The authorities in the US Virgin Islands say they are taking steps to reduce incidents of violent crime in the territory.

A Puerto Rican teenager on holiday there recently was caught in the crossfire of alleged gang-related activity and killed.

USVI governor John de Jongh says his administration is focusing on crime and public safety.

Briton "murdered"

Britain's Foreign Office says it is investigating reports that a British strip club owner was murdered on holiday in the Dominican Republic.

The Latin American Herald Tribune reported that Denise D'Courtenay's decomposing body was discovered in bushes near a town on the Dominican Republic's north coast on Monday.

The paper said the 60-year-old former model had been missing for a week.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman in London said Britain was investigating reports of a British national missing in the Dominican Republic.

Coalition plans on track

Efforts are continuing in Guyana to come up with a broad opposition coalition to contest the next general election despite the Alliance for Change's declaration that it is no longer keen on that idea.

	The opposition hopes a broad coalition will help it gain control of the parliament

The group, known as the Joint Opposition Political Parties (JOPP), has worked on a number of issues in the past.

It says it will continue with its initiative to form a broad coalition to contest elections due before October of next year.

The country's second largest opposition party, the Alliance for Change (AFC), announced that it would not be in any partnership that also involves the ruling party or the main opposition.

The JOPP grouping seems to have remained largely intact however.

It said in a statement that in spite of the decision by the AFC it will continue its consultations with all interested political parties, interest groups and organisations on forming a broad coalition to contest the next general election.

Austerity for years

Jamaica is likely to face serious austerity measures for a number of years as the island tries to move its struggling economy forward.

That assessment comes from the country's Finance Minister Audley Shaw.

He says Jamaica intends pushing forward with significant game-changing political and policy decisions made by the government and agreed on with its multilateral partners including the International Monetary Fund.

Laurent endorses union

Senior Commonwealth official Edwin Laurent says he is optimistic about moves by the OECS sub-region to form a single economic space.

The economic union proposed by these smaller-member states of the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is expected to take effect by January of next year. The treaty facilitating this was signed in June.

Mr Laurent, a former OECS ambassador who's currently based at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London as a trade expert, told BBC Caribbean he hopes the economic union will succeed.

Canada/Cuba dispute

Canada has urged Cuba's envoy to voice concern at the detention of seven Canadians in Cuba.

	Canada warns Cuba it could lose tourists over the detention issue

Canada's top diplomat for the Americas, Peter Kent, has warned that Havana could lose tourists its economy needs if the matter is not addressed.

Mr Kent said Ottawa called in Havana's representative in Ottawa to a meeting to discuss the issue.

A diplomatic source said seven Canadians at the moment are either detained or unable to depart from Cuba.

Canada is the chief source of tourists in Cuba, ahead of Italy and France.