17 July, 2009 - Published 22:12 GMT

BBC Caribbean News in Brief

Guyana police probe fire

Police in Guyana are continuing investigations into an early morning blaze that destroyed the headquarters of the Ministry of Health on Friday.

Eyewitnesses said the historic wooden building was completely engulfed within minutes of the fire starting around two o'clock.

The lawmen confirmed that a number of incendiary devices were removed from the scene, but declined to give further details.

Health Minister Leslie Ransammy told BBC Caribbean: "It appears to me from all that I'm hearing is that it is a clear case of arson."

He said that the fire wouldn't stop the ministry rendering service to Guyanese.

PAM eyes Privy Council

The opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) in St Kitts has said they will seek redress at the Privy Council in London if they lose their case against the government over constitutional boundaries.

The government has made a proclamation that the upcoming elections will be held using new constitutional boundaries.

But the opposition is challenging that, saying the government flagrantly ignored court injunctions it had obtained.

The next elections, constitutionally due by March next year, are expected to be called soon by Prime Minister Denzil Douglas.

PAM leader Lindsay Grant told BBC Caribbean the current situation is a 'constitutional conundrum' with far-reaching implications.

Ministers lobby against tax

OECS tourism ministers say they plan on taking their case to various international organisations, in another bid to get Britain to reverse a decision to increase the Air Passenger Duty - an airport departure tax.

The UK is planning to increase the tax by 25 percent in November - a move which Caribbean countries argue will hurt the tourism industry.

The matter came up for discussion at a meeting of OECS tourism ministers in St Lucia yesterday.

Host minister Allen Chastanet told BBC Caribbean that the levy is unfair and they will to lobby the World Trade Organisation and the World Tourism Organisation, in an effort to obtain a reversal.

Cuba travel ban challenged

A federal lawsuit has been filed in New York challenging the constitutionality of a US policy that compels Americans who travel to Cuba to disclose details about their spending.

The Centre for Constitutional Rights, a non-profit legal advocacy group which filed the suit, said the policy forces travellers to incriminate themselves.

American citizens can technically travel to Cuba but are barred from spending money there without authorisation from the Treasury Department.

Unlicensed US travellers face fines of up to $10,000.

Stanford receiver seeks court help

The US court-appointed receiver in the Allen Stanford fraud case has asked for the help of a private equity adviser to manage the estate's web of investments.

Those assets total about $650 million, according to a filing in federal court in Dallas.

Mr Stanford is accused by US prosecutors of leading a $7 billion Ponzi scheme involving certificates of deposit issued by his bank in Antigua.

He has denied any wrongdoing.