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Posted By: Marty Today's Belize News: September 27, 2014 - 09/27/14 12:07 PM


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Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Brace yourselves: the Belikin Calendar 2015 is coming!
It's that time again! The hotly anticipated Belikin Calendar for 2015 will soon be released, and Belikin has put out a fun video chronicling the making of the sports-themed visual feast. With gorgeous ladies, stunning settings and expert sports photographer David Bergman, plus fabulous crew - there is no doubt the 2015 calendar will be a winner. Bergman is (band) Bon Jovi's official photographer, and boasts clients like Sports Illustrated. As such, he focused on motion photography, capturing movement and energy as the Belizean girls portrayed such sports as basketball, boxing, paddleboarding and jet skiing. One particular beauty impressed everyone with her football skills - and in a bikini no less!

Eric Swan charged for Blackmail
San Pedro Police have officially charged 28-year-old Eric Swan for the crime of "Blackmail". Police detained Swan on Friday, September 19th during a special operation that occurred on Laguna Drive. According to police, they had received information on the matter and proceeded to intercept a pickup being driven by 48-year-old Aurelio Nu�ez, with Swan in the passenger seat. Both men were escorted to the police station where Nu�ez reported that on Friday, September 5th he received a telephone call from Swan demanding $50,000 in return for some drugs that had been previously confiscated by Orange Walk Police. Nu�ez stated that the demand for the money was a result that he had recommended Pascual Terrero Pineda to assist in the selling of the drugs. Nu�ez did not have the money being demanded by Swan. Instead he gave Swan a 28' fiber glass boat valued at $90,000.

Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow hosts the First Ladies Global Call to Action Conference on Women and Girls' Financial Health At the United Nations
Mrs. Kim Simplis Barrow, the Special Envoy for Women and Children and Spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize, hosted the "First Ladies' Global Call to Action Conference on Women's and Girls' Financial Health". The conference was a side event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York City on September 25th, 2014.

Manuel Heredia blames the PUP for exposing his new submerged subdivision
The Area Representative for Belize Rural South and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Manuel Heredia Jr has finally made public comments on the 'submerged' subdivision he has been spearheading. Heredia Jr. was ambushed by the media on Thursday September 18th and all the hard questions were put before him. Under cross examination from the press, Heredia said that he was unaware of the location of the subdivision and promised to visit the area. In a second interview on September 24, Heredia told the press that the subdivision is not as bad as the cameras are showing. When the media caught up with Heredia on Tuesday September 24th, he was again put on the spotlight. Heredia had promised to visit the subdivision since he admitted that he had never been to the area before. After seeing the subdivision, Heredia said, that it is not as bad as is being portrayed by the cameras. "I did go to the site on Saturday as I mentioned and definitely it is not as bad as what you can see. With the cameras and so, it paints a different picture. It might have some negativity into it, but it is not as bad." Interestingly, Heredia has maintained that if the subdivision is aborted, there is a second plan and as such, those 150 people who have paid in full for their lease certificate will not lose their money. He refused to disclose what plan B is, and if it includes subdividing higher government properties further on northern Ambergris Caye. Also interesting is that throughout the scandal, which originated from the cancellation of a PACT grant aimed at helping to fuse the proposed reserve expansion into Hol Chan, the Ambergris Caye Citizen for Sustainable Development has not issued a statement.

Ambergris Today

Belize Heightens Security at Caracol Archaeological Site after Shooting Incident
It is unfortunate to report that just before midday September 25, 2014, 20-year-old Special Constable (SC) Danny Conorquie, assigned to the Tourism Police Unit was shot and killed in the line of duty at the Caracol Archaeological Site in the Cayo District. This incident occurred in the general vicinity of the main temple in plain view of several tourists and tour operators. Security forces were deployed to secure the scene and tourists were safely transported out of the area by the Belize Tourism Board. Reports indicate that there were about 15 tourists and 5 tour guides on site at the time of the incident. The government statement announced that additional security personnel has been deployed to the Caracol Archaeological Site to ensure the safety of the hundreds of visitors who frequent the site and that the matter is still under investigation by the relevant authorities; every effort is being made to bring those responsible to justice.

San Pedro Sailors Help Set New Guinness World Record for Bart's Bash
On Belize Independence Day, 81 San Pedro Sailors Raced For A Guinness Book World Record - Bart's Bash, the global sailing race organized by the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation which took place on September 21, 2014, has set the new Guinness World Record for the Largest Sailing Race (24 hours) and San Pedro sailors were part of the fun and glory. It was a great way to kick start the Independence Day celebrations for Belize - an early morning sailing race that also had a bigger purpose worldwide. Virtually every sailboat that could in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize - big and small - turned out for Bart's Bash. San Pedro Sailing Club's fleet of eight little 7-footer Optimist dinghies and 12 -18 ft. Hobie catamarans were joined by Cayo Espanto's and No Worries Tours' Hobies, a Laser, and a 14-ft. custom, 2-masted double hulled twin-sailed experiment. They scudded like water bugs among big charter boats the likes of El Gato, TMM's Avanga, Rum Punch II, Seaduced, Searious Escape, and Tuff Enough Tours' Just Anada Tuff Day.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

Find out how you can be a part of BTB's 2014 World Tourism Day celebration!
The Belize Tourism Board would like to wish all Tourism Friends and Partners a #Happy #WorldTourismDay2014! Share in the love of tourism with us, see flyer for more details on how you can be featured!

Channel 7

Killed At Caracol, Constable Conorquie's Family Grieves
Yesterday, 20 year-old Special Constable Danny Conorquie was killed by Hispanic men - believed to be Guatemalans - at the Caracol Archaeological Site in Western Belize. If they were Guatemalan, the young constable Conorquie becomes the first Belizean lawman to be killed on Belizean soil, in the line of duty by civilians from the other side of the border. It is disturbing from a security perspective - but there's also the tourism angle: the shootout which led to his death happened in plain view of several tourists and tour operators who were visiting Caracol. And then, there's his family: they lost a son and brother in circumstances that would boil the blood of any patriot. Today, they came to the City from their home in Georgeville to deal with the post mortem. His mother was still overcome with emotion - and angry at statements made by the Minister of Foreign Affairs:

Immigration Minister Firm On Security Forces
Today, Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse was not as restrained as his Cabinet colleague Wilfred Elrington - who didn't want to label Danny Conorquie's killer a Guatemalan without certain knowledge of that. Hulse said that the security forces must be protected by all means:.. Hon. Godwin Hulse "As far as our security people are concerned we continue to maintain and will not have our people threatened and we will not have our people hurt and we want to protect our people and I know that in the last incident that had occurred that was their port that the particular person who came across and was shot was aggressive and that our people had to do what they had to do to protect themselves and to ensure that he could be deterred. I think the Guatemalans are fairly at this point satisfied with that report and so it continues."

The Caracol Context
Now, for context we should note that the Caracol Archeological Park - as part of the wider Chiquibul Forest is only a five kilometers, or three miles from the Belize Guatemala border - and that area has been under constant pressure from Guatemalans crossing the border to steal Xate leaves, illegally extract timber and loot the site - much of which remains un excavated. That they have come so close to Caracol is an indication of how brazen the Guatemalan poachers have become. In January, we spoke to Raphael Manzanero from the Friends for Conservation and Development about Guatemalans cutting logs right along the Caracol Road - which was cause for great alarm just eight months ago. Rafael Manzanero "The Guatemalans cutting down the Mahogany and Cedar right along the road which is use as access to the Caracol Archaeological Reserve. The most aspect of the concern is because it is very close. In fact the trees that were cut less than 2 weeks ago they actually were dropped right over the highway; over the road. We are actually talking about no more than 1.5 miles from the Caracol center."

Cop Charged For Manslaughter 16 Months Later
Tonight, Police Constable David Griffith, who was attached to the Punta Gorda Police Station, is out on bail after being taken to court allegedly for killing Rasheed Eligio, a prisoner who escaped from police custody last year. On May 10, 2013, Eligio was arrested for carnal knowledge. He was handcuffed to another prisoner, Brian Garcia, and they were going to be transported to the Belize Central Prison after being arraigned and remanded. The officers were waiting on a James Bus to escort them, but Eligio and Garcia saw an opportunity to escape, and they took it.

Maurice Felix And His Cousins Remanded
In July we told you about the Felix Brothers, Maurice and Emory who had been released from jail after 8 years on remand for the murder of Mitchum Heredia. They faced three trials and got three hung jury results - so they were finally freed. But Maurice Felix only tasted two months of that freedom - tonight he's back behind bars because police say he's part of a gang called the Gill street Gangsters. 29 year old Felix and his cousins 30 year old Roy Bennett and and 26 year old Ryan Bennett were arraigned in curt #3 this evening for possession of a controlled drug and professing to be a gang member. They were immediately remanded to prison. They were first picked up yesterday for possession of .2 grammes of weed - which is less than point .01 ounces. Then they told the court the GSU came and charged them for the gang offence.

Drug-Addicted Man Jailed After Stealing From Mother
Tonight, 35 year-old Jason Velasquez a resident of mile 16 on the Northern Highway, is spending the second night of a 1-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to stealing from his own mother's house to finance his drug habit. His mother, Cordelia McDonald, reported to police that from September 1 to September 18, an assortment of household items to a total value of $292 dollars were stolen from her house. After investigating the report, police arrested and charged Velasquez with theft. He was arraigned yesterday before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, where he wasted no time and pleaded guilty. He also confessed to the Chief Magistrate that he has a drug problem where he smokes both weed and crack.

Labour Minister Says Lingua Franca Fine In Workplace
Earlier on you saw what Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse had to say about the Caracol cop killing. But, he's also Minister of Labour and we asked him for his comments on the recent controversy over the First Caribbean Dangriga Branch - where one employee resigned after she claims she was reprimanded for speaking to a customer in Garifuna. The matter has been taken up by her union and could end up as a labour dispute - so we asked the Labour Minister - and former bank employee what he though of it:.. Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Labour "My simple unequivocal position is that this is a multi-racial, multi-lingual society. We do business and commerce in the English language, but when we deal with our people we are all free to discourse in the language we are most comfortable with and should be free and nobody should impose any impediment. I will say though that before you were born, back in 1964, when I worked in the Royal Bank of Canada, we were forbidden to speak anything but the English language. Those were the good old colonial days, part of what I fought against to help to bring us to independence, so I am not going to support or countenance any nonsense when it comes to people's race, creed, ethnicity, religion or otherwise."

BTL Positioning For The Future, Diminishing Profits In Short Term
Belize Telemedia Limited held its eighth annual general meeting last night at the Biltmore Best Western. The company used one of the biggest conference room in town to welcome its hundreds of small shareholders. But they were also there for an unusually frank and plain spoken wake up call: BTL's profits are falling, and they will continue to do so for at least the next two years. It's part of a larger plan which we found out about last night:.. Nestor Vasquez, Chairman - BTL "Our strategy for the past 5 years has been about making BTL a better company which provides a better future for Belize and for its shareholders." Jules Vasquez reporting Those shareholders got a smaller dividend this year though - and that is based on a downturn in profits - 1.4 million less from 21 million to 19.6 million - comparable to pre nationalization figures:

AG Says Bar President Not Living In Reality
For the past two days, you've been hearing what the Bar Association has to say about the proposed legal profession amendment bill. Not surprisingly, they don't like it one bit - and both the President and Former president of the bar have rejected various parts of it. One of their criticisms is that the new breakdown of the members lends itself to direct political control by the Attorney General. That's what Bar President Eamon Courtenay said - and yesterday AG Elrington told us he's far from reality: Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General "The truth is that what he said has no relation to reality whatsoever. There is a provision for the appointment of the members of the council and 3 of the members of the council are going to be nominated by the Bar Association and appointed by me. Somebody has to appoint them. The Bar Association doesn't have the locus standi to appoint them, but that is my authority, so I will appoint the 3 members appointed by the Bar. Tell me how it will be political if in fact the Bar Association appoints 3 and nominates 3 and I appoint those who ae nominated, how can that be political? Now tell me how it will be more political if I take myself away from the entire process and leave the chief justice to do it?"

Hon. Elrington Says Extradition For Bahamian Offshore Bankers Underway
We also asked Elrington about the status of extradition proceedings against Kelvin Leach and Rohn Knowles. They are the Bahamian Offshore Bankers who are facing extradition to the US. But their attorneys say that no extradition request has been entered and they are being imprisoned unfairly. Elrington outlined the official position:.. Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General "The process of the extradition proceedings are underway and the issue of bail is being raised by their counsels and the SolGen's office is being ask to respond to those arguments requesting bail, so the matter is in fact in the process of going through the motions for extradition." Daniel Ortiz "Do we have an extradition request or extradition order or any sort of document from the US Government which says that they are interested in these two men?"

Getting Justice For Juveniles
For the past two days, there have been no regular Supreme Court or Magistrate's Court hearings. That's because all the judges and magistrates were in San Ignacio attending a conference to dialog with the National Committee for Families and Children, and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The discussion is about how to improve the juvenile Justice System to reduce the impact of child trauma of juveniles whose lives are affected by the justice system. Today, we went to the Cahal Pech Resort and where we spoke with the main facilitators about the practical outcomes from this session: Luwani Cayetano - Executive Director, NCFC "This activity is kind of part of a larger group of activities and partnership that we have and so NCFC, UNICEF and the Supreme Court have kind of come together to do some institutional and legal reform and so a part of that is yes there will be buildings and yes there will be new spaces, but we also then have to provide capacity to the people doing the work and so then providing training about understanding, about how to treat children in court, how to ensure their best interest is really a big part of that - the component of that reform.

Making Cities Child Friendly
There are many issues that threaten the safety and survival of Belizean youths and in order to address these issues the youths themselves need to be involved in that process. The Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative seeks to do just that; to foster an environment where youths can express themselves and develop into productive citizens and leaders. It is quite an ambitious task but Darrell Bradley tells us how this initiative will empower Belizean youths. Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City "What the initiative is the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities initiative, it's really a certificate. It's actually a way that we would keep municipalities accountable. we often times done this at the municipality level and several of the speakers spoken about this, we are talking about streets, we are talking about parks, but it's really more than that - its creating a wholesome environment where our young people can, they can be engaged in decision making. They can be made to feel empowered, that they are listened to and they are actually participating meaningfully in the advancement of themselves and their communities. The project challenge us as a municipality to open up our dialogue and our conversation to encourage and incorporate young people in the decision making part of it so that they feel empowered and engaged."

IPhone 6+ Reaches Belize At Record Prices
If you've been keeping with the latest international tech news, you may know that Apple's new flagship phones, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were launched last week Friday in the US. Eager iPhone fans waited outside the retail stores all over the country which ended up selling over 10 million devices in the first week. Since then it's gotten very scarce - rumours say China is buying them all up. That has driven up prices since the new units are on back order. Locally that means an upgrade to the iPhone 6 is not going to be simple or cheap. You'll have to pay a premium price. It's standard for all new gadget launches where local vendors have to pay persons in the launch countries to wait in line for the device when it drops. The bigger the middle-man's fee is, and the higher cost of getting the device here is, the more you, the end user, have to pay.

New Internet Rates/Speeds Take Effect In October
Last night we told you about the new doubled up internet speeds from BTL. This was outlined in a more official way at last night's annual general meeting. Here's the new schedule:.. Nestor Vasquez, Chairman - BTL "The 256KB that is now selling for $56.00 will be $25.00. The 128KB will no longer be available. The 512KB is $56.00. The 1MB is now $88.00. We are doubling up the speed."

BTL Will Leverage Bandwidth
And while you'll be getting faster speeds, BTL will also be changing the way they do business with wholesale internet providers. Anwar Barrow explained:.. Anwar Barrow, Chairman - BTL Executive Committee "So if you are an entrepreneur, you want to come in and access BTL service and you have a solid game plan, business plan, come in, we are open to you. We want you to leverage our network."

Why Does Belize Lag Behind Other Countries In Bandwidth
And while BTL is ready to work with wholesalers, we asked when will Belize's status on bandwidth surveys get a wholesale upgrade? As we've been reporting, every single survey of Caribbean Bandwidth puts Belize very near the bottom. The most recent survey placed this country 174th out of 192 countries worldwide. Here's what Barrow said:.. Anwar Barrow, Chairman - BTL Executive Committee "I have seen it but I haven't drilled down into it, so really I can't speak concretely to it but what I can say is that we are moving forward. We are moving the internet penetration rate forward, we hope to double it in the next 2 years and so there are a lot of great things to come and an entire transformation of what the internet is in Belize and who has access to the internet."

Hon. Hulse Says He Didn't Call Anyone
And in one more bit of topical news, today the press asked Godwin Hulse about that rumour that he had intervened to get a relative out of custody after he was caught with some sugar near the Guatemalan Border. The report is that on Monday 8th September at around 8:00 in the night, alert Cayo police came across 2 trucks loaded with 160 sacks of sugar in the area of the Calla Creek road - which is the major smuggling corridor from Belize into Guatemala. Police detained 7 men and escorted them to the Benque Viejo border where they were handed over to Customs. Now, Customs told us that indeed they received the men and the cargo, but because it is not an offence to have local sugar in Belize, they could not charge them. With that they were released. But, here's where the story takes a turn. It turns out that one of the men used to co-manage the Commodities Store, a business in Belmopan, which is owned and operated by Minister Godwin Hulse's family. Hulse told the media today that there's no way he made any call to get anyone free:..

Coppershot Taking A Shot
To end off the September celebrations with a bang, the DJ named Coppershot is here from Jamaica to perform as part of the marketing creation called Arthur Guinness Day. Here is their very "spirited" invitation to the public. The event will be held tomorrow evening from 5 until at the BTL park.

Channel 5

Police Say Special Constable Conorquie Was Executed
Tonight, there is national outrage over the murder of Tourism Police Officer, Danny Conorquie.� In this newscast, we look at his callous slaying from all angles starting with the ongoing [...]

Slain Officer's Family Speaks Out
Twenty-four hours after they received the news of his murder, the family of twenty year old Conorquie are reeling from the grief. The vibrant young man known as 'Bobotch' lived [...]

Foreign Minister Elrington Says Murder is not a Foreign Affairs Matter
The brazen midday execution of Special Constable Conorquie at the Caracol Archaeological Site on Thursday, by persons believed to be Guatemalan nationals, has caused public outrage.� And as you heard [...]

Family Condemns Elrington's Comments
Minister Elrington's comments, considering his decidedly nonchalant demeanour whenever Guatemala is involved, are not surprising, but they are disturbing. And while he refuses to say the killers are Guatemalan for [...]

Elrington Says Compensation Not Considered At This Point
Following the shooting death of a Guatemalan encroacher three point five kilometers within Belizean territory on March twenty-ninth 2014, the government compensated the family of Tomas Ramirez. �When asked about [...]

Is the Foreign Minister being soft with Guatemala over the murder of cop at Caracol?
And our question for tonight is: Do you believe that the Minister of Foreign Affairs is being soft with Guatemala over the murder of the Belizean officer at Caracol? Send [...]

P.U.P. Leader Demands Full Investigation
P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca today offered the official position of his party on the murder of Tourism Police Officer Danny Conorquie. According to Fonseca, the party is saddened and troubled…but [...]

Godwin Hulse Speaks About Conorquie Murder
Earlier today, we also got a comment from Minister of Immigration, Godwin Hulse, at an event for Child Friendly Municipalities. Hulse gave his views of the Conorquie murder and was [...]

Murder at Mayan Site is A Security Wake-Up Call
There is unity in outrage over the senseless execution of Danny Conorquie. But there are also questions about the rationale behind having only two Special Constables providing security at such [...]

B.T.L. Announces Decline in Profits
The annual general meeting of the Belize Telemedia Limited was held in Belize City on Thursday night. Shareholders as well as company executives were on hand for the fifth annual [...]

Elrington Says Courtenay's Comments Were Incomprehensible
On Wednesday, President of the Bar Association, Eamon Courtenay, excoriated Attorney General Wilfred Elrington and panned the government for introducing a bill that seeks to amend the existing composition of [...]

Father Charged With Rape & Incest
There is also a report of a heinous act.� A twelve year old girl is claiming that she was sexually abused by her own father. The alleged rape, according to [...]

Actyl Wins Case Involving Employment of Belizeans
A ruling in the Canadian courts will ensure that four Belizeans retain their jobs with McDonald's Canada. The four Belizeans were recruited to work in the fast food franchise by [...]

Minister of Labour on CIBC FirstCaribbean Issue
There was a firestorm against the CIBC FirstCaribbean Bank weeks ago when a Dangriga employee was prevented from speaking in her native tongue. Minister Godwin Hulse today provided his own [...]

Hulse speaks on the Penner Fiasco
The private prosecution lead by COLA of the former minister of state, Elvin Penner was thrown out earlier this year following the lack of evidence to convict the ousted Cayo [...]

Court Ruling on Bahamians Set For Next Week
Bahamian nationals Rohn Knowles and Kelvin Leach remain in pretrial detention at the Belize Central Prison tonight.� The pair of stockbrokers, both employees of Titan International Securities, was expected in [...]

Belize City Mayor Says Flooding is a Perennial Problem
The downpour across the country, especially in the city, has left several areas in downtown Belize City inundated and impassable for pedestrians. According to Mayor Darrell Bradley, the council has [...]

Child-Friendly Municipalities Launched Today
UNCEF and partners launched today a Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative with a live broadcast in Belize City and simultaneous activities in all other municipalities. The idea is to provide infrastructure, [...]

CTV3

Alex Tillett Wanted For Two Robberies In Orange Walk
Tonight, Orange Walk Police are actively seeking one person they believe perpetrated two robberies in the municipality. Police say 27 year old Alex Tillett; known as "lexus" was one of two men who robbed Darvis Store at gunpoint on September 11th and Hung Yun Store on September 19th. You may recall that the September 19th armed robbery of Hung Yun Store proved fatal for his accomplice Leslie Logan Jr. who was shot by the proprietor of the store. Police say Tillet is wanted for two counts of robbery and is considered armed. Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Alex Tillett is asked to contact the police. The police also advise the public that harbouring a fugitive is an offence.

SIB Reports On Imports and Exports
Other statistics released today was that of the External Trade for the month of August. The figures dictates that imports for August to Belize were valued at a total of $158.5 million, increasing by over $11 million or 7.6 percent from $147.3 in August of 2013. This increase was due entirely as a result of imports of 'Food and Live Animals' and 'Chemical Products', which rose by $5.9 million and $5.5 million, respectively. Imports of 'Manufactured Goods', in particular building cement, were down by over $3 million from last August. The value of goods going into the commercial free zones also declined by $1.6 million, even as imports destined for the export processing zones increased by $1.7 million during the month. The first eight months of this year, imports totalled $1.3 billion, growing by almost $80 million or 6.5 percent compared to the same period in 2013. 'Machinery and Transport Equipment' increased by almost the same amount, boosted by purchases of vehicles for personal use and for the transportation of goods.

BSCFA To Present Counter Proposal To BSI
The fate of the sugar industry continues to be a topic of much discussion. Among the issues that need urgent resolution is that of the revenue sharing for bagasse. The situation continues without much progress. Last night we presented the position of BSI and today, we spoke with Alfredo Ortega of the BSCFA who says they too have a proposal they are working on to present to BSI at their next meeting. "Nosotros tambi�n vamos a sacar nuestra propuesta basado a lo que ellos han presentado sin embargo ellos siguen con su propuesta de su f�rmula de ellos nosotros tambi�n tenemos una f�rmula y vamos a ver en que de acuerdos podemos llegar para mejorar este beneficio al canero, no podr�a ir en mucho m�s detalle dentro de ello porque nosotros estamos trabajando en nuestra parte de ellos y vamos a tener una junta con BSI el 9 de Octubre en la cual nos vamos a juntar e ir m�s profundo en esta situaci�n, realmente ellos est�n tratando de vender su material como todos estamos viendo sin embargo la responsabilidad con Asociaci�n es ver c�mo podemos conseguir esa mayor beneficio para el productor de ca�a."

UDP Tries To Sabotage PUP's Anniversary Event In Corozal
On Monday September 29th the People's United Party will celebrate their 64th anniversary. The party was born in 1950 and at the helms have been several leaders including the late Father of the Nation Right Hon. George Cadle Price, Right Hon. Said Musa, Hon. John Brice�o and presently the Hon. Francis Fonseca. In the Corozal District PUP Standard Bearer for Corozal North David Castillo and his committee are gearing up for the celebration. Castillo told us what they have planned. "Every year for the past, I would say thirty years, the Corozal North Constituency Executive has traditionally celebrated the birthday of the party in the various villages of the Corozal North and we have planned again for this year and we will be celebrating the birthday of the party the 64th anniversary of the PUP in Patchakan Village and so that is what we have planned and the activities will include a parade, then official ceremonies and then cultural presentations, with great attractions because we will be having local and our neighbors from Chetumal Quintana Roo will come to participate and then we will end up with a free dance with the mighty Techno Band for the people that will come and celebrate."

Training Continues For Special Olympics
The media has aired quite a few inspiring stories on children with special needs and their participation in Special Olympics. Their stories are about determination, perseverance and achievement despite physical challenges and limitations. But while these stories make the news sporadically, the work that is invested with and by those special athletes is something that happens year round. It is not always easy and it takes a dedicated team of professionals to help these children reach their dreams. Still, dedication is only part of the work. Trainers need continuous development themselves and this is exactly what Special Olympics Belize is doing through collaboration with representatives of Special Olympics Arizona. The team is in Belize this week to continue the work that began at the start of 2013. Krista Sanchez is the Development Coordinator of Special Olympics Arizona. Krista Sanchez - Development Coordinator, Special Olympics Arizona "We committed to a three year partnership agreement with them to assist them in developing both organizational development as well as programmatic development so we are doing a lot on giving them resources in training athletes, training coaches, training volunteers and crate more systems to grow more opportunities for individuals with disabilities in Belize."

Elections Held In Free Zone For Seats On Board Of Directors
Today six Corozal Free Zone Chamber of Commerce Directors contested the four seats available to represent the CFZCC membership on the Corozal Free Zone Board of Directors. The Board of Directors at the Corozal Free Zone consists of five members of the public sector and four of the private sector who play an important role in the development of the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. Raul Rosado - Chief Executive Officer CFZ "For us it has always been important since our inception in 2008 to have the private sector participate in the decision making that benefits the Free Zone and investments and companies themselves, for us is like a check and balance where the private sector and the public sector can work together to move forward, to create policies that will better off the investment atmosphere in the Free Zone and to set up plans and projects for the future."

Paying Tribute To The Elderly
Today as promised, we'll start with our newest feature of celebrating the lives of those golden citizens in our community as we take a glimpse into their lives. Too often, society views the elderly as being at the end of their life and thus having no purpose but to bide their time until the inevitable day where they cease to exist on this earth. Nothing could be further from the truth. Just as your average person is a product of their environment, and their life experiences, the elderly are as productive as we encourage them to be. They are the generations that came before us and set a foundation for us, and as such October they will be honoured during Older Persons Month. Today, we'll take a look at the lives of a couple who have been married for over 40 years and their love has never been any stronger. Through this we hope to start to tackle negative attitudes and out-dated stereotypes. Maria Novelo reports. 78 year old Ernesto Reyes and 82 year old Bernice Rufina Lamb have been inseparable for over 40 years since they got together. They live a modest life and welcomed us into their homes where they shared with us some of their fondest moments.

SIB Reports Fall In Inflation Rate
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released its latest figures in relation to Belize's Consumer Price Index for the month of August. According to the figures, consumer prices showed that the All-Items inflation rate for the month of August 2014 was 0.9 percent, down slightly from 1.3 percent in July 2014. The consumer price index for August 2014 stood at 103.6, compared to 102.7 in the same month in 2013. The average inflation rate for the first eight months of the year was 1.4 percent. The increases in the August inflation rates stems from higher home rental rates, international airfares, and insurance premiums. Food prices, which are usually one of the main drivers of inflation, saw a marginal decline this month, with average prices falling in all categories except for Fish and Seafood. Home rental prices rose 2 percent from twelve months ago, as the upward trend which was first noted earlier this year continued across all municipalities in August. International airfares, which had also been trending sharply upward over the last few months, were a mere 3 percent higher in comparison to last August. Health and motor vehicle insurance rates were up 3 and 6 percent, respectively.

14 Year Old Goes Missing In Orange Walk
Fourteen year old Marisol Jessica Patt, a student of Orange Walk Town has been reported missing. According to authorities, Marisol was last seen as she left home for school around 7:30 yesterday morning. Information received indicates that Marisol was last seen in the company of Feliciano Bartley, locally known as 'Patchy' and has not been seen or heard from since.

Mysterious Animal Killed In San Lazaro Village
People love a good story, and those about mythical, often elusive creatures like the "Chupacabra" tickle the interest of many. Tonight we have one such story and as it turns out it also surrounds the blood sucking creature dubbed the "chupacabra". The first sighting of this elusive creature was made in 1995 in Puerto Rico. Since then, there have been several reported sightings in several parts of the Americas. In Belize, though, there hasn't been any known report until today. Dalila Ical has the report. The creature that was hit by Cain Cal as he drove past a ranch between Yo Creek and San Lazaro Villages has struck the curiosity of many. Pictures his daughter posted on Facebook have also stirred varied opinions. A few people have accused the family of concocting the story, calling the images fake.

LOVE FM

What’s Next in the Murder of Danny Conorquie?
A post mortem examination on the body of 20 year old Danny Conorquie was conducted today at the KHMH morgue. Conorquie, a Special Constable posted at the Caracol Maya Site in Cayo was part of the Tourism Police Unit. He was shot and killed while on patrol at the Mayan Site yesterday afternoon by two men described to be of Hispanic descent. The relevant authorities are investigating the murder while many believe that the culprits are Guatemalans. Yesterday, CEO in the Ministry of National Security, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) George Lovell, told Love News that they have not confirm this allegation and are not sure that Guatemalans are the culprits. However, Lovell shared that Guatemalans Authorities have been notified of the incident out of courtesy. Conorquie's family is struggling to overcome the grief because; Conorquie was very much loved in Georgeville, which is where he is originally from. His mother, Jean Conorquie, told us about the last time she spoke to her son.

Police News: Robbery and Drugs
A woman was robbed at gun point yesterday in Belize City. Police say that around 9am a 29-year-old fruit vendor at a supermarket corner West Collet Canal and Hicattee Street, Belize City reported that she was at her fruit stall when she was approached by a man who pointed a hand gun in her face and robbed her of her apron containing 230 dollars in cash and a black and yellow Go brand cell phone valued at 100 dollars. The culprit then jumped on a bicycle and fled from the scene. The victim reportedly knows who the robber was and police are looking for that person as investigation continues.

12-Year-Old Says Father Raped Her
Belize City police are investigating a case of incest. Police say that on Independence Day at around 7 o'clock in the night, a 12 year old Belizean female student accompanied by her mother, reported that the night before, her 33 year old father, a Salvadoran laborer of Jane Usher Boulevard address, took her to his house on Holy Emmanuel Street and had sexual intercourse with her against her will. A medical examination was conducted where a doctor certified that the female child was carnally known. As a result police have arrested and charged 33-year-old father for the crime of rape and incest.

Can Penner Still Face Charges on Passport Scandal?
With the fraudulent passport issued in the name of Kim Wong Hong back in the country, we asked Immigration Minster, Godwin Hulse what happens next. Here is Renee Trujillo with that story. RENEE TRUJILLO REPORTING "Last year around this very same time Belizeans were up in arms and the current administration was under heat as they were being attacked from several corners following the wafts of corruption that had begun seeping out of the immigration department regarding a passport issued to a South Korean national Kim Wong Hong. It all started on September 19th 2013 when a release coming out of the Prime Minister's office revealed that the then minister of state in the Ministry of Immigration Elvin Penner had resigned from cabinet upon the request of the Prime Minister Dean Barrow. To refresh your memory the release from the Prime Minister's office stated that the resignation came with respect to a situation brought to the Prime Ministers attention on Tuesday where Penner as a cabinet minister did not discharge his responsibilities with either due judgment and balance. That was the first blow rendered to Penner as he was stripped from all benefits and privileges as a minister. Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse reminded us of that today."

Galen Announces New Provost
Galen University announced today that Dr. Cynthia Eve Aird has been appointed to the position of Provost of the University. Dr. Aird earned her Ph.D. in Curriculum, Instruction and Administration with a minor in Higher Education from Boston College, Boston, MA. and is currently President of Sacred Heart College, Cayo. With over twenty years experience in the education sector, Dr. Aird developed a professional network amongst her colleagues in the Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB), and the Consortium for Belize Educational Cooperation (COBEC). She has served in the capacity of President of ATLIB from 2008 to 2012. Dr. Aird was a founding member of the Belize Board of Teacher Education (BBTE), serving for three terms with two as the Vice Chair of the Board. The appointment of Dr. Aird will become effective on December 1, 2014.

Municipalities Commit to Being Child Friendly
In 1990 a human rights treaty dubbed the Convention on the Rights of the Child was brought out by the United Nations. It is a document that sets out the civil, political, economic, health and cultural rights of children that has now been ratified by just under two hundred countries worldwide. While countries around the world have worked at meeting indicators to comply with the convention, there is another document that has come out of that convention that promotes the idea of a friendly city for children. Today, Belize signed onto that document for a child friendly city via an official launch that took place at the auditorium of the Belize Elementary School in Belize City. It is an undertaking that has the Belize Mayors' Association, the United Nations Development Program, the Government of Belize and the United Nations Children's' Fund coming together in identifying ways in which their municipalities can subscribe to the idea of ensuring that their municipality are safe and secure for children. We spoke with Mayor Darrell Bradley, who told us more on the joint venture.

Barrow Says Changes are Coming to BTL
The Belize Telemedia Limited hosted its 8th Annual General Meeting last night at the Biltmore Hotel. A special presentation entitled, "A focus on the Future of BTL" was given by the Chairman of BTL's Executive Committee, Anwar Barrow. Barrow says that one of the company's goal is to add ten thousands subscribers to its customer's base in two years. ANWAR BARROW "The net profit has been up and it has been down. If you look at 2010 we made upwards of $30 million, I think $31 million, and so there have been different reasons for that. So, we are a profitable company, it is still one of the best investments in Belize and it will continue to be. Now if you look at where we are now and where we were in 2009 a number of things have happened that have benefitted the consumers and shareholders. You've gotten per second billing; you've gotten VoIP which has opened an entire world to the Belizean consumers. You've gotten broadband rates being slashed in half again, again and now again in October and that will continue to happen so we have been evolving and consumers have benefitted tremendously.

Beach Erodes At Alarming Pace in Hopkins Village
A resident of Hopkins Village in Southern Belize is calling on the Government of Belize and relevant authorities to help save the beach. According to Patricia Jacobs, a portion of the Hopkins Beach at the North End of the village has eroded over 200 feet in a short period of time. Jacobs explained her concerns. PATRICIA JACOBS "The concern is that it is gone and we must do something. I've talked to the Village Council and they say that they are trying but trying doesn't work when it's missing. We need an emergency response right about now or pretty soon our number one destination of Hopkins is no longer going to be because there is not a beach. I do believe it has a lot to do with not only Mother Nature but man.

Help Needed for Cleyon Marage
He recently celebrated his 10th birthday some six months ago and just one week following his birthday celebration, he began showing symptoms of a disease that has now forced hm to stay home, away from school. Cleyon Marage Jr., has been diagnosed with leukemia. Clovis Matura is the child's mother. CLOVIS MATURA "Back in April just, before school reopened he had pains in his neck and when I took him to the hospital they said it was an infection and they gave him antibiotics but the neck got bigger and bigger. We were back and forth to the hospital until they eventually sent us to Karl Heusner. They did the ultrasound and the swelling had burst open and began to leak out; everything that was in there; then he was admitted to the Karl Heusner. They did the blood test, his white cells were really high like 98,000 and then they did a bone marrow and then they found out it was leukemia. They can't treat it in Belize."

CEO Lovell Speaks on Murdered Police Officer
Twenty year old Special Constable, Danny Conorquie, was shot and killed just before midday today while he was on patrol at the Caracol Archaeological Site in the Cayo District. Conorquie was killed after he approached two Hispanic men who were on horseback. A release from the Ministry of National Security states that the two men fled the scene retreating into the dense cover of the jungle. Conorquie was rushed to the San Ignacio Town hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. This incident occurred in the general vicinity of the main temple in plain view of several tourists and tour operators. Security forces were deployed to secure the scene and tourists were safely transported out of the area by the Belize Tourism Board. The matter is still under investigation by the relevant authorities. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, Retired Lieutenant Colonel, George Lovell, told Love News that even though they cannot confirm that the two culprits are of Guatemala Nationality, Guatemalan Officials have been notified.

PlusTV

Police Officer charged for murder of detained prisoner
PC Constable David Griffith was charged on Friday for the shooting death of Rasheed Elijio, an incident that occurred on May 10th last year. On Tuesday May 7th� earlier that same week, 18 year old Rasheed Elijio was picked up by Police in Punta Gorda, and arraigned at the Punta Gorda Magistrate's co...

Child was not sexually assaulted according to medical report
Police had received reports last week from a mother of a five year old child that the child had complained of being sodomized in a bathroom at a Belmopan primary school. The matter was being investigated by police and teachers, but police had told the media that while investigations were ongoing, th...

Father rapes his 12 year old daughter
There is a disturbing case of incestuous rape being reported in Belize City. A 12-year-old Belizean female Student told police that sometime after 6:00p...

Fruit Vendor robbed of proceeds on street corner
A 29-year-old fruit vendor at a supermarket on the corner West Collet Canal and Hicattee Street, Belize City, reported that she was at her fruit stall selling when� she was approached by a man. The man pointed a hand gun in her face and robbed her of her apron containing $230...

Drug busting in Roaring Creek yields results
Police conducted a search at the residence of Ealsine Gentle situated in Roaring Creek Village Cayo District. Present at the time of the search were Ealsine Gentle and Stephanie Cruz. The search led to the discovery of a transparent bag containing 60.5 grams of suspected cannabis. As a result, polic...

Tourism police officer shot and killed near Guatemalan border
A Tourism Police Officer, Danny Conorguie, was shot and killed Thursday morning in the Cayo District, at the Caracol Archeological Site. Reports are that just before midday , 20 year-old Special Constable (SC) Danny Conorquie, assigned to the Tourism Police Unit was shot and killed in the line of du...

Police looking for suspect in Orange Walk robberies
Orange Walk Police are looking for 27 year old Alexander Tillett in connection with two robberies that occurred on Thursday September 11th at Darvis Store, and Friday September 19th� at Hung Yun Store. Reports were that on Friday afternoon, two men identified as Alexander Tillett and Leslie Kenrick...

Galen University's new provost is Dr. Eve Aird
Galen University announced on Thursday that� Dr. Eve Aird is to be the new Provost of the University...

Two Belmopan men charged with Drug Trafficking
29 year old Andre Avila and 30 year old Aldo Zetina of Sibun Street, Belmopan, have been arrested and charged for the offence of Drug Trafficking. On Wednesday September 24th, Police conducted a house search at #10 Macaw Street, Belmopan, at the residence of Andre Avila...

Posted By: Marty Re: Today's Belize News: September 27, 2014 - 09/27/14 12:10 PM

More News: Scroll up from here

FFB president discusses national team performance
On Saturday,�PLUS News�caught up with President of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), Ruperto Vicente, in Belize City. Belize’s Jaguars crashed out of the�recent Copa Centroamericana played in the United States, unable to get a win�against either of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador...

Valerie Penner launches new art exhibit
19 year old Valerie Penner, a young Belizean artist from the village of Camalote, Cayo District, launched her new art exhibit on Friday September 19th at the George Price Center in Belmopan. The collection is entitled "A Snapshot of Summer". We caught up with Valerie Thursday morning, as she wal...

Help Needed for Cleyon Marage
He recently celebrated his 10th birthday some six months ago and just one week following his birthday celebration, he began showing symptoms of a disease that has now forced hm to stay home, away from school. Cleyon Marage Jr., has been diagnosed with leukemia. Clovis Matura is the child's mother. CLOVIS MATURA "Back in April just, before school reopened he had pains in his neck and when I took him to the hospital they said it was an infection and they gave him antibiotics but the neck got bigger and bigger. We were back and forth to the hospital until they eventually sent us to Karl Heusner. They did the ultrasound and the swelling had burst open and began to leak out; everything that was in there; then he was admitted to the Karl Heusner. They did the blood test, his white cells were really high like 98,000 and then they did a bone marrow and then they found out it was leukemia. They can't treat it in Belize."

CEO Lovell Speaks on Murdered Police Officer
Twenty year old Special Constable, Danny Conorquie, was shot and killed just before midday today while he was on patrol at the Caracol Archaeological Site in the Cayo District. Conorquie was killed after he approached two Hispanic men who were on horseback. A release from the Ministry of National Security states that the two men fled the scene retreating into the dense cover of the jungle. Conorquie was rushed to the San Ignacio Town hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. This incident occurred in the general vicinity of the main temple in plain view of several tourists and tour operators. Security forces were deployed to secure the scene and tourists were safely transported out of the area by the Belize Tourism Board. The matter is still under investigation by the relevant authorities. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, Retired Lieutenant Colonel, George Lovell, told Love News that even though they cannot confirm that the two culprits are of Guatemala Nationality, Guatemalan Officials have been notified.

Amandala

Belize police murdered at Caracol!
Danny Conorquie, 20, a special constable attached to the Tourism Police Unit, was shot dead in a brazen daylight shooting in the presence of tourists and tour operators who were visiting one of Belize's most popular tourist attractions, the Caracol Archaeological Reserve, at around midday today, allegedly by illegal loggers who have had frequent encounters with security forces there. Conorquie was rushed to the San Ignacio Town Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. At press time tonight, Cayo police were still trying to unravel the circumstances that led to the murder near the main temple at Caracol, including the possibility that it may have been a retaliatory shooting by Guatemalans.

Iconic cop passes
A highly respected former police officer, Sergeant Gilbert Tablada, 80, of a Fabers Road address, died in his home in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 21, of natural causes after battling illness. He reportedly passed away as the flag was being raised at Memorial Park at about 12:05 a.m. Independence Day, Sunday. On Saturday, Sgt. Tablada was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) for respiratory problems and chest pains. He was admitted and treated in the Emergency Ward at the KHMH, and then was sent home after his condition seemed to improve, but later died during the night. His son, Kent, reported that Saturday was a normal day for his father, but he was suffering with asthma, and he went to the hospital to be checked out, which he normally does, and then he returned home. Kent said that he was more than shocked when he was informed that his father had died. He was attending the Flag Raising Ceremony at the Memorial Park when he was given the sad news.

Chinese store owner shoots robber dead
In a welcome turn of events for the Chinese community, a Chinese storeowner, instead of being the victim of a shooting by thieves, as has occurred in countless robbery scenarios in the country, managed to turn the tables on a thief by shooting him during an attempted robbery on Friday. The gunman died on the street outside the store, where he fell after being shot, and was taken to the nearby Northern Regional Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. As of press time tonight, Thursday, his accomplice, who fled the scene with the loot, has not yet been found. He has been identified as Alexander Tillett of Orange Walk Town and a wanted poster has been issued for his arrest - he is considered to be armed and dangerous.

Oil drilling begins on Maya land
Oil drilling in rural Toledo has been a contentious matter in light of the ongoing land rights dispute between the Government of Belize and the indigenous Maya of Toledo, and the new executive director of the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM), Froyla Tzalam, told Amandala today that she was not aware that drilling had already commenced inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park, which the NGO deems to be indigenous land. Alistair King, the local representative of US Capital Energy in Belize, told Amandala when we called him this morning that the company has in fact been drilling for three weeks now, and they are now down to 4,000 feet. Director of Geology and Petroleum, Andre Cho, told Amandala the data being gathered is confidential and he could not discuss specifics with us. Cho indicated, though, that they are monitoring drilling operations and should have some indication as to the prospects at the drill site within the next couple of weeks, and foreseeably, in October.

BTL reports "solid" year; earns $19.6 mil in profits
In its 5th consecutive year as a state-owned telecommunications company, the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) is announcing a 7% decline in net profits, from $21 million to $19.6 million against a marginal fall in gross revenues from $143.8 million to $142.6 million, for the 12 months ending March 31, 2014. Earnings per share have consequently decreased from 0.42 cents per share to 0.40 cents. At its Annual General Meeting tonight, the company announced that shareholders would be paid a 4.8% return on shares, as opposed to 5% last year. The company has not yet indicated how much dividends it will pay to shareholders, but the bulk will be paid to the Government of Belize. As of March 31, 2014, the Government of Belize holds approximately 63% of the total outstanding shares in BTL. The Government of Belize acquired 94.5% shareholding in the company in August 2009. The following October, it divested itself of a minority of those shares in a public offering.

PM promises $3M in mortgage relief on Independence Dayby Kareem Clarke
The official ceremony in observance of the 33rd anniversary of Belize's Independence was held today in the nation's capital, Belmopan, featuring the usual pomp and circumstance, and, as has become customary, the speeches by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition took center stage. In this year's address, the Prime Minister, as is expected, lauded the work of his administration, gave a glowing report of the state of the nation, and proclaimed that it is a certainty that at year 33, Belize is recording pronounced advances, in part because the economy is "strong and intact". Specifically, he referred to the successes of the National Bank and the infrastructural works which have been taking place across all municipalities, while acknowledging the worrying situation concerning crime. After expounding on those infrastructural developments, which, according to PM Barrow, are the primary vehicle by which the country is moving forward, he went on to speak about what he described as the four most important pillars of Belize's nation-building enterprise, which include a sound economy, the physical transformation of the country, social renovation in order to remake our democracy in the image of egalitarianism, and the maintenance of patriotism and pride.

Bail application for former Bahamian offshore bankers adjourned
Two Bahamian offshore bankers, Kevin Leach, 34, and Rohn Knowles, 29, who have been named in a United States federal indictment and who were remanded to the Belize Central Prison on a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) charge, were supposed to appear in court today for a bail application filed by their attorneys. The men were scheduled to appear before Supreme Court Justice Dennis Hanomansingh, but when the court convened shortly before 10:00 a.m., only their attorneys and the government Solicitor General were in court. Justice Dennis Hanomansingh inquired about the two men's whereabouts, but no one in court could give a satisfactory answer.

City resident charged with attempted murder
Despite the police's much trumpeted "Not in My City" operation, last Wednesday night, September 17, there was a spike in gun violence in Belize City. The gun violence erupted in the wake of an early afternoon murder, and by the time it subsided, two more persons had lost their lives and as many as eight persons had suffered gunshot wounds. Today, a Belize City man was remanded to prison after he was arraigned in the Magistrate's Court on charges of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm, in connection with one of the shooting incidents on Wednesday night. Ryan "Roybo" Davis, 26, a construction worker and resident of 117 Belama Phase 2, was not required to make a plea when he appeared before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, who arraigned him on the charge of attempted murder against Joseph Roland. Davis' case will be heard on indictment in the Supreme Court.

Police find 48 pounds of weed, valued at about $192,000
Police on anti-drug patrol operations in different areas of the country found and confiscated a total of 22,072 grams, or about 48 pounds, of marijuana, valued at about $192,000, over the weekend. On Thursday at about 11:45 a.m. police conducted a search in Bainsville, on the Western Highway, and a random search was conducted on a bus which resulted in the discovery of two large kitbags containing 18,131 grams of weed. No one was detained and as a result the item was labeled and deposited and "Found Property." Police also said that 78 grams was found in an abandoned lot in Roaring Creek about 7:00 Friday morning. No one was in the area and no one was arrested. The drug was labeled and deposited as "Found Property."

FFB approves Interim Committee for PLB
The Premier League of Belize (PLB) has a new Interim Committee which was approved by the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) on Wednesday, September 17. Approved to serve on the Interim Committee of the PLB are: Al Westby - Chairman; Wilhelm Miguel - Deputy Chairman; Amilcar Umana - Member; Clifford King - Member (Owners representative); Luis Pena - Secretary General; Sergio Chuc - Liaison Officer FFBPLB. The committee met on Saturday to plan the way forward for the PLB, and is currently in the planning stage for the upcoming tournament which is tentatively scheduled to commence on the weekend of October 11 & 12.

Legendary, unsung footballer/boxer, "Gilly" Dunn visits
Legendary Belizean athletes of times past are like "diamonds in the dirt," and while many of their names might not be inscribed onto Belize's history books, which we submit that they rightfully deserve, a great many of them were icons who made an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of local sporting enthusiasts, who were fortunate to marvel at their stellar performances during what some refer to as "the golden era" where Belizean sports are concerned. Today, Amandala was graced by the presence of one such individual in the person of "Gilly" Dunn, a former football player and boxer who was quite popular in his heydays; and for those who might not be familiar with him, he told us a bit about his outstanding football/boxing career in Belize, and how he rose to prominence during the historic 1960s. Dunn, who is now 72 years old, was conceived on Belizean soil, but, for the past 44 years, he has taken up residence in Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; and thus, he endowed us with a much appreciated courtesy call while on a short 2-week visit for this year's September celebrations.

Kulture reign continues on 2nd Mugger Day
Postponed from September 14 due to weather conditions, the 2nd annual Mugger Day was again hosted by legendary goalkeeper Nelson "the Roo" Robinson at #3 Oleander Street and the St. Martin's Football Field on Saturday, September 20. The weather was fine, and while the elders relaxed in the shade and shared their memories, they were also entertained by four football games played on the St. Martin's field. Three of the games featured home based Third World teams against Police Street teams from the "Complex" area. First was a U-10 match in which was tied at 1-1 after regulation and overtime, but home standing Third World won, 3-2, over Police Street in the penalty shootout. Next was a U-15 match-up, and this time it was Police Street with the 2-nil victory over Third World. In the third game of the day, Police Street was again victorious, defeating Third World, 4-2, in a senior match-up.

Editorial: Only the people can save the people
37 years ago, this newspaper, which had been established in August 1969 as the voice of a black-conscious organization called the United Black Association for Develoment (UBAD), declared that its editorial philosophy would no longer be black nationalism, but rather Belizean nationalism. 4 years before that declaration, the UBAD organization, which had become a political party in August of 1970, had broken in two. At the time of that angry division in early 1973, the two UBAD factions, one of which had become linked with the new United Democratic Party (UDP) and the other of which remained independent until early 1975, were pretty close to becoming violent with each other. At stake were the land and original ferro-concrete building (now demolished) on Partridge Street and some loud speaking equipment, the only UBAD Party assets. Previous to the 1973 division within UBAD, which had been variously based on Racecourse Street, Euphrates Avenue, and Partridge Street on Belize City's Southside after its first few months on Northside's Hyde's Lane, serious and sustained violence amongst the black youth of Belize City was totally unthinkable. Isolated incidents of violence almost never involved guns, and only infrequently featured knives or machetes. To a certain extent, the absence of violence in Belize City reflected the fact that tough colonial laws still existed and were still being enforced. Convicted murderers were still being hanged in Belize. But the absence of black-on-black Belize City violence between 1969 and 1973 was also a testament to the prestige and power of UBAD as an umbrella council-type presence in the population center.

From the Publisher
The September celebrations have represented a kind of mating season for younger Belizeans since the era of public contests and public concerts began in the early 1960s at the Memorial Park. Today, the September celebrations last more than twice as long as they used to do. They used to go from the beginning of September until the Tenth of September. The private sector benefited in the old days, but the financing of the events came from public funds. Today the calendar events cover the first three weeks of September, but other related activities, such as those involving Carnival preparations, begin from the middle of August. The September celebrations are still largely supported by public funds, but there are now several major private sector events, and off the top of my head I can think of the Belikin Bash, Expo, Soundfest, and the various music concerts.

Letters: The hypocrisy of us all
Thanks for allowing me a space in your newspaper. I need to remind us about the music we listen to. All too often they are very explicit and not suitable for the human ear much less for our young people to hear. Last week, for instance, the country was in full swing celebrating the 33rd anniversary of our independence. The usual routine is to have block parties and parades. I'd like to draw our attention to the parades, particularly to the school parades that usually occur at this time. Here in Orange Walk Town, we held the school parade on Friday the 19th. I was appalled to hear some of the music that was pumped through the speakers that formed parts of the various floats. Some of the lyrics made me hold my breath! Not only were they sexually explicit, and that's putting it politely, but the dances that accompanied them were downright unacceptable.

Letters: Born in Belize: made in America
I read with bated breath, the letter to the Editor from Derrick Estrada (Nuri Akbar), hoping for a reasoned and intellectual come back to my letter asking the Diaspora to organize. Instead what I got was an emotional tirade. He purports to rebuke me. Okay then! You must forgive me for not wanting to travel along the path of personal attacks which Estrada's letter seems to espouse. I am prepared, however, to entertain the idea of a debate. Estrada was clearly emotional when he penned his letter and so, because I know that emotions often make fools of wise men, I shall give him a month to think of the huge mistake he is about to make. If after a month has passed and he finds himself in the same position, I shall oblige on the following conditions: (1) that the debate takes place in Belize, as I do not have a US visa and I am not sure if I am deserving of one, and (2), that he brings along Hubert Pipersburgh, Jerome Straughan and Bilal Morris as reinforcements. If he fails to heed my advice regarding the second condition, I shall not be responsible for his demolition at the debate.

Letters: Dwight Tillett: "Shutting off the Valve!"
My interest was aroused by the article entitled "Saving the next generation of 'killers"' in the Amandala of September 21st. I do not discount the research and opinions of Mr. Castillo and what I offer is not to be construed as criticism of what the author of the piece attributed to him. However, I hold the view that the "preventative" interventions on behalf of "angry" youth, whether of Southside origins or not, must be embarked upon much earlier than age 11! I am in support of what Brig. Gen. Jones is doing because it makes sense for coming to terms with these "angry" young men. However, I feel strongly that if we are going to win the war against gang warfare, we are going to have to capture the attention of these young men BEFORE they become "angry young men". Let me explain how I think we should go about this: In late 2008, while serving as CEO for Youth, I was seriously searching for something that could be implemented by the then Youth for the Future that would have a meaningful, long-term positive impact on the gang warfare situation. I did a brief study of prisoners between the ages of 15 and 30 who were on remand for murder or were already convicted of murder. The sole purpose of the study was to see which primary schools these fellows had attended and, where possible, to find out the level of formal education they had attained.

Bail application for former Bahamian offshore bankers adjourned
Two Bahamian offshore bankers, Kevin Leach, 34, and Rohn Knowles, 29, who have been named in a United States federal indictment and who were remanded to the Belize Central Prison on a Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) charge, were supposed to appear in court today for a bail application filed by their attorneys. The men were scheduled to appear before Supreme Court Justice Dennis Hanomansingh, but when the court convened shortly before 10:00 a.m., only their attorneys and the government Solicitor General were in court. Justice Dennis Hanomansingh inquired about the two men's whereabouts, but no one in court could give a satisfactory answer. Hanomansingh said, "It is their application. They need to be in court to hear it."

Bel-Car Export wins regional grant to improve market access
The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) announced today that US$255,000, or �197,000, is being offered to CARIFORUM agro-processing firms as part of the Regional Private Sector Development Programme (RPSDP) funded by the European Union [...]

Mandela Book of Condolences presented to H.E. Joyini of South Africa
H.E. Mathu Joyini, South Africa's High Commissioner in Jamaica, arrived in Belize this week for the celebration of Belize's 33rd anniversary of Independence. On the occasion of her visit, Joyini received the Nelson Mandela Book [...]

Winners of September Celebrations' Facebook video competition
Three talented Belizeans were this morning presented with monetary prizes, as well as short vacation getaways for having submitted winning entries for the 2014 Facebook Video Competition launched by the National Celebrations Commission and the [...]

Belizean fashion designers attend talk shop with Guyanese talent, Sonia Noel
Belizean fashion designers, including young aspiring talent, attended a talk shop on fashion at the House of Culture on Friday morning, September 19, with Caribbean Fashion Ambassador, Sonia Noel of Guyana, whose passion, drive and [...]

City resident charged with attempted murder
Despite the police's much trumpeted "Not in My City" operation, last Wednesday night, September 17, there was a spike in gun violence in Belize City. The gun violence erupted in the wake of an early [...]

Bail application for former Bahamian offshore bankers adjourned
Two Bahamian offshore bankers, Kevin Leach, 34, and Rohn Knowles, 29, who have been named in a United States federal indictment and who were remanded to the Belize Central Prison on a Financial Intelligence Unit [...]

Police find 48 pounds of weed, valued at about $192,000
Police on anti-drug patrol operations in different areas of the country found and confiscated a total of 22,072 grams, or about 48 pounds, of marijuana, valued at about $192,000, over the weekend. On Thursday at [...]

Arlington Drive resident will serve 5 years for sawed-off shotgun
A Belize City man was convicted of keeping a prohibited firearm and ammunition and was sentenced to two 5-year prison terms but will spend only 5 years behind bars because his sentences are to run [...]

Nation plunged into darkness on Independence Eve
Even as Belize was preparing to celebrate its national independence, the fact that the nation has yet to attain energy independence was underscored by a nationwide blackout which plunged the country into darkness for over [...]

The Reporter

Eight bodies retrieved following boating accident in Paraguay/Brazil
The bodies of eight people have been retrieved from the River Paraguay where a boat capsized during a storm on Wednesday. The Paraguayan vessel, Dream of the Pantanal, was carrying 11 Paraguayan crew and 16 Brazilian tourists. Thirteen others had managed to swim ashore but six are still missing and presumed dead. The tourists had been on a fishing expedition to the Pantanal, one of the world's largest freshwater wetlands that stretches across parts of Brazil, Paraguay and Bolivia and is popular with eco-tourists.

Fonseca says Saldivar will remain out of the PUP at this time
PUP Leader, Francis Fonseca, says that his party's decision to oust the party's Belize Rural North standard bearer, Arthur Saldivar, remains intact, despite what Saldivar says. Fonseca told reporters last Friday that Saldivar "can desire to do what he wants, but…when the party speaks […]

GSU boss accused of mistreatment; comes under investigation; sues media houses
Inspector Mark Flowers, Commander of the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) says he is taking legal action against three media houses following their reports of an alleged incident in which he claims his name and his reputation have been tarnished. The reports by 7News, News5 […]

PAHO submits report on Ebola virus and Chikungunya to OAS
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) submitted reports this week to the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS) on the outbreak of the Ebola virus and Chikungunya. PAHO Director Carissa Ettienne and Director of Communicable Diseases and Health Analysis Marcos Espinal made […]

Man crushed during Orange Walk carnival
The Orange Walk September Celebrations Committee is currently in the process of consulting with the National September Celebrations Committee to come up with a stringent system governing the distribution of freebies during the parade. This follows Sunday's incident when Santos Uh, 57, was crushed […]

Mechanic shot dead on independence eve
Belize City police have detained a 27-year-old man and are looking for another in relation to the murder of Glenmore Stephens, 38, a mechanic who was shot in the back shortly after 7 p.m. on Independence Eve. The incident happened as Stephens was walking […]

Oceana in Belize pledges to have EU fisheries export ban lifted
Oceana in Belize has pledged to work with the authorities of the European Union to have the fisheries ban against Belize lifted. In a statement this week Oceana Vice-President Janelle Chanona emphasized that having the ban lifted will be challenging, but is a necessity. "Enforcement […]

Private sector welcomes PM's cheaper Internet announcement
The private sector has welcomed Prime Minister Dean Barrow's recent announcement of cheaper Internet rates along with increased bandwidth but said that more can still be done to improve services. Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) President Arturo Vasquez told The Reporter that […]

Belize emerges as top Indian tourist destination
Belize is emerging as a top tourist destination for Indian travellers, according to data released by Trip Advisor's Indian branch. Tourism statistics show that cruise arrivals to the country continue, and according to Trip Advisor India's Country Manager Nikhil Ganju, from January 1st to […]

Police: Former policeman was gunman shot and killed in robbery
Police have released a Chinese grocer of Orange Walk but are still investigating the fatal shooting at around 3:10 p.m. last Friday of Leslie Logan, 30, a former policeman who they say was the gunman in an armed hold-up at two Otro Benque Road […]

Special Envoy presents at first lady's forum at the UN
The Special Envoy for Women and Children, Mrs. Kim Simples Barrow, made a presentation at the First Ladies High Level Forum held in New York on this week. The event, hosted by the African Women Working Group, was a side event at the 69th meeting […]

On duty Tourism Police officer shot and killed at Caracol
A 20-year-old officer attached to the Tourism Police Unit was shot and killed just before midday on Thursday at the Caracol Archaeological site in the Cayo District. A police press release identified that Special Constable as Danny Conorquie. He was on duty at the […]

Bar President bashes General Legal Council amendments "The amendment bill . . . is a scandalous piece of legislation," Eamon Courtenay
President of the Belize Bar Association, Eamon Courtenay, this week called the Legal Profession Amendment Bill 2014 a backward step with regard to disciplining attorneys in Belize. Speaking as a senior counsel, Courtenay said that changes the Bill will give to the Attorney General too […]

BTL sees, good year despite million dollar drop in profit
Despite a $1.2 million decline in profits, Belize Telemedia Limited Chairman Nestor Vasquez maintained that the company has had a "solid" year. Vasquez, speaking at the company's annual general meeting held at the Biltmore Hotel on Thursday, explained that BTL's revenues had declined from $143.8 […]

Posted By: Marty Re: Today's Belize News: September 27, 2014 - 09/27/14 12:10 PM

More News: Scroll up from here

The Belize Times

RISE UP� AWAKE!! - PUP Leader calls on Belizeans to support CHANGE & REFORM in Independence Speech
Opposition Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca has been growing from strength to strength. Inspired by the massive support he has been receiving from thousands of Belizeans who are suffering through the UDP Government, Hon. Francis has been busy working, meeting with people in every corner of our country, listening to their concerns and ideas, formulating plans and getting the blue machine ready for battle. Today, Hon. Francis is a different man than when he accepted the giant task of leadership of the greatest party in Belize two years ago. He has grown into a Leader that is ever-more ready to take lead of our country, like George Price when he knew it was the right time to lead Belize into Independence. At a time when the country is crumbling apart and despair is rampant because of poverty, insecurity and harsh economic times, the only thing abound is hopelessness. But Hon. Francis' is focused on nation building, and creating a new Belize that serves the dreams and ambitions of Belizeans.

Barrow's Bandaid - GOB Ignores Home Mortgage Crisis
In his unwrapping of yet another political gimmick that will once again see the UDP Government use public funds to lure votes, Prime Minister Dean Barrow exposed the ignored crisis in the mortgage sector which has seen thousands of Belizeans lose their homes and properties. These losses are a direct result of the economic decline under the Barrow Administration. While the Prime Minister beats his chest about an imagined 8.7% GDP second quarter growth, Belizeans are living zero growth with the high cost of living, heavy taxation, high unemployment and no salary increases. The hundreds of homes that are advertised "FOR SALE" in the weekly newspapers are proof of this. Barrow has, in the past, complained about the private banks' killer interest rates and has even threatened to use his executive power to force the interest rates down through regulation by the Central Bank, but it has been nothing but talk and talk. This has been disappointing and unfair, especially considering that in Belize everyone is affected by Government's policies or in this case, inaction. The UDP Government pretends that their poor management of the economy has nothing to do with the loan mortgage failures.

Finnegan beats up Mayor Bradley on public radio - "Dem handle me like a piece of filth", says senior UDP politician
In the hierarchy of the UDP, Michael Finnegan, is very near the top, so when a very provocative recording of his on-air moaning and groaning against Mayor Darrel Bradley was aired on Positive Vibes Radio Morning Buzz this week, it turned heads. The recording leaked to Positive Vibes is of a phone call made by Finnegan to Wave Radio's morning show last week Thursday. He complained bitterly about the increase in property tax on one of his properties in the King's Park Area. He beat up on Mayor Bradley and the City Council after he received notice that his property tax had been increased, reportedly from $500 to $1,600. Finnegan apparently is just realising what Belize City residents have been complaining about ever since the Mayor took office. The Council began increasing taxes and fees on property, trade license, and driver's license. Bradley even wanted to introduce a new garbage tax for residents.

UDP pettiness doesn't stop progress in Arenal Village
On Independence Eve, the residents of Arenal joined their elected community leaders to inaugurate a new resource center that will benefit the young people of the community tremendously. Chairman Mr. Mirto Naj, village councillors and PUP Cayo West Standard Bearer Dr. Lesbia Guerra Cocom attended the inauguration and ribbon cutting. The building will be used by the village council to assist students and young people with educational resources. While the new resource center is positive news, the truth is that its existence almost never came to be due to incompetence, pettiness and vindictive style of governance practised by the UDP Government. The project was introduced by the Social Investment Fund (SIF) on March 17th, 2013 and was projected to take seven months to complete, that is, by the end of 2013. But like the well-publicised cases of the Dangriga market and the road from Orange Walk Town to Progresso Village, the project was not completed in the expected time. It took SIF and their contractor Isaac Ranguy eight additional months to complete the construction of the building!

Social Security or Slush Fund?
This year, we celebrated the 33rd anniversary of Belize's Independence. The year was 1981 when the Union Jack was lowered for the last time and the blue, white and red was hoisted in its stead. Many of us older folks can still remember where we were, what we were doing and who we were with when that magic hour came and the immense pride that we felt. It is a moment that few of us will ever forget and while the occasion was not marred with bloodshed and violence like it is in some countries, it is no less significant to us. Long live the independent nation of Belize. It was in that same year of 1981, albeit a few months earlier in June, that the Social Security Scheme was implemented. Apparently, the framers of this plan did their homework and set a solid footing upon which this noble scheme has emerged. The idea found fertile ground and the scheme has grown exponentially. Today, just about everyone has a social security number and contributions from workers, which are matched by employers, has the Social Security Board busting at the seams with money.

Editorial: The Crime Minister
"How to lie with Statistics", this book by Darrell Huff would be a favorite of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. He is versed in all the chapters that deal with dishonesty, distortions and half-truths using figures and percentages. Barrow's Independence Day address was a chapter from how to lie and abuse information. His selective use of comparison between the year 2004 under the PUP and 2014 under the UDP should be available to students to learn how the Prime Minister can twist the truth and distort the facts. Of the few examples given by Barrow, ALL show the UDP government as performing excellently. Put another way, all is well and the country is doing wonderfully. The truth is the society is unraveling, cost of living is high, crime is at crisis levels and the economy is grasping for oxygen. What did not come out of the Prime Minister's mouth was a comparison of matters of pressing national concern. The examples are many. Let us list a few.

Brodies Killer Spin, Sugar City, Spin Kings & Hurricanes win in BTTA team table tennis
The Brothers Habet team table tennis tournament organized by the Belize Table Tennis Association continued with Brodies Killer Spin, Hurricanes, Sugar City and Spin Kings enjoying big wins at the Belize Elementary School auditorium in Belize City on Saturday afternoon. In the 1st Division, the Hurricanes spanked Brodies Ping Pang: 5-3. Carlos Cui won 3-0 against Yasser Musa and 3-1 against Kareem Michael. Sen Sen won 3-2 vs. Kareem Michael and 3-0 vs. Yasser Musa, and Hector Lopez also won 3-1 vs. Musa. Ping Pang's Kareem Michael won 3-2 vs Hector Lopez while Tyrone Tun won 3-1 vs Sen-Sen and 3-0 vs Carlos Cui. In the 2nd Division, Team Sugar City clipped Racqueteers 5-3 with undefeated Zachary Garbutt and Trevon Brown: 3-0 each and winning 3-1 vs. Bryton Codd. Leo Carballo won 3-0 each vs. Trevon Brown and Codd. Racqueteers Bryton Codd won 3-2 vs. Toni Lui, while Zachary Garbutt won 3-2 vs. Leo Carballo and 3-0 vs. Lui.

Quinta's FC bombs Lower Dover 4-2 in Cayo 1st Div. football
The Quinta's FC of San Ignacio drilled Lower Dover of Unitedville 4-2 in the Cayo 1st Division football competition at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio last Saturday night. Cyril Simmons and Brandon Cante led the Quinta's attacks with the help of midfielders Tarry Gabourel, Alex Lopez, Eric Cano and Rummy Montepeque. The Lower Dover's defense blundered into taking down Simmons inside the goal area and the referee ruled penalty which Simmons converted for a 1-0 lead. The Quinta's defenders Jerry Cante, Oscar Kuo, Jeffery Carillo and Rudy Cruz held the village squad scoreless up to the half, while Brandon Cante embarrassed goalie Wilson Aguirre with a 2nd goal, and Jeffery Carillo lobbed in a 3rd goal from long range to lead 3-zip at the half.

Joel Borland & Kaya Cattouse win city criterium
Team Telemedia's Joel Borland and Team SMART's Kaya Cattouse of SMART/C-Ray won the Cycling Federation of Belize's 3rd test race - a criterium over a 2.2km circuit on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City on Monday, while Delawn Abraham won the Junior criterium. Elite Category: 1st Joel Borland - Telemedia - 1:25:05 2nd Marlon Castillo - Telemedia 3rd Darnell Barrow of SMART 4th Angel Tzib - BECOL Uprising 5th Byron Pope - Benny's Megabytes 6th Geovanni Choto - C-Ray Road Addikz 7th Gregory Lovell - Telemedia 8th Erwin Middleton - Benny's Megabytes 9th Nissan Arana - Predators 10th Henry Moreira - Team SMART

Belize Pharmacy caught with stolen meds?
Guatemalan officials may soon unearth another case of corruption in the health sector under the UDP Government. Their authorities are investigating an alarming case of medication believed to have been stolen from one of their public health departments but found on the counter of a pharmacy ...

Mad Man! – GSU boss Mark Flowers accuses media of trying "to destroy my character"
Gang Suppression Unit boss Mark Flowers may be swallowing the wrong kind of pill in the mornings. Flowers, who has become a magnet to controversy since taking over the UDP's execution squad last month, is convinced that nothing is wrong with him and that the media ...

Liar�Liar! – UDP Mayoral Candidate gives Orange Walk a black eye
UDP Mayoral Candidate Yvette Liu Torres has had to learn the hard way. You shouldn't make promises you can't keep. Her lesson has even cost Orange Walk Town residents. But they will get over it, she won't. Torres had advertised that Soca superstar Machel Montano will ...

5 year old accuses classmate of sodomy
Belmopan Police are investigating a report by a 5 year old boy and his family that he was sodomized by another child at his school. The child reported to the Police that he was assaulted by a 5 year old boy inside the bathroom of the ...

IN MY PERSPECTIVE – We all could learn from Sir Barry!
By Rayford Young On September 21st Belize celebrated its thirty third year of independence. However you may feel about Independence it's a month of parades, floats, concerts and people just having a good time. What always amazes me is the turn out and how people can enjoy themselves and be patriotic ...

The Citizen Kim- Elvin Penner Immigration Corruption Saga (Part III) – Extracted from the Auditor General's Preliminary Report dated March 19, 2014
Subject: Auditor General's Investigates Irregularities at Nationality Section Interview held on 20th February 2014 with the OIC Nationality section In an interview held with the OIC (Officer in Charge) Nationality section, in which he was questioned about the duties of his post, he was also asked about the application for ...

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE – OH, MY BELIZEAN FLAG!!
By Dolores Balderamos Garcia It is the day after we have celebrated the thirty-third anniversary of our nation's Independence. I don't have a real hangover, but I feel hungover and troubled about various aspects of our recent celebrations. Not the least of my concerns is our Belizean flag, our Standard, as my friend ...

Independence Day Address by Opposition Leader Hon. Francis W. Fonseca
My Fellow Belizeans Unlike any other day in our National Calendar, September 21st imbues us with patriotic sentiment and a deep sense of national pride whether you are here, or you live elsewhere. Indeed the entire month of September is regarded as our most patriotic month ...

Hon. Ramiro Ramirez observes National Service Day in Corozal South West
In commemoration of National Service Day, the PUP Corozal South West Committee and Hon. Ramiro Ramirez carried out several projects in the division. They cleaned the old Police Station compound in Libertad Village. Residents have been asking ...

Hon. Dolores - Serving Belize Rural Central!!
For National Service Day 2014, Belize Rural Central Area Representative Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia and her team cleaned up in front of the Hattieville Cemetery and ...

Patrick JonesPJ

Belizean journalist hands over Nelson Mandela book of condolences
Former South African President and international statesman Nelson Mandela passed on December 5, 2013 after extended illness. His death impacted the world, many of whom grew up in the shadow of his near three-decade stay in prison and release, after which he mounted a successful campaign to become [�]

One year later: any justice for Penner?
Exactly 372 days ago, it was announced that Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration and Nationality Elvin Penner had been pressured to resign by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his boss Senator Godwin Hulse. This was after it was revealed that Penner had assisted in facilitating [�]

Municipal Child Friendly Initiative launched
At the end of August there was a workshop held to launch the Sustainable and Child Friendly Municipalities Initiative, a collaboration between the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the United Nations Development Program (UNDP); the Ministry of Local Government and the Belize Mayors' Association. It is intended to develop municipalities [�]

PUP condemns killing of Danny Conorquie
20 year old Special Constable Danny Conorquie was gunned down in the Caracol Archaeological Site Thursday afternoon. But while his colleagues are fairly sure that invading Guatemalans were responsible, Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington appeared to urge caution. The matter is presently being handled by the Ministry [�]

Man charged for raping his daughter
A Belize City man has been arrested and charged for allegedly raping his young daughter. The 12 year old girl of a Belize City address, in the company of her mother, told police that around 6 o'clock on Saturday night, her father, a 33 year old Salvadoran national too her to his home in another part of the City and raped her. A medical examination of the girl has concluded that she was sexually assaulted. Police have charged the 33 year old man for the crimes of rape and incest.

Blogs

Impressive Tour of the Belikin Beer Brewery Certifies Me as Both a VIP & A Master
Does the barkeep know the laws? Or even just your menu? Does your bartender attract the kind of customers that you want at the bar? Yesterday I learned that these are just some of the skills (know is one thing, but DOING is another) taught at the Institute's 5 day courses. But what really got me interested was the full day Belikin Beer tour and presentation that is done for all students. I'd been to the brewery once before - for the pre-launch luncheon for the 2014 Belikin Calendar. (If you haven't watched the preview video for 2015, you should. It's killer.) We were getting the full tour of the facilities, a tasting, presentations, lunch�an open bar in the Belikin taproom. I think I'll join in.

Aurelio Martinez's Landini - Garifuna Soul for the World
What a year for Garifuna music After the September celebration excitement settled down, we finally found the time to sit back and really listen to Aurelio Martinez's new album, Landini. And what a rewarding experience that turned out to be. Those few of you still unfamiliar with Aurelio, and the richly textured music of Belize's (and Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua's) Garifuna will find moments of joyous inspiration amid a backdrop of rhythm and soul. Not the gospel inspired, North American soul, but that impulse springing from a deep, universal mix of feelings and aspiration. Those who are already fans will enjoy a warm return to music from a passionate craftsman at the peak of his skills, while those unfamiliar with Aurelio will be rewarded with the joy of discovery. There's sensitivity and confidence here as Aurelio's music matures. That always soulful voice is developing into a distinctive, woody solidity that settles and warms the listener as it floats above an easy foundation of guitar, shakers and rhythmic percussion. It's a heady, captivating mix that long-time collaborator Ivan Duran's clean, restrained production allows to stand confidently on its own feet.

Expanding on how SBDCBelize, BELTRAIDE and DFC is making business easier for Entrepreneurs.

BELTRAIDE EMPRENDE Seed Capital

International Sourcesizz

First Resort takes Belize
Seemingly on a world tour, Sonia Noel's First Resort has now made an appearance in Belize, following an invitation from that country's National Institute of Culture and History. 'Celebration 'N Style', a new event on that country's September Celebrations, saw Sonia involved in a talk shop in the day with aspiring young Belize fashion designers and a fashion show in the evening in the gardens of the Government House - House of Culture. According to a press release, the celebration helped to mark the 33rd Independence anniversary of Belize. Sonia, and Belize designers Dana Brown, Julie McCord, Maureen Navarette, and Babriella Barrera displayed their pieces to a very receptive audience.

More corporations smoothing the way for retirees to try new ventures
When she was just 10 years old, Mary Jackson began her teaching career on the back porch of her family's home in Easley, S.C. It was there that she set up her chalkboard and led her imaginary classroom. "I would use my yardstick to tap my make-believe students who misbehaved, or didn't get the right answer," Jackson said. After three decades with Big Blue, she retired, and now Jackson, a 59-year-old former project management executive, is finally in the classroom, and not just imagining it. She teaches math and science to fifth-graders at Lockheed Elementary in Marietta, Ga. At the auditing giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, for example, retired partners are encouraged to apply for Project Belize, a program that sends 400 people - from interns and employees to active and retired partners - to Belize City during a two-week period to teach financial literacy and entrepreneurship to young students, according to Shannon Schuyler, PricewaterhouseCoopers' corporate responsibility leader.

Commonwealth Foreign Ministers meet in New York
Commonwealth Foreign Ministers held their annual meeting on Thursday at the United Nations in New York where they discussed a range of issues including the association's work in promoting democracy and good governance, development challenges, the Commonwealth's work in supporting its small states and the Ebola crisis in parts of West Africa. The Maltese Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr George Vella, briefed his counterparts on preparations for the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, which will be held in Malta in 2015. Also at the meeting, the Commonwealth Secretary-General updated ministers on the Commonwealth's engagement with the G20 group of countries, of which five are Commonwealth members. Belize and Guyana updated other member states on their territorial issues with neighbouring countries.

Videos

Video: Poseidon Rex Trailer, 2min.
Yep, it's a Tyrannosaurus Rex that kills... underwater! And lives at the bottom of the Blue Hole!

Video: Belize construction crew at work., 1/2min.
A hyper lapse video of the construction crew hard at work at the Residences at Barrier Reef, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Plaster work being put on the outside SHOW MORE

Video: The Making of the 2015 Belikin Swimsuit Calendar, 6min.
Behind the scenes of the 2015 Belikin Calendar. Take a quick look at what it takes to put together the most anticipated calendar of Belize.

Video: Beltraide EMPRENDE Awards 2014, 3min.
Seed Capital

Video: BELTRAIDE and DFC on Krem TV, 27min.
Expanding on how SBDCBelize, BELTRAIDE and DFC is making business easier for Entrepreneurs.

Video: Belize The Place To Live, 2min.

Video: BELIZE INDEPENDENCE DAY trailer, 5min.

Video: Snorkeling Hol Chan / Shark Ray Alley | Belize, 3min.
This POV video of Hol Chan / Shark Ray Alley snorkeling was produced by SNORKELINGDIVES.COM in September 2014.

Video: Belize, 14min.

Video: Is It The So-Called "Chupacabra"? - Orange Walk Town, Belize City, 6min.
Ripped From CTV 3 Newscast By Mardo A. L. Urbina On September 25th, 2014;

Video: Snorkle with Manatees in Belize, 2min.
Snorkle with Manatees, Sharks and Turtles at Caye Caulker in Belize. A beautiful Sealife to explore. Wir schreiben �ber unsere Reise und die besten Pl�tze auf der Panamericana auf unserer Webseite http://panamericana-deluxe.de und auf https://facebook.com/wirliebenreisen SHOW MORE

Video: Part 3: Belize and a sail to Mexico, 9min.
My trip through Belize and sail up the coast into Mexico in June 2013.

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