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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

100 Miles and Countless Memories Kitesurfing the Coast of Belize
Bring together a group of daredevils, throw in a little heart and the desire to make a friend's dream come true and you have yourself the very first "Kite to Point". This challenge inspired by Jeffrey Eiley, who's story is known all too well on our little island, was set to sail on April second with the "Princess Leslie" leading the kitesurfers and at least three other boats to accompany them. Due to a last minute change in plans, the sailing date was moved to April first and only one additional boat was able to make the trip. Is it a coincidence the only boat that joined the adventure was the "Carpe Diem" (latin for "seize the day")? Anyone who knew Jeff would say "probably not". If Jeff could send us messages or signs "seize the day" would most likely be one of them. Martin John Leslie (Jeff's cousin) remembers very well the day Jeff learned to kitesurf as he was walking down the beach when he took off for the first time. Mark Worthington (Jeff's best friend) and Bradley Mazin introduced him to the sport and he was so hooked that he couldn't stop talking about buying his own kite and eventually his idea to "kite to point" came about and he wouldn't let it go. The idea of kitesurfing from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye to Placencia, Stann Creek was one of his greatest goals to achieve. Jeffrey's life was taken a few months after and he was not able to realize his dream of kitesurfing to Placencia, but that didn't mean his loved ones couldn't do it in his name. His adventurous soul and loving nature would be the wind in their sails, pushing their limits yet keeping them safe.

NEBL playoffs fast approaching as teams fight for playoff positions
With only three weeks remaining in the regular season of the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) 2016 tournament, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks must win three out of their four remaining games in order to advance in the Playoffs. The two time defending champions faced several difficult challenges in this season, but are still hopeful of taking the coveted championship trophy once more. On the other hand, the Smart Belize Hurricanes have had a great season and have even secured their playoff sport. The other top teams fighting to make the playoffs alongside the Tiger Sharks include the Dangriga Warriors, Cayo Western Ballaz and Belmopan Bandits. As for Belize City No Limits and Orange Walk Running Rebels, their chances at the playoffs are slim to none and the Independence Thunderbolts have been completely eliminated from making the playoffs.Tigersharks Dangriga Warriors-5

Belizean Debra Baptist-Estrada receives International Women of Courage Award
The annual United States of America's, "Secretary of State's International Women of Courage Awards" took place on Tuesday, March 29th. The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, honored fourteen unique women from around the world who have demonstrated courage and leadership in advocating for human rights, gender equality, women's equality, and social progress.

Ambergris Today

Letters: San Pedro Not as Advertised
Dear Editor, We had booked an island vacation but not a traffic vacation with parking problems. The high traffic is wrong for a small island with just one road and very, very wrong for tourism. I am not sure about the rest of the year but Easter conditions were not what we as tourists had in mind. Something major needs to be changed or the last tourist will have visited soon.

Letters: Tourists Are Just Seen as an Entitlement
We were regulars since 2009, some years even twice a year. We used to love this island, it was cozy and unique. First we stayed at a hotel in/near town, than further South and a few times up North. Sometimes we visited just the 2 of us but three times we also brought friends and once our kids. Finally we must quit. We saw it coming over years, the worsening situation on this island but for some years we were somewhat still hopeful that logic eventually would prevail. By now we have no hope. The many years of "no rules, no regulations, no plan, no foresight, no vision" has smashed this originally so beautiful island to the very bottom in attractivity. The ugliness of electronic billboards, advertising sign bonanza all over the island, high traffic in combination with arrogant and unsafe driving, unsightly developments, no apparent zoning law (every junk yard gets mixed in), no sustainable transportation system, dangerous boat traffic, lack of infrastructure to name just a few . . . .. "Viva to a cheaper version of Mexico but at higher prices"!

Pic of the Week - Thirsty for Waterfalls in Belize
If you are thirsty for waterfalls, your search stops in Belize. Hundreds of gorgeous cascades lie hidden within the country's tropical rainforests, each very unique. Most of them are accessible for pictures, selfies and a refreshing dip, muck like Madison pictured here being creative at Maya King Waterfalls in the Stann Creek District.

San Pedro Town Council Donates Vehicle to Police Department
The San Pedro Police Department counts with one more vehicle added to its fleet as the San Pedro Town Council handed over a red pick-up truck to the department over the busy Easter weekend on Wednesday, March 23, 2016. The truck was handed down from the San Pedro Traffic Department as it received a new utility cart that was added to its fleet of motorcycles. Superintendent Sandra Bowden was happy to accept the vehicle for the police and thanked the Town Council for their continued support of the department. The San Pedro Police Department counts on 11 vehicles for their daily patrols, but with a growing community and tourism safety needs, it is always in need for more mobility, especially in the remote areas of the north and south parts of the island.

Town Council Announces Illegal Burning of Yard Garbage
The San Pedro Town Council kindly advises the general public that any type of burning is an offence. If you wish to dispose of any garbage, you must notify and wait approval on behalf of the San Pedro Fire Department prior to burning your garbage. The Council strongly recommends that when burning any type of garbage, you do so in a controlled environment. Burning of any type of garbage is completely prohibited in residential areas since it is a health hazard and puts at risk any buildings in the surrounding area.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

World Health Day - 2016: Diabetes
The Ministry of Health joins the World Health Organization (WHO) in observing World Heath Day 2016. This year the WHO is calling for the global community to "Beat Diabetes". The Ministry of Health embraces another opportunity to bring focus on diabetes this year on World Health Day. Several regions will coordinate activities throughout this week including a Diabetes Walk in San Ignacio Town, Diabetes Information Presentations for Senior Citizens at the HelpAge Center in Orange Walk, and a Diabetes Health Session with schools in the Punta Gorda Town area. The national activity will be a Diabetes Forum to be held on April 7th, 2016 at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza starting at 9:00am. The forum will seek to promote actions to address diabetes and also to review existing policies which include diabetes. Presentations and remarks will come from the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health Hon. Dr. Angel Campos and other Ministry of Health officials and education professionals

Belize Electronic License and Permit System Official Launch
The Belize Fisheries Department and Belize Forest Department under the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, with support from the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF), and in partnership with Central Information Technology Office (CITO), is pleased to announce the launch of the Belize Electronic License and Permit System (BELAPS). The BELAPS is an internet-based application process for all licenses and permits issued by both Departments and it aims at improving the management of its fishery and forestry resources and services offered to the Public. Users will be able to apply for licenses and permits online, making the application more efficient and convenient.

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
The OAS Department of Human Development, Education and Employment in collaboration with La Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO), Argentina herein offer the on line course: "Diploma Superior en Relaciones del Trabajo y Sindicalismo" to be delivered in Spanish. Given the deadline for receiving applications in Washington, D.C. is May 23th , 2016; applicants are requested to submit the hardcopy application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Belmopan by April 23th , 2016 for endorsement and forwarding to its high destination.

Amazing portraits of women in San Pedro
Photos by Karen Brodie

Belize Fishing Report, March 27th - April 2nd, 2016
Our tarpon heroes of the week are Adam and Richard. Adam's was a beautiful fish about 50 pounds and Richard's was just as pretty but weighed in at 10 pounds. Richard's was interesting in that he caught his tarpon on his bonefish rig, The fish ate a crazy Charlie and didn't wear through the 12 pound leader. That is quite a feat!

San Pedro Library Book Drive
Support our San Pedro Town Library!

U.S. Commerce Department Announces Fifth Americas Competitiveness Exchange
The U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA) and Economic Development Administration (EDA), in coordination with the Organization of American States (OAS) and the U.S. Department of State, today announced that 51 high-level representatives from 24 countries will participate in the Fifth Americas Competitiveness Exchange (ACE) on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, April 10-16, visiting sites in Arizona and California. ACE brings together decision-makers from throughout the Western Hemisphere and other nations to explore global and regional partnerships and economic development opportunities that will strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.

Belize Joins Mesoamerica without Hunger
In order to strengthen national and local institutional frameworks for food security and family farming, Belize officially joined the Mesoamerica without Hunger program. Mesoamerica without Hunger is a South-South cooperation agreement that runs on the Central American countries, the Dominican Republic and Colombia, with the support of FAO and the Government of Mexico, through the Mexican Agency for International Development Cooperation (AMEXCID). In Belize, Mesoamerica without hungry is oriented in a first phase to the design and development of a pilot experience of sustainable schools in the Toledo district, whose young population is mostly indigenous. Mesoamerica without Hunger coordinates efforts with several Belizean institutions, such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education.

AMBERGRIS STADIUM - UPDATE: APRIL 2016
Construction of the Ambergris Stadium is well under way. Pictured here are the bleachers, concession stands and drainage. You can also observe that majority of the landfill has been spread throughout the field.

Rufino Morales Concert
Rufino Morales will be playing at the Octavia Waight Centre next Saturday, April 16th, starting at 7:00pm. He'll be playing not just the marimba, but also the violin, and grand piano. Tickets can be purchased at the SISE HoC.

PACT Awards Ceremony 2016
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust awarded $1.2 million this year to projects around Cayo and Belize. They awarded Friends for Conservation and Development around $200,000 to help protect the Chiquibul. The entire list of awards can be found on their website. Thanks, PACT! "The PACT awards grants annually through a competitive application and review process. The areas for which projects can be funded must be related to the conservation and management of a legally recognized protected area and must fall under one of more of the following priority areas: protected areas management and conservation; protected areas promotion and development; environmental education and awareness; and community development around protected areas. On March 31st, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) - accompanied by the Honourable Omar Figueroa, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development and Dr. Colin A. Young, Chief Executive Officer with responsibility for the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change - invested over $1.2 million in new grant funding! We take this opportunity to once again, congratulate all grant recipients."

CARL MCGREGOR: ONE OF BELIZE'S MOST PROLIFIC BASSIST!
Belizean Legends will feature soon, the musical brilliance of one of Belize's most prolific bass players from the 1970's, 80's, and beyond in the Belizean music scene in Belize and abroad. COMING SOON!

Channel 7

Extortion and Escape From Chetumal
Last night you heard the gripping first-hand account of extortion in Chetumal. It happened to a Belizean businessman and his family who were staying at the Fiesta Inn. On the night of Easter Monday, he got a call to his room from what he thought was the hotel's front desk. From there - over the course of a two-hour phone call - an elaborate extortion plot unfolded. That was part one. Tonight in part two you'll hear how he escaped. We pick up the story right where the Mexican Navy swooped in to the Fiesta to extract the businessman and his family. He tells us after a disorienting phone call from the extortionists - he wasn't sure who was coming up to his hotel room to take him away - but it looked like SEAL Team Six:.. Belizean Businessman - Extorted at Fiesta Inn, Chetumal: "I mean these guys were like the navy seals. These guys were top of the line and when they surrounded me, took me downstairs - I had already packed, they send for my vehicle. They put 3 military in my vehicle, brought it up. All this time I am thinking sucks this is the right time to plant something if they want in my vehicle."

Accident Victim Improving, PUP Area Rep. Not Charged
Accident victim Julia Arana is showing modest signs of improvement. That's according to her son, the cyclist Nissan Arana. He says his 59 year old mother has opened her eyes for the first time since the accident, and can move slightly, but she is still not talking and doesn't recognize anything. He is hoping to speak to doctors tomorrow. As we told you the Trial Farm resident was knocked down by PUP Orange Walk South Representative Jose Mai on Friday night crossing the northern highway which passes though her village. She suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung, and a concussion. Mai gave a urine sample, and Police have served him with a Notice of Intended Prosecution.

Mother Of Two Slain Sons Demands Justice
Rene Chavarria also known as "Fat Cat," was murdered ON MARCH 18th, 2016. His brother Jamie was killed on March 30th, 2015. That's two Chavarria brothers killed within a year and no one has been charged for either of the murders. Today for the first time since the two Chavarria brothers were killed, the mother of the victims is finally coming out publicly - but not to express her grief. It's more like rage. Emily Gabourel says the police let her down. She bashed police investigators for what she takes to be a lack of interest in her sons' murders, and the lack of professionalism in handling her mourning family. Here is what she had to say. Emily Gabourel, mother of "Fat Cat": "They are dragging their feet with everything, because when my son died and my daughter-in-law was out there, they laughed - the police laughed and it's not a dog that had died. I am speaking on behalf of all the mothers of Belize that have sons that died. Maybe you don't want to speak up, but I will speak up. I feel pain, I back my son for 9 months and Mr. Broaster - no police come at my house yet and say Miss Gabourel this or Miss Gabourel that of Miss Gabourel the other. What I don't like that Mr. Broaster says that my son was the leader of Rocky Road gang. My son wasnt a leader. Rocky Road doesn't have a gang as far as I know. If my son was a leader he would have had it good; his girlfriend would have been driving a nice car, he would have had a nice house. My son still living with me."

UNICEF Makes Curfew Position Known
For weeks now we have been reporting about the Southside Kids Curfew. Architect of the plan Chester Williams has gotten a lot of public support, but child advocacy groups have had a harder time warming up to the idea of holding blameless children in a police station. Yesterday you heard the comments from the Department of Human Development, which supports it, sort of. On the other hand UNICEF, we had been told, firmly opposed the initiative. Today, first the first time since this issue cropped up, they spoke publicly about the matter. Here is UNICEF's "official position" which they spoke about candidly after having met officially with the Southside commander this morning. Luwani Cayetano, Child Protection Officer - UNICEF: "From the UNICEF side, we wanted to make it very clear that moving forward we would like to work on some of those alternatives. How can we work more concretely on some of the things that are ongoing, but also how we can have some more inventive approaches? So right now in the pipeline we are talking about implementing diversion. So we talked a little bit about that. We talked about strengthening parents and working with parents. For us those concrete things we are saying, we were kind of re-stating our commitment to participate in those aspects, but unfortunately not in the curfew."

Toledo Sin Hambre?
The Mexican Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization will team up to fight child malnutrition in the Toledo District. It's an initiative called "Sin Hambre", or "Without Hunger" and the agreement was signed today at the George Price Center in Belmopan by Agriculture Minister, Gaspar Vega, FAO Representative, Jorge O'Ryan, Mexican Ambassador to Belize Carlos Quesnel, CEO in Agriculture, Jose Alpuche, and Ambassador Bruno Figueroa, the Director General for the Mesoamerica Project in the Mexican Secretariat of Foreign Affairs. The first phase of the program in Belize looks at the design and development of sustainable schools in the Toledo district with the key goals being the reduction of malnutrition rates.

The Boledo Business
Last night we told you about the uproar at the Magistrates court for the Sunday Lottery draw. Residents were angry because the machine malfunctioned and only 3 balls popped up in the chambers - leaving the 2nd digit chamber empty. Now residents expected that the game would be replayed but instead the supervisor chose the ball manually - that incensed the crowd. Here is a short video of what happened on Sunday. As we told you the police had to be called in to quell the crowd and after some time they dispersed - none too happy with what had happened. As you heard the Secretary of the Lotteries Committee say - to avoid a recurrence, the double pick machine will be used for this Sunday's Lottery draw until Brads can replace those faulty machines.

CGA Sour Over CPBL Plans To Sweeten Citrus
Citrus Products of Belize Limited is fighting to keep its head above water, but the Citrus Growers Association still isn't happy with a recent decision to shut down the plant for a week. It seems CPBL management wants the citrus fruit in the field to sweeten a little more, so they are opening the factory a week later than planned, on April 13th. But, the Citrus Growers Association says it doesn't agree and is requesting a meeting with the Harvest Committee to, quote, "solve this problem." CPBL's position is that if the fruit ripens a little, it become sweeter, and they can fetch higher prices for their juices - the profits form which will be shared by all parties.

September, But 2017...
Yesterday the Department of Human Development broke ground in Lake I to commence the construction of a $4.6 million dollar Resource Center. Now, in the report we mentioned that the works are to be completed in September of this year. It is September, but September, 2017. We apologize for the mix up.

Miracle Brenae Beats The Odds
After being hospitalized for 36 days, 3 year old Brenae Timmons is finally back home with her family. Baby Brenae's story is horrifying. You may remember in late January when a gate fell on top of her - fracturing her skull. She could have died under the weight of that gate but her dad rushed over and rescued her. Since then the only thing that held the family together during sleepless nights at the hospital was their faith and little Brenae's remarkable resilience. Yesterday her aunt called us over for us to see the remarkable improvement in the toddler's health. Here is her heartwarming story. 3 year old Brenae Timmons enjoys practicing her alphabet with her aunt. She caught on very quickly and now she has mastered it. Brenae is like any other child her age: playful and happy. She is her family's joy in every way

Hall of Fame For Marie Sharp
In two and a half weeks, pioneering Belizean entrepreneur Marie Sharp will travel to New York where she will be inducted into the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame. The distinction is reserved for those who, quote, "have been working within the fiery foods industry for a minimum of 3 years." Three years? Cho!...Try 35! That's how long Marie Sharp has been making hot sauce - first Melinda's, and now that her namesake line. In August of last year Courtney Weatherburne visited her plant in Hope Creek where she found that behind all those hot sauces is a very cool lady:.. Courtney Weatherburne Reporting... Almost every Belizean at home and abroad is very familiar with this logo. In fact products carrying this brand can be found on every kitchen counter and on most restaurant tables. And Marie Sharp is the woman behind all these product lines. As well as this 400 acre Dangriga farm where her farmers plant a portion of their supply of Habanero peppers along with a variety of other fruits used in her sauces and jams. So how did she get into the business in the first place? Well, it all began with a just few Habanero pepper plants.

Channel 5

Michael Modiri Still Running Scared
Today, Iranian-American businessman Michael Modiri went public for the first time since it was allege in January 2016 that he was the intended victim of an execution plot. In a [...]

Dark Night Owner Bradley Paumen Ordered to Pay Compensation
But back to Paumen�He's the millionaire owner of Dark Night Cave Tours, and as we said, the man who was arrested and charged for organizing and paying for a hit [...]

What's the Future of Dark Night Cave Tours?
The way forward for Paumen, Modiri and Dark Night caves seems fraught with obstacles, even with the judgment handed down in the Supreme Court today. Modiri claims that in an [...]

RTA Victim Julia Arana Still Critical at the K.H.M.H.
Fifty-nine-year-old Julia Arana, a domestic of Trial Farm Village, remains hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being struck by a vehicle on Friday night.� The 2007 Toyota Hilux [...]

Arana Refutes Rumors Circulating About the RTA
In the wake of the unfortunate incident, there has been talk that Arana may have attempted to take her own life by stepping into the path of the moving vehicle.� [...]

UB Under Fire From Former Professor
Is the national university, the University of Belize, in complete academic disarray where students go through programs without learning anything, but still getting straight A's?� Former lecturer Marcio Augusto has [...]

Should Pastor Scott Stirm Apologize Properly to the Garifuna Community?
And our question of tonight is: Do you believe Pastor Scott Stirm should apologize properly to the Garifuna community? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 [...]

A Look at All Sides of the Curfew Debate
The curfew for minors is a topic that is being hotly debated across the land. ACP Chester Williams believes that it is the answer to keeping minors away from urban [...]

Curfew Working After 2 Weeks, Says ACP Chester Williams
The curfew in Belize City has been in effect for more than two weeks now. The concept is that any youth under eighteen years of age, not accompanied by an [...]

Williams Says Curfew Doesn't Punish Youth - It Protects Them
ACP Williams claims that one criticism also leveled at the initiative is that it punishes children for the deficiencies of their parents. He counters that by claiming that it not [...]

Toledo Minor charged for Brazen Robbery
A minor is the first to be charged in Punta Gorda for a brazen robbery that occurred at a Chinese store on March twenty-first. He is among a trio of [...]

$10K Fine for Weed Smuggling Granny
A fifty-year old granny from Carmelita, Orange Walk, has been fined ten thousand dollars for attempting to smuggle four hundred grams of weed into the Hattieville prison. Florence Chuc pleaded [...]

Court of Appeal Upholds Manslaughter Conviction
The Court of Appeal has dismissed the case of Rosalia Castillo who was found not guilty of the stabbing death of Carla Perez in December 2010 and sentenced to twelve [...]

U.D.P. Campaign for Deputy Leader Heating Up
On last night's newscast we showed you an undecided Anthony 'Boots' Martinez, senior U.D.P. Minister who says he's not quite ready to come public with who he supports for First [...]

Cyclist Tariq Cano Excels in Mexico
Tariq Cano�you may remember him as the runner up in first season one of Channel Five's The Belize Apprentice. But what many did not know is that Cano is a [...]

Cano Says His Next Stop Will Be the Pro League
Cano, who was employed with the Belize Bank for some years, decided to give up the business suit for a cycling jersey. The twenty-five year old says his goal is [...]

Catholic Priest Speaks on Garifuna Spirituality
Father Matthew Ruhl, a Jesuit priest at Saint Martin's Parish in Belize City, has been quite vocal in his support of Garifuna spirituality.� He draws a parallel between Catholicism and [...]

Fr. Ruhl Says If You Don't Understand Something Just Be Quiet
Over the weekend, Father Matt delivered a rousing homily during the Sunday Mass.� The religious lecture touched on everything, including recent statements made against the Dugu ceremony.   Isani Cayetano [...]

A Look Back at a Traditional Garifuna Ceremony
The Dugu ceremony is performed in Garifuna culture as a form of spiritual healing. It is very rare that the ceremony can be captured by cameras but back in 1989, [...]

CTV3

Accident Victim Shows Improvement At KHMH
Last night we told you about 54 year old Julia Arana who was knocked down on Friday night while crossing the highway near the San Martin Gas Station in Trial Farm Village Orange Walk. The vehicle that knocked her down was being driven by Orange Walk South Area Representative and PUP Deputy Leader, Honorable Jose Abelardo Mai, who according to police reports, tried avoid hitting the victim but was unable to do so. Tonight we understand that Arana, who was listed in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after the accident, is in a more stable condition. When we spoke to Arana's youngest son, Nissan, he told us that while his mother is doing seemingly better she is still unable to speak or do much of anything other than open her eyes. Nissan Arana - Son of Victim: "Up to now we don't have any further detail of exactly how she really stands, you know they supposed to say the result of the CATSCAN but I have had no personal talk to any of the doctors to know exactly which condition she is in."

BSI/ASR Adopts Independence Plaza
Yesterday we told you about the rehabilitation of the Independence plaza which is part of a project that involves the Orange Walk Town Council, the Orange Walk Police Department and the Belize Sugar Industries. The campaign to remodel and restructure the park is part of an early initiative taken by BSI/ASR as part of their sustainability efforts to do their part to give back to our environment. Every Year the company chooses a project to complete by Earth day, which will be celebrated this year on the 22nd of April. This year their main focus was to work on a project that would give back to the community and according to the Regional Manager at BSI/ASR, Zeidi Cruz, they believe that restoring a historic site such as the Independence Plaza which practically goes unused, is the best way to give back to the community and by using safe and recyclable material be able to create and promote an area that is environmentally safe. Zeidi Cruz- Regional EHS manager- BSI/ASR: "We decided to do the Independence Park because of its historical value, as you guys know, the whole Banquitas Area used to be in the colonial times you know very important so you have Fort Mindy right there so we decided you know that it will good for us and it will good for the community..."

Running For A Good Cause
Special Olympics Belize, an organization that caters for people living with disabilities, has scheduled their annual Fun Run event that will be taking place this weekend throughout the country of Belize. Here in Orange Walk Town, the administration and staff of Saint Peter's Anglican School have been preparing for this activity as they willingly embrace opportunities that seek to include students with disabilities. Elizabeth Vellos - Level leader, Special Education Center: "We are asking people to come out at seven to register and then we will have our opening ceremonies starting at 7:30 and we want to start the run at 8:00 sharp, we are going to move off from the Central Park and we are going to run straight up by the Fire Station down to Baker Street into Main Street, Hospital Crescent and back to the Central Park where we will have a short ceremony, after the run it is just the distributions of the ribbons for all the people who had participated and we are going to have a motivational talk we are getting somebody to inspire our students, inspire our community." This year, the organizers have decided to make minor changes in the route of the run with the objective of including and allowing the general public to have the opportunity to be a part of the event.

Belizean Businessman Speaks About Horrible Extortion Threat
Last week we told you about the incident involving a Belizean businessman who received a very serious extortion threat while staying at a Hotel in Chetumal. The Belizean, who was vacationing at the hotel at the time of the incident had to be rescued by Mexican Navy and brought back to Belize, according to a report carried out by the Mexican Newspaper Por Esto who at the time did not reveal the name of the victim. Tonight, thanks to our friends at Seven News, we have the victim's full account of the incident from the moment he was contacted by the alleged receptionist of the Hotel to when he was escorted to Belizean territory by the Mexican Navy. In the interview the victim asked for his identity to be withheld because the threats he received were so direct and made use of so much detailed personal information that he is still afraid for his safety. But according to the victim he felt compelled to come forward, to advise the public of the dangers that lie when Belizeans go over the boarder to Chetumal for a weekend getaway. The incident played out on Easter Monday , March 28th, at 11:40 at night in his room at the Fiesta Inn, when he, his wife and daughter were awakened by a person he thought to be the receptionist:...

Seventeen Year Old Attacked While Excercising At People's Stadium
On Saturday at about 6:00 in the evening a minor visited the Orange Walk Police Station where he reported to authorities that he was attacked by an individual of dark complexion at the People's Stadium while he was out doing his daily exercise. He told police that the individual tried to steal his phone and since he did not let the assailant have his way; it all resulted in a struggle between both of them. Immediately after the incident occurred, the minor returned home but did not inform his parents about the confrontation. It was not until the police came knocking at the victim's door at around 9:00 that same night, that the parents became aware of their son's frightening encounter. Earlier today we visited the victim's father who spoke to us about the matter. Father of the Victim: "Saturday in the evening like five when he just kneels down by a corner by the curve that is not so visible for the people crossing over there then he felt like somebody pinch him on his back and when he turned around he thought that it was his brother but he saw a dark fellow right beside him and he asked him for his cellphone and then he responded saying no I can't give you this, so a struggle started right there and then well like my son is a little big he stood up and struggled with this fellow and when he saw that he couldn't struggle with my son he took out a whip that they used at the stadium to whip those horses and with that he started to lash my son."


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LOVE FM

UB Comes Under Fire by Portuguese Lecturer
The University of Belize has come under heavy fire from a man claiming to be a past lecturer there. M�rcio Augusto, a Portuguese national said he was a lecturer at the University of Belize from September 2015 until March 15, 2016. Augusto wrote a one thousand word article criticizing the operations and services at the [�]

Accident Victim Goes From Critical to Stable
Julia Arana, the woman who was knocked down last week by PUP Area Representative, Jose Abelardo Mai, remains in a stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Her son, Nissan Arana, told Love News that she is now able to open her eyes and move her limbs. However, she is not able to speak [�]

Progressive Party Calls for Transparency from Government
Since the shooting of a BDF solider at Valentin Camp, there has only been one press release from the Government on the incident. Most of what has been reported and released has been independent reports and investigation by the media. Chairman of the Belize Progressive Party, Paco Smith says that the government needs to be [�]

Third Party Says National Budget Leaves a Lot to Be Desired
The recent budget date for the Fiscal Year 2016-2017 saw a number of concerns brought by the opposition, People United Party. They are not the only ones who have an opinion about the budget. Chairman of the Belize Progressive Party, Paco Smith said there is nothing eye opening in this year's budget. PACO SMITH "The [�]

British Citizens and Residents Asked to Engage in Condemning Guatemala's Aggression
While a silence has set in here in Belize following the Sarstoon Incident in March 2016 where Belize's military was aggressed by the Guatemalan Armed Forces, the efforts of Belizeans living abroad have taken a turn. There is currently a petition on the www.petition.parliament.uk website, seeking the support and signatures of British citizens or UK [�]

Belize's Territorial Troubles Make it on WWW.CHANGE.ORG
As Paul Golder places efforts in the United Kingdom to gain support and solidarity from the British for Belize on the territorial differendum with Guatemala, Al Smith of Conyers, Georgia, USA has launched a similar undertaking on the site, www.change.org. This website is widely used in the lobbying of issues ranging from political to environmental. [�]

Belizean Man Proposes Peace Pilgrimage at the Sarstoon
One Belizean man has acted on an idea of a pilgrimage to the Sarstoon Island in southern Belize. Mario Lara who currently resides in California, USA, has created an account on www.gofundme.com that seeks to raise ten thousand dollars which would be used to have, what he dubs as a massive peach pilgrimage. The event [�]

More Names and Details to Come From Panama Papers in May
128 - that is the number of world leaders and public officials that the recently exposed Panama Papers have revealed details on as they relate to hidden financial dealings. So far, on our local scene, there has only been the implication of Lord Michael Ashcroft via his company, Belize Corporate Services doing business with the [�]

Former Teacher and Social Work Needs Help to Be Medically Diagnosed and Treated
As with many diseases and disorders, Belize is unequipped to diagnose a woman's case although local doctors have referred to it as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrig's. The family says that a local neurologist had diagnosed her based on symptoms but lacked any proper medical testing to verify. About [�]

BPP: Saldivar and Faber Will Bring No Change to Party Politics
Over five hundred delegates will be involved in the selection of the next UDP Deputy Party Leader. Ministers Patrick Faber and John Saldivar have begun their campaign. While most anticipate the new Deputy Party leader, the Belize Progressive Party is not very impressed. Chairman of BPP, Paco Smith weighed in earlier today. PACO SMITH "At [�]

PlusTV

Murder in Spanish Lookout
Murder in Spanish Lookout. The peaceful existence of the Village of Selena in Spanish Lookout was broken on saturday morning when one elderly man was murdered one youth was left for dead, and another had to run for his life. Sometime about 2am on Saturday morningAccording to Police, 63 year old Edga...

Armenia man chopped in Fight
A man from Armenia Village is hospitalized at the Belmopan Western Regional Hospital after he was beaten and chopped several times. The victim is 24 year old Cement Block maker Victor Saul Rodriguez. The incident happened on Saturday April 2 when Rodriquez was at his aunt's house in Armenia watchi...

BDF shot by fellow officers?
The Belize Defence Force has written National Security CEO George Lovell providing an update on the shooting incident inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve on March 26th. That is when Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey was shot near Camp Valentin. According to the report referenced by Channel 5 on Friday, ...

Riot over Boledo machine
Belizeans who buy lottery and jackpot take their gamble rather seriously. Most buyers around the country have to tune in on the radio for the draw at 10a.m. But, several other enthusiasts in Belize City have taken to the habit of going out to witness the draw live, tickets in hand. Well, YESTERDAY m...

Anti drug operation in the south leads to arrest
An Anti- drug operation launched in Independence village on Friday 1st April led to the arrest of three persons. Personnel from Intermediate Southern Formation (ISF) along with K9 unit personnel conducted the Anti-drug Operation with ISF Jurisdiction. A search conducted at the residence of 31 year o...

Single bullet found leads to arrest
A Punta Gorda man was arrested and charged after police found a single bullet in his car. On April 1, police conducted a search for firearm and drugs inside a Mitsubishi Gallant car with and found a.38 round under the cassette deck. Police have since arrested and charged 25-year-old Aduan Akeem Ushe...

Two Belize City men rob teens of cell phones
Two Belize City men were arrested for robbing two teenagers. A 19 year old and his 16-year-old friend reported that on Saturday 2nd April about 10:00 p.m., they were walking on the Phillip Goldson Highway near the NAPA roundabout heading in the direction of Belize City when they were approached f...

Amandala

Mossack Fonseca & Ashcroft
In what is being described as an almost certain fatal blow to offshore banking, international media broke the story on Sunday, April 3, of a colossal leak of confidential documents from a highly secretive and private Panamanian law firm, Mossack Fonseca. Eleven million documents held by that firm were passed to a German newspaper which then shared them with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), a group of 107 media organisations spread across 76 countries. This group has reportedly been analysing the dossier for at least a year now. Mossack Fonseca is the world's fourth largest provider of offshore services and although it is based in Panama, it provides corporate incorporation and other offshore structured vehicles across many offshore jurisdictions. The ICIJ reported that more than 300 individual journalists reviewed the leaked documents to expose a list of clients that included those involved in bribery, arms deals, tax evasion, financial fraud, and drug trafficking. Larger than Assange's WikiLeaks, the treasure cove of almost three terabytes of electronic data siphoned from Mossack Fonseca's internal database is considered the biggest leak ever. The source of the leak has not been identified.

Marie Sharp, 35-year veteran, to be inducted into Hot Sauce Hall of Fame
Belizean entrepreneur, Marie Sharp, 76, who started her business in her kitchen, will be inducted into the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame later this month when she travels to New York to receive her special red jacket and ring. Sharp will not just be the only Belizean to snag this lifetime award, she will be the only woman in the group of honorees. "It's the highest honor that I think anybody can ever achieve� not only for me. When they notified me, they congratulated me and my country and the people of Belize for being elected, Sharp told Amandala. She said that when she received news of the award, she was "very, very happy" and "surprised." She still does not know how she was selected for this special honor, but she plans on being in New York for the April 23 induction. In an online notice, the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Hot Sauce Hall of Fame Class of 2016, comprised of 5 people who "have been very instrumental in the fiery foods."

3 Belmopan cops accused of brutality against 2 minors
Three Belmopan policemen have been arrested and charged for brutalizing two boys who were sleeping in their homes. Corporal Edwin Marin and Constables Jose Uh and Marion Alcoser were charged with aggravated assault in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court on Monday. They were offered bail of $1,000 and ordered to return to court on April 28. They have also been interdicted from duty pending trial by a police tribunal for breaching Codes of Conduct governing police officers, in line with the enforcement of the Police Department's "Zero Tolerance of Police Brutality Policy." Police say that as a result of the beatings, a 16-year-old boy suffered a cut wound over the right eye and abrasions to the back and chest, and these injuries to him were certified as wounding.

Woman who killed her female lover denied appeal
A Cayo businesswoman who was initially indicted for the murder of another woman but who was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter and sentenced to serve 12 years in prison will have to serve those 12 years after a panel of three Court of Appeal Justices ruled today to dismiss her appeal and affirm her conviction and sentence. Rosalilia Castillo, 46, appeared in the Belize Court of Appeal today along with her attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, to argue her appeal against her manslaughter conviction and consequent sentence. On the night of Saturday, December 8, 2012, Pamela Perez, 34, a mother of three children, lost her life when she was stabbed by Castillo, with whom she was involved in an intimate relationship. The stabbing took place at Castillo's Las Palomas Del Norte Bar, located on Carrillo Purto Avenue in Santa Elena Town. Castillo was sentenced to 12 years in prison on January 14, 2015, by Justice Antoinette Moore, who heard the case in the Belmopan Supreme Court without a jury.

Angelus Press burglarized; safe and money stolen
A Belize City man has been accused of burglarizing the well-known stationery store Angelus Press, which is located at 10 Queen Street, just a stone's throw away from the Police Precinct #3 on Queen Street. This afternoon, Anthony Morris, 38, a customer care representative and resident of 28 Simon Lamb Street, appeared with his attorney, Dickie Bradley, before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser, who arraigned him on one count of burglary. Morris pleaded not guilty to the charge and since there was no objection to bail from the court prosecutor, Fraser released him on a bail of $5,000 plus one surety of the same amount. The Senior Magistrate, however, told Morris he is being granted bail on the condition that he is not to be arrested for any other offense while his matter is before the court; otherwise his bail will be confiscated and he will be remanded to prison. Morris is expected to return to court on June 1.

Cynthia Ellis-Topsey establishing national network for Garifuna youth
Garifuna mentor Cynthia Ellis-Topsey-who has been working with women and families since 1985-is leading a nationwide initiative through which she intends to connect underserved Garifuna youth and other Afro-descendants, with their elders to "celebrate and affirm the Garifuna contribution to this country" in sustainable development as well as education. "When you hear about sustainable development, Garifuna people were always practicing sustainable development. It's an integral part of the culture," Ellis-Topsey said. Ellis-Topsey, the champion of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Programme in Belize, said that youths should be part of the civic engagement that goes beyond the manipulation that is carried out by political parties, and they should be able to tell the story differently. "Urgently, I want to give back what was given to me. I did not just appear out of a hat�. I want to see Garifuna youth at various fora: at Rotary, in environmental discussions, financial literacy - when we are talking about de-risking, banking," she said.

Coby gives sports equipment to Winty J
He is a really humble, cool brother, but Evondale "Coby" Coburn, who makes annual trips back to his old home town, Belize City, believes that a lot more could be done to help the situation of youths through sports if more Belizeans, especially former sportsmen and women living abroad, would chip in with a little help for sporting programs in the Jewel. "I need to challenge these guys, to let them understand that these kids are not asking for any handouts; they just need an opportunity." On his trip back home for the Easter holidays, Coby brought a bunch of brand new sporting equipment which he handed this morning to sport/culture icon Vincent "Winty J" Johnson, who presently resides in Mahogany Heights. Included in two nylon sacks were eleven pairs of football boots, 4 footballs, 1 basketball, 4 training cones, a ball pump with two needles, a game whistle, and a ball control "Soccer Trainer" kit, all brand new. Receiving the gifts, a delighted Winty J said, "Give thanks, man; those youths will be happy this evening."

"Steeler" first recipient of Cycling Federation's Philanthropy Award
Each year, the Cycling Federation of Belize (CFB) will award this prize to a deserving person. Mr. Garbutt was the recipient of this year's award, which was held at the closing ceremonies at BTL Park. We congratulate Mr. Garbutt, and are looking forward for the next deserving awardee. (The text below is from the award ceremony.) CFB 2016 Philanthropy Award: The word philanthropy is synonymous with the name Raymond "Steeler" Garbutt. Our award today is fitting to a guy who has literally been giving and giving and giving. In fact, that giving didn't just happen out of the clear blue sky. It all began with his late father, who started the tradition of donating $100.00 as station prize at the Garbutt Service Station in Roaring Creek. Since then, that figure has grown considerably. Mr. Garbutt not only donated to the Holy Saturday Cross Country, but every single race that passes through, or finishes at the Gas Station, rest assured, there will be a prize.

NEBL teams fight for playoff positions
On Friday night, Smart Belize Hurricanes hosted their city rivals, Belize City No Limit at the Belize Elementary School gym in Belize City. Smart Belize Hurricanes had a 39-33 lead going into intermission, which was reduced to 1 point in the third quarter by Belize City No Limit. However, Smart Belize Hurricanes was able to muster a strong fourth quarter to easily seal the 74-63 victory. Smart Belize Hurricanes (10-2) was led by league-leading scorer Farron Louriano, who tallied 23 points and 8 rebounds, while Leroy Louriano had 11 pts, 6 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebs. Akeem Watters finished with a double-double, with 10 pts and 11 rebs. The top scorer for Belize City No Limit (4-6) was Jamal Augustine with 17 pts and 5 rebs, while Michael Babbles had 13 pts, 4 assists and 3 rebs. Lennox Bowman tallied 11 pts and 4 rebs, and Keith "Superman" Acosta finished the night with 12 boards and 6 pts.

Police United clinches Champions League berth, Verdes misses PLB playoffs
With 3 back matches completed over the past few days, the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2015-2016 Closing Season regular season is finished; and although the official results have not yet been released by the league, the number tally, according to game results from all our sources, shows Police United with a 1 point advantage over Belmopan Bandits in the combined regular season totals, thus securing the berth to CONCACAF Champions League even if they should fail to win the Closing Season championship. In last Thursday night's back match at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium, it was visiting Police United, 2-1, over Wagiya; and on Saturday night, again at the Michael Ashcroft, Police United again visited and secured a 1-1 draw against Placencia Assassins, to put them at the top of the regular season standings, as well as first in the combined totals. (See our unofficial standings below.)

Editorial: Stand up, Belize
Belize, the independent and sovereign nation on the Central American mainland "in the heart of the Caribbean basin," should let the republic of Guatemala, the region, and the world know that the new status quo at the Sarstoon River is not acceptable. Over the last year there has been a pattern of Guatemalan military aggression at the Sarstoon River, punctuated by two critical, disrespectful statements by the Guatemalan Foreign Minister, which has resulted in a de facto Guatemalan control of the Sarstoon River which constitutes a violation of Belize's southern border. A lot of media and public attention has been focused on the sometimes quixotic remarks and behavior of the Belizean Foreign Minister, but, to a certain extent, Hon. Sedi Elrington has been a distraction. It is the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of Belize to whom the attention should have been paid. Mr. Elrington speaks and acts for and on behalf of the Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, and for and on behalf of the Cabinet which Mr. Barrow leads and dominates. The way the political system in Belize works, the power of the Prime Minister is very, very great. We all know this by now. Belizean Prime Ministers can push around anyone in Belize, and this must give our Prime Ministers awesome personal pride, confidence, and satisfaction.

From the Publisher
There are absurdities and contradictions in life, one of the most interesting and relevant being the fact that from the day you are born, you actually begin to die. From one perspective, then, life is a journey to death. Along this journey, human beings develop different outlooks on the life process in which they are involved, and sometimes we describe these different outlooks as religions, or philosophies. We humans are always trying to explain, to understand, the absurdities and contradictions, yea the pains, which are features of life. For most human beings, there is what we call a work week. Then there is a weekend. Before our third millennium time, the work week in the Western world was sometimes six days, and the weekend was only one day - usually called the Sabbath. For most of us, work has elements of drudgery, so the spiritual renewal usually associated with Sabbath activities had a practical function in that spiritual renewal assisted us in facing another week of work. On the Sabbath, we found a meaning for life in faiths which strengthened us. In the case of the majority of Belizeans, important, life-changing events occurred for our ancestors in the fifteenth century, more than five centuries ago, when Europe first began to enter the African and American continents. Entry, of course, soon became invasion and conquest, the conquerors being Europeans who practiced different Christian religions.

Rejoice, West Indies!
Wow! Champions! West Indies Men's Cricket Team delivered a scintillating victory beating England by four wickets in the International Cricket Council's World Twenty Over Final. Marlon Samuels, Man of the Match, had a brilliant innings with 85 runs scored and Carlos Brathwaite sealed the victory by masterfully launching four sixes in a row, when we needed 19 runs from 7 balls, to bring home the championship. Beautiful, gentlemen! You have brought sweetness to the Caribbean! I know CLR James is smiling in heaven. Fire blaze! Celebrate! Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! God bless you all always.

Santa Familia's drinking water problems
The dry season is upon us and already one community is feeling the effects. The Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development, in a "public advisory" dated March 30, informed villagers of Santa Familia that they should "treat water before using it for drinking by adding one tablespoon of Clorox to five gallons of water, mix completely and leave for at least thirty minutes before using, or boil water at a rolling boil for at least one minute." The coordinator of initiatives that fall under the Rural Development portfolio, Ernest Banner, told Amandala that there is a "rudimentary water supply in Santa Familia" that is provided through the pumping of water from a well to a reservoir, and from this reservoir the water is distributed to villagers' yards and homes. However, due to the dry season, there isn't sufficient water in the well, and so the authorities are using the river, to supply the reservoir.

Long live West Indies cricket!
The West Indies has a long and proud tradition of cricketing greatness with deadly fast bowling, explosive batting performances and strategizing genius. Today, Sunday, April 3, the West Indies Men's Team won a magnificent victory beating England by four wickets, with a score of 161(runs)/6(wickets),to raise the championship trophy of the International Cricket Council's World Twenty-Over Tournament final in Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India. Marlon Samuels, Man of the Match, steadied the ship of the West Indies' batting attack with a brilliant contribution of 85 runs while Carlos Brathwaite sealed the victory by masterfully launching four sixes in a row in the night sky 'beyond the boundary', when the team needed to score 19 runs from 7 balls, to bring home the championship in style and fashion.

Belize Bank has yet to pay us: Evergreen
About two weeks ago, Amandala broke the story that late last year the Belize Supreme Court ruled in case 656 of 2014, that Belize Bank Ltd. (the defendant in the case) must pay Evergreen E-Pay Solutions Ltd. (the claimant who brought the case against Belize Bank Ltd.) a sum of over USD$3,309,373 for abruptly ending a business arrangement into which the bank had entered with Evergreen for the provision of Internet Payment Service Provider (IPSP) services and a referral program for potential e-commerce merchants. On December 18, 2015, an oral judgment, followed by a written one, laid out the financial repercussions that would be suffered by Belize Bank, which, according to the judgment, firstly failed in its business dealings with Visa International Inc. to comply with established guidelines and regulations as it pertains to third party agents; and secondly violated its obligations to Evergreen by terminating a written and unsigned agreement between the two parties, which while unsigned, according to the judgment, was legally binding based on the words and conduct of the parties involved (Belize Bank Ltd. and Evergreen).

Man dies, woman lives in 2 separate road accidents
Hilberto Coyoc, 40, a farmer of Trial Farm, lost his life, while Julia Arana, 45, of Orange Walk Town, is in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after they were knocked down in two separate road accidents that occurred in Orange Walk Town on Thursday and Friday nights. The drivers who were involved in the two accidents - Benjamin Carrillo, Sr., 60, a labourer of Orange Walk Town, and Hon. Abelardo Mai, UDP representative for Orange Walk South respectively - have both been served with a Notice of Intended Prosecution (NIP) by police. The first of the two accidents took place at about 8:30 Friday night, when Julia Arana was knocked down by a vehicle being driven by the Hon. Abelardo Mai. As a result Arana suffered a fractured skull and several broken bones in her body. She was rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital and from there she was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she has been admitted to ward.

Was it suicide, or murder? Post-mortem declares murder
There was much uncertainty surrounding the death of Oscar Ulysis Castillo Gomez, 41, a construction worker of Lords Bank and a father of four children, who some believed died as a result of cutting his own throat, while others suspected he was murdered. Police, however, believed it was murder and were awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination of Gomez' body to certify the cause of his death. Alex Williams, at whose home the incident which resulted in Gomez's death took place, and who was an "eyewitness" to the incident, told Amandala that Gomez was acting strangely, and took a knife and stabbed his own throat. The incident occurred at about 6:30 Friday evening, March 18, on Cahal Pech Street in Lords Bank. A post-mortem exam conducted by Dr. Mario Estradabran on Gomez's body at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on Thursday certified the cause of Gomez's death to be "exsanguinations due to external bleeding due to internal jugular vein injury due to stab wound to the throat," but it also revealed something far more telling: Gomez suffered eight stab wounds to the throat - four of which went two and a half inches deep, and another that went three and a half inches deep. For that reason, police have declared his death a murder.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Council of Mayan Communities formed in South
Several Belizean organizations representing indigenous Maya have allied with their counterparts in the southern Pet�n of Guatemala in order to address improved management of natural resources and most pressing social and economic needs of residents in the Adjacency Zone straddling the Belize-Guatemala border. The [�]

Belizeans living abroad petition US, UK over dispute with Guatemala
Belizeans living in the United States and United Kingdom have taken up the cause of the Belize-Guatemala dispute, with separate petitions asking those countries' lawmakers to speak out. Paul Golder launched a petition on the UK Parliament website seeking 10,000 signatures for a formal response [�]

Man beats firearms charges
Thirty-two year old Daniel Meighan, a security guard at National Youth Cadet Corps and living in Rockville on the George Price Highway, was freed of two charges, kept firearm and kept ammunition without a gun license, after they were dismissed on Monday by the Chief [�]

Tenant pleads guilty to wounding landlord
Thirty-six year old Glenford Soberanis was fined $1,500 after he chopped his landlord, 69 year old Lloyd Flowers, aka "Lloydie Panades," during an argument early on Sunday morning. The misunderstanding between the two could have proven fatal after Soberanis used a machete to deliver a [�]

World Health Day to be observed on Thursday
World Health Day, observed each year on April 7th, is focusing on beating diabetes for 2016 with global activities taking place on that day, possible through the assistance of the World Health Organization (WHO). Belize's Ministry of Health issued a press release earlier today [�]

Teenager charged for armed robbery in Punta Gorda
In the wake of an armed robbery at James Shop on Jose Maria Nunez Street in Punta Gorda Town, police have arrested and formally charged 17-year-old Clinton Medina of the Hopeville area for 'robbery with a firearm'. On the night of Monday, March 21st, [�]

Over a pound of weed seized by San Ignacio Police
Within an hour yesterday afternoon, San Ignacio Police conducted special anti-drug operations in three areas and seized a total of 1.3 pounds of cannabis, all of which were labelled as 'found property' since no one was in any of the immediate areas. At around [�]

Bullet Tree teen missing
San Ignacio Police and the mother of 16-year-old Heidi Teck are asking for the public's assistance in locating the missing girl who was last seen a week ago on Tuesday, March 29 after she left her home in Bullet Tree Falls, Cayo. Esther Teck, [�]

Five charged for threatening to kill police officers
After detaining two Hispanic males in the Planting Patch Area of Benque Viejo Town on March 12th for un-customed goods, a pair of police officers were ambushed by nine persons who threatened to kill them with machetes and rocks. The officers reported that a [�]

Two men detained for unlawful sex with a female minor
A 13-year-old female minor in the company of her father, a 50-year-old businessman of Belmopan City, reported to police on Sunday that between the months of November and December last year, she was abused by four men on different occasions. The girl's father initially [�]

Bizarre Foods' Andrew Zimmern vacations in Belize
After his 2010 visit to Belize, Andrew Zimmern was recently back in Belize but this time not to film. The popular TV personality was here to spend some quality time with his family on vacation. Zimmern kept his followers posted of his exotic trip [�]

Blogs

My Love-Hate Relationship With the World Of Travel
I am a bad traveler. That may seem like a strange admission to make for an expat. Travel is, after all, part of the deal�you can't really live abroad without traveling-at least to the country in which you plan to settle. And to be sure, I love to see and experience other towns, cities, beaches, mountains�the lure of foreign lands and exotic adventures has not diminished for me during my years abroad. It's just getting back and forth to these places that takes the wind out of my sails. I've packed so many bags, folded myself into so many cabs, stood in line at so many airports, stuffed myself into so many airline seats, waited on so many benches in so many bus terminals� Listen to me complaining about having to travel the world. I know�it's the dream lifestyle for many people. And in truth, it's my ideal existence as well. I would not trade a minute of my time exploring the world as an expat for any other way of life. But I also have to admit that the actual act of traveling no longer holds the same thrill it once did for me.

Economic Growth is an Idea
"Creativity is subjective, the truth isn't." Truth in advertising is a key challenge in the sustainability movement as the pressures for creative greenwashing are everywhere. The struggle to represent sustainability honestly is a tough road to follow. It is not easy to demonstrate the clash between economic growth and ecological overshoot in order to prevent societal collapse. But economic growth is really a learned idea that we can change and mature. Although economic growth is a cultural idea of our own creation, the tradition is passed on as if it is unchangeable. It is our current economic model that serves as the overarching strategy dominating our communities and overriding the way we interact with the natural world. The trouble is, economic growth is a belief system and set of practices that aims to achieve - every day - ever more goods and services, forever. This requires ever more raw materials and energy from the economy of Nature, not a limitless source. While growth may have served many of us well, we've been bumping into ecological limits for some time now and unless we discover a continual supply of resource rich planets that we can use, we're in trouble. While greening economic growth may, over the short term, seem to improve some aspects of our damage to the planet, it won't be enough. Green growth like many other environmental initiatives in our struggle towards reining in the human endeavor, still falls under the umbrella of growth.

CARBUNKLE TRUMPET'S TRIP REPORT - CHANGE ON THE ISLAND
"Oh it has been 3 years since your last visit; a lot has changed on the island." "Wait till you see the change on the island." "Get ready to see a bunch of changes on the island." "The island has changed, it isn't the same." "They have ruined that island, it isn't the same!" Boy, some of you guys really know how to make one wonder what the hell they are getting into when they are heading back down below the 18th latitude. I hate to disappoint those of you who have tuned in to read me eviscerate the island but not much has changed in my humble opinion; For those of you saying "Ok, smartass, we get it!" let me qualify something. Change is inevitable; if you don't change then you will either become obsolete or you go out of business. I work for a company that raises an eyebrow if the comment "We have always done it that way" is said because there is always room for improvement. Just imagine what would have happened if a US Gringo who married an Island girl didn't say 39 years ago "I am going to fly people from the mainland to the island." Where would San Pedro or Belize be if Tropic Air wasn't born back in 1979? Yes I am talking about John Grief but come on guys, isn't the road north to Las Terazzas much better than potholes and puddles? Was the traffic so horrible on the island that it drove me crazy? You are talking to a [#%!] New Yorker!! At least they aren't honking their horns like they do here in Gotham. Sadly we can't keep an island from growing just like we can't keep a puppy or newborn from growing up.

International Sourcesizz

San Pedro Golf Cart Ban Highlights Belize's Growing Tourism Profile
Despite the mayor's ban on their importation, it appears golf carts are still being brought into San Pedro, Belize. The small resort town's golf cart cache was discovered this week by vigilant reporters from the San Pedro Sun, the local newspaper, who posted an article detailing the "containers full of carts" arriving at the local pier. The carts arrived despite earlier promises from Daniel Guerrero, San Pedro's mayor, that golf cart rental companies would be barred from increasing their fleets. Admittedly golf carts aren't often found beyond resort properties and, of course, golf courses in most Caribbean destinations. But in San Pedro, an increasingly popular coastal town treasured for its narrow downtown streets, the golf cart is the primary mode of motorized transportation. Moreover the mayor's ban was prompted by a full-blown, golf cart-driven transportation crisis resulting in "constant complaints, letters from disgruntled visitors [and] residents' vocal opposition following overwhelming traffic," the Sun reports.

Brother of Woman Killed by Police Denied Visa to Attend Funeral by U.S. Gov't
The U.S. Government's refusal to allow 34-year-old Delon Michael into the country from Belize has delayed the burial of his sister Kisha Michael by nearly a month and a half. 31-year-old Kisha Michael was killed the morning of Feb. 21 when Inglewood police approached a vehicle she was in near Manchester Boulevard and Inglewood Avenue. According to the police, when they approached the car, they noticed Michael in the car with a gun and ordered her and Marquintan Sandlin, 32, a single father of four daughters, out of the vehicle. Officers then took cover and opened fire, killing both people. Michael, the mother of 3 young sons was pronounced dead shortly after the shooting, and Sandlin died later at a hospital. Rosalind Osler, 54, says that she has been working diligently to get her daughter's older brother Delon here from Belize so that along with Kisha's twin sister Trisha, they could properly mourn as a family and lay her to rest. Last month, the U.S. Embassy in Belize denied Delon, a government worker in Orange Walk, a visa to come to the U.S. for his sister's funeral.

Over half of World Heritage sites including the Great Barrier Reef, Grand Canyon National Park and China's Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries are at risk from oil, gas and mining industries
Half of the world's natural World Heritage sites are at risk from harmful industrial activities such as mining, dredging or drilling for oil, a report has warned. Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Grand Canyon National Park in the US and China's Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries - home to more than 30 per cent of the world's endangered pandas - are among the 'incredible places' being put at risk, wildlife charity WWF said. Of 229 natural or mixed World Heritage sites, which have been designated wholly or partly because of their natural formations, habitats for threatened species or their conservation, scientific or aesthetic value, 114 are under threat. The study also said more than eleven million people worldwide rely on World Heritage sites for food, water, shelter and medicine, and damaging development could harm them. Nine out of 10 (90 per cent) of sites provide jobs and benefits that stretch beyond their borders, and the protected areas help relieve poverty and food insecurity, tackle climate change and promote sustainable use of natural resources, it claims.

Fishing for the future of Caribbean coral reefs
New science-based fishery regulations are needed if coral reefs are to have a future in the face of climate change. The study shows that Caribbean coral reefs are experiencing mounting pressure from global warming, local pollution and over-fishing of herbivorous fish. An international team, led by University of Queensland researchers, has found that tighter fishery regulations are needed to preserve corals of the Caribbean. Researcher Dr Yves-Marie Bozec, from UQ's School of Biological Sciences and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, said herbivorous parrotfish were needed because they eat seaweed, which can smother coral and prevent corals from recovering. "While several countries in the Caribbean have taken the bold step of banning the fishing of parrotfish (including Belize, Bonaire, Turks and Caicos Islands), parrotfish fisheries remain in much of the region," Dr Bozec said. The research team analysed the effects of fishing on parrotfish and combined this with an analysis of the role of parrotfish on coral reefs. "We conclude that unregulated fisheries will seriously reduce the resilience of coral reefs," Dr Bozec said.

A Potemkin Village for Porfirio D�az
President Porfirio D�az came to Yucat�n with a short list of things he needed to do. The announced purpose for the visit in 1906 was routine and boring - to attend the Governor's inauguration and dedicate some new public works. In reality, D�az arrived with the following to-do list in his vest pocket: Item: Patch things up with the Yucatecans for taking away half their state. Item: Squelch rumors of slave labor on the henequen plantations. Of course, there was other business as well, mostly along the lines of exchanging flattery and support with local political allies. Yucat�n's governor, rich and powerful Olegario Molina Sol�s, had just been re-elected to a second term, an action as controversial as the President's own multiple re-elections. And the wealthy state of Yucat�n itself, isolated from the rest of Mexico and always with a streak of independence, was not as firmly under his control as he would have liked. A good, strong dose of D�az power and cult of personality could help. The main list needed his attention, though. Barely three years before his arrival, D�az had divided Yucat�n state to create the new Territory of Quintana Roo. With the new territory, D�az had gained Federal and personal control over valuable land grants and export duties. But Yucat�n, bitterly remembering its losses of Belize, Pet�n, and Campeche over the centuries, was still protesting over this latest outrage. Could he use patronage effectively to quiet down the opposition?

We Asked an Offshore Banking Industry Insider How the Feds Will Respond to the Panama Papers
"The US essentially shut down the country of Belize's banking system back in November or December. There was Bank of Belize, and the government said they were hiding clients who didn't pay taxes, so they shut them down. The Bank of Belize was the clearinghouse for every offshore bank in the country. So just about every offshore bank was shut down for three or four months, and they're just starting to get back up and running. "

8th Annual International "Dorado de Plata/Silver Dorado' and "Picudo/Billfish" Sports Fishing Tournaments
Our friends and neighbours from across our Mexico border extend a cordial invitation to all avid sports fisher folks, guides and enthusiasts - Mahahual, Mexico Invites all Belize Sports Fisher folks to their 8th Annual International "Dorado de Plata/Silver Dorado' and "Picudo/Billfish" Sports Fishing Tournaments. Two tournaments packed in 3 days of fun, entertainment, excitement and activities. Will see you there!!! It is all happening this weekend Friday April 8th, Saturday April 9th and Sunday April 10th at the beautiful coast of Mahahual Quintana Roo. Grand Prize for the Silver Dorado includes: 1) Largest Dorado - Bradn New Pick-up Truck 2) Second Place - Motorcycle and Trophy 3) Third Place - Motorcycle and Trophy Blue Marlin will count for 3000 points White Marlin will count for 2000 points Sailfish will count as 1000 points

Videos

  • Belize Pilot Serve Team, 4min.

  • BELIZE 2016, 9min.

  • Easter Placencia Belize bikini contest, 3min.

  • Belize Concrete, 1min.

  • Belize - Flight from Gallon Jug Airstrip to Belize City 2016 Apr. 01, 3min. Private flight from Gallon Jug Airstrip (Chan Chich Lodge) to Belize City (BZE) on a Cessna 208 Caravan with Maya Island Air.

  • CAHAL PECH, San Ignacio Belize, 7.5min. Cahal Pech is in San Ignacio, The site sits atop the hill and is considered a royal city. It is fairly small but it has been pulled out of the jungle for us to return to and visit. We have been here twice, it is a great spot to go, sit and have a picnic as well .. the sounds of nature surround you ..it is a really great place to visit ..

  • Belize SeaWeed Producers Industry, 1min. Belize SeaWeed Producers Industry Placencia Producers Cooperation Society Ltd Shamax Productions 2015 822-2536.

  • Gallon Jug, Belize - Laguna Verde 2016 Mar. 31, 1.5min. Enjoying the beauty of Laguna Verde near Chan Chich Lodge in Gallon Jug, Orange Walk, Belize.

  • Diving in Mexico and Belize, 34min. 6 weeks spent diving in all around mexico and on Caye caulker in Belize. Shot with a gopro hero 4 silver along with 2 Archon d11v video lights, apart for a few clips in Socorro that were shot with at Sony rx100.

  • Turning Reef Predators Into A Delicacy, 6min. And that awesome flavor, would go great on some lionfish! That's right, the venomous reef predator makes a tasty meal. This feature prepared by Oceana Belize looks at the Lionfish as good food - in a sort of cooking feature that shows you how to prepare this emerging delicacy:... Lionfish is widely offered at restaurants in Placencia and the Cayes. min.

  • Belize'n the Dancing Queen, 4min. See that girl, watch that scene...

  • BELIKIN, BELIZE, 1min.

  • Caroline Studios - Belize, 3min.

  • Parasailing with Belize Parasail Ltd, 6.5min. Parasailing with Belize Parasail Ltd.

  • Agitation to Relaxation -- A Short Trip to Belize, 3min. A getaway trip To Belize. Pictures, movies and time lapses of San Pedro, Belize.

  • Easter Placencia Belize bikini contest 5, 3.5min.

  • Belize 2016, 10min. Reflections on 16 years of mission work in Belize

  • IRIS GOES TO BELIZE, 8min. This has got to be the MOST EPIC SPRING BREAK trip of my life.

  • Crisis On Belize's Sarstoon Island: A Progressive Media Forum!, 90min. The progressive Belizean KREM TV television show, The Morning Review, hosted by Sister Yaya Marin Coleman, analyzed the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) expedition to Belize's Sarstoon Island on Sunday August 16, 2015, at the advent of widespread objection by Belize government officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security. Aired during a climate of political tension surrounding the BTV's relentless struggle to resist by all means the Guatemalan military oligarchy claims that the Sarstoon Island is a 'disputed' territory, the show presented the views and analysis of Belizean journalist, Bilal Morris of BREDAA, and Patrick Rogers of the Vision Inspired by the People (VIP).

  • A Tribute To The Late Belizean Mayan Activist Julian Cho, 10min. In 1996, Belizean Mayan activist Julian Cho visited Washington in the United States to draw attention to the plight of the Belizean Mayans and to stop 17 logging concessions that that the Belize government under the Esquivel Administration had granted to international logging companies, one in particular, the Malaysian logging giant Atlantic Industries, to log on Mayan ancestral lands. A law suit was filed against the Belizean government to stop the logging but Cho who died mysteriously afterwards did not live to see the fruits of his struggle as the Belizean Mayas won an unprecedented victory against government in the Belize supreme court a few years later. Today illegal logging continues to plague Belize's Ministry of Natural Resources and its forestry department under the Barrow administration. The documentary celebrates the struggle of this Belizean revolutionary.


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