Haiti's new prime minister has promised to forge good relations with lawmakers who have ousted two heads of government in as many years.

Economist Jean Max Bellerive was speaking after he was sworn in at the National Palace on Wednesday.

Mr Bellerive expressed his gratitude to President Rene Preval for choosing him - the sixth person to hold the post of Prime Minister since 2004.

He also pledged to persuade donors that Haiti was ready for private investment to create jobs.

Equal access proposed

The president of the Human Rights Association in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Nicole Sylvester, has called for equal state funding of opposing campaigns for the 25 November referendum.

The governing Unity Labour Party is proposing a new republican constitution but the opposition New Democratic Party is urging supporters to vote 'no'.

Ms Sylvester said that while she supports constitutional reform in principle, there must be equity in the process.

She said that also applies to access to the state-owned media.

Tourism and global warming discussed

Tourism and the environment is a major issue at international tourism talks in London this week, as the world grapples with how to curb global warming.

The Barbados Tourism Minister, Richard Sealy, told BBC Caribbean that it was important that the region practised environmentally responsible tourism.

The issue was discussed by the inter-governmental World Tourism Organisation of the United Nations, and the private sector-led World Travel and Tourism Council.

Venezuela destroys 30,000 weapons

The Venezuelan government has publicly destroyed more than 30,000 guns seized by police on the streets of the country, which has one of the world's highest murder rates.

Police used blow-torches and heavy machinery to destroy the guns at a ceremony in the capital, Caracas.

The interior minister, Tarek El-Aissami, said it showed that the government's disarmament policies were working.

The BBC's Venezuela correspondent says President Hugo Chavez is under increasing pressure to tackle crime, which has risen significantly since he first came to power in 1999.

Hunger day proposed

The head of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation has proposed to make this Saturday a global day of fasting to highlight the plight of the world's one billion under-nourished people.

Jacques Diouf said he hoped this would encourage world leaders to act when they take part in a three-day food summit starting on Monday.