbean recruits

Some 600 people from the Caribbean have been signed up by the British army, which is currently carrying out a recruitment drive in the region.

The British Army recruiters have visited Belize, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and St. Lucia. Jamaica is next on their list.

Colonel Paul Farrar, who is partly in charge of the recruitment campaign, told BBC Caribbean that the recruitment effort is more 'like a pre-selection process'.

He said those selected are offered jobs within the army and have to personally finance their trip to Britain if they choose to take up the position.

Coral reefs warning

	Going under: NOAA says Caribbean reefs in decline

The Caribbean is being warned to take swift action to protect the region's coral reefs after a study showed that around half of the corals in some parts of the Caribbean Sea were dying off.

The study was carried out by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It studied reefs around Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Florida and says their findings can be used to gauge the health of corals in other parts of the Caribbean.

Co-author of the report, Jenny Waddell, told BBC Caribbean the reefs are critical 'in helping to prevent coastal erosion' and their continued loss could have serious economic implications for Caribbean countries by affecting industries such as fisheries and tourism.

Jamaican family sues NYC

The family of a Jamaican woman who died after being left unattended on the floor of a New York hospital, have filed a lawsuit seeking damages totalling US$25-million (J$1.8 billion).

The relatives of Esmin Greene are suing King's County hospital and the City of New York for wrongful death.

Their lawyers claims that in addition to wrongful death there were acts of neglect as well as a cover-up.

New York authorities are investigating allegations that hospital staffers changed Esmin Green's medical chart after she died.

Her final moments in mid-June were captured on a security camera.

She fell from chair and according to the law suit, lay on floor in view of hospital staff for around an hour before anyone came to her aid. She was dead by then.

The video has since been posted on the internet.

Her body has been flown home to Jamaica, where the funeral will take place on Sunday.