Jamaica killings set new record

The authorities in Jamaica say that more than 1,100 people were murdered during the past year - an increase of nearly 30% over the previous 12 months, and the highest ever recorded in a single year.

A police spokesman Detective Sergeant Jubert Llewellyn blamed the increase on the influx of drugs, and said that Jamaica was being increasingly used by traffickers as a trans-shipment point.

Another factor was fighting between gangs of political activists in the capital, Kingston. The worst outbreak of inter-gang fighting erupted in the capital in May, leaving 71 dead in several weeks of violence.

In July, another 28 were killed in gunfights when police and soldiers moved in to restore order.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service