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The Advocates’ Association of Jamaica (AAJ) is raising concern over the announcement of a proposed increase in the mandatory minimum sentence for illegal gun possession to 20 years. The revelation came on Sunday on the eve of a human rights country review by the United Nations (UN). The current mandatory minimum sentence for illegal possession of a firearm is 15 years. The UN Human Rights Committee’s 146th session is currently under way in Geneva, Switzerland, from October 19 to November 6, and is reviewing Jamaica, Austria, Rwanda, and Cameroon.

A Jamaican man serving a 14-year prison sentence in the United Kingdom (UK) for rape could potentially be returned to the island, but a legal battle over whether he would be adequately protected from criminal gangs is complicating efforts to deport him. The UK Supreme Court is being asked to consider the legal test for determining whether a person facing deportation can reasonably access state protection in their home country.

WESTERN BUREAU: A year after Hurricane Melissa damaged 54 United Church congregations, destroying eight of their sanctuaries, the denomination is stressing that rebuilding church buildings is its last priority. Instead, its focus is on restoring shattered livelihoods, helping farmers return to the land, putting roofs over families’ heads and ensuring that communities devastated by the Category 5 hurricane can begin to stand on their own again.

Reggae artiste JahDore, who was accused of assaulting a policeman and tearing his shirt during an incident at a police station in 2019, after his children and their mother were detained, was on Friday found not guilty in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

More than 1,500 abandoned cars have been removed from the nation’s streets since the National Solid Waste Management Authority (NSWMA) launched its clean-up drive two years ago, reducing eyesores but leaving municipal pounds bursting at capacity. Gleaner sources also reveal that many vehicles remain tied up in protracted police investigations and insurance claims, which frequently drag on for years. Consequently, the operational efforts of the NSWMA and municipal corporations are hampered by these ongoing legal and bureaucratic delays.

Nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa devastated sections of Jamaica, a new Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) report has raised questions about the country’s ability to turn disaster donations into timely assistance. The report cited delays in spending relief funds, gaps in roof-repair records and prolonged disruption to schools and essential services.

Western Bureau: Nearly a year after Hurricane Melissa battered western Jamaica, students at Petersfield High School are still attending classes just twice a week, leaving parents worried about lost learning time and prompting calls for a rethink of how schools are used as emergency shelters. Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) President Beanchor Crigland-Crooks said the school’s prolonged disruption had left students and teachers struggling to recover, particularly those preparing for external examinations.

Children involved in crime may themselves be victims of human trafficking, but the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says no suspected child trafficking case brought to its attention is specifically identified as involving minors forced into gang activity. The agency, which says children reported to it are screened for possible human trafficking, including exploitation into criminal activity, also has no figures to provide on children reported for gang involvement over the past three years.

The People’s National Party (PNP) is questioning whether the Government’s ban on official overseas travel is a genuine cost-cutting measure or a public relations exercise, given millions of dollars committed to the newly established National Agency for Reconstruction and Resilience (NaRRA). The moratorium, announced in an October 21 memorandum from Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness to government ministers and ministers of state, took effect immediately and will remain in place until March 31, 2027.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett left the island on Friday for a five-city tour of Canada aimed at wooing more Canadian visitors to Jamaica in the upcoming winter tourism season. Bartlett will visit Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Montreal as he targets some 400,000 Canadian airline seats for the 2026-2027 winter tourism season. He is being accompanied by Director of Tourism Donavan White and representatives of the Jamaica Tourist Board.

Jamaican News