Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley has hailed what she calls the seminal contribution of the late Sir Keith Hunte to Barbadian and regional development. Sir Keith holds the title of longest serving Principal of the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, having been in the role from 1983 to 2002. Prime Minister Mottley says under his leadership, Cave Hill became perhaps the single most important tertiary-level institution for young people of the sub-region as they sought upward mobility. She notes Sir Keith was a mentor and guide to her, when as a young member of Parliament, she was named Minister of Education and Culture. The Prime Minister recalled how he conducted the affairs of the Committee for National Reconciliation in the early 2000’s, as the country grappled with some deep-seated racial issues. Sir Keith was awarded the title of Knight of St. Andrew in 1987, but Prime Minister Mottley believes the country owes him an unsatisfiable debt of gratitude for all he has done.

Adijah ‘Vybz Kartel’ Palmer is now scheduled to perform in Barbados early next year. The artiste, who was released from prison in August, last visited the country to perform in 2008. Ackeem Clinkett has more.

CMC – St. Vincent and the Grenadines has recorded its 36th murder for this year after a man was found dead outside his home on Thursday evening in Mahaut, Lowmans Hill. The death of Devon Holder aka Fresh Pick and Limb Man, brings to six the number of killings in a one week period. Media reports suggest that Holder might have been killed sometime between Wednesday and Thursday as several people recalled buying fruits from him at his stall in Kingstown. Holder was the second adult male to be found dead in West Kingstown in as many days. On Wednesday, the body of an adult male was found about a mile away in Gibson Corner on the concrete roof of a private property that is often used as a lookout over Kingstown. The body, which was later identified as that of Javier Browne aka Baryo, of Chateaubelair, had a gunshot injury to the back. Police say they are looking into any possible links between Browne’s death and an attempted robbery in Peruvian Vale on Tuesday night in which a former police officer opened fire on his assailants, who fled the scene, leaving a loaded firearm behind. On Monday, police recovered at Sion Hill Bay the body of 13-year-old Matthew Da Souza, of Fair Hall. Police said an autopsy conducted on Wednesday revealed that he died of drowning, due to or as a consequence of blunt trauma to the head. An 11-year-old girl, who like Matthew had a history of running away from home and being on the streets of Kingstown, is expected to appear in court later on Friday in connection with his death. St. Vincent and the Grenadines recorded 55 homicides in 2023, up from 42 set the previous year.