UK steps up Jamaica evacuation flights

Britain is stepping up efforts to evacuate its nationals from hurricane-battered Jamaica, chartering flights for Brits and immediate family with valid documents while prioritising children and those with medical needs. As many as 8,000 British nationals are believed to be on the island, where at least five people have died, homes are wrecked and flooding is widespread. Jamaica remains largely without power, though Kingston’s airport has reopened and aid and commercial flights are resuming. Local officials say shelters housing about 13,000 people will stay open, and warn the death toll may rise.