Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Director General Len Ishmael says heavily indebted Caribbean states need help from the international community to ease the debt burden weighing them down.

	The OECS countries have major debt problems

Dr Ishmael says the region's debt GDP ratio had been on its way down, at 85%, before the recent global financial crisis.

She says there are factors fuelling increased debt in the OECS countries.

The OECS official said that with foreign exchange not coming in, along with much less available foreign development assistance, the sub-region was finding it hard to pay its own way.

"We've had to be able to borrow to be able to keep our economies afloat," Dr Ishmael explained.

Handling of economy criticised

The opposition leader in Barbados, Mia Mottley, has hit out at the government's handling of the island's economy.

The government is in discussion with the Caribbean Development Bank about a $50 million US loan.

Ms Mottley says the administration is finding it difficult to attract much needed funding.

The opposition leader said: "Barbadians must ask why we are only now learning that the World Bank will not lend us money unless we enter into an IMF programme. What does this say about the World bank's view of our economy."

Embracing ICT

Guyanese President Bharrat Jagdeo is urging the region to fully embrace modern Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to ensure that the region's education standards remain high.

President Jagdeo says Guyana is prepared to forge ahead with an aggressive ICT strategy if the rest of the Caribbean insists on lagging behind.

The Guyanese leader says Caricom needs to implement a regional ICT plan that includes broadband access, and that Guyana will push ahead to compensate for a loss in competitiveness in traditional sectors.

Wyclef still undecided

Grammy-award winning singer Wyclef Jean says he has taken legal steps towards running for president in quake-devastated Haiti.

	Wyclef preparing the way for a possible presidential challenge

But he says that he has not made a definite decision, although he insists that he is qualified to run for Haiti's highest office.

Wyclef Jean was in Haiti on Thursday to work with lawyers and have his fingerprints taken by the judicial police as part of the legal process of preparing to run for president.

The deadline for candidates to register is 7 August.

Hip Hop artist Jean says he will take his decision on whether or not to run with his wife Claudinette and their daughter Angelina.

Mother and daughter reunion

A mother from Haiti has been reunited with the baby daughter thought to have perished in the earthquake in February.

The daughter, Landina, had in fact been pulled to safety, but the charity which rescued her couldn't find her mom, and flew baby Landina to Britain for treatment.

Now the infant and mom Marie have been re-united.

Sarah Driver-Jowitt from the charity Facing the World who has been looking after Landina, described the reunion as "magic".

"Wisdom" the victor

Prominent Cuban dissident Guillermo Farinas says political wisdom has been the victor in his confrontation with the government in Havana.

Mr Farinas, who recently ended his four-month hunger strike, has been released from hospital.

He began his protest in February to demand the release of imprisoned opposition activists in poor health.

Mr Farinas says the Cuban government won because it learnt to deal with its opposition, and that the opposition won political and social maturity within the Cuban context.