June 9, 2017

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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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Police Report: Drug Trafficking
On 05.06.17 around 8:30PM, The Belize Coast Guard reported that around 7:30PM they were conducting patrols in the lagoon area west of San Pedro Town, when their attention was drawn to a small vessel coming from a channel in the area. The strobe lights of the Coast Guard boat were then turned on to signal the vessel to stop, but instead it took off. They pursued the vessel until it came to a stop at a canal. In the boat was 28-year-old fisherman Jaime Young of Tarpon Street, San Pedro Town. A search of a knapsack he was carrying led to the discovery of two transparent plastic bags which contained 2.9 grams of cocaine. He was escorted to the San Pedro Police Station where he was charged for Drug Trafficking.

Belikin National 8-Ball Pool Tournament tips off this weekend
The 2017 Belikin National 8-Ball pool tournament is set to start this Friday, June 9th with the first games held at Cholos Bar by the beach. Eight teams have signed up for the competition, which will last for seven consecutive weekends. The different teams competing are: One Shot One Kill, Rack Dawgs, Team Amigos, Legends, Barrel Bar, Jade Bar, Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars, and Caye Caulker. Four games are scheduled for this weekend, beginning on Friday and lasting through Saturday. The first round of matches will be at 6PM and the second at 8PM.

Wild animals should not be pets; captive Margay rescued and turned in to Saga
The Saga Humane Society is concerned about the increasing number of exotic animals being held as domestic pets. On Thursday, June 1st, local business owner Tammy Lemus purchased a baby Margay cat, which was in the possession of young children, and turned it in to Saga for veterinary treatment and delivery to the proper wildlife authorities. The baby Margay had a collar tightly around its neck, which Veterinarian Assistant Ingrid Lima safely removed. Lima indicated that the cat would not have survived in captivity, as Margays are vulnerable to humans. Lima then administered vital fluids, and fed the hungry kitten before making arrangements to send it to the Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic (BWRC) on the mainland.

Ambergris Today

University Of Belize Launches Five New Programs
The University of Belize (UB) as the National University recognizes the need to increase its program offerings to students and will be launching five new programs. These programs were approved by the Board of Trustees of UB chaired by Mr. Harrison Pilgrim at its last Board Meeting on 5th June, 2017. These programs will address key areas in Belize's national economic development through the development of our Human Capital. Applications are now being accepted for the new programs that will be starting in August 2017.

Costa Maya Festival Is BACK With Alison Hinds And La Sonora Dinamita!
The San Pedro International Costa Maya Festival is back for its 2017 edition after being absent last year due to its cancellation after Hurricane Earl struck Belize in August. And just when everybody was starting, the festival committee steps up to announce the participation of Soca Queen Alison Hinds and Sonora Dinamita as featured entertainers. Costa Maya Festival 2017 has been set to take place from August 3 to August 6 with four days of high-powered entertainment. The Costa Maya Pageant will once again kick off the festival on Thursday, August 3, with the participation of eight beautiful and exotic delegates from the Mundo Maya countries and around the region. (Click Here for Delegates Announcement)

Misc Belizean Sources

Maya site being destroyed in Louisville, Corozal
Looting and destruction of our cultural heritage is still a very present threat in Belize. We are currently following such a situation in Louisville, Corozal, where a site of the same name is being destroyed. From what we can gather, the destruction is for the removal of cut limestone blocks from the structures for resale to people in the area. The vandals are known to go around stealing black soil as well as limestone blocks from other areas in this region. As a result, (as seen in the pictures), a large mound was destroyed, including one that had a red plastered wall. Everytime our institution makes a visit the destruction has grown. We implore the public, especially those in the Louisville, San Narciso and San Roman areas, to be wary of who you are buying black soil and limestone from. If you notice cut stone blocks, please call the Institute of Archaeology at 822-2106 or the police, as they are contributing to the destruction of ancient monuments in your area. Please help us preserve our cultural heritage, not for us, but for the future generations of Belize, so we can be proud of the long history our country has.

Over 40 football tournament comes to San Pedro
Lake I FC vs San Pedro VFC this Saturday, June 10 at Ambergris Stadium 7:00 pm. Please come and support your local team !!

Launch of Children’s Agenda 2017-2030
“If we don’t stand up for children… then we don’t stand up for much” – Marian W. Edelman. This quote reflects the continued commitment of the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) to creating a Belize where children and adolescents can grow, play, be safe, participate and become productive citizens. Thus, the bi-partisan signing of the new Children’s Agenda 2017 – 2030 on May 15th was among the final steps leading up to today’s official launch. NCFC realizes that LIFE is a right of every child, not a special privilege for some. Hence, this 8th day of June 2017 is living testament to Belize’s commitment to the realization of international instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of a Child (CRC) and the advancement of all children regardless of their age, ethnicity, religion, and gender. This new agenda is a result framework that looks at the development of children and adolescents aged 0-19 over the next fourteen (14) years.

World Accreditation Day 2017
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce hereby informs the general public that World Accreditation Day (WAD) will be internationally observed on Friday, June 9, 2017 under the theme "DELIVERING CONFIDENCE IN CONSTRUCTION AND THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT". This year's theme highlights that Standards and accredited conformity assessment are market-based tools that can be used in the construction sector to cover construction products and materials, building techniques and practices, onsite Health and Safety, environmental impact, to even the use of digital technology in smart buildings. The construction sector is complex and highly competitive, and provides challenges for companies seeking to improve margins, and reduce costs while improving build quality and ensuring a safe environment on site. Accreditation supports the construction sector to control risk, help drive efficiency, demonstrate regulatory compliance and provide supply chain confidence.

Full Moon Concert June 14 in San Pedro
All the way from CUBA - Top Female Band MORENA SON will be performing live for FREE at the San Pedro House of Culture! Starting at 7:00 p.m. Come check them out! Brought to you by the San Pedro Town Council, the San Pedro Cultural Committee, the Cuban Embassy jointly with the San Pedro House of Culture.

Termites project going full speed at Caves Branch
Very intense, alot of findings. The hardest thing in identifying termites is that you have to find soldiers and be able to see the details of their heads- hairs, mandibles,,etc.. Marvin and David, and Don Luis are everyday in the field working with the termites experts:

Verification of Fuel Pumps 2017
Remember to look for our verification sticker on the fuel pump; this is proof that the pump has been verified and is accurately dispensing fuel.

WE ARE SHAKEN - I AM NOT MISTAKEN!
I kept glancing over our Corozal Bay this morning and really appreciating the beauty in it and our majestic Cerros Archaeological site towering as its backdrop, where once our Mayan ancestors thrived to live in peace and harmony. These were great times you know. How beautiful that must have been. No crime, no corruption, no hate, no liars, no prejudice, no greed and no violence. We can only imagine. So I am thinking deeply and trying to come up with answers and I couldn't, therefore, it makes it harder for me to say what I wanted to say yesterday, making it harder for me to write this article before I set to do my real work...(ehmm) I have been away from it for an entire week, short of a day.

Family members of 32 year old Zeidy Orosco and 41 year old Baltazar Lopez laying their loved ones to rest
Only minutes ago the bodies of the couple were transported to the Corozal old cemetary immediately after the post mortem was concluded. Police are yet to release the results of that examination.

Let's Hear it for the Girls' Jazz Fest 2017
Changes to this event. We have scrapped the dinner segment...food will be available by order. Concert 7PM - 10PM with Dawn Drake & Zapote, LaTosha Love, Rhojani Perriott, Giselle O'Brien & Jael August - $20.00 Dance with Morena Son from Cuba - 10:30PM - midnight - $20.00 Come on out and enjoy an ALL FEMALE night of entertainment

New conservation post in Chiquibul begins construction
Mobilization of materials has begun for construction of the new conservation post. This is made possible through the Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative supported by the Government of Belize

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
The Shack, The Fate of the Furious, Spark: A Space Tail, The Belko Experiment

Channel 7

In The Aftermath Of A Double Murder, Pain, Loss, Incomprehension…
It's been a very difficult week for the Corozal families of Zeidy Orosco and Balthazar Lopez. The couple went missing last week Thursday night, and for days, their families were out searching frantically. That's until yesterday afternoon, when their decomposing bodies were found in an area near the Consejo Shores dump site. It's the tragic end that they were hoping would not come to pass, and, when it did, they were still unable to bury their loved-ones. Police wanted to perform an on-site post-mortem, but they couldn't do it yesterday. So, it didn't happen until early this morning, after which the police finally released the bodies to the family, for hurried funeral arrangements.

Francesca’s Family Wants Answers From FIU
Last night you heard a portion of our exclusive phone interview with the family of Canadian Fransesca Matus. The relative we spoke to yesterday says he didn't know of any problems or trouble Matus or her boyfriend Drew Devoursey might have been in, and the family doesn't believe Matus' tenant, John Dehais, was involved in the double murder. But the family still has so many questions and concerns in this case - questions they say the Corozal police are not answering. The family in Canada is gripped by helplessness, grief and frustration; they want justice for their loved one and they feel the police are working too slowly. Here is part 2 of the interview where the relative - who asked not to disclose his identity - describes the difficulty he has had getting answers form the Corozal police.

Two Years In Jail For “Corrupt” Police Ballistics Expert
He was found guilty of abetment to pervert the course of Justice, and, today, Orlando Vera, the former deputy head of the National Forensic Science Services, was sentenced to 2 years in prison. It's a thunderous fall from grace for a senior member of the security services, and, today, Vera admitted to the Chief Magistrate that he did wrong, but said it was only in words, not in deeds. Vera - who is a police officer trained in ballistics examination - came out of a week on remand for his sentencing hearing, where where Chief Magistrate Anne-Marie Smith heard mitigation pleas from Vera, his attorney, Anthony Sylvestre and 3 character witnesses, including 2 employees of National Forensic Science Services.

Could Harvest Caye Be Contributing To Spike In Placencia area Manatee Deaths?
The Southern Environmental Association is reporting tonight that a manatee was killed in the Placencia Lagoon, and they believe that the increased traffic in the area is putting the endangered mammals at risk. SEA reports that they received a report yesterday morning of a dead manatee drifting in the Placencia Lagoon, near Malacate Beach. Their quick response team were dispatched, and their investigations have revealed that the manatee was hit by a catamaran named Lady Lisa on Tuesday evening. The catamaran's workers allegedly towed the manatee to a marina located on Norwegian Cruise Line's Harvest Caye.

Stacks Of Contraband At Garrido In Guinea Grass
Contraband continues to flow through the norther where there are dozens of illegal border crossings and secret landing areas. Today, Customs raided Leonardo Garrido's home in Guinea Grass village which seemed to be a kind of storehouse. They found 43 cases of assorted beers,15 sacks of flour, and 10 cases of soft drinks. The items were confiscated and the two persons in the home, Garrido and Sima Yamili were held responsible. The fine arising from all that contraband is 27 thousand dollars. This afternoon another man named Guadalupe Flores walked into the customs office in Orange Walk and said he would take full responsibility - but could not pay the fine.

He Took Tomza For All Its Cash
You all will remember the Ladyville gas station jackings - the most recent being the mid May Puma Gas station robbery. Well another gas station was targeted, this time it was Gas Tomza at 1 ½ miles on the Western Highway - which sells LPG or butane. On Tuesday night, at around 8:40, Salvadoran gas attendant Irvin Carranza was inside the office when a man with a knife slipped in and demanded money. Fearing for his life, Carranza handed over $3,600 in the day's sales along with a cell phone. The robber then rode off on his bicycle down the George Price Highway towards the Fabers Road junction. Police continue to investigate this gas station theft.

Teenaged Burglars Caught Hiding Out In Roof Of Gacho Shack
Today, 18-year-old Adrian Sanchez and a 16-year old were charged with burglary in the Magistrate's Court. Sanchez and his accomplice were caught breaking into Lopez Fast Food Shop on Albert Street last night. The duo were seen breaking through the roof of the restaurant, and passersby reported them to the police. When they arrived, the cops found them hiding in an attic like area under the roof. In court today, both of the accused pled not guilty to the charge. The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that Sanchez and the 16-year-old were caught red handed, and that if released they might interfere with the witnesses. Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith upheld the objection and remanded the duo into custody until July.

Government Can’t Pay/Won’t Pay Ashcroft Alliance’s Funding And Legal Costs
As we've been reporting, the Government of Belize says it won't pay the "funding and legal costs" put forward by the Ashcroft Alliance to settle the BTL acquisition. Those costs should come out of the 60% of the total award, which is the amount arising from the Accommodation Agreement. It's about 200 million Belize dollars, but so is the final bill from the Ashcroft Alliance! And today the Financial secretary told the media, that they just can't pay it:... Joe Waight, Financial Secretary - GOB: "The claim for their cost is about 95 million US dollars, leaving about 5 million dollars or so left. We are going to challenge that." Jules Vasquez, 7News: "At the end of the day this figure they are claiming is in US dollars. 95 million is a quarter of the reserves or a third of the reserve roughly. We can't pay that." Joe Waight, Financial Secretary - GOB: "We can't pay and even the order to pay, we can't pay. Let's not jump the gun. Let's see how the process runs."

Injunction Blocking Enforcement of Ashcroft Alliance Judgement Lifted
In other news relating to government's many legal battles with the Ashcroft Alliance…. For months we've been reporting on the injunction taken out by the government of Belize to block the Ashcroft Alliance from collection of a US court judgment for 50 plus million US dollars. Well, LOVE FM reports that Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin has lifted that injunction - which means the Alliance can move for enforcement. But today, The Financial Secretary put on a brave face and said there are still many more battles ahead to settle that case:...

One Nation, One Drivers’ License
We met the Financial Secretary at an event today where he was representing the Prime Minister. It's the signing of a memorandum of understanding for the Belize Motor Vehicle Registration and License System - a project funded by Taiwanese, which could significantly change how your driver's license looks. We found out about the plan to standardize licenses and vehicle registration: Mike Singh - Chief Technology Officer: "We have small municipalities that are running with the complete license system that include, drivers licenses, vehicle licenses, and there is no central connection between all of them and then you have some municipalities that might have more resources than others. So, Belize City might be able to have a system that works better than say Benque Viejo or Independence.

An Agenda For Tomorrow’s Children
Where will Belize be in 2030? There are so many possible answers that pop up, but the National Committee for Families and Children believes that 13 years from now, Belize will be one of the best places to raise a child. That is the main vision for this year's Children's Agenda. It was launched today at the Biltmore and Executive Director Margaret Nicholas discussed the agenda's goals. Margaret Nicholas, Executive Director, NCFC: "We are launching the Children's Agenda for the next 14 years this agenda is from 2017 to 2030 and what is in the agenda is the whole of Government's commitments to children and adolescent."

Anglican Bishop Explains The Minority Position
Two nights ago, we told you how the Church State Commission on Public Morality has hit a major snag after two Bishops withdrew from the commission. President of the Council of Churches, Bishop Roosevelt Papouloute, and the head of the Anglican Church, Bishop Phillip Wright, have withdrawn. Yesterday, Bishop Wright told the media why they felt they had to: Bishop Phillip Wright, Bishop - Anglican Church: "Both bishop Papouloute and I, well during the meetings and the minutes would record it as well, we were constantly being recorded as, for lack of better word, a minority voice. But I think we both came to a position where we felt that in order to properly represent our understanding of some of the concepts we were dealing with as well as how to state some of these concepts, that we would step back and formulate a report on our own.

The Fight In The FFB is Fierce
The jostling continues in the Football Federation of Belize, where tonight, Sergio Chuc and Cruz Gamez remain banned from running for President. That's the decision taken yesterday by the FFB Electoral Appeals Committee. Now, both men had gotten an attorney to write to the FFB pleading their case, and both had also been cleared by the FFB's Disciplinary Committee.

Port Honduras Marine Reserve, Where Every Day Is Oceans Day
Yesterday, in advance of World Oceans Day, The Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage took the media on a tour of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve to showcase some of the tourist attractions that demonstrate a harmonious co-existence with nature. Here's Alex Courtenay with the full story... Every year World Oceans Day is celebrated to honor our waters and marine life. It serves as a reminder of the importance of the conservation of our oceans, which many communities throughout the world, and in Belize especially, rely so heavily on.

BELTRAIDE and CITCO - Making Entrepreneurship Easier
One of BELTRAIDE's latest initiatives is teaming up with the Belize City Council in enhancing entrepreneurial opportunities for residents. Today they both signed a Memorandum of Cooperation at the BTEC office. Now how does business and the work of the City Council merge? Well the General Manager of Enterprise and Innovation at Beltraide along with Mayor Bradley explained.

Mayor Bradley’s “Bromance” With Chester
And, today, the Mayor also made it clear that he is a very big fan of ACP Chester Williams - so much so that if Williams ever needs a letter of recommendation, he knows who to call. Mayor Bradley says he's crestfallen that Chester is saying "Ciao" to Belize City:

Channel 5

Zeidy Orozco and Balthazar Lopez Laid to Rest; Family Says Thanks
Family and friends of Zeidy Orosco and Balthazar Lopez were emotional with grief today as the couple was laid to rest in Corozal Town.  The outpouring of support for the [...]

US $95 Million More for Dunkeld? G.O.B. Says No Way
There is another round of costly litigation coming our way, and once again it has to do with Belize Telemedia Limited.  The Government of Belize paid half of the settlement [...]...

Government Plans C.C.J. Fight; Hopes for ‘Magic’
Without a doubt the matter will be going to the CCJ, which FinSec Joseph Waight says is provided for under the settlement agreement signed in Miami, Florida in 2015 between [...]...

U.S. Court Refuses UHS Hearing; Belize Injunction Lifted
According to a U.S. court decision, the eighteen-point-five million U.S.-dollar arbitral award for the Belize Bank Limited against the Government will not be reconsidered. It leaves only an injunction granted [...]...

Roosevelt Papouloute Admits ‘Huge Theological Differences’ at Church-State Commission
A rift in the membership of the Church-State Commission will result in separate reports being presented to the Government of Belize.  The Commission was formed in the wake of the [...]...

Church Leader Says There is Still Hope
Reverend Papouloute expects that the report of the Council of Churches will be produced once all its executive members are together in a few weeks’ time. But despite the separate [...]...

Anglicans Thought Dialogue Was Needed After Section 53 Decision
A partial appeal of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin’s historic decision on Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code of Belize is set for hearing at the Belize Court of Appeal. However, [...]...

D.P.P. Details Why Battered Wife Could Not Be Charged with Murder
Within twenty-four hours after she was charged with the murder of her husband, Deshawm Ramirez was set free of the charge. The Seine Bight couple had a tumultuous marriage known [...]...

Forensic Examiner Orlando Vera Gets Two Years for Perverting Justice
A ballistics examiner employed with the National Forensic Science Service is serving a two-year sentence at the Belize Central Prison after being found guilty last Thursday of abetment to pervert [...]...

Louisville, Corozal, Maya Site Targeted by Soil and Block Thieves
On the heels of damages done to a Mayan mound in San Pedro, tonight there is another disturbing report from the Institute of Archaeology that another Maya monument, this time [...]...

Robber Hits Gas Tomza Depot
There was an armed robbery in Belize City on Tuesday night, involving an employee of Gas Tomza Ltd.  Twenty-four-year-old Irvin Carranza, a Salvadoran national, was at work a fuel depot [...]...

Audubon Wants to Come Back to Crooked Tree
Last month a fire was set that wiped out the Belize Audubon Society’s Education Center in Crooked Tree. Someone deliberately set the structure on fire just hours before the village [...]...

Why Was Alleged Bribery Attempt Not Investigated?
As we told you on Wednesday, Paul Ku got a Belizean passport with the approval of then-Immigration Director Ruth Meighan and then-Minister Carlos Perdomo, despite issues with his application flagged [...]...

Testy Exchange as Perdomo Goes after Lizarraga
The hearing concluded with some fireworks, as Business Senator Mark Lizarraga pressed the former Minister on a particular application for one Mohamed Mohamed Khalil Owemer, a Saudi/Palestinian national who applied [...]...

Churches Tell Senate Punish the Guilty
Senator for the Churches, Ashley Rocke, has told News Five that he believes he has seen enough of the public testimony for the Senate Special Select Committee. He also opined [...]...

Belize Makes Plans for Nationwide Drivers’ License System
Driving in Belize can sometimes be a hassle, considering that each municipality and the Department of Transport have its own system for licensing and any cooperation is informal at best. [...]...

A National Agenda for our Children
The Children’s Agenda 2017-2030 was launched today, but signed on May fifteenth between the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition.  The document is a road map that outlines [...]...

Celebrating World Oceans Day in Toledo
Today across the world was observed World Oceans Day. It is a day set aside to highlight the importance of oceans and the need to protect and preserve the natural [...]...

Healthy Living Beats the Summer Heat
The heat has been very intense over the past few weeks and it is only the beginning of summer. You’ve heard the message countless times about staying hydrated and out [...]...

CTV3

PSU Confirms President Suspension
Some weeks ago PSU president Eldred Neal, was under much public scrutiny when he was caught making prejudiced remarks about the Garinagu community on a leaked recording. Following that scandal nine of the 15 members of his council of management asked him to resign, but Neal would not go down without a fight. Viewers may remember that on Friday May 19th it was stimulated that the PSU Council of Management had voted to suspend Neal, but he apparently did not attend that meeting, and maintained that he would fight it on the grounds of natural justice.

Belize Insitute Of Archeaology Investigates Looting Of Maya Mount In Corozal
The Belize Institute of Archeology is currently investigating yet another case of looting of a local heritage site here in the north of Belize. In a statement issued by the department “Looting and destruction of our cultural heritage is still a very present threat in Belize. We are currently following such a situation in Louisville, Corozal, where a site of the same name is being destroyed.” According to the release further states quote “the destruction is for the removal of cut limestone blocks from the structures for resale to people in the area. The vandals are known to go around stealing black soil as well as limestone blocks from other areas in this region. As a result, (as seen in the pictures), a large mound was destroyed, including one that had a red plastered wall. Every time our institution makes a visit the destruction has grown.” End quote

Male Dead Body Found In O/W, Foul Play Not Suspected
The news that a dead body was found in Trial Farm spread like wild fire through Orange Walk Town this morning. Just before 8:00am news reached our newsroom that the body of a man was found motionless outside a local business located opposite to the San Martin Gas station in Trail Farm Village. Police were called out to the area and the body was later identified as that of 39 year old Osman Grajalez.

Opposition Leader Chides On PM For Rising Cost For BTL Settlement Agreement
On June 1st, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that the legal battles and mounting legal costs in relation to the disputes over the Barrow Administration’s 2015 settlement agreement with the Ashcroft Alliance over the Government’s takeover of Belize Telemedia Limited had not come to an end. Barrow confirmed reports that Ashcroft group was challenging the amount which the Government will be paying them as legal cost compensation and so the parties would head to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Today Opposition Leader Hon. John Briceno decried the heavy costing which the entire fiasco has been to the country.

Orange Walk Resident Murdered In Corozal
Even before Corozal Police can make any arrest for the double murder of Zeidy Orosco and Baltazar Lopez they have another murder to solve. Twenty one year old Brandon Lee Tessecum, an Orange Walk resident who had recently moved to Corozal Town was lay waited and executed sometime after eleven last night in the newly developed Dominguez layout in Corozal Town. Senior Superintendent Dennis Arnold – Commander Corozal Police Branch" “Last night some minutes the quite community of Dominguez layout resident called reporting that they heard shots in that area as a result well we had a police mobile on patrol that had just passed that area some fifteen or twenty minute before this resident reported a shot was fired in that area so the mobile turned back and upon turning back and reaching in that area they saw a male person lying face down in a pool of blood with apparent gunshot to the face...”

LOVE FM

Five Murders in Corozal for 2017
The disappearance of 32 year old Zeidy Orozco and 41 year old Baltazar Lopez has become a murder investigation after their bodies were found yesterday afternoon. Corozal police say that they were called around two in the afternoon after sanitation workers reportedly found the body. The discovery brought an end to almost an entire week […]

Ashcroft vs GoB: Greed, Power or Game of Chess?
Lord Michael Ashcroft has been a thorn in the side of the Belize Government since the Barrow administration took over but more particularly so, following the nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited. The court litigations have been numerous and the legal fees and interest rates have skyrocketed as Prime Minister Dean Barrow sought to fight the […]

No Escaping the UHS Guarantee Award to Belize Bank
No further consideration will be given by the US DC Circuit Court surrounding the UHS guarantee case brought about by the Said Musa administration. In this matter, the Musa Government had offered the then Universal Health Services to be their loan guarantor at the Belize Bank. The UHS defaulted on their loan and the Government, […]

Lifting of Injunction Is Just the Start of a Lengthy Process, Says FinSec
Yesterday we told you of the decision by Belize’s Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin rendered to lift the injunction that had prevented Michael Ashcroft from enforcing a court judgement against the Government of Belize. If that award is enforced and the Government is forced to pay it will put the country in quite a financial and […]

Bishop Wright to Submit Independent Report to Cabinet
Yesterday we told you of the withdrawal of the Anglican and Methodist Bishops from the Church State Commission. The work of the commission was set to be completed yesterday and it perhaps was despite the withdrawals. According to Bishop Philip Wright, he and Bishop Roosevelt Papaloutte would be submitting their own report on the issues. […]

Anglican Church Seeks Middle Ground on National Issues
On August 10, the Chief Justice ruled that Section 53 was unconstitutional as it deems it criminal for consenting adults to engage in sodomy or anal sex. Some churches had joined in an appeal effort which did not include the Anglican Church. According to the Anglican Bishop, Philip Wright, the church’s efforts continue despite not […]

A 3-Year Agenda Just For The Children
Today the National Committee for Families and Children, NCFC, in partnership with government agencies, political parties, and associated stakeholders, launched the Children’s Agenda 2017-2030. The Children’s Agenda focuses on five core principles; Children’s rights, family centered, equality and equity, accountability and resource efficiency, and evidence informed and outcomes focused. Executive Director for NCFC, Margaret Nicholas, […]

Taiwan Leads the Way for E-Governance in Belize
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed this morning that formalizes the collaboration between the Government of Belize and the Taiwan Embassy on a project called, Belize Motor Vehicle Registration and License System. This partnership is for four years and is focused on e-governance. Francisco Gonzalez is the Acting Director of the Central Information Technology Office […]

Centralizing Belize’s License and Registration Systems
As we reported earlier, the Government of Belize is looking to centralize license and registration system which would see the nine municipalities no longer issuing drivers licenses. A formal agreement was signed this morning in this regard between the Government and the Taiwan Embassy, which is funding the project with two point eight million US […]

Forensics’ Deputy Convicted and Sentenced for Perverting Course of Justice
Orlando Vera, the former deputy head of National Forensic Science Services, who was found guilty last week of abetment to pervert the course of Justice, was sentenced to two years today by the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Before she decided on the sentence, Chief Magistrate Smith heard pleas for mitigation from Vera, his attorney, […]

PlusTV

Jerson Carballo shot and killed
Another man has been killed in Belize City. 27-year-old Jerson Carballo was heading home early this morning when he was gunned down.. Sometime around 12:30 this morning, Carballo was on his bicycle at the corner of Electric and Lawrence Avenues, in Belize City, when several shots were fired at him. ...

Robert Carballo found dead with bullet to the head
The Carballo family has suffered another loss. Reports are that Roberto Carballo, the cousin of Jerson Carballo, was found dead in Orange Walk. Today Roberto’s motionless body was discovered with an apparent gunshot wound to his head. Details are still sketchy at this time and as soon as we have an...

7 year old girl abducted from San Pedro
A 7 year old girl from the island of San Pedro has been reported as abducted. The child’s mother, 32 year old Hade Anaide Chacon, who is a Belizean Prep Cook of San Mateo Area, San Pedro Town , told police that on Saturday 3rd June, at about 8:00 p.m, she dropped off her daughter, 7 year old Hamy ...

Allegations into sexual assault by senior police officers being investigated
Police would not confirm or deny that they are currently looking into allegations made against at least 4 police officers in the San Ignacio police formation. Reports to Plusnews are that two women police officers have alleged that the accused policemen have sexually harassed them. One of those wome...

BDF Football team players who are civilians paid soldier salaries?
A leaked document on salaries paid to the BDF in 2009 has caused even more questions regarding the use of National Defense funds for sporting purposes. A BDF recruit starting salary is somewhere around $900 dollars a month. Meanwhile football players who play for BDF, but were just civilians, appa...

Money Gram robbed at gunpoint
As we told you in yesterday’s newscast, Money Gram, located on the George Price Highway in Santa Elena, was robbed at gunpoint. 30-year-old Nely Jimenez, the cashier at Money Gram, reported to police that at approximately 2:10 p.m. on Monday afternoon, while she was at her work place, two men entere...

Eden Seventh Day Adventist School was burglarized
Eden Seventh Day Adventist School is the second school to be burglarized in the Cayo District within two weeks. The burglary happened sometime last night. Plusnews spoke with the Principal of Eden Adventist Primary School, Tharine Gabourel, who told us how she learnt of the unfortunate incident Thar...

Two persons missing; vehicle found burned in Corozal cane field
Another couple has been reported missing in Corozal and their vehicle found burnt in a cane field. 32-year-old Zeida Orosco of San Andres Village, Corozal District and her boyfriend 41-year-old Baltazar Lopez of Ranchito Village are the missing persons. According to reports, the couple was last seen...

Tragic boat accident leaves one woman dead
A tragic boat accident has left one woman dead. According to police reports, at approximately 5:00 a.m. on Thursday June 1, 44 year old Acita Flores, along with 8 other persons, left Sarteneja Village, Corozal in a white and blue 24 ft. skiff for a fun day to shop in Calderitas Village and Chetuma...

Elderly man found dead in the Belize River
There was another apparent drowning in the Belize River in the Orange Walk District. The search for 79-year-old Edwardo Landero has come to an end, after his body was found in the Belize River on Sunday. Landero was reported missing by his daughter, 33-year-old Myrna Ortega. Ortega told police that ...

Oscar Sabido’s sentence reduced from life to 21 years
On April 26, 2016, Oscar Sabido Jr. was convicted of the murder of Christie Currassco in the Orange Walk Session of the Supreme Court before Justice Herbert Lord. He was sentenced to life, but on appeal in March of this year, Sabido Jr. saw his old conviction squashed and replaced with a verdict of ...

Nedal McLaren freed of drug charge
56 year old Nedal Jihad Mclaren back in court today for possession of Marijuana but he was released of the charge of possession of a controlled drug in front of Chief magistrate Ann Marie. The well-known political and social activist was first charged in November of last year when cops say they fo...

Money Gram robbed at gunpoint
Unconfirmed reports reaching our news desk is that Money Gram located on the George Price Highway in Santa Elena was robbed earlier today. Reports are that two men entered the business establishment and held up the cashier at gunpoint and made good their escape with an undisclosed amount of money. ...

3 years plus $10,000 for sack of weed
38-year-old Ernie V. Zelaya, a taxi driver of Belize City, was arrested and charged for Drug Trafficking. On Saturday afternoon, police were conducting a check point in front of the Hattieville Police Station. They observed a grey car that was heading in the direction of Belize City, make a right tu...

The Guardian

GOB to defend 186 million dollar claim by Ashcroft
Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow has confirmed to the Guardian Newspaper that the government is preparing to defend a claim by the Ashcroft Alliance for 93 million US dollars in fees that have arisen out of the acquisition of BTL. The Prime Minister said that the fees that the Alliance is claiming are for legal, accounting and funding costs. A challenge will be filed against the claim within the next two weeks. In June of last year, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow announced that the government of Belize had reached a final settlement for the purchase of BTL. That price stood at 453.5 million dollars. 40 percent of this figure however was as a result of the actual value of BTL and the remaining 60 percent was as a result of the PUP’s Accommodation Agreement. At the time it seemed as if the matter was finally settled and there were arrangements made to pay for BTL which has since started.

Missing couple found in dump near Consejo in Corozal
Increasing worries about the whereabouts and the welfare of a couple from Corozal who were missing for almost a week turned to tragedy after their bodies were found. Sometime after 2:00p.m. search parties who have been looking for them for days , came up on the discovery near the dump site in the Consejo area of Corozal. 32 year-old Zeidy Orozco, a resident of San Andres Village, and 41 year-old Balthazar Lopez, a resident of Ranchito Village, were last seen on Thursday night, June 1. Orozco left her home in her Chevy Prism car to meet up with him at the Machies Pool Spot in Corozal Town. She left at around 8 p.m., and persons in Corozal town say that they saw her pick up Lopez, her boyfriend. They were later seen socializing near the Corozo Blues area.

Belize’s Denys Barrow now CCJ judge
Denys Barrow, a senior counsel who is well known and well respected in Belize and in the Caribbean, has been sworn in as a judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). He becomes the first Belizean jurist to be elevated to the highest court in the region. Denys, the younger brother of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, has been at the top of the legal profession for more than 20 years. He has been practicing law since 1977, and in 1990, he was elevated to the status of Senior Counsel, which was around the time that he went on to start his own law firm, Barrow and Company. He served as a High Court Judge in St. Lucia, Grenada, Belize, and the British Virgin Islands between 2001 and 2005. He was appointed as a Justice of Appeal for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court from 2005 to 2008. From 2010 to 2012, he served as a Justice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal in Belize.

Nude pictures cost Wesley student salutatorian recognition
All over the country, students are preparing to make their steps toward one of their milestones: graduation. Those probably even more excited are those that have received awards and other recognition for their four years of hard work. Unfortunately, the technical salutatorian of the 2017 graduating class of Wesley College High School will not get the opportunity to bask in her glory. Kiana Henkis, who received the second highest GPA for her graduating year, was stripped of her title as salutatorian. The ordeal took place in Henkis’s second term in her fourth year. What begun as, described by Henkis as, “youthful indiscretion” soon became one of the biggest mistakes and undoubtedly one with the most unfortunate consequences.

Carlos Perdomo’s appearance before the Senate proves PUP immigration hussle
Carlos Perdomo, the Cabinet Secretary, and a former Minister in charge of Immigration, went before the Senate Select Committee to testify as a witness. He went there to defend himself against allegations that he ordered the approval of a passport to an applicant who did not qualify for the document. That applicant was Paul Ku, who was given a passport even after the department learned that he was applying with fraudulent documents. In the Auditor General’s report on passport, the audit team disclosed their investigations into the passport which was given to the applicant Paul Ku. In May of 2011, he was accompanied to the Belize City Passport office by a naturalized Belizean, Rina Chiu Hsiang Lo, a justice of the peace who was trying her best to get him a passport.

Governor General welcomes 4 ambassadors to Belize
On June 5, at the Belize House, four ambassadors presented their letters of credence to the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young. The ambassadors included H.E. Mr. Daniel Chuburu of Argentina, H.E. Mohamed Chafiki of Morocco, H.E. Zurab Eristavi of Georgia and H.E. Mr. Jorge Roman Morey of Peru. Each ambassador expressed their desire for continued cooperation and strengthened ties between Belize and their respective countries. For his part, the Governor General thanked the ambassadors for their kind words and warmly welcomed them on behalf of the government and people of Belize.

Second leg of Honorable Aragon’s Country-wide Police Formations Tour
The second leg of the country-wide tour has taken the Honorable Aragon and the staff of the Ministry of Home Affairs to Corozal District. The first stop was at the Police Station in Corozal Town where a guard of honor was mounted by the Corozal Police formation Officers. The guard was inspected by Honorable Aragon and following that a meeting with the general staff was held at the Station’s conference hall. A candid discussion was carried out between the Ministry Staff and the Police Officers. Several issues were raised by the officers and addressed by the Minister and the Ministry’s personnel. It was a fruitful discussion and everyone left with a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

Hon Edmond Castro thanks missionary volunteers working in Belize District
Minister of National Emergency Management and Transport and Area Representative for Belize Rural North, Hon Edmond Castro, has congratulated and thanked a group of missionaries from the United States for the valuable work they have been doing over the past two weeks in communities throughout the Belize District. The group is from Rancho Cucamonga, California, and they have been doing volunteer work in Crooked Tree, Maskall and Santana (Zion Primary School) in Belize Rural North; as well as the Gunulung area of Belize City and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) where they delivered much need medical supplies.

Massive drain works in Santa Elena, Cayo
Mayor Earl Trapp and the San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town Council continue to work on a major drainage project in flood prone areas in Santa Elena Town in the Cayo District. Some eight masons have been committed to the project to take the drain from the concrete bottom to the street level, near the Santa Elena Sporting Complex. But the challenge has been in getting the muck out of the drain and this has slowed down the work at a time when the rainy season is now upon us. “I am sure that after this drain [is completed] it will work perfectly and the people now will be able to sleep in peace enjoying the rain drops on their roof and not worrying about water coming into their bedroom,” says Mayor Earl Trapp Junior.

Elsia Pop receives Diana Legacy Award at Saint James Palace in London, England
Meet an outstanding 17 year old youth: Elsia Pop. She lives in Bella Vista Village, a small village located in the Toledo District. Elsia is a scholar recipient of the Energy for Life Program which a BNE employee initiative that sponsors, tutors and mentors underprivileged youths to obtain a secondary school education. In 2015, because of her outstanding community service, Elsia was nominated and received the International Diana Award. This year Elsia was nominated for the Diana Legacy Award and she is one of 20 youths chosen from around the world who was honored with this Prestigious Award at a ceremony held in Saint James Palace, London, England on May 18, 2017. Elsia was presented with the award by Prince Harry and Prince William, the sons of Princess Diana.

PSE results are out!
The Ministry of Education has announced the results for the 2017 Primary School Examinations. This year’s top performer is Curt Smith from Bernice Yorke followed by Suamein Palacio from Belize Elementary School and Devyne Lopez from Punta Gorda Methodist. According to the ministry a total of 7,271 students registered to sit the exam while 7,077 actually sat them on April 3rd and May 2. Of the persons who took the exam 3,558 were male representing 49.8% while 3,585 or 50.2% were female. There were 121 less students taking the exam than last year. In math 37% of the students scored satisfactorily or better which is a 2% increase over last year’s scores. In Social Studies 31% scored in the excellent range which is a marked improvement from last year when only 21% scored in this range. The average score also went up from 63.7 to 68.1% having most students scoring in the excellent range in this subject.

Immigration Merry-go-Round
It would appear, at least listening to the media accounts that many, if not most Belizeans, were eagerly awaiting and then transfixed by the appearance of certain individuals at the Senate Select Committee on immigration matters during the period of 2011 – 2013. Two of these persons of particular interest were former minister of government Elvin Penner and alleged part whistleblower, part media hound Alvarine Burgess. Regretfully for anyone expecting a bombshell or two, they were sorely disappointed. Despite the strenuous and arduous efforts of PUP Senator Eamon Courtenay, neither witness produced anything new or anything that had not been previously circulated in the public domain. For starters, Elvin Penner simply proved the Prime Minister’s point from almost 4 years ago, that there is a difference between apparent or widely believed guilt and legal guilt.

Belize National Aids Commission receives regional testing day award
The Belize National AIDS Commission and Executive Director Enrique Romero were presented with the 10th Anniversary Regional Testing Day Innovative Outreach Award for their contribution to the Regional Testing Day on HIV initiative as it celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year. The award was given in recognition of the innovative approach that the NAC has taken to the promotion of Regional Testing Day in Belize. Thirty-three (33) awards were presented to organizations and individuals from across the Caribbean who have worked tirelessly over the last ten years in support of Regional Testing Day (RTD) activities. The milestone tenth Anniversary of Regional Testing Day for HIV AIDS in the Caribbean was also launched at this glittering event.

Peace Corps and Belize Ministry of Education Launch Collaboration to Further Early Child Literacy Initiative; Swear In Four Volunteers
Friday, June 2, four new Peace Corps Response Volunteers were sworn in as Literacy Intervention Specialists to officially begin their close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture in furthering the Ministry’s literacy goals. The Swearing In ceremony was held at the Peace Corps office in Belmopan with Ministry officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Peace Corps staff, host families and Response Volunteers in attendance. Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Mission, Adrienne Galanek, administered the Oath, as these four Volunteers officially joined the ranks of more than 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served in Belize since 1962.

Police officers rewarded for bravery and team work
On Thursday of last week five police officers from the Belmopan Police Formation were rewarded for their valiant efforts in recovering properties from the Ministry of Agriculture. These police officers, moving with great speed and precision, were able to recover a stolen 2016 Hilux and 4000 Euros, which also led to the arrest of the person who allegedly committed the crime. On hand to celebrate with the police were the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Agriculture Mr. Jose Alpuche (responsible for Pesticide Control Board from which items were stolen) and the Commissioner of Police Mr. Allen Whylie. The Police Department would like to thank Mr. John and Jonathan D’Silva of Bullfrog Inn for providing lunch for this occasion.

PSU President suspended
The PSU Council of Management in a special sitting on May 19th, 2017 suspended its President Mr. Eldred Neal for inflammatory statements made via an audio recording that went viral. This was in accordance with Section 18(2) of the Public Service Union Constitution Revised Edition 1993. The letter has stipulated that Mr. Neal does not conduct any business on behalf of PSU and he is to return the assets of the Union until such time that his suspension is lifted. Please be informed that Mr. Eldred Neal is not authorized to conduct any business for PSU in the capacity of President or until the Council decide otherwise. As such he cannot call membership meetings, however he can make a request through Council of Management to be given an audience at General Membership Meeting.

Saint John’s College Junior College now offers degree in music
The Saint John’s College Junior College has recently added a new music degree program to their curriculum. The program will be a full course just like any other major and will officially start in August 2017. The realization of the program at SJCJC came through their collaborative effort with another Jesuit institution. That institution is the Loyola University in New Orleans. The two schools began in 2015 and finally completed the developing of a brand new curriculum as well as a center dedicated to the music program. The music curriculum will prepare students to work or to pursue higher education.

Southwest: direct flight - Belize to Fort Lauderdale
Tourism continues to be an ever growing facet of our industry and in January of this year, the Belize Tourism Board announced the new non-stop flight from Fort Lauderdale to Belize with Southwest Airlines. The inaugural flight was made on Sunday, June 3, 2017. Southwest sponsored this flight with an official delegation as well as media personnel from Belize. BTB continues in their effort to sell the country as an ideal vacation destination and Southwest has used that opportunity to make itself a household name. The wider Caribbean as well as Belize continues to develop from this relationship.

St. Martin’s Credit Union satisfied with Central Bank
The St. Martin’s Credit Union SMCU recently held its 68th Annual General Meeting at the auditorium of Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio Town. At this special meeting, four vacancies were filled within the Board of Directors. Newly elected to serve for three years were Dr. John Morris, Rene Torres, Debbie Martinez and Doroteo Balan. At the SMCU meeting, the members graciously accepted their 3% dividends. Currently, St. Martin Credit Union assets stand at over $25,500,000.00 dollars, an increase of over 2.3 million dollars from last year’s figures. Also, this year the current membership stands at 8,656, which comes at a decrease of -0.91% from last year. This comes mainly due to a decision by the SMCU taking the position that members must have a minimum of $50.00 in their accounts. (Just from that decision, the SMCU was unable to capture 1,200 members, but their accounts can be re-opened whenever they come up with the required amount of funds.)

Talking Plenty... saying nothing!
The more we hear Johnny Briceño speak, we are becoming more convinced that his elevator does not go all the way up to the top floor. This gentleman has been the ORATOR of some of the most ASSININE STATEMENTS, we have heard in modern times. We at no time ever did suspect that we would one day be missing Said Musa or Francis Fonseca. Say what one wants to say about Said but he can never be accused of being a fool. Even though he took us for fools, he was certainly no fool. The same cannot be said about Francis, but he was not one to be making an ass of himself, by putting his foot in his mouth on a regular basis, because he kept his shortcomings by not saying very much.

UB launches five new programs
The University of Belize has announced that it will be introducing 5 new programs to the courses of study that are currently available at the National University. In a release UB states that it recognizes the need to increase its program offerings to students and therefore launched a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration BBUA with concentrations in Marketing, Management and Finance. It will also be offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology; Bachelor’s Degree in Pharmacy; Associates Degree in Early Childhood Education and Certificate in Agriculture.

Jerson Carballo slain for no known reason
The family of 27 year-old Jerson Carballo, brother to the well-known musician and soca performer Ernestine Carballo, are mourning his loss after he was shot and killed on his way home. He was known as a church man who tried to encourage others to seek out Christianity, but his killer gunned him down as if he was part of the street life he reportedly avoided. According to police, at around 12:30 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, Carballo was riding his bike, heading toward his home. That’s unfortunately when he was gunned down by an assailant who shot him in the head, the chest, and the back. He had only just left his cousin’s house, and he was only a short distance from his McKay Boulevard home. It is believed that he was listening to his music when he was attacked at the corner of Electric and Lawrence Avenues. He ended up dying right in the street where he fell.

Fatal road traffic accident in Orange Walk
A fatal road accident occurred on Thursday, June 1, 2017 on the Corozal Cane Traffic Road. Involved in the accident were a motorcycle and a parked trailer at the BSI area. Investigations revealed that Rigoberto Coba, a 33-year-old resident of Guinea Grass Village and voluntary Special Constable, was travelling from Orange Walk to Belize City when he collided into trailers that were parked on the side of the road. Coba died on the spot.

Body of man found in Corozal
The body of a man was found next to a basketball court and football field in the village of San Narciso in Corozal on the morning of June 6, 2017. The man, a resident of Louisville, has been identified as Ramon Rejon. Rejon returned to the village from Spanish Lookout over the weekend and had since been seen intoxicated. The body was found with facial injuries and the death is being treated as a case of sudden death. Police do not suspect any foul play.

Drowning in Corozal
Family members of 79 year old Eduardo Landero continue to be perplexed at the finding of his decomposing body along the Belize River on Sunday in Carmelita Gardens near Santa Familia in the Cayo District. Landero was known by villagers as a fisherman and a good swimmer. He had last been seen with his grand-daughter going to the river about 9:00 am on Friday near his home base when he jumped into the river and did not re-surface.

Elderly found lifeless half a mile down river from his home base
At 10:00 a.m. on June 4, 2017, police visited the Corozal pier on 1st Avenue, Corozal Town where the body of 44-year-old Acita Milsa Flores of Sarteneja Village, Corozal District was seen. Flores’s body was seen inside a skiff in an advance state of decomposition. Investigations revealed that on June 1, Flores and eight other persons left Sarteneja in a white and blue skiff en route to Calderitas and Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico to do some shopping. They departed on the same day and while at sea, a wave caused the boat to capsize. On June 2, a search party left Sarteneja and found eight survivors in front of Calderitas. Flores was not found.

Kendis Flowers charged with attempted murder
On Friday, June 2, 2017, police arrested and charged Kendis Flowers, 25-years-old, with two counts of attempted murder on PC Rafael Flowers and PC Wayne Dawson. He was brought before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith where the charges were read to him. No plea was taken. He was denied bail since the alleged offenses were committed with a firearm. Flowers is remanded to the Belize Central Prison until September 18, 2017 where his case is tentatively set for trial.

Infanticide in Toledo
Toledo police visited the village of San Vicente where they spoke with the Alcalde, Edgar Pinto. Pinto reported that on May 31, 2017, a villager reported to him that he saw the body of a baby floating in the river. The police were led to a pasture about half mile off the main road where they saw the body of a new born baby floating off the river bank in an advanced state of decomposition.

Stanley Moore gets time in prison for attempted robbery and wounding
Stanley Moore, well-known criminal figure, has been sentenced to a total of 6 years, 5 years for attempted robbery and 1 year for wounding. He was accused of committing the crime against a 73-year-old business man and his friend. Moore’s initial not guilty plea was changed to a guilty one in court on June 7, 2017 before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza.

52-year-old charged for possession of drug pipe
A 52-year-old maintenance worker of Ladyville has been fined $150 for being in possession of a pipe. He is Edward Quilter. In court, Quilter, who was unrepresented, pleaded guilty to the charge of the possession of a pipe before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza on June 6, 2017. He was allegedly found to be in possession of a metal pipe used for the administration of drugs. He was found on Monday, June 5, 2017.

Orange Walk Man is Granted Appeal for Rape of 16-year-old Virgin
Antonio Gutierrez, a 36-year-old Orange Walk man, was accused of raping a 16-year-old girl in Northern Belize on August 12, 2011. In a trial which began on May 30, 2016, a jury found him guilty before Justice Herbert Lord on June 7, 2016. He was sentenced to eight years in prison. After being sentenced, he appealed the conviction at the Court of Appeals and on June 6, 2017, he was granted a retrial.

Rockville driver set free after alleged gunplay
An alleged gunplay in the village of Rockville landed Mario Rivera, a driver, into police custody where he was charged with one count of aggravated assault with a firearm upon another villager, Jerome Staine. Rivera would have usually been remanded to jail without bail but luckily, the victim has told the court that he wanted no court action.

School in Cayo broken into for third time in less than two years
Students and staff members at the Eden Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Santa Elena Town are still reeling from the third break-in to their beloved center of learning during the last two years. Sometime on Monday night or early Tuesday morning a thief or group of thieves gained forceful entry into the principal’s office and zeroed in to a set of eight duplicated keys, which were the gateway for the schools eight other classrooms. Stolen from the struggling school was about $7000.00 worth of items, which included four DELL Lap tops, which had just been replaced from the previous break-in. Also stolen from the school were four large blue tooth enabled speakers and FM radios that teachers used to enhance educational lessons. Most precious to the school for the information contained therein was the loss of a 120 gigabyte USB flash drive.

65-year-old Guatemalan man is charged with sexual assault of a 6-year-old
65-year-old Guatemalan man is charged with sexual assault of a 6-year-oldevi Figueroa, a 65-year-old Guatemalan man of a Burrell Boom address, was remanded to prison on Friday, June 2, 2017 after being accused of touching a 6-year-old child inappropriately. He was unrepresented before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith and was read a single charge of sexual assault upon a child. The incident is said to have occurred on April 30, 2017 in Belize City.

Brandon Tesecum killed in Corozal
Police visited the Dominguez Layout area in the Corozal District in response to information received of shots being fired on June 6, 2017. There they saw the body of 21-year-old Brandon Lee Tesecum. Tesecum, who was of an Orange Walk address, was seen on the pavement on the San Antonio/San Andres Road with several gunshot wounds to the head.

Belmopan Bandits crown Pepsi National Elite Basketball champions
The Pepsi National Elite Basketball League season closed with a huge bang in San Pedro on Saturday night, as two-time champions San Pedro Tiger Sharks hosted Belmopan Bandits in game 3 of the Finals. San Pedro High School was packed to capacity, with standing room only, as the intensity of the game surely depicted a championship game with everything on the line. The first quarter got the jitters out of both teams, as Belmopan Bandits finished with an 18 – 17 lead. In the second quarter, the visiting team jumped out to an 18 point lead, going into intermission with a comfortable 44 – 30 lead. However, San Pedro Tiger Sharks went on a run of their own at the end of the third quarter and mid-way through the fourth quarter, and in the process grabbing a 5 point lead with 4 minutes remaining in the game. Belmopan Bandits was able to regain their composure, coming up with some key shots down the stretch, while getting crucial defensive stops, to register the 75 – 67 victory, claiming the NEBL championship.

St. Joseph Primary School boys undefeated in Belize City primary schools basketball competition
The Belize city Primary Schools Basketball competition continued on Tuesday 6th June with four games played at the Gateway Youth Centre. In the first of two game splayed in the girls’ competition, St. Joseph School won over St. John Vianney School by the score of 19-5. The top scorer for St. Joseph School was Afeni Lamb with 11 points and the top scorer for St. John Vianney School was Alleesha Sawazo with 3 points. In the second game in the girls’ competition, Muslim Community School won over Queen Square Anglican School by the score of 6-0. The top scorer for Muslim Community School was Zakiyyah Sacasa with 4 points.

Belmopan Bandits are the early leaders in Cayo Softball Competition
The Raymond Garbutt Cayo Softball Female competition which is being sponsored by the Hon. John Saldivar continued on Sunday 4th June, 2017, out at the Joan Garbutt Softball Stadium with three games on the schedule with only one game played because of the inclement weather. In the game played, Belmopan Bandits defeated Esperanza Wolverines by the score of 7-2. The winning pitcher was Laniesha Jones and the losing pitcher was Dawn Miralda. The competition will continue this coming Sunday 11th June, 2017, with three games on the schedule out at the Raymond Garbutt Softball Stadium in Roaring Creek Village.

Shalini Zabaneh spun No Hitter in Stann Creek Softball competition
The 2017 Stann Creek District Softball competition continued on Sunday 4th June, 2017, at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence Village with two games on the schedule. In the second game of the day, Independence United behind the no-hit pitching of Shalini Zabaneh defeated Lucky Stars from Sittee River by the score of 26-0. Zabaneh gave up no hits, she did not walked a single batter and she struck out 7 in the process in the lopsided wid.

Under the Red Tent
For a period of about 3 months some years ago, Residents of Orange Walk Town had to travel to Corozal to purchase tickets for ADO to Merida / Cancun. I still recall the little outlet right in front of the Corozal bus terminal where we had to go to get our tickets if we wanted to catch the bus here in OW at 8 pm at night. One time I arrived in Corozal during the lunch hour and had to wait at the bus terminal for the store to open. A neatly dressed young man sat beside me and asked, ‘aren’t you the guy who likes to write fool in the Guardian every week?” I told him I don’t know about every week, but, yes, I am an expert in that field. My sarcasm having been lost on him, he continued his conversation that he used to be a flag bearer for the UDP in Corozal but since the national election victory they had turned their backs on him and now he had no time for them and would never vote for them again.

Three Week Art Exhibit at the House of Culture- Canada: Synonym of…
Canada will celebrate its 150th Anniversary of Confederation (Canada 150) on July 1, 2017. As a way of celebrating and engaging the world, the Canadian diplomatic mission hosted 150 events to showcase Canada as a premier destination to visit, invest, live, work, and study. Today, Canada is made up of 10 provinces and three territories. The Government of Canada envisions Canada 150 as a means to inspire connection among Canadians while celebrating their shared values, achievements, environment, and their place in the world. Canada’s four areas of priority have been identified as

Will the Pope of Rome and Sovereign of Vatican City call Jules?
Some in the Media are always begging for respect and honor. The concept of the media or press as a fourth branch stems from a belief that the news media’s responsibility to inform the populace is essential to the healthy functioning of the democracy. That is a solemn duty, indeed! When I turn on the news I expect the news crew to have done their job well. Way too often they fail. Take Friday, June 02, 2017 Channel 7’s Hyde declared: “We all know well the Bible story which tells us that the Apostle Peter denied three times that he knew Jesus after the crucifixion.” I was totally shocked because I remember well the story about the three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in all four Gospels of the New Testament. Yes, all four Canonical Gospels state that during Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples, he predicted that Peter would deny knowledge of him, stating that Peter would disown him before the rooster crowed the next morning.

Youth Tlks - High School is over - what now?
We squeezed into the small cafe, barely dodging the tiny raindrops as the unexpected downpour began. Inside was warm, muted, hushed; every bit a haven and a different world all together than the hot dusty streets being assaulted by the wet splatters from the sky. The aroma of cinnamon and spices competed with that of fresh java percolating in the back. I ordered a cup. Although I am hardly a coffee drinker, the scent alone was too tempting to pass up. Akeya, my baby cousin and I, were celebrating her greatest success of her 16 years on earth; she was graduating with distinguished honors from high school. Needless to say, I was very proud of her. “So What’s next for Akeya”, I asked her, smiling broadly as we found two very comfortable chairs at the back of the cozy cafe with our coffee and cinnamon buns. She caught me off guard when she said, “I don’t know.”

Breaking Belize News

Family clarifies motorcycle-horse accident
Following the posting of a story about a horse killed in a motorcycle-horse accident earlier today by BBN, a close relative of the motorcycle driver contacted BBN to provide their version of what happened. According to the relative, a proper ‘halter’ or ‘head […]

Body found in Belmopan
Reports to our newsroom are that a body was found near the Mountain view area of Belmopan this afternoon. Police are currently at the scene. This is a developing story. © 2017, BreakingBelizeNews.com. This article is the copyrighted property of Breaking Belize News. Written […]

Road traffic accident in Cayo leaves horse dead, motorcyclist hospitalized
At around 6 a.m. yesterday, there was a fatal road traffic accident near Bishop Martin RC school in the Cayo District. Information to our newsroom is that a child was riding a horse when a motorcyclist collided into them. The child flew off the horse and […]

Institute of Archaeology says cultural heritage being destroyed in Corozal
The Institute of Archaelogy is reporting that another cultural heritage is being destroyed up north. In a statement posted by the institute today it revealed, “Looting and destruction of our cultural heritage is still a very present threat in Belize. We are currently following […]

PSU Pres suspended over comments on Garinagu community
Less than a month ago, Eldred Neal, Public Service Union (PSU) President, made very incendiary comments on the Garinagu community in a conversation that was secretly taped. The leaked tape created much controversy, so much so that nine of the fifteen members on his […]

Couple busted with weed in Mahogany Heights
On Wednesday, June 7, members of the Mobile Interdiction Team (MIT) searched the residence of Ryan Edward Gentle located in Mahogany Heights Village, Belize District. Present at the time of the search were Ryan Edward Gentle and Natasha Nicole Smith. The search resulted in the discovery of 523 grams of cannabis. […]

Man busted with weed at OW Custom’s Office
Just before 2 p.m. yesterday, Orange Walk police received information of a man with drugs at the customs office in San Lazaro. When officers arrived on the scene, they searched 28 year-old Omar Rufino Ramirez, a laborer of San Lazaro Village. During that search cops found […]

Robbers break into Eden Primary School
There is a case of burglary coming out of the San Ignacio/Santa Elena police jurisdiction. 24-year-old Johnny Alexander Gonzalez, a Secretary at Eden Primary School in Santa Elena, told police that between the hours of 4:45 p.m. on Monday and 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday […]

Gas attendant robbed while on duty
The old capital was the venue of an armed robbery on Tuesday night. The assailant, armed with a knife walked into Gas Tomza located at 1 1/2 Miles on the George Price Highway and approached Irvin Carranza, 24, a gas attendant. Carranza told police […]

61 murdered since January 1, 2017
In its midweek issue, the Amandala Newspaper had reported that murders were down by 3%, and property crimes were down by a total of 20% when compared to last year. As of Monday, June 5th 2017, the Amandala had reported 57 murders. However since […]

Charges against PUP leader dropped
Orange Walk Central Area Representative, John Briceño, will no longer have to appear before the Orange Walk Magistrate in connection with an alleged traffic mishap in February of 2015. Christopher Hendricks, the driver of former UDP Deputy Leader, Gaspar Vega, had claimed that the […]

Illegal logwood bust in Orange Walk
s Yesterday morning a joint patrol of police and BDF seized illegal logwood that was being transported through the San Lazaro road in Orange Walk. According to reports, a brown rodeo was towing a trailer with illegal logwood and the driver of the rodeo, […]

Police seeking “HardRock” killer
Police in the old capital are looking for the person that killed Andrew Bennett AKA “HardRock”. Bennett was gunned down two weeks ago in front of his home on Central American Boulevard and was well respected by his peers in the music industry. Police have […]

Blogs

The West Side of Ambergris Caye, Cayo Rosario & The Sandbar On A HOT Day
A few acre mangrove caye directly west of Secret Beach, the tiny caye is well known by flyfishermen and locals. But more recently it has been getting attention because of the proposed development plan – for 90 over the water cabanas and a maximum capacity of 600 employees and guests. Absolutely totally ridiculous. You own an island that is a few acres of sand, mangrove, birds and mangrove swamp in the middle of Hol Chan Marine Reserve. We may not like that. We may not like how you got the island but you own it. But do you have the right to build preposterous structures all around it – over the marine reserve – in water that is owned by all and actively used by many? A mockery to conservation in Belize. That’s what is being decided right now in an official Environmental Impact Assessment.

Beating the Heat – The Top 5 Ways to Cool Off on Ambergris Caye
If you’re lucky enough to be here with us on Ambergris Caye this week, visitors and Islanders alike will tell you that, the past fews days on the island have been some hot ones… summer has hit San Pedro hard, and we’re really starting to feel the heat. No need to worry though, because the island has many ways to beat the heat and stay cool on these scorching summer days… Here’s our picks for the top 5 ways to stay cool on Ambergris Caye!

No Better Way to Celebrate World Oceans Day Than in the Ocean
Our family was super excited to have joined Oceana Belize as they took us on a local tour of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and Snakes Caye in observance of World Oceans Day. The day was filled with amazing panoramas of mangrove forests, a bird’s eye view of the reserve, learning about the importance of the reserve to southern communities in Belize and breathtaking views of crystal clear turquoise waters at West Snake Caye. We toured the surrounding areas in the reserve which included Abalone Caye Ranger Station where the Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) and the Belize Coast Guard monitor and protect the reserve. They are the good guys who, on a daily basis, protect the reserve from illegal fishing activities, monitor sports fishing and tourism activities in the areas.

El Fogon Restaurant San Pedro Ambergris Caye
El Fogon has an old school cooking over a “fogon” or open fire stove and delicious simple Belizean dishes. The entrance is filled with sand as you enter. A Palapa is there to give you shade while you eat at the restaurant. when you walk through the entrance, their was flowers decoration on the left and Banana trees on the right and the white sandy floor in one area. El Fogon is just 2 minutes away from Maya Island air north of Tropic air #2 Trigger Fish St. A large sign on the entrance of the restaurant had a list of various food choices. When I tried the rice and beans, I could actually taste the fresh coconut in the rice and the soft smokey meat, well cooked in the fire heart. The service is always excellent with other menu list everyday you can get chimole, escabeche, rice and beans with stew chicken, fry fish, and much more. El Fogon has been expanded for better space and for more customers to sit down and have a great time at El Fogon. We know offer breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. We make coffee for on the mornings. Just sit down and listen to the birds while having your coffee.

13 Reasons Why You Should Never, Ever Bring Your Kids to Belize!
As a parent, you’re zealous about monitoring what your kids see and do in today’s crazy world; it’s your job to help them steer clear of experiences that could damage them for life. We’re concerned too, and feel it only right that we inform you about reasons you should never bring your children here. Consider all of them and we’re sure you’ll agree that taking them on vacation to Belize is the worst idea you’ve ever had! 1. If you leave them home, you’ll protect them from having nightmares you’re pretty sure will result from taking them to Mayan hot spots were crystal skeletons, bones and creepy vestiges of Belize’s historical past await. You don’t want to expose them to ancient civilizations, right? 2. Dining out could be a horrific experience if you bring your children to Belize! This many tastes, smells and culinary sensations could, heaven forbid, turn them into mini-gourmands who refuse to eat frozen pizza and peanut butter once their palates are exposed our delicious and tasty foods.

Find Your Place in the Sun on Ambergris Caye
As the largest island in Belize’s chain of offshore jewels, Ambergris Caye is geographically the closest point to the mainland. But what a difference that slice of the Caribbean Sea makes. Ambergris is a symphony of white sandy beaches, mangrove swamps and prehistoric rock that rises up from the ocean floor to host every type of tropical plant, tree and flower you can imagine. At just 25-miles long, getting around is a no brainer, but visitors usually headquarter in San Pedro Town, where the drinks are cool, the people are warm and the resorts are all top drawer. If you like to let your hair down, mingle with tourists from around the world, eat so much ethnic food you gain weight and then work it off jumping into myriad sports activities guaranteed to keep you energized, this is your island in the sun. Your holiday budget stretches far due to the wide variety of eateries and accommodations, so don’t let budgetary concerns keep you from making this your next vacation pick.

Orange Walk: Avoid Crowds While Immersing Yourself in Belize’s Wonders
If you dislike crowds but you’re fascinated by everything Belize has to offer, make Orange Walk District—and especially Orange Walk Town—your next vacation spot. Just 57 miles from Belize City, it’s a quick trip from that city’s airport. Since it’s tucked into the northwest corner of the nation, the partying beach crowd isn’t here in numbers yet you’ll enjoy the full tourist experience. See exotic cultural sites, all the natural wonders you could ask for and just enough people to declare Orange Walk the friendliest place on Earth. As the second largest Belize district, Orange Walk’s 1829 square mile interior is filled with rustic villages, the nation’s agricultural hub and Mayan ruins offering amateur archaeologists close looks at the area’s distant past. Heavily populated by Mennonites who farm the land and produce much of the sugar cane, rice and vegetable crops, this large faith-based colony also runs most dairy farms.

Archaeologists discover Aztec ball court in heart of Mexico City
The remains of a major Aztec temple and a ceremonial ball court have been discovered in downtown Mexico City, shedding new light on the sacred spaces of the metropolis that Spanish conquerors overran five centuries ago, archaeologists said on Wednesday. The discoveries were made on a nondescript side street just behind the city's colonial-era Roman Catholic cathedral off the main Zocalo plaza on the grounds of a 1950s-era hotel. The underground excavations reveal a section of what was the foundation of a massive, circular-shaped temple dedicated to the Aztec wind god Ehecatl and a smaller part of a ritual ball court, confirming accounts of the first Spanish chroniclers to visit the Aztec imperial capital, Tenochtitlan.

International Sources

Western Caribbean, Bay Of Campeche & Western Gulf Of Mexico Tropical Development Is A Possibility Between June 15th & June 20th
For at least the past couple of weeks, I have mentioned on a few occasions that we are going to have to really watch the western Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico for potential tropical development starting next week and beyond. This word of caution was based on looking at the upcoming weather pattern and what has happened in the past with similar weather patterns. Anyways, it appears that a majority of the model guidance are beginning to really latch onto the idea of tropical development first in the western Caribbean with this system moving into the Bay of Campeche and the western Gulf of Mexico during the time period from June 15th to June 20th. It should be noted that the western Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico are climatogically favored areas for tropical development during the month of June, therefore, there is a distinct possibility that we could see tropical development by or after June 15th in the western Gulf of Mexico and the western Caribbean.

5 things to check out in Belize
Belize might be small in size but it’s mighty in history and culture and an interesting fusion of Caribbean and Latin-American vibes. These are some of the things you can do during a trip to the country: The Lamanai ruins are one of the oldest continuously occupied Maya sites in Belize, from about 1,500 BC, when inhabitants grew maize at the site, to 1,680 AD. It’s one of the largest Maya ceremonial sites in Belize and had once been a major city of the Maya civilization. The site includes the Temple of the Mask, the Temple of the Jaguar Masks and the High Temple. Climb to the top of High Temple for great views of Belize.

Chills follow excursion into ATM cave in Belize
NEAR SAN IGNACIO, BELIZE-“Our Maya ancestors saw caves as a portal to the underworld, often referred to as ‘Xibalba,’ which translates to ‘the place of fear or fright.’ They believed evil spirits, demons and monsters were guarding caves and only elites, priests and their entourage were permitted to access them; commoners were not allowed to go in,” says caving tour guide Gliss Penados. And yet here I am, a mere commoner, about to descend into the underworld of Actun Tunichil Muknal, also known as the ATM cave, in western Belize. Under a blazing sun, our tour group treks through a tropical jungle, punctuated by a few river crossings before we arrive at the entrance of this massive limestone Mayan archeological site. It feels both foreboding and magical. A portal back to between 300 to 600 AD.

Standup Paddle Magazine
Belize and Cayo Frances Farm & Fly on the cover and a 15+ page spread of STANDUP PADDLE MAGAZINE - SOOOO many cool pictures of Ambergris Caye and town - my favorite might be Calvio Bike Repair. Check it out.

Videos

June 8, 2017

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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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Sonora Dinamita and Alison Hinds confirmed for 2017 International Costa Maya Festival
After Hurricane Earl caused the 2016 International Costa Maya Festival® to be cancelled, organizers are thrilled to announce that the show is on for Thursday, August 4th through Sunday, August 6th. This year, Costa Maya will be celebrating its 25th Anniversary, which means the committee is working extra hard to make sure Ambergris Caye has with the best week-long festivities of dance, music, pageantry, food and drinks! As is tradition, the festival will take place at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Stadium in San Pedro Town. Thursday night will be Pageant Night, in which eight beautiful contestants will vie for the title of Reina de La Costa Maya. 2015’s Gabriela Vanessa Salazar Valle still holds the title, and this year, the Pageant seeks the participation of all the Central American countries: Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. We already have confirmed the first gorgeous contestant, and she is Miss Costa Rica.

One dead, one severely injured; neither reported to local police
Unreported incidents on Ambergris Caye are not uncommon, but when they result in death or severe injury, there is cause for alarm. Two such incidents reportedly took place in May, but no information was provided to the public. On Tuesday, June 1st, The San Pedro Sun received correspondence from a concerned woman who stated that on Tuesday, May 30th, she was contacted by a police officer in Belize City to identify the body of a John Doe at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital’s (KHMH) morgue. It turned out to be her father, 56-year-old Felipe Quintanilla, a construction worker who had been living in San Pedro Town for the past ten years. She was informed that her father died on Sunday, May 28th after being on life support for ten days. According to her, it appears that Quintanilla was transferred from San Pedro with massive head trauma to the KHMH, where he died alone.
The other incident took place sometime on Thursday, May 25th in northern Ambergris Caye. A caretaker for a property eight miles north of San Pedro Town was allegedly attacked by three male persons who inflicted severe machete wounds to his right upper shoulder, and to the middle of his body. He was transported to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic III where he was treated. He was later transferred to the KHMH in Belize City.

Southwest Airlines inaugurates direct flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Belize
On Sunday, June 4th, Belize welcomed Southwest Airlines’ first daily direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. This new addition came after Southwest introduced its non-stop Denver, Colorado to Belize City flight in March 2017, and regular non-stop service from Hobby International in Houston to Belize in 2015. With dozens of passengers boarding the charter flight to Belize, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) made sure to warmly welcome tourists at the Philip Goldson International Airport.

SIB releases new figures; consumer prices continue to rise
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) has published its latest statistics on the consumer price index and external trade for the country of Belize. In April 2017, the prices of goods and services were 2.2% higher than the year before, and for the first time in 2017, the statistics recorded an inflation rate of 1.9%. The All-Items consumer price index increased from 102.9 to 105.3 in April 2017 compared to the previous year. In comparison to April 2016, rising airfare prices were one of the primary contributors to an increase of 17.9% in the Transport category. The prices within the ‘Fuels and Lubricants’ sub-category increased by 11.5%, compared to April 2016. The highest increase was seen in the price per gallon of Premium Gasoline, which rose by 31% from $8.29 in April of last year to $10.86 in April 2017. Diesel also increased by 25% from $7.34 to $9.19, while Regular Fuel rose nearly 14% from $8.68 in April 2016, to $9.89 in April 2017.

Ambergris Today

Ministry Of Education Releases Primary School Examinations Preliminary Results
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture hereby issues the preliminary results of the 2017 Primary School Examination (PSE) which was administered countrywide on April 3, 2017 and May 2, 2017. The Top 5 Performers for San Pedro and Caye Calker are as follows: 1st Place: San Pedro R.C School: Kiona Sanker 363/400=90.7%, Island Academy: Colin Grief 363/400=90.7%, 2nd Place: Island Academy: Tellen Smith 358/400= 89.5%, 3rd Place: San Pedro R.C School: Jacinto Bradley 357/400=89.2%, 4th Place: Island Academy: Alexandra Lausen 352/400=88%, 5th Place: San Pedro R.C School: Ninel Pacheco 350/400=87.5%, New Horizon Seven Day Adventist: Marilyn Cuellar 350/400=87.5%.

Misc Belizean Sources

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY - Nursing Scholarship 2017
The Ministry of Health Belize in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture officially announce the call for Scholarship applications for the course study of Nursing at the University of Belize for the academic year 2017. Kindly take note of the supporting documents that need to accompany the application before submission to the Ministry of Health, East Block, National Assembly Building, Belmopan. DEADLINE is July 21st, 2017.

Splashers
Hi Guys! Im excited to see you tomorrow. Im working on the paint subject this morning and posting as soon as Im done! Xo

Two 10 minute power interruptions, the first between 8:00am & 8:30am and the other between 4:30pm & 5:30pm, Sunday, June 11: Unitedville to Arenal
Including Benque Viejo, San Ignacio, Santa Elena, Duck Run 1 & 2, Billy White, Georgeville, Central Farm, Esperanza, San Miguel, Cristo Rey, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Bullet Tree Falls, Branch Mouth, Santa Familia, Calla Creek, Corozalito & Succotz. BEL to conduct critical maintenance and testing of substation equipment at the Mollejon Substation.

Belize Fishing Report, May 29th - June 4th, 2017
The winds haven’t let up the entire week. Some bonefish caught but with the strong winds, it’s been difficult. The most successful anglers have been using bait. The fish are still hungry and are eager to get on the flats to feed. Winds will be calming down this coming week and the anglers will certainly reap the rewards. Looking forward to some great fishing!

Launching ceremony of the Canadian photographic exhibit
In celebration of Canada's 150th Anniversary of Confederation. The ceremony took place at the Government House of Culture, Belize City, on June 5th, 2017. The exhibition will run from June 5th to June 23rd.

The SHYNE BARROW MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP FOR SJCJC ASSOCIATES DEGREE
The Ambassador of Music, Shyne Barrow is offering a full Scholarship for St Johns Junior College's new Music degree. Last Friday SJCJC had the inaugural opening of its new Music center which will house its associates degree in Music program.

SBDC Workshop: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS TAX
Presented by: Mrs. Lisa Clare, Tax Officer, Income Tax Department, 222-4780. Location: La Inmaculdada Credit Union Training Room, 5 Park Street, Orange Walk Town. Workshop Date: June 15th, 2017. Time: 9am to 12noon. Free of cost. Income Tax was enacted in Belize in 1924 and remained in that basic form up to July 1998, when Business Tax was introduced. The Legislation is now called "The Income And Business Tax Act", with an effective date of January 1999 in its current form. The Act is divided into three parts with Income Tax under Part 1, Income Tax on Profits arising from Petroleum under Part 11 and Business Tax under Part 111. This Information session will help you understand the ACT in details.

A Garifuna from Dangriga becomes the new Catholic bishop for Belize
By Wellington C. Ramos. I remember when I was a little boy growing up in Dangriga in the 60s my late mother Josephine Sampson used to take me to go and visit her cousin, the mother of our new Bishop Lawrence Nicasio, “Auntie Jane Lewis-Nicasio”, the daughter of “Granny C”. During those days we were all attending Sacred Heart Primary School. Out of all of my aunt’s children, “Lawry” as we all know him, used to stay home a lot, was quiet and always smiling. His older brother Nelson Nicasio was my closer relative and friend and he, Henry Martinez and myself used to hang out regularly. I was a classmate of the new bishop at Sacred Heart Primary School along with Marva Lewis, Dorina Mendez, Gilbert Lambey, Justo Flores, the late Francis Bermudez, the late Sidney Mejia Jr. and several other students that I cannot recall at this moment. Our teacher was the late Mrs Rita Palacio when we graduated that year.

Manfred Atkins & Belize's 70S Sporting Explosion!
This is the early 1970s in Belize and Belizeans at evening times would be glued to the radio listening to Manfred Atkins bring the action packed and popular radio broadcast he called, "Sports Report". It had reports of every sport Belizean athletes were playing in those days, and it was delivered in a most unique style that only Atkins could present. It was fresh off the field, well written, and powerfully reported. It was imaginary television, and we can still see these legendary Belizean athletes play through that voice that once made Belize great as a sporting powerhouse in the Caribbean and Central America. Manfred Atkins disappeared from the minds of many of us Belizeans almost 50 years ago now. But he will never be forgotten for the sport entertainment that he provided to many Belizean homes that wouldn't even realize the coming of television to Belize in the 1980s. We can still hear the music to his signature tune of his show playing in our heads at the break of evening as he gave us the daily and weekly Belize sports wrap across the country in half of an hour.

Scout brother Ramiro Duran passes away
As we mourn the passing of our Scout brother Ramiro Duran, following is a short bio on his Scouting life. RIP our brother. The year was 1963. Ramiro Duran, then teacher, saw the need for a program that would keep the boys of Progresso Village off the streets. He started the 1st Progresso Scout Troop and kept it alive for the next four years when he was warranted as Leader for the Troop. He continued the good work and the Troop grew and flourished until 1973 when he was forced to give up the post because he had received a scholarship to study abroad. Upon his return to Belize in 1977 he took up a teaching post at Holy Redeemer School and immediately got involved with the Troop there as Chairman of the Committee and Sponsor representative at the Group Council.

Amazing things are happening at Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan!
Check out these colorful murals created by Beyond the Horizon: 2017-Belize team members to liven up the new children's space!

2017 Saltwater Fishing Tournament
2017 Dates: September 10, 11, 12. At least $10,000 in prizes await the successful fishermen and women who participate in the annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament each year. Part of the September Celebrations each year, the 2-day Placencia Saltwater Fishing Tournament draws anglers from near and far for the 2-day competition. The eagerly anticipated event kicks off in the wee hours of Saturday morning, when boats loaded with enthusiastic anglers leave the Placencia Municipal Pier in high hopes of catching the big ones! All vie for for the largest Kingfish (8 lb min), Jack (12 lb min), and Barracuda (10 lb min), as well as those fish termed “extraordinary”: Wahoo (15 lb min), Dorado (7 lb min), and Tuna (5 lb min). Saturday’s weigh-in at the Municipal Pier completes the first day of competition, and all boats must be checked in to qualify to compete on Sunday.

Miss Costa Rica – Miss Costa Maya 2017 Delegate Glennys Medina Segura
Meet Miss Costa Rica – Miss Costa Maya 2017 Delegate Glennys Medina Segura. Age: 22 years old, Height: 5’6. Student: Law degree and Diploma in International Relations and Diplomacy. Among her hobbies are cooking, creating desserts and fishing. Her biggest dream is to be elected winner of The Miss Costa Maya International 2017 Pageant and professionally create a non-profit NGO to help families and create educational programs for children, since they are the future of our countries.

Channel 7

Five Days Later, Bodies of Baltazar and Zeidy Found In A Wooded Area
Today, the worst fears of many Corozalenos were realized when the bodies of 32 year old Zeidy Orosco and 41 year old Baltazar Lopez were found. Almost five days after they were last seen, their bodies were located in a wooded area off the Consejo Road, leading to a dump. They were found a few feet apart from each other, on the ground. That put a tragic end to a search that had been going on for days. Here's the scene at the site of the discovery, courtesy CTV-3: At around 2:00, police got the call that the bodies had been found. When the media got there, the police scenes of crime team was racing unto the scene and onlookers - including searchers - were also rushing into the area but police had already blocked it off:

Police Still Have No Conclusive Leads For Drew Devoursney and Francesca Matus
So, is there a connection between the murders of the two couples? They were both killed in Corozal after a social outing, both found a distance from their vehicles, and both found in abandoned areas near Corozal town. The differences? Well the North Americans were found in a cane field; these two were found in a wooded area, and the North Americans, their vehicle wa snot burnt, but this one was. Also, the cause of death for the North American couple was strangulation, in this case, it has yet to be determined. Police said the investigation into Drew Devoursney and Francesca Matus is still very much open and no arrest has been made:

Another Coro Killing
But it's not only those four murders in five weeks that Corozal police have to solve. Last night at a few minutes after 11:00, a 21 year old was killed on the outskirts of Corozal town. Police told the media more about the death of 21-year-old Brandon Lee Tesecum - an Orange Walk man who wound up dead on a road in Corozal: Sr. Supt. Dennis Arnold, Officer Commanding - Corozal "Last night some minutes to eleven the quite community of Dominguez Layout resident called reporting that they heard shots in that area as a result we had a police mobile on patrol who had just passed that area some 15 or 20 minutes before these residence reported that shot were fired, shots were heard in the area. So the mobile turned back and upon turning back and reaching in that area they saw a male person lying down in a pool blood with apparent gunshot to the face."

PSU Announces President's Suspension
Eldred Neal is the PSU President who got into a whole lot of trouble when he was caught making prejudiced remarks about the Garinagu on a secret recording. Nine of the 15 members of his council of management asked him to resign, but Neal vowed to stay and fight. Now the last we heard on Friday May 19th was that the PSU Council of Management had voted to suspend Neal. But Neal didn't attend the meeting, and - sources said that he would fight it on the grounds of natural justice. Well, today, the PSU Secretary General sent out a release confirming that Neal was suspended on May 19th, quote, "for inflammatory statements made via an audio recording that went viral." It adds, "The letter (of suspension) has stipulated that Mr. Neal does not conduct any business on behalf of PSU and he is to return the assets of the Union until such time that his suspension is lifted."

The First Comments From Francesca's Family
The family of Canadian Francesca Matus has spoken out for the first time. Matus's relative gave 7News and exclusive interview via phone this evening. As you all will remember Matus and her boyfriend Drew Devoursey were strangled to death and their bodies were found thrown in a cane field in Chan Chen, Corozal. Here is what Matus's family in Canada had to say today. They preferred to not mention their names . Family Member of the Deceased: "You would think that the police would be the first people to contact the families but before I was even notified, it was all over Facebook, it's the part that I don't understand how it all gets out, apparently a bunch of people were at the crime scene and everything and then next thing everyone knows before the family knows which was kind of disappointing. Some friends of mine were texting me and so on saying did you hear is this true and I'm like what are you talking about? And then they said they found the bodies, I was obviously shocked. There's no known altercation, she was well liked by everyone there. I didn't know Drew but from every one that I talked to, his sources everyone liked him too so nothing about altercations at that I'm aware of."

Northern Customs Caught Illegal Timber
A joint patrol of BDF soldiers and Police officers are reporting tonight that they made 2 separate busts, a bag of weed, and trailer full of illegal logwood. At around 11:18 a.m. this morning, they stopped an Alamilla Bus, which was coming from the direction of Santa Cruz. They found a man who had a knapsack filled with marijuana. That person and the drugs were taken into police custody. About 2 hours later, at around 1:08 p.m., the joint patrol went to an area on the San Lazaro Road, where they intercepted a brown Isuzu Rodeo, which was towing a trial filled with logwood. The law enforcement team checked, and they found that the driver, Isau Moguel, did not have a permit to cut the wood.

Former Immigration Minister Testifies
The Senate Hearings on Immigration continued in Belmopan today, and this time the UDP politician in the hot-seat was Carlos Perdomo, the current Cabinet Secretary, and former Minister in charge of Immigration. He took questions from the Senate Select Committee to address that specific allegation that he he gave an order for a passport to be granted to an applicant who did not qualify. You may remember the April testimony for the retired Immigration Officer, Therese Chavarria. She went before the Senate Select Committee to outline a case that landed on her desk back in May of 2011, when she was the officer in charge of the Belize City passport office. As we reported, it was the application for the man claiming to be Paul Ku. He went into the Belize City passport office with the Naturalized Belizean, Rina Chiu Hsiang (siang) Lo, who has been described in the Senate hearings as a sort of immigration fixer.

Immigration And The Culture of Corruption
From there, the Senators wanted to hear his opinion about this culture of corruption inside the Immigration Department. Last week, you've heard Alvarine Burgess' account of the immigration hustle she claims to have been a part of. Before that, you heard about the case of the mysterious Barton Middleton, and his alleged ties to UDP insider Patrick Tillett. That's the case where Tillett reportedly hired Middleton, and paid him handsomely as an agent, to help get Belize visas approved for Chinese nationals. Well, those accounts are being further supported by a memo which the Auditor General and her team unearthed during their audit of the Immigration Department.

Police "Baffled" By Jerson Carballo Murder
Turning now to police news, Southside cops are no closer to finding a motive for the murder of 27 year old Jerson Carballo. Today the Southside commander admitted that they are baffled by the circumstances of the case: ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern South Division: "Well the truth is that Mr. Carballo death still has us a bit baffled in the sense that we have not been able to ascertain a motive and the reason for that is because he's not known to the police either from a gang point of view or other crime. We are currently looking for two persons, we know who they are and we're hoping that we will be able to catch up with them very shortly. I met with the family this morning and I gave them our assurance that the police will do what we can do to solve this latest homicide. We know the difficulties that we normally encounter when it comes to investigating homicides in Belize City and that is the fact that people are hesitant to speak or to give statements to the police and in most cases you find our investigation ends because we are unable to get statements so we will see where this one takes us. We are hoping that we can make an arrest and bring some degree of closure to the family."

Police Still Looking For "Hard Rock" Murder Suspect
Police are further along in the case of Andrew Hard Rock Bennett - the popular DJ was killed two weeks ago. As we've reported, they have a suspect, but still cannot find him:.. ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern South Division: "We are positively sure as to who the perpetrator of that crime is. We have not been able to find that person and witnesses in terms of statements are not forth coming. We are hoping that when we do locate the individual we will be able to get statements to build a case against that individual so that he can be charged and taken before a court in respect to that murder but until then the case remains open."

Witness Protection Not Realistic For Belize?
So, with all these unsolved murders caused by witnesses unwilling to give a statement and appear in court, can't the state institute a witness protection program? Williams said today that it is not realistic: ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern South Division: "Some would say to have a witness protection programme but to have a witness protection programme in Belize alone will not work and to have a witness protection programme with other countries will be very costly to the government. So we have to see how we can weigh our strike a balance and try to find something more reasonable and at this time I really and truly don't see that occurring. As a committee we work together because at the end of the day the bad man they can't kill everybody and if we decide that we will make a stance against those persons who continue to perpetrate criminal acts, we can do it together being unified and so we're hoping that could happen because if it take a witness and send them to PG, PG is just couple miles down the road, send them to Corozal same thing. We might say well do it in Mexico, the amount of witnesses Mexico might be sending to us compared to what we'll be sending to them it will be unfair to us."

PG's PSE Pikni
Yesterday we told you about the results of this year's Primary School Examination. Overall, the students didn't do great, with almost half failing in math and almost as many failing science. But as usual, there were still thousands of students who did well. Yesterday, we spoke to many of the top scorers, most of whom are from schools here in Belize City. But the commercial capital wasn't the only municipality to excel. Two of the top 5 candidates came from Toledo's Punta Gorda Methodist and St. Peter Claver RC. Today, our news team was in PG and spoke to those students along with their parents and teachers, about representing down South... Reporter: "Talk to us about how you reacted when you got this news." Devyne Lopez - 3rd Place, Punta Gorda Methodist: "I was a bit disappointed at first because I thought I could have done better but I still got the grade that I worked for." Reporter: "3rd overall, this is a major accomplishment especially when you look at the number of students who didn't do that well and this is overall in the country. Now that you've thought about it how are you feeling now?" Devyne Lopez: "I am a bit excited now because I got 3rd out of 7 thousand students, yes ma'am."

Fire In Abandoned Building In St. Martin's
If you watch the news regularly, then you already know all about Councilor Willoughby and his team's Derelict Building Demolition initiative. Well last night's fire in the St. Martin's area is a good example why it needs to be implemented. An abandoned building caught, or was set on fire at the corner of Poinsettia and Jasmine streets. Residents say the building has been an annoyance for over decades. Here is what one of those wary residents and what the police had to say. Wayne Cadle - Area Resident: "They usually come and throw all kind of thing in this building, dead dog, dead *explicit*, people come smoke weed, they do a lot of things in this building. This building is here, this building is neglected, this building needs to be taken down, this building - we don't know who own this building here." Jules Vasquez: "And so it's a menace in your community?" Wayne Cadle: "Yes because they people they pass here, the people skin up their face, they eat their food, they dash their food on the street because they the smell stinking thing."

Oceans Day Observed In The Sea
Tomorrow is World Oceans Day, a celebration of the planet's largest natural resource, and a reminder to all about the importance of the conservation and preservation of our marine life. Today our news team joined the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage for a tour of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and the Snake Cayes. We'll have a full rundown of that trip for you tomorrow, but for today, here's OCEANA's Vice President, Janelle Chanona, on the importance of safeguarding our oceans... Tomorrow we'll show you how the communities around the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, live off the water, while still managing to maintain it.

Police Reaches Out To Martin's Community
Turning back now to police, ACP Chester Williams and his southside officers were in the St. Martin's area today for their weekly meet and greet. He told us some of the issues that residents complained about on Vernon Street.

ACP Williams, No Gang Related Murders For April, May, June
And as Williams winds down his tenure in Belize City - he's hoping to do so on a sustained high note. April, May and June are often the most murderous months of the year, but this year, it's down, so far. Williams says that there have been no gang related murders: Jules Vasquez: "How does April, May and June compare so far against the historical trends?" ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern South Division "Well the comparison for this year is below the historical trend. For the month of April we had 3 murders, none of which is gang related. We have 3 in the month of May, none of which is gang related so we are seeing different types of murders manifesting themselves as opposed to the ones we are accustomed to."

Belmopan-Bound Williams Willing To Keep On With Mediation
So, while the mediation is working to keep down gang violence, will it continue when Senior Superintendent Marco Vidal takes over next month? So far in his career, he's not been known, not as a peacemaker, but as an advocate of paramilitary policing. Williams says that even after he goes to the Professional Standards Branch in Belmopan, he's willing to continue to work with Dianne Finnegan on the mediation process in the city:

Channel 5

Balthazar Lopez and Zeidy Orozco Found Dead and Decomposing in Consejo
Five murders in just over a month in Corozal have thrown the municipality in the grips of a murder spree.  Today, the bodies of a missing couple were found at [...]

Serial Killer Stalking Corozal?
There have been two double murders reported in the Corozal District within the past six weeks.  The first incident involved the gruesome abduction and strangulation of Canadian-American couple Francesca Matus [...]

O.W. Man Shot Dead in Corozal Tuesday Night
Before the gruesome discovery of Lopez and Orozco, the body of a third murder victim was found.  He is a twenty-one-year-old Orange Walk resident who was shot and killed in [...]

After String of Murders and Loss of Brother, Heartbroken Ernestine Carballo Asks Why?
In the city, another killer remains on the loose, following the shooting death of twenty-seven-year-old Jerson Carballo on Monday night.  The deadly spray of bullets happened at the corners of [...]

At Senate, ex-Minister of Immigration Carlos Perdomo Washes Hands Clean of Involvement
The Senate Special Select Committee called former Minister of Immigration and Nationality and National Security Carlos Perdomo as its sole witness today. Perdomo presided over the Ministry during the early [...]

Perdomo Says He Relied on Senior Immigration Personnel to Have All in Order
But how would ministers handle request for assistance with passport and nationality applications?  Perdomo said he told the auditors that in his time, he would send a note inquiring about [...]

Immigration the Butt of “Corruption Jokes”
The “culture of corruption” has become a theme of the Senate Inquiry. Various Immigration officers have come forward to acknowledge that the department was largely at the mercy of ministers [...]

Perdomo Says, “I Only Recommended for Clean Files.”
The minister’s pen proved mightier than any sword in the Immigration Department. Testimony from various officers showed that a minister’s recommendation, whether for passport, visa or nationality, carried significant weight [...]

Anglicans, Methodists Pull Out of Church-State Commission
In the wake of the momentous August 2016 decision by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin to overturn Section fifty-three of the Criminal Code, godly Belizeans raised outrage at what they perceived [...]

Bishop Hopes Sides Can Come Back to Agreement
We asked Bishop Wright whether the fundamental differences between the two sides will hurt the Commission, and whether it was all a knee-jerk reaction in the wake of the Section [...]

Toledo West Rep Hits Foreign Affairs Ministers Over Incursions
News Five has been covering reports from Toledo about incursions by Guatemalan farmers in the villages of San Benito Poite and Otoxha. As we told you on Tuesday, the Belize [...]

Oscar Requeña Calls for National Effort to Stop Guatemalans
According to Requeña, government should not be burying its head in the sand on the issue and that all government agencies should join in to put a stop to the [...]

Serial Robber Pleads Guilty, Gets More Prison Time
Tonight, well-known criminal figure Stanley Moore was handed down another prison sentence after he changed his not guilty plea to guilty for attempted robbery and wounding against a seventy-three-year-old businessman [...]

Police Trail Moneygram Robbers in Cayo; Cash Express Was Not Target
On Monday, a robbery of a MoneyGram location in which two robbers took a thousand dollars and escaped took place at its office on the George Price Highway in Santa [...]

The Best of P.S.E. from the Deep South
The highest performing district of the Primary School Examinations, from an average point of view, is Corozal and the lowest performing is Toledo. The southern part of Belize has consistently [...]

Education Ministry Eyes Better Results
While the overall performance in the P.S.E. is considered average, there are some areas that are still lacking. The Ministry of Education says that there is incremental growth despite the [...]

World Oceans Day Celebrated
World Oceans Day is being observed on June eighth. It is a day set aside with activities and awareness to honor, help protect, and conserve the world’s oceans. Locally, Oceana Belize [...]

Public Health Tackles Mosquitoes at Start of Rainy Season
The hurricane season, also known as the rainy season, opened last Thursday which means that there is a serious danger of contracting dengue and zika.  The diseases are carried by [...]

Can Your Belize or Carnival Song Win National Competition?
It is that time of the year to spring into action for the September celebrations. A highlight of the month-long activities is the song competition which seeks to promote artistic [...]

The September Celebrations, in 10 Words or Less
The September Celebrations Committee is also calling for submissions for the theme for this year’s festivities which include the Battle of Saint George’s Caye as well as Independence Day.  Entries [...]

CTV3

Former Immigration Minister Speaks Before Senate Select Committee
Former UDP politician, Carlos Perdomo, who served as Minister of Immigration for the entire first term of the Barrow Administration, from 2008 to 2012, testified before the Senate Select Committee that is investigating allegations of immigration irregularities and wrongdoing from January 2012 to October 2013 cited in the Auditor General’s special audit report on Immigration. Perdomo is featured prominently in the report, and for weeks has faced very serious allegations that as Minister he was reckless in approving a number of Immigration documents including nationality certificates that did not meet all the requirements. Today when Perdomo got the opportunity to explain, he indicated that he had a helpful style as the Minister and he always tried to help especially those who had a frustrating experience. He also claimed that he tried to be as diligent as he could.

Perdomo Disagrees Culture of Corruption Exists At The Immigration Department
The term “culture of corruption” has become synonymous with the Immigration Department. It arose from the many cases of wrongdoing cited in the special audit conducted by the Auditor General and the behaviour of Immigration officials as well as UDP politicians and agents who ran the affairs of the nation seemingly at their whim. The term was further engraved in the Department when former Finance Officer Teresita Castellanos testified and spoke openly about the culture she witnessed at the Department. But Perdomo doesn’t agree that there was such a culture at Immigration Department. He spoke of the term as if the stories of immigration hustling were simply stories fit to tell jokes over.

A look At 2017 PSE Results
Last night we reported on the 2017 preliminary Primary School Examination results which were released by the Ministry of Education yesterday morning accompanied by a list of the top twenty five performers who come from various schools across the country. As we had told you, of the 7,077 students who sat the examination papers, twelve year old Curt Smith from Bernice Yorke Academy for Learning in Belize was the overall top performer of this year’s examinations who managed to get a score of 387 points, while seven students here in the north also made the coveted list.

Mr. Belize Spartan Fitness Gym Provides Scholarship Opportunities
Spartan Fitness Gym in Corozal Town is popularly known as the home of well-known bodybuilding champion Mr. Belize Rigo Vellos as well as other up-and-coming athletes. The gym engages in numerous community service activities and today, one more was added to their list as Vellos announced that with the help of gym members they will be providing scholarships to support young people’s access to education. Rigo Vellos, Spartan Fitness Gym scholarship: “Today I would like to announce that on behalf of Spartan Fitness Gym and its members we are launching a scholarship program to be able to assist young people to achieve their academic goals and dreams. We are giving out five different scholarships, its four primary schools and one high school scholarship for the moment.”

Breaking Belize News

Bodies of missing Corozal couple found
A while ago, BBN reported of two bodies being found near the dumpsite in Consejo Village, Corozal. A search party made up of friends and family of Zeidy Orozco and Balthazar Lopez, the couple who went missing last Thursday night, confirmed the grizzly discovery.

Belize celebrates World Oceans Day 2017
In celebration of World Oceans Day 2017, the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) is hosting a series of activities on Thursday June, 8 at several preschools across Belize City from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The theme this year is “Our Oceans, […]

US whistle-blower visited Belize
Reality Winner is a 25-year-old American contractor who lives in Georgia. Winner was in Belize last week and posted pictures of her trip to her social media page. Winner posted about the resort she stayed at while sitting in the Mayan ruins in Belize. […]

Corozal couple still missing
BBN reported on Saturday that a couple from Corozal had gone missing. Neidy Orozco and her companion Baltzar Lopez have been missing since Thursday night around 9:30. They were last seen on the beach near Corozo Blue. On Friday, police visited a cane field […]

Grandmother abducts 7 year old in San Pedro
Hade Anaide Chacon, 32, of the San Mateo Area, San Pedro visited the San Pedro Police Sub-formation and reported that on Saturday at about 8:00 p.m., she dropped off her daughter Hamy Alena Reyes, 7, at her babysitter and went out with a friend. […]

Man found dead in Corozal
Yesterday morning, the body of a man was found in San Narciso Village, Corozal District. The person has been identified as Ramon Rejon of Louisville. Reports are that Rejon was last seen intoxicated in the village. Police are treating this as a sudden death […]

Man murdered in Corozal; Shot multiple times to the head
Last night around 11, acting on information received of shots being fired in the Dominguez Layout, police visited the area where they saw the body of Brandon Lee Tesecum, 21, (of an Orange Walk address) on the pavement on the San Antonio/San Andres Road, […]

Blogs

Eating as many Mangoes as I Could at Hopkins Mango Fest
My mom, dad and I walked around the Mango Fest making sure we visited all the booths. First I cooled off at a booth that had mango ideals for me and mango wine for my peeps! The Marie Sharp booth, had mango jam, and Ms. Marie Sharp herself was actually there! I love meeting Boss Women of Belize! I can’t wait to visit the factory and hear her story about how my favorite peppa sauce was born! After food and entertainment, we went to the stand with the most mangoes ever! They let me try two small mangoes for FREE and even a frozen mango on a stick! Don’t tell anyone, but we bought $50 worth of mangoes and I’m probably gonna eat most of them… shhhh! For my first time at Mango Fest, I had a pretty Mangolicious time!

Visit Punta Gorda On Your Belize Vacation
This small fishing town on the Gulf of Honduras is the gateway to the deep south of Belize. The area nearby is home to some of the country’s best cacao plantations, the principle ingredient of chocolate. PG is also a great jumping off point to explore nearby rivers, caves, Maya ruins and mountains. PG is just over 200 miles south of Belize City and is the southernmost municipality in the country. Punta Gorda is also a popular transit point to neighboring Guatemala to the south and there is an immigrations and customs office located adjacent to the PG town dock.

Corozal Town: A Scenic and Peaceful Destination in Belize
Corozal is a charming town of approximately 10,000 people located in the far north of Belize just across the border from Mexico. Popular due to its beautiful setting on the bay and close proximity to low-cost shopping across the border in Mexico, Corozal Town offers visitors a unique opportunity to experience Mestizo culture in Belize. Approximately 90% of the historic town was destroyed in 1955 by Hurricane Janet, so the town’s lovely central district and colorful buildings have a unique look. Corozal was an important site during the days of the Maya Empire and today tourists can visit the nearby Maya ruins of Cerros and Santa Rita. Another popular attraction is Fort Barley, constructed by the British during the colonial era.

DC Circ. Won't Rethink $19M Award Confirm Against Belize
he D.C. Circuit on Wednesday summarily refused to reconsider its decision affirming the confirmation of an $18.5 million, plus interest, London arbitral award won by a Central American bank against the government of Belize. The appeals court issued two one-sentence denials: one from the panel that heard the case and one noting that no member of the full court asked for a vote on whether to tackle the matter en banc. Belize asked for reconsideration in late April on the three-judge panel’s decision a month earlier rejecting the...

Here's why the month of June in Belize is a full activity month
Dia de San Pedro - Held in San Pedro the three day festival honours the patron saint of the town, St. Peter. During this time boats and fishermen are blessed. A jump-up is held with live music including a Marimba band.La Bajada Service at the RC Church, 4am. Novena, 5am. And an exhibition of fishing, the festival and San Pedro at the Lobsterfestival in Central Park. Each night, The Novena will take place at the Roman Catholic Church at 6pm. Friday, June 26th There will be a dance competition, skits, poems and more with an after party in the Old Football field. Saturday Night festivities continue in the Sporting Area with dancers. Sunday June 28th there is a Fishing Rodeo.

International Sources

UNITED NATION STUDY REVEALS INCREASE IN HIV INFECTIONS AMONG OLDER POPULATIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN
As the Caribbean prepares to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Regional Testing Day for HIV on Friday June 30th the need for testing has been underscored against the background of worrying statistics from the United Nations. United Nations Special Envoy on HIV to the Caribbean Dr. Edward Greene says findings in the 2016 UNAIDS Gap report state that HIV infections are on the rise in the region. He says that while the major increases have occurred in Cuba and Jamaica the greatest area of alarm is the fact that progress in stopping new infections has stalled among adults and HIV infections are increasing among older groups in some countries “One of my colleagues has flippantly referred to this as the ‘Viagra Effect”.

WCS’s Queens Zoo Helps Howler Monkeys Thrive in Belize
Recent WCS (Wildlife Conservation Society) Queens Zoo surveys of black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra), translocated to Belize’s Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 25 years ago reveal that the effort has been a great success, with monkeys now thriving throughout the reserve after going locally extinct 40 years ago. The surveys conducted by WCS’s Queens Zoo in collaboration with the Belize Audubon Society last month counted 66 individual howler monkeys from at least 15 different social units, with evidence of many other groups inhabiting areas up to 20 kilometers away from the original release sites. All told, the survey team believes that as many as several hundred howlers are likely to live in the sanctuary. From 1992-1994, WCS, the Belize Audubon Society, and Community Conservation Consultants translocated 62 monkeys in 14 social groups from the Community Baboon Sanctuary in northern Belize, to Cockscomb, a 154-square-mile (400 square kilometers) protected area 62 miles (100 kilometers) to the south.

Health facilities in seven Caribbean countries to be transformed to be disaster resistant
A UK-funded PAHO project will make safer and greener health facilities in Dominica, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia to deliver care in disasters. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) selected 16 hospitals and health centers in seven Caribbean countries to make them safer, greener and more resilient to natural disasters, under the framework of the Smart Health Care Facilities Project, an initiative backed by UKaid, the UK Department for International Development. The project is being financially supported by the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) and implemented through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Department in partnership with the Ministry of Health in each target country.

Study abroad experiences are not just for students
While I have had many memorable experiences during study abroad trips, my favourite is from an unexpected stay in Punta Gorda, Belize. A group of students and I had been staying on Lime Caye along the Mesoamerican Reef, about 35 kilometres offshore. Midway through our trip, Hurricane Ernesto developed in the Caribbean and we were evacuated by the Belizean navy to the small town of Punta Gorda near the border of Guatemala. I borrowed a bicycle to get around the town and stopped at Gomiers Vegan Vegetarian and Seafood Restaurant; by that evening I was working as their sous chef. The chef taught me how to make callaloo in coconut milk with ginger and lime, prepare snapper in coconut fish, and make a spicy Mayan hot chocolate.

Eleven Caribbean projects selected for European funding
The second selection committee for the Interreg Caribbean Program 2014-2020 has made public the list of the 11 regional projects eligible for European funding. Many countries in the Caribbean will benefit from these projects, as follows: 1. TEECA: Set up a trade facilitation team and improve knowledge on existing financing solutions in the Caribbean area in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS);

Videos

June 7, 2017

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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Belize District tops 2017 Primary School Examinations
After Standard Six students sat through two days of intense Primary School Examinations (PSE) on April 3rd and May 2nd, the Ministry of Education (MOE) issued a press release with the PSE results on Tuesday, June 6th. This year, a total of 7,271 Standard Six students sat the PSE countrywide, testing their knowledge in the four major subjects of Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Studies. Topping the country with 387 out of 400 total points was Bernice Yorke’s Curt Smith of the Belize District. With 18 out of the top 25 scorers, the Belize District outperformed the remaining five districts. Orange Walk had four top performers, Corozal and Cayo each had three and Toledo had two, while Stann Creek did not make the 2017 list. As for San Pedro Town, while there were no students in the top 25, there were several students who still did exceptionally well.

Five-a-side Football Tournament: Week 4
The San Pedro Town Council’s Five-a-side Football Tournament continued with several action-packed games from Wednesday, May 31st to Sunday, June 4th. Held at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex, large crowds showed up to support their favorite players and teams. On Wednesday, three male division games took place, and saw sweeping victories favoring the most prepared teams. At the end of the first night of games, the results were: Jokers FC 3 vs Tuff Strikers 0, Rough &Tough; 2 vs Costa Boys 1, and Los Catrachos FC 2 vs Goliath 2. Games continue this weekend with games starting at 7PM at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex on Friday, June 9th and Saturday, June 10th. On Sunday, June 11th, games will resume at 4PM.

7-year-old girl abducted in San Pedro Town
The San Pedro Police Formation is investigating the abduction of a seven year old girl, Hamy Alena Reyes, which apparently took place on Sunday, June 4th. According to the mother of the child, 32-year-old Hade Anaide Chacon, Belizean prep cook from the San Mateo Area, she was informed that the child was taken to Guatemala by her mother, Maria Quixchan, without her permission. Chacon told police that on Saturday, June 3rd about 8PM she dropped off her daughter at her babysitter in San Mateo and went out with a friend. The following day on Sunday about 11AM, she went to the babysitter’s house to pick up her daughter, but was informed that she went to church along with her kids. Chacon decided to wait for her daughter until 12 midday.

Dorian Pakeman freed of criminal charge; offers settlement
In March of 2016, Dorian Pakeman, Director of the Government Press Office, fatally knocked down 45-year-old Dean Dawson. Ten months later, he was charged for ‘death by careless conduct’. During Pakeman’s trial at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, May 25th, Magistrate Sharon Fraser dismissed the case, freeing him of the criminal charge. Despite the findings, Bryan Neal, Pakeman’s attorney, stated to the court that there was insufficient evidence to charge Pakeman. “Any reasonable jury could not have convicted Pakeman. So my submission was not to clog the court system, and just dismiss it, and the magistrate found favor with my submission,” said Neal.

Governor General Welcomes Ambassadors at the Belize House
Belmopan. On June 5th, 2017 at the Belize House, four ambassadors presented their letters of credence to the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young. The ambassadors included H.E. Mr. Daniel Chuburu of Argentina, H.E. Mohamed Chafiki of Morocco, H.E. Zurab Eristavi of Georgia and H.E. Mr. Jorge Roman Morey of Peru.

Peace Corps and Belize Ministry of Education Launch Collaboration to Further Early Child Literacy Initiative; Swear In Four Volunteers
Friday, June 2, four new Peace Corps Response Volunteers were sworn in as Literacy Intervention Specialists to officially begin their close collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports, and Culture in furthering the Ministry’s literacy goals. The Swearing In ceremony was held at the Peace Corps office in Belmopan with Ministry officials, members of the Diplomatic Corps, Peace Corps staff, host families and Response Volunteers in attendance. Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Mission, Adrienne Galanek, administered the Oath, as these four Volunteers officially joined the ranks of more than 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers who have served in Belize since 1962.

Little Angels Preschool present Talent Show
With assistance from their teachers, the young students of Little Angel’s Preschool delighted their parents and many invited guests who attended their annual Talent Show. The fun took place on Saturday, June 1st at the San Pedro Lions Den, where children of various age provided much entertainment through dances, skits, and songs. School Principal Marina Kay welcomed everyone, and introduced a group of students singing a few nursery rhymes, and popular religious songs. A group of little angels joyfully sang about different shapes, the weather, and animals. Afterwards, a ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ skit showcased the students’ acting skills. The audience cheered and applauded the youngsters for their effort. As the event also served as a fundraiser, the gathering contributed as they bought food, drinks, and tombola tickets.

Ambergris Today

Seven Year Old Girl Abducted By Grandmother
Hade Anaide Chacon, 32yrs Belizean Prep Cook of San Mateo Area, San Pedro Town visited the San Pedro Police sub-formation and reported that on Saturday June 3, 2017, about 8:00p.m. she dropped off her seven-year-old daughter Hamy Alena, Reyes Belizean student of Ambergris Elementary School, at her babysitter in the San Mateo area and went out with a friend. As per the Police Report, Hade stated that on Sunday, June 4, 2017, she went to the babysitter's house around 11a.m. to pick up her daughter but was informed that she went to church along with her kids. Hade then decided to wait at the house up until 12:00midday. The babysitter's children arrived at home and she inquired of the whereabout of her daughter. She was reportedly told that “Hamy had gone with her grandmother to her house and did not return to the church or with us”.

Belize To Announces World Oceans Day Activities
In celebration of World Oceans Day 2017, Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute (CZMAI) is hosting a series of activities on June 8, 2017 at several preschools across Belize City from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. With the theme this year, "Our Oceans, Our Future," CZMAI is joining with hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals from around the world who will recognize this special day for ocean awareness and action. The activities will focus on educating Belize's children about the importance of our oceans, seas and other water bodies and what they can do to help to reduce pollution.

Southwest Airlines Begins Daily Flight From Ft. Lauderdale To Belize
On June 4th, Belize welcomed Southwest Airlines’ first daily direct flight from Fort Lauderdale. To mark the occasion, two inaugural ceremonies were held, one in Ft Lauderdale prior to the flight departure and the other in Belize. Speaking at the Ft. Lauderdale ceremony, Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation said, “Today marks a new milestone for our country, as we bolster our presence in North America, but also as we fortify our partnership with Southwest Airlines. This new service to Belize is a resounding reaffirmation that Belize continues to be a growing, viable and a must-go destination in the Caribbean and Latin American Travel Market. I am happy to say that we remain committed and today serves as yet another example of how Team Belize is ensuring that our jewel remains accessible to the North American market and beyond.”

Misc Belizean Sources

Top 25 PSE performers for 2017
Bernice York in Belize City takes coveted top spot snd 6 total in rank. Belize Elementary in Belize City took the second place and had 5 students in the top 25. Punta Gorda Methodist and St Peter Claver from Toledo made the top 25. San Francisco RC, La Immaculada RC and San Estevan RC in Orange Walk made the rank. The Shepherds Academy, Immaculate Conception RC and Howard Smith Nazarene in Cayo had students in the top 25. Mary Hill RC in Corozal had two students in the top 25. Hummingbird Elementary in the Belize District had 3 students in the top 25. All Saints Primary and Ebenezer Methodist in the Belize District also had students in the top 25. The top student for 2017 is Curl Smith. Please see the chart below for details.

PRIMARY SCHOOL EXAMINATION PRELIMINARY RESULTS
The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture hereby issues the preliminary results of the 2017 Primary School Examination (PSE) which was administered countrywide on April 3, 2017 and May 2, 2017.Student PopulationA total of 7,271 candidates registered for the PSE of which 7,077 candidates actually sat all parts of the exam this year. Of the registered candidates, 3558 (49.8%) were male and 3585 (50.2%) were female. This year, there were 11 private candidates. PSE numbers for 2017 show that there were 121 less registered candidates than 2016.

Cayo Money Gram robbed
On Monday June 5, 2017 Nely Jimenez, the cashier at Money Gram which is located on the George Price Highway in Santa Elena Town reported that at 2:10 p.m. while she was at her work place, two male persons entered the building to conduct a transaction. However, one walked towards her and pulled out a hand gun pointed at her and then demanded money. She threw some money at him which he took. On making checks it amounted to $1,000 in twenty dollar bills. The two men escaped.

If you have issues with your eyes...
BCVI has clinics located throughout the country and provides outreach services to other villages and towns. We accept walk-ins but encourage appointments, especially if you're on a tight schedule. For more information, call your nearest BCVI clinic today! :)

Xunantunich Ferry Under Repair
One lane will be operational

Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute Announces its World Oceans Day 2017 Activities
In celebration of World Oceans Day 2017, Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute (CZMAI) is hosting a series of activities on June 8, 2017 at several preschools across Belize City from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. With the theme this year, “Our Oceans, Our Future,” CZMAI is joining with hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals from around the world who will recognize this special day for ocean awareness and action. The activities will focus on educating Belize’s children about the importance of our oceans, seas and other water bodies and what they can do to help to reduce pollution. For more information about Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, please visit https://www.coastalzonebelize.org/

Attention All Importers of Pharmaceuticals
The Office of the Director of Health Services hereby informs that the processing of ALL custom entries for pharmaceutical products, be it over the counter medication, FedEx, Amerijet, prescription medications and others, will now be processed from the Ministry of Health Belize Headquarters located on the Third Floor, East Block Building, City of Belmopan. This transition is expected to commence on July 1st, 2017. Queries in relation to this should be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Health.

Launching of the Soca Season
June 17!! Flavaz entertainment is bringing to you the launching of the soca season at the Itvet grounds. Performances by Belize's best soca entertainers, the Pantempers and all the way from Barbados HYPASOUNDS. Saturday, June 17 at 1 PM, Belize City.

UNSOLVED MYSTERIES
The cost of crime to our society - Belize does not have a specific policy or program evaluation to estimate the actual cost that crime has been having on our communities. Estimating the economic cost associated with individual crimes and losses associated with criminal activity is essential. We know that past crimes have put such a tremendous burden and cost to certain families and friends of fallen victims in Corozal. For all of us that live in Corozal and have been on the edge for the past month in regards with two cases bearing so much similarities, except that in the recent case there has been no bodies recovered; crime does not only affect one sector of our community or one ethnic group in Corozal, so it is very important that we ALL (not excluding anyone) participate and provide some level of consideration and help when it is asked for and requested, certainly in these dire and sad circumstances.

The sedimentation occurring due to illegal gold panning is choking the Chiquibul headwater streams
Quantifying the damage is difficult. More attention and action is needed to address this problem.

This is about Big Red and Rosey the Scarlet Macaws
It's going to be a long post since I am putting together the facts such as I know them from reading all I could. I also want to state that I have no horse in this race. At the end of May Big Red and Rosey, both wild born Belizean Scarlet Macaws, were whisked off to life in captivity on Harvest Caye. Harvest Caye (HC) is the custom built Caye for Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL) , depicting “live” in Belize but basically designed to keep cruise ship travelers on the island and from spending their money in the real Belize. So you may not be too ticked off about a couple of birds going off to the island to amuse tourists. Rosey is not releasable and Big Red may or may not be releasable. We don't know if he is releasable because no testing has ever been done before he was taken with minimal notice from Belize Bird Rescue where he was groomed for release back into the wild. My question is why was he not tested by the Forest Department? And how can anybody condemn a bird to captivity without being sure he was not releasable?

BELIZE ZOO CAMP 2017
Applications for TBZ's annual Conservation Camp are now being accepted. Young Belizean's ages 12-17 are invited to apply for this Summer's session being held at the Tropical Education Center from July 3rd-7th. How to apply: Send us a short essay describing an environmental issue affecting your community. district, or Belize in general that is of concern to YOU. Why is it a problem, and how would you go about solving it? Entries must include: name, age, school, community, and phone number.

Free Corrective Surgery
A team of 30 medical volunteers, led by Dr. Jordi Espel, who currently practices in Mexico, will be at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk from June 9-12, 2017 to conduct free Corrective Surgery. Take advantage and visit the hospital for evaluation day on June 9, 2017. LEAP Global Missions Orange Walk, Orange Walk, Belize Nothern Regional Hospital

National Song Competition 2017!
Each year, the National Celebrations Commission strives to highlight Belize’s rich and unique cultural heritage through the numerous events held to commemorate our national celebrations. One such event is the National Song Competition which was created to provide professional and amateur musicians with the opportunity to create and showcase their original pieces. The goal of the competition is to promote artistic expression, national pride and Belize’s diverse culture.

Caye Caulker Palapa Gardens
June 30 – July 2. Caye Caulker.

U.S. Embassy and Beyond the Horizon: 2017-Belize Task Force Jaguar leadership recently met with the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young at the Belize House
The U.S. officials were honored to update the Governor General on the Beyond the Horizon 2017 medical events and construction projects as well as the Embassy’s various cultural and educational initiatives.

Channel 7

Soca Queen Ernestine's Brother Killed
A church man was gunned down and killed in the city early this morning. 27 year old Jerson Carballo was heading home on his bicycle when a gunman opened fire on him. Carballo was struck to the head, chest and back. His is the brother of Belize's Soca Queen Ernestine Carballo . She and her family couldn't believe that their loved one who was known to live a Christian life was executed near their home. Courtney Weatherburne has more. Two of Jerson Carballo's favorite things were his gospel reggae selections and his bible. Cyril Pitterson "Reality Youth", Friend: "He was a very positive young man, he was a man that always trying to strive to do the right thing, stay out of trouble and I know him as person who always trying to encourage other people like other young guys like him to follow Jesus and do the right thing."

Corozal Couple Still Missing
Last night, our headline story was the couple from Corozal who went missing since last week Thursday. Their families have been frantically searching for them ever since, and today, they completed day 5, with absolutely no results. As we told you, 32 year-old Zeidy Orozco, a resident of San Andres Village, and her 41 year-old Ranchito Village boyfriend, Baltazar Lopez, went missing on last Thursday night. On Friday, the following day, the cops found her burnt Chevy Prism car in a very remote location off the road linking Patchakan and Yo Chen Villages. It had been set on fire by someone who was trying to make it very difficult to find.

Morality Commission Stumbles After Two Bishops Withdraw
The Church State Commission on Public Morality was formed in September of 2016, and the churches are expected to present their position paper to the Government later this week. But, sources tell us that all is not well on the Church side of the Commission. That's because both the President of the Council of Churches, who is Bishop Roosevelt Papouloute, and the representative of the Anglican Church, Bishop Phillip Wright, have withdrawn from the church group. While no official explanation has been given, sources close to us suggest that the Bishops felt that the views of their churches were not being adequately represented in the final position paper. And so, rather than be an under-represented minority in positions they did not support, the two decided to step back.

Opp. Leader Briceno Gets Free Of Charges
In February of 2014, opposition leader John Briceno was criminally charged for a trio of traffic offences - after Gaspar Vega's driver, Chris Hendricks accused him of driving over his foot. Briceno was charged for negligent harm, failed to report an accident, and drove vehicle without due care and attention. From the outset Briceno maintained the charges were made up - as a form of political harassment. Well, tonight, he's clear of those charges because the case was thrown out of court. Hendricks didn't appear and police had no witnesses - so the magistrate threw the case out.

PSE Results Dismal In Math and Science
The results for the Primary School Examinations are in, and they continue to show that hundreds of Standard 6 students are failing. Right now, the Ministry of Education is preparing detailed reports for each of the more than 7,000 candidates who sat the exams, but, they already know how these children performed on the exams. Of the 7,077 students who completed the English exam, 1,826 - or one quarter of the test takers - failed, meaning they got an "E", or a percentage score of 49% or lower. The average test scores for this year are marginally up by 0.1 percent, but overall, they are similar to the other average scores for the past 10 years. In Math, where there was the poorest performance, 3,451 candidates - or about half of the test-takers - failed. The Ministry says that immediate remedial actions will be taken following this outturn. The 10-year trends show that the average score for math remains around 51%.

Rapist's Conviction Overturned, Gets Retrial
36 year-old Antonio Gutierrez, who had been serving 8 years in jail for a rape conviction, is home tonight, after he successfully appealed his conviction at the Court of Appeal which has ordered a retrial. Gutierrez was convicted back in May of last year in the northern session of the Supreme Court. Justice Herbert Lord presided over a trial in which the complainant was a 16 year-old. She testified in the trial that on August 12, 2011, at a street corner in Orange Walk Town, Gutierrez raped her.

Western Union Robbers Got One Grand
Tonight more is known about that Western Union robbery in Santa Elena, Cayo. As we showed you, two men in shorts and t shirts casually strolled into the office. Police say that they entered at 2:10 PM, and made it seem like they wanted to conduct a transaction. But things quickly changed course when one of them walked towards 30 year old clerk Nely Jimenez, pulled out a hand gun, pointed it at her and then demanded money. Fearing for her life, she picked up a stack of fifty 20 dollar notes and threw it at him. that's a thousand dollars and the men then walked out just like they had come in - except the one int he orange shirt, was in a half run. They left on foot, walking across the street like they were just regular folks, not gun wielding robbers. Cayo Police have this video but need your help to identify the men. So if you know who they are, please call Cayo police.

Boom Residents Bex With Bradley's Boatyard
Since May, we've been following the story of Bradley's Boat Yard, which recently moved to Burrell Boom. Some residents don't like it - and that became apparent when two of Bradley's boats were set on fire a few weeks ago. Well, today the residents of Burrell Boom held a press conference to clear things up, and tell the public where they stand on the issue... Two weeks ago Steve Bradley of Bradley's Boat Yard was the victim of arson, which resulted in severe damage to two of his most used boat moulds. When we spoke to Bradley after the incident he told us that he suspected foul play by one of residents of the area, who have been in opposition to the business relocating there. Well today some of the residents of Burrell Boom, specifically an association named the Burrell Boom Protectors, held a press conference condemning the act, but also to voice their concerns about having the boat yard so near to where they live…

Guatemalan Grandma Accused of Abduction
A seven year old San Pedro resident is missing after being allegedly abducted by her grandmother. Hade Anaide Chacon dropped her 7 year old, Hamy Alena Reyes, at her babysitter's house on Saturday night before going out. On Sunday morning at around 11:00, Chacon, went to go pick Hamy up, but was told that she had gone to church with the sitter and her children. Chacon waited at the house for another hour until the other children returned. They told her that Hamy had gone with her grandmother. Chacon continued to wait until about 5:00 in the evening, and then went to her sister's house where her mother, Maria Quixchan, was staying. But when she got there, her sister told her that Quixchan took Hamy with her to Guatemala earlier that morning. She did not give her mother permission to take Hamy out of the country. Chacon suspects that her daughter is in San Andres Peten, Guatemala, where her mother is presently living.

Coast Guard Catches Cocaine
Also in San Pedro, last night at around 7:30, the Belize Coast Guard was patrolling the lagoon area west of San Pedro. They saw a small vessel exiting one of the channels and signaled it to stop. But, the vessel sped away instead, and the Coast Guard set chase. They eventually caught up with the small boat, and found San Pedro resident, Jaime Young carrying a knapsack. Inside, the Coast Guard found 2.9 grams of cocaine in two transparent plastic bags. Young was taken to the San Pedro Police Station where he was charged with drug trafficking.

Furious Infighting In FFB In Advance of Election
Elections for a new FFB president are coming up later this month - but a rash of infighting has broken out and there's fierce jostling for control of the country's most powerful sports federation. 7News has seen a flurry letters alleging corruption, bribery and other offenses in a bid to keep one candidate out. Additionally, three would-be candidates have been barred from running. And, now, even the sports council has gotten involved to caution the FFB about heavy handed tactics. The strongest letter is dated May 26th., and in it, the General Secretary of the Federation Michael Blease accuses Sergio Chuc - who was running for president and vice president - of bribery, conflict of interest, offer and acceptance of gifts, and corruption, quote, "all with the end of having the election swayed in your favor," end quote.

Paddlers Proud With Third
Today the six paddlers that represented Belize in the Puerto Rico Olympic Cup kayaking event returned. The delegation spent the last week racing against paddlers from around the region, and despite not having as much training as most of the competition, they managed to come home with a bronze medal. We spoke to members of the team when they came back, and they told us about the experience and their hopes for the next competition... The Belize Canoe Association expects the donation of four Olympic Grade kayaks to increase the team's chances of pulling out a win in next year's Cup.

Belize and US Collaborate on Education
The US may be sending all kinds of signals with the Edmond Castro visa revocation and the John Saldivar humiliation, but on the surface, harmonious Belize - US relations continue. And that's why 4 Peace Corp Volunteers will be helping the Ministry of Education with their literacy initiative. These volunteers or Literacy Intervention Specialists as they are called, will spend the next 6 months focusing on programs that will promote and enhance the effectiveness of the nationwide literacy initiative in Belize. Chief Education Officer, Dr. Carol Babb highlighted in the release that "This collaboration represents the culmination of more than two years of planning and preparation".

Remember the Flowers Bank Fourteen
Last night we told you about Burrell Boom day - which celebrated the history of that river valley village. Well, down the road a bit, in Flowers Bank, they were also celebrating. But it wasn't just the village, they were celebrating the men history recorded as the "Flowers Bank Negroes" - 14 free black men who - legend has it - cast the deciding votes in the June first, 1797 public meeting to decide whether to run or to defend the colony. In this 9th annual Flowers Bank Festival - colonial historian Fred Hunter underscored the importance of that decision:

Hon. Aragon Touring
Police Minister of State Elodio Aragon continued his tour of Police Formations last week Thursday in Corozal. They toured the Police Station in Corozal Town and witnessed a guard of honor. It continued from there to several police sub-stations in the district, first to Patchakan and San Narciso, the latter of which was found to be uninhabitable because bats and pigeons had taken over the building. From there they finished up in Caledonia Village. The tour continues this week in Cayo.

Channel 5

Jerson Carballo Attacked on Way Home
In the Saint Martin De Porres area of the city on Monday night, the life of Jerson Carballo was snuffed out and police have no motive or suspect. Carballo had [...]

Man’s Body Found in Corozal
Around seven this morning, a body was found under a tree next to the basketball court and football field in the village of San Narciso in the Corozal District. It [...]

Couple Still Missing; Has The Worst Happened?
Also up north in Corozal, the search continues for a couple who has been missing since Thursday.  Thirty-four-year-old Zeidy Orozco and forty-two-year-old Balthazar Lopez were last seen in the vicinity [...]

Did Government Pay Footballers with B.D.F. Money?
The Belize Defence Force is under fire tonight. News Five has obtained documents showing invoices for fifty thousand dollars worth of payments of allowances made to members of the team [...]

Guatemalan Grandmother Kidnapped San Pedro Girl
A seven-year-old girl has reportedly been abducted by her grandmother and is believed to have been taken from her hometown in San Pedro across the border to neighboring Guatemala.  Hamy [...]

D.P.P. on Pakeman: Botched Investigation; Premature Dismissal of Charges
In a surprise statement, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal has made scathing remarks against those who mismanaged the investigation of Dorian Pakeman, the Director of the Government Press [...]

Curt Smith, Bernice Yorke’s and Belize’s Best in P.S.E.
Students are breathing a sigh of relief tonight, following the release of this year’s P.S.E. results. Seven thousand two hundred and seventy one students registered for the exam that assesses [...]

Corozal’s Mary Hill, Methodist Schools Also Celebrating
Most top scorers in the P.S.E. are from the City, but while on assignment in Corozal, we dropped by the Mary Hill Primary School where there was reason to celebrate. [...]

Results Still Average; Slight Improvement for Math, English
Earlier you saw some of the top performers from twenty five highest overall marks – but they represent just a fraction of the seven thousand plus students who sat the [...]

Traffic Charges Dropped Against John Briceño
P.U.P. leader John Briceño saw charges of Negligent Harm, Failure to Report an Accident and Driving a Vehicle without Due Care and Attention tossed out of the Orange Walk Magistrate’s [...]

Is Expense Bill for B.T.L. Settlement Too High?
As much as one hundred and thirty million U.S. dollars is being sought by the former owners of Belize Telemedia Limited from the Dean Barrow administration. It is the final [...]

Why Did P.M. Sign Agreement?
The Government and particularly the Prime Minister have in the past tried to shove off at least part of the responsibility for the B.T.L. debacle to the shoulders of the [...]

Briceño Warns ‘Sticker Shock’ Coming for Belize’s Economy
There is also the question of economic shock caused by the B.T.L. payments. The Government recently re-negotiated the Superbond, but has accumulated close to a hundred million dollars in debt [...]

Accused Sex Offender Gets New Trial
A Corozal Free Zone employee who in August 2011 was accused of raping a sixteen-year-old minor has been granted a retrial. Thirty-six-year-old Antonio Gutierrez was convicted of raping the minor [...]

Osmar Sabido, Not Oscar
And on a matter of clarification, Osmar Sabido Junior was sentenced to twenty-one years for killing his common-law wife, Christie Carrasco. Sabido Junior is from Orange Walk and is not [...]

Burrell Boom Continues Battle Against Boat Yard
As we reported on Monday, residents of Burrell Boom village are up in arms that Bradley’s Boat Yard is relocating within their village, introducing them to a potentially cancerous future [...]

B.D.F. Chasing Suspected Guatemalan Incursions
It has now been a month since it was reported that the villages of Otoxha and San Benito Poite have been facing a takeover of acres of territory by Guatemalan [...]

Training in Results-Based Management for SDG Reports
Forty representatives from multiple Ministries are doing a three-day training under the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. The participants are doing the training in results based management [...]

Bandits Vs Walter Ferretti in New CONCACAF Club League
In sporting news, there was a victory parade on Monday night in Belmopan for the national football and basketball champions, Belmopan Bandits, owned by Minister John Saldivar.  The matter of [...]

Kaina Says No to B.A.A., Forever
Last week, News Five spoke one-on-one with Kaina Martinez, Olympian sprinter turned All-American at Texas A and M University-Kingsville.  After completing her college track career with good performances in the [...]

CTV3

Man Found Dead In San Narciso Community Park
This morning Corozal Police were called out to San Narciso Village in response to a report that the body of a male individual believed to be in his 40s was seen lying motionless under a tree in the community park. The authorities arrived and transported the body to the Corozal Community Hospital where it was pronounced dead on arrival. Our investigations indicate that the individual has been living in the community for many years, but without any family or home, and as a result of alcohol abuse, he has been sleeping around the community park. This morning his friends became startled when not only was he lying motionless, but they also noticed blood was oozing from his eyes. We met one of his friends who socializes at the park. He told us when he last saw the individual identified as Ramon Rejon alive.

Search For Missing Corozal Couple Intensifies
The search for missing persons 32 year old Zeidy Orosco and 42 year old Baltazar Lopez continued for a fourth day today with no success. The couple vanished into thin air on the night of Thursday June 1st, last seen by a Police officer along the sea side area along the entrance to Corozal Town. On Friday, Orosco’s vehicle which she was using on the night she went missing, was found burnt down and abandoned in a private cane field in the outskirts of Patchakan Village.

Opposition Leader Chides On PM For Rising Cost For BTL Settlement Agreement
On June 1st, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that the legal battles and mounting legal costs in relation to the disputes over the Barrow Administration’s 2015 settlement agreement with the Ashcroft Alliance over the Government’s takeover of Belize Telemedia Limited had not come to an end. Barrow confirmed reports that Ashcroft group was challenging the amount which the Government will be paying them as legal cost compensation and so the parties would head to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Today Opposition Leader Hon. John Briceno decried the heavy costing which the entire fiasco has been to the country.

Charges Against Opposition Leader Dismissed
On February 4th 2015 the leader of the People’s United Party, Honorable John Briceno was charged for Negligent Harm, Failure to Report an Accident and Driving a Vehicle Without Due Care and Attention resulting from allegations made by Christopher Hendricks, the driver of former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. That case went back to the Orange Walk Magistrates Court today and was thrown out by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. According to the court file the prosecution’s witnesses did not appear in court much less the claimant and as such Chief Magistrate Smith dismissed the charges against Briceno.

Suicide In Orange Walk?
One Orange Walk resident is tonight dead following what police have classified as a suicide by shooting. While reports are still sketchy, CTV3 news understands that just before nine o’clock this morning, 33 year old Roberto Carballo of Santa Elena Street shot himself once to the head using a shotgun. The incident allegedly occurred in the backyard of his family home. The reasons behind the shooting has not yet been ascertained and police have ruled the incident a suicide pending a postmortem on the body.

DPP Speaks on Dorian Pakeman's Case
The Director of Public Prosecutions has commented on the decision of Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer to withdraw charges of causing death by careless conduct against Government Press Office Director, Dorian Pakeman. At the preliminary inquiry on Friday May 26th, the Court found that there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case. This is after the common-law-wife of forty-five-year-old Dean Dawson, a resident of Gardenia Village who was killed in March of last year during the accident involving Pakeman sent a letter to the DPP informing that she did not want the case to proceed. That’s because she and Pakeman had settled out of court and she received compensation of 45 thousand dollars. Speaking with the Amandala newspaper last Friday, DPP Cheryl-Lynn Vidal stated that her office was not informed - as required - that the defense intended to make submissions of no evidence.

Bomb Threat Interrupts Buisness At The Belize Bank O/W Branch
Just after lunch time today, Belize Bank Limited located on Main Street here in Orange Walk Town was compelled to close its doors to the public after receiving threats of a bomb planted inside the building. Reports indicate that after receiving the threat shortly after 1:00 p.m., police were notified about the situation and headed out to assist in securing the immediate area. The administration and staff of the bank as well as its customers were then evacuated from the building while La Inmaculada Roman Catholic School which is situated only a stone’s throw away from the bank, also closed its doors and immediately dismissed all students for security purposes.

LOVE FM

Bernice Yorke Institute: PSE’s Shining Star in 2017
The preliminary grades for the Primary School Examination for the academic year 2016/2017 were released today. There is still a window for persons or institutions to appeal the grades before they are deemed as final. Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning came out on top this year; Renee Trujillo was over at the school earlier today […]

A Look at the Performance in PSE 2017
The academic year 2016/2017 has thirty students placing in the top twenty five in the PSE results as there was a tie among some students. Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning has taken the place of best performing school for this year as they have previously done in 2012, 2013 and 2015. Among this year’s top twenty […]

Jerson’s Murder Shocks Family and Community
Investigators are Precinct Two are busy investigating the murder of twenty seven year old Jerson Carballo. He was fatally shot at around 12:25 this morning while he was on his way home. Carballo was a few minutes away from his home when a gunman approached him and blasted bullets at his direction. He was hit […]

Boom Residents Want Answers and Action
Several residents of Burrell Boom Village, Belize District called a press brief this morning at the Radisson Fort George Hotel to voice their ongoing concerns over the presence of Bradley’s Boat Yard in their village. As we reported on May 5, 2017, a meeting was held with representatives from the boat yard, the village council […]

Peru’s Non-Resident Ambassador Meets Belize’s Peruvian Community
Yesterday three ambassadors presented their credentials to Belize’s Governor General, Sir Colville Young. One of those ambassadors was Jorge Roman Morey of Peru. Belize and Peru have enjoyed diplomatic relations for more than twenty five years. Ambassador Morey says that he plans to strengthen the relationship by establishing mutual cooperation that would benefit both countries […]

Convicted Rapist Gets Second Chance at Trial
Thirty-six year old Antonio Gutierrez, who was convicted of rape and sentenced to eight years, was successful in his appeal today before the Belize Court of Appeal. The court quashed his conviction, set aside his sentence and ordered a retrial. Gutierrez was released on a bail four thousand five hundred dollars. Gutierrez’ attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, […]

Adventist School Burglarized Out West
Eden Seventh Day Adventist Primary School in Santa Elena, Cayo was burglarized sometime between last night and early this morning. Principal Tharine Gabourel told Love News that she received a text from one of the teachers who informed her that her offices had been broken into and the vice principal’s office and eight classrooms had […]

Money Gram Cashier Gets Robbed at Gunpoint
Cayo Police are investigating a robbery at Money Gram in Santa Elena Town on Monday. Nely Jimenez, the cashier, told police that just after two o’clock in the afternoon, two men casually entered the building. She did not think anything of it as they appeared to have entered to conduct a transaction but soon after, […]

Coast Guard Comes Upon School Bag with Cocaine
A man was charged for drug trafficking after he was caught with two point nine grams of cocaine. He is 28 year old fisherman Jaime Young of San Pedro Town. Young was caught with the drugs last night by Coast Guard officers. The officers were conducting patrol in the lagoon west of San Pedro when […]

San Ignacio Police Seeks Tiffany Williams
A young woman is reported missing in San Ignacio. 21 year-old Tiffany Shannel Williams was reported missing by her older sister Kimberly Reyes. According to Reyes, Williams left home on Sunday June 4 around 9:30 in the night. She was told that Williams went to visit her common law husband, Geovanni Carcamo, on 9th Street. […]

Belize to Connect with Volaris, AeroMexico and Air Canada
In recent months, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has been entering into agreements with airlines from around the world in an effort to continue growing the tourism industry. According to Minister Manuel Heredia Jr., works are being done behind the scenes to accommodate this rapid growing industry ranging from technical initiatives to infrastructural works. MANUEL HEREDIA: “Two things we have to grow; we have to grow the number of rooms which we are already doing and secondly I believe that shortly we will continue to expand the PGIA otherwise it makes no sense but definitely we are working at BTB, our airline development committee is working very hard to make sure that we can bring new airlines and to have additional flights from other destinations with existing airlines but more importantly is the price, that has been keeping Belize particularly the Miami flight that has been keeping Belizeans from flying and tourists from going to Belize because everybody was saying that it was too expensive...

Amandala

Another baby dies in KHMH
There is fear in San Andres, Corozal District, among the family members and friends of Zeidy Orosco, 32, a domestic of the village, and her common-law husband, Baltazar Lopez, 41, a laborer of Ranchito, also of Corozal District, that something terrible may have happened to the couple. Orosco and Lopez have been missing since 9:30 Thursday night after they were last seen together on the beach in Corozal Town. People now fear that they may have both been killed and their bodies disposed of in areas unknown after Orosco’s car was found in a cane field on Friday afternoon, burned and totally destroyed. Police say that at about 2:30 Friday afternoon, they were called to a cane field located about 3 miles southwest of Patchakan, Corozal District, where they saw Orosco’s Chevy Prism car completely destroyed by fire. The Corozal District Fire Chief and fire investigators have certified that the vehicle had been intentionally destroyed.

Another baby dies in KHMH
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) is yet again at the center of another controversy. The MacKinnon family visited our newspaper today and revealed that a month ago, Tracy MacKinnon, 7 months pregnant, was rushed to the KHMH with intensive labor pain. She told us that upon her arrival, medical authorities administered an injection to stop the contractions and two more to help develop her unborn daughter’s lungs. However, Tracy’s mother, Carol MacKinnon, felt that something had gone wrong based on her daughter’s reaction to the injections. “Maybe dey give ah something strong or something wrong,” she claimed.

From life sentence to 21 years
Osmar Sabido, who was initially convicted in the Northern Session of the Supreme Court of the murder of his common-law wife Christie Carrasco, 21, on appeal had his murder conviction and life in prison sentence set aside and substituted with manslaughter. He was sentenced today in the Court of Appeal to 14 years and 347 days. In handing down the sentence, President of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Justice Manuel Sosa, told Sabido, 30, that the appropriate sentence in this matter is 21 years, but the court took into consideration the amount of time that he has spent on remand awaiting trial and deducted the time he spent on remand, leaving the 14-years-and-347-day sentence.

Finally, Ministers named!
Whistleblower Alvarine Burgess took the witness stand in May 2015 in defense of herself in a defamation lawsuit in the Supreme Court filed by Hon. Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro. Yesterday, Wednesday, Burgess appeared before the Senate Select Committee inquiring into the Auditor General’s Report on the Immigration Department covering the period 2011 to 2013. At the Supreme Court hearing, Burgess proved to be a credible witness and her testimony eventually led Minister Castro to retreat from his defamation claim. Burgess’ testimony before the Senate Select Committee was equally convincing, but this time, she was able to name two additional ministers who were involved in the visa hustling scheme that enabled Asians seeking visitor’s visas to come to Belize.

The Dorian Pakeman case: A botched police investigation and an error in law, says DPP Vidal
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, “expressed surprise” at the outcome of the preliminary inquiry in the case of Dorian Pakeman, who was charged with causing death by careless conduct, nine months after the March 30, 2016 traffic accident that claimed the life of Dean Dawson, 45, a mechanic of Gardenia, in the Belize District. In an interview with Amandala on Friday, June 2, DPP Vidal said that the first time she heard that the case against Pakeman was struck out at the Magistrate’s Court preliminary inquiry level, was when she saw it on social media on the day the decision was made. “Rule 8.11of the Criminal Procedure Rule requires that if the defense intends to contest the preliminary inquiry, to make submissions that there is no evidence to commit the defendant to the Supreme Court, advanced notice must be given to the prosecution. We at the DPP’s office received absolutely no such notice,” DPP Vidal said.

At least 57 murdered in Belize since 2017 began
The year 2016 saw the second highest murder count in Belize, and Belize is still grappling with a high per capita murder rate of roughly 36 homicides per 100,000 residents, with 11 murders a month on average reported this year—too many for a small population of about 380,000 persons. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ret’d Colonel George Lovell, told Amandala that he was briefed today on the current crime situation, and latest reports are that the murder count now stands at 57, down from 61 murders this time last year. No murders were confirmed over the weekend, although there are fears that a woman reported missing after she went to take food for her boyfriend in Corozal Town on June 1 could have been a victim of foul play, after the woman’s car was found intentionally burnt. Relatives have also been unable to reach the woman’s boyfriend since her disappearance.

FFB’s National Over-40 under way, Week 1 results
With little fanfare, the long anticipated National Over-40 Football Tournament 2017 kicked off over the weekend with 3 games played. With the late addition of the Lake team from Belize City, there are now 8 teams in the competition, and thus 4 games are expected this weekend. The revised schedule will be released later this week, according to Over-40 Chairman, Peter Alvarez. In the only game on Saturday night, June 3, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Benque Veterans dropped Belmopan Veterans, 3-0, with goals from David Aldana (3’ & 56’) and Luiz Martinez (53’).

Tour de Santino – May 27 & 28, 2017 results
A total of 62 riders registered for this first ever Tour de Santino – 21 Mexicans and 41 Belizeans. By the end of the Tour, 15 riders had abandoned, 14 Belizeans and 1 Mexican, Juan Manuel Yapur, due to the death of his mother that took place Saturday evening after our Stage 2. Below are the results of the 3 Stages and the General Classification in all Categories. Stage 1 – Leslie’s/Hattieville/Leslie’s: 1st – Gabriel Burgos (Mexican); 2nd – Sherman “Pest” Thomas (Team Santino’s); 3rd – Jose Arroyo (Mexican). Stage 2 – Leslie’s/Boom Junction/Leslie’s: 1st – Liam Stewart (Team Santino’s); 2nd – Barney Brown (Team Scotiabank); 3rd – Palas Joseph (Team Lampaz).

Belmopan Bandits crowned Pepsi NEBL 2017 Champions
The Pepsi NEBL season closed with a huge bang in San Pedro on Saturday night, as two-time champions San Pedro Tiger Sharks hosted Belmopan Bandits in game 3 of the Finals. San Pedro High School was packed to capacity, with standing room only, as the intensity of the game surely depicted a championship game with everything on the line. The first quarter got the jitters out of both teams, as Belmopan Bandits finished with an 18–17 lead. In the second quarter, the visiting team jumped out to an 18 point lead, going into intermission with a comfortable 44–30 lead. However, San Pedro Tiger Sharks went on a run of their own at the end of the third quarter and mid-way through the fourth quarter, and in the process grabbing a 5 point lead with 4 minutes remaining in the game. Belmopan Bandits, was able to regain their composure, coming up with some key shots down the stretch, while getting crucial defensive stops, to register the 75–67 victory, claiming the NEBL championship.

Belize City FC and Jewel Fury FC, 0-0 at MCC in game 1 of National Women Football Finals
Game 1 in the Football Federation of Belize’s (FFB) National Amateur Women League 2017 championship series between Belize City FC and Belmopan’s Jewel Fury FC ended scoreless on Saturday night at the MCC Grounds. Despite the swirling clouds of dust, often visible as little “whirlwinds” in the night light, and the treacherously uneven pitch that is the MCC, the ladies displayed a high level of football skill and competitive intensity. The lively commentary and shouts of encouragement from the fans present throughout the game, was convincing evidence of their level of interest and appreciation for the performance of our female ‘ballers. They will meet again “for all the marbles” in game 2 of the finals this Saturday, June10, at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan

Editorial: Our troubled justice system
It may well be argued that the present executive of Belize, in the form of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Cabinet, lost its moral authority three years ago when Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie was ordered to ignore and defy an order from the Chief Justice of Belize, Kenneth Benjamin. It may also be argued that the people of Belize sanctioned the UDP Cabinet’s constitutional violation of our justice system when we returned the same Cabinet to office in the general election of November 4, 2015. Classic parliamentary democracy features an executive, a legislature, and a judiciary. In Belize’s system of governance, the Cabinet is the executive, the House of Representatives is the legislature, and the judiciary includes the Police Department and the court system of Belize. The Prime Minister rules in the executive, the Speaker rules in the legislature, and the Chief Justice rules in the judiciary.

From the Publisher
The United Democratic Party (UDP) was devastated by their defeat (People’s United Party [PUP], 13 seats: UDP, 5) in the 1979 general election. Their UDP Leader, Dean Lindo, remains the only Leader of the Opposition ever to lose his seat in a general election. Lindo owned the party newspaper, The Beacon, which used to be printed at #7 Church Street in Belize City. The party was in disarray for a while. Of the five UDP area representatives elected in that election, three were from the Toledo and Stann Creek Districts, as opposed to just two from Belize City – Philip Goldson (Albert) and Curl Thompson (Mesopotamia). The three area reps from the South, Dr. Ted Aranda (Dangriga), Charles Wagner (Toledo South) and Basilio Ah (Toledo North) joined forces and decided to choose one of their own – Dr. Aranda, for Leader. Looking back, a student of local politics would likely wonder why it was that Mr. Goldson, who had been Leader of the Opposition from 1961 to 1974, by virtue of being Leader of the National Independence Party (NIP), had not been chosen UDP Leader to replace Lindo, but you must remember that the financiers and power brokers of the Opposition had spent years trying to replace Mr. Goldson in leadership.

Expense bill for BTL nationalization “very, very outrageous:” Fin Sec
On Thursday, June 1, the firms of Moore Stephens Magaña LLP and Crowe Horwath reportedly served Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow with a letter claiming that virtually all the balance due in settlement of nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), which Barrow had said would be paid in Belize dollars and spent on projects in Belize, should instead be paid mostly in US currency to settle the expenses incurred by the former shareholders of BTL in pursuing compensation for the appropriation of their BTL shares back in 2009. As Amandala readers will recall, when Barrow detailed the settlement agreement he had hatched out with British billionaire Michael Ashcroft back in 2015, prior to being re-elected to a third term in office, he claimed that the parties had agreed that the portion attributable to the accommodation agreement—which Barrow had rescinded claiming that the agreement, which did not have parliamentary sanction, was contrary to Belizean law—would be spent on projects for the benefit of Belize.

Guatemalan man, 65, remanded for sexual assault of child, 6
A 65-year-old Guatemalan man was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned on a charge of sexual assault of a 6-year-old girl. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith arraigned Francisco Figueroa on one count of sexual assault. Figueroa pleaded not guilty to the charge. The court prosecutor, however, objected to the court granting bail to Figueroa on the grounds that he is a Guatemalan and as such, is a flight risk because he may flee from the jurisdiction and not attend court.

Mother, missing at sea, found dead – she had drowned
The search for Asita Flores,44, a domestic of Sarteneja who went missing at sea on Thursday night, June 1, after the boat in which she was traveling overturned, came to a sad conclusion at about 10:00 this morning. Residents of Sarteneja who were searching for her found her body floating in the sea about half a mile north of Consejo, Corozal District. Police said that when they went to the Corozal Town Pier on 1st Avenue, they saw the body of Asita Flores in a skiff, and it was in an advanced state of decomposition. At the conclusion of a post-mortem exam on her body, it was certified that drowning was the cause of her death.

Belize, Guatemala and Honduras sub-regional strategy to end illegal
Dr. Omar Figueroa, Belize’s Minister of State who holds the portfolio for Fisheries, announced at a side event held today at the UN Oceans Conference being convened in New York, USA, to highlight Belize’s trailblazing open access fisheries program, that the country is also working towards developing and implementing a national and sub-regional (Belize, Honduras and Guatemala) strategy and plan by 2019 to effectively combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing—a scourge that bilks countries around the globe of tens of billions of dollars in revenues. “Our work has only just begun,” said Figueroa, in speaking of the steps Belize has taken towards overcoming the challenges it still faces.

Firearms examiner, Orlando Vera, found guilty of abetment to pervert the course of justice
A National Forensic Science Service Center employee, Orlando Vera, who is a firearms examiner and ballistics expert, was convicted on a charge of abetment of perverting the course of justice this morning. Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith remanded Vera to prison until his sentencing day on Thursday, June 8. Since the incident for which Vera was charged occurred in Belmopan, the case was tried in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court, but the final submissions were made in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where the Chief Magistrate also delivered the guilty verdict. The allegation against Vera arose from incidents that occurred between June 1 and July 31, 2015. The trial began in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court on March 7, 2017. On May 25, final closing arguments were made in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.

Breaking Belize News

San Ignacio woman reported missing
Kimberly Joanna Reyes, 25, of Western Street, San Ignacio reported that on Sunday June 4, she was informed that her younger sister Tiffany Shannel Williams, 21, had left home at 9:30 p.m., reportedly to visit her common-law-husband Geovanni Carcamo on 9th Street. Williams has […]

Police issue report on Jerson Carballo’s murder
Shortly after midnight in the wee morning hours, Belize City police visited the corner of Electric and Lawrence Avenues where cops saw Jerson Carballo, 27, lying on the Street with a gunshot wound to the head, chest and back. A police investigation revealed that […]

PM defends Yellowman, says PUP Leader
Leader of the Opposition, John Briceno has responded to the remarks made by the Prime Minister about Brian “Yellowman” Audinett’s behavior in the House of Representatives. A couple weeks ago, at the senate hearing Audinett threatened two camera men and threatened to break Krem […]

Over $100 million in court battles against Ashcroft
The Government of Belize will, reportedly have to spend almost US$130 million in legal fees for its continued court battles against the group of companies owned by Michael Ashcroft. Channel 7 news reported last night that, that the legal fees will amount to about […]

Belize – The Chinese Phenomenon
By Richard Harrison: phe·nom·e·non 1. a fact or situation that is observed to exist or happen, especially one whose cause or explanation is in question. “glaciers are unique and interesting natural phenomena” the object of a person’s perception; what the senses or the mind notice. Even a […]

Brother of Ernestine Carballo murdered in Belize City
BBN has received reliable reports that Jerson Carballo, brother of well known Belizean singer, Ernestine Carballo was murdered early this morning in the old capital. According to reports, the incident happened in the St. Martins area of Belize City. A source told BBN that […]

Young woman from San Ignacio missing
The family of 21 year old Tiffany Shannel Williams is worried. Williams was last seen last night around 10 on Vaca Street in San Ignacio in the company of a male friend. She has not been seen or heard from since that time. Williams […]

NICH hosting 5 Day Audio/Video Production Workshop
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Belize International Film Festival is pleased to partner with Professor Steve T. Berry to present a five-day Audio/Visual Production Workshop for Secondary and Tertiary Level Students. Participants will be provided with the basic technical, […]

Blogs

A celebration of lobster: the best festivals in Belize
The most anticipated series of festivals is upon us once more. Yes, it is time for Lobster Fest! A tribute to the Spiny Lobster, held in the country’s top three coastal destinations, Lobster Fest is not only a culinary treat, but a celebration of Belizean culture. The fun kicks off with the San Pedro Lobster Crawl! From Thursday, June 15th to Friday, June 23rd, tour Ambergris Caye and take part in special ‘lobster themed’ events held at participating establishments. The events range from beach BBQs to fine dining venues. At each stop, get your Lobster Crawl Passport stamped to enter the big San Pedro Lobster Fest Raffle.

WildLife And Other Out of The Ordinary Experiences on Remote Ambergris Caye
And while living on an coastal island of Belize surprises me in some way every single day – life is much less ordinary at an off-the-grid lodge – where the daily visitors are mostly birds (many wading birds nest on this side of the island) and fish with a flyfishing boat once in a while. Here are some of the extra-ordinary things I’ve encountered over the last few months, things that show me how big and special this island really is. One day there was a ruckus in the mangroves over the lagoon…a bird squawking and screaming. Closer inspection and…it was a green vine snake with a bird’s neck in his mouth.

Southwest Begins Flying from Fort Lauderdale to Belize
As of June 4, 2017, Southwest Airlines, the world’s largest low-cost air carrier, has begun flying its new non-stop flight from the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood (FLL) Airport to Belize City (BZE). The new Fort Lauderdale-Belize route is Southwest’s third non-stop flight to Belize. Beginning in 2015, Southwest has been flying non-stop to Belize from Houston’s Hobby Airport (HOU) and Southwest began flying from Denver (DIA) to Belize City on March 11, 2017. Belizean Civil Aviation Minister Manuel Heredia and his department have worked hard to attract new routes to the country. Following substantial investments in infrastructure, all four of the biggest airlines in the United States now offer flights to Belize, including American Airlines, Delta, United, and Southwest. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has also worked with Canadian authorities. The first non-stop flights from Canada to Belize began operating earlier this year on WestJet Airlines and now Air Canada, the eighth-largest airline in the world, has announced it will begin flying from Toronto to Belize City beginning on December 15, 2017.

International Costa Maya Festival - A Week of Culture and Festivities
First conceived as a celebration of the wider Maya world with participants from Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Mexico in 1992, the festival has since blossomed to become one of the most popular events on the Belizean calendar. The festival begins with a beauty pageant featuring contestants from the “Mundo Maya” countries and then explodes in a celebration of dance, food, art, games, and music. A celebration of all things Maya, the festival is a colorful mix of a beauty pageant, music including Punta, Salsa, Merengue, Soca, Reggae, and traditional Maya melodies, riotous parades, and a celebration of food, art, and merrymaking.

June 1st was the opening season of Hurricane Season
It’s that time of the year. The time to reflect on and be prepared for the hurricane season. Thursday 1st June marks the beginning of the 2017 hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin. The season runs from the 1st of June to 30th November 2017. However, as seen by the exceptionally rare Tropical Storm Arlene, which was only the second named storm on record to form in April, the formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year. The outlook for 2017 suggests that tropical cyclone activity will be slightly above normal in the Atlantic Basin (North Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico) this year.

International Sources

Police in Panama have arrested the former governor of the south-eastern Mexican state of Quintana Roo, Roberto Borge. Mr Borge, of the governing PRI party, is under investigation for alleged corruption, which he denies. He was arrested as he was about to board a plane bound for Paris at Tocumen airport in Panama City. Mr Borge is one of several Mexican former governors who went on the run after being accused of corruption.

A Little Bit of Utah Goes a Long Way
One of the tenets of Beyond the Horizon, a recurring U.S Army South mission to Central America, focuses on building better relations with host nations through civic and humanitarian assistance, while giving reservists a chance to train in a deployed environment. Soldiers from the Utah National Guard Medical Command and the 128th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment are helping to further that goal this year in Belize by participating in the exercise between March and July 2017. In the task force headquarters element, Utah Guardsmen are staffing the medical planner, surgeon and preventive medicine officer positions, and the medical logistics and medical operations noncommissioned officers. Maj. Samantha Madsen, the task force’s medical planner, has been central to preparing each of the three medical readiness training exercises (MEDRETEs) throughout the BTH 2017 humanitarian mission.

2017 Brides Honeymoon Awards: The Top Beach Resorts Under $350
Picking the perfect honeymoon is no easy feat—countless romantic destinations, endless hotel options, limited vacation time and the struggle-is-real challenge of finding the perfect place to please both you and your new spouse. Where to begin? Well, right here. BRIDES teamed up with the A-list agents at Virtuoso—a global network of more than 15,000 luxury-travel specialists—to find the most romantic, luxe hot spots in the world. Whether you're looking for bucket-list hotels and resorts, far-flung beaches, the top cruise lines for couples, inexpensive honeymoon ideas or unexpected honeymoon-worthy locales, you’ve come to the right spot. Presenting our 2017 Honeymoon Awards—dive in to see the best beach resorts under $350! Few places are better for exploring the Belize Barrier Reef (the world’s second-largest coral-reef system) than this 25-villa sanctuary fronting the Caribbean Sea. Among its highlights are a pristine white-sand beach, easy access to the laid-back fishing village of Placencia, and one very famous proprietor: legendary director Francis Ford Coppola. At dinner, expect dishes blending seafood and Italian cuisine (made with ingredients from the organic garden)—and maybe even his Oscar-winning daughter, Sofia, at the next table. (Rooms from $319; thefamilycoppolahideaways.com)

IMF economic forecast: Bouncing back from recession
SHIFTS IN THE global landscape are taking place following disappointing growth in 2016. Momentum picked up in the second half of 2016, and the outlook for advanced economies has improved for 2017-18. Better growth prospects in the United States, Europe, and Japan reflect some rebound in manufacturing and trade, as well as prospects of likely US fiscal stimulus in the wake of the November elections. As it seeks a new policy course, the US should see solid economic growth in the near term with job creation and rising inflation. Prospects for the Caribbean region are improving, with growth in both tourism-dependent economies and commodity exporters projected to be in the 1.5 to three per cent range for 2017 and 2018. Several countries in the region registered strong growth in tourism in 2016 – in particular Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, and St Vincent and the Grenadines – as a result of higher arrivals in both the stopover and cruise segments.

Coral Adaptation Won’t Save Reefs in Time to Prevent Humanitarian Disaster
Amid dire reports of unprecedented coral reef loss due to rising sea temperatures, there may yet be cause for optimism with respect to the long-term survival of reef ecosystems. Early evidence of certain coral species’ ability to adapt to—and even thrive in—warming seas suggest that climate change will not necessarily bring about the end of coral reefs altogether, although it will likely result in the end of coral reefs as we’ve known them. During the decades that it will take for reefs to repopulate with heat-resistant coral species, ecosystem collapse is all but a foregone conclusion. The destruction of reef ecosystems, even if it is temporary, is likely to result in permanent biodiversity loss; one-quarter of all marine species currently live in and around coral reefs.

Videos

June 6, 2017

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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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

SPHS holds ‘The Great Gatsby’-inspired Senior Prom 2017
San Pedro High School’s (SPHS) Class of 2017 senior student’s attended their annual Prom Night on Friday, June 1st. Held at the beautifully decorated R.A. Nuñez Auditorium, the 1920’s vintage flair of ‘The Great Gatsby’ theme was breathtaking. While mingling with friends, the graduates enjoyed delicious food, and drinks. Tunes were provided by DJ Jago and the graduates were not shy to hit the dancefloor. From the latest in dancehall music to even the “Cha Cha Slide”—the graduates made sure their prom was a memorable one. As usual, the best was saved for last, and the highly anticipated honors of SPHS Prom King and Queen 2017 went to: Manuel Flores and Rosalina Fuentez. As confetti fell from the ceiling, the King and Queen took center stage for their celebratory dance. SPHS teachers toasted to the Class of 2017, congratulating them for achieving another milestone in their academic career.

Belmopan Bandits triumph over San Pedro Tiger Sharks
The Pepsi National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) season closed on Saturday, June 3rd as the San Pedro Tiger Sharks hosted Belmopan Bandits in game three of the finals held in San Pedro Town. The game was played at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium, which was packed to capacity for the championship game. Despite having the home-court advantage, the Tiger Sharks were overcome by the Bandits, who claimed the NEBL 2017 Championship with a final score of 75-67. The fourth and last quarter was the most intense, and fans were on the edge of their seats. The lead changed several times, with the Tiger Sharks even nabbing a five point lead a few minutes before the final buzzer. However, the Belmopan Bandits quickly regained their composure, netting key shots, and getting crucial defensive stops. The Tiger Sharks were crippled, and even though they fought hard until the end, the Bandits stole a 75-67 victory. The win gave the Belmopan Bandits their first NEBL Championship in franchise history.

Public Service Fair held at San Pedro Lions Den
The public service sector organizes a series of events in June to highlight the importance of public service. As such, on June 1st, the 5th Annual Public Service Information Fair took place at the San Pedro Lions Den. The theme selected for this year was: “With Confidence – Achieving Excellence; With Pride – Executing Responsibilities; With Perseverance – Beyond the Call of Duty”. At the fair, different government departments were given the opportunity to showcase their work, interact with the public, and receive feedback on ways to further improve services. This year, a total of 14 booths participated: Postal Service, Elections and Boundaries, Human Development Department, the San Pedro Police Department, Magistracy Department, Customs, Immigration, Income Tax, General Sales Tax, Labour Department, Transport, Local Government, Ministry of Health-Central Health Region, and the Fire Department.

Ambergris Today

Belize Celebrates World Environment Day
Each World Environment Day is organized around a theme that focuses attention on a particularly pressing environmental concern. The theme for 2017 is ‘Connecting people to nature’, and it encourages us to: Connect with nature in the city, green your city, green your street or a not-so-pretty site, plant a tree, plant many trees. Pick up 10 (or 100) pieces of trash, organize a mass clean-up. Hit the park, hit the outdoors, enjoy your country’s natural areas. Challenge yourself, identify wildlife, reach the remotest corner of the park. Take only pictures, share with others, take them exploring too. Take off your shoes, get your feet (and hands) dirty. Don’t just look at the beautiful river, jump in! Take a hike, rely on your ears and nose to experience nature. Whether peering at a bug that has touched down on your arm, connecting with nature is often an intimate, fleeting experience. But every trip outdoors.

Belize National Aids Commission Receives Regional Testing Day Award
The Belize National AIDS Commission and Executive Director Enrique Romero were presented with the 10th Anniversary Regional Testing Day Innovative Outreach Award for their contribution to the Regional Testing Day on HIV initiative as it celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year. The award was given in recognition of the innovative approach that the NAC has taken to the promotion of Regional Testing Day in Belize. Thirty-three (33) awards were presented to organizations and individuals from across the Caribbean who have worked tirelessly over the last ten years in support of Regional Testing Day (RTD) activities. The milestone tenth Anniversary of Regional Testing Day for HIV AIDS in the Caribbean was also launched at this glittering event.

Misc Belizean Sources

Costal Zone Management will be conducting mapping survey of the North Side of Caye Caulker
The Coastal Zone Management Authority & Institute, with funding support from the Marine Conservation and Climate Adaptation Project (MCCAP) will be conducting data collection activities on northern Caulker to support the development of an inventory on development activities and use of the coastal and marine resources. Date: June 5th — June 9th 2017 Time: 8:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. Place: Caye Caulker (north) . For more information you may contact: Maritza Canto at gismanaaerOcoastalzonebelize orq or 636-3991.

Street signs on Caye Caulker
Thank you to BTB and STP2 for their amazing collaboration with the CCVC in making this project a reality! More signs soon...

Donation for San Pedro Poly Clinic
On Thursday, June 1,Mr. Kevin Meighan from Yam’s Home Health Care Services presented a donation on behalf of Medics Away Foundation to the San Pedro Poly Clinic. Owen Vellos was on hand and accepted six Welch Allen Diagnostic sets to the value of approximately $6,000Bze. The community of San Pedro is very grateful for this kind gesture. -

CELEBRATION OF WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY – ‘Connecting People to Nature’
World Environment Day, celebrated each year on June 5, is the United Nations’ most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a platform for public outreach on environmental issues that is globally celebrated in over 100 countries. The Government of Belize, through the Department of the Environment (DOE), is responsible for the protection and conservation of its untold wealth through the control of pollution. The DOE is not alone in safeguarding Belize’s natural resources. Each one of us all share a role in nurturing, protecting, and using Belize’s natural resources for the benefit of all through changes which we can make to prevent and adapt to those threats. It is the Department of the Environment’s hope that all gain a greater appreciation and understanding of our precious natural resources, and the pressures and challenges that we as citizens face in ensuring that this natural heritage is there for future generations. When natural resources are used correctly and consistently in a manner that is safe for our environment, the results can be rewarding for us and for future generations. This is referred to as “sustainable use.”

BELIZE NATIONAL AIDS COMMISSION RECEIVES REGIONAL TESTING DAY AWARD
The Belize National AIDS Commission and Executive Director Enrique Romero were presented with the 10th Anniversary Regional Testing Day Innovative Outreach Award for their contribution to the Regional Testing Day on HIV initiative as it celebrates its 10th Anniversary this year. The award was given in recognition of the innovative approach that the NAC has taken to the promotion of Regional Testing Day in Belize.

Results-Based Management Training for the 2030 Agenda
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration (MAFFESDI) with the support of United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is having a two and a half days Results-Based Management training session, from 5th- 7th June, 2017, at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City. Belize is a pilot country in a UN-sponsored project entitled “Monitoring and reporting on sustainable development objectives, goals and targets: enhancing institutional capability in selected developing countries”. The objective of the project is to strengthen the aptitude of persons to monitor and report on progress against the goals and targets adopted in the 2030 Agenda and related national strategic planning documents.

Boat capsizes in Mexican Waters and Sarteneja woman drowns
At 5:00 a.m. on 01.06.17, 44 year old Acita Flores and eight other persons left Sarteneja Village in a white and blue 24 ft. skiff to Calderitas Village and Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico to do some shopping. At 6:30 p.m. on 01.06.17, they departed Mexico and the skiff was hit by a huge wave which caused it to capsize. At 4:30 a.m. on 02.06.17, a search party left Sarteneja Village and found eight survivors in front of Calderitas Village, Mexico, however, Flores was not found. At 9:15 a.m. on 04.06.17, Flores’ body was found floating in the sea about ½ mile north of Consejo Village, Corozal District. The body was transported to the Corozal Town Hospital. At post mortem examination was conducted on the body certifying the cause of death as consistent with drowning.

Congratulations Southwest Airlines!!
There are now even more options to travel to the U.S. On Sunday, Southwest Airlines inaugurated another new route. Direct flights now operate between Ft. Lauderdale and Belize City! Southwest also expanded its service to Denver offering two flights during the week. Southwest Airlines Senior Vice President of Operations Jack Smith and other Southwest Airlines officials flew in on the inaugural flight arriving from Ft. Lauderdale. Charge d'Affaires, a.i. Adrienne Galanek, Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation CEO Yashin Dujon, Belize Airport Concession Company CEO Jorge Espat, BTB Marketing Director Karen Pike and Southwest's Station Manager Linda Neal all welcomed arriving passengers and bid farewell to departing passengers on this exciting inaugural flight. Southwest Airlines Belize Tourism Board

Belize Screen on the Green, Belmopan
Mark your calendars for movie night on Friday, June 9 at the Governor General Field. Free popcorn, juice and glow sticks. It's a family movie, Dolphin Tale, come out and enjoy!

'Connecting People to Nature’
The theme for World Environment Day 2017, implores us to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth that we share. As Belizeans, we must learn to fully appreciate our dependence on the natural environment being that nature provides for our livelihoods in the form of fertile soil and productive marine resources. We are among the first to suffer when ecosystems are threatened, whether by pollution, climate change or over-exploitation. Even so, these resources are often taken for granted, at least until they become scarce.

Governor General Welcomes Ambassadors at the Belize House
This morning at the Belize House, four ambassadors presented their letters of credence to the Governor General of Belize H.E. Sir Colville Young. The ambassadors included H.E. Mr. Daniel Chuburu of Argentina, H.E. Mr. Mohamed Chafiki of Morocco, H.E. Mr. Zurab Eristavi of Georgia and H.E. Mr. Jorge Roman Morey of Peru. Each ambassador expressed their desire for continued cooperation and strengthened ties between Belize and their respective countries. For his part, the Governor General thanked the ambassadors for their kind words and warmly welcomed them on behalf of the government and people of Belize.

5th annual Men @Work Art Exhibit
A gracious thank you to our cultural artists and community for a lovely launch of the 5th annual Men @Work Art Exhibit this past Friday night. A record number of art pieces sold ...seven in total, including acrylic paintings, charcoal, wood carvings, watercolours and jewelry. Artists on display are Hector Villamil, Allan Jones, Carlos Carrillo, Gale Peterson, Benjamin Cal, Paul Sandilands, Daniel Cano, Bob Wright, Alex Sanker and Marcus Gonzalez. You are kindly invited to visit the House of Culture and view the exhibit which is on display through to June 23.

Power outage San Pedro
BEL crews are investigating the cause of a power interruption affecting entire San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, since 12:38 a.m. on Tuesday, June 6, in order to restore power supply as soon as possible.

Channel 7

Corozal Couple Missing, Families Stressed
Right now, two Corozal families are very worried about their loved ones, 32 year-old Zeidy Orozco, and her 41 year-old boyfriend, Baltazar Lopez. The couple have been missing for 72 hours now, and the hope to find them alive and well is dwindling with every passing hour. Our News team has been out all day in Corozal, and they were along with search parties looking for Orozco and Baltazar. Daniel Ortiz examines at the troubling aspects of their disappearance which has these families fretting tonight. Here's that story: This evening, the families of 31 year-old Zeidy Orozco, and 41 year-old Baltazar Lopez finished a long day's search in the remote parts of Corozal. They've been looking for the couple for 4 days now; and these loved-ones are starting to confront the very grim possibility that this search will end with them retrieving Zeidy's and Baltazar's bodies.

Body of 44 Year Old Mother Retrieved After Calamity At Sea
On Friday night we told you about the tragedy at sea in northern Belize. That's when a boat from Sarteneja capsized in the Bay of Chetumal after leaving Calderitas, Mexico at 6:30 on Thursday night. Police say a huge wave slammed the 24 foot skiff and flipped it over. Nine people were on board, and they had to fight for their life all night at sea. The next morning at 4:30 am, their family from Sarteneja set out and found eight of them in the sea near Calderitas village. They were suffering from hypothermia, dehydration and other injuries. But, 44 year old Acita Milsa Flores didn't make it. Reports form the survivors say she was looking after her daughter's safety until she suddenly went under and did not come back up. Her body was found at 9:15 on Sunday morning about ½ mile north of Consejo Village, Corozal District. A post mortem certified the cause of death as consistent with drowning.

Osmar Will Serve 14 More Years For Killing Christy
Common-law-wife killer Osmar Sabido was first sentenced to life in prison for murder, and then that was reduced to manslaughter by the Court of Appeal, which ruled that he had been provoked. Well, today, the Court handed down its sentence for that manslaughter conviction. The 31 year old was sentenced to 21 years by the Belize Court of Appeal. But Sabido will only serve 14 years and 8 days because 6 years and 347 days were taken off his sentence, which was the time he has already served for the 2011 murder. Before deciding on the sentence the Court of Appeal heard pleas for mitigation from Sabido's father and uncle and Sabido himself.

Bill From Ashcroft Alliance Is In, And It’s In The Hundreds of Millions
Last week we reported on the latest battle between the Ashcroft Alliance and the Barrow Administration. It's over legal and other costs - arising from the settlement of the BTL acquisition. We've been reporting that the final figure would be in the many tens of millions of dollars. Tonight, we can report that it is in the hundreds of millions. That's right, figures we've heard put it at 130 million US dollars - that's more than a quarter billion Belize dollars. In just legal and other costs! Now these costs are to be claimed against what is known as the accommodation amount - which is the 60% of the 460 million dollar settlement arising from that agreement.

PUP Leader Says PM Barrow Is Defending The Indefensible In Yellowman
Briceno also responded to the Prime Minister's remarks on Mace-bearer Brian Yellowman Audinett. The PM has said his threats against and assault on the press were unacceptable, but in the next breath he said there's no way he would support firing Yellowman as Macebearer. That's consequential coming from Barrow as Party Leader because the UDP also controls the majority on the House Staff Committee which will deliberate Yelloman's fate this week. Briceno says Barrow is putting party before country:... John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "I expect nothing different from that committee that's going to be meeting next week - that they are going to meet and keep Yellowman as the macebearer. It is a sad day for Belize and it is a shame that the Prime Minister has decided that he is going to put the political interest of his party above the interest of this country and the Belizean people."

Briceno says Speaker May Maintain Status Quo
Opposition Leader Briceno has also sent a letter to the Speaker of the House Laura Longsworth demanding that she take decisive action and remove Yellowman. But, that was almost two weeks and he hasn't gotten a response. The Leader said he fears the Speaker will preserve the status quo: John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "For her to keep Yellowman as her macebearer I think speak volumes and I think that the Belizean people are going to be very disappointed in her, because people look up to her as somebody of integrity and somebody of respect and I think that she needs to think about that and to insist that the macebearer must be fired, because it is her macebearer and she is the one that should decide who will be her macebearer and should she decide that she is going to keep the macebearer, then I think that it is going to show that she is just probably another UDP speaker of the house."

Briceno Says “Message Sent” With Castro Cancellation
And speaking also about the Edmond Castro visa revocation, John Briceno said that it is a clear, direct and serious message from the US to Belize:... John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "How can he say that he sees nothing wrong when a sitting minister, one of his members of his cabinet visas, both diplomatic and tourist visas had been cancelled? That says a lot. The US Government is not going to take away the visa of a sitting minister of any government in any country, unless if it is something serious." The cancellation of a diplomatic VISA is not a matter lightly taken.

7News And Southwest To Fort Lauderdale
In January the BTB announced another non-stop flight with discount carriers Southwest Airlines from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Belize. It is expected to disrupt the Miami Monopoly that American Airlines has enjoyed for decades. And to see just how this flight will impact that monopoly and of course tourist arrivals - Southwest sponsored a weekend media trip on the charter flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Belize. Courtney Weatherburne was in Ft. Lauderdale this weekend and has more details. Courtney Weatherburne reporting: Ft. Lauderdale is known for its broad beachfront promenade, its luxury hotels and its Culture and Art museums. And this weekend many tourists traveled to the city to enjoy all these attractions, others were just glad to get back home to their familiar multilane highways and shopping centers.

See, Taste, Travel
And Belizeans living in Belize and abroad can make the best out of this direct flight as soon as October. The 2nd annual See and Taste Belize will be held in Miami Florida on October 7th at the Deauville Resort. The Counsel General for Belize in Florida Janine Sylvestre told us more about the event and just how fitting this new flight is. Janine Sylvestre Vega, Hon. Consul General of Belize in Florida: "We are having our 2nd annual See and taste Belize on October 7th which coincides with carnival and our first event was just an astounding success, we had over close to a thousand Belizean that came to the first event and they came from all over the United States to celebrate Belize, the concept of See and Taste Belize is really to showcase Belize's culture through its food, and its art and of course Belikin Beer and music and we are very excited to this flight to Belize because this will facilitate Belizean coming to visit South Florida and for the See and taste event , they can come and book their flights from now."

Are New Fees Affecting Southwest?
But how are the new departure fees affecting Southwest - which prides itself as a discount carrier? The new departure fee was adjusted to $40.00 in the last budget presentation - which is after Southwest had already announced introductory fares as law as 79 US dollars one way to Belize. But then the new government fee were imposed - and those are all bundled into the cost of a ticket. So we wondered if it was kind of like moving the goalposts. Here's what the BTB's Director and the Southwest Representative said: Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism: "From the results I am seeing already for May, I am not seeing any impact as yet and the beauty about it is that the taxes are paid within the ticket cost so there is nothing to say this is tax, this is the cost of the ticket and this is something else , it is just one cost for a direct route or direct flight from Ft. Lauderdale to Belize or from anywhere to Belize and you just get a total cost so you wouldn't know what the departure tax is or any tax is and we are happy because of competition and the rates are going down so the increase in departure tax isn't very obvious."

Boom and The Battle Over Bradley’s Boatyard
Two weeks ago we told you about the fire that was set at Bradley Boat Yard's new workshop in Burrell Boom. Police haven't made any arrests, and the Chairlady told us she had heard no objections to the facility. But there is a groundswell of opposition. Tomorrow, villagers will have a press conference to make known their displeasure with the project, and on Saturday at Burrell Boom day, one long time resident told us that the boatyard needs to go: Lincoln Gillett - Boom Resident of 30+ Years: "I am not agreement with that activity. It could be down there that the wind shifts and I live up wind from it and I still smell the residue from it and I am allergic to anything that has to do with that kind of fiberglass activity. The smell..." Erlene Baptist Pandy - Chairlady, Burrell Boom Village "Mr. Bradley isn't doing anything. He isn't doing any sort of work on his boat, has just bringing them up, putting up his building. There is nothing going on."

Candor After the Fire
Right now, Orange Walk resident Edison Urbina is attempting to put his life back together after a fire almost destroyed his entire house on Liberty Avenue. This house caught fire on Saturday morning sometime after 11:00, and Urbina thinks that it is a case of arson. This evening, he gave us a tour of the remains of the house, and he granted us a very candid interview explaining why he thinks someone intentionally set it ablaze. Here's what he told us: Edison Urbina - Homeowner: "I lived here from 1981 since my mother was alive. I give her a lot of stress, now I have no mother, or father, I have nothing"

Western Union Robbers, Strolled In, Strutted Out
Cayo police need your help to identify two men that robbed Western Union in Santa Elena around midday today. It happened when two men went into the office walking casually - you can see them here, the first in a black shirt and the second in an orange shirt. The went in - with the man in the orange shirt delaying a little as a lookout. 40- seconds later, the man in the back shirt strolled out, while the one in the orange shirt ran behind him. They had just robbed the place. They can be seen walking away across the Santa Elena roundabout. Cayo police need your help in identifying these suspects. If you know who they are, please call the Cayo police station. Police have not released any detail on how much was stolen in the robbery. We'll have that tomorrow

The New School Of Music Gives Associates’ Degree In Music
We know that there are many tertiary level institutions in Belize and you can get a degree in anything from graphic design to nursing, to physics and math. But what about music? That's usually study you take up on your own if you want to be a professional musician as an adult. But now, SJC junior college is changing all that with the first associates degree program for music. It's being done in conjunction with their sister institution, the Loyola University in New Orleans. That well established University's college of music and fine arts teamed up for a new building dedicated to the program. IT was opened on Saturday:

No Case For Nedal
In November of last year, COLA member Murphy Nedal McLaren, who is also known as "Jihad", was hauled in front of the Magistrate's Court for a marijuana possession charge. Police say that they found a weed "roach" on him. Well, today, more than 6 months later, the Chief Magistrate acquitted him. The charge was from an encounter that McLaren had with the police back on the morning of November 10, 2016. That's when the cops say that they pulled him over at a police checkpoint in Sand Hill, on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The cops say that the decided to search the vehicle because the officer smelled the strong aroma of weed coming from inside. They found 8.5 grams - about one quarter of an ounce of cannabis on McLaren himself, and they testified to that in a full trial against McLaren.

Things In Common With Canada
Canadians will be celebrating their 150th Anniversary of Confederation in Belize. Sure there will be grand festivals in Canada but the High Commission brought a glimpse of Canada to Belize through a photograph showcase at the Government House in the city. We found out more today The showcase will be open to the public until June 23rd and then will move over to the Corozal House of Culture on July 1 St to 23rd.

Burrell Boom’s History Celebrated
As we told you, right now villagers of Burrell Boom have something to say about the Bradley's Boatyard which is coming into their community. And indeed, the villagers of Boom are known to be ruggedly independent, and, to a degree, even headstrong. All that was celebrated on Saturday when the village held its first Burrell Boom day in many years. Lincoln Gillett discussed the village's history:..

Channel 5

Couple Goes Missing in Corozal
Anxiety is building up in Corozal where a couple has not been heard from since Thursday night.  Search parties have been combing the area around the village of Patchakan in [...]

Body of Sarteneja Woman Retrieved from Sea
Two persons drown over the weekend in separate incidents in the north and west of the country. Just after nine on Sunday morning, the decomposing body forty-four-year-old Acita Flores was [...]...

Elderly Man Drowns in Santa Familia – Was It Deliberate?
The second drowning over the weekend involved a seventy-nine-year-old man from the Cayo District. On Friday afternoon, Eduardo Landero jumped in the river and didn’t come back up. His decomposing [...]...

From Murder to Manslaughter – Fourteen More Years in Jail for Osmar Sabido Jr.
Twenty-one years for manslaughter….that’s the sentence handed down today by the Court of Appeal to Osmar Sabido Junior. He was convicted in April 2016 of the murder of his common-law [...]...

Ernie Zelaya Sent Down for Weed Bust
Justice was swift this morning for a father of three in the lower court. Ernie Zelaya was fined ten thousand dollars and sentenced to three years behind bars for the [...]...

Burrell Boom Says No to Bradley’s Boat Yard
Less than two weeks ago, someone set fire to boat moulds owned by Bradley’s Boat Yard, previously located in Belize City. It relocated some time ago to a property off [...]...

P.S.E. Results Coming; Will Strike Have Impact?
Students have been anxiously awaiting the results of the 2017 Primary School Examination, sat in April and May of this year. According to the Examinations Unit of the Ministry of [...]...

MoneyGram Office Hit by Robbers in Santa Elena
Police have confirmed that there was an armed robbery in Santa Elena Town this afternoon but at news time, they are still investigating. News Five understands that the Nationwide Cash [...]...

AIDS Commission Honored for Regional Testing
The Belize National AIDS Commission and Executive Director Enrique Romero were recognized with the Tenth Anniversary Regional Testing Day Innovative Outreach Award for their contribution to the Regional Testing Day [...]...

Harvest Caye for All – Even FECTAB
Over the weekend, we caught up with Minister Manuel Heredia Junior on South West’s Inaugural Flight to Belize. Now, prior to opening up a small market for local tour operators [...]...

Southwest Now Comes from Fort Lauderdale
Tourism numbers are expected to grow with the addition of a new route to Belize. Over the weekend, Southwest started flying from Fort Lauderdale Hollywood to the Philip Goldson airport. [...]...

Belize at Caribbean Week in New York City
Tourism officials, industry executives, the media, the Caribbean Diaspora, as well as travel agents and consumers are converging on New York City for Caribbean Week 2017.  While there they will [...]...

H.R.C.U. Offers Grants to School Kids
The school year is not yet over, but parents are no doubt starting to turn their attention to the plans for the coming new one. Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited [...]...

Oh Canada! Photo Exhibit Marks 150th Anniversary
The provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were brought together in 1867 to form what is now known as Canada.   Since then, that North American country has [...]...

Burrell Boom Day Returns
Residents of Burrell Boom, Belize District revived an old tradition this past Saturday with “Burrell Boom Day,” an occasion to celebrate and recall the history of the village located about [...]...

Belmopan Bandits Are Champions of Sports Monday
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities….]...

CTV3

PM Barrow Speaks On Castro's Visas Revocation
The news that UDP Minister Edmond Castro’s U.S. tourist and diplomatic visas were revoked by the United States Embassy has resulted in political embarrassment for the Barrow Administration. Yesterday Opposition Leader Hon. John Briceno called on Prime Minister Dean Barrow to get rid of Castro, but today when Barrow addressed the matter, he went to bat once again for his embattled Cabinet colleague.

What Is The Future OF Yellowman
But while Castro escaped public chastisement, Macebearer Brian “Yellowman” Audinette was not so lucky. You would recall that Yellowman and UDP Chairman Alberto August led disruptions of the Senate hearing two weeks ago. Yellowman even turned on members of the media and assaulted three, including Krem News’ Director Marisol Amaya. Prime Minister Barrow had not commented on the issue until today when he made himself available to interviews. He said while he supports August’s campaign, he decries Yellowman’s actions.

PM Measures Words When Speaking On Saldivar's Use Of US Vessels
The Prime Minister was on damage control mode today, responding to a number of controversies that have surfaced over the past weeks. Another is the admitted report that coast guard vessels were used to ferry members of sports teams privately owned by the Minister of Defense, John Saldivar. There are reports that the donors of the vessels are not happy with the situation, but Prime Minister Barrow was measured in his criticism claiming that while the Minister has ensured that it will not happen again, his intentions were good natured.

Domestic Exports Up By 2.2 Percent For April 2017
Yesterday we brought to you the latest figures as it pertains to the country’s consumer price index and total imports for the month of April 2017. While the price of goods saw an overall increase of 2.2 percent compared to April of last year, imports decreased. But the same cannot be said about our country’s total domestic exports for April 2017 which grew by 3 percent or $1 million amounting to a total of $35.7 million in comparison to April 2016.

LOVE FM

Osmar Sabido Gets 21 Years for Killing Girlfriend
Thirty one year old Osmar Sabido, whose conviction of murder was substituted with manslaughter and his sentence of life imprisonment quashed, was sentenced to twenty one years today by Belize Court of Appeal. But Sabido will only serve fourteen years and eighty nine days because six years and three hundred and forty seven days were […]

Woman Found in Mexican Waters After Boat Capsized
The body of a woman was found in Mexican waters yesterday following an intense search over the weekend. On Thursday, June 1, a vessel from Sarteneja with eight passengers left enroute to Calderitas with plans to leave at 6pm and return to Sarteneja at about 8pm. The vessel, however, did not make it to Sarteneja […]

New Ambassadors from Georgia, Morocco, Argentina and Peru
Four new ambassadors to Belize were at the Belize House in Belmopan meeting with the Governor General of Belize, Sir Colville Young. Argentinian Ambassador, Daniel Chuburu; Moroccan Ambassador, Mohamed Chafiki; Georgia’s Ambassador, Zurab Eristavi and Peru’s Ambassador, Jorge Roman Morey presented their credentials to the Governor General. During today’s meeting each ambassador expressed their desire to […]

Dangriga Man Wanted by Police for Home Invasion
A woman from Dangriga Town is yet to recover from an incident where a man from her neighbourhood entered her bedroom and assaulted her in the early hours of Monday, May 29. The mother of two was in her bedroom with her 3-year-old daughter sleeping when she was awoken by a noise. Upon coming out […]

It’s All About the Optics, Says Briceno
Last week Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the media that the Government of Belize would go to the Caribbean Court of Justice to challenge the legal cost associated with the settlement agreement signed in Miami by GOB and the Ashcroft Alliance. This agreement is in relation to the number of years that GOB and Michael […]

Briceno Says Castro Fears Going to the US Embassy
The Leader of the People’s United Party also responded to the Prime Minister’s comment on Minister Edmond Castro. Castro’s US Visas, both diplomatic and tourist, were revoked by the US Government. The announcement came one day before whistle blower, Alvarine Burgess, appeared before the Senate Select Committee. This led to several rumors as to why […]

LOO Says Mace Bearer Will Go Unpunished
When asked about the chaos that erupted during the May 17 Senate Hearing and the behavior of Mace Bearer Brian “yellowman” Audinett, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that Audinett will go before the House Staff Committee for him to explain himself. It is that committee that would decide if Audinett would remain the sergeant of […]

Strange Disappearance of Corozal Couple
Family and friends continue their search for 32 year old Zeidy Orosco of San Andres Village, Corozal District and her boyfriend, 41 year-old Baltazar Lopez of Ranchito Village. Both persons have been missing since June 1. Orosco reportedly left home shortly after eight o’clock Thursday night in her green Chevy Prism and said she was […]

Love Travels Direct on Southwest – Fort Lauderdale to Belize
A team from our news centre spent this past weekend in the United States at the invitation of the Belize Tourism Board and Southwest Airlines. It was in celebration of the airline’s inaugural flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Belize. Renee Trujillo and Brian Castillo prepared this story on the event.

Southwest Boasts Affordability and Novel Concepts
If you have traveled internationally using air transport you will know the additional fees that you are billed with when it comes to your luggage. On average, the traveler would pay twenty five US dollars for the first bag and forty US dollars for the second bag with a limitation of fifty pounds placed on […]

Breaking Belize News

Young woman from San Ignacio missing
The family of 21 year old Tiffany Shannel Williams is worried. Williams was last seen last night around 10 on Vaca Street in San Ignacio in the company of a male friend. She has not been seen or heard from since that time. Williams was last seen wearing a dark brown blouse, short pants and slippers.

NICH hosting 5 Day Audio/Video Production Workshop
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Belize International Film Festival is pleased to partner with Professor Steve T. Berry to present a five-day Audio/Visual Production Workshop for Secondary and Tertiary Level Students. Participants will be provided with the basic technical, procedural, and conceptual foundations to begin training in the art of video production. Students will become familiar with the essential terminology, standard production practices, and basic design and operations of the post-production process.

Police Inspector Norman Benguche passes away
Police Inspector Norman Benguche passed away on Saturday morning from natural causes. The 43-year-old police veteran was hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after suffering a stroke last month. He was sent home after treatment but his condition worsened last week, when […]

Armed robbery in Santa Elena Town
Reports to BBN is that two men entered Money Gram on the George Price Highway in Santa Elena Town and robbed the cashier at gunpoint. Police are currently on the scene. © 2017, BreakingBelizeNews.com. This article is the copyrighted property of Breaking Belize […]

Tribute to Hardrock: A legacy of love and music
It has been almost two weeks since south side icon, Andrew “Hard Rock” Bennett, was brutally executed in front of his home on Central American Boulevard by a gunman. To date police have not made any arrests though Eastern Division South Commander ACP, Chester […]

Body of retired Santa Familia man found in Belize River
Myrna Ortega, 33, of Santa Familia, Cayo reported that at 7:45 a.m. last Friday, she left home en route to San Ignacio town leaving her father Eduardo Landero, 79, at home. Ortega told police that when she returned at 3:45 p.m., she was informed […]

One dead after boat capsizes
Yesterday morning around 10:00, police visited the Corozal Pier on 1st Avenue, where cops found the body of Acita Milsa Flores, 44, of Sarteneja, Corozal inside a skiff in an advanced state of decomposition. Police investigations revealed that on June 1 at 5:00 a.m., […]

Police recover suspected stolen cycle
Yesterday around 11:00 am, while police were conducting mobile patrol in the Young Bank Area, Camalote Village, Cayo District, cops found a black 100 cc Meilun motor cycle without license plate, license sticker and serial number. No one was found in the area and […]

We name stink da road – the Banes/Nanes debacle
By Lisa Shoman: Five years ago, in October of 2013, as Lead Opposition Senator, I introduced an historic Motion in the Senate of Belize to demand for an investigation into the Immigration Department for scandals exposed by, among other things, the 2012 general election and of course, […]

Blogs

Celebrating 117 years of Anniversary of Xcalak
The mayor of Othón P. Blanco, Luis Torres inaugurated this past Friday the beginning of the Xcalak festivities in the framework of his 117th anniversary, where he endorsed his commitment to the inhabitants to detonate the importance of tourists destination of the Hand of the governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquín González. The event continued on Saturday and Sunday with celebrities, cultural and sporting activities, as well as live music. He was accompanied in the presidium: Lorenzo Peralta, delegate of Xcalak, Regents Germán González Pavón, Gabriel González Soto, Gabriela Cortés Talamantes, representatives of the neighboring country of Belize, Regidor Severo Ramírez from San Pedro Ambergris Caye, José Hadad, president of the Grand Costa Maya Trust, and, Among other guests.

Who are the Maya's?
This question has intrigued of humanity, and scholars in particular, given the Maya's scientific and mathematical achievements, the perfection of their calendar's, and now the dissemination of their prophecies and western world's discovery of their deep spirituality. What is known about this civilization comes from archaeological research and historical sources (mainly pre-Colombian) documents and those from the early years of Spanish colonization), as well as from the oral tradition. The former are often mired in series of speculations; the latter sheds the most light on the mystery of this magnificent civilization. Sadly, most of what is widely known about the maya is based on unverifiable stories told by Spanish chronicles during the conquest.

International Sources

Caribbean politicians ‘must do more to tackle HIV and AIDS’
Jamaica’s minister of justice is calling on the region’s parliamentarians to scale up action in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean. And Delroy Chuck said that priority must be given to tackling stigma and discrimination against people living with AIDS. He was speaking at the opening of the Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) Regional Parliamentarians Forum last week, where he welcomed the staging of the event – describing it as a clarion called for leaders to get involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Caribbean advances in adaptation of Global Strategy for Health of Women, Children & Adolescents
Representatives of public health systems, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and civil society from 18 Caribbean countries and territories met together last week with the international agencies that integrate the Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health, in order to adapt the Strategy to the context of the Caribbean. “We need to identify interventions that are practical, affordable and impactful, while ensuring that we bear in mind the cultural, ethnic and economic diversities that make the Caribbean such a colorful, varied and interesting region of this world”, said Dr Godfrey Xuereb, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) representative for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean.

Belize national sworn in as CCJ judge
Mr Justice Denys Arthur Barrow was sworn in as judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) on Thursday at a ceremony in Belize City in his home country of Belize. Barrow, who was sworn in by Governor General Sir Colville Young, is the first citizen of Belize to be appointed to the CCJ bench. Barrow brings to the CCJ bench a 40-year legal career, together with various stints of judicial appointments in judiciaries across the region and membership on a world-renowned tribunal dealing with international labour and human rights law. He is a graduate of the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Laws and received a Legal Education Certificate from the Norman Manley Law School. He was admitted to the practice of law in Belize in 1977 and embarked on a career in private practice. In 1990, Barrow was elevated to Senior Counsel and went on to start his own law firm ‘Barrow and Company’.

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