Today's Belize News: July 4, 2019

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Today's Belize News: July 4, 2019 #537132 07/04/19 05:47 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	I will be unable to do the daily news tomorrow, Friday July 5th. I will return on Saturday morning. FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials. The San Pedro Sun Sandy Point F.C are the Over 35 Champions and SeaWolves the U-15 Champions After several months of football action at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town, the Over-35 and Under -15 (U-15) Football Tournament came to an end on Thursday, June 27th. Both Football Tournaments were organized by San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) Sports Committee. The Over-35 saw the participation of Liga F.C, San Mateo F.C, Sandy Point F.C, and Rebels F.C, while the U-15 Football Tournament saw the participation of Isla Bonita Elementary School (ACES), Sea Wolves, Youngster F.C and San Pedro Pirates Jr. Smith College Coral Reef Ed-Ventures celebrates 20th Anniversary with a Campers Gala in San Pedro Smith College and Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) held a Campers Gala to celebrate 20 years of the Coral Reef Ed-Ventures Summer Program at Palapa Bar and Grill in San Pedro Town on Friday, June 28th. The event saw the attendance of past campers, students and professors of Smith College, the staff of HCMR, and other guests. Coral Reef Ed-Ventures has been operating on the island for 20 years and is organized by students from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts USA, with assistance from HCMR. The participants are separated into two groups. Juniors, aged 6-12, and advanced, aged 12-18. During the camp, children learn about ecologic conservation and the Belize Barrier Reef. Ministry of Health Announces New Chief Executive Officer The Ministry of Health informs that effective today, July 3rd, the new Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Health is Dr. George Gough. Dr. Gough has worked within the health system for many years. He is presently the Chair of the National Health Insurance Committee and also the Chair of the Belize Medical Council Hol Chan Marine Reserve donates two motorcycles to San Pedro Police Department Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) donated two new motorcycles to the San Pedro Police Department on Tuesday, July 2nd. Present at the hand over was HCMR Manager Javier Paredes, Deputy Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit Inspector Basil Reyes, Commissioner of Police (ComPol) Chester Williams, staff members of HCMR and San Pedro Police Department. San Pedro observes National AIDS Testing Day 2019 To commemorate National AIDS Testing Day, the National AIDS Commission along with San Pedro's AIDs Commission and the Ministry of Health held a free HIV testing day at the Central Park in San Pedro Town on Friday, June 28th. Held under the theme, "No Man Left Behind," the activity was a huge success. The event ran from 9AM until 3PM and in San Pedro saw 84 participants being tested, with a high number being first-time testers. In the end, a total of 51 men and 33 women were tested. The age range of participants was from 16 - 60, with the highest number of participants averaging 25-39 years. Ambergris Today Nine People Charged For Drug Trafficking/ Kept Unlicensed Ammunition San Pedro Police conducted a joint operation in the Boca del Rio area where nine persons were arrested and charged for drug trafficking and kept unlicensed ammunition. According to reports on Monday, July 1, 2019, at about 5:30 a.m., police conducted a Joint Operation at the residence of Alexander Fitzgibbon Sr. 44-year-old, Belizean Fisherman of Boca del Rio area and Lucio Salazar 29-year-old, Fisherman of Boca del Rio. During the search police discovered 294 grams Crack Cocaine, 89 grams of powdered Cocaine, (101) 5.56 live rounds and 54 grams of Cannabis. Various Belizean Sources Restriction on Sale of Intoxicating Liquor on Election Day The Elections and Boundaries Department hereby reminds the public and liquor license holders of Rule 12 of the Village Council (Elections) Regulations 2009 (Statutory Instrument No. 134 of 2009) which states that every person who is the holder of a liquor license granted under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Act shall be prohibited from the sale of all forms of intoxicating liquor during the period from the opening of nominations right up to the announcing of the results. The owners of such establishments shall close such establishments to the public during these times on Sunday, 7th July, 2019 for the attached list of villages/communities. School Calendar 2019/2020 for Government and Grant-Aided Pre and Primary Schools is hereby withdrawn pending further review The Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture hereby informs Managing Authorities that the School Calendar 2019/2020 for Government and Grant-Aided Pre and Primary Schools is hereby withdrawn pending further review. A revised School Calendar will be reissued as soon as is reasonably possible. OFFICIAL RESULTS FROM VILLAGE COUNCILS ELECTIONS HELD ON 30TH JUNE 2019 Kindly click the link to the left to access the information. Medfly Detection The Belize Agricultural Health Authority hereby advises the public that medflies have been detected along the Placencia Peninsula. Medflies are introduced into Belize when people intentionally or unintentionally illegally bring fruits and vegetables that are host to this pest. Due to the location and characteristics of this outbreak, it has been determined that contraband is the most likely cause. While BAHA was successful in eradicating a medfly outbreak in Hopkins, this new outbreak on the Placencia Peninsula indicates that contraband activities continue and is putting at risk the livelihood of many Belizeans. This situation will not improve unless the public refrains from bringing these illegal products into Belize and selling them. BAHA is closely monitoring the situation and is already conducting eradication efforts in Placencia. The public is advised that quarantine may become necessary in order to prevent the medfly from moving into other areas. Internal quarantines are expensive, cause disruption to the free flow of fresh agricultural products and prevent bonafide farmers from earning their livelihoods. Again, BAHA calls on everyone to assist in the elimination of contraband and provide any information that will assist in prosecuting violators. Ministry of Health Announces New Chief Executive Officer The Ministry of Health informs that effective today, July 3rd, the new Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Health is Dr. George Gough. Dr. Gough has worked within the health system for many years. He is presently the Chair of the National Health Insurance Committee and also the Chair of the Belize Medical Council. Statement on BTL Taxes It has come to the attention of the Department of General Sales Tax (DGST) that documents have been circulating to the media which indicate that the Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) owes the Department of General Sales Tax (GST) some $29.3 million. The public is informed that an audit is currently being conducted and the process is in train. The Department's position is that BTL is compliant in fulfilling their obligations to file and pay monthly as is required by law. The Department is presently awaiting the completion of the audit that will determine BTL's tax position. Crescencio Poot Crescencio Poot (1820-1885) was a leading Yucatec Maya general who fought throughout the Caste war (Maya Social War). He raided on white-owned haciendas . In the next several years his troops would raid, but rarely occupy, various villages. This meant generally avoiding government troops, but he did achieve a major victory in the Yucat�n. Later he became one of the freedom fighters "three chiefs" along with General Bernardino Cen and Nojoch Tata Bonifacio Novelo around 1864 to control the Maya State of Chan Santa Cruz . He ultimately considered peace with the Mexicans. Poot second in command was General Juan Chuc who often made trips across de Rio Hondo to collect tax . Channel 7 Cycling's National Road Champion Tests Positive For EPO He was crowned Belize's National Road Champion on Sunday, and he won the Belmopan Classic in March - but, tonight, one of Belize's premier cyclists, Nissan Arana could lose all that; he's tested positive for a performance enhancing drug. The UCI - which is cycling's global governing body - today published his name on the list of riders who are serving a provisional suspension, quote, "as a consequence of a potential or asserted anti-doping rule violation." The UCI site said he tested positive for EPO which is a banned substance that is injected to give athletes more endurance. It has been widely abused by banned athletes from Lance Armstrong to Marion Jones, to, most recently, Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller. And now the finger is on Orange Walk's own Nissan Arana. He was randomly tested in April after finishing 9th in the Holy Saturday Cross Country and that's the test that came back positive for EPO. PUP Calls Out BTL, GOB For GST Bill Last week we reported on the audit that the GST office did which concluded that BTL owed 29.3 million dollars in unpaid taxes. But, that happened last year, and no assessment has been forthcoming. The Financial Secretary - who is the keeper of the public purse - told us that the company owes nothing, and an audit is ongoing but not completed. He added that there has been some lack of clarity about technical issues concerning intra-company transactions. But, clarity or not, assessment or not, the PUP is seizing on the issue which seems to have woken the opposition up from a long political sleep - induced by the ICJ referendum result. New Bank Charges Like a Tax On Businesses And while those Telecoms have the cash flow to handle that, many small businesses are saying they can't afford to pay a slew of new banking fees that came into effect in June, or at the start of this month - depending on where you bank. The commercial banks are charging for use of the Automated Payments & Securities Settlement System, known as APSSS. This is the system was was introduced with much fanfare in October 2016 - and enabled you to clear cheques and electronic payments across banks on the same day, rather than 48 to 72 hours. But, it comes with a charge, and in April, the Central Bank announced that it has been bearing those costs for the past two and a half years. And earlier this year, it asked the commercial banks to, quote, "contribute minimal fees for the processing of transactions through APSSS." And indeed, looking at those fees, they weren't that high: basic transactions for less than fifty thousand dollars would incur costs of 25 and 50 cents, or a dollar if its a cheque. PUP Says Bank Charges Reflect Lack Of Economic Creativity For many business owners, those fees are like another tax - and today the PUP leader blamed, who else? The government: Jules Vasquez: "These odious bank fees that the Central Bank has introduced at 25 and 50 cents and the banks being rapacious and usurious as they are increased it to 2 dollars, 3.75, 4 dollars and it's affecting a lot of small businesses, it's affecting everyone. Is that something you can speak on Mr. Leader?" Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition: "That is the very point that we're bringing across, that we've been talking about. That we have just a tax and spend government..." PUP Says There's Be No Political Refuge For PM In Sanctuary Bay Debacle Another matter of finance which the PUP leader was eager to comment on is the Sanctuary Bay debacle. It has already forced the winding up of Belize largest offshore bank, Atlantic International - and that has left scores of depositors holding an empty bag- standing to lose possibly all their savings. Weeks ago the Prime Minister announced in the National Assembly that Atlantic International and the Federal Trade Commission had arrived at a settlement. But today the PUP asked where does that leave the depositors?:.. MOE Recalls Calendar with Cutback Christmas Holiday The Ministry of Education has already planned out the calendar for the 2019/2020 school year, but the Ministry is now withdrawing it following concerns being raised by the Belize National Teachers Union about the shortened Christmas break. That's usually 3 weeks of holiday for school children and the teachers, but for this school year, the Ministry was seeking to shorten it to only 2 weeks starting from December 23rd, 2019 to January 3rd 2020. We are informed that the BNTU has communicated with the Ministry to indicated their displeasure with that plan to cut that holy holiday by a week. And today the Ministry sent out a terse press release which says quote, "The Ministry hereby informs Managing Authorities that the School Calendar 2019/2020 for Government and Grant-Aided Pre and Primary Schools is hereby withdrawn pending further review. A revised School Calendar will be reissued as soon as is reasonably possible." Wanted for an Unnatural Crime Last night, we took you to the Cayo village of Ontario, where an 81 year-old farmer was accusing his son of an unnatural crime. Miguel Ara has formally complained to police that his son sexually victimized one of his pigs. He claims that his son has gotten into multiple bitter disputes in the past with persons who accused him of doing the same to other animals. Well, police say they are looking for Ara's son, 38 year-old Albert Ara, a construction worker who lives near to his father's house. He's wanted for questioning about the offense of an unnatural crime. MEDFLY On Placencia Peninsula The Belize Agricultural and Health Authority (BAHA) is reporting tonight that it has detected the Mediterranean Fruit Fly on the Placencia Peninsula. This comes 7 weeks after the medfly was first detected in the Sapodilla Cayes, Dump in the Toledo District and Hopkins in the Stann Creek District. So, now operation are stepped up to ensure that this highly destructive pest does not wreck Belize's agro-productive sector. The medfly notorious in other parts of the world for its ability to destroy the agricultural produce, once it infiltrates a country through contraband fruits and vegetables that act as its host. It is responsible for millions of dollars in lost earnings and revenue. It infiltrates a country's agricultural sector, and then starts to rapidly reproduce when adult medflies inject their eggs into fruit. BHA Talks Improving Efficiencies And while a quarantine would be a major problem for tourism on the peninsula, that didn't even make it on the agenda today at the Belize Hotel Association's 2019 Annual General Meeting. They've got bigger fish to fry right now. The focus for this AGM was all about revenue management, and how to increase the annual earnings of all hotel owners - an an era when services like Airb'nb are cutting into their overnight market. So, to help them be more efficient, their executives invited some of the top performing tourism experts from around the world, to offer some of their tried and tested advice. Tourism Thinkers Dig Deep For Crime Solution We also took the opportunity to ask the Hotel Association about a joint press release that they and the Belize Tourism Industry Association sent out today, urging the government to take specific actions to reduce crime. The situation has become a huge and costly issue for the tourism industry over the last 2 weeks after the US Doctor, Gary Swank, and his well-known, island tour guide, Mario Graniel, were both murdered while they were out on a fly fishing tour. All that negative publicity in the international press caused visitors who had tours booked for later in the year to start mass cancelations of their trips to Belize. PUP Offers to Assist On Crime The social and economic urgency of a murder spike also has a political dimension, and the PUP seized on that at today's press conference. Caribbean Shores Rep Kareem Musa said the PUP also wants to help:.. Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Representative Caribbean Shores: "It is very unfortunate that we've had mass homicides. First the triple murder involving the teacher and two others then followed by the quintuple murder of those 5 Belizeans at sea and then the double homicide in San Pedro. No doubt there is a lot of alarm on the island of San Pedro and rightfully so because the loss of one American life can spiral out of control and affect their entire livelihood on that island..." PUP, Back In It After Referendum Strike Out As we told you earlier, those recent issues like the BTL GST tax assessment and crime seem to have brought the PUP out of a post-referendum shell. By the account of many political pundits and observers, the opposition lost critical ground when it came out on the wrong side of the ICJ vote, and of history. The party told voters to say "NO" and a large majority said "YES". We asked the opposition leader about the political consequence of this: Jules Vasquez: "You all supported a position that the voting population did not support. Do you think this will have a consequential effect on the PUP's political fortunes." In Year 11, Should UDP Still Be Winning Village Councils? And now, the political focus has moved from the ICJ to the village council elections. And, depending on which Monday morning press release you listen to - the PUP is either winning a majority of the seats, or the UDP is winning that majority. But, both sides agree, its fairly close - which we wondered, 11 YEARS INTO the UDP reign - should it be a contest at all? Jules Vasquez "Is it not anomalous that they are still winning village council elections and isn't that an indication that the PUP is not picking up the traction that it should with one and a half years, or one year and three months to go to an election?" Hon. Kareem Says Opponent Lee Mark Is UDP Status Quo And, keeping it on politics, we also asked the PUP Caribbean Shores area rep about his new UDP opponent. Lee Mark Chang won a convention on Sunday by a comfortable margin. Musa says that's the candidate he wants to face:.. Hon. Kareem Musa - Area Representative Caribbean Shores: "I like my opponent. I think unfortunately for him though, he would be a victim of circumstance because he comes out of the belly of the beast so to speak, in terms of who he is aligned with in the UDP, in terms of his involvement in the UDP and his failure to address all of the instances of corruption over the last twelve years while the UDP has been in government. He has been, I think, the president of the Senate, he ran in the Free Town division and then came over to Caribbean Shores..." Accused of Guerrero's Murder, Felix Will Stand Trial In March of last year, the high profile murder of 64 year-old Mario Guerrero Senior made headlines after he was found dead at his Sunset Park home, located at mile 8 and a half on the George Price Highway. Well, 41 year-old Allen Russell Felix, the man accused of bludgeoning him to death with a bar stool in his yard, will stand trial in the Supreme Court for it. A preliminary inquiry for the case was held today in front of Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. That's when the police prosecutor turned over the file of evidence to the court which includes everything that will be used by the DPP's Office to secure a conviction against him. Shakeup At Health Ministry There's going to a new a new CEO in the Ministry of Health. Dr. Ramon Fioguero, who's been there for almost four years is on the outs and Dr. George Gough will be taking over. Gough took over today. He has worked as the Chair of the National Health Insurance Committee and also the Chair of the Belize Medical Council. Senior Swap At Health? According to the leader of the opposition, Gough and Figueroa will basically be swapping positions to facilitate the Minister:.. Hon. John Briceno- Leader of the Opposition: "I have been hearing also that Dr. Figueroa has been very frustrated at the CEO in the Ministry of Health and he is constantly at loggerheads with the Minister of Health; so, we have been hearing that he is going to be removed. The last I heard yesterday was that they were going to switch positions; that he was going to go to NHI and then Dr. Gough is then going to come as CEO for the Ministry of Health..." B-Allah's Camp There are all kinds of summer camp's happening right now - but the Ahmadiyya basketball camp has to be one of the biggest. We found out about it today - and what the foreign coaches think of the talent they are seeing:.. The coaches are visiting from Canada and the USA. BREAKING: Two Gang Figures Killed On Northside There has been a murder on the Northside of Belize City - and it could have serious implications in the gang world. It happened on Baymen Avenue at the Skydeck Sports bar and Grill about 20 minutes ago. Two men are confirmed dead. They are the Felix brothers, Emory and Maurice - long time targets on the Southside, recently released from jail. We'll have much more on this story tomorrow. Channel 5 Letter by BTL Requesting Tax Waiver Exists, Says Musa Amidst the leakage of documents showing B.T.L.'s purported multi-million dollars G.S.T. and business tax debt is a letter reportedly sent by Chairman Nestor Vasquez. In that rumored letter, Vasquez reportedly [...] Opposition Party Comes Down Hard on BTL for Reported Multimillion Dollars GST Debt The People's United Party today mounted pressure on Belize Telemedia Limited, the Department of General Sales Tax and the Prime Minister as it relates to a throve of damning documents [...] Kareem Musa: "We can no longer trust the financials of that company anymore" According to the P.U.P.'s Kareem Musa, the government has been silent on the matter because the pile of documents which indicates B.T.L.'s true financial standing, is a huge political blow [...] PUP Leader Writes Prime Minister for Full Disclosure of Audit Report P.U.P. Leader John Brice�o has written to Prime Minister Dean Barrow with regards to B.T.L.'s reported G.S.T. debt. In the letter, Brice�o tells P.M. Barrow that since B.T.L. is majority [...] GST Dept. Says BTL Up to Date with Taxes Two days after the news broke, C.E.O. Rochus Schreiber handed in his resignation letter and according to B.T.L., Schreiber decided to pursue other personal interests and reunite with his family [...] Dr. George Gough is New Health C.E.O. Earlier today, the Ministry of Health confirmed that a new C.E.O. will be taking over at the Ministry as we had reported in Tuesday's newscast. Doctor George Gough succeeds Doctor [...] Contraband onions hurting local onion farmers; thousands of pounds of onion unsold Contraband onions are hurting local onion farmers. Several onion producing communities have thousands of pounds of onions on their hands and can't sell them. The Belize Marketing and Development Corporation [...] Overnight Arrivals Dip 25% Following Double Murder in San Pedro The murders of well-known tour guide Mario Graniel and the highly respected American doctor Gary Swank, on June twenty-third in San Pedro, had an immediate negative impact on the tourism [...] Electricity rates won't go up The Public Utilities Commission made its Final Decision in respect of the 2019 Annual Review Proceeding for electricity rates and the news is that rates will remain the same at [...] Opposition Leader Weighs in On New Developments in Sanctuary Bay Scandal In 2018, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission investigated the largest real estate scam it has been faced with to date. The architect of the scam, U.S. national Andris Pukke, promised [...] Village Council Elections Round Two The second round of village council elections took place on Sunday across the country and both political parties are claiming victory. A total of forty-six villages participated and according to [...] PUP's Kareem Musa Tells GOB to Tackle Poverty to Address Crime The New York Daily News is reporting that the recent murder of American doctor, Gary Swank, is deterring tourists from traveling to Belize. In fact, the head of the Belize [...] Two armed robbers hit a San Ignacio store In western Belize, a store was robbed by two armed men on Tuesday afternoon. The Good Times Chinese Store located in San Ignacio fell prey to thieves at about four [...] A murder trial comes to end as main witness turns hostile In the courts, the murder trial of twenty-year-old Eldon Flowers is coming to an end.�Today, the crown represented by Senior Crown Counsel for the D.P.P.'s office, Shanice Lovelle, closed her [...] A Belize City man walks free when the crown enters a nolle pros An attempted murder case stemming back from August of 2014 which was committed to stand trial in 2016 against a Belize City man ended in a nolle prosequi today. Ron [...] Belize Hotel Association Hosts Annual General Meeting Hoteliers were joined by other stakeholders at the Belize Biltmore Plaza to take stock of the tourism industry as well as to find new ways to enhance business in a [...] Caribbean Shores Area Rep., Kareem Musa, Confident of Next Victory at the Polls On Sunday the United Democratic Party held its convention in the Caribbean Shores constituency. Former Senate President Lee Mark Chang bested opponent, Leila Peyrefitte by three hundred votes. Before the [...] Medfly detected on the Placencia Peninsula The Belize Agricultural Health Authority has detected the Mediterranean Fruit Fly, commonly known as the medfly, along the Placencia Peninsula. The medfly has been found in several backyards but BAHA [...] Identifying Sources of Marine Litter Identifying the sources of marine litter is the focus of an ongoing seminar hosted by the Department of the Environment in partnership with the Commonwealth Litter Programme.� Earlier today, stakeholders [...] Heads of Government of CARICOM Meet in St. Lucia The fortieth ordinary meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM is underway in Saint Lucia.� The CARICOM Single Market and Economy which aims to facilitate the free [...] Double murder in Belize City Reports reaching News Five are that two men were shot and killed this evening. It happened on Baymen Avenue near Sky Deck. We are told that the Felix brothers, Maurice and Emory were both fatally shot. The Reporter Brothers Killed On The North Side Wednesday Night The Reporter has confirmed that the Felix brothers, Maurice and Emory, were murdered about an hour ago in Belize City. Police patrols have been increased in gang-ridden areas where retaliation risk is high. Hit & Run Driver Charged For BDF Soldier's Death Police have formally arrested and charged bus driver Cruz de Jesus Saget Lopez, 42, for the death of Charles Belle Jr. on Monday. Lopez was charged with Causing Death by Careless Conduct and Failing to Stop and Render Aid. BAHA - Caution Alert For Med-Fly In Limited Area Down South The Belize Agricultural Health Authority hereby advises the public that medflies have been detected along the Placencia Peninsula. Medflies are introduced into Belize when people intentionally or unintentionally illegally bring fruits and vegetables that are host to this pest. Ministry Of Health Has New CEO The Ministry Of Health announced earlier this morning that Dr. George Gough has been appointed the new CEO of the ministry. In a statement with very little fanfare or explanation the ministry's official statement said, Breaking Belize News Galen University unveils new art mural Today, Galen University unveiled a new art mural in their Harpy 1 Classroom on its [�] "Belize's upgrade on Trafficking in Persons Report is just the beginning," says Charge d' Affaires Keith Gilges, Charg� d' Affaires at the United States Embassy in Belmopan, applauded Belize this [�] Belize's travel advisory ranking has not changed despite murder of American tourist Following the death of Dr. Gary Swank, an American tourist who was killed while returning [�] George Gough is new CEO at Ministry of Health The Ministry of Health informs that effective today, the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for [�] Intercourse with a pig - Albert 'Ali' Ara in trouble again A resident of Ontario village in the Cayo District is being sought by police for [�] Asylum seekers graduate from English as a Second Language program On July 1, 2019, 23 asylum seekers graduated from the English as a Second Language [�] It is against the law to sell liquor during Village Council Elections says Elections and Boundaries Department The Elections and Boundaries Department reminds the public and liquor license holders of Rule 12 [�] GST confirms audit of Belize Telemedia Limited This morning, the Department of General Sales Tax (GST) issued a statement informing that it [�] Governor General and Attorney General visit Taipei, Taiwan Governor General of Belize, Colville Young and Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte are visiting Taipei, Taiwan [�] Ministry of Agriculture encourages public to support local onion farmers The Belize Marketing and Development Corporation along with the Ministry of Agriculture Extension Service completed [�] LOVE FM PUP says the root of crime is poverty Belize has definitely seen a rise in crime in the past couple months, starting with the triple murder that took the life of a dedicated educator, followed by the five men killed at sea and the double murder of a well-known tour guide and an American Cardiologist. At the PUP's conference held earlier today, Parliamentarian, � Leader of the Opposition says land amnesty is campaign ploy Inequality in land distribution is nothing new to Belize. Whenever an election is on the horizon, the ruling party tends to use the power of land distribution as a means to buy voters. In the last Sitting of the House of Representatives, a land amnesty was announced which Briceno says is just another campaign ploy. � Central Bank does not believe banks are capitalizing on new fee structure At the start of the month, Love News told you that the Central Bank of Belize has begun charging processing fees to the local banks, which will in turn pass on to the consumers. The new charges have to the with the Automated Payments and Securities Settlement System, or APSSS, which has improved the efficiency � Dr. George Gough takes over as CEO in the Ministry of Health A 2-paragraph release is all the media got from the Government Press Office today with a notification that the new Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health is Dr George Gough. Dr Gough replaces Dr Ramon Figueroa who was installed as CEO in August 2015. While the media is in the dark when it � Galen's Mural: A Symbol of Pride Art was the focus at Galen University in the Cayo District, as a mural was unveiled today that showcases the work of ten art students. With little to no experience in art, these students were able to dabble with brushes and paint to produce this work of art that now sits in one of the � President of BHA says crime has affected tourism Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams was once again in San Pedro Town yesterday meeting with his senior ranking officers and the tourism stakeholders particularly members of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA). While the Commissioner and the Ministry of National Security have committed to a crime fighting strategy, the BTIA and the Belize Hotel Association � PUP accuses BTL chairman of asking Financial Secretary to waive $29 million debt For the past week, the issue of whether or not BTL owes about $30 million in General Sales Tax has been on the discussion table. The People's United Party decided that their input should be in the form of a press conference, at which Leader of the Opposition, John Briceno, condemned the Barrow administration for � Kareem Musa ready to face off against Lee Mark Chang in Caribbean Shores Kareem Musa was elected to Parliament in 2015 for the Caribbean Shores division. He has kept the division in the blue and has seen several from the UDP fighting to be his opponent. The dust has settled and Lee Mark Chang has outdone Leila Peyrefitte, Darrell Bradley and Santino Castillo who all had eyes on � Another gas station is targetted by robbers A pump attendant at the PUMA New Road Service Station was held up at gunpoint this afternoon at around twelve thirty. (NEW ROAD VO) Love News understands that there were three robbers, one armed with a handgun. They approached one of the pump attendants and demanded that he hands over the money from the gas � Ministry of Education to review the 2019/2020 school calendar The Ministry of Education issued a release just after four o'clock this evening saying that they are withdrawing the School Calendar 2019/2020 for Government and Grant-Aided Pre and Primary Schools. According to the Ministry they will be reviewing the document further and a revised edition will be issued in the coming weeks. (MOE VO) The � Man on the run after having sexual relations with a pig 40-year-old, Albert Ara of Ontario Village, Cayo District, is being sought by police after his father reported that he has been having sex with his pigs. Ara's father owns a farm where he raises pigs. The 81-year-old farmer caught his son red-handed on Monday, July 1 at around 11:30pm. When his father caught him, he reportedly escaped the pen, scaled the fence and ran away, leaving the 2 1/2-month-old pig bleeding from the vagina. This is the 3rd report that the farmer has made for the unnatural crime; the last two were made in June 2019 ... International Sources On Travel, Safety, Tragedy, and Hysteria in Belize A tragedy took place last week in Belize when a fly fishing guide and a U.S. angler were murdered on the water. Lives were lost in a horrific manner, and their friends and families will endure suffering and sorrow for the rest of their lives. In some ways, this should be the beginning and the end of the story; however, regretfully, many news outlets and even fly fishing websites have taken the opportunity to use this tragedy to attract clicks or sensationalize the event. Among others, the NY Post (often known for the reckless manner in which they report news and currently leads their website with a feature story that has Che Guevara's hat and hair Photoshopped onto Mayor De Blasio's face) used histrionic language from a political opposition party leader in Belize as the foundational points to then exaggerate the reality on the ground. Mexico's pristine beaches could face ruin as 550km long 'seaweed island' heads for its shores this week MEXICO'S most popular tourist beaches will be hit by a 550km 'seaweed island' this week, plaguing many resorts with foul-smelling algae. Despite efforts by local workers to remove the large amounts of seaweed being washed up, many of the top tourist spots are still struggling under the weight of it. According to the Mexicanist, a large mass is heading to the shores this week, which could hit from Tulum down to Mexico's neighbour Belize. The Sargassum Monitoring Network, which uses information from a range of experts including Nasa, has said that a huge swell is heading towards Mexico due to the current and south-southeast winds, and it's expected to hit this week and next week. An expert explained that "between two and three times more sargassum [...] is expected in the next weeks." Huge sargassum arrival blankets beaches of southern Quintana Roo Huge quantities of sargassum have invaded the coastline of southern Quintana Roo this week, and plenty more is predicted to arrive in the coming weeks. Around 300 kilometers of beaches between Tulum and Xcalak are affected by the seaweed's arrival, which was predicted by the Canc�n sargassum monitoring network last week and began early Monday morning. Water at beaches such as Boca Paila, Sian Kan, Punta Yuyum, Zamach, Punta Allen, Uvero, Puerto Bravo and Mahahual is stained brown due to the large presence of sargassum. Off the coast of Xcalak - a small town near the border with Belize - aerial images show that the water is currently covered with a layer of coffee-colored foam, which makes the sea look more like a swamp. Elites' preference for maize led to the collapse of the Maya civilization The preference for a maize-centric diet by Mayan elites may have left the ancient civilization more vulnerable to climate change, according to new research. As the Maya population grew and social stratification intensified, a dichotomy in eating habits developed during the Terminal Classic period. The remains of people living farther from the city center had lower levels of maize-derived carbon in their bones. People living in the city ate more maize, researchers found. "Our results show a pattern of highly restricted stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes for elite individuals in the Late and Terminal Classic, which corresponds to a hyper-specialized maize-based diet that persisted through the final abandonment of the site," Claire Ebert, a paleontologist and geochemist at Pennsylvania State University, said in a news release. Videos The Belize Hotel Association hold its Annual General Meeting, 26min. The Belize Hotel Association hold its Annual General Meeting on July 3rd at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza. Our guests talked to us about the growth of the industry. On set: Ted Tejada - President, Belize Hotel Association. Sherry Constantino - Board Member, Belize Hotel Association. KTV The Remix Season 3 starts tonight, 22min. KTV The Remix Season 3 starts tonight! The season kicks off with the premiere of the audition show. We caught up with the judges to talk about expectations for Season 3. The show begins at 8:30 pm on Channel 5 and will live stream on Facebook. On set: Jenny Lovell - Singer/KTV Judge, Chris Bradshaw - Musician/KTV Judge. PETAL to speak candidly about their experiences as members of the LGBT Community living in Belize, 54min. We invited two representatives of PETAL to speak candidly about their experiences as members of the LGBT Community living in Belize. Our guests weighed in on the recent incident involving PC Ralph Gillett and shared their perspectives on how the country can strengthen anti-discrimination measures to protect marginalized groups. On set: Simone Hill - Coordinator, PETAL. Ifasina Efunyemi - Secretary, PETAL. Snorkeling Belize Barrier Reef, 4.5min. Snorkeling in Belize off the island of Caye Caulker, Belize Belize 2018, Caye Caulker & Goff's Caye, 5min. Finding a Tarantula in Table Rock Lodge Belize, 1.5min. Belize Aggressor III May 8 2019 Eagle Ray Pass, 4min. Belize Aggressor III scuba diving May 8 2019 at Eagle Ray Pass on the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Great dive, Scorpion Fish, Lion Fish, Green Eel among others. RAGAMUFFIN TOUR BELIZE, 2min. Belize Trip June 2019, 24min. Sports Talk Show, 60min.