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Jamaican Dancehall Deejay Vybz Kartel Free after Murder Conviction Overturned

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Jamaican Dancehall Deejay Vybz Kartel Free
Vybz Kartel is known as one of Jamaica's most popular artists - Getty Images

Jamaican dancehall deejay Vybz Kartel has been freed from prison after judges decided he should not face a retrial for murder. The 48-year-old, real name Adidja Palmer, was jailed in 2014 but his conviction was overturned by judges in March.

He had been accused of killing of Clive “Lizard” Williams in Jamaica but has always maintained his innocence.

Although his conviction was overturned months ago by the Privy Council in London, authorities in Jamaica had time to decide whether he should be retried.

On Wednesday, appeal judges in Jamaica decided the case would not go back to court, meaning Kartel, who is said to be in poor health, could be released.

His trial in 2014 heard that victim Clive Williams and another man, Lamar Chow, were given two unlicensed firearms belonging to Kartel for safekeeping. When they failed to return them at an agreed time, prosecutors said they were summoned to Kartel’s house in August 2011.

Chow told the trial they were attacked and the last thing he saw was Clive Williams – who was never seen alive again – lying motionless on the ground. The house burned down days later and his body has never been found.

Kartel and his co-accused Shawn Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, have always maintained their innocence but were convicted and jailed for life, with Kartel told he would spend a minimum of 35 years in prison.

He appealed first to courts in Jamaica before taking his case to the Privy Council in London, which serves as the highest court of appeal in Jamaica and other Commonwealth countries.

His defence team argued that a juror accused of trying to bribe others should have been thrown off his trial.

The London court agreed with Kartel’s case and ruled in March that the decision not to remove the juror made the conviction unsafe. The judges said it was “fatal to the safety of the convictions which followed” and “an infringement of the [defendants’] fundamental right to a fair hearing”.

On Wednesday, Justice Marva McDonald-Bishop, one of three judges sitting at Jamaica’s Court of Appeal, said they had weighed up the “egregious nature and seriousness of the offence” against the passage of time, lack of access to witnesses and evidence and the huge expense of a retrial.

She also said Kartel was in “declining health” and a new trial would have an impact on his physical and mental wellbeing.

“We conclude that the interests of justice do not require a new trial,” she said, adding that Kartel and his co-defendants were formally acquitted.

According to the BBC news agency, there was heavy security at the courthouse in Jamaica’s capital, Kingston, and the hearing was closely watched across the country.

Vybz Kartel

About Vybz Kartel

Vybz Kartel is known as one of Jamaica’s most popular artists and has collaborated with performers such as Jay-Z, Eminem and Rihanna.

His best-known hits include Clarks, Ramping Shop and Summer Time, and his success led to him launching lines of shoes, alcohol and condoms.

The singer also became the first dancehall artist to star in his own reality TV show, Teacha’s Pet.

Seani B, who presents 1Xtra’s Dancehall Show, tells BBC Newsbeat Kartel’s release represents “a mammoth day for Jamaica, a mammoth day for dancehall music, and a mammoth day for the Jamaica judicial system”.

“He’s easily one of the biggest dancehall artists in Jamaica,” Seani says.

“And for the last 14 years, Kartel has probably become even more infamous. Now on his release, I would say he’s returned to a space that’s been awaiting him for so many years.

“There’s a whole new generation of dancehall fans that are just waiting for Vybz Kartel’s return to that music.”

Seani was DJing at Boxpark in Croydon, south London, on Wednesday and says he was on his phone backstage listening to the court’s ruling.

“When it was announced, it was jubilant.

“It’s a relief for a lot of people but at the same time, we’ve got to think about the family of the person that was murdered so many years ago.”

Source: BBC News

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Returning to the UK a “No Go” for Prince Harry and Meghan

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Prince Harry and Meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan - Facebook Image

A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claim that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle do not want to return permanently to the United Kingdom. Prince Harry will stay stationed in the United States, where he resides with his wife and their children.

It is known that worries about his and his family’s safety in the UK still exist.

According to the BBC, Prince Harry and Meghan are also unlikely to wish to abandon the business and charitable endeavours they developed while residing in the US.

There have been rumours of a disgruntled prince in California, who is getting close to turning forty and is unhappy with his life among the unrooted rich, trying to re-establish ties with his former life in the UK before he resigned as a working royal.

However, reliable sources have asserted a different story, stating that a return to royal life in the UK is not likely.

They contend that Prince Harry can visit the UK again and is just as capable of funding his charitable endeavours and charities from the US.

He flew back to the US after visiting the UK last week for his uncle’s memorial ceremony.

Claims that Prince Harry and Prince William had not talked throughout the church service in Norfolk, despite their growing frigid distance from one another, accounted for a large portion of the attention around the ceremony.

Prince Harry appeared to have maintained strong ties to the late Lord Robert Fellowes, who was Princess Diana’s brother-in-law on the Spencer side of the family.

The prince was spotted beside his Spencer family members during an Invictus Games service held at St. Paul’s Cathedral earlier this summer. Senior royals were not present at the event.

As soon as it was known that King Charles had cancer, the prince swiftly left for the UK, meeting briefly with his father in London.

There have also been excursions to London’s legal courts, when he fought the tabloids over allegations of illegal information collecting.

His security status in the UK is the subject of a continuing, intricate legal battle with the Home Office that has become a contentious topic in any conversation of a return.

The prince stated that he wouldn’t “bring my wife back to this country” in an interview with ITV because he was afraid for their safety.

But now that the pair has made such a public exit from royal life in the UK—in a Netflix movie and his book Spare—there will undoubtedly be speculative discussions about what will happen to them next.

Prince Harry and Meghan could reside anywhere in the virtual world if they didn’t have a royal duty; currently, that’s WFC (where they work from California).

In addition to their charitable endeavours, Meghan has teased a lifestyle cooking business on social media.

Though it is difficult to imagine they won’t want to stir up more than pots of jam given the impending US presidential election and the likelihood that topics they have brought up, including internet disinformation, would likely be debatable.

There have been other visits as well, most notably to Colombia, but they had so many of the hallmarks of a royal visit that it made one wonder whether they were actually travelling back to the world of the royals they were trying to leave behind.

There will be more inquiries about Prince Harry’s long-term future job as his 40th birthday draws near and there is a great deal of public curiosity.

Related News:

Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family

Prince Harry Opens Up About Emotional Distance in Royal Family

 

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Uk Weather: Thunderstorm warning for England and East Wales

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Uk Weather Thunderstorm warning for England and East Wales

Uk Weather: Forecasters have issued warnings for thunderstorms and heavy showers for Sunday, protecting a significant portion of England and portions of eastern Wales from the potential for severe weather.

According to the Met Office, the phenomenon could cause “a small chance of flooding and disruption” in some regions. At four o’clock British Summer Time, the yellow warning that urges people to “be aware” goes into effect, encompassing significant portions of southern England, the Midlands, and the north.

Forecasters are warning that thunderstorms and heavy rain are expected to develop in the southern region of England on Sunday morning and move northward during the day.

In England, the warning applies to a region located in the middle of the nation, stretching from the Isle of Wight to Newcastle upon Tyne. The warning has been issued for the counties of Monmouthshire, Newport, Torfaen, and Wrexham, which are located in the eastern part of Wales.

The Metropolitan Office has warned of flooding and stated that “frequent lightning strikes and hail will be additional hazards” across the southern and central regions of England.

The BBC Weather predicts that the United Kingdom will see a swarm of warm and humid air coming from the south-eastern direction until Sunday. In addition, a series of intense rainstorms will sweep northward over the central spine of England and east Wales.

In the event that these thunderstorms do materialize, there is a possibility that they will be accompanied by intense, gusty winds, lightning, and heavy rain. However, it is also possible that they may be fairly sporadic.

In spite of the fact that pinpointing the precise areas of these showers is rather difficult, it is recommended that you remain current with the most recent prediction since it is subject to change, as stated by BBC weather.

There is a possibility that temperatures may reach as high as 27 degrees Celsius in some regions of south-eastern England as a result of the warmer and more humid air. Temperatures will range from the low to the middle of the 20s Celsius in many locations.

Source: BBC

 

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UK Immigration Raids Increase Risks of Exploitation for Undocumented Migrants

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UK Immigration Raids Increase Risks of Exploitation for Undocumented Migrants

In a growing chorus of concern, over 80 charities, including prominent organizations like Care4Calais, City of Sanctuary UK, and Anti-Slavery International, have called on the Home Secretary to overhaul the UK’s immigration policies.

Their joint letter, coordinated by Migrant Voice, criticizes the government’s recent intensification of immigration raids and deportations, arguing that these measures are exacerbating the risks faced by undocumented migrants.

The letter, sent on Friday, highlights the increasing danger of exploitation faced by migrants who are driven further underground by aggressive enforcement actions.

These policies, they argue, not only fail to address the root causes of undocumented status but also make migrants more vulnerable to abuse by unscrupulous employers and human trafficking gangs.

On August 27, the Home Office announced the results of a week-long “intensive operation” targeting illegal working, which saw 275 premises investigated and 135 issued notices for employing undocumented workers.

Despite the government’s assertion that such operations aim to protect vulnerable individuals, the raids led to the detention of 85 “illegal workers.”

The situation has been compounded by a recent record-breaking deportation event. Earlier this month, the government deported over 200 individuals to Brazil, marking the largest single deportation flight on record.

Since the Labour government came to power, there have been at least nine such deportation charter flights.

Nazek Ramadan, Director of Migrant Voice, criticized the government’s approach, stating, “Immigration raids and deportations do not address the fundamental issue that many individuals become undocumented through no fault of their own.

Errors in paperwork or poor communication from the Home Office can result in people losing their status overnight.”

Ramadan advocates for a policy shift towards regularisation, arguing that it would be more cost-effective and beneficial for the economy than current detention and deportation practices.

“Rather than penalising people for their undocumented status, the government should simplify the process for them to regain documented status,” Ramadan suggested.

Many undocumented individuals have established lives and families in the UK, having lived in the country for years or even decades.

The letter contends that regularisation would not only reduce the financial burden of detention and deportation but also boost economic growth by enabling these individuals to contribute more fully to the economy.

“The raids are very traumatising,” Ramadan added. “People who are already vulnerable are becoming more so, retreating further underground. This policy has been tried and failed by many governments.

Regularisation offers a better solution, allowing people to come out of the shadows and live normal lives.”

The Home Office has been contacted for comment on the letter’s allegations and the ongoing concerns raised by the charities.

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