LAKE IN LIMBO As Kari Lake’s nomination to become the next United States (US) ambassador to Jamaica faces uncertainty, one of her predecessors, Don Tapia, has raised concerns about whether she can be trusted to handle sensitive diplomatic discussions. Lake was nominated by US President Donald Trump in May, but her confirmation has been stalled in the Senate, with Senator Thom Tillis blocking the nomination from reaching the Senate floor in August. Her nomination could die if no confirmation takes place before the Senate goes into recess on October 2.
Lawmakers weigh new legal approach to domestic violence Lawmakers on both sides of the Parliament have agreed to explore the possibility of making domestic violence a stand-alone crime amid uncertainty about what would constitute the offence. “I would certainly ask that it be up for discussion,” said Olivia Grange, chairman of the Joint Select Committee of Parliament that is reviewing the Domestic Violence Act, during a meeting on Wednesday. Her suggestion was embraced by government and opposition members of the committee from both the Lower and Upper Houses of Parliament.
Mining ministry moves to overhaul regulation after audit findings The Ministry of Mining is overhauling its Mines and Geology Division (MGD) after a performance audit exposed significant weaknesses in the regulation, monitoring, and enforcement of mining and quarrying activities. The audit, conducted by the Auditor General’s Department, assessed the MGD’s licensing, monitoring, and enforcement actions between 2019 and 2020 and 2023 and 2024, with figures tracked up to December 2025.
Police witness: Smith ordered church members to kill cops A police constable yesterday testified that the now-deceased leader of Pathways International Kingdom Restoration Ministries, Kevin Smith, had reportedly instructed church members to kill the police if they attempted to enter the Montego Bay church on the night of October 17, 2021. The witness said that when he arrived outside the church, he heard a loud voice, and “the voice said kill the police if they tried to enter”. The constable also recalled hearing several sustained gunshots and seeing bodies on the compound.
17 high schools to benefit from US furniture drive NEW YORK: Sixteen western high schools and one in Portland are set to benefit from a donation drive in the United States, which has sourced some 8,000 pieces of classroom furniture. The furniture drive is being led by the Cornwall College Old Boys’ Association (CCOBA) chapters in the United States and will benefit Cornwall College, Montego Bay High, Manning’s School, Mount Alvernia High, Hampton School, Mount Pleasant High, Anchovy High, and some institutions in Trelawny and Portland.
Spring Mount access crisis hurts John’s Hall Primary WESTERN BUREAU: The John’s Hall Primary School is losing students as the collapse of the Spring Mount road in St James disrupts access to the school, with enrolment falling by 84 children as families struggle with longer journeys, higher transportation costs, and difficult travel routes. The breakaway occurred nearly a year ago as Hurricane Melissa ravaged western Jamaica.
‘STATE NOT ABOVE THE LAW’ - PM declares all cop-involved fatal shootings properly investigated, questions why protests only held over police killings Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness is insisting that the “State is not above the law”, amid growing concerns about an increase in the number of fatal police shootings across the island. Speaking yesterday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Housing Agency of Jamaica’s (HAJ) Luana Phase Four in St Elizabeth, Holness emphasised that independent institutions are in place to hold security forces accountable.
‘Silent’ attorneys declare decisions on gun crimes must be left to judges Arguing that the law must be applied with regard to the circumstances of individual cases, attorney Peter Champagnie is urging that the debate around Jamaica’s firearms legislation not be reduced to a political issue. “It cannot be a Cinderella approach, not one size fits all,” Champagnie said, as members of the legal profession yesterday staged a silent protest at the Supreme Court in downtown Kingston, where they called for changes to the Firearms Act.
Specialist urges rebuilding of minds after Melissa Rebuilding schools after Hurricane Melissa must go beyond repairing roofs, replacing books and restoring classrooms, with greater attention being paid to the emotional and psychological toll of the disaster on students, parents and teachers. That was the central message emerging from a recent Mental Health Empowerment and Resilience Forum at Aberdeen High School in St Elizabeth, where stakeholders stressed the need to make mental health support a more integral part of Jamaica’s disaster-recovery efforts. St Elizabeth was among the parishes hardest hit by the storm.
US vision mission comes good for Westmoreland students Western Bureau: Of the 196 students examined during a recent vision mission to the Savanna-la-Mar Inclusive Academy in Westmoreland, about 50 per cent of them were found to be in need of corrective glasses, according to the Lions of Michigan Foundation. The mission, coordinated by the Issa Trust Foundation in partnership with the Rockhouse Foundation, saw eight optometrists, one optician and 13 other volunteers travel to the school with medical equipment to conduct comprehensive eye examinations on students and staff.