Some political parties in the Bahamas are calling for the return of hanging as the country's national murder rate broke its previous record.

The annual homicide rate in the Bahamas stood at 94 up to last weekend.

Tthe total figure in 2009 had been 87.

Although not on a level with some other Caribbean territories, some small Bahamian political parties are planning pro-hanging marches and motorcades.

Rodney Moncur, the President of the Workers Party, spoke on local station Love 97 and said that the protests would go into the new year until politicians "get the message".

	US warnings about Stanford started in 2006 in confidential memos

Stanford in Wikileaks

In the latest in the flood of classified information from the online whistle-blowing website Wikileaks comes word that American diplomats had been concerned about former Antiguan-based financier Allen Stanford since 2006.

A classified confidential despatch, obtained by Britain's Guardian newspaper quotes a despatch from the US Ambassador to Bridgetown, Barbados.

The May 2006 note by US Ambassador Mary Kramer is quoted by the paper as saying that Mr Stanford's "companies are rumoured to engage in bribery, money laundering, and political manipulation".

Embassy staff were advised "do not reach out to Stanford because of the allegations."

Mr Stanford was arrested in 2009 on fraud-related charges by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Cuban appeal

Cuba's Cardinal Jaime Ortega has called for the release of remaining political prisoners.

Speaking at a Christmas holiday concert on Monday night at Havana's cathedral, he said government should live up to its earlier promise, brokered with the Catholic church earlier this year.

23 of 75 political prisoners held seven years ago in a crackdown on dissidents remain in Cuban jails.

Others have been released and sent into exile in Spain during the year.

They were accused of working with the US to undermine the Castro government.

Caribbean-bound

Delays continued for flights in and out of British airports with more snow predicted in the UK.

A check by BBC Caribbean on British Airport Authority (BAA) websites indicates that some flights to the Caribbean were now scheduled to depart after a weekend of delays.

However, Virgin Atlantic reported that, due to earlier disruptions, some of its planes were now out of position and that it would take a few days to return to a normal schedule.

British Airways advised people to consider whether their flight was really essential.