Dominica's ruling Labour Party (DLP) has won a third consecutive term in office, following Friday's general election.

The DLP won at least 16 of the 21 seats - a gain on the party's 2005 election victory.

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit has announced a public holiday in January to celebrate his party's success.

Air Jamaica for Trinidad?

Jamaica's highly indebted national airline, which is up for sale, may remain in Caribbean hands.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding has told parliament that he has held talks with Trinidad and Tobago-government-owned Caribbean Airlines over a possible buy-out.

He said he had also been in consultations with his Trinidad counterpart, Patrick Manning.

Caribbean Airlines, the three-year-old successor to BWIA, is among two shortlisted prospective buyers for Air Jamaica, which is reported to have debts of more US$1.2 billion.

Criticism for tax hikes in Jamaica

The opposition People's National Party in Jamaica has described as "cruel and unjust" new tax measures announced by the government.

Finance Minister Audley Shaw on Thursday said the government would raise the island's value added tax on goods and services by 1%, to 17.5%, effective 1 January.

Some basic food items exempted from the value added tax will now be included, Mr Shaw said.

He added that there will also be increased levies on fuel, cigarettes and electricity.

The island's trade union movement said workers will see their standard of living rapidly decline in coming months.

The new measures were announced against part of a new deal for much-needed funding from the IMF.

Dutch deny Venezuela's claim

The Netherlands has denied that it is allowing the United States to use Dutch Caribbean islands to prepare a possible military attack against Venezuela.

A foreign ministry spokesman said The Hague had asked Venezuela's ambassador to clarify the claims made by President Hugo Chavez in a speech Thursday at the climate summit in Copenhagen.

He said the US does use civilian air fields on Curacao and Aruba, but American forces are solely combating narcotic trafficking and use unarmed aircraft.

The Venezuelan leader had also described the three islands as being in his country's territorial waters.

Human trafficking charges laid

A Guyanese national has been indicted in the United States on a charge of smuggling Indian nationals into the US, according to the Justice Department.

Annita Devi Gerald, also known as Annita Rampersad, was charged in a nine-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury seated in Texas.

The indictment claims that Ms Gerald and others smuggled four Indian nationals into the United States, fraudulently obtaining Belizean visas for the Indians, escorting them from India to Belize, and then to other countries in Central and South America.

The offences were allegedly committed between April and 17 November, when she was arrested.

Guyanese cops worried about rent-a-gun trend

Guyanese police say there has been a drop in arms trafficking into the country.

	Commissioner Greene says there is evidence of rent-a-gun schemes

Officers say while that is a positive development, they believe it has resulted in criminals in the country resorting to renting guns to commit crimes.

The security forces have in the past identified neighbouring Suriname and Brazil as major sources of illegal rifles and hand-guns.

Police Commissioner Henry Greene says there has been an overall reduction of serious crimes.

He is also reporting that compared to 134 last year, 92 have been seized so far for this year.

However, the Commissioner says the police have uncovered rent-a-gun schemes.

"We have evidence of renting of firearms by bandits," Mr Greene said.

Prince for polo in Barbados

Britain's Prince Harry will play in a charity polo match in Barbados in aid of the impoverished children of Lesotho.

The royal described the future of the African youngsters as "very bleak" in a YouTube video message posted on Friday.

Many of the children have lost their parents to HIV or Aids.

Harry will take to the field at the exclusive Apes Hill Polo Club in Barbados in January to raise money for his charity Sentebale, which helps orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho.

PAM predicts January date

The opposition People's Action Movement (PAM) in St Kitts and Nevis said on Friday that it is preparing for an 18 January general election.

The election date hasn't been named by Prime Minister Denzil Douglas, who announced on Tuesday that the country's parliament was being dissolved.

Dr Douglas promised at the time that he would announce the election date in the coming weeks.

But PAM leader Lindsay Grant told supporters at a rally that he had been reliably informed that polling day would be in a month's time on 18 January.