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Specials and Events

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


The San Pedro Sun

New license plates in Town!
Have you noticed the beautiful new license plates that golf carts and vehicles are proudly wearing around town? They do look good, and The San Pedro Traffic Department (SPTD) has them available for anyone who would like to replace their current plates. The SPTD is working with a new supplier, and their designs are fresh and colorful. If anyone would like to replace their old license plate with the new one, they can do so for a minimal fee of $15 but there is no obligation to replace your current plate. The SPTD is located on the first floor of the Town Board building on Barrier Reef Drive.

Saga Humane Society celebrates World Spay/Neuter day along with Symposium
Every February 23rd, different humane societies around the world, celebrate "World Spay/Neuter Day. On Ambergris Caye, the Saga Humane Society, besides offering free spays /neuter services to the general public, also held their first symposium with other humane societies from across the country in an effort to create a more united and strong humane organization countrywide. The service was mainly to target owners who cannot afford the surgery, while at the same time reduce the population of canines and cats on the island. To make the free surgeries possible, Saga teamed up with three veterinarians who kindly volunteered their services "We have the help of doctors Orlando Baptist, Samantha English, and Melody Whitten, who are doing the surgeries between the hours of 9AM to 5PM. So far, many people are taken advantage of the service and we have been busy spaying and neutering pets," ended Lima. In order to increase the amount of pets getting neuter, the free surgeries were extended until Friday, February 26th.

San Pedro bids farewell to NEMO Coordinator Jeromey Timrose Augustine-Cayetano
On Wednesday, February 24th, National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Coordinator Jeromey Timrose Augustine-Cayetano led the final Emergency Operation Committee (EOC) meeting here in San Pedro. After over seven years of service as island coordinator, Augustine-Cayetano will be moving on to tackle the position of Central Regional Coordinator and work out of Belize City. Members of the EOC along with San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) members and the media gathered at the SPTC conference room to discuss the transition and bid farewell to Augustine-Cayetano. Taking over Augustine-Cayetano's responsibility while a new island coordinator is assigned, will be Frank Panton, who is well acquainted with the responsibilities of NEMO. "In terms of holding over, we do not know who will be taking over or when the person will come on board. So I have discussed with Panton, who agreed to be the interim until that person comes to San Pedro," said Augustine-Cayetano. He can be contacted at 628-2542. Once another person is assigned and a new office established, NEMO will be sending out a release to inform the public.

New X-Ray machine installed at Ambergris Hope Clinic
A brand new, state-of-the-art X-Ray machine has been installed at the Ambergris Hope Clinic. The sophisticated piece of equipment will not only serve the general public at the clinic, but it will also assist the Hyperbaric Chamber located onsite. Abner Bacab, manager of the Hyperbaric Chamber at the clinic, welcomes the addition to their medical facility. "Having an X-Ray machine will definitely enhance the services offered at the clinic. For any severe injuries that may require x-ray examinations before they can be treated, they can now be done here in San Pedro at our facilities," said Bacab.

Ambergris Today

Pic of the Week - Magical Dolphin Encounters in Belize
They used to be a rate sight in Belize, but dolphin encounters have become more common lately. But then comes this unique opportunity of being at the right place at the right time. Picture it - the sun is about to set, you get ready to take that golden moment of the sunset and BAM! Two dolphins spring out of the water and celebrate the amazing sunet along with you. It all happens in the wild in Belize. - photo by Sebastian Young

Shoutout to Manelly's on their new sign.
Looks Awesome!!

Children's Rights Activity Book Launched in Belize
The Special Envoy for Women and Children with support from UNICEF Belize launched the publication, "Having Fun with Rights: A Children's Rights Activity Book", at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts on Thursday, February 25, 2016. The book targets children aged 8-11 years old and is designed to make the teaching of children's rights more interactive and enjoyable. Activities based on situations that may occur within homes, at school or in social settings are used to make the material relatable while encouraging the children to think, rather than simply memorizing information. The book also places significant focus on the responsibilities that accompany each of the rights to foster positive behavioral habits and promote child-appropriate responsibilities, particularly within households.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

NICH Culture in Motion FY 2014 2015

Training Teachers for English/Arts Program: Is online education a good thing for Belize?
Last week U.S. Fulbright Scholar Dr. Susan Catapano conducted a training for 25 University of Belize Teachers focused on the English/Arts Program. The training discussed how to prepare and begin online teaching.

The U.S. Embassy has an opening for a Foreign Service National (FSN) Security Investigator position
BASIC FUNCTION OF THE POSITION: - Conducts routine and complex criminal investigations involving the production, sale and/or use of counterfeit documents for the purpose of human smuggling and/or human trafficking. - Builds relationships with middle to high level GOB officials, develops criminal cases and work with these contacts to bring criminal charges against document vendors, human smugglers and human traffickers in accordance with Belizean and U.S. laws. - Will coordinate with the Embassy's Consular Fraud Prevention Unit to build cases against individual subjects and criminal enterprises that produce, sell or use counterfeit documents for the purpose of fraudulently obtaining U. S. visas and illegal entry into the U.S. - Gives official statements on behalf of the U.S. and be required to testify in court, if needed.

Belize to Host Caribbean Growth Forum Meeting Fourteen Caribbean countries renew their commitment to sustainable growth
Next week, representatives from 14 Caribbean countries will come together in Belize City to take stock on key lessons learned from the hundred reform actions implemented through the Caribbean Growth Forum, and announce a Communique to move forward on their pro-growth agenda. "Belize is proud to host this meeting. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Caribbean nations to build on the results achieved so far by the Caribbean Growth Forum and enhance the competitiveness of our respective countries," said the Honorable Tracy Panton, Minister of State - Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade & Commerce, Government of Belize. During the meeting, countries will discuss and agree on how to create result based roadmaps to accelerate reforms and help track the implementation of actions linked to these reforms in the areas of investment climate, skills and productivity, and logistics and connectivity.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
The Organization of American States (OAS), through the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment (DHDEE) and the Syracuse University College of Law are offering scholarships to qualified candidates of the Americas to participate in its Master of Laws program. Programs: Master of Laws (LL.M.) in American Law Program for Foreign Law Graduates Language: English Modality: Onsite in Syracuse, New York, United States Benefits: 50% reduction of tuition fee as offered by Syracuse University A one-time allowance to the top ranked candidates as offered by the OAS Scholarship deadline: May 31st, 2016

TO ALL CAYE CAULKER HOTELIERS: URGENT
I have received an email from a person in Turkey looking for his sister by the name of Esra Ozbek. She was/is on the island since sometimes last week. I might have come in contact with her but I am unsure, even though her name rings a bell.I might have had contact with her because of diving. Her brother is asking for assistance in locating her because she called sometime on Saturday, acting strange, according to her brother and he needs to know her status. Please share this along and if any one can let me know asap, I would gladly appreciate it.

La Ruta Maya Cultural Night 2016
Ascenthium will be playing at this year's La Ruta Maya Cultural Night! This Thursday, March 3rd, at the Cayo Welcome Center. The fun starts at 7:00pm.

Belize Screen on the Green
Last Friday, the U.S. Embassy and the Belmopan City Council joined forces to launch the third annual Belize Screen on the Green movie series program. To celebrate three years of successful movie screenings the Police Drama Club and Senior Steps gave special performances. Please join us next month for the movie, "A League of their Own."

Belize Cultural Celebrations Video Series Volume 2: Carnaval
It is with great pleasure that the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR) invites you to the launch and premiere viewing of our 'Belize Cultural Celebrations Video Series Volume 2: Carnaval'. This is the second in a series of educational and promotional materials which highlight our local cultural heritage. We have decided to launch the video and accompanying poster in San Pedro, as well as several communities in Northern Belize including Corozal Town, as this cultural event was widely prac-ticed in mestizo communities across Belize, especially those in the north. Although it has only survived in a few communities, we hope that this material will spark interest in, and encourage others to support local initiatives for cultural promotion.

Channel 7

Another Sarstoon Showdown - Foreign Minister Brushes It Off
There was another incident with Guatemala in the disputed Sarstoon River this weekend - and tonight, it is causing major political and diplomatic waves. As we told you last week, Wil Maheia and the Belize Territorial Volunteers organized a trip to the Gracias a Dios monument to mark the one-year anniversary of Belizeans being detained by the Guatemalan Military on the Sarstoon. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned strongly against it, but the Volunteers were undeterred. They set out on Saturday only to encounter a Guatemalan navy that was determined to drive them off. They blockaded the river, and did so while coming over to the Belize half of the Sarstoon. The volunteers group turned back- and no one was hurt. But the encounter has left a deep impression in the national psyche - because the message is Belizeans can't go into the Sarstoon. Today Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington said he was relived no one was hurt:...

Saturday's Scene On Sarstoon
Of course, that was then, this is now - where the Guatemalans are taking effective occupation of the Sarstoon - even if it means parking a navy vessel on the Belzie side of the river. Here's exactly how it looked on Saturday:... Bright and Early on Saturday morning, Border Activist Wil Maheia and members of the press arrived at the docking location. They intended to make a trip to Gracias A Dios, and that meant travelling through the Sarstoon River. On this particular day, there were a number of Belizean military men also making preparations to go to sea, but don't be mistaken, they were not going to accompany the Belizean civilians on this trip. The Government, seeing the danger of such an action, had warned, and Maheia had ignored. Wil Maheia - Leader of Sarstoon Expedition: "Well today as you know it's one year today since the 37 Belizeans were captured or detained or held hostage by the Guatemalan military. It was right in this same area. Clearly as you can see we are on the Belize side. So today, we can't let that go, something that happened so drastic in our history - we couldn't let that go unnoticed. So the purpose of today's trip is to remember that Guatemalans came into Belizean territory and detained Belizeans or held them hostage."

PUP Says GOB Must Engage Guatemala Differently
And now the PUP has reacted strongly to the intimidating encounter - and remarks made simultaneously by the Guatemalan foreign Minister in Prensa Libre. Carlos Raul Morales re-stated the Guatemalan claim to all of Belize - which the PUP calls "provocative." Today former PUP Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay commented to the media:... Eamon Courtenay, Former Foreign Minister: "Party Leader Hon. John Briceno has taken to the national executive at its meeting last week Thursday his proposal for the appointment of a committee chaired by Former Prime Minister Said Musa of all former foreign ministers of the PUP who are alive and the national executive approved that. So Hon. Said Musa will chaired that committee, the others members are as you would expect Godfrey Smith, myself, Lisa Shoman and Assad Shoman. Our function is to advise the party on Belize/Guatemala matters. That has to do the full range of things and I know for a fact that the Hon. Said Musa was consulted over the weekend on the development and the release that was put out today, other members of the committee was consulted before it was put out. So our responsibility is to advise the leadership of the party on the entire range of Belize/Guatemala issues."

65 Year Old Says He Was Sleeping While Young Wife Drowned In Kayak
Another American tourist drowned this weekend, this time it's in Hopkins village. California residents 65 year old Michael Karhanak and his wife 32 year old Tiffany Karhanak were staying at the Hopkins Bay Resort. The couple went kayaking on Saturday but something went wrong and Tiffany drowned. The police were called out to the scene around 5:40 Saturday evening when her husband and a few locals carried her body out of the sea. Karhanak told police that he dozed off and when he woke up he found his wife's body floating in the water. Now police are still investigating and recording statements to find out what exactly happened on that kayak trip. The post mortem was done yesterday and it certified the cause of death as drowning. We contacted the BTB but they directed us to the Hopkins Bay Resort. We called the resort but we were told the manager was out for the day. According to Tiffany's facebook page she is a model. We will keep following this story.

Victim of Burglary/Stabbing Succumbs
Silk Grass resident Harrison Bowers died on Saturday evening, 6 days after being stabbed in his home. The incident happened on Sunday February 21st. Bowers had left his home that Sunday morning around 9:15 when a man broke into his house. The burglar thought he would have enough time to raid the house but Bowers came right back and that's when the man attacked and stabbed Bowers several times. Bowers was pierced through his chest, arms and stomach. He was taken to the Southern Regional Hospital then later transferred to the KHMH where he died on Saturday the 27th. Police had charged Enrique Depaz with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm but those charges were upgraded to murder today. Police say Depaz is not known to them and that it was a burglary turned murder.

Cycle Accident Victim Never Recovered From Coma
21 year old Churchill Bernard was involved in a motorcycle collision on the Phillip Goldson Highway last weekend. 27 year old Kareem Arnold died on the spot, but Bernard survived. He was transported to the KHMH in a coma from which he never woke up. When we spoke to the mother last week she told us that her son had undergone a successful surgery. The family fundraised 3 thousand dollars to pay his medical bills. But unfortunately those funds will now have to be used to cover funeral costs instead of medical bills. This morning at around 1:00, the 21 year old passed away. The family says that Bernard passed away when his lungs collapsed. The grieving family was reluctant to speak with us but they wished to thank the people that supported them during the fund raising campaign.

Man Found Dead In City; Friends Claim Alcohol Could Be Cause
One of the busiest streets in down town Belize City - Orange Street, was blocked off after 2 this afternoon. Authorities locked down the area as CIB personnel processed what looked to be a crime scene. A 58 year old man had been found dead inside a white Toyota pickup truck in front of Old Navy Store near the junction with Euphrates Avenue. Around 2:30 a thick crowd of onlookers had formed waiting to see who the victim was. Some minutes after 3 the body of a Hispanic man was carted out in a police mobile; and while the cause of death is something for the coroners to determine, close friends of the deceased believe he died in his sleep from excessive drinking. Eric Pandy, Friend: "I told him Danny be careful. He drinks too much. He takes too much alcohol and I told him to please stop drinking too much. He said no." Emanuel Pech: "Do you think that's what caused his death?" Eric Pandy, Friend: "Well it could be, because lots of people die from drinking of alcohol."

Cop Who Killed Detainee Gets Free After Six Years
A cop who was originally charged for murder, then convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 years for it is a free man after the Court of Appeals overturned his conviction. Former Constable Alpheus Parham was convicted of killing Alex Goff on May 9, 2010, in the cellblock at the Caye Caulker Police Station. Goff was a detainee and was making a lot of noise when Parham went to check on him. 5 minutes later a gunshot was heard and Goff was found dead, with a gunshot wound to his forehead. Parham testified that it was a case of self-defense. He appealed on the grounds that the trial judge had failed to properly direct the jury on the issue of self-defense. The Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lyn suggested the Belize Court of Appeal order a retrial. But the Court of Appeal decided to quash Parham's conviction and sentence and set him free. Parham was represented by attorney Simeon Sampson. He had served 6 years in jail.

Incubating Business
With financial assistance from the World Bank and, technical support from Accelerate Caribbean, BELTRAIDE is hoping to make the next step in developing the right environment for entrepreneurial development. They hope to achieve this by designing what's called an incubator. Not the kind that babies are kept in; but an incubator for business. That is the subject of a three day workshop with stakeholders at the ITVET compound in Belize City where we found out more about this incubator: Sophia Muradyan, Infodev, World Bank Group: "The main topic for today and for the next 3 days of our engagement here in Belize is incubation. Because for us, business incubators is one of the core activities that support entrepreneurship and young entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship and support entrepreneurship is one of the key subjects of the World Bank and Innovation and entrepreneur practice, because for us they are of the key drivers for economic growth, for competiveness, for productivity and I think all of these topics are very actual in the Caribbean and in Belize specifically."

Lost Her Lease To New Landowner
Belize City resident Ovetta Gill finds herself tonight battling for a piece of land she intended to someday build her home on. She has a piece of land, in the Saint Martin De Porres Area of Belize City. She's been paying lease fees to the Lands Department since 2011, and she showed us receipts to prove that is up-to-date with her commitments on the lease contract. This weekend however, she found someone filling her land with clay. It appears that someone else now has a claim to the land, something that the Lands Department didn't communicate to her. She tells us that she stopped the men doing the work and went to clarify, and that's when she found out that apparently, the Department canceled the lease. She came to our office to explain the distress she's under, and she claims that the Department is chancing her out of the land. Here's her account:

Judge Showed Mercy For Man Hungry Shoplifter
Today a man got off a theft charge when he told the court that he stole a can of sausage because he was broke and hadn't eaten for two days. Emmanuel Gusman was charged with the theft of a can of salami sausage from William Supermarket on Sixth Street in Belize City. It happened on Saturday and today he went before Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith, where he pled guilty to the charge. But the Chief was lenient when she simply cautioned and discharged him. Before he was allowed to go free, Chief Magistrate Smith gave him a stern warning not to come back to her court.

Dangriga Cab Driver Shot In Jaw
Dangriga police still do not know why taxi driver Darrel Lory was shot at on Thursday evening. Lory was driving along the Southern Highway in his taxi when someone shot at his vehicle. Lory was hit to his jaw. Around 4:45 residents saw him on the side of the road and rushed him to the hospital where he is in a critical condition. His green taxi was found on the side of the highway with 2 bullet holes in the driver's side window. Police have no one detained and are still trying to find out if and why Lory was the target.

DOB to IDB
Prime Minister Dean Barrow travelled to Washington DC on Saturday to attend the IDB's Thirtieth Governors' Meeting of the Central American Isthmus and the Dominican Republic which was held today. This is in preparation for the larger, annual meeting later this year. The Prime Minister returns tomorrow.

The Belmopan Classic Was Wet
The Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic is the biggest event on Belize's Annual Sporting Calendar - and in the weeks leading up to the big race, Belize's elite cyclists participate in a number of test races to get the riders in optimal condition. The Belmopan Cycling Classic is an important lead up event - and at 102 miles it gives a good reading of which riders are truly ready for the road. This year, apart from all those miles they also had to deal with the rain - and so did our camera-man Codie Norales who teamed up with Kwame Scott to put together this race report:..

Youth Elections Has Promise, Raises Issues
Last week, we gave you extensive coverage on the Government's attempt to once again include the youth population in the process of policy making. That's the National Youth Council, and today, the Department of Youth Services officiated elections in the 6 districts for young men and women offering themselves to take on one of 4 political posts. From the persons elected in these District chapters, a group of executive leaders will be chosen to head the National Youth Council. Today's elections marked the furthest step that this idea of youth in Government has reached. Today, we stopped by and spoke with one of the officials from the Department of Youth Services: As you heard in our interviews with a few of the Belize District aspirants, they conceded that this election process only allows a very small fraction of the youth population to choose the youth leaders they want to advocate for them. Today, while we had the opportunity, we asked the representatives of the Department of Youth Services about this appearance of exclusion in such an important democratic process. Here's how she answered that question:

OCEANA, Lest We Forget
Exactly 4 years ago, tens of thousands of Belizeans took part in what was billed as "The People's Referendum" on offshore oil exploration. 96% of the nearly 29 thousand voters were against offshore oil exploration. It was only a symbolic gesture, since the referendum had no binding effect on government, but the message was clear - and, in time, the government has cooled off on the prospect of offshore drilling. Still, annually during reef week, Oceana takes this time to remember that accomplishment. Belize Vice President Janelle Chanona told us why it is important for them to keep remembering this day. Janelle Chanona, VP Oceana Belize: "I think certainty we all as a people need to pause on February 29th to acknowledge just such a dramatic out-pouring and demonstration of democracy and healthy democracy and seeing a way forward in terms of a process that allows all of us a participatory role, allows our voices to be heard whether we all agree or we choose points to disagree on."

OCEANA On Leo D Cap
Blackadore Caye has been getting a lot of attention since Hollywood superstar Leonardo DiCaprio bought the island with the intention of turning into the ultimate eco-resort. His commitment to the environment is well known, in fact, when he won his best actor academy award last night, he used his time in the spotlight to talk about climate change. So with all this happening on the international stage, what do local conservation groups think about Blackadore? Here's what Jannelle Chanona says about it: Janelle Chanona, VP Oceana Belize: "Well we monitored it closely and certainly I have to tell you that looking at the response from the San Pedro community especially, from the fishermen out there that say look this is going to have a negative effect. Certainly, I can tell you without any hesitation that OCEANA stands with the Belizeans on this and it's not about who is involved in this development, but its making sure that whatever project is proposed - you saw what position we took with Puerto Azul. It wasn't about who was involved in that project either. We have to begin to look at these development projects as a whole and again, make a collective decision so that what happens tomorrow is not something that impacts Belizeans and our uses and our benefits of our natural resources." At this time the project continues to be discussed in a series of public consultations.

Channel 5

BTV's Expedition to Gracias A Dios Thwarted by Guatemalan Navy!!
The first anniversary of an expedition in 2015 which ended in confrontation between the Guatemalan Navy and the Belize Territorial Volunteers to the Sarstoon Island was commemorated over the weekend. [...]

Turnout for BTV's Upstream Trek is Dismal
The Government sent out a release prior to the Belize Territorial Volunteers' anniversary expedition to Gracias A Dios. As you know now, the expedition only reached the mouth of the [...]

What is the Prensa Libre Saying About Belize?
While the Belizean media observed the Guatemalan military to be well within Belizean territory, the Guatemalan press says the reverse. An article in Prensa Libre on Saturday boldly declares that [...]

PUP Fires Off Stern Release on Guatemala's Sarstoon Island Claim
The People's United Party weighed into the debate today with a very strongly worded release and position. It made reference to an assertion by Guatemala's Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales [...]

Guatemalan Encroachment – A Clear Violation of International Law
Footage taken on Saturday in the Sarstoon clearly shows Guatemalan military vessels way inside Belizean territorial waters. In fact, some images show one naval craft in the foreground, while the [...]

Foreign Minister Elrington on BTV's Sarstoon Mission
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington, in the wake of what transpired along the Sarstoon River on Saturday, has indicated that government will be lodging another protest note to Guatemalan officials in [...]

Government of Belize to Lodge Another Protest Note to Guatemalan Officials
A recently published article in Prensa Libre of a written account provided by the Guatemalan foreign ministry says that the Belizean delegation was fended off peacefully.� According to a translation [...]

Sedi Elrington Says Recall of Ambassador Alexis Rosado is Most Ridiculous
The Foreign Minister also responds to a call from the P.U.P. for the recall of Ambassador Alexis Rosado.� Elrington scoffs at the notion calling it ridiculous.� A recall, he says, [...]

A Silk Grass Man is Charged with Murder
A resident of Silk Grass Village has been indicted for murder after initially being arraigned last week on charges stemming from a brutal attack on fifty-two-year-old Harrison Bowers.� According to [...]

FFB President is Back from Zurich, What's the Latest at the Federation?
Ruperto Vicente is back in Belize from Switzerland following the election of Gianni Infantino as the new FIFA President. The F.F.B. President left town while controversy and tension bubbled and [...]

FIFA Delegation Headed to Belize to Resolve Federation Dispute
Legal opinions on a local level and as well from CONCACAF are due back this week, while a delegation from FIFA should be visiting Belize soon to try to get [...]

A New President of FIFA, A New Chapter in Football
As we told you Vicente is back following elections in which Italian Gianni Infantino was elected President after two rounds of voting. Two hundred and nine countries are members of [...]

Will FFB's Financial Status Improve in the Near Future?
So will we see concrete big changes in football coming out of Infantino's election as President? The F.F.B. has suffered from chronic empty pocket syndrome which has affected its ability [...]

PC Alpheus Parham is Freed of Manslaughter Charge
Police Constable Alpheus Parham has been on remand since May 2010 when he allegedly shot a man detained at the Caye Caulker Police Station. Alex Goff was in lockdown for [...]

SMART Signs Agreement with Formula Telecom Solutions
A brief statement from SMART issued today announces that it has entered into an agreement with Formula Telecom Solutions, a provider of convergent billing, charging, customer care and policy control [...]

Guatemalan Journalist Documents Territorial Dispute After Visiting Belize
�A sensational video was also released over the weekend to coincide with the expedition of the Belize Territorial Volunteers to southern Belize. It presents the Guatemalan version of the historic [...]

A Bike Rally Through the Streets of Belize City
Belize City was invaded by international bikers on Saturday. The revving of the engines and the energy of the riders was felt through the principal streets of the City. Actually, [...]

Weekend Sporting Activities with James Adderley
Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. The Belmopan Bandits with 2 wins from 6 outings rolled into B.E.S. Gym Friday night here in Belize City to [...]

CTV3

Corozaleno Injured In Traffic Accident
A traffic accident on the Xaibe road in the Corozal District yesterday left one person injured. The incident played out at about 7:35 last night and when police arrived at the scene they observed a white 250 Chevrolet pick-up with license plate number CZL C-03806 over turned on the left hand side of the road and a post that holds a transformer broken into two. About 80 feet away from the scene in a pasture, authorities observed 23 year old Belizean laborer of Altamira Corozal, Ian Nugent suffering from a cut wound to the left eye and abrasion to both hands. Nugent complained of body aches and was transported to the Corozal Community hospital, where he is currently under observation. While police have not been able to ascertain whether or not Nugent was driving the pickup truck, what they do know is that the vehicle was t raveling towards Xiabe when tis driver lost control and collided into the lamppost causing it to break in two. As a result of the impact the pickup was extensively damaged.

PUP Calls For Recall Of Ambassador Of Belize To Guatemala
Going back to the issue of the long standing territorial dispute and what took place over the weekend when Guatemalan authorities inside Belizean waters prevented a BTV expedition of 20 from passing through the Sarstoon River, today the People's United Party issued a release where they are condemning the words of Guatemalan Foreign Minister, Carlos Raul Morales, who claimed the Sarstoon River in its entirety as Guatemalan territory via a press release issued to Guatemalan media on Saturday February 27th, calling his words "False and provocative." The opposition has also called on the Government of Belize to carry out a series of actions in response with the incident that occurred at the mouth of the Sarstoon on Saturday. Eamon Courtenay, a member of the PUP's recently established Belize-Guatemala Advisory Committee spoke on the recommendations from the Opposition.

District Youth Council Elections Conducted Country Wide
The Department of Youth Services here in Orange Walk hosted the District Youth Council elections earlier today. The voting commenced at 9:00 in the morning and while the delegates prepared to cast their vote, we were able to speak to Youth Development Officer, Glenda Diaz Gordon, who told us about the importance of hosting the elections. "It's important to us because young people represent the majority of Belize's population, it is important for young people to be partners in their own development; people complain every day that young people are not involved in the process, this department is providing a platform for them to do just that, we have every commitment to work with the young people, district councils are youth led, the role of this department is to provide technical support as well as financial support but the council will function independent of the department that will enable them to speak out and function independently from what we do at the department. The district councils will ensure that the views and the concerns for young people in this case Orange Walk District are heard and they are responsible to advocate for programs and we want young people themselves to act as leaders and to carry out these functions as well."

Corozal Elects Youth District Council
In Corozal, the Department of Youth Council also held election for the Youth District Council. This council says Anny Palacio, Oversite Committee Officer, will advocate for today's Belizean youth, taking into consideration the issues they face on a daily basis. "It actually happens every two years but what is different this year is the electronic system which will be done where they kids come and they vote through the electronic system which is, you might way it can't have a spoilt ballot or anything like that there is no error and it is also a part of us encouraging our youths to know that when you are casting your vote you are casting a power to help develop your country, after we have found out later on tonight who are the winners they will form what we call a National Youth Council and they will get together to vote for a National Executive in Belize and those people are going to be the sights, the ears and the eyes for all young people across the country hopefully meeting with the ministers, meeting with all the stakeholders to assist them to ensure that youths are heard, their problems are solved and that they are known as the future leaders of this country."

Guatemala Minister Of Foreign Affairs Says Sarstoon Belongs To Guatemala
While its worrying enough that the group was blocked from continuing their trip to Belizean territory by the armed Guatemalan military what should also be of great concern is what the Guatemalan press is reporting. According to a news article in la Prensa Libre, Guatemalan Army troops avoided on Saturday that a group of Belizeans invade the Sarstoon Island, which according to the report is part of Livingston in Guatemalan Territory. The report states that the Guatemalan Military participated in the operation that sought dialogue with the occupants of the boats to determine their migratory situations and make them available to the authorities, but when the group noticed the presence of the Guatemalan authorities they fled and returned to Belizean waters.

Ministry Of Foreign Affairs Weighs In The Sarstoon Issue
The incident that occurred over the weekend between members of the BTV and armed members of the Guatemalan Military has created much to talk about and today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a two paragraph release in which they acknowledge the fact that Belize's security forces witnessed Guatemalan Armed Forces in the Sarstoon River who were determined on blocking entry of Belizean civilians into the Sarstoon River from the Bay of Honduras. The Ministry also makes their intent on raising their concern on the occurrence with the Republic of Guatemala and the Organization of American States known. The Ministry also reiterates their continued efforts to seek the implementation of assurance building measures for the area, pending a final resolution of the dispute arising from Guatemala's claims.

BPP Calls on GOB To Defend Belize's Sovereignty
Yesterday we reported that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release expressing their grave concern about planned trips to the western and southern borders of Belize due to the fact that these are key areas in which there is constant tension between citizens of Belize and Guatemala. The Ministry believes that these excursions that are organized are quite risky for many Belizeans. Today the Belize Progressive Party responded to the Government's release and expressed their dissatisfaction with the statement that was made by GOB. The BPP stated that they stand in solidarity with the Belize Territorial Volunteers and believes that as Belizeans, we should all be able to travel freely within the full 8,867 square miles of our nation without having to feel any fear.

FIFA Has A New President
Today a new President for the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIFA was elected in Zurich where over 207 member countries casted their votes including Belize represented by Ruperto Vicente. The election was unlike any since for the first time since 1974, a second round of voting was needed to determine a winner of the election but in the end it was announced that 45-year-old lawyer, Gianni Infantino, won the position of FIFA president by 27 votes with a total of 115 votes. Coming in second after Infantino in the race was Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa, who was the favorite to win. This election came after several FIFA officials including former president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter stepped down, after corruption scandals emerged and arrests were made by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) last year.