BBC Caribbean News in Brief

 Divergent Caricom views
Two former St Lucia Prime Ministers have been giving their views on the choice of a new secretary general of the Caribbean Community (Caricom).

Kenny Anthony, the current Opposition Leader, wants regional leaders to tread carefully in the search for a successor to the retiring Edwin Carrington.

He said the choice should be an inspirational figure.
However his predecessor as Prime Minister, Vaughn Lewis, says the decision-making structure in Caricom may ultimately be more important than who is in charge.

Fire rages at oil terminal
A fire blamed on a lightning strike has halted operations for a second day at a Venezuelan oil terminal on Bonaire.
Witnesses said the heat was intense around the terminal’s 23 storage tanks and flames and smoke could be seen across the Dutch Caribbean island.

Governor Glenn Thode says crews have isolated the fire and should extinguish it by the end of Thursday.

Seek sanctuary in Caribbean
Law enforcement officials in the United States suspect that sex offenders may be finding refuge in Puerto Rico.
The officials told the Associated Press that some sex offenders believe that Puerto Rico, where restrictions are less strict than in many US jurisdictions, is an ideal place to hide.

Deputy US Marshal Rafael Escobar said federal agents had arrested at least six sex offenders over the last year for failure to register in Puerto Rico and sent them back to the US to face prosecution.