Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush are to visit Haiti next week Monday.

	The two former presidents on the right are going to Haiti next Monday

The trip is in support of relief efforts in the quake-stricken Caribbean country.

According to a statement released on Thursday, Mr Clinton and Mr Bush will meet with Haitians, the government of Haiti and others providing assistance to earthquake survivors to discuss the country's long-term recovery.

The two former presidents head the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund which they set up at President Barack Obama's request.

More than 200,000 people have so far donated more than $36 million to the fund.

Call for national dialogue on productivity

Prime Minister Denzil Douglas wants a national dialogue on productivity in St Kitts and Nevis.

Dr Douglas made the call at the launching of the St Kitts and Nevis branch of the Jamaica-based Insurance Company of the West Indies.

The prime minister said that the public and private sectors needed to work together to fashion "cohesive strategies that apply to every productive sector of the economy".

According to Dr Douglas food production has been under resourced while the food import bill has increased steadily over the years.

Cuban dissidents protest in Geneva

More than 20 Cuban dissidents gathered outside the UN European headquarters in Geneva on Thursday to denounce the arrests in Cuba, of a group of women called Women in White.

Police in Cuba broke up a demonstration by the group of wives and mothers of dissidents and their supporters on Wednesday.

They were protesting on the anniversary of the imprisonment of 75 dissidents in 2003.

The Cuban dissidents in Geneva protesting the arrests in Havana said on Thursday the women were "just peacefully protesting the illegal imprisonment of their relatives," and that Cuba would not succeed in silencing their voices.

Barbados eyeing marginal growth

Prime Minister David Thompson says Barbados is likely to register a marginal growth rate of 0.5 - 1% this year.

	Marginal growth projected for the Barbadian economy

Mr Thompson told parliament that this was being driven largely by an anticipated improvement in the performance in both the traded and non-traded sectors.

He listed protecting employment and enhancing promotion of exports of goods and services among priority areas for Barbados in the current difficult economic situation.

Prime Minister Thompson said the country's economy was being well handled.

More rickets cases

There has been a rise in rickets among children born to parents from Caribbean, African and Asian backgrounds in the UK.

Rickets is a crippling bone disease caused by a lack of vitamin D and can lead to deformities such as bowed legs as well stunted growth and general ill-health.

Doctors say the worrying increase in the condition is down to poor diet, and a lack of exposure to sunlight.

British health officials say hundreds of children are developing the condition every year.