good afternoon I'm Milton Walker with the midday news a special welcome if you
trapped at the center of a geopolitical tug of war between China and the United
States China has established itself firmly in Jamaica in recent times
particularly through infrastructure projects it's playing a major part in
building government's legacy projects including roads and bridges so on
Tuesday the parliamentary opposition wanted to know if US President Donald
Trump had raised objections to the Chinese influence in Jamaica the
questions followed a high profile meeting involving President Trump and
prime minister Andrew Holness and other Caribbean
recently I want to just be clear on that there was no discussion in the meeting
with President Trump about any sanctions for Chinese companies whether they be in
steel or construction or whatever
Prime Minister Holness also explained why accepted the meeting with the Trump
from our perspective it is better that Jamaica is always at the table than not
it is better mr. speaker that Jamaica's voice is not muted and I believe that
our boys words will hurt and I believe that Jamaica is in a better position
local government minister Desmond McKenzie is issuing a stern warning to
beneficiaries of housing units which were built by the Manchester Municipal
Corporation speaking as a recent handing over ceremony in Hatfield Manchester mr.
McKenzie said the units are only four persons were desperately in need the
Younger them command and then bring them caution and because of brandy uncle our
next thing when you're them put them all Terios
these are not facilities for young people these are for those that is
desperately in need the recipients of the units included residents of the
Manchester golden age home as well as persons who lived on the streets of
Mandeville the one-bedroom units have a total value of 6 million dollars another
protest this afternoon against the government's plans to use agricultural
lands for housing developments president of the Jamaica Agricultural Society Len
worth Fulton says he's determined to fight for the already limited arable
farm lands even as he supports the government's recent announcement of a
massive housing development in Port Morris and Catherine T BJ's krysta
Campbell reports 27 percent of lands suitable for farming now down to an
estimated 19 point eight percent and the Agriculture Ministry has announced plans
to use even more farm lands to build houses newly elected president of the
Jamaica agricultural society Land Fulton says he's prepared to fight to
prevent what he says could be a national crisis
if prime agricultural lands continue to be used for other purposes
Manchester's the era where we're Antony was what was developed untested
Manchester used to provide the best easy peel fruit the best tangerine would come
from Manchester all of these glorious opportunities have
been removed by mining and secondly that is a firstly that is a man-made disaster
the second man-made disaster is putting on the best pieces of land as for the
recently announced 17,000 housing solution in Portman Katherine the Jas
president says he supports the move as something that's needed in the sunshine
city however he wants the government to take caution and so the a marginal lands
in Port more lands that are to say lying for good agriculture now that it can't
do agriculture but you will use three and four times the amount of water that
you need for average agriculture on those lands and now that we don't have
crops that can grow on them the coconut itself and many other crops can
withstand some level of salinity so we need to plan he was speaking to farmers
in Manchester this week krysta Campbell TVJ news the College of
Agriculture science and education case in Paisley Gardens Portland is no target
in the Agra processing industry in a bid to develop the parish's primary products
for the market case president Derrick des landes made the announcement
recently at a Rotary Club meeting cases undertaken two main projects one is
geared towards expanding crop productions
at least 100 flowers will be engaged in this project the second project is
upgrading of the water supply in several communities this after the latest update
from the Met Office confirms that job conditions will remain in the parish the
Portland Rotary Club has donated 10 million dollars towards both projects
which should cost 17 million dollars over 10,000 residents from several
Manchester communities never have access to free water with the opening of a 20
thousand gallon water shop in the Belfield division local government
minister Desmond McKenzie opened the facility as part of efforts to address
what has been a chronic water shortage problem for about 90 percent of the
division for decades the water be free to the residents for Atlee will be free
to the residents for at least a year but councillor Mario Mitchell says he will
be pursuing a more permanent fix so residents will so that is represented by
the belfry division you have Bombay there banana grown we have David turn we
have new Preston we have coffee go we have Blue Mountain we have Belfield none
of these companies have pipe water and the local government ministers
he will consider a suggestion from central Manchester MP Peter bunting that
existing water infrastructure the Kurt vine alumina plant be considered as a
more permanent water source for the area
future if we redeploy that water infrastructure to supply these
communities it would be transformational in terms of the quality of life
meanwhile central Manchester MP Peter bunting wants the garbage collection
component of the national solid waste management authorities operations to be
decentralized speaking at the recent opening of the Belfield water
distribution facility in Manchester he explained that Municipal Corporations
would be better at managing garbage collection which continues to be a
sticking point in many communities
centers etc and there's a more technical side of it and I think I would have any
problem with them continuing to operate Alec what a municipal cooperation will
be more responsive to the citizens when they call and say belphin High School
has a mountain of garbage in front and garbage has B you can be sure that cones
LaMichael would ensure that if the Pirates cones are as we say noted the
municipal corporation would respond very quickly to that situation
a woman is now homeless after fire destroyed their two-bedroom house in
Bonnie gate Saint Mary yesterday morning about 9:00 o'clock
residents saw the building on fire and called the fire brigade one unit from
the Port Maria Fire Station responded but could only do cooling operations as
the damage was already done TVJ News understands that no nose at home at the
time of the I was important area
I left always having to put my boat iya tock clock are so maybe after 9:00 I get
the car said to come Carla fabricated because meiosis unfair
where each OPA the fire brigade was already here times the people will call
him and near buzz to Aussies were in the yard mine burned flat and the other one
is all right and so everybody will it's not clear how the fire started
Tamika Clarke who lived in the house as nothing was saved I lost everything that
a host could ever have him I lost everything only the clothes I'm
Ibaka how I was when I came here I was burned flat already um Linda neighbors
who saw the fire I could only try to see him the other also nobody couldn't
really investigate what was that mean I'm alive anyway but how do you love so
my sister on to get back on my feet thanks to anybody who can really assist
East Portland caretaker Damien Crawford has started free CXC math classes in the
constituency as was promised during campaigning for the recent by-election
he was defeated by the Jo Dee's and Marie Vaz
in the April 4 by-election nonetheless the classes were held over the weekend
at three different locations where more than 3,300 students attended I try to
share my knowledge I have a reasonable grasp of mathematics and so therefore
because the sexy mathematics is one of the most difficult subject or most
feared subject I've always tried since I was 24 to have a math camp saw or
anything for free this class is good I've seen a lot of students who are not
in level grade only but starting from seven going up and I
think this is a good opportunity for these students because they can be
acknowledged of the field of mathematics so when they reach the 6e time they can
be knowledgeable of the work that they are going to do in the maths class a
class that is boys because as I said before he Stoops down to the level so
you can understand so he interacts with the boys mostly we like he implements
everyday life situations which boys can relate to and here's a preview of what's
coming up in this evenings Health Report in the next edition of the health report
we look at diabetes parents must resist the temptation to introduce their
children to fast foods on a regular basis in my opinion fast food should be
a treat possible twice per year but this regular ingestion of salty sugary and
fatty food is a guarantee for long term complications as a result of obesity
that's the Health Report this evening in primetime news and now for today's
healthy living tip eat less salt eat less red and processed meat eat more
fruits and vegetables and cut down on added sugar fast food a treat well let's
go on to sports the Jamaica international invitation on me will not
be replaced on the local calendar and will return to the local track and field
scene next year last word from general secretary of the Jamaica athletics
Administrative Association the j-3 is Garth Gale who spoke to TV Jays sports
on Tuesday Garth Gale the j3s general secretary gave a guarantee that future
stagings of the Jamaica International Invitational meet will be held after it
was revealed on Monday that this weekend's a 16th staging was canceled
because of budgetary constraints so I would want to be give
guarantee that the stage in for 2020 will be on he added that going forward
the me that has a budget of approximately one hundred and eighty
million dollars will have its issues resolved by the committee no no no they
would not be the need for any program to fill the void because I guarantee you
that the committee will be working ever so hard to ensure that what the
situation this year does not befall then next year Gail was speaking on Tuesday
at the launch of the 36th the staging of the JTA sadja core national athletic
championships held at the JT's headquarters president of the Jamaica
limpets Association Christopher Zamora who was the guest speaker says it's
important for the JOA to land it's the support to the championships and says
it's not too early for student-athletes to take an interest and have a say in
their careers we are seeing two young people have some sort of awareness of
your own body take some interest in your career you own it others of course will
allow you and will shape it but you altima to have the responsibility for
your future and therefore you must take it in your hands the national Athletics
Championships for primary and junior high schools is set for May 24 and 25 at
the national stadium Sajha core increased the their title sponsorship
this year to 6.5 million dollars along with their annual educational
scholarships to the overall champion boy and girl Sajha core will also be
providing a one-time educational grant to the champion male and female from
each parish total in 1.3 million dollars the adrenalin twins attea and Tina
Clayton are the patron of the meet st. Andrew are the defending champions
Denise Walters 40 VG sports that's the media news I'm Milton Walker join us at
7:00 for primetime news on behalf the newest sports and production teams good
afternoon
you