Caribbean tourism has endured a tough year

Caribbean tourism ministers and executives are in London for the annual World Travel Market, which is taking place at a time the industry has been knocked sideways by the recession.

In fact, a report released at the trade fair said the financial crisis had brought the travel industry to its knees.

The report said hotels worldwide are expecting business to have slumped by 16% this year, while airline ticket sales are predicted to be down 14%.

The Secretary General of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, Hugh Riley, told BBC Caribbean that hoteliers were predicting an improved winter season.

But he said it was too early to say when the travel trade would return to normal.

Monitors for Vincentian referendum

In St Vincent and the Grenadines, it has been confirmed that the Organisation of American States will be sending an observer mission to this month's referendum on a new constitution.

It is the first plebiscite in the multi-island nation and the electoral office is keen that everybody understands the voting system.

Supervisor of Elections Sylvia Findlay-Scrubb said an education programme will begin shortly.

Criticism on climate change

Ministers and officials from 14 countries deemed to be most vulnerable to climate change have been meeting in the Maldives at the invitation of president Mohamed Nasheed.

Guyana and Barbados are among those invited to the conference.

In his opening remarks, President Nasheed strongly criticised rich countries for doing too little to tackle climate change - a month before a United Nations climate conference in Copenhagen.

He also said developing nations should set an example for the world ahead of the conference by pledging to become carbon neutral.

Meanwhile, Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington has said that climate change will be a major issue for Caricom at the Commonwealth Summit in Port of Spain later this month.

Search for survivors in El Salvador

Rescue workers in El Salvador are searching for survivors after landslides triggered by a late-season hurricane killed more than a 120 people.

The search is focussed on the town of Verapaz, part of which was devastated by mud and boulders sweeping off the flanks of the Chichontepec volcano.

President Mauricio Funes declared a national emergency and said the damage was incalculable.

Hurricane Ida, which helped draw the storms to Central America, is now in the Gulf of Mexico and weakening as it approaches the southern United States.

It formed in the southwestern Caribbean last week.

Bolt vies for top athlete award

World track champion Usain Bolt will start as the favourite to be named 2009 World Male Athlete of the Year at the annual ceremony in Monte Carlo later this month.

The Jamaican sprint star is among the five male athletes shortlisted.

Bolt repeated his Olympic feat of 2008 by winning this year's World Championships 100 and 200 metres gold medals in world record times.

Fellow sprinter Tyson Gay of the United States, Ethiopia's middle distance star Kenenisa Bekele, pole vaulter Steve Hooker of Australia and Norwegian javelin thrower Andreas Thorkildsen are also on the shortlist.