February 11, 2012

WEEKEND WEATHER OUTLOOK
Valid: Friday-Monday, Feb. 10 - 13, 2012 Issued: 3:00 pm, Friday, February 10, 2012

A high pressure system strengthening across the North-central USA today, will build strongly towards the SE portion of the US, pushing an active cold front through the central and SE Gulf of Mexico during the next 24 hours. This cold front will move into the NW Caribbean and Belize by Saturday evening, producing some outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms over most places.

The cold front will continue into the western Caribbean by late Sunday, then into the SW Caribbean by early Monday. The broad High pressure system will keep a moist and cool North to North-easterly airflow prevailing across Belize this weekend through Monday.

We can expect the weather to become generally cloudy, cool and showery over the weekend, especially over central and northern Belize on Saturday. The showers and rain will then shift to the South and the hills on Sunday and Monday.

Daily rainfall totals will range from 0.10-0.25 of-an-inch on Friday, increasing on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with daily accumulations ranging from 0.50-1.25 inches, especially over central and northern districts at first, and then shifting over the Stann Creek and Toledo Districts, and offshore waters later on Sunday and on Monday.

CLICK HERE for the Full Report

Wildlife SOS films ACES for Discovery Channel's Animal Planet
Wild Productions Limited arrived in San Pedro Town on Tuesday morning ready to film Vince Rose and Cherie Chenot-Rose of American Crocodile Education Sanctuary's (ACES) work on the island and countrywide in regards to their conservation efforts of the American Crocodile. According to Simon Cowell, for the last 30 years, he has been filming with an emphasis on education, getting people to care about animals. "When they grow to care about the animal, they then have a reason to conserve."

BRS Standard Bearers' Debate set for February 15th
Anticipation is high for the first ever Belize Rural South Standard Bearer Debate which has been scheduled for February 15th at 7:00PM. The debate is being organized by The San Pedro Sun, in partnership with Reef Radio/TV. The venue is yet to be announced but all four candidates that are running for the General Election in BRS have agreed to participate.

Trying another new tropical fruit: Rose Apple
I happened to notice a pile of new mystery fruits today at Maria's fruit & vegetable stand, so I asked her about them. "Apple", she said. "Belizean apple." She said they were sweet with just a little sour taste, and that the skin was edible. What did I have to lose? She picked out a nice one for us, and we added it to our pile of baby bananas and limes. When I got home, I started my usual googling to determine exactly what this lovely burgundy pear-shaped fruit actually was. Turns out, it is a Rose Apple, named because it tastes like rosewater. Cool! Rose Apples are very low in calories but high in Vitamins A and C, calcium, and niacin. What's not to love? At this point, I gave it a sniff, and it does have the aroma of old-fashioned roses -- you know, roses that actually have a fragrance. My mother loves all things rose and frequently sprinkles rose water over fruit for a simple Greek dessert, so I wish she could try this interesting new fruit along with us.

10 Reasons Why Belizean Women Cheat by Babi
Another thing we wa cheat on top of his head if that was something we can do ..instead of him playing games he need to pay us more attention and stop complaing he got no money to buy us a date...men and their broke ass who just want to screw and push us aside come on ladies why u making him dis us like this for and Mr.babi check this out...we cheat to take care you our black kids cause our men not doing his job as a man...leaving the other race of men to do it for them now talk about no good men

An Unexpected Belizean Pastime
Belize, Central America, is an amazing place for many reasons - a diverse culture, a variety of environmental wonders, and an array of beautiful birds to name a few. But one of the things that totally surprised me was the discovery that drum line/marching band play a major part in the lives of many local youths. I was a marching band guy in high school (a trumpeter), so this was particularly intriguing to me. As "American ignorant" as this might make me sound, I had just never considered that it would transcend U.S. culture. Even cooler, though, is why the marching band program was so meaningful in the community. I spoke with some of the leaders about it, and it turns out that it is a very effective way to give the youth something to do other than get into trouble on the street. And it gave them something to take pride in.

Journey to Dangriga and South Water Caye: Bliss in Southern Belize
One of the few Belizean towns I have yet to explore is Dangriga. It's ironic because it's known as the "culture capital" of Belize. But it's also the forgotten town of Belize when it comes to tourism. Few people stay here more than a day or two - most are either here for business or on their way to the islands that are close to the southern coast. It's a real shame, because there's a lot to Dangriga - especially for learning about the Garifuna culture. As an African it bothers me that I haven't yet spent even a full day here seeing the town, talking to people or even taking part in some of the cultural activities. It's just been one of those circumstances where I never get there on time or I head there at the last minute. The last week of January, I had every intention of spending a full day there but I left Belize City pretty late. I had to renew my immigration entry stamp (here in Belize, you only get one month>> upon entry; after that you have to get an extension from the immigration office at the cost of US$25 for an additional month).

Funky Junk!
While the boys were tinkering about with Peggy, Alex had the idea of taking a few pictures amongst the rotting cars with weeds growing out of their engines. You know, wreck the dress�among the wrecks! As we knew she would, Maya loved the idea and after we had asked the bewildered garage owner I got dressed and paddled into the boggy, saturated field full of rusting old cars. The sun shone properly for the first time in days but the clouds still loomed with a threat of rain. The forgotten, neglected vehicles with their inards strewn all around made a fantastic contrast to the soft, flowing Tabitha gown and the whole idea was perfect�until Alex asked me to get into the boot of a rotting car�but�why not I guess!

Ideas and Opinions - Nation Building
If our political leaders had a strong sense of nationalism and, if we had a Prime Minister who was a statesman, the first thing he would do on assuming office would be to declare National Goals and, set high standards of conduct and performance for all his associates and, for those who work in the Public Service.

Woman convicted of human trafficking gets 18 months in prison
Narcisa "Nancy" Orellana, 54, of Santa Elena Town, Cayo District, began an eighteen-month sentence in prison after being convicted of attempted trafficking in persons last Tuesday in San Ignacio.

Belize's first trial without jury
Akeem Thurton and Ricky Valencia to face trial for attempted murder under new law... Case postponed to February 27... Legislated last June after public pronouncements by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in the wake of multiple shootings of Chinese businesswomen in Belize City in April, the concept of "trial without jury" for murder and murder-related offenses has yet to be tested in open court, but the end of this month should see that changed.

$10,000 for Orvin Ferguson, 25, for 171 grams of weed
Today, Magistrate Hettie-Mae Stuart handed down a stiff fine to Orvin Ferguson. Ferguson, 25, along with Sherman Rodney, 21; Eric Gilharry, 25; Tracey Ford, 20, Ferguson's common-law wife, were all charged with drug trafficking.

Rosewood assessment too little, too late?
Nothing being done to address unsustainable, unmonitored rosewood logging activity: YCT... Forest Department memo cites obscene discrepancy in rosewood reporting data... The recorded total of timber exported within an eighteen-month period, June 2010 to November 2011, was 2,200,348 board feet of timber. The total recorded volume for mahogany was 639,851 board feet and for rosewood was 836,736 board feet: Forest Department

4 injured in downtown shooting
According to the information from witnesses, three men - Gilbert Wade, 20, a resident of Ross Pen Road; Kendell Flowers, 18, a resident of Belize City; and Dion Lord, 30, a resident of Gill Street - were repairing the tire of a vehicle, a Chevrolet Astro van, in front of Battlefield Park on Albert Street when they were ambushed by a gunman.

Strange flying object hovers over Griga!
4 residents admitted sighting unknown object on "clear night." One resident told Amandala that object "moved at the speed of lightning," and had "bright light radiating underneath; another resident "wondered if he was seeing a comet;" yet another said the object "made no sound."

Fink: Tsunami Jack plays his trump card
Warner had come up short with his allegation that he'd been given World Cup TV rights for the princely sum of $1 in return for being a staunch Blatter ally.

Deon McCaulay to be special guest at high school football Nationals
A spokesman for the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) called in to the Press Cadogan Show last night on Krem Radio, where National Team star Deon McCaulay was a guest panelist, to invite Deon to be a special guest at the opening ceremonies on Friday afternoon at the MCC, where 8 high school teams, 4 male and 4 female, from across the country will participate in the two-day NSSSA Football Tournament.

Belmopan City Council Kids Cup 2012
The Belmopan City Council Kids Cup 2012, organized by BNFA, commenced its tournament on Saturday, January 28, with 12 teams from the surrounding areas. The BNFA would like to take this opportunity to thank the Mayor, Mr. Simeon Lopez, his Deputy, Mr. Amilcar Umania, the Belmopan City Council and the City of Belmopan for the sponsorship of this year's Belmopan City Council Kids Cup 2012.

February 9 - UBAD's 43rd
Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the founding of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD). The meeting which established UBAD took place at a farm owned by the late Wilhelm Arnold at Mile 26 on the Old Northern Highway.

Objections filed to questionable new voters: who will decide constitutionality?
Last Thursday, February 2, a series of cases were scheduled to be heard in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court concerning objections filed by Menzies, resident in St. Matthew's, Cayo District, and another objector from Belmopan. The cases were filed against registered voters from Belmopan and villages within the Cayo South constituency, on three grounds: that the person being objected to was not a citizen of Belize, and that their Nationality Certificate was unconstitutional under Sections 26, 29(3) and 92 of the Constitution; that the persons objected to do not live at the addresses given, and that they have not lived at their prescribed addresses for two months as required under the Representation of the People Act.

Inside Her Majesty's Prison with Bernard Adolphus
Ex-prison Superintendent tells tales from behind museum's walls... The Museum of Belize was inaugurated in 2002 and turned 10 this past Sunday, February 5. There is a full schedule of activities planned, and Belizeans can take advantage of the opportunity to tour the building, once the site of Her Majesty's Prison from 1857 to 1993, when the current structure at Hattieville (now privatized) was established.

F. Fonseca's very big gamble
Opposition PUP Leader Francis Fonseca has taken a very big gamble in driving Albert's Mark Espat and Lake Independence's Cordel Hyde out of their constituencies. The very big gamble is that David Craig and Yolanda Schakron will win Albert and Lake I, respectively, areas which were considered sure seats for the PUP with Espat and Hyde.

Amandala: From The Publisher
I think the evidence which shows that the "big boys" in the then Opposition knew what they were doing when they moved out the Hon. Philip Goldson from leadership between 1972 and 1974 lies in Mr. Philip's defying of UDP leadership in the Maritime Areas Act matter and his formation of the National Alliance for Belizean Rights (NABR) in 1991, when, incidentally, Mr. Philip was completely blind. The "big boys" and all those who were backing them could never be sure of Goldson, that he would toe the party line instead of following his nationalistic conscience.

The February 9th, 2012 issue of The Capital Weekly is online HERE

This Week's Stories:

  • Anger or Fear? Why PUP Candidates are Jumping Ship
  • IDB President in Town
  • From the Desk of the Chairman: The Invisible Hand of the 'lord'
  • Kudos to Plus TV: Congrats to Mayor Lopez, Belmopan Mayoral Debate
  • Noise in the Market Don't Worry About it - Check Your Change!
  • Faith Lift: Godliness: The Appearance vs the Real Thing
  • "Albert Will Be UDP Again!" Herman Longsworth's Brilliant Interview
  • Referendum is What You Want? Why Not Have One on UNIBAM?
  • The Prime Minister's Tour Continued in Orange Walk Central Last Sunday February 5
  • Saldivar to Fonseca: How Can the People Judge You? By Your Past - Not Your Promises!
  • Health Clinic for Senior Citizens Inaugurated in the Capital City
  • Passport System Down
  • The Republic of China (Taiwan) Partners with University of Belize
  • Update on the Belize Municipal Development Project for the City of Belmopan
  • Superbond Strikes Again! Another 33 Million Gone!
  • Lisa Shoman Again: On The Wrong Side of Political Pornography
  • Continuity of Government
  • Ruperto for President: New FFB Elections Coming in March

MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO STEALING DOG
Twenty-seven year old Roberto Montejo, a laborer of Sandhill was charged with the theft of a male Pitbull when he appeared in Court today. Montejo pleaded guilty to the charge. Magistrate Dorothy Flowers offered him a bail of one thousand dollars and adjourned his case until March 21. The incident occurred on Wednesday, February 8, at Sandhill. The complainant, Marlilian Tun, reported to the police that while she was not at home, her Pit bull valued at four hundred dollars was stolen. Based on information they received, the police recovered the Pit bull from Montejo later the same day.

NEW EXHIBITION TO OPEN AT MEXICAN EMBASSY
The Mexican Institute on Newton Barracks will be the venue for an exhibit entitled "The African Presence in Mexico which is sponsored by the Mexican Embassy in conjunction with "Teachers learning together", a business cooperative for educators in Belize. The photo exhibition which will be launched on Monday February 13th is the work of Professor Ron Wilkins, who is a retired African Studies Professor at the California State University. The exhibit will feature over twenty five photos and will run until March second 2012.

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE MEETING TO TAKE PLACE IN TOLEDO DISTRICT
"A training session for Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of the Supreme Court in Toledo will be held tomorrow in Punta Gorda. President of The Toledo Chapter Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of the Supreme Court Dr. Elizabeth Cardinez confirmed that the morning training session will start 8:30 at the Punta Gorda Methodist School this Saturday February 11. The aim of the training session is to provide especially newly appointed Toledo JP's with basic and needed knowledge of court procedures and witnessing statements. Part of the session will also focus on a general membership meeting to update Toledo JP's and Commissioners of the Supreme Court about the recent Annual General Meeting held in Belize City, this year's activities planned for the Toledo Chapter and discuss the need for a high level of commitment and active service from all appointed persons as well as the need for contributions to part or full payment.

MARIJUANA FIELD DESTROYED
Police in the south are reporting the discovery of a marijuana plantation. Authorities say that last week they discovered a marijuana plantation with five thousand, two hundred and ninety four plants ranging from five to six feet in height. The plantation was discovered about five miles west of San Pedro Columbia village and no one was found in the area at the time of the police operation. All of the marijuana trees were uprooted and destroyed by fire.

SEARCH OF HOME LEADS TO DISCOVERY OF FIREARM
A man from Teakettle village in the Cayo district is in police detention pending firearm charges. Darius Cruz, who lives on Young Gial Road in Teakettle village was detained after a search of his house on Thursday afternoon led to the discovery of a twelve gauge single action shotgun and a matching cartridge.

LARGE QUANTITY OF JEWELRY STOLEN FROM BELIZE CITY WOMAN
A Belize City woman has reported that her home was burglarized. Sandra Toledo reported to police that her home on Lovely Lane in Belize City was burglarized sometime between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning. Stolen in the burglary was an assortment of jewelry with an estimated value of nine thousand, three hundred dollars. Police investigations continue.

WOMAN QUERIES LETTER FROM HOUSING DEPARTMENT
The Housing and Planning Department continues to experience glitches in its implementation of a mortgage write off scheme. The write off was approved in October of last year and the Department has been sending out letters informing persons that their debt had been forgiven. But several people who have received notices have expressed concerns because they claim that either they have not had loan with the Housing and Planning Department or their loan had been fully paid off. Sebastian Hamilton, a resident of Ladyville village is one of the recipients of a debt write off letter and he says that he does not owe any money to the government of Belize. Hamilton's wife Barbara visited the RSV News Centre this morning to express her concern about the letter and says she just wants her husband's name cleared.

WOMAN FOUND GUILTY OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING SENT TO PRISON
Forty-one year old Yolanda Garcia, a naturalized Belizean originally from Honduras, who is the owner of La Sirenita Bar located on Regent Street West, was sentenced to twelve months today by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith after she was found guilty of trafficking in persons. The incident occurred between June 29 and July 6, 2010. The complainant, who was seventeen at the time, testified that she had just graduated from high school and when she went to work at La Sirenita Bar, she was told by Garcia that part of her job was to have sex with the customers. Garcia testified and denied that the girl was even working for her. Garcia was represented by Attorney Simeon Sampson. The director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl Lyn Vidal, represented the prosecution.

COROZAL WOMAN KNOCKED DOWN AND KILLED
A Corozal woman was knocked down and killed last night. Sometime around 8 o'clock Aurelia Blanco was taking her 4 year old daughter Luceli Tun on bicycle travelling on the San Andres Road in the direction of Xaibe Village when she was struck from behind by a moving vehicle. When police arrived they saw the motionless body of Blanco lying face up in a pool of blood on the right side of the road. Parked beside the body, police saw a gold ford explorer bearing a Corozal license plate. Blanco died on the spot while the child was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where we understand she remains in a stable condition. The occupants of the vehicle were detained but police have yet to establish which of the two men was driving the vehicle when the incident occurred. Both men were believed to have been under the influence of alcohol.

2011 Eco-Audit of the Mesoamerican Reef Countries
The Mesoamerican Reef (MAR) provides a diverse array of goods and services to the people of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It is our shared heritage. Unfortunately, the health of the reef is declining, as documented by the 2008 and 2010 Report Cards published by the Healthy Reefs Initiative. The decline stems, at least in part, from inadequate management of threats to coral reefs. This Eco-Audit evaluates our efforts to protect and sustainably manage the region's coral reefs; celebrates management success stories; and documents the extent to which recommended management actions have been implemented in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico. It seeks to catalyze faster, more effective management responses and to increase accountability within the public and private sectors and among nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

WRI Helps Launch First Eco-Audit Of Mesoamerican Reef
This week, two of my colleagues, Ben Kushner and Lauretta Burke, travelled to Mexico and Belize, respectively, for the launch of a new multinational evaluation of reef management by governments, NGOs, and the private sector. The launch events took place in Belize City, Belize; Cancun, Mexico; Guatemala City, Guatemala; and Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and were the result of nine months of collaboration to develop indicators and gather data for this first-ever eco-audit of the Mesoamerican Reef.

Belize Joins Regional Health Initiative
Belize has joined the Salud Mesoamerica 2015 Initiative, a project that aims to reduce maternal and infant mortality among the poor. The programme could help more than 30,000 young women and children. Acting Belizean Prime Minister Gaspar Vega and Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno signed the agreement in San Pedro, Belize. Belize's government has pledged $500,000 for the programme, a number matched by the SM2015 Initiative, for the first 18 months of the project. "Belize has made important progress in providing health services to its people, and indicators such as life expectancy and infant mortality have improved dramatically in recent years," Moreno said. "But these gains have yet to reach the most marginalized populations, with parts of Belize lagging behind others." Vega said Belize was "very thankful" for the project.

The Bachelor: Courtney Gets Confronted!
This is the episode that the other Bachelorettes finally convince Ben he has something to worry about when it comes to Courtney. Ben takes the information seriously and takes Courtney aside for a serious confrontation that could lead to the end of Courtney and No hometown date with Ben Flajnik on the Bachelor.

Meditate? Only when I'm diving
My underwater journey started 20 years earlier in the turquoise waters of Belize, where I unwittingly stumbled upon the principle of negative buoyancy while snorkelling. Everyone floats in the ocean; although rarely face up, as they teach in swimming lessons. But begin descending, and there comes a moment about five metres below the surface (different for every body) when the lungs compress to a point that gravity outweighs buoyancy and a swimmer starts to sink. Beyond this invisible threshold, I could spread my arms and soar downward like a giant bird, past coral heads and curious fish that surrounded the reef. That is, until a thumping in my chest and head insisted I turn back, clawing upward, bursting to the surface with a gigantic gasp.

Taxi-man Killed In Corozal
Late reports from Corozal this evening is that police have found the body of a taxi-man who was apparently stabbed to death. Late this evening, Corozal town police responded to a report from residents that they saw a vehicle parked in the bushes about 200 yards off the San Andres Road. Police responded and found a 61 year old male taxi driver from Orange Walk dead. He had multiple stab wounds on his body. Police have not released the name because they have to inform his family first.

Is Schackron a US Citizen; Can She Run For Elected Office In Belize?
Yolanda Schackron - she's been a public figure for some two years now - championing the cause of Belizeans for Justice. But since Monday, she's taken it to another level, emerging as the PUP's replacement candidate for Lake Independence after Cordel Hyde suddenly stepped down. Because of her high public profile and no-nonsense reputation, she's still considered by some to be the favorite to win that PUP-inclined division - even with her late entrance.

Rhett fuller Goes To Court For Bail
Rhett Fuller turned himself into police in August after his Privy Council appeal was dismissed. As is well known, he is fighting deportation - and has almost run out of legal options. But still his attorney Eamon Courtenay is seeking judicial review of the most recent decision form the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But while he does that Fuller has been languishing in the Kolbe Central Prison since August. Today he tried to get bail for him - before the same judge who had granted him bail in 2009. Here's how that went in court today:.

Loan Forgiveness Frightens Some Folks
In October, Government wrote of 62 million dollars in loans held by the Housing Department. Some of the loans date back to the late 80's, many are from the 90's and the rest from the "aughts." Indeed there are thousands of them. Matter of fact, the Department of Housing sent out 12 thousand letters informing those who owe that their loans are being forgiven, written off, expunged form the record. Those letters have been going out for the past few weeks - and we'd expect most folks would be relieved. But - in an outcome that you can file under the law of unintended consequences - many are reacting in anger, even outrage. And that's because of two things: first, some folks just don't understand the letters - they think they are being charged for the loan amount - instead of being forgiven the debt.

Another Human Trafficking Conviction
Last week, we told you about 54 year-old Narciza Orellana, a naturalized Belizean, who became the first person in Belize to be convicted of human trafficking. She was sentenced by Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith to 18 months imprisonment. Today, another naturalized Belizean was convicted and given a custodial sentence for the very same offense, also in front of Chief Magistrate Smith. She is 41 year-old Yolanda Garcia, a hair dresser and manager of the La Serenita Bar, located on Regent Street West. She is also a mother of 3. According to the police, from June 29 to July 6 of 2010, she engaged in the trafficking of persons when she hired a 17 year-old female minor to work in her bar. The minor told police that she had just graduated from high school. This minor also said that Garcia allegedly told her that part of her job description is that she is required to have sex with customers for money.

Security Guard Alleges Assault With Machete
18 year-old Casey Lozano, an apprentice electrician of Mirage Road Extension, was today arraigned in the courtroom of Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart of aggravated assault. According to the police, 53 year-old Harrison Brackett, a security guard posted at Ladyville Technical High School, reported that on Wednesday January 18 at around 5:30 p.m., 3 young men entered the high school's compound. The young men then attempted to steal a bicycle wheel.

Conejo Village Leaders Tell US Capital To Clear Out
The Village Leaders from Conejo say they don't want US Capital Energy shooting seismic trails through their village lands. They have written to the chief forest officer and the director of petroleum making it clear that the villagers do not want US Capital's seismic trails on their village lands.

Rice Seeds In the South
We've heard a lot about rice travails in the last few months. Mennonite farmers in the north can't sell their rice because the market is saturated and farmers in the south - weren't getting paid their subsidized price for rice. Somewhere in the middle of all this is the Taiwanese technical mission working in southern Belize to modernize and mechanize farming operations. Their latest project is about seed security - developing seeds for rice crops. The Agricultural Officer told us all about the value of commercial rice-seed production.

Another Set of Call-Ready Call-Center Workers
And while those farmers are learning about seed production, BELTRAIDE has been teaching business process outsourcing to young people from the Belize and Cayo Districts. By Business process outsourcing, they mean, working at call centers. The third group of graduates finished their training in Belmopan today - and Shahera McKoy, the Director of business unit at Beltraide told the press office more:..

Woman With child Knocked Down And Killed In Corozal
Around 8 o'clock last night, a Corozal woman was knocked down and killed. Orelia Blanco was riding her 4 year old daughter- Liseli Tun on a bycicle ON THE SAN ANDRES ROAD heading towards Xaibe village - when she was knocked down from behind by a gold ford explorer. When police arrived on the scene Blanco was already dead, lying face-up in a pool of blood. Her 4 year old daughter was taken to the Karl Huesner Memorial hospital and is listed tonight in a stable condition. Police have detained the two occupants of the vehicle and are still trying to determine which of the two was driving at the time of the incident. Police also believe that both men were under the influence of alcohol.

SCOTIABANK Analyst Urges Market To Be Calm On Bze Bonds
The international rating agency Standard and Poors audibly gulped when Prime Minister Dean Barrow said in his election announcement that he would seek "clear instructions" from the electorate "to do something about the superbond." S and P automatically downgraded Belize saying that it appeared Government would not honour its superbond commitments. That sent bondholders scrambling trying to sell off the bond, but an analyst for SCOTIABANK international is advising a wait and see approach.

US Professor Traces Mexico's African Roots
Belize has close ties with Mexico - but what you might not know is that Belizeans of African descent may have ties with Afro-Mexicans. But, if your only exposure to Mexico is the Quintana Roo District you might not even know that there are Mexicans of African descent - plenty of them in Pacific coastal areas such as Costa Chica. Now, as a part of black history month, a US professor who lives in Belize is trying to school Belizeans to the commonality of our ancestry. He's holding a show at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City and told us about the show and its lessons:..

Free Ticket To Anywhere in The USA, Where Would You Fly?
The lucky winner of a Courts promotional raffle stepped into Courts Belize office this morning to pick up her winnings. Claudia Escobar won herself 2 round trip tickets to anywhere in the US. For the young woman, it came as a big surprise. Today she told 7news, how exited she is and where she is going with those tickets.

BUA Leader Lopez Claims Funny Phone Business
Last night he told us about his campaign financing and tonight Belize Unity Alliance candidate for Belize Rural South Bobby Lopez is telling us that his phone is being tapped. A release says that as leader of the BUA, he is quote, "gravely concerned that the ruling party or its appointees appear to be intercepting his telephone service."

188 naturalizations on the Capital
There is breaking news in Corozal and that is that the lifeless body of a man was found in a vehicle. We'll have more of that story later in this newscast. But first, in January, over a thousand immigrants mostly from Central American countries became new citizens of Belize. Most of them could not recite ...

Breaking News: Murder victim discovered in Corozal
Going back to the murder in the north, the body of a man was discovered in a green taxi car off a picado path on the San Andres Road in Corozal. Corozal Police say they were notified of the body between four and four-thirty this afternoon by persons in the area who suspected something was ...

On the campaign trail in Orange Walk East
With just twenty-six days until General Elections, the political thermometer is heating up. In Orange Walk East, the temperature is almost at boiling point and this week an incumbent U.D.P. area representative went full blast against his party and in favor of the P.U.P. But which side will benefit on March seventh? Today, News Five's ...

Viewers; 67% say signatures deliberately rejected
A referendum on oil exploration organized by the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage has been rejected. That's because out of twenty thousand signatures collected to propel a referendum, eight thousand were disqualified by the Elections and Boundaries Department. It's a suspiciously high figure and the reason given for the mass rejection was over poor ...

Anonymous threat
Just before eight o'clock on Thursday night, a threatening call was received at this station. The anonymous caller threatened to blow up the station. The matter is being reported to the police as a precautionary measure and there are measures in place to protect staff and property at our workplace. Whether it is the current ...

S.S.B. board receives findings of audit on insider trading
The board of directors of the Social Security Board, led by chairperson Lois Young, met this afternoon in Belize City. The board received a report from the auditors from accounting firm Pannell Kerr Forster on their findings in respect of an insider trading scandal involving C.E.O. Merlene Bailey-Martinez. Martinez, who has been suspended from her ...

Rhett Fuller applies for bail
Rhett Fuller for the umpteenth time appeared in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas this afternoon. He went to apply for bail. Fuller is wanted in the United States in connection with a robbery and shooting death of an American citizen Larry Miller. During the three-hour court appearance, the government's attorney Magali Perdomo argued that ...

Charged for female lured to prostitution
A second conviction for human trafficking was secured today on the heels of the conviction of fifty-four year old Santa Elena resident, Narcisa Orellana, who was the first to be found guilty and sentenced to eighteen months imprisonment. Today, Honduran national, Yolanda Garcia, who is a naturalized Belizean, was found guilty of the offence of ...

Molestation case ends on technical argument
In October 2010, an eight year old girl claimed she was molested by a man who allegedly befriended her while she was doing homework at her house. According to the minor, fifty-three year old Filodelfio Reneau, a Belize City resident, followed her into a room and fondled and caressed her. Reneau was charged with a ...

Are Independents and 3rd Party being tapped?
The Belize Unity Alliance says it is concerned over the alleged interception of telephone services. BUA says that over the past week, Bobby Lopez, the president of the alliance, has been experiencing sudden and dramatic altercations in cell phone service and that it may deliberately be a tactic to obscure, interrupt and divert communications leading ...

The smooth flow of the election explained
With the upcoming dual elections less than twenty-five days away the logistical machinery, responsible for the smooth flow of the countrywide voting process come March seventh, is in motion. Preparations by the Elections and Boundaries Department are currently underway to ensure that the transition between ballots for the General and Municipal Elections is effortless. According ...

New species of grasshopper-like insect discovered in Toledo
There is a positive story to report tonight. Scientists at the University of Illinois, USA have discovered a new species of tiny, grasshopper-like insect in the Toledo district. The find was made public today by Doctor Sam Heads and Doctor Steve Taylor who co-authored a paper published today in the journal ZooKeys. The new species, ...

Eating food for a healthy diet
Whether we are eating bigger portions or are not following a balanced diet, the fact is that the population of the jewel is overweight. This morning, a dietary guideline was launched as a preventative approach for good nutrition practices. The booklet was put together by the Ministry of Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization. ...

African influence in Mexico on Exhibit
The Mexican Embassy is launching an exhibition to celebrate Black History Month. Photographs by Professor Ron Wilkins will go on display at the Mexican Institute; they capture African influence in Mexico. Wilkins is a retired professor on Africana Studies at the California State University. His works have been exhibited at universities, schools and community centers ...

Woman jailed for trafficking in persons
Forty-one year old Yolanda Garcia, a naturalized Belizean originally from Honduras, who is the owner of La Sirenita Bar located on Regent Street West, was sentenced to twelve months today by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith after she was found guilty of trafficking in persons. The incident occurred between June 29 and July 6, 2010.

VIP candidate says his phone is being tapped illegally
The leader of the Belize Unity Alliance and Vision Inspired by the People candidate in Belize Rural South Bobby Lopez is tonight crying foul. And the ire of his frustration is aimed squarely at the ruling United Democratic Party. Lopez is claiming that his cell phone is being tapped. In a statement issued this afternoon, Lopez blames the ruling party or its appointees for interception his telephone service.

Hamilton family questions loan write off letter
The Housing and Planning Department continues to experience glitches in its implementation of a mortgage write off scheme. The write off was approved in October of last year and the Department has been sending out letters informing persons that their debt had been forgiven. But several people who have received notices have expressed concerns because they claim that either they have not had loan with the Housing and Planning Department or their loan had been fully paid off.

Ministry of Health released dietary guidelines for Belize
The Food-Based Dietary Guidelines for Belize was launched today during a ceremony which was held at the Belize City House of Culture. Food and Agriculture Organization regional representative is Dr. Jerome Thomas. Coordinator of Belize's Food and Nutrition Security commission Dr. Fernando Tzib told Love News how the new local guidelines will impact the lives of Belizeans. n the keynote address, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Peter Allen said that more than sixty percent of Belize's adult population is overweight or clinically obese. The Dietary Guidelines for Belize are: Choose different types of food from all the food groups; Eat more of different types of local fruits daily; Eat more vegetables daily. Choose different types; Choose to eat whole grain and ground foods more frequently; Limit your intake of fats, sugar and salt. Use natural seasonings in food preparation and cooking Practice good hygiene when buying, storing, preparing and cooking foods. And Keep active. In short � make physical activity a part of your daily routine.

Unread text messages for Rise and Shine. 10 February 2012. Guest: Hon. Melvin Hulse
This minister has just been giving excuses for four years. Whenever he cancells routes from existing owners he did not care. Now its all excuses. We want to hear what unu di seh inna secret inna di panel why when a person disagree with your government/ party you label them as PUP. Dont we have a right to disagree if we see a better way!? Minister Monter has not worked for Cayo Central and likes to lie to the people even me a UDP. We will send messages on March 7th If a bill is not in favor of the people will you be willing to vote against your government no matter what the cost and lobby for a better way?? Tell him to put more bus runs because a lot of people want to run their bus and he does not want to give permits. Hulse Talk, Rodwell listens... How come 4 dollars to ride 50 miles from Belmopan to Belize City buit i pay 9 from independence to dangriga

Ailing 11 year old in need of financial assistance
Thirty Nine year old Ignacia Reyes of Cristo Rey Village is seeking the help of the General Public. Reyes is a sing...

Campaign signs of independent candidate vandalized
Independent candidate running for mayoral office in the City of Belmopan Roody Wade stopped by Plus TV's office ear...

Eco-audit of Mesoamerican reef
Healthy Reef Initiative, under the leadership of Dr. Melanie McField, has completed what the group calls an unprece...

Mother dies after being knocked down, daughter in hospital An Orange Walk woman was killed when she and her four year old daughter were knocked down last night. Orelliani Bla...

West Star attendant robbed at gunpoint
An attendant working at West Star Truck Stop in Roaring Creek was robbed at gunpoint. Ariel Vanzie told police that...

Woman sentenced to prison for trafficking 17 year old
Just last week, 54-year-old Santa Elena Town resident, Narcisa Orellana was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for...

VIP candidate cries elections sabotage
VIP Candidate and leader of the Belize Unity Alliance (BUA) says his communications are being intercepted. Bobby Lo...

Loan write-off for woman without loan?
A Ladyville woman is concerned about a letter she received from the Housing department. Barbara Hamilton says her h...

UFO sighting in Dangriga
A UFO sighting was reported in Dangriga. According to the Amandala newspaper, on Wednesday of this week, four Dangr......

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