The French government has denied that it intends paying Haiti reparations for the 90 million gold francs the Caribbean nation paid France for its independence.

The French foreign ministry says it is considering taking legal action against a mystery group it says launched an online copy of its official website carrying fake news.

The Agence France Press news agency quotes foreign ministry officials as saying that the site is a close copy of the ministry's and includes accurate links and pirated versions of real videos and news releases from the ministry.

The government in Paris says one of the fake items on the site makes reference to France saying it will repay the 90 million gold francs that Haiti paid France in reparations after fighting for independence.

Spokesman Bernard Valero denied that France intends to repay Haiti the $21 billion dollars the online site says it has agreed to pay Haiti.

Mr Valero said the French government was "studying what legal steps we can take to remedy this situation".

Haiti funds

The World Bank says a $500 million pledge of aid for Haiti quake relief promised three months ago is only 20% full.

	UN envoy Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean Max Bellerive discuss aid

Bank official Pamela Cox says they have so far received $98 million for the Haiti Reconstruction Trust fund.

Brazil has donated $55 million while Norway has provided $31 million.

Australia, Colombia and Estonia are the other countries which have contributed so far.

The $500 million fund is part of a five-year, $10 billion relief package that donor countries agreed to provide for Haiti in late March.

Half of the amount was pledged for disbursement in the first two years.

Bermuda fugitive

Bermuda police are hunting for an escaped prisoner who has been on the run for more than 36 hours.

Twenty-four-year-old Alvone Maybury has found time to update his Facebook page while evading the police, making at least 10 posts since he escaped on Tuesday morning.

"I'm a TV star now," he said in one message on his site, after his brazen daylight escape was captured on camera by a local television station.

While armed police are searching the island for the missing fugitive, he has been boasting on the social networking site that he was relaxing, playing on his PlayStation.

Maybury was being escorted from court following an appearance on weapons charges when he made his escape.

Remote areas flooded

Several remote locations in Guyana have been flooded after prolonged heavy rainfall coupled with unusual high tides.

The authorities say at least 1,000 people are affected by the severe weather conditions.

Officials say 200 families in the Upper Demerara area are already receiving water-purification tablets and food hampers.

Forecasters are predicting more rainfall in coming weeks and Local Government Minister Kellawan Lall says it is likely that more areas will be affected.

Kuwaiti tourists expected

Antigua and Barbuda and Kuwait have signed several economic and technical cooperation agreements.

	Antigua expects to begin receiving Kuwaiti tourists

Officials in St Johns say the pacts will result in direct air service between both countries.

Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer told his Kuwaiti counterpart that the tourism-based Antiguan economy would welcome an injection of visitors from the Gulf state.

Mr Spencer, who hosted Sheik Nasser Mohammed on an official visit this week, said the air services agreement has tremendous potential for cooperation.

UWP wants strengthened democracy

Dominica's opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has named a new leader of the opposition and says it will put senators in the House of Assembly.

However, the party, which has been boycotting the parliament over alleged irregularities in the 18 December general election, says it will continue to protest what it considers undemocratic actions on the part of the government of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.

The party has named MP Hector John as its new opposition leader.

Party leader Ron Green says the UWP's goal is to have a strengthened democracy.

The UWP accuses the prime minister of trying to foster a one-party state in Dominica.

UN urges Cuba to free other prisoners

A spokesman for the UN human rights chief says she hopes Cuba will quickly review the situation of its remaining political prisoners and free them soon.

Havana last week agreed to free 52 political prisoners in a surprise church-state deal.

The first seven of this group arrived in Spain on Tuesday.

Rupert Colville, the spokesman of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says it would be good if the momentum could be maintained by a swift review of the situation of other prisoners, so that they too can be freed.