In Guyana, two prominent trade unionists and a rights activist released one day after they were locked up while picketing outside the country's police headquarters remain defiant, vowing to continue their protest action.

Guyana police said on Wednesday that the three were detained for not wearing arm bands labelled 'peaceful picket', for disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest.

The men were protesting against the alleged targeting of anti-government critics, joblessness, extra-judicial killings and other problems.

Acting General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, Norris Witter chanted defiantly as he and two other colleagues left the cells of Guyana's Brickdam Police Station on station bail Thursday.

Mr. Witter, General Secretary of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, Lincoln Lewis and former treason accused, rights activist Mark Benschop were arrested on Thursday while protesting outside the Police Headquarters.

Election debate on

Lawyers representing the St Kitts and Nevis government say Prime Minister Denzil Douglas can call pending general elections despite a controversial constituency boundaries case now before the courts.

	Ongoing debate: whether Dr Douglas can call elections despite the present controversy

However Ambassador Delano Bart, a former attorney general and one of the government's legal representatives in the case, has acknowledged that there would be practical difficulties.

The case has so far resulted in High Court Judge, Francis Belle withdrawing from the matter after state attorneys requested that he recuse himself after criticising the prime minister.

The matter was brought before the courts by the St Kitts opposition People's Action Movement in a bid to prevent the government from acting on the recommendations of the Elections Boundaries Commission.

Haiti on LDC list

Haiti is the only Caribbean nation among a list of 49 poor countries designated by the United Nations as least developed countries (LDCs).

The list comprises 33 African states, 10 Asian countries, 5 in the Pacific, and Haiti.

The criteria for including poor countries on the LDC list are low income, human assets weakness and economic vulnerability.

Human assets weakness focuses on an index measuring nutrition, health, school enrolment and literacy.

The economic vulnerability index measures natural shocks, trade shocks, exposure to shocks, and economic remoteness.

Only two countries have so far graduated from the list of LDCs - Botswana in 1994 and Cape Verde in 2007.

Boatman feared drowned

A boatman working for the French army in the jungles of French Guiana is missing and presumed drowned.

It's thought he may have fallen into river rapids, and an officer from the French military headquarters in Cayenne said they were pessimistic about their chances of finding him alive.

The civilian defence ministry employee had been acting as a lookout on the prow of a canoe during a mission against illegal gold mining when the accident occurred.

The military said Thursday it was the second such case in a week.

Windies looking for a win

West Indies will be seeking to avoid an embarrassing series defeat to Bangladesh when both teams meet at the National Stadium in St George's Grenada on Friday.

	West Indies senior players on strike

The Windies have been forced to field a weakened team this weekend as a dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and players continues.

However, team manager Omar Khan says the players never had a chance to get together for the first Test In St Vincent, and so he expects better results from the second Test.