Good afternoon I am Andrea Chisholm with the midday news a special welcome if
you're watching on 1spotmedia.com we begin with the news coming out of the
United States Donald Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen has testified
that the US president was aware of Roger stones efforts to reach out to WikiLeaks
before its release of damaging information about Hillary Clinton's
presidential campaign that's according to a copy of his public
set testimony submitted to Congress Tuesday night in a stunning two-page
State twenty page statement Cohan detailed a number of allegations against
Trump from making racist statements about african-americans to participating
in an illegal hush money scheme I am ashamed of my weakness and my misplaced
loyalty of the things I did for mr. Trump in an effort to protect and
promote him I am ashamed that I chose to take part in concealing mr. Trump's
illicit acts rather than listening to my own conscience I am ashamed because I
know what mr. Trump is he is a racist he is a con man and he is a cheat meanwhile
House Oversight Committee Chair Elijah Cummings says further investigations
will be carried out mr. Coyne testimony raises grave questions about the
legality of Donald Trump's president and Trump's conduct and the truthfulness of
statements while he was president we need to assess and investigate this new
evidence as we uphold our constitutional constitutional our oversight
responsibilities and we will continue after today to gather more documents and
testimony in our search for the truth
scores of a petrol jam employees attended yesterday's meeting with their
trade unions to discuss the future of the state-run oil refinery it was
triggered by uncertainty over whether the entity will shut down our or
downsize its operations it was revealed last week that a 34 million US dollar
valuation of petro jam is based on assumptions that the refinery would be
closed by the end of the year and 70 percent of workers sent home general
secretary of the union of clerical administrative and supervisory employees
John levy says the workers gave instructions to their unions to early
media the minister whichever the minister
response they want us to give them some assurance which at this time we could be
challenged to give them any major assurance what we swore to is that we
will continue to advocate on their behalf because they want to maintain
their jobs and they want to continue to give service and they want to protect
the interests of petrol job in the best way possible so we have been mandated to
get a meeting with ministers early as possible and we have already indicated
written to the minister seeking an audience with her understand that she
was at the plant yesterday she didn't give any commitment she maybe was just
on a preliminary introduction so to speak but we want to hear some hard cold
facts from the minister the pomace Cross Development Committee has begun talks
with several stakeholders about the way forward for the Cross primary and junior
high in Clarendon after another student was more down at the center of
discussions an overhead bridge to help students cross the busy thoroughfare we
have details in this report letme year old El Janeiro mowed down at
the intersection of seven across and the basta Monti highway in Clarendon last
Monday and again there are talks about making the area safer for students the
fatal crash happened near the entrance to the cross primary and junior high
school president of the Palmer's cross Community Development Committee CDC
Rumia Mitchell says the plan is to prevent a recurrence of al Gina's story
what we put on a table is that we want for now a warden and to cross the
children in the mornings and in the evenings and we really need a specific
time between 7:00 a.m. to about 9:00 a.m. the one scientist say slow down
we want these signs to be implemented in the radius of a hundred a hundred feet
and caught on speed limit would like to see the police coming out - also - to
give support with the wardens even though a request was made for wardens to
assist students crossing the busy roadway mr. Mitchell says an overhead
bridge is what is really needed in the community definitely the long term would
be the bridge the entire community is lobbying for the bridge and that is what
is really needed we must protect our children let us ensure as a people that
there are no more baby adrianna ensure that never again our
children after withstand the onslaught of our ravaging motor vehicle meanwhile
the CDC has organized the 4k Run Walk which will begin at the school to help
with Audrina's funeral expenses this is on the 10th of next month March that is
and it starts at 7:00 a.m. it starts at the cross primary and infant school and
it goes down to the goes down to Paisley Avenue and comes back up and ends right
at the school Prince more TVJ news still in Clarendon the principal of Claude
McKay high is to attend court on March 19 to respond to an allegation that he
beat and injured a 13 year old student earlier this month the Frank Field
Police and the Education Ministry have been investigating the matter which was
reported by the boy mother the boy's mother Shaniqua Ferran
said he arrived home crying on February 13 complaining of being in pain she said
her son told her that the principal beat him with an electrical pipe it resulted
in scars and swelling on his legs TVJ news was informed that Miss Ferran son
was among eight boys being disciplined for playing on the school compound
during class time there's a call for Education Minister ready to come clean
about the national school feeding program in particular the distribution
of nutrients and other items chairman of the PNP Education Commission Alain
Foster Allen says some school principals have been raising concerns about the
program she says these principals have made reports but nothing has been done
about the situation eight children in the school 24 bottles and 24 nuclear
bombs 48 children on on top 24 bottles of water and 24 so that would work out
at half a bottle of water and half a nuclear bomb there's another call this
afternoon for the National Water Commission to urgently address a sewage
problem in a residential community residents over phase 1 in the jelly's
housing scheme say raw sewage has been flowing on the street as well as in
their homes they say they have made the issue they have had the issue two times
before
and I'm having problem with it no all the fields are in my horse right now in
addition to the stench they fear the associated health issues that may follow
a maid's another push from the government to resume the islands railway
service the islands leading training institution is moving ahead with plans
to train persons already working in that industry the hard trust NTA says it's
partnering with bauxite company chisca el part in saint elizabeth to help 110
of its employees as well as the draft younger person's representatives from
the two entities signed an MoU on Wednesday signaling the move not only
the mining and quarrying industry but for investments that we know is under
horizon for the industrial park at our heart one of the major areas that we are
looking at is the training and certification of persons in railroad and
tract maintenance we in doing our gap analysis we realized that there was no
formal certification for these persons because I've been working in the mining
personnel but I wasn't certified I'm qualifying my ear off skill
to the best of my ability wonderful for me the training and certification
program is estimated to cost two million dollars and will help advance the
bauxite company's planned expansion of its railway service over 200 young
entrepreneurs from across Central Jamaica benefited from a youth
entrepreneurship seminar held in Mandeville Manchester recently the
seminar is to provide young people entrepreneurs with the opportunity to
start their own businesses the program also marked the final lap of
training for 20 young women in key areas of entrepreneurship 10 were awarded
grants of $75,000 each to either start or develop their businesses the project
was funded by the Canada Fund for local initiative whose program manager mr.
Kevin explained why his country got involved in that initiative to deal with
community issues and to betterment of local communities again we've been
involved with Mandeville before this is not our first time it's not our first
time with young men and women with purpose a purpose excuse me we're
pleased to be back they are a fine example of the type of organizations we
like to fund because they work on helping young people particularly women
and girls to be change agents for their communities and a time now for a preview
of what's coming up in this evenings health report in the next edition of the
health report we look at how the flu virus affects surgeries the antigenic
shift is where you have a major change in the
DNA of the virus all right and that causes epidemics so that is an important
thing in public health that's the health report this evening in primetime news
and now for today's healthy living tip alert your surgeon if you are sick eat a
well-balanced diet stay hydrated and wash your hands frequently with soap and
water in international news British Prime Minister Theresa May has proposed
giving the Parliament a vote on a No Deal brexit we have details from the CNN
with just over a month to go before brexit when the UK is scheduled to leave
the EU time is running out Parliament is still in gridlock over how to leave or
even whether to leave the EU the Prime Minister is resolute saying her plan for
withdrawal is the best choice to guarantee a brexit on schedule arguing
that asking the EU to delay the exit will not solve anything and goes against
the will of the people let me be clear I do not want to see article 50 extended
absolute focus should be on working to get a deal and leaving on the 29th of
March the next few weeks a crunch time for Teresa May and her government and
now there is a shift in position from both the major parties Theresa May has
laid out a new strategy for the UK to leave the EU first we will hold a second
meaningful vote by Tuesday the 12th of March at the latest second if the
government has not won a meaningful vote by Tuesday the 12th of March by
Wednesday the 13th of March at the latest asking this house if it supports
leaving the EU without a withdrawal agreement
if the house having rejected leaving with the deal negotiated with the EU
then rejects leaving on the 29th of March without a withdrawal agreement in
future framework the government will on the 14th of March bring forward a motion
on whether Parliament wants to seek a short limited extension to article 50
the Labour Party insists its brexit plan for a closer relationship with the EU
involving a customs union and close alignment with a single market is a
better plan for Britain
at sports time England reached 344 three three hundred and forty four four three
after forty four overs against the West Indies in the fourth one day
international at the Grenada National Stadium after being sent in to bat Jos
Bala is leading the way with 98 Jamaican O'Shane Thomas has taken to 474 for the
Caribbean side the five match series is locked at 1-1 the fifth and final ODI
will be on Saturday in st. Lucia and that's the midday news Amanda Chisholm
join us at 7:00 for the prime time news package on behalf of the news sports and
production teams good afternoon