Former Barbados PM Erskine Sandiford dies

The Barbados government has confirmed that former prime minister, Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital early on Monday

It did not give details surrounding the death of the 86-year-old politician, but said that a period of national mourning will be observed until June 28 “and on the day of the State Funeral after consultation with the family”

In addition, all flags will be flown at half-mast until the interment of the island’s fourth prime minister from 1987 to 1994, who later served as Barbados’ first resident ambassador in Beijing, China from 2010 to 2013

The government statement said that Labor and Social Partnership Relations Minister, Colin Jordan, will be the coordinating minister for the funeral arrangements as it extended “sincerest condolences to his wife, Lady Sandiford, his son Garth, his daughter Inga and his extended family”

In 1967, one year after independence, he was appointed to the Senate Sandiford left the Senate to run in the 1971 elections, in which he won a seat in the Parliament The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) under Errol Barrow formed the government and Sandiford served in many cabinet positions including as Minister of Education

Leadership from one of Jamaica’s police divisions transferred after eight prisoners escape lock-up

Jamaica’s Police High Command has transferred the entire leadership of the St Elizabeth Police Division after eight prisoners escaped police lock-up on Monday

The escape has raised concerns about the security measures of the police station lockup

According to Jamaican media reports, it was confirmed on Friday that the division commander and the support team of officers have been transferred from the division

The escapees include a man charged with a quadruple murder He is Anward “Kirkie” Hinds, and he has been charged in relation to the murders of four farmers — Archibald Brown, 60; his brother George Brown, 57;

Maurice Sanderson, 40; and Ezra Wright, 73 in St Elizabeth in 2015

Months later, he was found hiding in the ceiling of a house in Hatfield, Manchester, and was arrested

The other prisoners who escaped on Monday are Oral Cole, 31, from Comfort Hall, Manchester; Richard Brown, 34, from Middle Quarters, St Elizabeth; Alrick Hutchinson, 38, from Brighton District, St Elizabeth; and Dean Simpson, 34, from Turner Top, St Elizabeth, who were all in custody charged with robbery with aggravation; Jevaughn Simms, 25, from Copperwood, St James; and Kenneth Stewart, 30, from Beacon Hill, St Catherine, were both being held for murder; and Demar Williams, 29, from Gravel Heights in Spanish Town, St Catherine, who is facing a shooting with intent charge

Reports are that the men were discovered missing on Monday during routine checks conducted between 3 a m to 4 a m

Investigations revealed that the prisoners escaped through the facility’s ventilation system