October 30, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Another murder on the island; Antonio Pagoada shot dead in San Mateo
The senseless murder of 44-year-old Nieves Antonio Pagoada has San Pedro Police on high alert as they try solving this latest homicide on the island. Since then, police have identified a few persons of interest who they believe can assist them in solving Pagoada’s murder, along with the previous which took the life of Gillett by an unknown shooter as well. In an effort to prevent any more violent incidents, the San Pedro Police Formation will be engaged in a strict operation against a potential spike in crime on the island. As a result, members of the Gang Suppression Unit, along with other security agencies from the mainland will be assisting the local force on the island in their preventative campaign. “We will have a major increase in patrols throughout the island in order to thwart any future illicit activity and bring back the order in San Pedro,” said Deputy Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit Henry Jemmott. He once again asked the general public to assist the police in any way they can, so together they can continue keeping Ambergris Caye attractive and safe for residents and visitors alike.

Local authorities lay plans to alleviate traffic during high season
Downtown traffic congestion can be a chaotic situation, and with more vehicles and golf carts on the island, the problem just keeps growing. Chris Nuñez, head of the SPTD, said that he and his team are working on a plan that will monitor the amount of town traffic until the late hours of the night. “We are planning to have traffic wardens doing night shifts in order to further monitor the flow of traffic,” said Nuñez. “With the high season fast approaching, we are aware of the increase in traffic, therefore, we want to also increase our presence on the streets and maintain safety at all times.” Nuñez added that it is during the evening hours and into the night that more monitoring needs to be done as that is when people are mostly driving in town as they head to restaurants or bars to recreate. “Another crucial component that will help us, will be the joint work with the police in case we need their assistance in law breaking scenarios,” he said. Another issue that comes along with traffic is when numerous tourists complain that traffic wardens issue them tickets on their first offence. Nuñez indicated that the SPTD is working to alleviate this problem by emphasizing good hospitality. “Every morning we have our sessions, and we encourage our wardens to practice good customer service and public relations, especially with our visitors. We are aware that our street signage is not the best, and it has caused a lot of tourists to complain because they get ticketed. We will be also be encouraging rental companies to give tourists adequate information in regards to traffic regulations. But we try our best to tell our wardens to give our visitors a break and educate them instead. We’re hoping to have a good season this year,” said Nuñez.

Patrick Faber hopes to reach compromise with teacher’s salaries
Following the 11-day strike by the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), both teachers and students returned to the classrooms on October 19th. Before and after the strike, Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, informed the members of the BNTU that their salaries would be adjusted if they participated. However, after negotiating with BNTU President, Luke Palacio, Faber has offered two proposals in support of teachers receiving their complete salary for the month of October. The first proposal stated that Palacio should use the BNTU’s Strike Fund to finance some teachers’ salaries, and the other proposal states that the MOE will pay the teachers in full whilst demanding that they put in extra hours to make up for time lost in the classrooms. “If we find agreement then the Ministry will proceed with paying full salaries for the teachers on strike on the condition that the BNTU will repay the government from its strike fund the agreed portion that BNTU would be responsible to meet for the teachers who are on strike,” Faber stated in a letter dated October 21st.

DOE orders shut down of Captain Morgan’s Retreat; Heredia intervenes for extension
The San Pedro Sun was informed by Deputy Executive Office for the Coastal Executive Unit, Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott that the police “assisted the Department of Environment (DOE) to shut down Captain Morgan’s Retreat, located three and a half miles North of San Pedro Town, entire operations on Tuesday, October 18th.” This information led to an investigation, which revealed that Captain Morgan’s has been in non-compliance with the DOE for several years due to improperly installed sewer waste treatment system. A meeting then took place between Chief Environmental Officer of the DOE Martin Alegria, and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. to discuss a way forward with Captain Morgan’s. In that meeting, the relevant parties reached a compromise, allowing Captain Morgan’s to remain open. Minister Heredia explained to The San Pedro Sun that he asked the DOE to extend their deadline, saying that the situation was just a misunderstanding. “Captain Morgan’s was not shut down. They were going to be shut down because they had be given a timeframe to be able to fix their sewer waste treatment system. They have done some of the work, but they have not complied with the timeframe given. I asked the DOE to let us give them a little more time, and if we see that they are not complying, I will not even lift a finger because it is more than sufficient time for them to get it completed,” said Heredia.

Newlywed couple donates school supplies to town library
The San Pedro Town Public Library received a generous donation of much-needed school supplies and swim toys on Tuesday, October 25th. From crayons to paint, markers, pencils, highlighters, books, and even backpacks, the library welcomed the donations from Rick and Leahann Bernstein. According to Library Assistant Marlene Coral, the Bernsteins visited her previously, and asked her to write a list of school supplies that the library needed. The couple recently tied the knot on Sunday, October 23rd at Caribbean Villas, and they decided to make their wedding a bit more interesting. Instead of asking for wedding gifts, the Bernsteins asked their invited guests to bring school supplies that would be donated to the library instead. With much support from their family and friends, more than two large suitcases were packed with school supplies. For the Bernsteins, the children in San Pedro have a unique charm in them, which they compare to the beauty of the island. “We fell in love with everything about Ambergris Caye, and I love the idea that all of the kids from the different school come to the library. For many of them, the library is the only place they have access to the internet, and we like knowing that this is the place that a little bit goes a long way. We are also very happy to have shared these experiences with our friends who did not know of Belize,” said the Bernsteins.

Misc Belizean Sources

Halloween Events in San Pedro
Here are the upcoming fun Halloween events this week~ Thurs. & Fri. 6-9pm Haunted House at Wayo's, Benefits Food Bank, Hope Haven, Kid's Club & Literacy Program Fri. 7pm Trivia for Red Cross at Crazy Canuck's~ dress in costume to support Red Cross Sat. 9pm- 4am Holiday Hotel Halloween Party $15. (They say no charge if your costume is good enough!) Sunday 11am Saga Halloween Party ~ dress your pup up!! Mon. 5pm-9pm Black Orchid 5th Annual Halloween Social ~ for kids & adults Candy for the kids, drink specials for adults in costume, or come as you are, but be there or be square!!!

2016 Halloween Party at Holiday Hotel
Several photos...

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/Run!
San Pedro Town residents joined the thousands of Belizeans countrywide at Saturday's Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/Run! A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out to support!

And off they go! Welcome to Belize WestJet!
Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. Minister of Tourism & Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation alongside Director of Tourism Mrs. Karen Karen P. Bevans getting ready to board the Toronto to Belize 1st WestJet Flight.

CARICOM Secretariat in Collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Belize holds National Consultation On the Draft CARICOM Regional Education
The Ministry of Education, Youth Sports and Culture, Belize is pleased to collaborate with the CARICOM Secretariat in holding Belize’s National Consultation on the draft CARICOM Regional Education and Human Resource Development Strategy 2030 on 31 October, 2016 at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. The consultation will include, inter alia, Ministries of Education, Youth,Health and other relevant areas; Labour, the Private Sector; youth and students; tertiary level institutions. The CARICOM Human Resource Development (HRD) Commission was mandated, among other things, to: “Develop a Regional Education and Human Resource Development 2030 Strategy that would adopt a holistic approach to the transformation of education and which would, inter alia, ensure the continual alignment of education and training with the emerging academic, technical and personal/social skills and attitudes required for the 21st Century labour market and society; and also make more efficient use of regional resources to develop and implement solutions to the identified challenges. Important in this regard is capacity building for Research and Development. Culture should be a guiding principle in achieving the aforementioned and particular emphasis should be placed on the perspectives of children and youth, fostering creativity, innovativeness and entrepreneurship from the earliest levels;”

Forest Department Responds to Human-Jaguar Encounters
In response to the recent reports of jaguar sightings and attacks on livestock in the Laguna and Yemeri Grove areas, Toledo District, a Forest Department response team has been dispatched to assist farmers and ranchers in livestock husbandry techniques to prevent loss of livestock. The team, consisting of wildlife conservation experts, are also monitoring hotspots and conducting public awareness in these communities in order to better mitigate and reduce human-jaguar conflicts. Forest Department/Panthera representative, Ms. Shanelly Carrillo, explained that even-though jaguars are recognized as an important flagship species both for conservation and tourism, farmers often see them as a nuisance. She noted that with the continuous expansion of farming communities into once pristine forested areas, there is an increasing likelihood of jaguar encounters. Apart from their shrinking habitats, the jaguars’ dwindling natural food sources due to overhunting have also forced them to seek other alternatives outside of the protected areas. Consequently, they pose a direct threat to livestock and other domesticated animals. In some instances, these human-jaguar conflicts lead to the retaliatory killing by residents.

Cancer walk this morning...

MURDER IN BELIZE CITY
Shortly before 7pm, shots rang out on South Creek near Bucks Barbershop. We can confirm that at least two persons were shot; one man is dead and the other is listed in a critical condition at the KHMH. George Young a.k.a Jaro (pictured) was inside the barbershop when he was fatally shot. The other person in the hospital has been identified as Abraham Craig. We received reports that the suspect in this latest homicide has already been picked up by police. Police are processing the scene.

Expofer Chetumal
Belize has arrived! Cecil "Cocono Bwai" Jenkins and Lirahunu Satuye Dance Group will be among the Belizean performers at Expofer Chetumal tonight! It will be Cocono Bwai's first in international performance...

Artist Service Day at Stann Creek House of Culture
Up early and ready to work in Dangriga!

WestJet Inaugural Flight Ceremony!

The Reporter

BTL rolls out Hypernet service to Los Lagos
Residents in the Los Lagos community now have access to high speed internet connection via fiber-optic cables, through Belize Telemidia Limited’s Hypernet service. BTL held the official launch of the service today, with a ceremony within the community. The service, available for residential use only, marks the first time BTL has laid infrastructure in the area. Product executive, Janine Salazar, said that the service brings internet speeds if five, 10, and 12 megabytes, to an area that previously could only get up to 2meg, due to the wireless connection. “We chose the areas that we did because we wanted to take the service into areas where we didn’t previously have infrastructure,” Salazar explained. She added that Los Lagos is the third area to receive the service under the phased rollout: the first two being in Corozal and Orange Walk. BTL is planning to take the service to the Hollywood and New World areas next.

BNTU rally in Belize City
Teachers from all over the country gathered in Belize City today for a solidarity rally with the Belize National Teacher’s Union (BNTU). The BNTU marched through the streets this morning, starting at their office on Coney Drive and ending at the Fort George Memorial Park. BNTU President Luke Palacio engaged the teachers, to remind them that the overall goal is a better Belize. Palacio said that one of the major reasons for today’s rally is to express their dissatisfaction with the way the Minister Education, and it’s Minister Patrick Faber, has been dealing with the teachers post-strike. “We want to remind you that the strike is only on hold, and if you rub we the wrong way then you di ask for it,” Palacio said. ” Our teachers are ready to walk out of the classrooms.”

Stakeholders discuss barriers to accessing HIV-related healthcare services
Representatives from the Government, youth and regional organizations, gathered at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel Saturday morning, to discuss the various barriers that prohibit persons from accessing healthcare services related to HIV. Entities such as the Ministry of Health, and the Department of Youth Services attended the event, which was organized by the National AIDS Commission and in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Program on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS). Cedriann Martin UNAIDS, communications advisor, shared the results of two surveys: the first was a public opinion survey on a range of sexual reproductive health, rights, discrimination; and the other was the Belize sample data of an online survey done with men who have sex with men (MSM) around the Caribbean.

BELIFA holds health fair
The Belize Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (BELIFA) held a health fair in Belize City Saturday, as a part of its activities commemorating Life Insurance Awareness Week. The Association teamed up with several other organizations, including the Belize Family Life Association, the Kidney Association of Belize, the Diabetes Association of Belize, and the Health Education and Community Participation Bureau (HECOPAB), to hold the fair at the Lions Club parking lot on Princess Margaret Drive from 9:00 a.m., to 4:00 p.m. At the fair, the participating organizations offered free tests for blood sugar levels, kidney function, blood pressure and HIV. They also offered information on various non-communicable and communicable diseases, and tips for eating healthy. President of BELIFA, Shawn Smith, explained that her organization decided on the health fair as a means of reminding their customers and the public at large about the importance of good health when applying for coverage.

Breaking Belize News

Man shot dead in Belize City
Eight shots were fired an hour ago near Buck’s Barbershop in the North Creek area of Belize City. When the shots were fired one male individual was left dead on the scene. Police have not released his identity but they have confirmed that this […]

Fourth San Pedro murder in a month, police suspect drug war
There has been an estimated three murders in San Pedro for this month. However, last night the fourth was recorded. Antonio Paguda, 41, was shot multiple times by a lone gunman who pounced on him while he was walking in the San Mateo area […]

BNTU demonstrates, turnout low
The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) is currently parading through the streets of Belize City. However, the turn out has been minimal when compared to previous marches held in recent times. Nevertheless today’s event is to send a message of thank you to all […]

Smart Belize teach senior citizens at Helpage more about smart phones
Yesterday, some representatives from Smart visited Helpage Belmopan to teach the senior citizens how to properly take care of their phones. The citizens were also taught how to perform functions such as adding credit and texting, and to answer the phone-related questions they had. […]

OAS Online Scholarship Opportunities
The OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Employment and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-UPV- in Spain are offering scholarships for the course: “Introducción a la Energía Solar Fotovoltaica”. This is an online course and will be delivered in Spanish. The deadline for receiving […]

NEMO Toledo receives new facility from the US
Yesterday, NEMO Minister Edmond Castro joined United States Ambassador H.E. Carlos Moreno in cutting the symbolic ribbon to inaugurate a new facility for NEMO Toledo consisting of a Disaster Relief Warehouse and Emergency Operations Centre valued at over US$1.5 Million. The facility is located […]

Blogs

Belize Flights for Canadians
Many of my fellow Canucks are super excited about the start of West Jet flights to Belize – this has been a log time coming. As we slide into high season, these new flights will make Belize travel much easier for Canadians. I am hoping it nets me some more visits from my frozen buddies who need a break from winter. Back in 2013, my friend Shirlee started a Facebook campaign to “Bring WestJet to Belize,” and as of today, October 29, 2016 it is now a reality. The direct flights are only going to be seasonally on Saturdays and Wednesdays until April 29, 2017, and only from Toronto but it’s a great start. Flight prices run around $600.00 CAD – currently about $448.00 USD, I will keep you posted if any new flight deals come up. The Facebook page mentioned above is now West to Belize from Western Canada, and you can still join. I was told WestJet does watch Facebook so you can help the cause further develop. If you’re flexible on your dates and are okay with a 5:00 AM departure, you can still get to Belize in 10 hours from Winnipeg as well. Price is around the same. Edmonton is 11 hours and $625.00. The further west in Canada you leave from the less convenient it is (16 hours from Calgary and 17 from Vancouver) but fortunately the prices are around the same and it’s way better than what it used to be.

Clinic Day at the CC Humane Society
Every Saturday morning from 9 – 11 AM the Humane Society holds a clinic for island animals. Today was a busy one! Here are some highlights: Three sisters who had been wandering around stray were reunited. Two have been adopted by clinic volunteer Preston and his family and we have our fingers crossed on the third. A big basket of puppies came in for their second set of shots and worming. They’re sure growing fast! These two look like little stuffed toys but they’re real dogs. They also needed puppy shots and worming.

International Sources

Gov’t and teachers at odds again in Belize
Teachers in Belize were gearing for possibly more industrial action on Saturday after a planned meeting with Education Minister Patrick Faber to discuss wage issues and other matters on Friday failed to take place. The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) remains adamant it will not bow to Faber’s request for a five-member delegation to meet with him instead of the 25-member BNTU council. “We are going to stand by the side of our members, we are going to stand by the side of our teachers and we are saying, he cannot, and I will repeat, he cannot dictate to us who will represent us at any meeting with him. “We have not said to him you bring yourself and only your CEO or your Chief Education Officer. He is the one, who has decided that he wants five persons to be there, yet they continue to give instructions to their district centre managers and other persons employed in the ministry to continue to threaten and intimidate our teachers. We have the mandate from our teachers to defend them and we will defend them to the fullest,” said BNTU president Luke Palacio.

Belize welcomes WestJet as its first non-stop flight from Canada
Today, with the departure of flight 2604 from Toronto Pearson International Airport, WestJet officially becomes the only Canadian carrier directly connecting Canadians to Belize. Bob Cummings, WestJet Executive Vice-President, Commercial, said: “I extend a big thanks to our WestJet team, the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation as well as the Belize Tourism Board for their support in the creation of this significant route. To our guests this morning, we say, “Gud maanin,” and welcome aboard. We look forward to offering both Canadians and Belizeans the chance to experience WestJet’s low fare, high care service over the winter months.” “This is a very exciting moment for the tourism stakeholders in Belize. After a long planning period with WestJet, we are thrilled that the route has become a reality,” said Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism for the Belize Tourism Board. “This flight comes at the perfect time, as we are approaching the start of our upcoming high season, making travelling to Belize so much easier and more convenient for Canadians. We expect that with such ease in accessibility, tourism arrivals from Canada will increase, thereby contributing positively to the growth in the overnight tourism sector in Belize.”

Videos

October 29, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

BTB’s 2016 Tourism Industry Conference
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) held its annual “Tourism Industry Conference” in Belize City on Saturday, October 22nd. At the Ramada Princess Hotel, stakeholders, industry partners, and media members were given the latest insights on the tourism sector, as well as valuable information on how to enhance their marketing skills. Karen Pike, Director of Marketing and Industry Relations served as the Mistress of Ceremonies. After the National Anthem was sung by Stacey Kelly of BTB, Wendy Castillo Swan of BTB proceeded with an invocation. The welcome address was formally given by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. He recapped the growth of the BTB and Ministry of Tourism in 2016, and stated that he is more than positive that tourism will continue to dominate in Belize. The first part of the panel of discussion focused on “How to Market Yourself and See a Return on Your Investment”. The panel was led by Moderator and Marketing Manager of San Ignacio Hotel Resort Trinity Castro, Connections Strategist of Olson James Lager, Executive Director of Afar Media Barry Brown, and Vice-President of Industry Relations of JG Black Book of Travel Maureen Kim.

San Pedro community says goodbye to OIC Sandra Bowden
After over a year of heading the Coastal Executive Unit, Superintendent Sandra Bowden is leaving San Pedro Town. Bowden, Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit for both the San Pedro and Caye Caulker Police Formation, will now be stationed at Belmopan City at the Belize Police Department Headquarters. To commemorate her departure, community members and co-workers hosted a farewell party in Bowden’s honour on Wednesday, August 26th. At the party, several community member shared words of appreciation for Bowden’s work in San Pedro. “Even though she is leaving, she will always be welcome here in San Pedro. I am happy to have worked with such a strong woman,” said Deputy Office in Charge, Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott. Bowden first arrived in San Pedro in July 2015 and through her time, fostered a strong bond with the police and the community. Together with Jemmott, the San Pedro Police Formation has come a long way in community policing and interaction with civilians.

Police hold public meeting to address increase in golf cart thefts
An increase in the theft of golf carts in San Pedro Town led the San Pedro Police Formation to host a meeting with concerned stakeholders. The meeting took place on Tuesday, October 25th at the Magistrate Court Room located on the second level of the police station. A handful of business operators, who are engaged in the golf cart rental business, attended the gathering to discuss the issue that is affecting their establishments. Bowden informed the attendees that since the beginning of the year, a total of 22 golf carts have been stolen. According to her this number only accounts for thefts that have been reported. During the presentation she explained which areas of the island were more susceptible to cart thefts. “The majority of the incidents have been reported from downtown to the area near Island City supermarket. A total of 16 carts have been stolen from this area of town,” said Bowden. According to her, the main reason for the increase in missing carts is due in part to negligence and not locking golf carts when left unattended.

Blue Water Grill turns 15!
Turning 15 is big deal in Belizean culture and for Blue Water Grill it was a great occasion for celebration. On Saturday, October 22nd, BWG owners and staff of BWG hosted island friends to a grand ‘Quinceañera’ celebration. From customized sunglasses and commemorative cups, to an array of drinks and food, BWG went all out to celebrate their 15th anniversary. Guests even enjoyed of a night of silent dancing, with headphones directly connected to the DJ being handed out to control the noise level. It was definitely a night to remember! BWG is not only among the top restaurants on the island, but is also known for their great generosity towards the community. Through their Monthly Donation program, BWG has given back thousands of dollars in assistance to local charities.

Ambergris Today

Belize Hotel Association Markets Members at Several Tradeshows
The Belize Hotel Association (BHA) was extremely busy this past week, actively marketing members at several tradeshows and roadshows. On October 18 and 19, At the Cancun TravelMart, Past President Doug Thompson and Marketing Director Tessie Tonaco, met with several international travel agents and marketing agencies who were interested in learning more about what Belize has to offer. The two day show was well represented as the BHA looks forward to attracting more travelers to Belize from countries such as Mexico, Japan, Spain, Canada and the USA. On October 17-19, the Belize Hotel Association also participated in the United Airlines/ Tropic Air Roadshow, hosting several travel agent events in Chicago, New Jersey and New York. BHA Director, Barbara Hall also did the presentation about Belize to the agents at each event, informing them of the different attractions and exciting activities in each area of Belize, and about the cultural diversity of the country. These roadshows have proven to be particularly successful, mainly because invited agents are carefully selected based on their interest in selling Belize or if they are already selling Belize.

Misc Belizean Sources

Halloween Events in San Pedro
Here are the upcoming fun Halloween events this week~ Thurs. & Fri. 6-9pm Haunted House at Wayo's, Benefits Food Bank, Hope Haven, Kid's Club & Literacy Program Fri. 7pm Trivia for Red Cross at Crazy Canuck's~ dress in costume to support Red Cross Sat. 9pm- 4am Holiday Hotel Halloween Party $15. (They say no charge if your costume is good enough!) Sunday 11am Saga Halloween Party ~ dress your pup up!! Mon. 5pm-9pm Black Orchid 5th Annual Halloween Social ~ for kids & adults Candy for the kids, drink specials for adults in costume, or come as you are, but be there or be square!!!

Halloween at Island Academy
Halloween Fun Commences on Ambergris Caye

Congratulations to Asia Gilharry, Miss Belize at Miss Divali Nagar 2016, for placing 3rd Runner-up. Asia also won the award for Best Saree
ull results: Miss Divali Nagar 2016: Canada, 1st Runner-up: Trinidad & Tobago, 2nd Runner-up: Jamaica, 3rd Runner-up: BELIZE. Thanks for doing a wonderful job, Asia! You made us all proud! And special thanks to the National Council of Indian Culture of Trinidad and Tobago (NCIC TT) for the awesome event and to Corozal Organization of East Indian Cultural Heritage (COEICH) for sending a Belize delegate to represent the Jewel in Trinidad & Tobago.

Court Vindicates GOB Takeover of IMMARBE and IBC Registries
The Government of Belize (GOB) welcomes today’s Supreme Court ruling declaring illegal the secret contract made by the People’s United Party (PUP), and which gave control of the IMMARBE and IBC registries to the Ashcroft alliance for 25 years. The court’s decision, rejecting the Ashcroft alliance’s claim for $90 million for GOB’s take back of the registries, is a vindication of GOB’s position and a triumph for the rule of law and the constitution of the country. As this current administration has always maintained, it is politically, morally and legally repugnant for the PUP to have handed over control of Belizean assets and revenue to the Ashcroft enterprise. It amounted to a scandalous diversion of monies that could only properly have gone into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, and is yet another instance of the corruption that accompanied all the PUP secret deals.

INSPECTING HURRICANE REBUILDING EFFORTS ON AMBERGRIS CAYE
Yesterday, Minister of National Emergency Management, Honorable Edmond Castro was on Ambergris Caye inspecting hurricane rebuilding efforts through partnership with the business community and the San Pedro Town Council. The Minister visited houses built, repaired, and under construction in the Boca Del Rio and San Pedrito areas. He was accompanied by a representative from the San Pedro Town Council, Jorge Aldana, and NEMO Regional Coordinator Al Westby. Honorable Castro plans to return to the island when the rebuilding is complete, at which time he will officially hand over the houses to victims of Hurricane Earl along with Belize Rural South Area Representative and Minister of Tourism Honorable Manuel Heredia who is currently abroad on official business.

ABC PRE-SCHOOL HALLOWEEN DRESS UP DAY
Every year the ABC Pre-School invites the San Pedro Town Council to visit the children dressed up in their halloween costumes before they go trick or treating around the neighborhood. We were excited to visit them and treat them with fun halloween cupcakes. There were princesses, scary monsters and lots of super heroes to save the day!

BELAIFA & Kidney Association Health Fair
Free HIV, Kidney, Diabetes, Blood Pressure and other tests.

Catch of the day
Here is David Podany from Cedar Hill, Texas with his 50-54 pound barracuda caught off San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.

Power interruption 9:00am to 2:00pm, Sunday, October 30: entire Lake Independence area
BEL will relocate high voltage lines to facilitate construction at St. Martin de Porres Parish.

A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited
For the post of Senior Technician in the Transmission and Substation Department.

A vacancy exists at Belize Electricity Limited
For the post of Call Center Representative in the Customer Care Department.

BWRC Gala Fundraiser
The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic's 3rd annual Gala and fundraiser is only 3 weeks away. It'll be a fun night, with great food and music. Certainly one of the most exciting patients of this year was Chiquibul. She came to BWRC as an orphaned jaguar cub rescued by FCD and BFD, and after 12 days of veterinary treatment at BWRC we transferred her with a clean bill of health into the care of the amazing Belize Zoo (where she will soon be introduced to the public with her new enclosure). Help BWRC provide veterinary care for imperiled wildlife and join us for our Fundraiser Gala Dinner at the San Ignacio Hotel, or donate an auction item or service, or buy a ticket for one of our conservation partners. Contact us at 615 5159 for more information or get your tickets at the San Ignacio Hotel, or BWRC. Thanks for your continued support that makes our work possible!

Peacemakers Paint Pediatric Palace
A group of Belmopan youth, ages 13-16, who call themselves the 'Peacemakers,' spent more than a month painting the pediatric ward at the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan with colorful artwork and wall hangings. The completion of the decorating project will be celebrated on October 29. Many of the Peacemakers have themselves been treated in the hospital or have visited younger siblings and cousins. Because they know how frightening the experience can be, they decided to do something to make the experience less stressful.

The Sea King repaired
The recent Hurricane Earl caused much damage in Belize City. The Sea King suffered minor damages and was displaced by the storm. It has now been righted and once again stands proudly at the Government House.

BELIZE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
We have a Belizean-only music video category in the festival this year, and we are excited to introduce the judge for that category! Manillan-born Writer/Director Tim Cruz is an internationally known music video and commercial director. Tim works with nearly every major record label, including Warner Music Group, Capitol Records, Universal Music Group, and EMI with some of the hottest stars, such as 50 Cent, P Diddy, Theophilus London, 30 Seconds to Mars, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Barker, and Sabi. Selections of his commercial clients include GQ, Sony, Lockheed Martin, Discovery Networks, Bravo, Spark Networks, and MTV.

Belize Tourism Board Job Opportunity: Tourist Information Officer

The U.S. Embassy has two job vacancies
VISA ASSISTANT and ELECTRICAL TECHNICIAN POSITIONS. WHO MAY APPLY: Anyone who is eligible for appointment under Belize’s local laws. Applicant must be in possession of a Belize social security card valid for employment and/or a resident/work permit. The successful candidate will be required to obtain a security clearance and undergo a medical examination. The U.S. Mission in Belize provides equal opportunity and fair and equitable treatment in employment to all people without regard to race, color religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status, or sexual orientation. The Department of State also strives to achieve equal employment opportunity in all personnel operations through continuing diversity enhancement programs.

CAYE CAULKER .. Farmers Market .. SUNDAY
Fresh baked artisan Breads, Artisan aged cheeses, smoked and cured meats and sausages.. smoked fresh reef fish, farm fresh range eggs, pro biotic beverages, fermented and pickled vegetables.. and much much more.. Caye Caulker market at the Dreaded Grape 10 am - 2 pm. ** ALL FRESH BAKED BREADS 20 % OFF Looking forward to seeing all of our Caye Caulker friends this weekend.

Dia de Muertos at Embassy of Mexico
November 2, Wednesday, at the Mexican Cultural Institute 9am - 5pm. Free Entrance!

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Employment and the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia-UPV- in Spain are offering scholarships for the course: “Introducción a la Energía Solar Fotovoltaica”. This is an online course and will be delivered in Spanish. The deadline for receiving the applications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NEMO Building, Belmopan for forwarding to Washington, D.C. will be November 9th, 2016.

Minister of State meets with top brass of police force
Yesterday I had my first meeting as the Minister of State of Police with the COMPOL and my Admin Officer. I must say that it was refreshing to know that the Department is on the right path and things will only get better. Today I had the pleasure of meeting with all the senior officers to get an update as to where we are and also to give them an idea as to my plans for the way forward. It was a productive conference and I thank the officers for their committment. Together we will make it happen.

SBDC Green Startup Bootcamp
Do you have a sustainable business idea? If it's good, you could win up to $2000Bz. The Small Business Development Centre is having a 54 hour boot camp, from November 11th through the 13th, where you can learn about green technology that can help your business. Contact the SBDC for more information. "Caribbean GreenTech Startup Weekend is an intense 54 hour weekend event, during which potential entrepreneurs will be empowered with the skills and tools relevant to start up a sustainable business focusing on clean technology solutions to impact climate change."

Our crew repping Belize at Expofer!
in Chetumal, Quintana Roo.

Dia de los Finados
Wednesday, November 2 at 7 PM - 10 PM. Día de los Finados is an island tradition celebrated between October 31st and November 2nd. It is a celebration in which Mestizos/Maya remember and honor their deceased loved ones. The San Pedro House of Culture continues to promote and preserve this island tradition. On November 2nd, we kindly invite you to join us in remembering our dearly departed.

Channel 7

A Rare Win for GOB Against Ashcroft Alliance
3 years and 4 months ago, the Government of Belize took over the IMMARBE AND IBC Registries. IMMARBE is short for the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize, which sells the Belize flag as a Flag of convenience to ships. The other, ICB, is short for International Business Companies Registry, and that's the entity which registers offshore companies so that they can operate on Belizean soil, giving them tax-free status, and an assurance of secrecy in their corporate affairs. These two entities were managed and controlled by a company named Belize International Services Limited, linked to the Ashcroft Alliance. On June 11, 2013, the Barrow Administration acquired them for a public purpose. You may remember that this was a time when Belize's fisheries products were facing sanctions because international vessels flying Belizean flags were engaging in illegal and unregulated activities on the high seas.

New Police Minister Says He'll Listen Before Leading
The new Minister of State with responsibility for Police Elodio Aragon held his first officers conference today in Belmopan. He gathered them into the training room at the Academy where he addressed 100 senior officers. Aragon knows them all very well - after all, he was a cop for 17 years - and reached the post of Deputy Commissioner before leaving for politics in 2013. Today he told his fellow colleagues that familiarity doesn't mean easy days ahead:... Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "I have worked with all of you in the past whether it was on the streets or in the office. i know you and you know me." "The task at hand is not an easy one especially in the face of the current murder rate statistics."

Aragon Concedes Cop Portfolio Is Tough
And as he alluded to - the police ministry is a tough job. It has confounded former star-ministers such as Dean Barrow, Jorge Espat, Ralph Fonseca and Doug Singh - whose tenures didn't make much of a dent in reducing major crimes. But, Aragon has one advantage over all those guys; he's a former career police officer, one who earned a master's degree in criminology from the University of Leicester in the UK. We asked him what's his plans and his fears:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "What are your hopes, expectations and apprehensions as you take over this portfolio?" Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "No matter where you go this portfolio of the police is always a contentious portfolio, because it has lot of challenges."

Aragon's Got No Love For Lazy Cops
Aragon was a former Deputy Commissioner, and this morning he gave his senior officers the first hint that he's willing to shake things up for those asleep at the command desk:... Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "It is my hope that you come to work to make a difference. Why come to work or be a police officer if you did not like the work you do? Or feel that you cannot contribute? If there is anyone of you who feel that you have had enough and is not capable of contributing to the department, let me know so I can help you on your way. You see, I am of the belief that you are senior officers who can contribute and can make a difference, but sometimes we lose our drive and our motivation. I ask that you re-motivate yourself and re-inspire that lion or lioness within you so that we lead this department forward."

No Favorites for Former Deputy COMPOL Turned Minister
And while he wants to root out corruption, will this former cop play favourites? In 17 years as a cop, he surely developed friendships and professional alliances. We asked him if this will taint his judgment:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "Some might be concerned well, when Elodio mi de ya me and he nevah 'gree, sake a that now he gwen send me da PG. I'm not saying that you're prone to these immature or unprofessional types of motives, but it's natural for people to feel apprehension that if perhaps you and them in the normal course of things ha da professional misunderstanding during your career as a police officer, that perhaps you may wish to settle, or move them out of the way, so that you can have a functional hierarchy that suits yourself." Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "When I worked as a police officer, I have always been a professional, that's the way I have always been myself, I try to adhere to that kind of, to that level of professionalism."

Aragon is Third Police Minister in 8 weeks
Aragon becomes the third police Minister in eight weeks - a time of unprecedented transition. With over 1500 police officers bouncing from minister to minister, we figured that couldn't be a good thing. So we asked him about the transition tremors:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "Is it productive for the department to have gone from Saldivar to Hulse now to you, so that's three directions in just eight weeks?" Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "Well, I don't know if it's three directions, I mean Hulse was only here about a month, you know, and it takes you some time. Like I said, right now I 09:00 can't come now and say "this is my policy direction etc." We have to really sit down look at where were are and where we want to go."

Will Aragon Shake Up Senior Command?
And while the Ministers have changed, the COMPOL has remained the same. Allen Whylie has been commissioner since 2013 and from the looks of things he's not going anywhere. We say that because there appears to be some kind of logjam at the post of Assistant Commissioner where there are currently no less than eight Assistant Commissioners. We asked Aragon about the Top Cop spot, and he was slightly evasive:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "The commissioner's post - is that something that you are as the minister prepared to look at and review that perhaps there is new leadership needed in the department?" Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of Police: "Jules I am here for what is best for the police department, and like is aid at the end of the day I will hold everybody accountable."

Elodio Knows Mason Too
And speaking of "dark figures", what about William Danny Mason? Anecdotal reports we have received say that Aragon was friendly with him back when he was a cop. We asked the now Minister of Police about his Mason credentials:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "Mr. William Mason, this was someone first known to you in Sandhill area when he first arrived in Belize in 2013. Would you explain the extent of your relationship then and thereafter and perhaps now with Mr. Mason. What is the extent of that relation?" Hon. Elodio Aragon, Minister of State - Home Affairs: "Well Jules I met Mr. Mason way back maybe 5-6 years ago when he first came. I met him on a few occasions and that was it. After that I had no contact with him and it's been years since I haven't seen him, except for when I was here when I got back to Belmopan."

Major Crimes Down But Murders Up
And you heard Aragon discuss the fall in reports major crime between 2009 and 2015. But the murder rate has been going up for the past three years, and with one weekend to go in October 2016, there have been 116 murders - which is an increase from last year. Whylie outlined all the major crime statistics:... Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police: "The statistics that we have shown that we are a little below in terms of major crimes of where we were last year. The statistics shows basically that we have one thousand; six hundred and fifty major crimes reported up to the end of September, compared to one thousand, six hundred and fifty-five for the same period in 2015. The area of concern remains the issue of murders. That area is up, where we have at the end of September we have a hundred and eight murders and..." Jules Vasquez, 7News: "How much was it in 2015 September?"

BAIL FOR Alleged COP BEATERS
And one major crime that had a major effect on police was the attempted murder of Constable Mark Rodriquez. He was off duty but in uniform at a Camalote bar on October 16. The accusation is that two men Sanjay Casey and Belhem Guzman, viciously beat him allegedly because they thought that he had called cops to the bar because they were smoking weed. The duo was arraigned in the Magistrate's Court last Wednesday and read charges ranging from attempted murder to common assault. Well, both Casey and Guzman are out on bail tonight. The duo's lawyer presented the bail application in the Supreme Court today, and after heavy objections from the DPP, Justice Herbert Lord granted them bail at $4000 each. Justice Lord also added the conditions that Casey and Guzman must report to the San Ignacio Police Station ever Monday and Friday, and that they must not interfere with the victim or his family. If any of these conditions are violated, their bail will be revoked.

Police Looking for Suspects in Gang Rape of Minor
Tonight, police are looking for two suspects in the gang rape of a minor. The first suspect, Kevin Buller, appeared in the Magistrate's Court where he was read a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse upon a minor. The 15 year old minor, who reported the crime, said that on Wednesday afternoon she went over to her boyfriend's house, where they engaged in sexual intercourse. She alleged that after they were finished, three more men, one of whom was identified as Buller, entered the room and gang raped her. Because of the nature of the offense, no plea was taken and he was remanded to prison until December 29th. The investigation will continue as police are still looking for two of the culprits.

Convicted of Raping Daughter, Father's Sentence Reduced
A Dangriga father who raped his own daughter six times got his sentence reduced today. In 2011, he was sentenced to 75 years after being convicted of 6 counts of unlawful carnal knowledge. He was accused of having vaginal and anal sex with the daughter when she was between the ages of 8 and 10 years old. Today at the appeal, three judges who heard his case, namely, Justices Awich, Ducille and Blackman agreed with the father's attorney, Oscar Selgado who argued that the sentence of 75 years was harsh. The judges reduced the father's sentence to 19 years. This means that since the father already served 5 years of his time, deducting that 5 years from the now 19 years means he has a total of 12 years and 6 months left to spend in jail.

Lands Dept. Ran The Money for Ron J
Earlier on in the news, we told you about Government's win against the Ashcroft Alliance in court. That triggered a blustery government statement about PUP corruption. But the Barrow Administration is embroiled in its own moral battle as the land compensation scandal is just starting to break. 10 days ago, documents surfaced which show a questionable land deal between the Ministry of Natural Resources and a company, Ron J Limited. It involves a piece of land on the Placencia Peninsula. Reports are that it is a 2+ acre parcel of mangrove land, which is located on the banks of a channel leading to the Lagoon on the west side of Placencia. These documents show that in January 2012, the principals of the company Ron J Limited bought the land for just over 6,300 dollars. Here is the lands Registry Certificate which shows that Ron J owned the land.

Finsec Has Limited Oversight on Compensation Payouts
This morning at the Supreme Court we asked Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight, about the procedure, and why these alarming land compensation deals went mostly unquestioned when the Ministry of Finance was transferring the huge sums of money being requested by the Ministry of Natural Resources. He told us that the bureaucrats at the Finance Ministry trusted that whatever the officials at the Natural Resources Ministry presented to them, was legitimate, and so, they never dug deeper into each compensation case: Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary: "Annually, the cabinet, the legislature approves a budget. Within that budget there is a line for land acquisition and compensation. I think last year it was 10-11 million, I am not sure and within that the Ministry of Natural Resources pays first, court orders, settlement - second. So court orders go first and there is no escaping that. Usually court orders are paid over a period of time. There is legal cost as well and then there is settlement. All of them have some payment schedule. I would not be able to say how much of those compensations are link to duplication of titles. I really don't know."

Government Lawyer: No Compensation for Fraud
So, does the Government have the proper legal footing to go after the return of these Government funds which were paid out in these questionable land compensation deals? As you probably heard, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and new Natural Resources Minister Vanessa Retreage want Andre Vega to refund that 400,000 dollars he got for that duplicate title which should never have been issued in the first place. We asked the Prime Minister's brother, Denys Barrow, for his legal opinion on matters like this. He said that if the Government can prove that the compensation was improper, and due to some sort of fraud, they perfectly entitled to go after the return of those monies: Denys Barrow, SC - Attorney: "When for instance compensation has been improperly paid, where for instance a person claims compensation and it turns out afterwards that the claim was improperly made as in an extreme case, it was a fraudulent claim that the person ought never to have received compensation at all. In that situation it is entirely open to the government. It is permitted by law for a claim to be made to recoup the compensation paid. Because anything which happens as a result of a fraud is a nullity."

Faber Will Meet With 5, Teachers insist on 25
Last night, we told you about the impasse between the Belize National Teachers Union, and Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber. The docking of the teachers' pay for those 11 days of strike is pending for next month, and while the clock is ticking, these two sides can't even agree on how and when they will meet to find a compromise. They were supposed to do so today, but because Faber is insisting that they send a 5-member delegation from the Union's Council of Management to meet with him, that meeting was postponed. Unless either side gives ground, no dialog will happen because the Union is not backing down on its stance that if the Minister wants to meet with the Union, he has to do so with the entire 25 members of its Council of Management. They met amongst themselves today, and afterwards, they held a press briefing to say that they are sticking to that position:

Making HIV Stigma Free
Today the National AIDS Commission held a public forum to discuss the challenges facing victims of HIV and AIDS, including their lack of access to proper health care. The speakers addressed issues like stigma and sexual abuse and ways to make life better for those who are HIV positive or have full blown AIDS. We asked the Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero to tell us more about the forum, and how stakeholders will continue the fight against stigma and sickness... And while there is still a long way to go to eliminate stigma and misinformation about HIV/AIDS and other STDs, for HIV awareness lobbyists, the future does hold some promise. In a 2012 study conducted by UNAIDS in the Caribbean, 75% of Belizeans polled said that they believed sexual education should be taught as early as primary school. 80% said that secondary students should have access to condoms and contraceptives.

Lowering Interest on GOB Paper Won't Drive Down Rates
Earlier on, we showed you our interview with Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight. We also asked him about the idea from financial advisor, Ervin Perez, to lessen the taxpayer's burden on domestic debt. The Managing Director of Legacy Fund thinks that if the Government lowers the rates on the Treasury Notes and Treasury Bills - it will also drive down interest rates - while making public debt cheaper. But the Financial Secretary isn't so sure that the Banks will want to by in. He told us that it's all about demand, and if the banks profit margins are decreased, they will not want to buy in on the Government's Treasury Bills: Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary: "Whether the government can borrow cheaper it depends on the market, it depends on the demand. We don't have many takers at 7%. People don't want to tie up their money for that long even at those attractive interest rates. They would prefer shorter term maturity, because a bank would not want to tie up its money for that period of time and private investors don't have the kind of money that the government is borrowing. The government had borrowed 200 million dollars the other day. So mostly it's the banks that are in the game."

Noah from Jamaica Live At the Bliss
We all know the biblical story of Noah's Ark. Well, the Jamaican playwright Patrick Brown adds a comedic twist to it in his play called "Ras Noah and the Hawk." And the Rotary Club of Belize is performing it tonight at the Bliss. It's the second showing and Rotarian Sandra McKay told us why everyone should come out to see it. The show started at 7:00 sharp tonight at the Bliss . Tomorrow is the final night. You can buy tickets at the Bliss or Karl H Menzies.

You Can't Beat This Fair
Today at the Lions Club Parking Lot the Kidney Association of Belize, held a health fair in concert with the Belize Association of Life Insurance and Financial Advisors. So, what's the connection between life insurance companies and health and wellness? Well, we stopped by this afternoon, and the President of BELIFA, Shawn Smith, told us if their customers are healthy, and then it drastically increases their chances of qualifying, should they want to buy a life insurance policy. She and the Administrator of the Kidney Association told us more today: The fair was scheduled to come to a close some time after 2 p.m. once the traffic from the public died down.

WOMEX Calls The Name of The Rose
She may be a Tobagonian, but Calypso Rose for anyone who was around in the 70's and 80's, she may as well be Belizean. Ask about songs like "Fire in Belize", "Fire in Me Wire" or "Leh We Punta" and you'll know that she has major credentials in the jewel. And that connection continues to this day. Her latest album "Far From Home" which is a runaway success in Europe - was recorded and produced in Belize by Stonetree records. And to top it off, On Sunday, the now 76 year Calypso Rose was presented with the WOMEX Artist of the Year Award. The album was produced by BENQUE VIEJO'S Ivan Duran, who also produced Watina, the album that won Andy Palacio the Artist of the Year Award in 2007. Duran presented Rose with the award earlier this week. Here's what he had to say about her legendary musical talent. Calypso Rose has been performing in Belize for decades, and was named an honorary citizen in 1982.

Channel 5

B.N.T.U. and M.O.E. At Impasse After Council of Management Rejects Sending Smaller Delegation
Across the country today, teachers formed long lines in various banks and credit unions and collected a full month’s wage, despite an eleven-day strike a few weeks ago.  That’s because [...]

Teachers Accuse M.O.E. of Dictating to and Intimidating Teachers
So, why can’t the union give in to Faber’s request and reduce its attendance to five executives?  According to B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio, government does not have a bearing on [...]

Were Teachers Who Went to School During Strike “Rendering Service”, Asks B.N.T.U.?
In speaking with Minister of Education Patrick Faber over the past week, he has expressed a concern for fairness to teachers who were present in their classrooms during the strike.  [...]

B.N.T.U.’s Nadia Caliz Discusses Teachers’ Dilemma
Contextualizing the argument on behalf of the teachers who took part in the strike was Nadia Caliz.  She’s a member of the council of management representing the Stann Creek District.  [...]

B.I.S.L. Defeated in Claim for Compensation for Registry Takeover
The Government of Belize secured a significant legal victory this morning in the Supreme Court, where Justice Michelle Arana dismissed an application brought by Belize International Services Limited.  The suit [...]

Contract Extension Should Have Been Put Out to Tender; Appeal Expected
The foundation on which government presented its argument and the subsequent decision taken by the court is that a binding agreement of that magnitude ought to have been put to [...]

Government Celebrates “Vindication” on Takeover
Financial Secretary Joseph Waight welcomes the Supreme Court ruling, despite being uncertain whether an appeal will be filed in the days ahead.   Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary “I’ll have to [...]

Police’s Crime Stats: Most Major Crimes Up, Murder Count Past 100 Again
The Belize Police Department’s quarterly crime statistics covering the six major crimes – murder, robbery, burglary, theft, rape and unlawful sexual intercourse or carnal knowledge – were publicly announced at [...]

What’s Going Right and Wrong for Police in Belize City
The Commissioner of Police offered something of a theory for why murders went up countrywide. However, in Belize City the pace has fallen off, if only a little. Minister of [...]

Senior Police and New Minister of State Meet in Belmopan
Earlier this week, we brought you the statements of the new Minister of State for Home Affairs, Elodio Aragon Junior. He served as a police officer for seventeen years, bowing [...]

Police Continue Investigations Into Shooting Death of San Pedro Fugitive
Twenty-five-year-old Juan Carlos Martinez was killed, allegedly at the hands of Police, on the island of Ambergris Caye on Tuesday night. A fugitive from justice since December of 2015, Martinez [...]

Distraught Mother of Kaylee Alvarez Denies Neglect, Says Deadly Fire Was Deliberately Set
On Thursday night we told you about the tragic fire in Conch Shell Bay area that claimed the life of two year old Kaylee Alvarez.  Around midday yesterday, Alvarez and [...]

Patrick Faber Retains Major Ministries After Losing Junior Minister
While the new Minister of State for Home Affairs is pleased to once again be involved with the Police Department, he had to leave his old portfolio of Youth, Sports [...]

New Police Minister Kept “Danny Mason” at Arms’ Length
William “Danny” Mason may be behind bars as he awaits the next phase of his trial procedure for murder and kidnapping charges, but he continues to be a thorn in [...]

Improving Access to Health Care for HIV/AIDS Patients
The National Aids Commission in collaboration with the UNAIDS hosted a public forum this morning at the Biltmore Plaza to discuss barriers to accessing health care services. The meeting addressed [...]

Checking in With Health Fair in Belize City
The Belize Association of Insurance and Financial Advisor (BELAIFA)  in partnership with the Kidney Association of Belize held a health fair in the city today. They were doing free rapid [...]

LOVE FM

Stalemate Between Faber and Luke Palacio
It’s all of us or none of us – that is the position that the Belize National Teachers Union has taken in regards to a suggestion made by Education Minister, Patrick Faber. There is a pending meeting between both parties and Faber had proposed that only five members of the BNTU’s Council of Management participate […]

Strike Fund Will Not Be Used to Pay Teachers’ Wages
Today members of the Council of Management, once again, clarified that the strike fund is not meant to pay the teachers. Thousands of teachers were on strike for 11 days and the Ministry of Education has decided to hold its salary contributions from those teachers who participated in the strike. The BNTU is insisting that […]

BNTU to Rally Over the Weekend
The BNTU has planned an event for tomorrow. That event was being called a “thank you” rally and teachers were expected to express their appreciation for all those who supported and kept on supporting them and their stance against corruption. That “thank you” rally is now being called a demonstration and teachers are now expected […]

IMF Insists on Raising Taxes to Overcome Economic Strain
On September 29 we brought you the Article IV Consultation Report produced by a team from the International Monetary Fund that was in-country earlier this year. This week, the Executive Directors of the IMF met in session and had reviewed the report in full and has insisted that measures are needed to strengthen the economy […]

Government Seeks to Address Economic Challenges
As we mentioned regarding the IMF Report for 2016, there are some recommendations that went to the Government of Belize that would prove as stepping stones in rectifying the economic challenges. In the section dubbed, ‘Rebuilding Investor Confidence with Strong Fiscal Policy Action’, the report noted that the Government of Belize had acceded to the […]

Court Rules in Favor of Government on IBC Registries and IMMARBE
The Government of Belize is rejoicing over today’s Supreme Court ruling that has declared illegal, the secret contract made by the People’s United Party (PUP), and which gave control of the IMMARBE and IBC registries to the Ashcroft Alliance for 25 years. GOB sees the court’s decision, rejecting the Ashcroft alliance’s claim for $90 million […]

Guatemala’s Congress Gives Green Light for Referendum
In yesterday’s session of the Guatemalan Congress, Decree number forty seven of 2016 was approved which seeks to take their territorial, insular and maritime claim over Belize to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with the condition that the country’s internal mechanisms are followed before submitting the claim which translates to the referendum. Guatemala’s approval […]

NEMO’s Emergency Operation Centre Officially Opened
A ceremony to mark the inauguration of Toledo District NEMO Emergency Operation Centre and Disaster Relief Warehouse was held this morning. We hear more in this report from correspondent Paul Mahung.

Amandala

BNTU to stage national demonstration Saturday
The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) is inviting the public to a national demonstration to be held in Belize City on Saturday. At 9:00 a.m. there will be a march through the streets of Belize City beginning in front of the Channel 5 studios on Coney Drive. The march is expected to conclude with a rally at the Memorial Park. According to BNTU president Luke Palacio, the purpose of Saturday’s event is to firstly thank everyone who supported the BNTU in its eleven days of industrial action and furthermore, to call on the Ministry of Education to make salary contributions for the teachers who participated in the historic protest. After the BNTU suspended its protest on Tuesday, October 18, the Ministry of Education sent a memo to school managers announcing that it would not be making salary contributions for those teachers. The Ministry subsequently sent school managers another memo providing guidelines on how those salary deductions should be processed.

Another tragedy – 2-year-old perishes in fire
Almost three weeks ago, an 11-year-old boy was burnt to death by fire while trapped inside his bedroom on Aloe Vera Street. Today, Thursday, another fire engulfed a wooden structure on the south side of Belize City, and another child lost her life as a result. The blaze erupted in the Conch Shell area of Belize City shortly after midday in a house belonging to Phyllis Rhaburn. Rhaburn’s daughter, 2-year-old Kaylee Avilez, ran into the bathroom of the home to hide from the flames of the fire that started inside her house. She was along with her two other siblings, and according to eyewitness accounts, their parents were not too far away.

$1 million for land sold for $6,540.30!!!
Amandala has obtained shocking documents revealing that under Gaspar Vega’s watch the Government of Belize entered into an agreement to pay BZ$1 million for a parcel of land they had sold a businessman for $6,500 just three years earlier. The Government of Belize sold the businessman a portion of mangrove supposedly measuring a little over two acres on the banks of a channel leading to the lagoon on the west side of Placencia, and then turned around three years later and re-acquired the same portion of mangrove for a whopping $1 million. The documents reveal that on February 15, 2012, Ron J Limited purchased block 36, parcel 3246, of Placencia North from the Government of Belize for $6,540.30. However, our sources say that the proposed developments by Ron J Limited on that particular piece of land would have affected the access to the lagoon of a highly connected member of the United Democratic Party. The well-connected UDP reportedly complained and a decision was made for Government to repossess the said mangrove.

UDP spent $70 mil in 8 years on land compensation!
Hon. Gaspar Vega was the Minister of Natural Resources when his son, Andre Vega, and the highly connected attorney, Sharon Pitts, both walked away with a combined total of almost BZ $1 million, $400,000 each, to be precise. They both acquired land titles despite the fact that the Ministry apparently knew that the land in question was already privately owned, and could not be surveyed again. Records show that on at least two occasions public officers pointed out to higher-ups in the Ministry that the said land was already privately owned, and in fact, the Lands Commissioner gave instructions to revoke Pitts’ permission to survey the land. But still, Sharon Pitts’ survey of the said land was authenticated and made to supersede the original survey.

Murders in Belize hit high of 115: CEO Lovell
If you’ve been getting the sense that the murder rate in Belize is substantially up this year, official data now confirms that to be the case. With the launch of the Belize Crime Observatory on Tuesday, Amandala asked for a status report from the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Retired Colonel George Lovell, who indicated to us that at last report on Monday, 115 persons had been murdered in Belize. That rate is alarming, especially since 2015 reported 119 murders for the entire year. Data published on the observatory indicates that at the end of September 2016, there had been 108 murders, up 21% since the same time last year. It is the major crime statistic which is seeing the highest increase next to the theft from motor vehicles, which is up by 32%. Lovell said that based on the report he received on Monday, other major crimes, with the exception of property crime (robbery, theft and burglaries), seem to be lower than the same time last year. Robbery is up 8% and burglary 18%, the data indicate.

One accused homosexual says it didn’t happen; the other says it did!
It made Amandala headlines this week when two men were accused of attempting to rape another man, an officer of the Belize Coast Guard. However, none of the accused men have been formally charged in connection with the incident. According to information from police, statements have been recorded from both accused men. In their statements, one of the accused men flatly denied that the incident even occurred, while the other confirmed that the incident did in fact happen. The story the accused man who confirmed the incident gave, is that the Coast Guard officer grew enraged and began beating them when he learned that he would not be paid for sex.

Belize volleyball coach attends ICECP Course
On September 17, 2016, Belizean volleyball coach, Mr. Oscar Arnold traveled to the U.S. to take part in the Ninth Edition of the International Coaches Enrichment Certificate Program. Coaches from thirty-three countries and fifteen sport disciplines from five continents took part in the courses. The program is a collaborative effort between the International Olympic Committee, United States Olympic Committee, the Belize Commonwealth Olympic Association, and the University of Delaware. Coach Arnold spent the first two weeks on the University of Delaware campus participating in numerous seminars and workshops on coaching theory, sport sciences and sport medicine. He then underwent a one week apprenticeship at the University of North Carolina where he was imbedded and shadowed the coaching staff of the UNC female indoor volleyball team. UNC is a NCAA Div. 1 program and participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). This week exposed our coach to training, planning, recruiting, and injury rehabilitation of volleyball athletes within a high-performance environment.

CSSSA high school volleyball results, schedule
The Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) high school volleyball competition got under way on Tuesday of this week with two games, one female (F) and one male (M) at the Stars Volleyball Gym on Princess Margaret Drive. In the female game, it was NHS (Nazarene High) over PHS (Pallotti High), 25-5, 25-10; and in the males, BHS (Belize High) defeated ACC (Anglican Cathedral College), 25-18, 26-24. On Wednesday, at Stars Gym, it was (F) ACC over LTH (Ladyville Tech), 25-21, 25-13; and (M) LTH over NHS, 25-19, 25-18. Today, Thursday, also at Stars Gym, it will be (F) WES vs BHS, and (M) MWH vs WES. The games on Friday and Saturday will be at the SJC gym. On Friday, it will be (F) SCA vs MWH; and

OWFA Amateur League Week 1 results and standings
ORANGE WALK TOWN, Wed. Oct. 26, 2016–The Orange Walk Football Association (OWFA) Amateur League 2016 held Week 1 games on Sunday, October 23, at the Chan Pine Ridge Field, starting at 9:00 a.m. In game 1, Progresso United FC won, 4-3, over Sinbads FC. Rijel Correa struck twice (2), and Dennis Charley and Wilfred Lino scored 1 apiece for Progresso United; while Sinbads got a goals each from Rubiel Mendez, Juan Chi and Ruvini Carrillo. In game 2, Trinidad FC and Progresso FC played to a 1-1 draw. Jose Acevedo hit the target for Trinidad FC; while Mauricio Estrada rocked the net for Progresso FC. In game 3, it was Desert Storm Jrs. FC over Crystal FC, 4-2, with goals from Brian Westby, Jose Temu, Marco Solis and Jason Batun; while Alberto Cassanova and Luigie Urbina scored for Crystal FC. Game 4 saw San Felipe FC edging United Ballers FC, 6-5.

Message to Minister Manuel
Hon. Tourism Minister, Manuel Heredia, United Democratic Party (UDP) area representative for San Pedro Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, last week, under pressure from your substantive constituents, you said that you had dived the Barrier Reef for thirty years in making a living as a fisherman, and that you loved the reef more than you loved your Ministry. We believe you, Minister Manuel. To know the reef, is to love the reef. Ninety years ago, an invalid British peer by the name of Baron Bliss came to Belize (then British Honduras) in his yacht, the Sea King. He spent only a couple months here before he died. He never set foot on the mainland of The Jewel. Baron Bliss fished the Barrier Reef, and he fell in love with the Barrier Reef, so much so that, as he was dying, he sent for the British Governor, Sir John Burdon, and prepared a will which left all his estate for the colony and its people. Baron Bliss was Belize’s greatest benefactor. Ungrateful, or confused, UDP politicians a few years ago changed the March 9 holiday named after Baron Bliss from specifically honoring the Baron to a generic title – “Heroes and Benefactors’ Day.” One supposes those confused politicians felt that the Baron’s legacy reminded too much of the colonial days, and they wished to emphasize the anti-colonial struggle. Fair enough, but you don’t bite the hand that fed you, and, more relevant today, the UDP politicians apparently didn’t properly appreciate why it was that the Baron did what he did. It was the reef, baby; it was always the reef.

From the Publisher
I have some fans who say they look forward to this column in every issue of the newspaper. Trust me, I really don’t want to disappoint on the occasions that I do. This is my profession, to write, and I feel fulfilled when I can satisfy my readers. In Belize, I would say that the majority of black men who are gainfully employed have more than one woman. For sure I caught your attention with that categorical statement opening this paragraph. You know what I’m saying is true, but such things are not discussed in polite society. It’s possible that this column entered “polite society” years ago, because it is often these days that I think of a subject and then I say to myself, oh oh, better not fool around with that. There was a time, roughly between 1969 and 1977, when yours truly was definitely not “polite society,” and I felt free to tell it like it was in those days. I was not making a living off my profession those days, however, and this had really negative implications for my responsibilities as a father.

You cannot fight ideas that have power!
Dear Editor, One writer, more or less commenting about the U.S., posted this in The New York Times today: “This country is a nation of ideas, not white men. Three hundred years after the Renaissance, when ideas, curiosity and hope ran supreme, we are back to the same point of an elite sitting on its privileges and trying to keep everybody in check. “You cannot fight ideas that have power, and they come from everywhere. Proportionally speaking, there are no more raw intelligent men in the elites than in the confines of the Congo. Worldly education makes the difference. “‘Everybody is Equal’, ‘Nothing in Excess’ and ‘Ethical Behavior’ are pretty good precepts. Conservatism, trickle-down economics, ‘No New Taxes’ are nothing but a bunch of inconsequential non-sense. In other words, non-ideas.”

Grand corruption destroying Belize
I watched a replay of the Senate hearing on TV a week or so ago. What was immediately striking was a groping and rambling by the Senatorial Committee to cover up for the leaders of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and to pin their Grand Corruption on others. They were trying their hardest to divert attention away from themselves so that their wrongdoings are not known by the public. They were distorting the rule of law by dragging the country into lawlessness and international disrespect. It is a total waste of time and money to continue stretching their time in office simply to collect more salaries. The House and Senate know that they have no useful or productive solutions to the severe corruption in the proposed Senate Committee agenda. The dominant voices and actors in both Houses are the one and the same, who have accepted corruption as a normal political practice and behaviour. The Senate, as corrupt as the House, can only play “follow the leader” to the House that leads in the severe corruption, and thus cannot offer solutions to it.

PUP name Senator Eamon Courtenay to Senate Select Committee
On Monday, the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) named Senator Eamon Courtenay as its representative on the Senate Select Committee, appointed to investigate the Auditor General’s Special Report into the Passport, Visa and Nationality Departments for the period 2011-2013. Church senator, Ashley Rocke, had tabled a motion which was passed, granting the Government two representatives, while the other parties to the Senate — the church, the unions and the Opposition — would be granted only one seat each. The Opposition grew furious following that meeting and withdrew its participation in the committee, dubbing its composition, “bogus.” However, at the last committee meeting, Government senator, Aldo Salazar, was elected as chairman of the committee.

The Reporter

FIU signs MOU with Income Tax Dept.
The Income Tax Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide for automatic exchange of information between the two government departments. The move is to enhance their abilities in preventing things like money laundering, tax evasion and […]

EU pledges over €70 million to Latin America and the Caribbean
The European Union (EU), this week, pledged over €70 million in funding to the Latin American and Caribbean regions to support sustainable development. The EU made the pledge during the its two-day ministerial meeting with the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) held in Santo […]

No response from GOB on Seismic testing
After awaiting a formal response for over a week in relation to the status of Seismic testing; environmentalists have grown restless and have called out the Government of Belize. Unease set in after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting when no response was given to any of the concerned […]

Scotia Bank gives $100 thousand for Hurricane Earl relief
Scotia Bank extended assistance in the form of $100,000 and two scholarships last week to aid in continued hurricane Earl relief efforts. Managing Director Michael Shaw handed over the donations last Thursday at the bank’s main branch on Albert Street. The cheques were handed over to officials […]

Prime Minister departs the country for medical appointment
Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country this week for a medical appointment related to his ailing back. In his absence Deputy Prime Minister patrick Faber is acting Prime Minister until Barrow returns. PM Barrow is scheduled to return on Sunday.

Saldivar is back!
The Minister of Defense, John Saldivar, resumed his ministerial duties this week after a one-week suspension. Saldivar resumed his duties after Prime Minister Dean Barrow, received legal advice that Saldivar sufficiently severed his business relationship with accused murderer, William Danny Mason. Barrow’s legal advisor, explained that while […]

Health and Tourism sectors collaborate for regional project
Health and Tourism sectors in six participating Caribbean countries are working together to protect the viability of the tourism sector by monitoring the health of visitors. Belize is one of the countries to benefit from the US$1.7 million project, funded by the Inter-American Development Bank. Principal Public […]

WOMEX: an important experience for Belizean artists
Some of the Belizean delegates who represented the country at the recent World Music Expo (WOMEX) returned to Belize this week, to share the experiences they had at the event. Jackie Castillo, Creative Industry Development Officer for the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH), explained that […]

Coast Guard Officer claims his buddies tried to rape him
Police in ladyville are investigating a bizarre case in which a Coast Guard Officer has accused a prominent businessman and a teacher of attempting to rape him. On Monday, the 20-year-old Coast Guard Officer reported that he was drinking with two of his buddies but they […]

In one week, two killings in San Pedro
Two men were shot to death in San Pedro this week. The police are investigating one case, and are themselves responsible for the other death. On Wednesday night 30-year-old Jason Gentle was shot multiple times and died on the spot. Superintendent of Police Sandra Bodden of the San Pedro Police […]

Man shot to the head while at home
Around 5:00 Monday evening a lone gunman entered an apartment complex on Neal’s Penn Road and fired several shots into the residence leaving a Coast Guard Officer in an induced coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Daniel Arzu Jr., 28, a father of two had […]

Motorcycle accident claims female technician’s life
A motorcycle accident last Friday night claimed the life of a well-known Bravo Motors technician. Around 11:30 that night 26-year-old Nitaya Locke was heading home from the direction of Belize City to Ladyville when she lost control of her blue Meilun motorcycle and slammed into a […]

Editorial
Now that we have a new Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries we hope he will find time for some serious thought to a new law which would end the use of gill nets in Belizean coastal waters. Ideally it would be great for Belize to take the initiative in persuading […]

Two-year-old baby killed in blaze
A two-year-old baby girl died in a fire which destroyed her home on Ebony Street in the Conch Shell Bay area of Belize City. The fire occurred around 12:30 on Thursday afternoon. On Thursday Phyllis Rhaburn was at home with her three children, aged four […]

“Cowboy” walks free
Kevin “Cowboy” Alvarez, a former policeman, has walked away from four attempted murder charges which accused him of shooting at four police officers from the swimming pool of an Orange Walk hotel. This amazing outcome from what appeared to be a clear-cut, open & shut […]

Girl 15 gang-raped in southside Belize City
Police are investigating a case in which a 15-year-old girl claims to have been gang raped by four men at a house in southside Belize City. According to police, the girl reported that she visited her boyfriend’s house on Wednesday around 1:00 p.m. and had […]

Rivers Vs. Willoughby
City Councillor Phillip Willoughby is pressing charges against waterfront activist Raymond Rivers, after Rivers allegedly threatened to kill him. Willoughby reported to police on October 4th that Rivers threatened him in September, and again earlier this month. Rivers, however, has accused Willoughby of threatening him […]

Breaking Belize News

BNTU’s rally shifts to national demonstration
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) had organized a thank you rally to be held tomorrow October 29th in Belize city. The rally has now shifted to a national demonstration as a result of the back and forth between the union and the Ministry […]

Multi million dollar project approved at Blackadore Caye
The eco-tourism project launched by mega star Leonardo DiCaprio and former wall street banker Paul Scialla for an extravagant eco-friendly resort at Blackadore Caye near Ambergris Caye has been approved. The proposed multi-million dollar project was heavily criticized by conservationist, tourism stakeholders and local […]

FIU to execute National Risk Assessment for Belize
The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and the income Tax department signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday. The MoU is to expedite the share of information and anti- money laundering, tax evasion and terrorist financing efforts. Kent Clare, Director of FIU, will commence on […]

Court Vindicates Government takeover of IMMARBE and IBC Registries
The Government issued a release welcoming today’s Supreme Court ruling declaring illegal the secret contract made by the People’s United Party (PUP), and which gave control of the IMMARBE and IBC registries to the Ashcroft alliance for 25 years. The release states that the […]

Blogs

WELCOME TO BELIZE
After six months in Mexico, my visa was days away from expiring and I knew it was time to leave. Next stop: Belize. There was only one direct bus from Cancun to Belize and it left at 10:15 p.m. And if that sounds like a recipe for not much sleep, that’s because it was. Add in a 4 a.m. border crossing on top of that and there was little chance of us arriving in Belize feeling fresh and rested. Oh, and don’t forget to throw an intense questioning session at the Belizean immigration at 5 a.m. either! Let’s just say my first experience of a Latin American border crossing was both tiring and memorable. We pulled up at the border right on time and piled out of the bus. Fortunately, Dave had researched what crossing the border involves several days before and was well aware of the money-making scheme they have on the Mexican side. Basically, there’s a man sat in a small room who tells you that you need to pay a 300 peso ($16) exit fee. What most people don’t know is that if you flew into Mexico, you’ve most likely already paid this fee — for the vast majority of people, it’s already been included in your airfare.

Sunrise birders participate in annual Urban Bird Watch
They say the early bird gets the worm, but in this case the early riser got the bird! At 6AM on Sunday, October 16th nine bleary eyed enthusiasts met birding guide extraordinaire Roni Martinez to participate in the annual Urban Birdwatch. Sponsored by the Belize Audubon Society (BAS), the small group flocked to Central Park in San Pedro to see how many species of birds they could count over a duration of three hours. The journey began along the beach heading north to Boca del Rio. Along the shore and immediate area the group spotted a bounty of birds, including Blue-winged Teals, Magnificent Frigatebirds, Double-crested Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Reddish Egrets, Green Herons, Semipalmated Plovers, Ruddy Turnstones, Least Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpipers, Royal Terns, Rock Pigeons, Eurasian Collared-Doves, White-winged Dove, Cinnamon Hummingbird, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Great Kiskadee, Tropical Kingbirds, Barn Swallows, Tropical Mockingbirds, American Redstarts, Cape May Warbler, Northern Parula, Yellow Warblers, Mangrove Warblers, Yellow-throated Warblers, Bananaquits, Great-tailed Grackles and Hooded Orioles. A special treat was discovering a Peregrine Falcon perched on a distant Belize Electricity Tower. We don’t see that every day on La Isla!

Fun for all AGES at Caves Branch! The Senior Steppers Story
Showcasing their agility, moves and memories, a group of golden citizens known as the Senior Steppers arrived on Wednesday for another holistic exercise session at the Caves Branch Jungle Lodge. The group of energetic women, ranging from 56 to 90, hail from Belmopan and not only perform in and attend regular dance performances and talent nights but also mentor young adolescents in developing thinking skills. Senior Stepper member, Lindy Jeffery, said, “Seniors shouldn’t feel that they are limited in the activities available to them. There are many exercises for seniors, many of which are non-traditional, low-impact exercises that limit stress on the body and risk of injury,” end quote. The Senior Steppers program is a joint venture between the National Council on Ageing in Belize, PAHO and the Ministry of Health. Besides dancing, they also engage in recreation classes, such as singing, swimming, theatre, sign language, as well as learning important health and nutrition tips. The seniors we spoke to had raving praise about the program and the benefits it has provided for them. Chairperson/Coordinator, Beverly Swasey added, “…dancing is a fantastic way to get some cardiovascular benefit, improve your coordination and balance, and meet local seniors who enjoy similar activities,” end quote.

International Sources

IMF warns of significant challenges to Belize economic growth
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) says Belize continues to face significant vulnerabilities and challenges driven by high public debt, large fiscal and external deficits, and declining international reserves. The IMF executive directors, who met to discuss the September report of an IMF mission to the Caribbean Community (Caricom) country, said that the adverse weather conditions have also posed difficulties and emphasised that decisive policies are urgently needed to ensure macroeconomic stability and improve growth performance. In September, the IMF mission warned that the Belize economy faced multiple challenges. It noted that gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed to one per cent in 2015 due to falling oil production and reduced output in the primary commodity sectors, and turned to negative 1.5 per cent in the first half of 2016 relative to the same period in 2015.

A Man Fell In A Cave With 10.000 Bones. The Story Behind The Maya Human Sacrifice Is Spine-Chilling!
Back in 2006, a local farmer working in the Cayo District of west Belize made one of the most grisly archaeological discoveries of the last decade. Tipped off by the screams of a looter who fell 18 meters (60 feet) to the floor of a pitch-black cave, the farmer discovered human bones and teeth by the thousands, some so smashed up, it’s impossible to count how many bodies they once belonged to. Welcome to the Midnight Terror Cave, where archaeologists suspect countless children were sacrificed to Chaak – the rain god of the ancient Maya civilization. Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists in Atlanta, bioarchaeologist Michael Prout from California State University discussed the results of a recent analysis of the 9,566 bones, teeth, and bone fragments found scattered on the floor of the cave, confirming that they belonged to individuals no older than 14 years. Most of the remains were attributed to individuals aged between four and 10. As Bruce Bower reports for Science News, radiocarbon dating of the bones indicates that one or a few bodies were dumped into the cave over a period of about 1,500 years, starting around 3,000 years ago, at the dawn of Maya civilization.

Las Vegas Latin Caribbean Carnival
Caribbean food, music and carnival this weekend in Las Vegas. Come enjoy and celebrate with us

MISTAKEN MAPS
Before the world had been fully explored, cartographers often made educated but incorrect guesses. They also just made things up. The history of map-making is full of educated guesses. As late as the 19th century Africa and Australia contained vast, unexplored interiors. Cartographers often used experience and logic to infer the lay of the land. Unsurprisingly, they were frequently wrong. Since antiquity, for example, the Nile had been known to be a river of enormous length, and because rivers often emanated from mountains it was thought there must be a large mountain range at its source. The Mountains of the Moon appeared on maps of Africa up until the 1800s, when explorers finally confirmed there was no such thing. In his new book, “The Phantom Atlas”, Edward Brooke-Hitching gathers a rich selection of these mistakes. They range from honest errors to the mythical or mendacious. One map from 1766 shows Patagonia, and includes pictures of heavily bearded giants walking around with bows and arrows. Another of Java la Grande, a landmass in the southern hemisphere first reported by Marco Polo, depicts the locals riding on horseback and harvesting coconuts while fantastical sea creatures swim offshore.

Pirated WGN channel inspires Cubs love in Belize
Local cafes and bars are packed, and excited fans talk in the streets about how the Cubs are finally going to the World Series. Cubs fever is everywhere. But this isn’t Wrigleyville; it’s Belize, 2,800 miles away from Clark and Addison. Belize may be home to the biggest base of Cubs fans outside of the Windy City. Why? It all started back when legendary broadcaster Jack Brickhouse was still calling the games. After Belize gained its independence from Britain, a wealthy couple started a TV station, but they forgot to buy some programming to go with it. So instead they found a way to pirate the WGN TV signal from Chicago. “They sort of pirated the signal and broadcast it to homes in Belize,” explains freelance writer Adam Rosen. Rosen uncovered the strange story and says the team has many ties to the country.

The beginner's guide to living as an expat, according to a woman who lives in Belize on $1,000 a month
In 2014, Lisa May Cobham was working as a secretary in Washington, DC, paying $700 a month to sleep on a couch in a townhouse with seven other people. Now, she does the same work, but from a beach house in Belize. Cobham shares her story and her knowledge on Expat Real, in the hopes that it will help others achieve the American Dream abroad. She posts informational videos and interviews with other expats about living on the US dollar in other countries, has a book coming out in November called "Runnin' Global Game," and is launching a three-month Expat Incubator program to guide aspiring expats through their first steps. INSIDER asked Cobham for a beginner's guide to living as an expat, which she shared with infectious enthusiasm over Zoom - a video conferencing site every expat should know.

Miss Canada is Nagar Queen
CANADA’S Divali Queen Dannilian Motilal, did the double when she was crowned Miss Divali Nagar 2016. Motilal emerged ahead of ten other contestants at the annual competition which attracts participants from several countries. Motilal, who arrived in the country a week ago to prepare for the competition, told Newsday on Thursday evening, it was a dream come true for her to crowned Divali Queen. Motilal said she was surprised to have taken the title as the other delegates were equally educated and also very beautiful. Motilal also won the Miss Photogenic and People’s Choice awards. She won $20,000 from Maritime Insurance. First runner-up was Trinidad and Tobago’s Kimlyn Boodram who also won Best Hairstyle. Second runner up was Shanique Singh of Jamaica with the third runner-up position going to Asia Gilharry of Belize.

The Caribbean Response to the Withdrawal of Correspondent Banking
Honorable Prime Minister, central bank governors, and distinguished guests, good morning! It is a pleasure to join all of you here. I am so pleased to be able to join you on my first official overseas visit in my new capacity as IMF Deputy Managing Director. This visit provides the opportunity to see the beauty of Antigua and Barbuda—and to learn more about a region rich in history and culture. To see a country so dependent on the linkages between financial services and tourism and other sectors provides an immediate understanding of the importance of today’s conference. The discussions yesterday and today highlight a serious problem that relates to a lifeline for your economies—the withdrawal of correspondent banking relationships, also known as CBR.

Videos

October 28, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Projects Abroad hosts Health Fair
In an effort to promote good health, Projects Abroad hosted a successful health fair at the San Pedro Lions Den on Saturday, October 22nd. The general public was invited to take advantage of an array of free, high quality health services, including, but not limited to: breast exams, lice checks, glucose and blood pressure testing, HIV/AIDS testing, eye exams, brushing and flossing demonstrations, drug information and counseling, and information on how to avoid Zika. More than 100 people came out to visit the various health organizations. From 9AM onwards, locals and visitors went from table to table until their screenings were done. The most common ailment, high blood pressure (hypertension), was screened by a public health volunteer and nurses from the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. The Diabetes Association and the Kidney Association both came from Belize City to perform glucose testing, and kidney checks. Rapid HIV/AIDS tests were done courtesy of Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT).

Jason Gillett gunned down at sunset
A family from the San Mateo Sub-Division north of San Pedro Town is grappling for answers after the loss of their loved one. 30- year-old Jason Gillett was gunned down by an unknown assailant just after 6PM on Wednesday, October 26th near a church at the entrance of the said sub-division. Police immediately visited the area where they observed the lifeless body of Gillett. He was then transported to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body has been taken to Belize City where a post mortem is scheduled.

Blackadore Caye’s multi-million dollar project is approved
After two heated public consultations and a media familiarization trip geared at explaining the proposed multimillion dollar eco-friendly resort development at Blackadore Caye near Ambergris Caye, the project has finally been approved. The massive project, spearheaded by mega-star Leonardo DiCaprio and former Wall Street Banker Paul Scialla, received negative feedback from conservationist, tourism stakeholders and local fishermen, especially regarding the planned over-water structures. With the Government of Belize’s green-light, the project’s ground-breaking is set for 2017. On Tuesday, October 25th via a press release, the Blackadore team announced that following a review of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Belize Department of the Environment (DOE) gave them approval for the construction of the Blackadore Caye Project. During a presentation that same day, the team announced the final development plans for the project. The final master plan has completely changed compared to its original design, which included over-the-water structures. Such structures had caused concern to residents and organizations on Ambergris Caye. The final draft of the project now includes the removal of all overwater buildings, putting an end to the fear of disturbance to the marine life around the island.

Two months later, PM Barrow reshuffles Cabinet again
The office of Prime Minister Dean Barrow issued a release on Saturday, October 19th announcing yet another reconfiguration in his Cabinet. The new reshuffling came just two days after former Deputy Prime Minister and Orange Walk North Area Representative Honourable Gaspar Vega resigned from Cabinet. It also coincided with the end of an 11-day countrywide strike by teachers who had been demanding good governance from the Government. The new Cabinet configuration saw the removal of Senator and Minister Honourable Godwin Hulse from being in charge of the Police Ministry. His removal comes a little over a month from when the first Cabinet reshuffle happened on August 1st. Prime Minister Barrow has appointed himself as the new Minister of Police, along with his current portfolio in the Ministry of Finance.

Oceana’s moratorium on offshore oil exploration discussed in Cabinet
As Honorable Manuel Heredia had indicated, Cabinet discussed Oceana’s draft offshore drilling moratorium entitled “Clean Ocean, Safe Tourism” on Tuesday, October 25th. At the request of the Prime Minister, Oceana prepared a draft legislation by their attorneys following statements to the national media in May 2015. Oceana, along with many organizations, received confirmation of the reason GOB wanted to conduct these surveys. According to the GOB, they were only trying to collect data to inform its position on offshore oil, especially in light of conditions, such as a cost benefit analysis. However, Oceana disagrees and stated otherwise. “The Government was going to get a copy of the raw data and the agreed processed reports. The company, TGS, having expended approximately 6 million Belize dollars for both surveys, was going to sell the data to recover its money.”

Police Report
*On Monday, October 24th at around 1:30AM, San Pedro Police stopped and searched Forest Green. He was found in the possession of one silver 0.9mm pistol and four 0.9mm live rounds. He was subsequently arrested and charged for the crime of “Kept Unlicensed Firearm and Ammunition”. *On Tuesday, October 25th at around 9:45AM, action on Special Branch information a joint team of San Pedro Special Branch and Criminal Investigation Branch personnel intercepted a parcel containing 124.7 grams of suspected Cannabis at the Thunderbolt Dock. The parcel was labelled and deposited as “Found Property”.

Ambergris Today

Forest Department and The Belize Zoo Join to Promote Wildlife Conservation
The MoU, which spans a period of five (5) years, officially permits the Belize Zoo to receive wildlife for rehabilitation, display native wildlife species and conduct public education. The binding agreement calls for the Belize Zoo to develop its five-year management and contingency plans, establish a rehabilitation center, submit operational and inventory reports and collaborate with the Forest Department to share expertise. Both parties recognized that one of the most important components of the MoU is the collaborative partnership in public education, whereby both parties will seek to increase public awareness and appreciation for wildlife as an important part of the Belize’s cultural and ecological landscapes.

Asia Gilharry to Represent Belize at Miss Divali Nagar Queen
Under the patronage of the Corozal Organization of East Indian Cultural Heritage (COEICH), Miss Asia Gilharry was crowned Miss East Indian, Belize 2016 – 2017 by outgoing Miss East Indian queen, Miss Namita Balani. She will be representing Belize in the upcoming Miss Divali Nagar Queen Pageant hosted by the National Council of Indian Culture in Trinidad and Tobago on October 27, 2016. Asia is a fourth form student at the Corozal Community College where she is majoring in Academic Sciences. Asia has been an active member of the COEICH organization and has participated in leading roles in traditional Indian dances during cultural festivals and pageants. She is now a Belizean Beauty and Cultural Ambassador who believes in the retrieval of the East Indian culture before it is completely lost.

Pic of the Week - Happy Dolphins Make for Happy Diving in Belize
It doesn't matter how many times you've seen one or if you've seen one at all, the moment your eyes catch a glimpse of a dolphin your heart rate goes up and so does you happiness level. These mammals are a precious part of our unique marine environment and it is our duty to love and protect them. Continue saying NO to offshore exploration in Belize by sharing beautiful images such as this and creating awareness of what is at risk.

Misc Belizean Sources

Halloween Events in San Pedro
Here are the upcoming fun Halloween events this week~ Thurs. & Fri. 6-9pm Haunted House at Wayo's, Benefits Food Bank, Hope Haven, Kid's Club & Literacy Program Fri. 7pm Trivia for Red Cross at Crazy Canuck's~ dress in costume to support Red Cross Sat. 9pm- 4am Holiday Hotel Halloween Party $15. (They say no charge if your costume is good enough!) Sunday 11am Saga Halloween Party ~ dress your pup up!! Mon. 5pm-9pm Black Orchid 5th Annual Halloween Social ~ for kids & adults Candy for the kids, drink specials for adults in costume, or come as you are, but be there or be square!!!

Arenal Volleyball court help needed
Hey Arenalen@s – I did not yet give up on the volleyball court – if you would only understand that we can move things only if we work together – TOGETHER!!! Do you remember- this year we did not have a dance on Independence Day – that’s very sad and is a result because we do not really care. But it takes some quality of village life from us! So let me try again for the volleyball court: I need 3 or 4 people to cut 2 poles for the net: Both pols should be approximately 12 feet long. So: Who’s going to be part of this? So there’s no sand from the river – just an ordinary court but we NEED 2 poles. Who’s going to help? Let's do it NOW!

SBDCBelize to hold Startup Bootcamp along with Caribbean Climate Innovation Center
Caribbean GreenTech Startup Weekend is an intense 54 hour weekend event, during which potential entrepreneurs will be empowered with the skills and tools relevant to start up a sustainable business focusing on clean technology solutions to impact climate change. Benefits: What should you expect? An intensive 54 hour weekend that will change everything Mentorship, access to experts, and an opportunity to get funded Dates: Friday, November 11, 2016 – Sunday, November 13, 2016 Location: BTEC Office, ITVET Compound, Freetown Road, Belize City

Open Mic Night in Orange Walk!
Friday Night Oct. 30 Queen Elizabeth Park, 7-10pm. At the house of culture in Orange Walk.... 1000$ cash!

Raymond Rivers & supporters following a meeting with ACP Chester Williams
Rivers presented himself today at the Raccoon St Police Station on the request of the Police. According to ACP Williams, Rivers has been making threatening Facebook posts. Rivers told the media today that a threat has been made on his life.

Belikin Calendar 2017 Launch Party
November 26. Stone Grill & Bar, 7pm

Power Outage for the entire Corozal District, Saturday, October 29th - 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
BEL to replace a pole on the transmission system, replace low voltage arresters and replace a substation transformer.

Finados Honoring Mrs. Elena Awe
The SISE House of Culture is having Finados next Tuesday, November 1st, in honor of Mrs. Elena Awe. They start and 9:30am, and they'll have traditional food and drink.

Welcome to Belize, Sister Reverend!
The visit of the Pallottine Sisters in Benque is always great especially when the Reverend Sister Isabella from Rome visits Benque, it is a must to take a historical picture at the very entrance!

The national conversation on offshore oil continues and we want to hear from YOU!
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage is hosting conversations to meaningfully engage with the Belizeans on the latest developments on offshore oil exploration. See you there! The Belize City meeting has been postponed to Tuesday November 1st in order to accommodate more active participation from additional members of the community. Time: 6:30 pm, Tuesday, November 1st. Place: Pallotti Auditorium The national conversation on offshore oil continues and we want to hear from YOU!

Highlights of International Archaeology Day 2016
The Institute of Archaeology would like to thank all those who came out to help us celebrate International Archaeology Day on October 14. We all had a blast at Cahal Pech. We would especially like to thank those who provided any assistance in making the day a success.

Dia de los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, combines Catholicism's All Saints and All Souls Days with ancient Aztec rituals. The result is both festive and freaky.

Captain Morgan's Free Halloween Party
Captain Morgan's Casino, 8pm. As always HUGE cash prizes and giveaways. Karoake Finals! No entrance fee. Free drinks for players. Raffles! Open until 2AM - great afterparty spot!

Convictions: Supplies Control (Prices) Regulations
Government of Belize Press Office

Highlights of International Archaeology Day 2016
NICH got some really happy pictures from the Archaeological Day at Cahal Pech. "The Institute of Archaeology would like to thank all those who came out to help us celebrate International Archaeology Day on October 14. We all had a blast at Cahal Pech. We would especially like to thank those who provided any assistance in making the day a success. Please feel free to tag and share your photos!"

BELIZE'S FOOTBALL GREATNESS: YOU NAME THEM! (PART 2))
It continues to baffle me as a Belizean sport enthusiast as to why Belize didn't had a national football team that went to the World Cup in the 1960's and 70's knowing the incredible amount of football talent it had across the length and breath of that country. In speaking recently with one of the legendary Belizean defensive football players recently here in Los Angeles, California, Russell Hulse, about Belizean football and how the game was able to develop men of incredible character countrywide, it urged me to produce this photo essay and expose about who were these dynamic Belizean footballers? Those magnificent Belizean football players that played against each other in some of the most electrifying matches that brought Belizeans across Belize in large numbers to enjoy and see them. In the 1960's, 70's, and 80's, Belize was all "Football", that is, what the Americans called "Soccer". And Belizeans traverse across the country of Belize to see teams like Queens Park Rangers, Avengers, Spurs, White Label, and many more awesome teams do their play by play action for the Belizean football fans. If Belizeans want to get a pulse of what this period of football greatness was all about they have to read the book, "Sports, Sin & Subversion" by Evan X Hyde. This photo essay comes through the courtesy of that noteworthy Belizean book, and through the kind courtesy of the author and publisher of Belize largest newspaper "Amandala" Evan X Hyde, who has always been urging me to produce something outstanding on Belizean football greatness.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend:
As per tradition, Best Dressed Costume for the 7 O'clock and 9 O'clock will win a free movie pass for a year (2 Available). Paradise Theater playing this weekend: Finding Dory, Southbound, Army of One, Friend Request.

Channel 7

Two Year Old Perishes In Fire
Last night, we told you about the fire on Hunters Lane in which a baby is believed to have lit a mattress on fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, and the fire was contained to only one room. Well tonight another family is not so fortunate. In fact, they are in the throes of grief after their house in the Conch Shell Bay area was completely destroyed by fire. The worst part is that a 2 year-old baby perished in the blaze, while her mother watched helplessly. Our news team was on the scene, and we found the family on a day of unthinkable, unspeakable loss. Here's the story: Daniel Ortiz reporting: Pain, rage, grief, and frustration… these were but some of the reactions that family members and friends had in plain view when they confirmed that 2 year-old Kaylee Alavarez had been killed. She was the victim a blaze which destroyed her mother's house.

"Gaza" Man Murdered On San Pedro
Last night we told you about the fatal shooting of convicted prisoner Juan Carlos Martinez on San Pedro. Well, another man was killed on the island last night, but it wasn't police pulling the trigger. 30 year old Jason Gillett also known as "Skilla" was shot and killed in the San Mateo area on San Pedro. Gillett was originally from Belize City and moved to San Pedro 4 years ago with his common law wife. When we spoke to San Pedro police via phone they told us they are still gathering their information in this case. Supt. Sandra Bodden, OC - San Pedro Police: "Last night between 6:20pm and 6:30pm, police responded of information of shots being fired in the San Mateo area of San Pedro Town. Upon arriving at the location, they saw the lifeless body of one Jason Gillett. He was lying in the middle of the street apparently dead. He had received several gunshots wounds to the upper part of his body. So far police has been following up on some information. We have no viable leads at this time so far."

Mexican Navy Swoops In To The Aid
28 year old Daniel Arzu Jr. is in Mexico City tonight receiving treatment. He is the Petty Officer 3rd Class in the Coast Guard who was shot to the head on Monday at his girlfriend's Penn Road apartment. As we told you, he underwent surgery at the KHMH and was in an induced coma. But the doctors told the family that there is hope for Arzu because the bullet did not do much damage to the brain. Well to make sure that Arzu gets all the treatment he needs to recover the Captain of the Mexican Navy Carlos Aceves and his team came to Belize to take Arzu for further treatment in Mexico. As Arzu was being carried into the BERT ambulance, his family and friends were nearby snapping pictures, all hopeful that Arzu will make it. He was then driven to the airport and transferred to the Mexican Navy's air ambulance. The plane took off at 12:26 this afternoon. Arzu will be taken to El Hospital Naval General de Alta Especialidad in Mexico City. Arzu's father told us he is traveling to Mexico with his son and believes his son is improving.

Teachers Will Get Paid, But Differences With Minister Persists
When teachers go the bank tomorrow, they will find their full pay in their accounts, even those who participated in the 11-day strike. But, come next month, it is uncertain if those strike teachers will get their full pay. That's when the deductions for those lost school days are scheduled to take place, and right now, the BNTU and the Ministry are trying to work out a resolution to ensure that no one's pay is docked. The problem is that the Minister and the Union can't even agree on how they will meet to even discuss this. The Union wants its entire 25 member Council of Management to participate in the union, but the Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, thinks that 5 members are enough. Neither is giving any ground. The rift between the two sides is so great that both are questioning the other's motives. On the Ministry's side, this insistence on a full 25 member BNTU national executive is being interpreted as a tactic to frustrate the dialog. On the Union's side, they suspect that Faber wants to blindside them with proposals that they aren't able to accept, and, so they want the full participation of the Committee of Management.

MIT Officers Says Acevedo Mis-spoke
On Monday you heard the story from businessman and importer Raul Acevedo. He claims police officers from the Mobile Interdiction Team shook him down after the caught him with uncustomed goods. He says he gave them two thousand dollars in Mexican currency, which amounts to sixteen thousand pesos. We couldn't get much of a comment from the M-I-T at the time, but today their attorney called us. Dolores Balderamos Garcia is representing five of the officers and she says that Acevedo lied when he says the cops asked for a bribe:... Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Attorney: "My clear and unequivocal instruction is that the businessman is lying through his teeth. I am instructed by 5 officers; a corporal and 4 PCs in the MIT and they have given me a straight up account that there is absolutely no such thing as them soliciting or receiving anything."

Eight Years For Hemmans
In May of 2012, Gareth Hemmans Jr. and Miguel Zaiden had a fight over a woman. After the initial altercation ended, Hemmans left and returned with a machete, which he used to chop Zaiden four times in the arms and elbow. Hemmans, who has no previous convictions, appeared in the Magistrate's Court last week Tuesday for a trial without jury, where he was convicted for attempted murder. During the trial, Zaiden was noted as an unfavorable witness because he was unable to identify Hemmans as the person who injured him, while Hemmans had an alibi. However, due the fact that he seemed to have no remorse, Justice Adolph Lucas decided to sentence Hemmans to eight years in prison.

Fines For Price Control Violators
Controlled prices, they are put in place to protect the most needy on basic food items. But, many unscrupulous storeowners still gouge consumers on these basic items such as rice and sugar. The practice is widespread, and the Bureau of Standards ahs the job of cracking down on it. Today the bureau reported that three businesses that have been prosecuted and charged for violating price controls. Super 1 Center in Bella Vista Village was charged $500 for selling controlled goods for a higher than regulated price. Placencia's Placencia Store and Dong Lee Store in Hopkins were charged $250 and $500 respectively for not marking the price of controlled goods, likely so that they could sell them for a higher price at the register.

BEL Sends Linesmen To Assist In Bahamas Hurricane Recovery
Almost a month ago today Hurricane Matthew, one of the most powerful storms in the last decade, formed and went on to tear through the Caribbean. The Bahamas was one of the hardest hit, its 700 islands taking a straight hit from the storm as a category three and four. The Bahamas Power and Light Company reported that 80% of their customers lost power as a result of damages sustained to their electrical power network. The BPL contacted the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation, an association of electric utility providers from around the Caribbean, for help. CARILEC then mobilized a team of 35 linemen from 7 of its member countries, including Jamaica, Barbados and Belize.

Southside Commander Cautions Activist For Social Media Threats
FACEBOOK - it's a social media designed for keeping in contact with friends, but its also become platform for anyone with an agenda to get their message out - without going through traditional media. For activist and agitator Raymond Rivers, that has meant some very extreme posts - making all kinds of outlandish claims and calls. And it caught the attention of the southside commander Chester Williams - who uses facebook to get his own message out, but also to track social media banter that could lead to real world violence. And that's why Rivers caught the southside commander's attention. In one of his more extreme posts, he talks about taking over the airport, swarming the Prime Minister's home, occupying Albert Street, destroying gas stations, and locking down the port. Williams called in Rivers today - who pulled up with a COLA entourage. President Geovanni Brackett said he'd been at a safe house:...

Rivers Says Willoughby Threatened Him
And yes, you heard right - they said a municipal politician has put out a hit on Rivers. Here's how Rivers explained it:... Jules Vasquez, 7News: "You said there is a hit on you. Is that for real?" Raymond Rivers, Facebook agitator: "Well it is for real, because last 2 weeks Mr. Willoughby sent a young man to my house on Antelope Street to tell me to cool it down and left Mr. Willoughby alone. But he came from another big gang leader member in this country. The big gang leader sent him and Mr. Willoughby sent that one. So it's like that. But all of them are my friends. I am from the Southside." We spoke to Willoughby today and he told us he didn't send anyone to threaten Rivers or any such thing. He said that he's the one who's actually been threatened by Rivers, both in public and through private message on facebook. Willoughby did take it very seriously and made a police statement, backed up by a letter from his attorney directly to Rivers - both in early October. The letter tells Rivers to cease and desist form harassing Willoughby verbally and refrain form contacting him via social media.

"Gwaff," With Caution
And while the Facebook plots swirl, one of River's associates is more circumspect about facebook wars. Fitzharris Howard says he doesn't support violence:... Reporter: "I am asking for a comment in relation to what your fellow colleague activists has posted on his social media page, in a sense inciting violence. Do you support such posts that he has made?" Fitzharris Howard, COLA Supporter: "Well I don't support violence. We don't support violence. But I believe that everybody have the right to post whatever it is that they want to post on their Facebook page." Reporter: "Can you make a threat against someone on social media?" Fitzharris Howard, COLA Supporter: "I think you shouldn't..."

Who Are SB's Men In Black?
But Howard has his own story of harassment. He's been a very visible and active member of COLA recently, at the frontline of many of their protest actions. And it seems that singled him out for arrest by a little known police unit. We call them "The Men in Black" - who we know to be an arm of Special Branch Headquarters in Belmopan. Seems they came all the way to Belize City to arrest Howard for a weed roach:... Howard pleaded guilty for marijuana possession and was fined 205 dollars.

Coming Up On COPA
Next year the Belize National Football team will be off to Panama to participate in the 2017 COPA Centroamericana tournament, or Nation's Cup. Belize has been selected as a part of Group A, and will face off against Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The top four teams in the tournament will move on to the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup, while the fifth place team will enter the Caribbean Cup for a second chance at qualifying. Belize's last performance in the COPA Centroamericana tournament was less than ideal, placing 7th out of 7 in 2014. Since then, the team has been restructured, and new members have been added to the roster. The tournament will take place next January.

Channel 5

A Toddler’s Tragic Death In House Fire At Conch Shell Bay
Tragedy in Conch Shell Bay as another minor loses her life in a midday fire.  It is the third such incident involving children for the month of October.  This afternoon, [...]

Fire Service Issues Warning Following Multiple Deaths In Several Weeks
On Wednesday afternoon, a fire gutted the bedroom of an elevated wooden structure on Hunters Lane.  According to Carla Jimenez, she left her son and his father at home around [...]

Jason Gillett Is Latest Murder Victim On Ambergris Caye
Our news crew was back on the island of Ambergris Caye today, following another fatal shooting in the San Mateo area of San Pedro Town. Around six-thirty on Wednesday night, [...]

Teacher’s Union Sticks To Guns: No Ministry Interference
Will Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber get to meet with the Belize National Teachers’ Union on Friday? The answer depends on the outcome of a prior [...]

B.N.T.U. President Says Precedent Set For Full Council Of Management To Meet Gov’t.
The Union also cites previous instances when both the Prime Minister and Minister of Education have met with the Council of Management as its basis for explaining why the Council [...]

Hands Off The Strike Fund!
The Strike Fund – it has become the latest tug-of-war between the Ministry of Education and the Belize National Teachers’ Union. The Union has maintained that its Fund is established [...]

Will School Managements Side With Teachers?
The Belize National Teachers’ Union is hoping to find an ally in the various school managing authorities. A meeting between them was scheduled for Monday of this week but it [...]

Trick Or Treat? Another Demonstration For B.N.T.U. On Halloween Saturday
The rally scheduled in Belize City for Saturday, October twenty-ninth, was intended to be a “thank-you” event in recognition of those who assisted the Belize National Teachers’ Union in their [...]

Stricken Coast Guard Officer Gets Medical Boost From Mexico
Coast Guard officer Daniel Arzu Junior was shot to the head on Monday evening in Belize City. He was attacked while visiting his child’s mother on Neal Pen Road, though [...]

Unapologetic Raymond Rivers Meets With Police; City Councilor Claims He Threatened Him
On Wednesday night, you heard ACP Chester Williams say that he wanted to meet with local activist Raymond Rivers. Police were looking for Rivers because of some threatening Facebook posts [...]

Fitz Howard Complains Of Police Harassment
There’s another activist who believes that he is being targeted. Fitz Harris Howard, an associate of Raymond Rivers, says he was at his home on Iguana Street on October twentieth [...]

Cop Acquitted Of Extortion
Thirty-one year old Constable Amir Moh of San Jose Palmar, Orange Walk District, was caught up in allegations of extortion of a medical technician, forty-eight-year-old Alexander Tate. As reported at [...]

F.I.U. Subjects Belize To National Risk Assessment For Money Laundering
The FIU signed a memorandum of understanding with the Income Tax Department on Wednesday. As we told you, it is to facilitate the share of information across the two entities [...]

Wanted: “Clean, Green” Businesses For Start-Up With SBDC
The Small Business Development Center, a division of the Belize Trade and Investment Service, last year pioneered the “Startup Weekend” as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. It was intended to [...]

The Meet And Greet Is Back Following Hiatus
If you haven’t seen any Police meet and greets in your area in recent weeks, don’t worry the community policy programme hasn’t been cut. As a matter of fact, it [...]

BELAIFA Collects Food For Charitable Causes
Every year around this time, the Belize Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors would hold a food drive and the proceeds are handed over to the Liberty Children’s Home in [...]

Healthy Living Examines Men And Breast Cancer
Tonight on Healthy Living, we continue with the breast cancer awareness as a part of breast cancer awareness month. Except….the next segment is geared towards men. Yes! Men can get [...]

CTV3

Will BNTU Meet With DPM?
There are pending discussions between the Belize National Teachers’ Union and the Minister of Education Patrick Faber about salary deductions for the teachers who participated in the 11 day of strike. The meeting to discuss these deductions, scheduled to be docked in the November pay check has been set for 11:30 tomorrow between the two parties. The BNTU’s Council of Management is set to meet before that meeting at 9:30 where they will decide if they will proceed with the meeting based on the conditions set by the Education Minister. Luke Palacio – President of the Belize Teacher’s Union: “Indeed the Minister had requested a meeting and there has been a number of exchanges via correspondences in which we have indicated to the minister that the council of management is the second highest authority of the BNTU and that any such meeting would have to be with members of our council and so yesterday in the media when he indicated that he had suggested or is recommending to the BNTU that having 25 persons at a meeting would be counterproductive we do not agree...”

Teacher's Rally Turns To Demonstration
As previously reported, the Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) had scheduled a support rally for last Saturday but it was postponed until this coming Saturday, October 29th. The news tonight is that the rally has turned into a demonstration based on the back and forth between the Union and the Ministry of Education which insists that Government will not pay school managements the contributions for striking teachers’ salaries. Luke Palacio – President of the Belize Teacher’s Union: “On Saturday we are having a national demonstration and rally here in Belize City and one of course to thank those individuals groups and organizations that gave us tremendous support during our strike action and again to the public to help us to call for the government that the teachers deserve to get their salaries so this is an invitation to the public...”

CHOC Promotes Maya Mestizo Culture
Western culture has named October 31 as Halloween Day, but in the northern Belize Mestizo/Mayan culture, that day is part of a different type of celebration in which the dearly departed are remembered. To highlight that aspect of Mayan tradition, this weekend the House of Culture in Corozal will be holding “Hanal Pixan” an event which will focus on the foods that become a sacred link between the living and the dead during the traditional ceremonies held from October 31st to November 2nd. Because we know you would find it interesting, we spoke to the House of Culture administrator, Debra Wilkes, to find out more. Debra Wilkes - Curator, Corozal House of Culture" “What we’re doing is on Saturday night we are bringing in out to the community, we are showcasing Hanal Pixan with alters, organizations and persons in the community will be setting alters and we will also have a community alter set up for anyone in the community who wants to come out and be a part of the community, you can honor your early departed by simply bringing a picture and perhaps a candle or maybe a food item...”

LOVE FM

Toddler Perishes in House Fire
A house fire claimed the life of a toddler in Belize City earlier today. For the story, we join Renee Trujillo. RENEE TRUJILLO REPORTING “At around midday this afternoon fire officials were called out to a home in the Conch Shell Bay area where a bungalow structure was being consumed by fire. The plumes of […]

Fire Officials Send Message to Parents and Fire Prevention
Today’s fire in the Conch Shell Bay area of the city ended in tragedy and yesterday was a close call for a family in Hunter’s Alley just off Kelly Street. According to Oren Smith of the National Fire Service the fire was the result of a minor playing with matches. OREN SMITH “Yesterday’s incident occurred […]

Wednesday Night Homicide on La Isla Bonita
San Pedro Police are investigating the murder of thirty year old Jason Gillett. Gillett was shot and killed in the San Mateo area sometime after six o’clock yesterday evening. Officer Commanding the San Pedro Formation, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Sandra Bodden tells us what the investigation has revealed so far. SANDRA BODDEN ” Gillett was […]

BNTU Says No to Using Strike Fund and Announces Planned Demonstration
It is expected that leaders of the Belize National Teachers Union and Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, will meet tomorrow to discuss several matters that resulted from the strike action taken by thousands of teachers countrywide. But before both bodies could meet, the question of who will be at the meeting is the current point […]

Rule of Law Report Ranks Belize at 82/113
The buzz words of recent in many corners have been ‘good governance’. It is a phrase that encompasses all areas in a country’s administration ranging from policies and finances to national security and the rule of law. Many have been clamouring for it, indicating that its absence has been duly noted in various areas. To […]

Guatemala Congress Seeks Financing from US for Referendum
Guatemala’s Congress has begun looking at the issue of the Belize/Guatemala referendum and in that process they have reached out to the US Government appealing for financial aid to get the referendum done. According to a report on the Congress’s website, the expenses they are looking at would total about three hundred million quetzales or […]

Rivers Says Politician Has a Hit on Him
Yesterday Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told the media that he had requested to speak with activist, Raymond Rivers from the Poor People Organized for a Healthy and Righteous Society (PPOHRS) Organization in regards to Facebook posts that Rivers made that according to Williams, could be constituted as threats. Today Rivers accompanied by Citizens […]

CRFM Has Big Plans For World Fisheries University and Speaks of Collective Effort Against Sargassum
The Ministerial Council of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) held its sixth special meeting today in the Grand Cayman Islands. CRFM conducted the meeting as part of the Caribbean Week of Agriculture 2016 being conducted under the theme “Investing in Food and Agriculture.” One of the priorities being discussed at the regional meeting is […]

Government and Belize Zoo Team Up for Wildlife Conservation
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development and the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to promote wildlife conservation and ensure cooperation in public education efforts on the importance of wildlife in Belize. Minister Omar Figueroa said this was the first ever […]

The Guardian

300 homes to be constructed after hurricane Earl
Over this past week the newly named Minister of NEMO and Transport, Hon. Edmund Castro has been visiting constituencies and residents who have received assistance from his ministry to put back their lives together after hurricane Earl. On Wednesday he was in Belize City where he visited with the Albert constituency and the Collett Constituency. According to NEMO coordinator Colonel (Ret.) Shelton Defour there have been 140 houses which have been constructed, 77 are under construction and a further 78 will be built. That will bring the total to 295 houses which will be delivered to residents who’s home was completely destroyed by the hurricane in August of this year. Apart from the new homes, Defour says that there have been 1,239 cases where persons were assisted with material to either repair their buildings themselves or have NEMO assist providing contractors. According to him, there are approximately 1100 households that have not yet received assistance. This he said will be done within the next 6 to 8 weeks when NEMO is expected to complete the home construction and repairs.

Who will pay the teachers who were on strike?
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon. Patrick Faber and representatives of the Ministry of Education will be meeting with Luke Palacio and other executive members of the Belize National Teacher's Union (BNTU). The meeting comes as a request by the BNTU to Hon. Faber for them to discuss payment for teachers who were on strike. The government's position in one where the teachers will not be paid by the ministry, however Hon. Faber has approached the union asking how the ministry can facilitate payment to the teachers and it be reimbursed through the union's strike fund. Faber has said that the Ministry is looking at having the strike fund pay the teachers for the 11 days for which they were on strike and if the fund falls short the Ministry may be able to subsidize the difference.

Police shoot and kill escapee
Juan Carlos Martinez, a 25 year-old escaped prisoner, was killed in a shootout with police from San Pedro. The cops say he fired first, and they were forced to respond. The official version, which the officers involved told their superiors, is that at around 11 p.m. on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, they received information that Carlos was located at a house in the San Pedrito area of the island. They had been looking for him since December 13, 2015. Trying to corner and capture him, the officers reportedly surrounded the property, and they called out to him identifying themselves as cops. They say that shortly thereafter, a fair complexioned man, who was wearing a camouflage short pants, and no shirt, immediately ran out of the house. He jumped over the veranda, into the lagoon, and the officers had to set chase into the swamp. They say that under the cover of darkness, they heard what sounded like gunshots, and so, they took cover and returned fire in the direction where they heard the shots. After everything went quiet, the officers waited for a short duration of time, and when they went to the location where they heard the shots, they found Martinez’s lifeless body. He had suffered several gunshots to the upper part of his body.

Hon. Edmond Castro sworn in as Minister of Transport and NEMO
Three time area representative Hon. Edmond 'Clear the land' Castro was sworn in as full Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) on October 24th by the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Castro takes up the position after serving in the capacity as Minister of State in that same ministry from November of last year. During his tenure in that ministry he has been exceptional in performing his duties and has been the Minister in charge overseeing that persons who were affected by Hurricane Earl in August of this year get back on their feet.

Off again! on again! - Johnny Briceno appoints Eamon Courtenay to Senate Inquiry
It seems that PUP leader Johnny Briceno simply has no leadership skills and is constantly changing his mind. When the Senate Select Committee was empanelled on October 12, he huffed and puffed and said that the PUP would not participate. He was so upset that he simply could not process the composition of the Committee and the voting powers of each senator and who would hold the majority of votes. It seems that perhaps he got some advice and last week he sheepishly took back the position and said that the work of the committee was just too important for the PUP not to participate in and announced that the PUP would participate. Well on Tuesday of this week he named Senator Eamon Courtenay to be the man representing the PUP.

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development and Belize Zoo sign MoU
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development (MAFFESD) and the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center (TBZ) this afternoon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen synergies in order to promote wildlife conservation and ensure cooperation in public education efforts on the importance of wildlife in Belize. The signing ceremony was held at the Belize Zoo, on the George Price Highway, where Honourable Dr. Omar Figueroa signed on behalf of the Ministry, and Sharon Matola signed on behalf of the Belize Zoo. Speaking during the signing ceremony, Minister Figueroa, stated that the MoU is the first-ever agreement to be signed between the Belize Zoo and Government aimed at formalizing the wildlife conservation efforts of the Belize Zoo. This MoU also recognizes the Zoo’s key role in wildlife management as it seeks to restore, enhance and protect Belize’s wildlife and their habitats.

$940 Million to be invested in Blackadore Caye Project
The Blackadore Caye Group is prepared to invest roughly US$470 million in the development of an eco-resort on the island and they have surpassed another hurdle in the treacherous march towards environmental clearance. On Tuesday, October 25, the group’s public relations team held a press conference to inform the public that its Environmental Impact Assessment Plan (EIAP) has been approved by the Department of the Environment (DOE). In Belize, one misstep can sink a development project, even with great intention and potential, down the toilet. The environmental community is loud and sensitive and makes representations as if they are the ones who issue the initial and final approval for any development project in Belize. The scary thing is that this may be true, at least in perception. Because of this, developers have gone above and beyond to ingratiate themselves with the environmental community of Belize.

Johnny talks about lands?
Last week Johnny Briceño dared us in the media to go in find any questionable land transactions that took place under his tenure as the Minister of Lands or whatever the name of that ministry was at the time. Well perhaps some readers will remember the land on which the former Customs house was located in Corozal. Some readers may have even had the opportunity to have visited that area, at one time or another. Well in October of 2004 there was some sort of questionable land transfers that saw the title to those lands being transferred from the Government to COROZAL FREE ZONE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY for TEN DOLLARS ($10) which then, THREE days later it turned around and FLIPPED for a MILLION DOLLARS ( $1,000,000 ) . At the time Johnny gave a flimsy excuse in late 2004 that it was a GOB entity transferring it to another GOB entity for a token in order to make it legal. Where his explanation got cloudy was when he tried to explain away the $999,990 profit, the fully AUTONOMOUS STATUTORY BOARD- COROZAL FREEZONE MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY made when they turned around and sold it three days later to a private concern, the Montecarlo Investment Group for the aforementioned Princely Sum of $1million. We did not have to do too much digging, all we did was to ask our friend Mr Google and once again he did not disappoint us.

Relief for the residents of San Ignacio and Santa Elena with bridge re-opening
Residents from San Ignacio and Santa Elena are now breathing a collective sigh of relief that a bridge has been re-opened to relieve the congestion of traffic. The Low Level Wooden Bridge spanning the Macal River in San Ignacio and Santa Elena was officially opened with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday morning of last week. Simeon Herrera, from the Ministry of Works’ core of engineers did a final inspection of the re-built bridge early on Thursday where a decision was then made to open the bridge. Hon. Rene Montero, Minister of Public Works, Alberto August, Chairman of the United Democratic Party, Mike Salazar, Deputy Mayor of the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council as well as many other partners were present to witness the opening of the bridge, which has now been fitted with the long lasting Bullet Tree Lumber.

Saint Martin’s Credit Union celebrates International Credit Union Day
Some 67 years after opening the Saint Martin’s Credit Union SMCU, the financial institution joined Credit Unions around the World to celebrate the International Day of Credit Unions last Thursday. As part of its observance, staff members of SMCU held an open day last Thursday at its headquarters in San Ignacio, having earlier spent time with the residents of the Octavia Waight Center. To celebrate International Day of Credit Unions, Raymond Tzul, Manager of the SMCU released a statement summing up the status of the SMCU since Father Bernard Zimmerman introduced the credit union idea in San Ignacio in 1948.

Crime and public safety information centralized
The Ministry of Home Affairs is hoping that a centralized crime information system will help policy makers to develop strategies that will be effective in tackling the plague of crime and violence that has destroyed our sense of safety in Belize. It is with this in mind that on Tuesday, October 25, the Ministry launched the Belize Crime Observatory. According to the Organization of American States, crime observatories help to “obtain relevant, up to date information to assess the magnitude of the public security situation and identify its characteristics, with a view to improving their capacity to develop intervention strategies and public policies for the prevention and control of crime and violence.”

DIWALI, INDIAN XMAS
Lately, the critics of the government and its naysayers have been questioning the resolve of Prime Minister Dean Barrow to tackle the issue of alleged corruption in his government. So much so that he was recently lampooned in a political cartoon advertisement asking about the double-edged machete that Mr. Barrow had so fervently spoken about while in Opposition. Well there is no need for these critics to wonder anymore because PM Barrow has recently demonstrated, as he has throughout his two plus terms, that the double-edged machete is still very sharp and ready for proper use whenever that becomes necessary. While no one in the party relishes the demise of a fellow party member, the sad reality is that from time to time, the Prime Minister needs to address the allegations (and even perception of misdeeds) made against those in his Party and Cabinet, no matter how senior the party official may be.

The Double-Edged Machete
Lately, the critics of the government and its naysayers have been questioning the resolve of Prime Minister Dean Barrow to tackle the issue of alleged corruption in his government. So much so that he was recently lampooned in a political cartoon advertisement asking about the double-edged machete that Mr. Barrow had so fervently spoken about while in Opposition. Well there is no need for these critics to wonder anymore because PM Barrow has recently demonstrated, as he has throughout his two plus terms, that the double-edged machete is still very sharp and ready for proper use whenever that becomes necessary. While no one in the party relishes the demise of a fellow party member, the sad reality is that from time to time, the Prime Minister needs to address the allegations (and even perception of misdeeds) made against those in his Party and Cabinet, no matter how senior the party official may be.

Eulogy for the late Michael Clarence Edward Young
Your humble servant thanks the family of MCEY for inviting me to eulogize our dear friend, it is at once, both a humbling and distinct honor, but I hasten to confessed, and yet a tremendous undertaking, in light of the shocking and unspeakable mystery of Tuesday, October 18th, 2016. To have demure would have been an abdication of my duty to his family,friends, our society, my personal sense of responsibility and most of all it is an opportunity to stand in his defense and declare the amazing and phenomenal strength, conviction and fortitude of MCEY who lived not merely by words, but by his deeds. When someone you love passes away, there is a strong temptation to remember him or her, perhaps a little too well. Misdeeds are forgotten, offences are forgiven, and only the most shining characteristics of our loved ones make it into the version of them we want to keep with us when they depart. That is how it should be.

NTUCB president says he’s concerned over BWU bankrupcy
Two weeks ago the Guardian Newspaper broke the news that the Belize Workers Union is bankrupt. Since that time the executives who were found to have checks written in their names have refused comment. One former president of the union, Horris Patten has however been very vocal and has asked that those responsible be held accountable for running the union into the red. The Guardian Newspaper also sought comment from the president of the NTUCB, Marvin Mora. He stated that, “this is a situation that is internal to the Belize Workers Union and they have the autonomy to address that matter. NTUCB could give advice or facilitate mediation but not until the parties affected agree.” Asked if the matter was of concern to him he explained that, “anything that can potentially affect trade unionism in Belize is not only of concern to myself as a trade unionist but also the NTUCB.”

New Minister of Police
Honorable Elodio Aragon Jr. takes up the reigns of the Police Department under the Ministry of Home Affairs. When the UDP won the last general election in 2015, Hon. Aragon secured a seat for the party in Orange Walk East. At the time many speculated and some expected that Hon. Aragon would have automatically been given a role to play in the National Security Ministry given his professional background. Many were surprised however, when the Prime Minister being the strategist that he is, made Hon. Aragon Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture. Aragon proved his mettle and executed his duties in that portfolio with distinction. He proved that he was capable of performing any task which was assigned to him.

Hon. Saldivar resumes ministerial duties
The Office of the Prime Minister announces that, after a one week suspension, the Hon. John Saldivar today resumed his duties as Minister of Defence. That resumption follows upon the Prime Minister’s receipt of a legal opinion concerning the question of whether the Minister continued in a (football business) relationship with Danny Mason after September of 2015. The opinion rejects as invalid any conclusion that the Minister, in consequence of the continued existence after September 2015 of a company in which both the Minister and Mr. Mason had subscribed to shares, continued in a business relationship with Mr. Mason. The opinion makes the point that after the company was formed, and no doubt because the Minister shortly thereafter made unsavory discoveries about Mr. Mason, the Minister took no steps to actually allot to himself or Mr. Mason any of the shares to which they had subscribed. This meant that they never actually became shareholders and the company never got off the ground.

Government suspends seismic testing in Belizean waters
The Government of Belize has suspended seismic testing in Belize’s marine environment following the demands from persons within the public, who assert that they were not consulted before the Barrow Administration approved the initiative. This decision came after the residents of San Pedro and the tour guide community refused to listen to the reasoned scientific explanations from the experts of the Department of Environment. They had already jumped to the erroneous conclusion that the Government was quietly taking the first step to approve offshore oil drilling in Belize. OCEANA Belize and the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage sounded the alarm 2 weeks earlier after the Government made an announcement that Belize was participating in a regional survey. The Government was partnering with the Governments of the United States and the Mexican Government to gather new geophysical data of the entire region, and the purpose was to get access to advanced knowledge of the geology and hydrocarbon systems in the marine environments of all 3 countries’ exclusive economic zones.

Taiwan Seeks to Join Fight against Global Warming
Global warming and the El Niño phenomenon have contributed to record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events around the world. In July this year, the global average temperatures which had taken over land and ocean surfaces were the highest for any month in 137 years of record-keeping. In June, the temperature in Taipei reached 38.7 degrees Celsius, the highest in a century. Another recent anomaly is a marked decline in the frequency of steady rainfall. Instead, we were hit with a series of torrential downpours that caused many flash floods, significantly damaging our infrastructure, ecosystem, as well as crops. More and more evidence is showing that climate change is already happening. If we don’t take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now, we will end up paying much more later on.

A Giant among men, A Tribute to Michael Clarence Edward Young, SC, CBE
The legendary Bob Marley had men like my friend, my colleague, my Mentor, and My 2nd Father the late great Michael Young in mind when he uttered those words. The tributes since his passing and the remembrances today by his son Michael D Young, senior counsels Rodwell Williams, Denys Barrow and the Prime Minister of Belize Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow almost uniformly are testaments to the hallmarks of his life which were 1. His unshakable character 2. His indelible positive influence on others and 3. His life long commitment to making Belize a better place for All. I have had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Young before I even knew myself, in fact in many respects he has helped me to find myself. I knew him from I was a little boy, through all those years he never passed on the opportunity to tell me how proud he was of me, share a good joke or offer great life advice.

Remembering Michael Young
I am privileged, on behalf of the United Democratic Party, to join in the expressions of thanksgiving for the life and work of Michael Clarence Edward Young. He was, of course, for over a decade the Legal Adviser of our Party. This did not mean that he was on retainer or any such thing. It meant that he was an actual official of the Party, a member of our Central Executive and our National Party Council. It also meant that all he did for us, which included research, opinion writing and actual representation in Court, he did for free. But more than that it meant that he was a critical component of the Party's brain trust: a deviser of strategy, an implementer of policy, and perhaps the most respected of contributors at our conclaves and planning sessions. The cogency of his reasoning and the passion of his presentation were not the only things that made Michael such an effective persuader. He was also much aided by his ability to deliver, with deadpan devastation, some absolutely classic one liners.

Woman seduces man and steals wallet
Sarita Ash, 32, of Iguana Street Extension must pay the court $200 by November 28 or serve two months imprisonment for stealing Frederick Trapp’s wallet on Thursday, October 20. According to Trapp, 48, a security guard of a Belize City address, he says that at about 9:30 p.m. on Thursday he was at Uno Gas Station on Youth for the Future Drive when Ash approached him and said she would give him oral sex for money because she was desperate for cash. She then began to unzip his pants but he refused. Ash then hugged him tightly and bit him in his chest. Trapp says he felt when Ash touched his back pocket but didn’t think anything of it. It was not until after she left that he realized his wallet was missing from his pants pocket. Trapp immediately jumped on his bicycle and rode to Fox Club where he found Ash. He called police and a mobile was sent to assist. Ash was detained and charged with one count of theft. Trapp says the wallet contained $490.

Randy August on remand for handling diamond and gold bangles
Randy August, 23, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after he was charged for handling stolen goods on Tuesday, October 25. The allegation being made against August is that on Tuesday, October 18, he was found in possession of several items stolen from the home of Marlon Ritchie. Ritchie’s home at #8280 Cumberbatch Street was burglarized and $34,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. Police investigation led to the search of August and several of the items were found; including, a two diamond gold bangles valued at $2,000 each, one gold bangles valued at $750, a Safari gold chain valued at $400, an Arabic gold chain valued at $1,000 and three yellow loop bangles valued at $500.

Calvin Cumberbatch Free of Manslaughter Charges
Calvin Cumberbatch has been cleared of all charges relating to a January 3, 2016, traffic accident that resulted in the death of two people. Well-known moneylender Pamela Bennett—Cumberbatch was killed along with an octogenarian during the New Year’s holiday weekend in a traffic accident on the Northern Highway. That double fatality happened around 9 a.m. on Sunday, January 3, between miles 5 and 6, near a curve. 80 year-old Alfredo Navarrete was driving in his Grey Dodge Caravan, heading from his house in Burrell Boom Village to Belize City. His intention was to meet up with some relatives for the day. His family has told the press that he has a reputation of being a very careful driver, who does not speed on the highway.

Rosado family requests leniency for Marlon Catillo
In mitigation plea on behalf of Marlon Castillo, 29, on Friday, October 21, Dr. Alvaro Rosado and his wife Dorla asked Justice Adolph Lucas to have mercy on the man who has accepted responsibility for playing a roll in the death of their son, Ariel. The Rosado’s told the court that they do not want any compensation for Ariel’s death. They want to put the accident behind them and remember their son for the person he was. They want to remember Marlon for the friend he was to Ariel. Last week on the advice of his attorney, Dickie Bradley, Castillo pleaded guilty to causing death by careless conduct in a plea deal that saw the withdrawal of a manslaughter by negligence charge. According to police reports, on Saturday, May 14, 2011, Castillo was driving his 2007 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck at about 10:45 p.m. on the Northern Highway from the direction of Belama towards Belize City and upon reaching the PACT roundabout between miles two and three he lost control of the pickup and collided into a concrete fence.

Coastguard officer shot in the head
Family, friends and colleagues of Daniel Arzu Jr. continue to remain concerned for his wellbeing while he remains hospitalized in an induced coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The 28 year-old Coast Guard Officer was shot in the head on Monday October 24. It happened at around 5 p.m., when Arzu was visiting the mother of his child at her Penn Road Apartment. That’s when an unknown intruder barged into the house, where there were other family members around. The assailant was armed, and before there could be any real reaction to the threat of danger, he opened fire and injured Arzu Jr. The bullet struck him in the right temple, and as soon as the gunman escaped, family and friends worked quickly to rush him to the KHMH. There the doctors performed life-saving medical surgery, and they were able to stabilize his health.

No charges yet against coastguard officer or his alleged attackers
Two men are recovering from serious cut wounds after they were rushed to the Medical Associates for treatment early Monday morning, October 24. Police are still investigating the incident that led to their injuries as wild allegations are coming from their side as well as from the individual responsible for inflicting the wounds. The victims of the cut wounds are Marcel Blake, 36, Manager at Grace Kenedy Limited, and Samuel Nicholson, a teacher of a Belize City High School. The man responsible for inflicting the wounds is Deon Hernandez, a 24-year-old Coastguard Sailor from Palmar Road in Orange Walk.

Elwin Vanegas back in jail after escaping 11 years ago
Inmate Elwin Vanegas walked out of a prison bus in 2005 and lived as a fugitive until he was recaptured over the weekend, more than eleven years later. In 2004 Vanegas was sentenced to five years imprisonment for a burglary conviction. He had served one year when he was transported to court and managed to escape from custody. Authorities believe Vanegas was hiding somewhere in Guatemala. It was not until this weekend that police were able to catch up with him. Vanegas probably felt confident to visit relatives here in Belize or just got tired of running. On Monday, October 24, 2016, a warrant was prepared for his committal back to the Belize Central Prison. He is back behind bars to serve his remaining four year sentence.

Machete fight leaves two injured in Santa Elena, Cayo
Two men injured each other in a confrontation in Santa Elena, Cayo. On Thursday about 6:00 pm, San Ignacio Police received information of a chopping incident on Bishop Martin Street, Santa Elena Town. Police then visited the San Ignacio Community Hospital, where two male persons were seen with injuries. These persons were Felipe Guzman, a 46 year old Belizean Butcher of Bishop Martin Street, Santa Elena Town, who was seen with a cut wound to the back of his head and Henry Baptist a 36 year old Belizean Laborer of Maria Gonzalez Street, Santa Elena Town. Henry Baptist was seen with cut wounds to the upper left shoulder, to the right cheek and to the right side of the nose.

Illegal immigrant caught trying to marry Canadian in Belize
Darling Waldina Oviedo Pineda, 25, a Honduran woman who came to Belize illegally on October 19, is being prepared for deportation after she was arrested and successfully prosecuted by immigration officials. Officers of the Immigration Department were informed of Pineda’s presence in the country after she visited the Registry Department to apply for a license to marry a Canadian national. Pineda could not provide any document to show that she entered the country legally. Immigration officials caught up with her shortly after that visit. On Tuesday evening, October 25, Darling Pineda appeared unrepresented before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza. She wasted no time and pleaded guilty to a single charge of illegal entry into Belize.

Interdicted cop wants reinstatement and payment for failed charges
Interdicted Police Constable Jermaine Mangar is free from charges filed against him over six years ago. Mangar received the good news when the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi on Monday, October 25, due to insufficient evidence to prove the charge. In April of 2010, Mangar was charged jointly with Jermaine Palacio and Ernie Hyatt Miranda with attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Proprietor of Chon Saan Palace Lee Mark Chang told police that two men visited his establishment and were asking questions about the business operation. Further reports are that the men later returned and were captured on camera but no crime was executed upon the business as authorities say they were tipped off by one of the accused.

Up and coming female mechanic dies in traffic mishap
Nitaya Locke, a 26 year-old Lords Bank resident, was killed during the weekend in a motorcycle accident. She was a promising young mechanic whose work ethic and dedication was being recognized at the company she worked for. Reports are that after work on Friday, October 21, she went out socializing with her sister and 2 friends. At around 11 p.m., she decided to head home, and while she was driving on the highway, she encountered some still unknown difficulty which caused her to lose control of her motorcycle. It caused her to crash into a lamp post and a fence near to the AAA Security Firm’s office, which is locate at miles 2 and a half on the Philip Goldson Highway. When the officers learnt of the accident, and quickly responded but she had already passed away from the head and bodily injuries she had suffered.

Police officer cleared of drug charge
A police constable of the Corozal District is free from a single charge of drug trafficking after Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold made a successful no case submission before Magistrate Patricia Arana on Thursday, October 20. At about 1:55 p.m. on May 17, 2015, Custom Officer Eberto Mai stopped a grey Hyundai Sonata at the Corozal border and conducted a search of the trunk of the vehicle. This resulted in the discovery of a black plastic bag which contained three parcels of cannabis. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Police Constable Giean Yah. Yah was escorted to the Corozal Police Station where the cannabis was weighed. It amounted to 3,139 grams. As a result, PC Yah was arrested and charged with drug trafficking.

Woman robbed in San Ignacio
A sizeable sum of cash was stolen from a businesswoman in the Cayo District. San Ignacio Police are looking for one suspect, in the robbery of a businesswoman in San Ignacio Town, which occurred at about 9:00 am on Monday. Quellan Mai, a businesswoman from the Brother’s Store in Santa Elena, had parked her vehicle on Wyatt Street in San Ignacio and was on her way to Atlantic Bank to make a deposit when she was robbed. Mai was taking in cash and checks when she was approached by a Creole male person who grabbed her deposit bag and ran away with it. Some 20 thousand dollars in cash and 9 thousand dollars in checks were taken in this robbery.

Robbery in Santa Elena, Cayo
Shauntae Shay Shanice Dominguez, an 18 year old Belizean Student of Santa Elena Town reported that on Thursday of last week at bout 9:20pm she was robbed. She was walking on Salazar Street when two male persons approached and used force to steal her properties. The items included one Dark Grey LG G Flex Curve Cell phone, with Phone Number: 631-7353, valued $300.00US; one back pack containing one red Composition Book, valued $3.00Bcy; one Red Folder valued $1.00Bcy; one Green “St. Ignatius” T-Shirt, valued $25.00Bcy, one “Very Sexy” Perfume, valued $15.00US; one white Motorola Charger, valued $25.00Bcy; one black Stapler, valued $6.00, and one Sun Shades, valued $9.00, along with some writing utensils, valued $5.00.

Two women cleared of $126K theft accusation
Vilma Guzman and Alexa Arana, residents of the Corozal District, are free from a charge of theft for $126,930 that was stolen from the Belize Bank ATM on October 18, 2008. Justice Herbert Lord released the accused after the prosecution filed a nolle prosequi due to insufficient evidence to prove the charge against the individuals. Vilma Guzman was an employee of the Belize Bank at the time of the heist. She and Mirian Quan were responsible to monitor the ATM system over the weekend of the incident. Guzman went to Quan’s house and told her that the ATM was not working so they had to go fix it. They went into the bank but Guzman did not enter. While there, Quan was accosted by two armed masked men who tied her up and went to steal money from inside the ATM vault.

Belize Bank Bulldogs win Charles Solis Memorial Invitational Tourney
The Belize Softball Federation played host to the VIII Charles Solis Memorial Invitation Tournament on Sunday 23rd October, 2016, at Rogers Stadium in Belize City. Three teams namely the Belize Bank Bulldogs, Independence Pals and Unitedville Rebels United, the defending Charles Solis Memorial Tourney champions, participated in this year’s Charles Solis Memorial Invitational Tournament. This year’s tournament had to be postponed on a number of occasions because of weather conditions. In the first game of the day, Unitedville Rebels United won over Independence PALS by the score of 18-0. In game two, Belize Bank Bulldogs won over Independence PALS by the score of 10-0. In the third game of the day, the defending champions Unitedville Rebels United won over the Belize Bank Bulldogs by the score of 2-1. In game four, Unitedville Rebels United won over Independence PALS by the score of 14-1.

Belize to participate in CONCACAF Beach Football Championship
The Football Federation of Belize will participate in the up-coming CONCACAF Beach Football Championship scheduled for February 20-22, 2017, in Nassau, Bahamas. The Football Federation of Belize had representation in Miami, Florida, USA, where the draw took place on Monday 17th October, 2016 in connection with the 2017 Beach Football championship. At the draw, Belize was placed in Group A which consists of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Guyana. The other groupings include Group B: Mexico, Guatemala, Canada and Guadeloupe; Group C: USA, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua & Barbuda and the US Virgin Islands while Group D includes El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Belize will play its first game on Monday February 20, 2017, against Jamaica and then on Tuesday February 21, 2017 against the host nation Bahamas and the final game on Wednesday February 22, 2017 against Guyana. All games will be played at the Malcolm Beach Football Facility in Nassau, Bahamas.-

Belmopan Bandits extend lead in Premier League competition
The Premier League of Belize 2016 Opening Season Competition continued over the last weekend with a number of games across the country. On Sunday 23rd October, three games were played in the competition. At the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio Town, the visiting Belmopan Bandits edged out Police United FC by the score of 2-1. The visiting Belmopan Bandits were the first to get onto the scoreboard when Amin Augustine of the Police United scored an own goal in the 22nd minute of play gave the Belmopan Bandits a 1-0 lead. The host team, Police United was then able to tie the score at 1-1 when Devon Makin scored the equalising goal in the 31st minute of play. The first half of the game ended in a 1-1 tie. The Belmopan Bandits in the second half of the game was able to go up a goal on the Police United when Jairo Rochez scored in the 52nd minute of play to give his team a 2-1 lead. At the end of the long whistle it was indeed a 2-1 victory for the Belmopan Bandits.

Jumanji remains undefeated in Sugar City Hoops competition
The 20016 Sugar City Hoops competition regular season came to an end on Friday 21st October, 2016, at the East Sports Centre in Orange Walk Town in the both the U-17 and U-25 competition. In the U-25 competition, Jumanji continued on its winning path when it up-ended Devils by the score of 74-50. The top scorers for Jumanji were Elias Albert Crawford with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block; Shemar White with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 assist and Raul Vanegas who also scored 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Meanwhile, the top scorers for the Devils were Roman Alvarez with a game high of 14 points, 3 rebounds and a steal; Bryton Rowley with 11 points and 9 rebounds and Homer Peralta who contributed 9 points, 10 rebounds and 1 block all in a losing effort.

Belize to host XIII Central American U-22 Female Softball championship
The Belize Softball Federation will be hosting the XIII Central American U-22 female softball championship from November 4-6, 2016, at Rogers Stadium. The Central American U-22 championship will feature the national teams from Costa Rica, El Salvador, and the host country Belize. El Salvador is the defending Central American U-22 champions. Each country will play against each other three times with the country with the best record winning the championship. Nicaragua has informed the Belize Softball Federation via official communiqué from that national federation it cannot participate again in the championship as Nicaraguan law mandates that all citizens 16 years and older must vote in the November 6th national elections.

Central Region High School Volleyball opens
The 2016-2017 Central Region Secondary Schools Volleyball Competition opened on Tuesday 25th October, 2016, with two games on the schedule. This school year volleyball competition in the Central Region is the shortest one in memory. The schools that are competing in the female category are: Anglican Cathedral College, Belize High School, Ladyville Technical High School, Maud Williams High School, Nazarene High School, Pallotti High School, and St. Catherine Academy and Wesley College. Meanwhile, the schools in the male category includes Anglican Cathedral College, Belize High School, Ladyville Technical High School, Maud Williams High School, Nazarene High School, St. John’s College, Sadie Vernon Technical High School, and Wesley College.

Youth Talks
I love you even when I don’t like you Very recently, I have experienced hardships as it pertains to phileo love: love between friends, storge love: love between parents and child, eros love: love between romantic partners, and even agape love: love between humans. I have learnt a very important lesson: I need to love people even when I don't necessarily like them. I started the year with at least twice as many friends as I have now. The friends that have been there for me through thick and thin have experienced my phileo love. Friendships aren't always the easiest, especially among girls. We argue and hold grudges over what he or she said, or what the other failed to do, or other trivial things. According to my friends, I especially take little arguments to another level. I have been known to not talk to a very close friend of mine for months, so long that I don't even remember why. As such, I have lost a lot of friends over the course of my teenage life. I forgot what it meant to love, to love unconditionally and wholeheartedly.

WORDS OF LIFE with Barry Fraser
In the Prayer of Jabez, found in First Chronicles chapter four, verses nine and ten, there are four parts to the petition. First, Jabez prayed, “Oh that you would bless me indeed.” To be blessed is to have God’s favor.” This means special spiritual gifts that we didn’t earn, and that only our Heavenly Father can give us. Next, Jabez prayed, “Enlarge my territory!” (New International Version). Other translations read; “Enlarge my coast.” (King James Version); “Enlarge my border.” (New American Standard). All of them attempt to bring the original Hebrew to our present day understanding. In Jabez time, the more land, animals, and possessions you had, the more security you had, and the more honored and influential you became. Jebez wanted an opportunity to honor God, and influence those around him.

John Paul 2 Junior College dedicated in Benque
On Saturday, October 22nd, His Excellency Christopher Glancy, Auxiliary Bishop of Belize City and Belmopan, traveled from Belize City to Benque Viejo del Carmen. The purpose of his visit was to dedicate the beautiful new campus of John Paul 2 Junior College. The dedication took place on the feast day of the school’s patron saint, John Paul 2. John Paul 2 Junior College, located in the Chapel Hill area of Benque, is the first tertiary level institution in Benque and the only Liberal Arts institution in the country of Belize. A press release on the JP2JC states that the school of higher learning is focused mainly on forming young men and women of virtue and wisdom, to open their eyes and their minds to appreciate the beauty that surrounds them and prepares them for life outside school grounds. JP2JC is a manifestation that it is possible to gain a massive amount of knowledge in such a humble and small Town like Benque Viejo del Carmen.

The Belize Times

BIG TIME HUSTLER TURN MINISTER!
In 2010, Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro was kicked out of Cabinet, most abruptly, by the Prime Minister. In 2013 he was accused of using his office to facilitate many Visas for Chinese nationals in return for lucrative compensation, and his name came up many times in Immigration-related scandal. In 2014 his portfolio of Civil Aviation was stripped from him and the BAA Board disbanded after it was revealed that the statutory body issued multiple checks to pay for his personal expenses. But today, Edmond Castro was officially promoted by his Prime Minister, sworn in as the substantive Minister of NEMO and Transport. In 2010 no official details were forthcoming when Castro was booted out of Cabinet, though reliable information indicated that it had to do with a piece of land for which Castro was paid but never delivered title. A release issued then by the Office of the Prime Minister stated only that, “The decision was taken following a report made to the Prime Minister about an incident involving Hon. Castro.

“Rogue Cop” Named and Shamed by PM & Police Completely Vindicated
Jermaine Mangar, on interdiction from the Belize Police Department for more than six years, was today completely vindicated in the Court of Justice Troadio Gonzalez when the Crown Counsel in the DPP’s Office indicated that the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery was to be withdrawn. With that, Mangar was free from the charge hanging over his head after his reputation and career were destroyed six years ago. On March 31, 2010, Detective Constable Jermaine Mangar was detained by Police as a result of what they called a “sting operation.” He was subsequently arrested and charged with Attempted Robbery with a Firearm and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery. The arrest was sensational, to the point that Prime Minister Dean Barrow appeared with Police at a press conference to throw Mangar under the bus, accusing him of being the criminal mastermind behind a string of brazen robberies, likely even a robbery and murder which occurred at a Scotiabank in Spanish Lookout.

Coast Guard Officer Critical After Shooting
Daniel Arzu Jr. a Coast Guard Petty Officer 3 and son of Superintendent of Police Daniel Arzu, was critically injured in a shooting at Pinky’s Apartments off Neal Penn Road in Belize City where he resides with his girlfriend. The incident happened at around 5:00pm on Monday, October 24. Arzu, 28, was shot to the head and was transported to the KHMH in the vehicle of a passer-by. According to an eyewitness, the suspect entered the yard moments after Arzu arrived home, crept up to the door and opened fire inside the house. Others scrambled to hide in the bathroom as the assailant fired over three shots, but Arzu was not spared.

Corruption PAYS!
On October 17th Prime Minister Dean Barrow sat in front of the nation, dressed in black, and issued a touching eulogy to the political career of former Deputy Prime Minister and former Minister of Natural Resources Gaspar Vega. The eulogy became necessary, you see, because evidence had surfaced of blatant, distasteful and absolutely repulsive corruption – the sort which saw the son of Gaspar Vega receive $400,000 from government, paid from taxpayer monies, as part of a “compensation scam.” Gaspar Vega’s son Andre paid $15,000 for a piece of land, a deal approved by his father, and then GOB turned around and paid him $400,000, again a deal approved by his father. That deal also included a pay-out, again from taxpayer dollars, of $400,000 to well-connected UDP attorney Sharon Pitts. In total, from just one parcel of land, taxpayers lost $800,000 while two UDP cronies gained. And this was just the tip of the iceberg in a scam which seemed to go back years and which cost Belizeans tens of millions of dollars.

The Buck Stops at Dean Oliver Barrow
I am disoriented whenever Prime Minister Barrow makes statements about his own character and integrity, as he is wont to do. Like he’ll say, “well you know me, I don’t engage in hanky panky.” Or he watches you with this earnest look and drops an “anybody will tell you I operate always on the straight and narrow.” Wait, wait, there’s another one he used recently – “There is no way that in an effort to resolve the problems with the BNTU we will make promises that we don’t keep. If you don’t want to believe the fact which is proven empirically by all the evidence in the world you can ever look at that I am a man of my word.” But Dean Oliver Barrow is decidedly and emphatically NOT a man of his word, and it is incredible that he was not struck by righteous lightning when he said so, particularly in reference to the BNTU and good governance issues. After all, he is the man who promised the 13th Senator before elections in 2008, and then did an abrupt about-face after election, stating “it’s not going to happen.” This is the man who committed to an unjust enrichment law before elections, and promptly forgot about it after elections. This is the man who promised to reform the Senate and eliminate government control of statutory bodies, the same man who promised to pass legislation to prevent conflict of interest, nepotism and cronyism.

Elite MIT Accused of Shakedown AGAIN
The Police’s latest elite multi-agency unit, the Mobile Interdiction Team, formed in 2012 through US funding and with US training, is in the spotlight again, and it’s not for any good reason. A Belmopan businessman, Raul Acevedo, claims that on Friday night he and his wife were extorted to the tune of $2000 by members of the MIT who detained his van at mile 25 on the George Price Highway. According to Acevedo, an importer, they were heading home from Chetumal with goods in the back of the van when they were stopped. The van was searched and MIT members allegedly found one box of perfumes for which duty had not been paid. With that discovery, claims Acevedo, the MIT escorted them in the van to the Belmopan Training School where they were allegedly informed that if they did not “come up,” they would be charged for the uncustommed perfume and for some other disclosed criminal charge.

Nitaya Locke Killed in Motorcycle Accident
Just weeks ago she was hailed as Belize’s only female vehicle mechanic and technician, but on Friday, October 21, Nitaya Locke, a 26 year-old resident of Lords Bank village, died from injuries she suffered in a motorcycle accident. The accident is believed to have happened between sometime after 11:30 p.m. on Friday. Reports are that she was socializing with her sister and 2 friends that night, and just after 11 o’clock, she decided to head home. Police say that she was driving her motorcycle on the Phillip Goldson Highway, and for some currently unknown reason she lost control of the motorbike near miles 2 and a half. She slammed into a nearby fence and lamp-post and suffered significant head and bodily injuries. It is believed that she died on impact, or shortly after.

Dangerous Criminals Still At Large
Two weeks after they mysteriously escaped from the custody of officers at the Belmopan Police Station, Lincoln Bejerano and David Cruz are still at large despite what we are told is an intensive manhunt for them. Was it chance, police negligence or a planned escape with police assistance that saw two dangerous criminals go on the loose? While it is not being spelled out by the Police Department which neglected to put out a police report on the escape, the Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie indicated then that the “individual officer who [is] deemed to be at fault will be dealt with disciplinary [sic]. We believe that proper protocol wasn’t adhered to in terms of his going into [the] cell block and removing those prisoners to use the ablution and in that process that was when they were able to escape from him.”

Belize on the Brink of Total Economic Meltdown
New Central Bank Governor Joy Grant last week told the press very nonchalantly that Belize now has only US $315 Million left in the Bank’s international reserves but failed to explain what a dire situation now faces us. The country’s economy is now in crisis mode as Belize now only has US$15 Million above the import merchandise threshold. That is, if Grant is even accurately reporting the figure. What it means is that Belize must have at minimum US$300 Million in its international reserves at all times because the country’s approximate spending on imports per month is around US$100 Million. Dipping below that benchmark could spell catastrophe for Belize and its citizens.

Speaker Says FB Account Was HACKED
Speaker of the House of Representatives Michael Peyrefitte on Saturday made the decision to close his Facebook account after an incendiary post he allegedly made toward the LGBT community brought fire and fury down on his head. In what was purportedly his last post, Peyrefitte wrote, “Bob Marley once said that everything is just for a while and that sometimes total destruction is the only solution. For me it applies to FB. It’s not fun anymore. People are playing games that will make me do something to them, and I have a daughter to stay out of jail for. Am quitting FB. I will stay on just long enough for people to see this post and then starting tomorrow I’ll no longer be on FB.”

Chief Pharmacist Vindicated…CEO Peter Allen Guilty of Defamation
Chief Pharmacist Sharon Anderson, a public officer for almost 30 years, was today victorious in a defamation suit against former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Allen. The relationship between Allen and Anderson was fraught with tension which spilled over into the public domain in April 2014. That is when the public learned of the CEO’s disrespectful and ill treatment of Anderson whose authority was undermined when an inexperienced Minister’s daughter, Danini Contreras (now engaged to Minister of Health Pablo Marin) was appointed as the Director of Drug Inspectorate. The junior employee along with three others, were authorized to approve the entry of pharmaceuticals. Until then, that had been the sole responsibility of the Chief Pharmacist, who kept discharging her duties even while on sick leave by having the customs entries taken to her home for signing.

GOB Backtracks on Seismic Testing After Public Outrage Erupts
Speaking after Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, UDP Minister Godwin Hulse criticized the opponents of seismic testing in Belize’s offshore waters, asking of the unknown cost benefit of lifting the moratorium on the issuance of new offshore oil exploration licenses, “How on earth are you going to know what the benefit would be if you don’t do a study in the first place to find out what is there? And my understanding of the seismic was just that. The experts have said it’s not going to destroy anything…My position is, we have to, in this country, start to make decisions on the basis of good evidence and good facts, man. This emotional drive that we have to everything where we huff and puff and huff and puff is not good because it destroys potential possibilities.” A three-week regional marine seismic survey was already underway in Belize’s offshore last week when public outcry at an information session on San Pedro forced Government to backtrack. The BTB-organized event on Thursday October 20th saw several government officials at the head table and Minister of Tourism and Belize Rural South Area Representative, Hon. Manuel Heredia seated among the crowd in the front row.

If Dah Noh Soh
Sweating bullets… So here’s the thing. All eyes are on the very attractive CEO in the Ministry of Natural Resources because we want to know how the hell the “not normal” man was allowed to rape us normal folks without the benefit of Vaseline. But hold up there just a minute. When all this crap was taking place at the Ministry of Lands, and when the “not normal” man’s friends and family and cronies were bottoms up in the public trough, the CEO who did the deals was actually the not as attractive Beverly Castillo. You know, the noisy one who’s been keeping on the down-low lately since the scandals started coming out. I hear, but noh seh me seh, that she’s been advised by the PM to be very, very quiet right about now so nobody looks in her direction. The only thing is…I’m hearing that while the oh so straight-laced new Minister looks through the files in the section marked “Wutless Corruption & Hustling,” there’s this certain name that keeps popping up. Ohhh Miss Bev…yuh bettah goh mek fren quick.

Questions to Ministers
Could the Member for Queen Square and Minister of Police please provide an update on the status of the so-called investigation into the relationship accused murderer Danny Mason had with members of his Cabinet? Could he say if there will be any criminal investigation into the corruption revealed at the Lands Department under his former Deputy Prime Minister? Could the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please say whether a “demand letter” has been sent to Andre Antonio Vega instructing him to return the $400,000 to the Ministry of Natural Resources? If so, could he say whether a similar letter has been sent to Sharon Pitts instructing her to return her $400,000 as well? Could the unelected Senator/Minister of Natural Resources please provide an update on any investigation into the “compensation scam” being conducted at the Ministry? Could she further confirm or deny reports that there has been enough found to warrant immediate criminal charges being brought against the former Deputy Prime Minister?

Saldivar Taken Off Punishment
Following the Cabinet meeting today, a release from the Belize Press Office announced that “after a one week suspension, the Hon. John Saldivar today resumed his duties as Minister of Defence. That resumption follows upon the Prime Minister’s receipt of a legal opinion concerning the question of whether the Minister continued in a (football business) relationship with Danny Mason after September of 2015.” The suspension last week of Saldivar, whose political fortunes have been waning, came after evidence from the Business Companies Registry that accused murderer William Danny Mason and Minister John Saldivar were indeed business partners in the Belmopan Bandits Sporting Club Limited. The Memorandum of Association of that business, signed August 18, 2015, showed that of ten shares Saldivar held seven (7) while Mason held three (3).

Breaking Belize News

Senior citizen busted with 3.5 grams of cocaine
A senior citizen has found himself at the wrong end of the law when he was found with cocaine. Yesterday at around 9:55 a.m. while on a routine mobile patrol, police conducted a search on Chesterlie Pinks, 62, which led to the discovery of 3.5 grams […]

Criminals may have gotten a new gun
Criminal elements may have gotten possession of a .9 mm black and silver Smith & Wesson pistol. According to reports, Michael Jenkins visited the police station yesterday and reported that sometime after 4 p.m. on October 18, he left his his licensed job issued pistol in his office […]

Child sets mattress on fire
There has been almost 3 fires reported for this month and two children have died in both. However, there were no fatalities yesterday when police responded to a fire at #7 Hunter’s Lane in Belize City. Police reports that a father and his son […]

Girl, 15, claims 4 men raped her
Police are seeking four men who are accused of raping a 15-year-old girl. The female minor, a resident of southside Belize City visited the police station along with her mother yesterday and made an official report of the alleged rape. According to reports, the […]

Raymond Rivers meets with Chester
Raymond Rivers, of the Poor People Organized for a Healthy and Righteous Society, is a freed man. He was initially sought by ACP Chester Williams in connection with inflammatory posts made on Facebook. He turned in himself this afternoon and after almost an hour, […]

Two-year-old dies in house fire
A two year old girl has perished in a house fire in the Conch Shell Bay area of Belize City. According to reports, the fire started around 12:30 this afternoon and the child died of smoke inhalation. A source told BBN that two other […]

Belize: BMA another part of “Government outside the Government”
The Border Management Agency (BMA) Act of 18, January, 2000 was signed into law by then Minister of Tourism, Hon. Mark Espat. This agency was established to administer various border points that house the Customs Department, Immigration Department, Belize Agricultural Health Authority, the Belize […]

BNTU and Education Minister to meet on Friday
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) is scheduled to meet with Education Minister Patrick Faber on Friday. The meeting comes after the Ministry announced earlier this month that it would not be making any contributions to the salaries of teachers who were absent for […]

Belize City man killed in San Pedro
A Belize City man was shot and killed just before 7:00 last night in San Pedro Town. Police responded to shots fired in the San Mateo area of the island where they found the lifeless body of Jason Gillett, 30. While police are canvassing […]

Man charged for gun found on Tuesday night
Roy Davis of Jane Usher Boulevard in Belize City has been charged in connection with a firearm police recovered on Tuesday night. According to a police report, at around 11 p.m. that night a police mobile was in the Pitta Street area behind Gwen Liz […]

San Pedro police officer charged for theft
According to San Pedro OC, ASP Henry Jemmott, PC Zani Savala of San Pedro police was charged yesterday with two counts of theft. According to Jemmott, PC Savala allegedly stole monies from a taxi man and a driver. Police are yet to release further […]

Blogs

24 Small Things I Love About Living In Belize: A New Way to Look at “Real Life”
The battle in Belize over oil exploration vs. NO OIL exploration along the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world continues… Our reef system, residents LOVE for the country, authentic experiences and the fact that so much of Belize has been conserved is the reason many pick to visit Belize over other, often lower prices destinations throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America but I want to take it down to a simpler level. I’ll reel that in for now and talk about my gratitude for living in Belize. Here are some of the small things (and not so small things) that I love about making Belize my home. 1. After living in Manhattan, NYC for 10 years, I realize each day that I love a small town 2. I have my vegetable store, my fruit lady, my Annie’s Cart for pastries or snacks, my breakfast taco spot, my lunch deli. Mine all mine. Sure I used to have “my” Starbucks or “my” Whole Foods but it wasn’t because of my love of the owner and our daily chats or because they knew how I liked my food. Now, even if I don’t ask, someone helps me pick out the best pineapple in the bunch.

The 5 Best Regions to Meet Expats in Belize
If you’re considering Belize as a possible place to live, there are five regions where most expats settle. Each of these regions offers a somewhat different lifestyle, and the cost of living varies accordingly. In each region you’ll find at least one hub where expats gather to socialize. Corozal is a sleepy Belizean family town located on the picturesque Corozal Bay, near the country’s northern border. You’ll find few tourists here. Expats in this region appreciate the proximity of Chetumal, Mexico, and the resort towns of Tulúm, Playa del Carmen, and Cancún. They can easily hop the border to shop at Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, and other large shopping centers. Ambergris Caye has 20,000 residents; Caye Caulker has only 2,000. Many more expats live fulltime on Ambergris, in the town of San Pedro. San Pedro is a bustling hub of activity, so there’s always something happening. You’ll have many opportunities to meet fulltime expats here. They gather regularly at a variety of social functions, beach bars, and restaurants.

Waterfall Rappelling and Zipline Adventure at Bocawina Rainforest in Belize
Located in Belize’s southeastern Stann Creek District, the Mayflower Bocawina Park is 7,000 acres of pristine tropical evergreen forest. A gorgeous natural paradise, the park is home to exciting adventures like rappelling down a waterfall and sailing through the forest canopy on some of the longest zip lines in the country. The Mayflower Bocawina Park is located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. The park is administered by a non-profit organization headquartered in Silk Grass Village. Open year-round, visitors can tour the beautiful Mayflower Bocawina Forest at any time, weather permitting. The entrance fee is $5 USD for visitors and $2 BZD for Belize residents. The zip-line and water rappelling tours are additional cost. The best way to enter the park is via a four-mile long access road that connects the park to Mile Marker 6 of the Southern Highway just a short distance south of where it intersects with the Hummingbird Highway. Inside the park are several Maya sites, including Mayflower Plaza and Maintzunun temple. These and other waterfalls like Three Sisters, Peck, Big Drop, and Antelope Falls are worth a visit in between rappelling and zip lining.

Beach Wedding and Trash the Dress at Coco Beach Resort, Belize
Danielle & Kelcey decided to tie the knot on our beautiful island, at one of the best resorts from the country, Coco Beach. The wedding of their dreams, was on a quiet setting, right on the beach, on a beautiful tropical day surrounded by family and best friends… and was out of this world…. A cozy beach ceremony, followed by tropical cocktails and family photos and bride & groom only just going around and stopped to the scenery they loved… the wedding dinner was amazing.. on the beach, under the stars, literally, a movie scene… Next morning, we had her “Love/trash the dress” session and was amazing… while kids were playing in the pool, the parents had their fun wet bridal right around the kids…

International Sources

Latin America: 10 of the best food and drink experiences
Belize is at Number 5 in the Travel Weekly UK article "Latin America: 10 of the best food and drink experiences." What better way to embrace the beauty, fun and flavour of Latin America than by eating and drinking your way through all that this glorious part of the world has to offer? Whether you’re tucking in to tacos in Mexico, swilling a sassy cabernet sauvignon in Chile, or creating your own ceviche in Peru, Central and South America are bursting with scintillating flavours to get clients’ taste buds buzzing, while at the same time taking them to the heart of local cultures. Here we round up 10 of the best food and drink experiences in Latin America, allowing you to showcase its diversity and innovation to food-loving clients. Buen provecho!

F.I.U. Subjects Belize To National Risk Assessment For Money Laundering
The FIU signed a memorandum of understanding with the Income Tax Department on Wednesday. As we told you, it is to facilitate the share of information across the two entities to fight anti-money laundering, tax evasion and terrorist financing. And under the new leadership of Kent Clare the FIU will be embarking on some big programs. On Wednesday, he told us about an extensive programme called the National Risk Assessment for Belize. He told us what it will entail and why it is necessary for Belize to develop this programme: Kent Clare, Director, FIU “The FIU is conducting a very ambitious but a very necessary program to develop what is called a National Risk Assessment for Belize. Basically what it is, it’s an anti-money laundering and terrorist financing initiative but it takes into account a wide variety of stakeholders, from the AG Ministry, Immigration Department, Customs, certainly Income Tax, the office of the supervisor of insurance, the IFSC who supervise the offshore sector, the Central Bank and basically you are looking at risk assessment and mitigation in every way that Belize could be challenged; whether it is our borders, risk from criminal activities – the street crime, cybercrime, and your fundamental money laundering.

Three jungle adventures
“I am in the jungles of Belize, hiding behind a cluster of bamboo,” reports Francesca Angelini in The Sunday Times. From the trees with spikes to the tarantulas with a bite worse than spikes, there’s plenty to watch out for, not least the howler monkeys. “Something soft lands on my back,” says Angelini. “Forest fruit, I presume.” No such luck. “It’s monkey poo.” There’s much to entice British visitors to this part of Central America. It’s English-speaking, for one, and with American Airlines changing its schedule next month, it’s never been easier to get there. Not that you will be in any doubt where you are. “The Queen peers out from the colourful banknotes, but toucans at the breakfast table remind you that you’re in the tropics.” Mountain Pine Ridge is a 100,000-acre reserve of pine and jungle, in a county where national parks make up 40% of the former British colony. Camp out with the jaguars, raccoons, coatis and ocelots if you wish. But to stay in style, head to Gaia Riverlodge. There you will find “immaculate” cabanas 250 feet above a river, “its own private swimming pool”. The idea is to embrace nature.

Videos

October 27, 2016

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Iris Salguero to represent Belize in Miss World Pageant
Former Miss San Pedro Iris Salguero 2015-2016, was crowned Miss World Belize on Saturday, October 22nd at the Log Cabin Inn in the Cayo District. Salguero competed along with three other contestants Moesha Shaw from Belize City, Kayla Lewis from Roaring Creek Village and Krystalee Martinez from Belmopan City for the honour of representing Belize at the upcoming Miss World Pageant being held on December 19, 2016 in Washington D.C, USA. Salguero was able to charm the audience and judges, who awarded her with the coveted title and crown. To celebrate Salguero’s win, family members and friends gathered on Monday, October 24th, to welcome her home. At Tropic Air, a host of friends, fans, and family happily embraced her. Salguero shared with everyone her thoughts about the pageant. She mentioned that the event is not just about the country and its beauty, but about an individual who is compassionate towards others and wants to give back to the community. “I want to see a change and I am definitely looking forward to helping out,” she said.

Fugitive Juan Carlos Martinez gunned down by police
One person is dead after a shootout in the San Pedrito Sub-Division of San Pedro Town, involving police officers of the San Pedro Police Formation (SPPF). The deceased was identified as convicted prisoner 25-year-old Juan Carlos Martinez who had been at large since December 13, 2015. Martinez lost his life when he engaged in a shooting incident with the police around 11PM on the evening of Tuesday, October 25th on the lagoon side of the sub-division. The official report from the police states that while acting on information received of the convicted prisoner and escapee Martinez, a team of police officers visited a house in the San Pedrito Area. They surrounded the house and called out Martinez as they identified themselves as police officers. The report states that shortly after, a fair- complexioned male person dressed in a ¾ camouflage pants and no shirt exited the house and jumped off the veranda into the lagoon behind the house. The police officers set chase after the male person through the lagoon, and into a swampy area, during which time they heard what sounded like gun shots. The police quickly took cover and returned fire in the direction from where they were being attacked. After a few minutes of silence, they went to the area where they had heard the gunshots. They immediately came across the lifeless body of Martinez. He had received several gunshot wounds to the upper part of his body and succumbed to the injuries at the spot. The body has since then being transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City, where a post mortem examination awaits.

Mayor signs Memorandum of Cooperation with BELTRAIDE
On Friday, October 21st, Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Lejia Melanie Gideon, General Manager, Enterprise and Innovation Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. In attendance to witness the signing at the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) Conference Room were the San Pedro Town Councilors, representatives of the BELTRAIDE, tourism stakeholders, and media members. The memorandum signified the commitment between both parties to introduce strategies that will help improve the business sector on Ambergris Caye. Before the memorandum was signed, the mayor discussed the benefits of partnering with BELTRAIDE, something that had been in discussion for over six months, with the first draft being reviewed and approved. “The beauty is that we can never be [too] prepared for the unexpected. Due to developing lots of business and San Pedro growing so fast, with the help of BELTRAIDE to train in different areas of business, San Pedro will provide better service to residents and visitors.

Aquafino and Sandy Point Real Estate donate generator to Police Department
After a recent power outage that left the San Pedro Police Department without electricity for over 24 hours, Aquafino and Sandy Point Real Estate decided to donate a large generator. Funded through Aquafino’s Costa Maya Fashion Show early in August, the machine was handed over to Deputy Executive Office for the Coastal Zone and Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott on Friday, October 21st. President of Acquafino, William Narod, was more than pleased to able to donate this generator. “When we heard that the police department needed this equipment to do a better job, and to take care of the island, we put them on our priority list. So in whatever way we could have helped, I and Daniel Hartin from Sandy Point Real Estate were happy to do so,” said Narod. At the handing over, Jemmott stated his appreciation. “The police has been requesting a generator for a long time…almost two years. I’m happy that Aquafino and Sandy Points donated this valuable generator to the police. It is well-needed, especially in times of emergency. Since we are experiencing hurricane season, we need to be fully equipped to ensure that if electricity goes off, it won’t interfere with our duties,” said Jemmott.

Ambergris Today

Blue Water Grill Celebrates 15 Anniversary (Quinceaños)
The award-winning restaurant celebrated with invited guests its 15th Anniversary this past Saturday, October 22, 2016. The restaurant once again closed its doors to the public and had everybody celebrating in style. They presented their guests with sunglasses, souvenir cups and one-of-a-kind headphone that were used for the Belize’s first every silent party. If guests wanted to dance, they used their headphone on the dance floor that was silent to anyone else not wearing them. Needless to say, Blue Water Grill once again put on a great celebration. Ambergris Today congratulates Kelly and Mukul Kanabar in the success of BWG and for being pioneers in their philanthropic efforts to collect funds and matching the amounts that have been donated to various organizations, schools and causes on the island community.

Belize Holds 14th National Tourism Awards
The 14th National Tourism Awards was an elegant celebration of the accomplishments made throughout the year by tourism partners and friends. The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is honoured to host such a significant event which gives reconnection to a few of Belize’s tourism stars. These nominees, through dedication to the industry, have contributed to the quality services offered throughout Belize. The theme of the night was “Hollywood Glamour”, a setting that was most fitting for the tourism stars of Belize. Held at the Rainbow Heights in Belize City, this grand event saw the attendance of tourism partners and friends from all regions of Belize. Guests were treated to the exquisite creations by the renowned Chef Sean Kuylen, who as always, added his signature style to make the event an even more enjoyable one.

Misc Belizean Sources

Halloween Events in San Pedro
Here are the upcoming fun Halloween events this week~ Thurs. & Fri. 6-9pm Haunted House at Wayo's, Benefits Food Bank, Hope Haven, Kid's Club & Literacy Program Fri. 7pm Trivia for Red Cross at Crazy Canuck's~ dress in costume to support Red Cross Sat. 9pm- 4am Holiday Hotel Halloween Party $15. (They say no charge if your costume is good enough!) Sunday 11am Saga Halloween Party ~ dress your pup up!! Mon. 5pm-9pm Black Orchid 5th Annual Halloween Social ~ for kids & adults Candy for the kids, drink specials for adults in costume, or come as you are, but be there or be square!!!

September 2016 External Trade & Consumer Price Index
The latest figures on consumer prices released by the Statistical Institute of Belize showed that, on average, the prices of goods and services purchased by Belizean households were 0.7 percent higher in September 2016 than they were in September 2015. The All- Items consumer price index stood at 103.7, an increase from 103.0 recorded for last September. The first nine months of 2016 saw an overall infl ation rate of 0.5 percent.
In September 2016, Belize imported goods valuing $160.3 million, representing a marginal 1.1 percent or $1.9 million decrease from imports during the same month in 2015. The ‘Export Processing Zones’ saw the sharpest decline in imports during the month, falling from $11 million in September 2015 to $3.5 million in September 2016. Reduced purchases were observed across various items within that category, with gaming machines, electrical panels and paper machinery among the items recording the most notable declines. A signifi cant decrease in the importation of mechanical harvesters led to an almost $4 million drop in the ‘Machinery and Transport Equipment’ category, while lowered purchases of plastic tubes, vaccines and fertilizers resulted in a $1 million decline in imports of ‘Chemical Products’.

San Pedro Police have confirmed the death of fugitive Juan Carlos Martinez
He had been at large for almost a year. Upon information received, police found Martinez in the lagoon side of the San Pedrito Sub-division. Upon being approached, Martinez fired at the police officers, who returned fire. After inspecting the area, Martinez' body was found floating in the water. Police continue investigating the incident.

BELTRAIDE signs Memorandum of Cooperation with San Pedro Town Council
A Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) was signed on Friday, 21st October 2016 between the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE) and the San Pedro Town Council. The purpose of the MOC was to formalize the collaboration between BELTRAIDE through its Small Business Development Centre, Belize (SBDCBelize) and the Belize Training and Employment Centre (BTEC) with the San Pedro Town Council in order to promote the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME’s), job preparedness and professional development trainings in Ambergris Caye. Under the MOC, the San Pedro Town Council will facilitate BELTRAIDE in special projects and or initiatives that are closely related to enterprise development, such as funding for example, seed capital initiatives, advising for start-ups and providing advice to established businesses among many others.

FIU & Income Tax sign MOU
To fight against money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism and tax evasion.

Sargent Pepper's October Fest
"On October 30th 2016 Sargent Pepper's will be launching it's BIG Burger. To Kick Start the Mega Sarg (BIG Burger), Sargent Pepper Will be hosting it's Mega Sarg Burger eating competition. Competitors will have 5 minutes to eat the Mega Sarg along with 12 oz of fries and a large Soda. First person to complete such task will get The First ever October Fest T-shirt, 3 coupons for Free iced tea and A gift certificate for a Twin Pack."

FINADOS
This observance is more common in Mexico than Belize, but there are several communities where it is observed! Also known as Hanal Pixan, Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, it coincides with Halloween. NICH Events around Belize (contact each for details): San Pedro House of Culture Nov. 2. Benque House of Culture (NICH) "Noche de Cuenta" Oct. 29. Banquitas House of Culture (NICH) Nov. 2. Corozal House of Culture (NICH) Oct. 30. San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture (NICH) Nov. 1 and 2.

Parrot permit deadline approaching
The deadline for submitting your application is fast approaching. If you have already submitted, please be patient, there are a lot of you and Forest Dept is methodically getting through them.

Kickstarter for YOCHI Film - Post Production
Help finish a film that brings awareness to the plight of endangered Yellow-Headed Parrots in the pine savannah of Belize. The Yochi Team have reached their production goal. Anything over and above that amount will be distributed to facilitate the Educational Film Tour and donated to Belize Bird Rescue!!! Huge thanks to all those who have donated so far: you are doing an amazing thing for yellowheaded parrot conservation in Belize. Team Yochi and Team BBR thank you! Yochi is the story of a 9-year-old selectively mute Mayan boy who guards a nest of endangered Yellow-Headed Parrots in Belize’s pine savannah. When his beloved older brother, Itza, returns from the city, Yochi learns that he’s in debt and has turned to poaching – setting the brothers on a collision course. Yochi is a film about connection, finding your voice, and protecting that which is most sacred to you.

PLEASANT HOLIDAY CALLS - CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA
BTB TRAVEL TRADE team along with Gifted Travel Network - Ms. Vanessa McGovern, Manager. Facebook LIVE Presentation and chat to 40+ agents from their office.

Professional Development Training Workshop
IA Park Staff will be trained on varying topics over the next three days. It is anticipated that these workshops will improve and enhance the service offered to the public at the various Archaeological Reserves throughout the country. Today staff are participating in Prehistory and Archaeology Lectures while others are receiving basic training in First Aid.

joyjah
Over 100,000 followers on Instagram and in the running to be the Feb 2017 covergirl for Love magazine. May all your wishes come true, nena. She's from PG! Take a bow, Punta Gorda.

Placencia: Keep our beaches clean!
Come join CRC, Projects Abroad and SEA this Saturday, Oct 29 from 8am-11am for our monthly beach clean-up. This month meet us Vern's Restaurant in Seine Bight. Snacks and drinks will be provided after; please bring your own cup for drinks as we don't want to contribute to the trash! And a big thank you to Peninsula Store for their donation of trash bags and gloves for the clean-up!

The Forest Department and The Belize Zoo Sign Memorandum of Understanding
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development (MAFFESD) and the Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center (TBZ) this afternoon signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen synergies in order to promote wildlife conservation and ensure cooperation in public education efforts on the importance of wildlife in Belize. The signing ceremony was held at the Belize Zoo, on the George Price Highway, where Honourable Dr. Omar Figueroa signed on behalf of the Ministry, and Sharon Matola signed on behalf of the Belize Zoo. Speaking during the signing ceremony, Minister Figueroa, stated that the MoU is the first-ever agreement to be signed between the Belize Zoo and Government aimed at formalizing the wildlife conservation efforts of the Belize Zoo. This MoU also recognizes the Zoo’s key role in wildlife management as it seeks to restore, enhance and protect Belize’s wildlife and their habitats.

San Pedro: Presentation to High School Students on Offshore drilling!
Miss Petite Earth International, Vivian Noralez, along side Miss San Pedro High School, Miss San Pedro, Miss World Belize and Miss Belize Universe visited San Pedro High School to educate students on what oil exploration and drilling is, what the negative and positive outcomes are, and what they think should be done. Students also had the opportunity to mingle, take pictures and interact with these beauty queens. Vivian stated "its not only about as pretty face, a crown, high heels or pictures. its about being a role model, an example and making decisions to benefit your community."

John Paul II JC Dedication
Pope John Paul II Junior College had their dedication over the weekend. "On Saturday, JPIIJC was honored with the presence of Bishop Christopher Glancy, who inaugurated our beautiful new building."

UB Wins ATLIB Volleyball Nationals
Congratulations to the male and female Black Jaguars! They both won at the ATLIB Volleyball Nationals. The ATLIB Regionals are today at Sacred Heart Junior College.

BELIZE'S FOOTBALL GREATNESS: YOU NAME THEM!
It continues to baffle me as a Belizean sport enthusiast as to why Belize didn't had a national team that went to the World Cup in the 1960's and 70's knowing the incredible amount of football talent it had across the length and breath of that country. In speaking recently with one of the legendary Belizean defensive football players recently here in Los Angeles, California, Russell Hulse, about Belizean football and how the game was able to develop men of incredible character countrywide, it urged me to produce this photo essay and expose about who were these dynamic Belizean footballers? Those magnificent Belizean football players that played against each other in some of the most electrifying matches that brought Belizeans across Belize in large numbers to enjoy and see them. In the 1960's, 70's, and 80's, Belize was all "Football", that is, what the Americans called "Soccer". And Belizeans traverse across the country of Belize to see teams like Queens Park Rangers, Avengers, Spurs, White Label, and many more awesome teams do their play by play action for the Belizean football fans.

Channel 7

Island Cops Kill Prisoner
Tonight, San Pedro police are investigating several of their own after they gunned down and killed a prisoner who had been on the run for 10 months. Police say that he got into a shootout with him, and having to defend themselves, they fired back, and that's why he was killed. That prisoner is 24 year-old Juan Carlos Martinez. They finally caught a break in the case last night when they received information that he was hiding out at a house in the San Pedrito area. But, according to those on-duty police officers, everything went south when Martinez fired at them. Our news team was on the island today looking for answers. Courtney Weatherburne reports: Voice of Resident: "We heard the gunshots and we came out and see we were surprised what the happen because da first time we the hear about it. So we came and when we saw shootings, well we saw the man running and after that he was shouting for help. When we saw the police light about to see if they could find ah in the area and they find ah and then they shoot up ah rights."

Cop Accused Of Abuse of Public Trust
So, while those officers are staring down both a criminal and an internal affairs investigation, another policeman has to prepare to defend against 2 criminal charges of theft. He's Police Constable Zani Savala, and he's also attached to the San Pedro Police Station. There are two complainants who are accusing him of abusing their trust in him as a cop, and they say that he used his authority steal from them. Police reports say that he is accused of hustling a taxi driver, and in a separate incident, he is accused of also trying to swindle a diver. Both incidents are reported to have occurred last week. In the instance of the Diver, the complainant says that the theft happened in the police station itself. The man reported that Officer Savala conducted a search on him, and while doing so, he took money which did not belong to him. In the other complaint, the taxman reported that Savala stopped him at a police checkpoint. He complied since this was an officer of the law, and so when the cop informed him that a search would be conducted on him and his vehicle, the taxi driver thought nothing of it. He said that during this search, Savala also took money from him.

City Fire Victims Laughed Instead Of Crying
Recently, a number of the fires we've covered have been either very tragic or very heartbreaking. But tonight, one family is able laugh at their pain after a toddler lit a mattress on fire, and it ended up burning up the contents of the entire room. The incident happened this evening at the home of City Council Worker Ines Jimenez, which is located on Hunters Lane. She was a short distance away, not even contemplating that a mishap like this one could happen. That's when she received the fright of her life when she was called and told that her house was on fire. Luckily, the professionals were able to get it under control before it overtook the entire house, and destroyed all her belongings. She explained it to us this evening: Inez Jimenez - Fire Victim: "This afternoon I the relax and ready to go da work when she phone me and say mommy, mommy the house the burn up. I said who, she say the house, I said house and I start to broke way. When she the tell me everything burn I say the house gone."

'Griga Fisherman Wanted By Police
Dangriga Police are hoping that you can assist them in locating this man. He's 32 year-old Alex Sabal, and police say that he is wanted for an attempted murder investigation. Sabal is a fisherman from the Lake Land area of Dangriga Town, and Independence Police say that they are looking for him as part of an investigation of an attempted murder, but also a breach of a protection order, which is alleged to have occurred in Independence Village. He also has 2 bench warrants, one from the Dangriga Supreme Court, and another from the Independence Magistrate's Court, for failing to show up for his adjournments. Police say that he is considered to be dangerous. Anyone with information is asked to contact your nearest police station, or call 911, or 523-202, or make an online report at belizepolice.bz.

FIU & Income Tax Formally Allowed To Share
Today the FIU and the Business and Income Tax Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The purpose of the memorandum is to allow the automatic exchange of information between the two departments in order to fight against and prevent money laundering, the financing of terrorism and tax evasion. The memorandum also allows the possibility for joint operations between the FIU and the Income Tax department. Here's the new director of the FIU, Kent Clare, on how this memorandum will help to stop financial crime… Kent Clare - Director, FIU: "What we hope to achieve here is more than just the FIU under its anti-money laundering laws and the FIU act and so - requesting information from our counterparts. What we are seeking to achieve here is a more advanced more organised collaboration specifically on things like the development of legislation. Before we sign one of the things I need to bring to the public's attention is the fact that we would hope to develop legislation to criminalise tax evasion in Belize."

Kent Clare Talks About The FIU Experience
And today's signing also gave us an opportunity to speak with the FIU new director. The Government announced his appointment 5 days ago with the information that his appointment letter was signed by the Governor General on October 11. He replaced Joy Grant who moved on become the new Governor of the Central Bank of Belize. He was a career public servant in the Income Tax Department, and when he left that post, he was the Commissioner of the Income Tax. So, is he up to the job as chief of the unit which polices financial crimes? That's what we asked, and here's what he had to say: Kent Clare - Director, FIU: "At the level of director learning curve will be steep but I think there is a parallel and commissioner will tell you; FIU's challenges in not just we have an obligation to our country to make sure that the financial systems and so on are protected but we already have an international obligation which then does impact our country as well the way we do business."

FIU: Members Of the UNCAC Working Group
We also asked him about the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which the Prime Minister committed to the teachers that he would sign onto by December 9. You would remember that before the Prime Minister reconsidered at the beginning of this month, he was concerned that for Belize to become compliant there would be systems which would have to be put in place, which would basically be redundant to some of the functions that the FIU currently performs. We asked new director about that, about the process now put in place for Belize to become compliant by the deadline. Here's what he had to say: Kent Clare - Director, FIU: "Joan right now sits as our representative; there's a working group developing the TORs for that UNCAC instrument so certainly it's parallel, it's complimentary to what the FIU would do so I think what that convention would seek to do..."

Police Minister Aragon Discusses His Department
And one public official who says he has zero tolerance for corruption is the new Police Minister Elodio Aragon Jr. up until last week when Gaspar Vega resigned from Cabinet, he was the Minister of State in the Ministry of Youth Sports and culture. Prime Minister Dean Barrow moved him to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which puts him in charge of the Police Ministry. Before he entered politics, Aragon himself was a career police officer who left at the rank of Deputy Commissioner, the number 2 cop in the department. So, he's well prepared and experienced to handle demands of the police ministry. Yesterday, when we caught him leaving the Cabinet Meeting in Belmopan, we asked him about his thoughts on his new ministerial tasking. Here's how that conversation went: Hon. Elodio Aragon - Minister of Police: "My whole career has been policing, it's like coming home but I will tell the public that going back to the police I am going back with a lot of enthusiasm, I'm going with a mind-set that will focus on trying to solve some of our crime issues in this country. It's not an easy task, I think out of all our ministries this is one of the most challenging areas as a minister."

Police Minister Investigating MIT Extortion Report
As you heard, Aragon specifically wants to tackle allegations of corruption within the police department, and right now, in his first few days as Police Minister, there are 2 cases which have already landed on his desk. The first is San Pedro Police Constable Zani Savala, who we told you about earlier in the news, and the other is the Mobile Interdiction Team. You will remember that on our Monday newscast, Belmopan businessman Raul Acevedo accused the MIT of shaking him down for 16 thousand Mexican pesos, which is equivalent to 2 thousand dollars Belize. They reportedly hustled him this weekend when we was coming back from Mexico. He had a van of declared goods, but also a box of undeclared colognes. He said that the officers pressured him, with the threat of criminal charges first demanding $5,000, and later settling for $2,000.

Oceana To PM: What Happened The Offshore Oil Referendum Promise?
The Northern Explorer, the ship which started seismic survey work off the Belizean coast, was sent packing last week. And due to public outcry, seismic surveys in Belizean waters have been halted. Even though, the environmental community was instrumental to this outcome with their whistleblowing efforts, they say that they are still waiting for answers. In a press release sent out today, the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage restated their request for the establishment of legislation to ban offshore oil exploration in Belizean waters, as well as their appeal to hold a referendum. We spoke to members of the Coalition today about their concerns, here’s what they had to say… It should be noted that the Coalition has been waiting a lot longer than a week to hear back on some of these issues. In 2015, we spoke to the Prime Minister about official legislating the moratorium on offshore oil exploration, and asked him about the possibility of an official referendum as far back as 2012, here’s what he had to say then…

PM Barrow Travels
It shouldn't be a doubt anyone's mind that the Prime Minister has been having a tough month. First, it was the teachers and their 11 day strike to pressure his Government to make good governance reforms. Then, it was the Gaspar Vega, Andre Vega Scandal which caused upheaval in his cabinet, and he even had to ask John Saldivar to take a 1 week suspension. We'll he left the country today, and he won't return until Sunday. Today, a Government press release was issued, and it says, quote, "The Office of the Prime Minister informs the general public that the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, departed the country today, Wednesday, October 26th, 2016 for a scheduled medical consultative appointment relating to his back ailment. During the Prime Minister's absence, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber, will act as Prime Minister. The Prime Minister returns on Sunday, October 30th, 2016."

Zoo and Agriculture Ministry Sign MOU
The Belize Zoo can now extend its wildlife conservation program. That’s because the Zoo’s Founding Director Sharon Matola signed an MOU with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Tropical Education Center. In a release it states that quote " the MOU is the first-ever agreement to be signed between the Belize Zoo and Government " it continues quote " This MOU also recognises the Zoo’s key role in wildlife management as it seeks to restore, enhance and protect Belize’s wildlife and their habitats. The Belize Zoo is expected to create a 5 year plan which focuses on wildlife rehabilitation and public education. The release ends by saying "one of the most important components of the MoU is the collaborative partnership to increase awareness and appreciation for wildlife as an important part of the Belize’s cultural and ecological landscapes." The MOU was signed this afternoon on the Zoo’s compound.

Senator Courtenay: A Member of Senate Committee
Last week, we told you about how the Opposition, PUP, have decided that they will participate as a member of the Senate Select Committee, which will investigate the Auditor General's Reports into the Immigration Department. That's after the UDP Senator, Aldo Salazar, was forced to accept the seat when neither the Labour, Church or Business Senators wanted to lead the committee. Well, the President of the Senate has confirmed that the Senator who will represent the Opposition is Eamon Courtenay. He posted this comment which says, quote, "I am happy to report that Senator Eamon Courtenay to serve as the Opposition Senator in the Special Select Senate Committee. Welcome. Is the business senator gonna follow?" End quote. Yesterday, we contacted Courtenay for comment, but he told us that he was out. We do note that he was sceptical after the last Senate Meeting on September 30. Here's what he had to say then:

What Happened To Those Tourism Election Promises?
On Monday, we showed you this year’s Tourism Industry Conference and Awards, but what many in the tourism sector want to know about is two key development areas that were promised before the election. That’s the road to Caracol and the international airport on northern Ambergris Caye. We asked the Tourism Minister if any progress is being made:.. Heredia did not know the status of another pre-election promise, which is the Lamanai road which he says falls under the Ministry of Culture.

Channel 5

Breaking News: Murder in San Pedro
There is Breaking News coming out of San Pedro. Minutes ago, a man was murdered in the Boca Del Rio Area on Ambergris Caye. Reports reaching News Five are that [...]

San Pedro Fugitive Shot to Death by Police
Belizean fugitive Juan Carlos Martinez has evaded police for almost a year, but tonight he is dead, following a shooting in the San Pedrito area of La Isla Bonita. Martinez [...]

Education Minister Faber Faces Off With B.N.T.U. on Friday
Minister of Education Patrick Faber is meeting with the leadership of the Belize National Teachers Union on Friday to discuss a way forward in the wake of an eleven-day strike [...]

Faber Open to Compromise on Deductions and Class Time
Both parties have agreed to meet and discuss the terms of the deduction, but has there been any consideration on the part of government to do away with a pay [...]

Coalition Writes Prime Minister on Seismic Testing
In advance of Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage wrote to Prime Minister Dean Barrow on Monday seeking clarifications and statements on several issues. The [...]

Environmentalists Still Waiting on Cabinet Response
Cabinet met on Tuesday and as we reported, the matter of the seismic testing in Belize’s waters, which many fear is the first step to exploring for oil in our [...]

Prime Minister Previously Showed Support for Oil Moratorium, Referendum
Today, the environmentalists also showed us a video package of separate interviews granted to the media in February of 2012 and May of 2015, in which no less than Prime [...]

Will Prime Minister Stick to His Word?
The Prime Minister’s statements do not appear to be contradictory. Indeed, they are clear pronunciations on the issue, despite attempts to prevaricate on the referendum issue. So, is the Government [...]

Fire Destroys Part of family’s Home on Hunter’s Lane
When a fire engine passes you by on the street, does it occur to you, even for one second, that where they may be racing to in a hurry just [...]

Forensic Evidence Key to Solving Aaron Gabourel Arson/Murder
While the occupants of that home escaped injury, another fire—a confirmed case of arson—took the life of eleven year old Aaron Gabourel in south side Belize City. Last week, you [...]

Police Trying to Close in on Daniel Arzu Jr.’s Shooter
Five people are being questioned in connection with Monday’s shooting that has left Coast Guard Daniel Arzu Junior fighting for his life in the hospital. Police say they are almost [...]

New F.I.U. Director Signs M.O.U. with Old Department, Income Tax
The FIU and Income Tax Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding this morning to help domestic cooperation in the fight against money laundering, and countering the financing of terrorism and [...]

F.I.U. Commends Financial Institutions for Compliance, Planning Extended Reach
And while it has only been a matter of days since Kent Clare was appointed the new Director of the FIU, he told the media today that he has hit [...]

F.I.U. Getting Ready for United Nations Convention Against Corruption
And so, where does the FIU fit in following the signing of the United Nations Convention against Corruption on December ninth? In some corners it is believed that with the [...]

Houses for Collet Residents, Three Months after Hurricane Earl
Hurricane Earl swept through the Belize District in early August, leaving in its wake millions of dollars in damages.  There have been significant relief efforts in the aftermath of the [...]

New Houses Are Stronger, But Have No Utilities
Since the hurricane in early August, government has assisted with the reconstruction of approximately one hundred and fifty homes, a majority of them in the Belize District.  Those structures however, [...]

NEMO Minister Says G.O.B. Cannot Help With Everything
In some communities, despite government’s assistance, residents are still living in squalor, largely the result of their own neglect.  According to Castro, if it were left up to some constituents [...]

Police Want Raymond Rivers Over Facebook ‘Threats’
Police say that they are looking for Raymond Rivers because he has made some threatening Facebook posts. Today, ACP Chester Williams told the media that he needs to have a [...]

Another Unlicensed Firearm Off the Street
Police have arrested well-known Afghanistan Gang affiliate Roy Davis for the possession of an unlicensed firearm. On Tuesday night, police were on patrol when they encountered Davis and conducted a [...]

Cop Charged With Theft in San Pedro
A police constable attached to the San Pedro police formation has been arrested and charged for two counts of theft. This afternoon, PC Zani Savala appeared before the magistrate court [...]

Woman Dies Suddenly in San Pedro Town
On Monday night, police were called out to an area in San Pedro where the lifeless body of a woman was found face down on the pavement. An investigation was [...]

CTV3

Rayjon Eye Clinic To Offer Free Eye Clinic In Corozal
The Corozal Rotary Club held a regular meeting today for members to finalize plans for the arrival of the Rayjon Eye Clinic specialists in Corozal Town. This is a medical team that comes to town every year and assists with much needed ophthalmology services to residents. Their next trip to Belize is in two weeks and we spoke to the President and Secretary of the Rotary Club to find out more. Shelley Falk, President, Corozal Rotary Club: “We have the Rayjon Eye Clinic coming from Canada to do a free eye clinic for us on November 7t through 11th it will be at the Methodist eye clinic from eight until four and it is first come first serve and the nice to know is that they have been here several times, the most recent was in 2011 and they bring a staff of twenty plus people and they bring at least 2000 pairs of free glasses they will be distributing to people and they volunteer their time completely and so we are going to take care and sponsoring them through the Rotary club of Corozal and it is first come first serve and I want to make sure everybody knows that.”

LOVE FM

Fugitive Killed in Shootout on Ambergris Caye
San Pedro Police shot and killed a fugitive last night. Police has confirmed that 25 year old Juan Carlos Martinez, who had been on the run for months, was shot and killed during a shootout on La Isla Bonita. Reports are that a tip led police officers to the San Pedrito Area near the lagoon. […]

Charges Yet to Be Laid in Petty Officer Shooting; Arzu to Be Flown Out for Medical Attention
Five persons have been detained for questioning in connection with the shooting of Petty Officer 3rd class in the Belize Coast Guard, Daniel Arzu. Arzu was shot to the head on Neal’s Pen Road on Monday evening. While Arzu is at the KHMH recovering, investigators are trying to figure out who did it and why. […]

Investigation Continues Into Fire that Killed Aaron Gabourel
On October 4, 11-year-old Aaron Gabourel died when his home went up in flames. The fire was ruled as arson and three weeks into the investigation, no one has been charged. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, gave us an update. CHESTER WILLIAMS “Currently the information we have been receiving is conflicting and we have […]

BNTU and Education Minister to Meet in Two Days
There is a pending meeting between the Education Minister, Patrick Faber and the Belize National Teachers Union for Friday, October 28 in Belize City. We say pending, since there has been some back and forth between the two parties as to who will be in attendance. Minister Faber explained the situation. PATRICK FABER “That meeting […]

Coalition Wants More Information and Consultation on Seismic Testing
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage has written to Prime Minister Dean Barrow. The Coalition is asking, once more, for the Government to share all the information that it has amassed and used to make its original decision to allow seismic survey in the offshore area of Belize. The coalition believes that given […]

FIU and Income Tax Team up to Minimize Tax Evasion
The Financial Intelligence Unit and The Income Tax Department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that promises to strengthen the fight against money laundering, tax evasion and terrorism. The new director of the FIU, Kent Clare spoke of the newly signed MOU. KENT CLARE “What we hope to achieve here is more than just the […]

ITA System Will Boost Government’s Revenue
It is the hoped that the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding will assist in income tax monitoring and collection. Commissioner of the Income Tax Department, Ann Castillo stated that they do not have a clear picture of the figures when it comes to tax evasion. ANN CASTILLO “Presently there is not a ballpark figure but […]

New Homes for the Victims of Earl
Several starter homes were handed over this morning by the Government of Belize through the National Emergency Management Organization. With five houses located in the Collet division, the Area Representative, Patrick Faber was with NEMO Minister, Edmond Castro for the official presentations on Laura Dunn and Iguana Streets. As explained by Minister Faber, the homes […]

Imports on the Decline; Sugar Exports Plunge and Citrus Shows Promise
The latest figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize show a marginal decrease in imports for the month of September. Belize imported goods valuing one hundred and sixty point three million dollars which represents a one point one percent decrease from the same period last year. The Export Processing Zones saw the sharpest decline in […]

PM Gone for Medical Appointment
Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country today to attend a medical appointment in the United States. In his absence up until Sunday, October 30, Deputy Prime Minister, Patrick Faber will be acting in that capacity.

Breaking Belize News

Pair accused of attempting to rape Coast Guard yet to be charged
On Monday it made headlines when a Coast Guard reported to Ladyville police that two men attempted to rape him. He told police he was able to fight them off, even after having had a few drinks. No charges were brought against the accused men […]

PM departs country on medical leave
A government release was issued to inform the public that Prime Minister Dean Barrow departed the country today for a scheduled medical consultative appointment relating to his back ailment. During the Prime Minister’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber will act as Prime Minister. […]

Corozal Town Council to tax taxi operators
The Corozal Town Council is seeking to impose taxes on its taxi operators. According to a letter from the Corozal Town Council, taxi drivers will not be allowed to operate in the town without a trade license. Local taxi drivers belonging to a taxi […]

Gaspar Vega begs PM Barrow for duty exemption on 2016 vehicle
BBN has obtained a leaked document to Prime Minister Dean Barrow dated October 21, 2016 from former Cabinet Minister, Gaspar Vega. “I, Hon. Gaspar Vega, Area Representative of Orange Walk North, is hereby applying for duty exemption on a 2016 Lexus motor vehicle,” the […]

Police find weed in Cayo
Yesterday around 5:30 p.m. , MIT personnel conducted a checkpoint on the George Price highway where they intercepted a green BBOC bus. Upon searching the bus, police discovered a blue and pink backpack marking letters (PINK) on top of the bag rock of the […]

Escaped prisoner fatally shot by San Pedro Police
According to police reports, on Tuesday, at about 10:00 p.m., San Pedro police received information that convicted prisoner Juan Carlos Martinez, who had escaped from police custody in December, was inside a house in the San Pedrito Area of San Pedro Town. Police visited the location […]

Government builds new medical center in Sarteneja
The Government of Belize has embarked on an initiative that will benefit the men, women and children of Sarteneja. According to a press release, over 2,000 villagers from Sarteneja stand to benefit from their very own community health care center. According to the statement, […]

Belize- Squandering the low oil price opportunity
“Since June 2014 oil prices have dropped about 65 percent in U.S. dollar terms (about $70) as growth has progressively slowed across a broad range of countries. Even taking into account the 20 percent dollar appreciation during this period (in nominal effective terms), the […]

Police take another gun off the streets in Belize City
South Side police have taken another gun off the streets in Belize City. Last night a police mobile was in the Pitta Street area behind Gwen Liz High School when they saw a man with what appeared to be a hand gun. They set […]

Blogs

San Pedranos Acted Out of Emotion, Not Information on OUR REEF. Really?
You may have noticed that for the past week, instead of San Pedro happenings, parties, invites to this beautiful country, new restaurants and pretty pictures of the beach, my blog has taken a different tone. One that I couldn’t feel more passionate about – one that I know this town and this country feels passionate about – the greatest natural gift this country has. What happened: The Government of Belize allowed oil exploration to begin off-shore seismic testing over our waters and around our reef system without public consultation or a public announcement – that is THE LAW . Or wait…maybe it is not. There are a few too many uses of the word: MAY. “The environmental legislation of Belize requires that any project or activity which may have significant impact on the environment may be required to carry out an EIA and following the rules as set out in the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations and its Amendment of 2007…” – Department of the Environment Website

Finding Adventure in San Ignacio Belize
If you live in another part of the country, San Ignacio in the Cayo district is likely a place you are long overdue on visiting. It makes for an easy action packed and tasty getaway. If you live in the area, when was the last time you took a fun filled adventure in your own backyard? The Green Iguana Conservation Project at San Ignacio Hotel Resort is a fun, interactive and educational tour. It takes you up close and personal with this amazing reptile. The best part about the Iguana Tour, aside from seeing an amazing Iguana conservation effort, is feeding time. They literally climb over top of you to chow down on the big green leaves. Located about a mile south of San Ignacio town atop the highest hill, Cahal Pech is a perfect do-it- yourself (DIY) tour. Chances are good you could end up with this mid-size ruin all to yourself. Large trees provide great shade for walking, making for a truly magical experience. The main area consists of seven interconnected plazas that were a big excavation and restoration project in the late 1980’s. There is also an onsite museum and several display cases of very cool artifacts.

Pictures of Belize: 13 perfect photo opportunities!
Photos are the perfect way to keep that one resounding memory alive, you can look at them when you feel nostalgic, or just glance at them when you’re busy to take you back to a happier time. What are vacations after they end if not good memories? With the many adventures you’ll go on and the moments you’ll have in Belize we know there will be some that you’ll want to keep! By now, surely, you know where we are going with this; check out our most picture pose-worthy photo angles from around Belize!

International Sources

The Strange Story of Why Belize is Full of Chicago Cubs Fans
Less than four years after gaining independence from the United Kingdom, the Central American nation of Belize notched a smaller, yet somehow lasting, triumph in 1985. That winter, the Chicago Cubs sent their star outfielder Gary Matthews, Sr., to visit the country, which is often claimed to be the most Cubs-friendly land outside the Windy City. Matthews's visit was the culmination of a love affair that had begun in 1981, the year when Cubs games began being broadcast in the country. The relationship has continued to this day. Right now many Belizeans at home and inside the United States are cheering on the Cubs, who have returned to the World Series for the first time since 1945 and are attempting to break a championship drought that stretches all the way back to the first Roosevelt administration, 1908. The team finished the 2016 season with the best record in baseball, wracking up 103 wins (and 58 losses), an achievement that put them a whopping 17.5 games ahead of their closest division rival, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Students strive to end polio
The Rotaract Club held an End Polio Fair in front of the Carr Health Building Monday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Anna Vasquez, president of the Rotaract Club and senior from Orange Walk, Belize, said polio is a disease that affects children and causes them to be crippled for the rest of their lives. However, she said children can be protected with one vaccine for the entire time they are susceptible to the disease. She said many people in America have forgotten how devastating polio is because the disease no longer affects Americans. Vasquez said the Rotaract Club’s main focus is raising awareness and money for polio vaccines. She said the fair is one of the many projects the Rotaract Club has done in the fight against polio. She said she hopes many students stop by the fair to participate in activities. Twinkle Bhojwani, senior from Belize City, Belize, said polio affects millions of people worldwide, mainly in southern Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Jaguar scat study suggests restricted movement in areas of conservation importance in Mesoamerica
A research group led by the American Museum of Natural History and global wild cat conservation organization Panthera has published the largest gene-based survey of its kind on wild jaguar populations in Mesoamerica. The analysis, published today in the journal PLOS ONE, is based on nearly 450 jaguar scat samples collected in Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. This work identifies areas of conservation concern for Mesoamerican jaguars and underscores the importance of large-scale genetic monitoring efforts when prioritizing conservation and management efforts for this near-threatened, and elusive, carnivore species. "Mesoamerica has one of the highest deforestation rates worldwide, potentially limiting movement and genetic connectivity in forest-dependent jaguars across this fragmented landscape. Large-scale conservation genetics studies on wild jaguars spanning across several range countries assessing these threats are rare and suffer from low sample sizes for this region," said Claudia Wultsch, the lead author of the paper, a scientist in the Museum's Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, and a conservation research fellow at Panthera. "Over the last 100 years, jaguars in Mesoamerica have been pushed out from more than 77 percent of their historic range."

New study finds American jaguars threatened by increasing isolation
A new study from the American Museum of Natural History has found that jaguars in Central America are facing increasing threats as their habitats become more isolated and differing groups lose connections. The study was the largest ever genetic survey of the Mesoamerican jaguar (Panthera onca) and looked at the DNA of big cats from several areas to analyse their genetic diversity. The analysis found that jaguars in Mexico had the lowest genetic variation, with those in Honduras, Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rice not far behind. Low genetic variation is not a good sign for the jaguar, as explained in the study: "Genetic diversity has important ecological consequences in natural populations, including the maintenance of evolutionary potential and individual fitness to respond to threats such as environmental change and disease." "We believe that these jaguars were once continuously distributed over the whole landscape of Mesoamerica, but human activity has resulted in smaller populations that are isolated from other groups," said George Amato, director of the American Museum of Natural History's Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics.

Videos

October 26, 2016

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials

The San Pedro Sun

Traffic accident leaves minor with injuries
A traffic accident left a three-year old boy with minor injuries, when the motorcycle he was being transported on slammed against a golf cart. The accident happened after 9PM on Friday, October 21st on Angel Coral Street. The collision was so strong that both the baby and his father, who was driving the motorcycle, were ejected onto the pavement. The official report from the investigating officer at the San Pedro Police Station states that the minor was immediately transported to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Poly Clinic where he was treated. After different tests, the baby was released with slight bruises on his arms. The report details the chain of events of the accident and cited that 46-year-old Rene Vasquez was in front of Caye Supplies when he decided to make a U-turn in the middle of the street while driving his golf cart. According to Vasquez, he looked on both sides of the street and did not see anyone coming on either side of the road. He further told the police, while making the turn he heard a loud screeching followed by a loud bang.

San Pedro stands against Seismic Surveys
After Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow approved the notion of multi-beam and seismic testing in Cabinet, locals and visitors of San Pedro became aware that two vessels, MV Northern Explorer and MV Campeche started seismic testing on Wednesday, October 19th. Oceana in Belize, joined by other organizations, was active in educating the community of the harm on conducting these surveys. They hoped to gain full support from the public to go against both multi-beam and seismic testing. Concerned community members gathered at the San Pedro Lions Den, where they were notified of the latest developments on offshore oil exploration, and the purpose of multi beam and seismic surveys was explained to them. Oceana reiterated that scientific research provided by GOB needs to be re-evaluated before they can make an educated decision. When representatives attempted to convince stakeholders that these surveys do not have any negative impacts on the reef, the crowd was in an uproar. As a result, the session ended earlier than planned, with Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Manuel Heredia Jr. pressured to lobby the Prime Minister to issue a stop order on seismic testing. He was mandated to give a response at a set time, or stakeholders would proceed with a strike blockade.

Honorable John Saldivar Resumes Ministerial Duties
The Office of the Prime Minister announces that, after a one week suspension, the Hon. John Saldivar today resumed his duties as Minister of Defence. That resumption follows upon the Prime Minister’s receipt of a legal opinion concerning the question of whether the Minister continued in a (football business) relationship with Danny Mason after September of 2015.

Multinational Security Cooperation Conference Held in Belize
The Belize Coast Guard hosted a Multilateral Security Cooperation Conference at the Coast Guard Headquarters on George Price Highway in Belize City. The main purpose of the conference was for the allied nations of Belize to understand the security cooperation and military capacity building requirements of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) and Belize Coast Guard (BCG), in order to synchronise and harmonise activities to prevent duplication or missed opportunities. This year’s Conference was chaired by the CEO of the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Felix Enriquez, and was attended by Defence Attachés and Command Representatives from Belize’s Military Allies, including Brigadier General Kevin Iiams from the United States Southern Command; Brigadier General Michael McGovern from the United Kingdom London District Command; Navy Captain Paul Dempsey, Canadian Defence Attaché; and General Gilberto Martinez, Mexican Army Defence Attaché – all of whom gave updates on the progress of ongoing military supporting activities to Belize and planned support for the coming years up to 2018.

Blackadore Caye EIA Approved
Final development plans announced, include removal of all overwater structures. The Blackadore Development Group announced today that following a review of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Belize Department of the Environment (DOE) has approved construction of the Blackadore Caye Project. This development will be the first of its kind in the country, and signals an entirely new paradigm in sustainable development. The project will be built to some of the most stringent sustainability building standards in existence, and will aim to restore and revitalize the current ecology of Blackadore Caye. “After a six month process of gathering feedback from stakeholders and local citizens, we received overwhelming support for the project – recognizing its social benefits, impact on the economy and environmental integrity,” said Paul Scialla, a partner in the Blackadore Development Group. “Despite approval for overwater structures, we have listened the concerns of local stakeholders and there will be no overwater structures for rent or sale in the final development. This decision is to further ensure our commitment to the ecological preservation of Belize,” continued Scialla.

Ambergris Today

Pet Parrot Licensing Application Period to Close
The Forest Department announces that the application period for the Captive Wildlife Permit program for pet parrots will close on October 31st, 2016. Since the program began, the department received more than 2,000 applications and registered over 300 parrots already. Hundreds of parrots were rehabilitated and returned to the wild when inspections revealed that: (a) the parrots were found to be less than one-year old and; (b) bird owners failed to meet strict compliance standards. Parrots represent the largest group of captive wild animals in Belize. Thousands of wild birds have been and continue to be illegally captured and traded on the domestic and international market to meet the demand for the pet trade. This has devastating impacts on Belize’s parrot species population, particularly the scarlet macaw and yellow-headed parrots now threatened by extinction due to habitat loss and illegal capturing.

Blackadore Caye Gets Approved for Construction, Ground Breaking in 2017
Final development plans announced, include removal of all overwater structures - The Blackadore Development Group announced today, Tuesday, October 25, 2016, that following a review of the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), the Belize Department of the Environment (DOE) has approved construction of the Blackadore Caye Project. Developers of the caye state that it the project will be the first of its kind in the country, and signals an entirely new paradigm in sustainable development. The project will be built to some of the most stringent sustainability building standards in existence, and will aim to restore and revitalize the current ecology of Blackadore Caye.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Fishing Report, October 16th – October 22nd, 2016
Orvis’ Bonefish Bonanza filled the lodge with great spirits and lots of fish stories over the 4 nights they were here. Orvis’s host (Dan Davala from Orvis Travel in Vermont) brought a combination of repeat guests and new saltwaterites looking for anything from the promised bonefish to the hallowed permit. They caught them all, including the two soft slams!

B.T.B. IS A PART OF THE “GOVERNMENT OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT”
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is a Statutory Institution in Belize which falls under the Ministry of Tourism, but can be considered a part of the “government outside the government”. If tourism grows 100% over the next 10 years, their revenues will increase to over $100 million…..if this happens, do they just keep those extra revenues and continue to spend it and live lavishly, while the rest of the country suffers? Or should they start contributing a 25% “income tax” to the national budget now, as all persons earning over $25,000 are required by law to do? At what point does the BTB start to be accountable to the Auditor General, Financial Secretary and Attorney General? After all, the taxes they collect are not theirs….it is for the people of Belize….and these budgets need to start being reflected in the national budget…with oversight from those in our central government charged with ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and effectively to implement approved plans. When will they need to advertise ALL employment and business opportunities? And to put all contracts out for public tender? Instead of all these insider deals with political and personal favorites in publication, marketing, training, etc? At what point are the tax rates reduced? Belize economy needs to be a lot more competitive….a vacation of similar quality in the Riviera Maya can cost as much as 50% below a vacation in Belize…and with Cuba now a serious contender, Belize needs to compete in cost where it has to, and in quality where possible.

Hon. Saldivar Resumes Ministerial Duties
The Office of the Prime Minister announces that, after a one week suspension, the Hon. John Saldivar today resumed his duties as Minister of Defence. That resumption follows upon the Prime Minister's receipt of a legal opinion concerning the question of whether the Minister continued in a (football business) relationship with Danny Mason after September of 2015. The opinion rejects as invalid any conclusion that the Minister, in consequence of the continued existence after September 2015 of a company in which both the Minister and Mr. Mason had subscribed to shares, continued in a business relationship with Mr. Mason. The opinion makes the point that after the company was formed, and no doubt because the Minister shortly thereafter made unsavory discoveries about Mr. Mason, the Minister took no steps to actually allot to himself or Mr. Mason any of the shares to which they had subscribed. This meant that they never actually became shareholders and the company never got off the ground.

Special Sitting of the Supreme Court to Honor the Memory of Senior Counsel Michael Young
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin and Justices of the Supreme Court as well as members of the legal fraternity join Young's wife, children and grandchildren as well as his extended family to remember the esteemed attorney.

Power interruption, 7:00am to 11:00am, Wednesday, October 26, Dangriga Town
Rivas Estate 1 & 2, Lakeland Area & Havana St. A half hour power interruption will also affect entire Dangriga Town & Sarawee Village from 7:00am to 7:30am. BEL to replace utility poles carrying high voltage lines & repair hotspots on power distribution system.

It's a day of cleaning. Inviting all artists and residents of Dangriga
Come on our and be a part of the service day. Bring a rake or whatever cleaning tool you might have! Roll up your sleeves for a worthy cause!

Noche de Cuenta
Viernes, 28 de octubre, 7pm. uyyyyy que miedo mira como estoy temblando. Benque House of Culture Lawn, October 28, 7pm

BHA promoting in Canada, Mexico, and the USA last week!
The Belize Hotel Association was extremely busy this past week, actively marketing our members at several tradeshows and roadshows. On October 18 and 19, At the Cancun TravelMart, Past President Doug Thompson and Marketing Director Tessie Tonaco, met with several international travel agents and marketing agencies who were interested in learning more about what Belize has to offer. The two day show was well represented and we look forward to attracting more travelers to Belize from countries such as Mexico, Japan, Spain, Canada and the USA. On October 17-19, the Belize Hotel Association also participated in the United Airlines/ Tropic Air Roadshow, hosting several travel agent events in Chicago, New Jersey and New York. At the same time, BHA President Leisa Carr-Caceres and Director Barry Snowden were in Montreal Canada, attending the ITTS Montreal (International Tourism and Travel Show) held on October 21-23. This three day consumer show receives more than 30,000 visitors who are eagerly looking for new destinations for their next vacation. As a sequence to the ITTS show, the BHA will be participating in the BTB Canadian roadshow, in November where presentations will be made to Toronto and Montreal travel agents.

Halloween Party and Costume Contest at Carlo and Ernie's Runway Bar and Grill
October 30, 11am-5pm. Prizes and Awards!

Splashers
Join us this week at Crazy Canucks Beach Bar to paint!

New Sarteneja Health Centre Will Provide Better Access to Healthcare for over 2,000 Belizeans in Sarteneja, Corozal
This means men, women and children of Sarteneja will have easier access to quality health care, preventive and curative services; emergency deliveries, and epidemiological surveillance thanks to the Government of Belize who is financing the new health project at an estimated cost of $789,300.00 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank under the Bank’s Health Sector Program. Hence, the Government will significantly contribute to the reduction of the prevalence of Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers among others. The completion of the health project will also conform to the Ministry of Health’s Primary Care Outpatient Standards which defines a health center as a facility with part time doctor, resident rural health nurse, and caretaker. The first floor of the health center will serve as quarters for doctors and nurses. Thus; medical services will be provided on a daily basis to all Belizeans in the Northern District of Corozal and its surrounding communities.

BELIZE AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF STATE PARTNERSHIP
The Ministry of Defence wishes to inform the General Public that Belize and the State of Louisiana will celebrate their 20th Anniversary of State Partnership on 01 November 2016 at Price Barracks, Ladyville. There will be an Official Parade at 1600 hrs (4 pm) at Sir Colville Young Parade Square and members of the media are invited to this ceremony. For further information contact Chief of Staff, Lieutenant Colonel Louis Sutherland at telephone number 225-3584 or 634-7226.

Woman shares story of domestic abuse
I was living in hell from one day to the next. But there is nothing I could do to escape. I don't know where I would go if I did. I felt utterly powerless, and that feeling is my prision. I entered of my own free will, I locked the door, and I threw away the key(moving in with you...a very bad choice). Now I have no idea why im being painted as the bad one here. To answer aaaaaaaaaall your questions that yall keep hitting me with in my inbox....This is what happened(wasnt the first wasnt the last time...it was just one the worst beatdown). i cant fathom how much more evil you can be to make it seem like I did wrong. After you left me choking on my blood and passing out...you have the nerve to say i cheated....I simply moved on(after i left you ..last time i check i am NOT in a relationship) ....now ur sitting there bitter but Im not done with you just yet.I hope u have all the support you need after this...please check yourself into a mental facility. ur unstable you need all the meds and counselling available. my friends and family know what happened months ago but since i am a social media goddess why not share this with you all.

Water Quality Monitoring in Belize
Under the Belize Marine Conservation and Climate Adaptation Project (MCCAP), the Belize Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) has received funding to undertake water quality monitoring activities to monitor the successful implementation of the National Integrated Coastal Zone Management Plan. On 21 October, 2016, CZMAI’s Water Quality/Coastal Planning Team accompanied by representatives from Protected Areas Conservation Trust and the University of Belize configured and placed three (3) Sondes at different locations along the Belize River. The Sondes will measure environmental parameters such as: conductivity, turbidity, temperature, pH/ORP (oxidation/reduction potential), chlorophyll-a, dissolved oxygen, precipitation, and flow. Click the link below to learn more about our Water Quality Program.

SHJC Tourism Majors Visit San Pedro
Sacred Heart Junior College Tourism Management students visited San Pedro to learn about customer service and see more of what Belize offers. The Villas at Banyan Bay provided affordable, and beautiful, rooms for the students, and was just what they needed to experience. Tuff E Nuff Tours really took care of them. Great service and they educated the students about the barrier reef.

Miss World Belize 2016
Congratulations, Iris Salguero! The San Pedrana won the Miss World Belize pageant, which was held on Saturday at the Log Cab-Inns. The 501 Boyz were there to capture the fun and excitement. We were there to get some setup and behind the scenes pictures.

OCEANA UPDATE
We have just gotten confirmation that now the position of the Government of Belize is that it was only collecting data to inform its position on offshore oil especially in light of conditions such as a cost benefit analysis. But here's the problem with that position: The data was not going to be simply collected and handed over to the Government of Belize. The Government was going to get a copy of the raw data and the agreed processed reports. However, the company, TGS, having expended approximately 6 million Belize dollars for both surveys, was going to SELL the data to recover its money. Who buys that data? Petroleum exploration companies. Why do oil companies buy data? To inform oil exploration. No company would spend money without an expectation of getting their money back. The Inspector of Petroleum confirmed this at the Government's presentation in San Pedro. The relevant section starts at time code 25:05 in the video below. This is not the ONLY opportunity to get the data that Government wants to get/says it needs to make a decision on this national issue. That an agreement was made with TGS without the public's knowledge and that it was being done by a company that was going to sell the data; and that seismic surveys started even before they said it would, it just means this was not the right way to go about any of this.

The national conversation on offshore oil continues and we want to hear from YOU!
The Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage is hosting conversations to meaningfully engage with the Belizeans on the latest developments on offshore oil exploration. See you there!

Channel 7

Coast Guard Commander Concerned About Officer Arzu
Daniel Arzu, a Petty Officer 3rd class in the Belize Coast Guard, is in a critical condition at the KHMH. Around 5 yesterday evening, Arzu was shot to the head at his girlfriend's Penn Road apartment. As you heard last night, Arzu's sister in law told us that the gunman came up to the door and opened fire inside the house, hitting Arzu. This morning we spoke to Commandant of the Coast Guard, Admiral John Borland and he told us he doesn't have all the details as to what happened but that he will do all he can to support the family in this time. Admiral John Borland - Commandant, Belize Coast Guard: "Well I actually don't have much update other than what was said on the news that our coast guard man remains in a critical state condition in the hospital. And If I hadn't been at this workshop, I would have had the doctors' 8am report. But I was at the hospital up to 11pm last night and he remain in an induce coma in critical condition."

OC Arzu Talks About His Injured Son
And the family can only hope that he does recover. As we told you, Arzu was shot to the head but according to his father, the bullet wasn't lodged in his head, giving Arzu a fighting chance. Now although Arzu got a positive prognosis, the family is still in shock and are wondering why anyone would want to harm their loved one. Today we spoke to Arzu's dad, Superintendent of Police in Benque Viejo, Daniel Arzu Sr., and he told us he has no idea why. Supt. Daniel Arzu, OC - Benque Viejo Police: "He as at his baby's mother residence when the intruder came by and fired shots at him and apparently he was struck to the head and he was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and he is currently undergoing medical treatment." "Having spoken to the doctor, he is indicating that he is still critical. He underwent a surgery yesterday with success but he is still in a critical condition at this point in time. It appears that the bullet exited from the wound and that is what somewhat give that hope."

John Saldivar Reinstated As Defense Minister
After a most unusual one-week suspension, John Saldivar is back as Minister of Defence tonight. Saldivar was put temporarily on ice while the Prime Minister got a legal opinion on whether he and William Danny Mason were actually business partners. This, after the certificate of registration for a company called Bandits Sport was revealed. It showed Saldivar and Mason as joint shareholders. Saldivar said he abandoned that partnership when he got information that Mason had a shady business history, and he went on to form another company. Well, the Prime Minister wasn't quote convinced and he had pledged to seriously review the matter if evidence did she that Saldivar and Mason were in business.

Cabinet Meeting: Business As Usual, Even Without "Gapi"
So, what about the other UDP Area Rep. who is now banished to political purgatory? Gaspar Vega Resigned last week Monday from the Cabinet following the breaking of the scandal that his son, Andre, was compensated 400 thousand dollars for land that the Lands Department was not entitled to sell him. So, did the Cabinet Ministers noticed that another seat in their meeting was empty? That's what we asked Anthony "Boots" Martinez today, and here's what he had to say: Daniel Ortiz, 7News: "Was Gaspar Vega's absence noticed today in cabinet?" Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez, Cabinet Minister: "Well it was noticed from last week, not only today, last week. That's our colleague and whatever absence is there, it is noticeable."

San Ignacio Robbery Got Away with 20K Cash
A San Ignacio business woman was robbed of about $20,000 cash in broad daylight. Yesterday morning around 9:15, the owner of Brothers Store was walking to Atlantic Bank to make a deposit when a man snatched the bag of money out of her hands and darted away. Apart from the 20 grand, she also had about $9,000 in cheques. Assistant Superintendent of Police Daniel Iche told us via phone that they are looking for the thief. He also advised business owners to be more careful when handling a large stash of cash. The man was not armed.

City Cops Foil 88 Burglary
But, City cops foiled an early morning burglary on Central American Boulevard. Around 4:00, police caught 2 men and a 15 year old boy raiding 88 Kitchen. Police rounded them up and found $90 on one of them. Police told us more about this case and how they dealt with the minor involved. ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside: "This morning sometime around 4am, the police, based again on information provided to us by members of the public, responded to a burglar in progress at 88 Kitchen. That is on Central American Boulevard. Upon arrival at the location, police found one male person and a further search of the building led the police to 2 individuals inside of the building, one of whom is a minor age 15 years. All 3 persons were taken into custody and a search of one of the individual at the police station yield just over ninety dollars Belize currency, which we believe is proceeds from the burglary. I must also state that you all would know that we have been strict, in terms of minors who are found on the streets between the hours of 9pm and 6am. So in the case of the minor, we have also arrested and charge the parent of the minor for allowing a child to be out on the street whilst being unsupervised between that time period."

Man Accused Of Handling Niece Naima's Jewelry
Tonight, Randy August is at the Belize Central Prison after he was allegedly caught with jewelry stolen of Naima Barrow, Prime Minister Dean Barrow's niece. He appeared in the Magistrate's Court today, where he pled not guilty to a charge of handling stolen goods. August is accused being caught with $7,000 worth of that jewelry from Naima Barrow. It was stolen from her boyfriend's home. Despite August having two kids and one on the way as well as a disabled uncle, the prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that he would likely interfere with the investigation, as more than $30,000 worth of Barrow's jewelry is still missing. August was remanded into custody until December 22nd.

Belmopan's QRT Makes Cocaine Bust
Yesterday evening, the Belmopan Police Quick response team searched an empty lot in Roaring Creek where they found approximately 10 ounces of cannabis in a black plastic bag. Today, the police made another drug bust, but this one was much larger. Acting on special branch intelligence, the Quick Response Team along with the Criminal Intelligence Branch intercepted a Thunderbolt Water Taxi boat going from Corozal to San Pedro. After searching the boat, authorities found a knapsack containing 3.6 pounds of cocaine. A quantity of cocaine this big has an estimated street value of about $70,000. No suspect was found, so the cocaine retrieved and deposited as found property.

Blackadore Caye Resort Passes EIA Phase
Four Weeks ago, we gave you a behind the curtain look at the Blackadore Caye project. That's the mega development which the Blackadore Caye Group has been working on to build a resort. Viewers will remember that, We first reported on Blackadore Caye in 2005. That's when reports were that Hollywood star Leonardo Di Caprio had bought the 104 acre private island off the coast of Ambergris Caye. Well, today, the developer's PR team held a press conference to update the nation that their environmental impact assessment plan has been approved, and if everything goes to plan, they will start to build next year. Here's what Dr. Dionne Miranda and Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr. had to say about the updated EIA which was approved by the Government's Technicians.

Hon. Hulse Says Seismic Testing Outrage Is Misplaced
And while we were in Belmopan this afternoon, we asked Minister Godwin Hulse if they discussed the San Pedro public consultation in Cabinet today. You'll remember that fiery consultation on last week Thursday in which the San Pedranos and the tour guide community forced the Government to shut down seismic testing which was already happening in Belizean waters. Last night, We showed you the comments of Minister Manuel Heredia Jr., who had to endure the public blasting he got from those within that consultation, who demanded that he took action. Well, his colleague, Godwin Hulse says that he thinks they acted out of emotion and not from a place of proper information:

DOE Was Tough On Blackadore Experts
And as you would remember, those DOE experts were treated to hostility at that Public Consultation. Try as they might to get the attendees to listen to their explanations for greenlighting the seismic testing, those members of the public wouldn't hear it. With that level of suspicion, you'd think that the DOE is a rubber stamp for projects which the Government wants to push through. Not so, says the Blackadore Caye expert, Jim Reilly, today. He shared his opinion when we asked him about his encounters of the Government's scientists. He says that from his personal view, they vigorously defend Belize's environment in any project:

16 Year-old Allegedly Raped Inside Her Home
Police are looking for a man who sexually assaulted a 16 year old girl inside her home. The report is that she was home alone last night around 11:00 when the man assaulted her. Police gave us the little information they could in this sensitive case. ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside: "Last night sometime around 11pm there about, a female of 16 years of age reported us that she was left home alone and during that time that she was at home alone, a male person entered the home and had carnal intercourse with her against her will. So that matter is currently being investigated again by us. To be able to ascertain what actually took place, we are hoping that pretty soon we would be able to locate the person of interest that we are looking for. Because we have a person of interest that we are looking for and when that person is found then the chips may fall where they may." Police could not say if the man broke into the house or if he was family friend. Police are looking for this man.

Michael Young Remembered By Bench and Bar
Yesterday Michael Young's body was laid to rest. Today, his colleagues and contemporaries in the law gathered together for a special sitting of the Supreme Court. Young's legacy was remembered by lawyers that fought with him and against him, but no matter what side of the court room they remembered him from, their memories were always fond. The impression we got is that no matter which attorney he came in contact with, either as ally or foe in the court, they all have great respect for him.

A Crime Observatory
Last month, the Ministry of Human Development launch BelizeInfo, an online tool for gathering information and statistics on various subjects relating to Belize. Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs launched a similar tool, called the Belize Crime Observatory. The Crime Observatory, like BelizeInfo, was developed as a one stop shop for accessing data, however as the name suggests, the Crime Observatory focuses data relating to crime. The online resource is intended to be used as a tool to help develop crime preventing policies as well as to assist in research and creating dialogue about public safety issues. The CEO of the Ministry of Home Affairs, George Lovell, told us more about the project… The Crime Observatory is intended to be used by authorities, government officials, scholars and even students, and is meant to help improve public safety and national security.

Tyrone Coleman Flies Out For Open Heart Surgery
On Friday, we reported on the plea that the Williams and Coleman families were making to the public for assistance. They want to raise $80 thousand Belize dollars to seek medical attention abroad for well-known James bus driver Tyrone Coleman. He heart condition which cannot be treated in Belize. Well the good news tonight is that Coleman and his wife Lovinia Coleman are spending their first night in the Cayman Islands as they were airlifted by an American Air - ambulance sometime after 4 pm today to the Island where Coleman is expected to go under surgery within the next 24 hours. According to Dorla Williams, sister-in-law of Tyron Coleman the cost of their medical bill is estimated at almost $61,600.00 Belize Dollars.

Channel 5

John Saldivar Reinstated as Minister of Defence
He was not in Cabinet today; however, Minister of Defence John Saldivar is back in office after being suspended last week by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Saldivar’s one-week suspension was [...]

Godwin Hulse Satisfied With Legal Explanation
While John Saldivar was not available for comment today and neither was Prime Minister Barrow, two of his Cabinet colleagues were willing to speak for him. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, [...]

Boots Martinez Has John Saldivar’s Back
Also weighing in was Minister of Human Development Anthony “Boots” Martinez. Minister Martinez, too, is satisfied that Saldivar has been sufficiently cleared of questions surrounding his involvement with Mason and [...]

Coast Guard Critical After Being Shot While Visiting His Baby Mama
A Coast Guard Officer and father of two is fighting for his life at the K.H.M.H. tonight. Daniel Arzu Junior was shot in the head yesterday in Belize City when [...]

John Borland Speaks on Shooting
The near fatal shooting of Petty Officer Daniel Arzu Junior has shocked the Belize National Coast Guard, as well as the Belize Police Department where his father is an experienced [...]

Coast Guard Assisting Police with Investigation of Attempted Rape
The fate of a coastguard sailor who brutally pummeled a pair of men in Ladyville on Monday morning also hangs in the balance, as Ladyville police are yet to record [...]

Godwin Hulse Says Seismic Testing Storm is “Huffing and Puffing”
Cabinet was expected to discuss the aborted plans for seismic testing in the deepest of Belize’s waters today. Last week, hastily whipped up public outcry forced Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia [...]

New Minister of Agriculture Promises to “Get Belize Growing Again”
The Prime Minister announced changes to Cabinet last week, which included changes in portfolios for the subjects of this and our next story. After the 2015 general elections, Prime Minister [...]

A Homecoming for Minister of State and Ex-Senior Cop Elodio Aragon Junior
Minister of State for Home Affairs, Elodio Aragon Junior, says he is coming home. No, he’s not stepping down as minister, but he is now in direct charge of the [...]

Home Affairs C.E.O. Says Caye Caulker Police Getting Help to Move Out of Crumbling Barracks
Last week, News Five reported on the inhospitable conditions that officers attached to the Caye Caulker Police Station are presently subjecting themselves to.  The housing facilities are the property of [...]

Police Hunt Person of Interest in Rape of City Teenager
A teenager was raped in Belize City on Monday night. The sixteen-year-old told police that a man entered her home and had sexual intercourse with her against her will. Police [...]

Police Catch 88 Kitchen Burglars in the Act; Minor Charged Under Curfew Law
Police say they stopped a burglary in progress in the early hours of this morning. Three burglars broke into Eighty-Eight Kitchen on Central American Boulevard but didn’t manage to make [...]

Abandoned Cocaine Brought on Corozal to San Pedro Boat
Shortly before eleven o’clock this morning, officers attached to the San Pedro Police Station, including Special Branch, CIB and the Quick Response Team intercepted a knapsack containing two parcels of [...]

M.I.T. Accused of Extortion of Businessman; Investigation Begins
On Monday, a Belmopan-area businessman told local media that he was extorted, allegedly by members of the Police Mobile Interdiction Team, who stopped him around Mile twenty-five on the George [...]

Belize’s First Crime Observatory Founded
This morning, the Ministry of Home Affairs formally introduced the Belize Crime Observatory, an information management system which aims to strengthen analysis of crime and violence data in order to [...]

Final Honors for Michael Young, S.C. at Supreme Court
Court sessions scheduled for this morning were suspended in Belize City where a special sitting of the Supreme Court was held to honor the late Senior Counsel Michael Young. The [...]

Kevin “Cowboy” Alvarez Walks from Attempted Murder of Cops
Remember Kevin Alvarez, aka “Cowboy”? He is the former police officer who was accused of the murder of a Chinese businessman in Orange Walk back in 2008, but was exonerated. [...]

Belizeans in Cayman Chip-in for Heart Patient Tyron Coleman
Tyron Coleman is off to the Cayman Islands. The James Bus Driver who was seeking medical assistance to get a heart surgery done abroad, left today for the Cayman Islands. [...]

Blackadore Caye Moves Forward With Restoration
At the end of May when we visited Blackadore Caye, developers of what is being billed as the first-of-its-kind restorative island shared with the media a master plan which included [...]

CTV3

Minister Saldivar Reinstated After One Week Suspension
On October 18, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that he was placing Minister of Defense on “one week’s leave of absence” following the revelation of company documents that showed that accused murderer Danny Mason had been a shareholder in the Bandits football club. The PM indicated in the release that he would seek “legal opinion” on the issue and decide the faith of the Minister. Well, if anyone had any inkling that Saldivar would be removed from the Cabinet, you were wrong. Another release from the Government today indicated that Saldivar resumed Ministerial duties today. The release said that the legal opinion received by the Prime Minister [quote] “rejects as invalid any conclusion that the Minister, in consequence of the continued existence after September 2015 of a company in which both the Minister and Mr. Mason had subscribed to shares, continued in a business relationship with Mr. Mason” [unquote.

Sarteneja To Receive New Health Center
The Belize Social Investment Fund, (SIF) will be holding ground-breaking ceremonies tomorrow for the construction of the Sarteneja Health Center in Corozal. The health center project is being financed by the Government of Belize at an estimated cost of $789,300.00 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank under the Ministry of Health Portfolio and is expected to be completed within a period of five to six months. The health center which is expected to provide better access to healthcare to over two thousand Belizeans will significantly contribute to the reduction of the prevalence of Non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and certain cancers among others since it is expected to be equipped with rooms for consultation, examination, treatment, pharmacy/dispensary, laundry, an asthma bay area, sterilizing room, waiting area for patients, and male and female bathrooms measuring.

Belizeans Feel Insecure When Visiting Quintana Roo
The report adds that there are several factors that have led to the stagnation in the number of visitors to Quintana Roo including problems of insecurity which has been growing in numbers following a barrage of robberies reported against Belizean citizens. These factors are now joined by discrimination, since according to Belizean consul Valencia Gómez, Belizeans are, especially in department stores, being heavily monitored as if they were to steal products in the store. The report goes on to state the importance of Belizean tourists in the Southern Mexican State as they are responsible for generating over 120 million dollars in revenues annually. According to the report, different businesses along with the Belizean Consul are working together to give a better deal to tourists from Belize as we represent a great economic benefit to the southern state.

Former BWU Secretary To Call meeting With Members
While the executive of the Belize Workers Union will hold their Annual General Meeting on November 18th, Carlos is not waiting that long to address the union members. Her intent is to call a meeting with members this coming Friday. Carlos has also contacted the Labor Commissioner who is aware of the allegations made against some of the executive of the BWU, to be in that meeting. Samantha Carlos- Former Employee BWU: “Their position is very clear and simple, that we need to work it out or they will move in and if they move in it is not going to be anything polite or nice they are going to move in and well they are going to shut it down and we are trying to save the Union so we give the membership an opportunity to understand what is happening so that they can make a sound decision for themselves before they step any further...”

Hulse Has The solution To The Agricultural Sector Problems
Six days ago Prime Minister Dean Barrow shuffled his Cabinet following the resignation of Orange Walk North Gaspar Vega as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment. Vega’s Ministries were all picked up by the Hon. Godwin Hulse who it seems has a high turn-over rate with Ministries. Some time ago, before he entered the political fray, Hulse was known as an agriculture advocate who would always say that Belize could and should grow everything it needs to feed itself. Now that he has the opportunity to put his words to action, Hulse says he will ensure that the idea of Belize becoming a breadbasket of self-sufficiency becomes a reality. Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development, Immigration: “My position has been for the last forty years that this country has the potential, we used to say in the past it used to be the bread basket of the Caribbean and all sorts of statements, agriculture has tremendous potential yes we need quality products because the market is demanding on that that and this is not only foreign market we shouldn’t be producing quality products for the foreigners we should be producing it for ourselves but there has to be a process where the farmers who are engaged in this benefit from that process they have to make money or else they are not in the business...”

LOVE FM

Saldivar Returns to Cabinet Following Suspension
John Saldivar is a Minister once more. He resumed his Ministerial duties as of today after being suspended for one week. Prime Minister Dean Barrow made the decision to suspend Saldivar after documents surfaced that indicated that Saldivar had formed a business relationship with the infamous William Danny Mason. Today his fellow cabinet ministers were […]

Blackadore Caye Reviews Construction Plans
The Blackadore Investors group announced this morning that they are removing all overwater structures from the ecological resort plans they had planned to construct at Blackadore Caye. This morning the group held a Press Conference to discuss their change in plans. Public Relations Representative and Social Specialist for the group, Dionne Miranda says that their […]

Senator Hulse Says Seismic Testing Is Nothing But Part of a Study
At Cabinet’s meeting today, the topic of Government’s recent decision to suspend the seismic testing was discussed. Originally, Cabinet had given permission to a foreign company to conduct air gun seismic survey to collect data from Belize’s offshore area. That decision received heavy backlash, especially from the environmental community. A consultation was held after there […]

Consolidated Data on Crime and Youth Initiatives Launched
The Ministry of Home Affairs has launched the Belize Crime Observatory which is a consolidated database of local information. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Retired Colonel George Lovell said the Observatory will be very useful in data gathering especially for researchers and students. GEORGE LOVELL “There were three main objectives, we […]

BCG’s Daniel Arzu Jr Remains in Induced Coma Following Shooting Incident
24-year-old, Daniel Arzu Junior is in the Intensive Care Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City after being shot yesterday evening at around five o’clock on Neal’s Pen Road. He is in a critical condition and has been placed in an induced coma by his attending physicians. Arzu is the son of […]

Southside Cops Investigate Rape of 16-Year-Old Girl
A teenaged girl was raped last night in Belize City. The girl told Police that the man forcefully entered her home. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, who commands the Eastern Division South Police, tells us what happened and how the police are handling the case. CHESTER WILLIAMS “Last night sometime around 11pm there about […]

Dr Zab Leaves Advisory Post for the Progressive Party BPP
In April of this year, the Belize Progressive Party announced that well known educator, author and economist, Dr. Louis Zabaneh had joined its ranks. Today Zabaneh issued a notice to say he has resigned as advisor to the executive of the BPP. Zabaneh expressed his gratitude to the Party for inviting him to share his […]

Aragon Ready and Willing to Lead the Police Department
After Gaspar Vega’s resignation from Cabinet, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was forced to reshuffle his cabinet once more. In his reshuffling, Minister Elodio Aragon Junior was given the portfolio of Police or Home Affairs. Before becoming a politician, Minister Aragon was a career police officer and initially it was expected that he would have been […]

Where is the CABEI Loan for Caye Caulker Police Barracks?
Those challenges that Police Minister Elodio Aragon is speaking of are also faced by police officers. Since last year, we have been reporting on the deplorable state of the police barracks at Caye Caulker. In an interview back in June 2015, the then Police Minister, John Saldivar told the media that a CABEI loan had […]

Senator Hulse Commits to Growing the Agriculture Sector
Godwin Hulse is one of the Cabinet Minister with the most responsibilities. He is the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development and Immigration. Following last week’s cabinet reshuffle, he was also given the portfolio of Agriculture. According to Hulse, he plans to grow the sector. GODWIN HULSE ” Minister Hulse had the […]

Amandala

Coast Guard officer claims attack by 2 homosexuals
Two men have found themselves at the center of a very unusual but troubling police report after they allegedly attempted to rape another man. ASP Juanito Cocom, in a police press conference held today by Ladyville police, told the media as follows: “This morning at about12:30 a.m., Ranold Deon Hernandez, 24 years, Belizean Coast Guard of Palmar Road, Orange Walk District, arrived at the Ladyville Police Station in a grey Toyota Hilux. Upon his arrival, it was noted that he was covered in blood. He stated that he was socializing with two persons at a residence on Perez Road when he was sexually accosted by the two men. “He claims that they attempted to rape him and that he fought them off. “Shortly thereafter, a person arrived at the station bringing two male persons bleeding profusely.”

Chief Pharmacist, Sharon Anderson, awarded $5,000
Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith handed down a ruling in a defamation claim brought by the government’s Chief Pharmacist, Sharon Anderson, against former Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health Dr. Peter Allen for remarks that were made at a Ministry of Health press conference on May 9, 2014, that the court found were malicious. Justice Griffith promised that the written judgment will be ready in a few weeks. Anderson, represented by attorney Herbert Panton, was awarded damages of $5,000. Anderson’s claim, however, was for $20,000 in damages. In the first quarter of 2014, the CEO in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Allen, came under pressure from the Public Service Union for the appointment of Minister Erwin Contreras’ daughter, Danini Contreras, to the post of Director of Drug Inspectorate, a post for which she was not seen to be academically qualified; neither did she have the working experience to fill the post.

Cyclist Marlon Castillo sentenced to pay $13,000
Today was set as the mitigation and sentencing day for cyclist Marlon Castillo, who has been indicted, on manslaughter by negligence charge, but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of causing death by careless conduct in respect of the road traffic accident in May 2011 that caused the death of his childhood friend, Ariel Rosado. On Monday, October 17, the court accepted Castillo’s guilty plea. Rosado’s father and mother, Dr. Alvaro Rosado and Dr. Dorla Rosado, were in the Supreme Court of Justice Adolph Lucas. Dr. Dorla Rosado entered a mitigation plea on behalf of Castillo, telling the court, “My family and I are surprised that we were not informed of the trial for this matter and even more surprised that we were not asked to support the mitigation plea for leniency.”

Coast Guard officer shot in head
A Belize Coast Guard officer, Daniel Arzu, 28, is in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) fighting for his life after he was shot once in the head with a 9mm pistol. The bullet pierced his right temple and cracked a portion of his skull as it exited his head. Arzu was reportedly at home in an apartment complex on Neal Pen Road at the time of the shooting, sometime before 5 p.m. today, Monday. He was immediately rushed to the KHMH, where relatives and friends are fervently hoping for his recovery, despite a grim prognosis.

Belize upgrades banking to expedite payments
As of 8:30 this morning, commercial banks in Belize began to operate the newly launched Automated Payment and Securities Settlement System (APSSS or APS3 for short), which means that customers are now able to send funds instantly from their commercial bank to an unrelated commercial bank, cutting back on the waiting period that could span as many as 7 days. Sheree Smiling-Craig, Director of Project Management at the Central Bank of Belize, the officer with responsibility for the National Payment System Project, said at the formal launch held at the Central Bank’s conference room this morning that the system is safe and reliable, and it will mean faster payroll processing as well as new business opportunities for banks. Central Bank Governor, Joy Grant, said that millions of dollars have been invested in equipment, as well as staff time. “But to echo what the chairman said, it’s not a choice,” she added.

Speaker Peyrefitte apologizes to UNIBAM’s Orozco
“If you can take a six inch **** in your *** then you can take this song in your soul,” was posted from the Facebook account belonging to House Speaker, Michael Peyrefitte, on Saturday. The song to which he referred is Buju Banton’s controversial, “Boom Bye Bye,” which calls for the murder of homosexuals. Caleb Orozco, Executive Director of the United Belize Advocacy Movement, immediately responded to Peyrefitte’s post via Facebook. “Boom Bye Bye is not a damn song to relax to, it is a song to amplify violence,” he said.

No change in standings at PLB Week 11, Bandits still on top
With FC Belize resting this past weekend, after losing by default the previous weekend to Belmopan Bandits, the standings order remained the same following 4 more games this past weekend in Week 11 of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Opening Season 2016-2017. On Saturday night in Independence, it was home standing Placencia Assassins with the 4-1 win over Orange Walk FC, courtesy of goals by Justin Linarez (20’), Ashton Torres (34’), Dion Moguel (43’) and Dellon Torres (79’); while Brazilian Joao Silva (59’ PK) got the sole tally for Orange Walk FC from the penalty spot. On Sunday, Belmopan Bandits visited the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio, and kept their undefeated record intact, as they dropped Police United, 2-1. Police’s own goal by Amin August (22’) proved the difference, as Devon Makin (31’) also scored for Police to even the score, but Jairo Roches (52’) got the game winner for the Bandits.

CSSSA volleyball competition will be knockout, should start this Tuesday
According to a release yesterday from Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) president, Deon Sutherland, the CSSSA 2016-2017 volleyball tournament will have to be a knockout competition, “due to the strike, and not having a venue to play, (which) has greatly delayed our start.” “We have still not confirmed the venue(s) for the games, but know it will be SJC or Stars Gym (Lupita Quan Gym) or both. However, we will confirm on Monday.” Up to press time, we have received no further confirmation, but he had provided the knockout tournament schedule, which runs from Tuesday to Friday of this week as follows (F = female; M = male):

Three weeks remain in regular season of SSBA Basketball Tournament
On Friday night, all three games were postponed due to inclement weather in San Ignacio Town. Two of these games are scheduled for this Friday on Court B, if the backboard is fixed by Friday. On Saturday night, Western Queens avenged their loss against Lady Warriors, narrowly edging them, 46-42, in the female division. Jessica Prom had the game high with 21 pts, while Amanda Aguirre and Jenieve Reynolds netted 13 and 9 pts, respectively. Lady Warriors was led by Glenda Torres who scored 19 pts and Sheryn Nunez, who sank 10 pts. In game 2, Benque Power defeated Sergeant Peppers in the Under 23 category, 63-49. Charles Ponce was the top scorer for Benque Power with 20 pts, while Orel Neal and Anfernee Young scored 10 pts each, and Raheem Crawford netted 9 pts.

Farewell, my teammate and friend, Michael Young
Funeral services were held this afternoon at Wesley Church for my one-time high school track & field teammate and lifelong friend, Michael Young, who became a distinguished lawyer and executive of the UDP. The latter did not matter to our friendship, whenever we chanced to meet, which was not often in the different roads we travelled. Floored, devastated, shocked, shattered, dumbfounded, heartbroken, are some of the words that come to mind to describe my feeling on receiving the news last Tuesday. On the SJC track & field team of the Class of 1970, myself and Michael were teammate/rivals (he beat me in the sprints, and I clipped him in the long and triple jumps). From my family, our deepest condolences to his wife, Denise, and all the rest of his family.

Editorial: The October of our discontent
We think the administrations of Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, have never been more unpopular with the people of Belize, than they are this Monday morning, October 24, of 2016. Belize does not have the regular professional polling of the electorate that they have in the United States, say, but we believe that significant discontent amongst Belizeans at large exists. Not only that, the indications are that there is pushing and wrangling at the highest levels of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Cabinet. Before we proceed, we should say, once again, that the results of the March 2012 general elections, which saw the Opposition People’s United Party come within 65 votes of taking national power, remain surprising, mysterious even, to us. The PUP had experienced major leadership turmoil just four months before those general elections, and the ruling UDP were expected to win comfortably, if not easily. The results of the 2012 general elections, it may now be said, fooled the power brokers of the PUP into thinking that the palace (as opposed to popular) leadership of Francis Fonseca, known to be eminently loyal to Said Musa and Francis’ first cousin, Ralph Fonseca, was a viable one.

From the Publisher
When I was about 12 or 13 years old, growing up in Belize, British Honduras, before Hurricane Hattie overturned things in 1961, I began to feel, through reading, a relationship with the Plains Indians of North America. I began to admire Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, Geronimo of the Apache, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse of the Sioux, and the way of life of their people. I was a practicing Christian (Roman Catholic) at the time, and the various Indian tribes in North America were definitely not Christians. It was the Europeans who entered/invaded North America and commenced to slaughter the said Indians, steal their lands, and imprison them on so-called reservations, it was those Europeans who professed various forms of Christianity. I did not know much about the religions of the Plains Indians, and I guess I still don’t, but I understood their primary religious focus to be the land, the creeks and rivers, the plant and animal life, the mountains and valleys, the sun and the moon and the stars and the skies – planet earth overall, and a supernatural Great Spirit. The Indians did not know of Jesus Christ before the Europeans came. They lived a communal lifestyle, however, which just happened to be quite similar to that which Jesus and his fisherman Apostles had lived in Judea.

Speaker Peyrefitte uses Attorney General’s own law firm to sue her
House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte is making an effort to discredit the Auditor General, Dorothy Bradley, and possibly block or delay the investigations by the Senate Select Committee, which is scheduled to commence its hearings on November 9, In a special audit, done by the Auditor General, into the Passport, Visa and Nationality Departments for the period 2011-2013, Peyrefitte was named. According to the audit, he was not authorized to sign as a recommender on a passport issued to William Lindo. On Thursday, he filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General, Minister Senator Vanessa Retreage, and the Auditor General, Dorothy Bradley.

Breaking Belize News

Cocaine found in San Pedro
This morning around 10:50 a.m., acting on intelligence received, a joint team of Special Branch personnel, Crime Investigation Branch (CIB) and Quick Response Team (QRT) intercepted a knapsack that was on the Thunderbolt boat travelling from Corozal town to San Pedro. In the knapsack, […]

Belize and the state of Louisiana celebrate 20 years of state partnership
The Ministry of Defense sent out a release today informing the public that Belize and the State of Louisiana will celebrate their 20th Anniversary of State Partnership on the November 1 at Price Barracks, Ladyville. There will be an Official Parade at 4:00 p.m. […]

San Jose villagers call on GOB to fix roads
The villagers of the San Jose community located in the Toledo District are pleading to the Government of Belize to assist in repairs of the road in the area. According to Dennis Cal, a resident, the road from San Jose to Punta Gorda Town has […]

Belmopan Police find over 300 grams of cannabis
A search of an abandoned lot in the Hattieville area of Roaring Creek village in the Cayo District netted over 300 grams of cannabis. According to police report, this discovery was made yesterday evening by the Belmopan Police Quick Response team. No one was […]

Little girl raped in southside Belize City
A 16-year-old girl was raped on the south side of Belize City after 11 O’clock last night. Police are still searching for the accused rapist. According to ACP Chester Williams, the minor was home alone at the time of the incident when a man […]

San Pedro woman found dead; no foul play suspected
Elijah Kelly, 30, was found dead by San Pedro Police sometime around 2 this morning. According to police, she was found in the middle of a street in the San Pablo area of the i