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Specials and Events

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

San Pedro Cop charged for extortion
San Pedro Police have arrested and charged one of their uniformed colleagues who is being accused of extortion. The accused is Police Constable No 1308 Elvin Nah, and he is currently attached to the San Pedro Police Formation. He was arrested and charged on Thursday July 24th following an incident that occurred on July 6th. According to Deputy Commanding Officer of the San Pedro Police Formation Inspector Henry Jemmott, on July 17th at about 5PM, a male person visited the San Pedro Police station and made a formal report against PC Nah. "He stated that on July 6th, at about 1AM while heading home, he was stopped by police officers in front of a store on Pescador Drive. A search was conducted on his person by a Hispanic police officer and as a result two small plastic bags with suspected cannabis were found. The individual was then taken to the San Pedro Police Station where the suspected drug was weighed and amounting to four grams."

PADI expels Amigos del Mar Dive Shop
One of the oldest dive shops on Ambergris Caye has been expelled from the PADI dive organization network. The expulsion was made effective on Thursday, July 17th, and as a result, Amigos del Mar Dive Shop can no longer conduct any PADI certified courses or represent themselves as PADI members. Also expelled as a PADI affiliate, on the same date was Marciano Mendez who conducts dive training at Amigos. Due to confidentiality code, PADI cannot disclose the reason for the expulsion, but has assured that expulsion is the last resort when addressing issues with members. PADI Quality Management Manager, Linda Van Velsen told The San Pedro Sun that before any establishment is expelled, PADI follows an extensive process that includes fact checking, getting all perspectives about the issue including the members, and, when necessary, offers corrective retraining and cooperative compliance before expulsion is considered. The San Pedro Sun contacted the owner of Amigos del Mar Dive Shop, Albino "Changa" Paz but he declined to comment on the matter.

Government of Belize Compensates Public Officers and Teachers for the 1995-1997 Increments Freeze
The Ministry of Finance is pleased to announce that it has today authorised the Accountant General to transfer the balance of some $3.06 million held in a Government Savings Account to the Trustees of the Public Sector Workers' Trust, which has been established to hold funds in trust for all public officers and teachers whose annual increments were frozen during the period 1st April 1995 to 31st March 1997. It may be recalled that in 1995, the Government of Belize had agreed to give the Public Service Union and the Belize National Teachers Union some 794,732 shares in Belize Telecommunications Limited (now Belize Telemedia Limited) as compensation for the suspension of annual increments of public officers and teachers during the fiscal period 1995 to 1997. These shares continued earning dividends which were kept in a separate Government Savings Account in trust for the affected public officers and teachers.

Second Annual Action Twenty 24 Summer Camp
Action Twenty 24 is back in San Pedro hosting a one week sports summer camp. The second annual summer camp started on Monday, 21st and is scheduled to conclude on Friday, July 27th and operates in partnership with Lighthouse Christian Radio. Over 70 children are participating in the camp which is being held at the San Pedro High School Campus. According the Action Twenty 24 organizer, Chris Burnette, the camp is held to teach sports skills to children while promoting love and community unity. "Many parents find it challenging to take care of their children during summer as they have to work. As part of the camp we care for the children and ensure that they are out of trouble and have a productive summer," said Burnette. Throughout the week the children will learn basic skills in football, basketball, volleyball and baseball, all while learning Christian values. "Our aim for the camp is to simply put some smiles in the children's faces, make them happy and keep them safe."

Vince's Warriors take the lead of the Island Cup Football Tournament
Football action is back to San Pedro with the official kickoff of the Island Cup Football Tournament. After several unfortunate delays, the tournament kicked off on Sunday, July 20th at the Ambergris Stadium. Eight teams entertained football fanatics in four thrilling matches, but at the end of the day it was Vince's Warriors who took the lead of the tournament. The first game was between San Pedro High School (SPHS) Football Team and Dorados. The young athletes from SPHS stood their ground, but in the end it was the Dorados that took the win in a close 2-1 point match. Next to take the field was Joker FC against recent tournament champions, Legends FC. It was a tight match which saw Legends FC pull a few tricks to win the match in a 3-2 point game.

Caribbean Belle Weddings features stunning Conch Creative photography
The fabulous duo at Conch Creative photography has gotten a gorgeous spread in one the newest wedding publications: Caribbean Belle Weddings. A publication dedicated to all wedding things across the exotic Caribbean, Caribbean Belle gives a glimpse into the locales that so many adventurous couples opt for their special day. The six-page spread features photos by photographer Maya Papovic, and the pictures show the beauty of Belize's Cayo District, in particular Francis Ford Coppola's Blancaneaux Lodge and one of the prettiest Maya ruins in Belize: Xunantunich.

Ambergris Today

Top 10 Things To Do In Belize
Traveling around my own country has been one of the best experiences in my life. Belize has so much to offer to the daily traveler. Land, air and sea adventures, we got it! It is just amazing going around this country of mine, meeting people from all walks of life and observing the mixture of cultures leading to the endless dishes of Belize. Therefore, if it is your first or second visit to Belize, I have made your vacation a lot easier and much more fun by providing you with a list of the Top 10 things to do in Belize.

Tropic Air Announces Increase In Service Roatan, Honduras
Tropic Air announces, that effective November 1, 2014, it will increase service to Roatan, Honduras from four times weekly to daily. "We are very excited to be increasing our service to Roatan in response to the overwhelming support and enthusiasm of our passengers", said John Greif III, President of Tropic Air. "Roatan has become an important part of our network, and a source of growing tourism and trade business to Belize. The next logical step is for us to increase the frequency to daily to allow traffic to grow even more".

Belizeans Unite Against Italian "Mega-Luxury" Project On Remote Coral Reef
Belize's largest conservation and tourism organizations, as well as members of the public, have joined forces in opposition to a proposed seven star mega-resort on Belize's most remote coral reefs. The project, named Puerto Azul, would transform two private islands on the northern side of the Lighthouse Reef atoll. The brainchild of Italian promoter Domenico Giannini, Puerto Azul was launched during the 2014 Cannes Film Festival at a lavish celebrity-studded party. Belizean ministers of government were also flown in for the occasion. Opposition to the project is based on its massive scale in an undeveloped area that is over 50 miles from the nearest mainland supply depot. Lighthouse Reef, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, is one of only four atolls in the Caribbean and is home to the world renowned Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Natural Monuments; both are protected areas and World Heritage Sites. The developers want to build what they describe as a "citadel of luxury" inclusive of underwater suites, a golf course, amusement park, submarine base, hospital, super-yacht marina and Formula 1 race track, all serviced by a two mile long international airport to be dredged from the sands and productive sea grass beds of the Lighthouse Reef atoll. The resort's proposed one thousand guests would be served by a small city of two thousand employees.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

One-day session for business owners and NGO's regarding waste management
Tomorrow, July 25, the Solid Waste Management Authority from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture will be having a one-day session for business owners and NGO's in the environment sector at the Sunbreeze Hotel Conference Room from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. This session will contain various activities and methods of awareness in regards to waste management. The Belize Solid Waste Management Authority is currently implementing a project in four municipalities along the Western Corridor. These municipalities include San Ignacio/Santa Elena, Belize City, San Pedro Town/Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. The project seeks to address the country's inadequate solid waste management practices by putting in place new and improved infrastructure for the management of solid waste, increasing public awareness and changing current behaiors and practices through communication and social mobilization and building capacity of local authorities responsible for solid waste management.

LEAP, a team of Plastic Surgeons will be at the Northern Regional Hospital treating patients with the following cases:
CLEFT LIP\ CLEFT PALATES FACIAL SCARS MAXILOFACIAL PROBLEMS EAR RECONSTRUCTION BAGGY EYELIDS BURNT CASES ON FACE WARTS GANGLIONS CYSTS TONGUE LIBERATION KELOIDS SCREENING will be on August 1st. SURGERY DATES will be on August 2 & 3. For more information you may contact Nurse Lupe at 661-6518.

Part III - Belize Sugar Industry's and Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association's arguments:
As mentioned earlier, the company has offered to pay the farmers .51 cents per ton of cane. How did they come to this figure? BSI basically utilized last year's figures for cane production and payment for cane which Carballo placed at $74.20 per ton. Now, please recall that, out of the average of 29 percent of bagasse in cane, Bio-Energy said that not all of it is fiber. According to Carballo, last year, the amount of fiber found in the cane was approximately 53 percent of the total bagasse content. "So, based on the cane price for 2013, and taking the percentage of fiber that is in the cane which is 15.41% 29% x 53.14%), that amounts to a payment of $11.43 $74.20 x 15.41%) per ton of fiber and so based on the quantification of the amount of fiber that is used to generate electricity to BEL, we are valuing that fiber at $11.43 per ton of fiber, and that comes up to the sum of $550,000 = ( 48,119 tons of fibre x $11.43), or 51 cents = ( $550,000/1,078,000 tons of cane delivered in 2013) per ton of cane."

TV Interview with PM Barrow Sunday the 27th
Tune in this Sunday, July 27th at 8:00 p.m. for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Prime Minister of Belize Hon. Dean Barrow. "Up Close and Personal: A Conversation with Hon. Dean Barrow" will air on Wave TV, Channel 7, Nortevision Channel 10, Channel 5, Love TV, and Krem TV. This is an interview you don't want to miss!

Belize Takes 3rd in Codicader U-12 Games
Congratulations to the Belize U-12 Football team for coming in 3rd place at the Codicader Games! Wilfredo Galvez scored the most goals - video of one of them - in the tournament, which was held in Guatemala. Excellent sportsmanship! "AWESOMENESS! PROUD BELIZEANS!! CONGRATS to the Belmopan Football School of Talent U-12 who won today's game against Guatemala 4-3 and took 3rd place in the Codicader Games in Retalhuleue, Guatemala. And that's your morning dose of awesomeness from some very talented young Belizeans! 2 Goals scored by Wilfredo Galvez Jr (Buddy), 1 by Brent Dubon and the other by Kelvin Gordon!! Buddy scored 9 goals in the Tournament. That's the most scored by any player in this Tournament! Pics to follow later! BIG UP to Coaches Leslie Flowers, Kenneth Budna, Jacqueline Pelayo and all the Parents who believe in these youths. The journey continues........"

Cayo Power interruption 6:00am to 2:00pm Sunday, July 27
from Unitedville to the Benque Viejo border, including, Benque Viejo Town, San Ignacio Town, Santa Elena Town, the villages of Esperanza, Georgeville, Unitedville, San Miguel, Duck Run 1 and 2, Billy White, Bullet Tree, Santa Familia, Cristo Rey, San Antonio, Santa Cruz, Succotz, Corozalito, Arenal and surrounding areas. BEL to replace equipment on transmission line in area and carry out maintenance works at the San Ignacio Substation.

GAIA Riverlodge in Belize is now Green Globe Certified and harvesting fresh produce
Tucked away in the Pine Ridge Forest and surrounded by the Five Sisters Waterfalls, GA�A Riverlodge is an eco-tourism hotel dedicated to preserving Belize's natural beauty. span> In a series of environmental initiaties, GA�A Riverlodge has announced that the hotel is now Green Globe Certified. As one of only five properties in Belize to receive this presitious certification, GA�A Riverlodge is proud to uphold the highest standard of sustainability. The hotel has also developed a fresh vegetable garden on-site, which will harvest zucchini, cucumber, cilantro, basil, arugula, lettuce, tomato, cabbage, cantaloupe, sweet pepper, mint and corn. Guests can now enjoy this hyper-local cuisine at GA�A's restaurant.

Belize Tourism Enjoys Rise in First Half of 2014
Citing a recent article in Belize's Amandala newspaper, which used statistics released by the Belize Tourism Board, Chaa Creek's co-owner and GM Lucy Fleming said that continued strong growth in the tourism sector is providing benefits across Belize's economy and society, benefits that will in turn continue to make Belize more attractive to travelers. "Belize's economy is now tourism-oriented, so a rise in visitor numbers translates into a healthier, happier society, making Belize even more attractive," Ms Fleming said. "In short, more tourists mean a stronger tourism product, which will in turn attract more tourists. It's a very positive, self-perpetuating cycle," she added. The Amandala article, "Belize Draws 29.3% More Tourists for First Half of 2014" (July 18, 2014) noted that "Belize continues to draw more tourists to its shores, with overnight tourist arrivals up 11.8%, and cruise tourist arrivals up 36.9% for the first half of 2014, according to data released this evening by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB). "That translates to 141,921 more cruise tourists and 19,693 more overnight tourists compared to the first six months of 2013, or an overall sector growth of 29.3%," the report concludes.

Healing through humanitarian assistance projects
Three international health specialists and three non-governmental organization personnel are participating in a humanitarian assistance project in Belize from July 21-25, which encompasses the Global Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics Instructor and Provider Courses. By participating in humanitarian assistance projects such as Global ALSO, U.S. military medical forces have an opportunity to broaden their experiences and support improvements for our partner nation medical professionals. "Humanitarian assistance projects, such as Global ALSO, help to provide a clear understanding of the medical capabilities of our partner nations, and a chance to identify areas of improvement and ways to advance skills," said Capt. Ricardo Sequeria, family medicine resident assigned to the 96th Medical Operations Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. "You get a chance to know them, to really build relationships, and to leave with a sense of collegiality."

Home Made Breakfast Burrito
An easy breakfast burrito. The wrap is very easy to make and you can put anything you want on the inside. No need to buy frozen breakfast burritos again.

Belizean Curried Fish
Joe shows us how to make Curried Fish as he use to make it when he was younger. This dish is spicy hot and absolutely delicious. If you love curry you will enjoy this meal.

BTB Tourism Statistics - July 2014
The Belize Tourism Board released the stats for the first half of 2014. "Tourist arrivals continue to go up!"

Rotaract School Drive
The Rotaract Club of Benque is organizing a school drive to get much needed materials for local students. Any school supplies you can donate would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Rotaract! "Support our FILL A BACK PACK 1st ANNUAL BACK TO SCHOOL DRIVE! Every child counts! Let's make a difference!"

July 14 - July 20 2014 Fishing Report
Special congratulations to some new double haulers, Elizabeth is a rocket, Tom can throw, Tonya doubled the length of her cast this week, throwing 70 feet by the end of the week, Bethany picked up the double haul on her third casting lesson and it was fun to see the enthusiasm and improvement in all who took part in the daily classes.

Channel 7

Private Prosecution Against Penner Thrown Out!
In March of this year, Elvin Penner made national headlines when he became the first elected area representative to be criminally charged for official wrongdoing during the tenure of his own Government. Tonight, however, he's at home with his family, and he has been cleared of all charges brought against him. As has been widely reported, he was implicated as the chief arranger in the issuance of the passport and nationality certificate of South Korean Won Hong Kim. Still, police never criminally charged him - and only launched a criminal investigation after the Supreme Court told them to do so. And when the police didn't charge him, COLA did launching a private prosecution against Penner. But, the private prosecution was short of a critical element, first hand evidence. And so, after only 4 short adjournments the case was struck out of court today. 7News was there in Belmopan when the disgraced former minister was acquitted and Daniel Ortiz reports: Daniel Ortiz reporting After 4 short adjournments, Former Minister of State Elvin Penner walked out of court a free man. The two immigration offences, brought against him by COLA's Geovannie Brackett and Nedal McLaren were thrown out.

Did The State Protect Hon Penner?
But if, you've been following the case, as we have, it may have crossed your mind that today's outcome couldn't have happened any other way. That's because all the police evidence needed was being kept out of COLA's reach - and according to the expert in prosecutions - the DPP -from what she had seen of that there wasn't enough to bring a charge. Currently, their case file for the Citizen Kim passport is still within the Department, and the official line at this time is that the case is still under investigation. But, COLA lays blame at the feet of the Commissioner of Police for the failure of the private prosecution. How do they get to that conclusion? That's just what Daniel Ortiz tried to find out: Daniel Ortiz reporting In the days leading up to today's hearing, Attorney General Wilfred Elrington gave an interview to the press in which he spoke candidly about what he saw as the impending failure of today's case. Those remarks incensed those within the COLA ranks.

Where Is The Citizen Kim Passport?
One piece of evidence which surely didn't make it into the case today was the original passport which was issued to South Korean Won Hong Kim. Best information says the passport is in the possession of the Belizean embassy in Taiwan. It was supposed to be brought to Belize in May, but that never happened. And because it has not appeared - the true whereabouts of the passport has been opened to conjecture. The question of its whereabouts was put both to COLA and to Attorney General Wilfred Elrington, who is also the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and they gave two very different answers. Here's what they had to say: Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Attorney General "As far as I know I haven't heard anything on that. But let me ask you this question since you've asking me so many question: why you want the passport to come to Belize?" Reporter "It's of public interest." Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Attorney General "People are just curious about it."

Fire Leaves 4 Families Homeless, 3 Structures Destroyed
There were two house fires this morning in Belize City - and children playing with fire caused both of them. The more serious one happened at around 10:00 am on Plues and Berkely Streets - right around the corner from our studio. Monica Bodden spoke to the 4 families in 3 houses who had lost everything.. Monica Bodden reporting The fire started from the upper flat of this two storey green building - and within minutes, the entire structure was up in flames. Fire fighters were called out to the scene on Berkley and Plues Street just after 10 this morning - and went into quick operation mode in attempt to control the blaze in the congested location. It wasn't long before the fire spread to this 14 by 14 one bedroom structure on the same premises. Concerned neighbours lined the area from front to back- while some even risked their lives to run inside the heated buildings to remove gas tanks and even animals.

Another Fire Set By Child
The first fire started an hour before that one - at around 9:15 am - and again, kids were the culprits. Luckily, it was a small fire, easily contained. Neighbors say it was started by a child playing with a lighter. One of the residents spoke with us off camera and told us how the community sprang to action when they saw the house ablaze. Voice of Neighbor "We were in our spot and then my sister ran out and said fire. When we came at the back we saw that the mattress had already catch fire. After that my brother-in-law, he has one foot and he actually pulls out this mattress while we were getting water to try and out it." Robin Schaffer "How did the fire start? Do you know?" Voice of Neighbor "Actually my cousin said that it's my little cousin light the mattress because no one was at the upstairs at the time where the fire started, only the baby and they said that he had a lighter and he lighted the sheet and the sheet catch fire underneath the mattress."

Kumul Charged For Common-Law's Murder
38 year old mother of two, Anabel Kumul was charged for the murder of her common law husband today in San Pedro. She was arraigned and remanded about 30 hours after she allegedly stabbed the 28 year old Felix Alamilla in his leg, chest and eye. The wound to the leg severed an artery and it is believed that caused him to bleed out. According to reports - Alamilla had gone missing from home for two days and that was supposedly what triggered Kumul to head out at dawn yesterday to find him at a house where he had been spree-ing with friends. She allegedly found him asleep, then jumped on him and started inflicting the stab wounds. Kumul is a Mexican resident on San Pedro and police say they caught her trying to take a flight off the island at 7:00 am.

Cop Charged For Extortion
She wasn't the only one San Pedro police took the court today - they also charged one of their own for extortion. Constable Elvin Nah was charged for extortion after an island resident complained that Nah shook him down for four hundred dollars. The complainant - whose name is not being released - alleged that at 1:00 am on July eighth, Nah stopped and searched him and found two small plastic bags containing cannabis. He took him to the police station where he weighed the drugs at four grams. Nah allegedly then told the complainant that he could set him free without charges if he paid him four hundred dollars. The complainant says he then handed Nah eight fifty dollar bills and was set free without charges. The report was made on July 17th and that's when police started reviewing security video at the police station and questioning officers who were on duty.

Hattieville Chairman Still Missing: Villagers Pray
Hattieville Chairman Kevin Carcamo has been missing for 4 days now, and today the extensive searches to try to locate him continued. The seismic testing company that he was working for when he went missing has stepped up their search and they are joined by the Police, the BDF, and now the Coast Guard. But though the searchers are numerous, as time goes by, the community is losing hope of finding him alive, and so they are organizing a prayer session to implore his safe return. One of the organizers spoke with us about it today: Vanesha Rhaburn, Friend of Kevin Carcamo "We call this event a "Hattieville Community Call to Prayer" because at this time we are desperate for answers about our chairman, he has been missing for 4 days. It's hard for us to believe that a man would be missing in his own terrain. We know that somebody knows something and they are not talking. At this point we have no one else to turn to but to God to help us and to speak to the persons that know what happened that day because we do not accept what is going on."

Quality Of Life Crime Crackdown Causes Court Congestion
On Monday we showed you just a sample of the vicious public backlash resulting from the police crackdown on so called quality of life crimes - those minor, always overlooked offences, such as riding a bicycle without a bell or light. And while there's been a public backlash, what we saw today was the administrative aftermath. Scores of people lined up at the police prosecution branch waiting for hours to pay their fines. It was not a happy scene as the queue ran up and down 2 flights of stairs and spilled outside the door onto the street. We spoke to one of those very many crammed into the office, Wilbert Meighan Jr. who told us about his experience. Wilbert Alfred Meighan Jr. Aka Beansie- fined for bicycle offence "Well there was a commotion here today. It was totally unnecessary, especially in my incident because it was Monday morning and I was on Cemetery Road. I did came out from West Street and was heading down Cemetery Road contrary to traffic. But I saw the police from Euphrates coming walking and I got off my bike went in the yard in front of Salvation Army where they sell journey cakes and powder bun and I went to

Man Busted For Bicycle Bell Carried Crack
But while many lampoon and lambaste the bicycle crackdown, yesterday, it led to a drug arrest. 45 year-old Stuart Smith was riding his bike contrary to the flow of traffic on Lizarraga Avenue, and that drew police attention on him. When they inspected his bike, they found out that he didn't have a bell or a light, so they began questioning him about it. He remained unusually quiet, and that made the officers suspicious, and so they searched him. They found out that the reason he wasn't talking is because he had a piece of foil paper under his tongue. When they took it out of his mouth, and opened it up, they found that there was an undetermined amount of crack cocaine.

And The PUP's Candidate For Albert Is ...
For months, there has been speculation about who will run for the PUP in the Albert division. There was supposed to have been a convention in May, and at the time three candidates submitted their name. But, the party brass asked them to stand down to make way for a candidate with a higher profile. Speculation was rampant that it would be Dickie Bradley, a former PUP candidate in Queen's Square. Well, tonight, we can confirm that it isn't Bradley. The likely PUP Standard Bearer for Albert is Paul Thompson, well known as the president of the Belize Basketball Federation. Thompson - who worked as Mark Espat's political officer in the Albert between 1996 and 2006 - confirmed today that he has put in his name as a candidate for Albert. We say he is the "likely" standard bearer because it is not clear if he will face a convention challenge. But, political insiders suggest that since the party brass directly courted his candidacy - they are expected to clear the way for him to be endorsed as a candidate who would not have to face a convention challenge.

Capital Police Still Looking For Stolen DOE Pickup
Last night, we told you about the Department of Environment Vehicle which was stolen in broad daylight yesterday from the busy market square in Belmopan. Today, investigators were no closer to figuring out how the thief managed to pull it off, but they were able to brief us on what they know so far about it's last known whereabouts: Inspector Dennis Myles, Acting OC - Belmopan "What we do know is that Mr. Edgar Eck reported to us sometime after 9 yesterday morning he parked his brown 2008 Toyota Hilux in front of the environment office and from there it was stolen. The person from the environment - we had recorded statements from those persons and there is no definite lead in regards to the investigation." Reporter "Is it a case where he did had his key with him and maybe the window was bashed in to get access or using duplicate keys?"

Alleged Robber Remanded
23 year-old Francis Arana, a Lavender Street resident who has been on remand since Monday for Firearm offences, was brought back to court today for additional charges. He's believed to be one of the men who targetted a Bowen and Bowen delivery team last week Thursday, but instead of taking money, they went for the security guard's gun. As we reported, the incident occurred around10:30 a.m. Marlon Wade, a security guard employed by Fort Point Security, reported to the police that he and two other security guards, Eddie Arnold and Chester Mclaren, were making a delivery in a Ford Ranger pick-up truck. When they reached Eleven Shop on Oleander Street they were approached by 3 men. Wade said one of the men wore a stocking mask and was armed with what appeared to be a .38 revolver while the others wore no mask and were unarmed. He said at gunpoint, they stole a 9 millimeter pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in its magazine, which is owned by fort point Security and has a value of $3,000 dollars. Wade said they also stole a Samsung cellular phone belonging to Arnold, which has a value of $1,200. Because of the report from the security guard, Arana was charged with aggravated assault and 2 counts of robbery.

What To Do In Case Of Fire
There have been a rash of fires in the city recently - and apart from the massive loss of property - since May, two lives have been lost. But what should or can you do in the event that fire comes breathing down your door? It's a possibility that none of us would event want to consider, but it's real, and today Station Officer of the Belize National Fire Services, Orin Smith briefed the media on what to do when there is a fire and how to prevent one from happening. Here are some demonstrations - set to the very persistent din of a fire alarm. Orin Smith - Station Officer, National Fire Service "Here I have in front of me a lighter gun, a candle, a cigarette lighter, a box of match - these are all tools that adults used. I am appealing to the adults to train the children. These are not toys for the children to play with and by all means do not leave these tools in easy-reach of children. Children have a natural way of learning. They will learn by imitating what they see adults do. If there are smokers in the home that use cigarette lighters, if they placed these things in easy-reach of children they will use them. Some home don't use matches, they either use a lighter or a lighter gun or have an electric stove that you can just press the button and that stove light up. If they have these tools, do not leave them in easy reach of children."

Artist Releases "Presshah"
Freddy Bencomo a 39 year old Belizean artist is making his debut tomorrow night at the Image Factory. He has been painting from about 2002, but has lacked the confidence to display his work - until now. We stopped in to see his exhibit called "Presshah" hoping to reveal the hidden talents of this local artist: Presshah launches at 7:pm tomorrow night and will be on display until the end of July..

City Closes Summer Camp
The Belize City Council today closed its summer camp. It happened at the Skills Center on Magazine Road and Councilor Alain Gonzalez told us what the camp focused on: And while at this afternoon's camp closing, we caught up with Major Darrell Bradley who is back in country after a visit from LA and LV, that is, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The Mayor plans on keeping close ties with Belizean Americans living in the city of Los Angeles.

Belize Triathlete Fails To Finish Swim
Today, the 20th Commonwealth Games began in Scotland with 6 events, one of which was the Triathlon. Belize's only Tri-athlete, the defending Lion Man Champion, Kent Bob Gabourel competed against 40 other tri-athletes from across the commonwealth. But, it didn't go well. Regrettably, he was unable to complete the swimming portion - which is the first leg of the three stage event. In the end, England won both 1st and 2nd place with South Africa placing 3rd. Belize's Andy Wigmore will participate in the Shooting competition on Monday, July 28th. On another note, today Katy Sealy and Gregory Lovell joined 140 athletes from 70 other nations when they had lunch with the Queen.

BCVI Gets Major Boost
This morning the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired received a generous donation from the Lions Club International Foundation. There was a handing over of a 2 story addition for the Belize Lions club's existing building, which houses the National eye clinic. Eye care equipment for the Diabetic Screening and Treatment Project were also donated. Today we spoke with Deputy Director of BCVI, Carla Musa who told us more. Carla Ayres Musa, Deputy Director, BCVI "BCVI was very happy to have our official handing over from the Lions Club to us for two projects that we've been working on together since about 2011. We've gone through the process of submitting proposals and having them reviewed and actually implementing them and we did the official handing over today." "The first project that we worked on was a standard grant with Lions International and that allowed for the expansion of the facility that we are in right now. This use to be the outside space and people use to have to wait in the rain and in the sun and because BCVI and Lions have had a relationship over a few decades now, we have the same goal of preventing blindness and we thought that it would be great to team up with them because this is their building that we work out for us to be able to expand and offer more services. That was the first portion that we handed over today we were handed to."

Will Belize Accede To Munitions?
Belize may soon become the 85th country to accede to the convention on cluster munitions. Now, you're probably asking, why is this news since Belize has nothing to do with cluster munitions? Well, a UN activist group is trying to make Central America the first sub region which has acceded to the treaty and Belize is the only holdout. We spoke to a representative for the Cluster Munition Coalition, Hector Guerra, who explained to us why Belize's accession is important even though no cluster munitions have ever been used in the country. Hector Guerra, Rep. - Cluster Munition Coalition "Most of the countries in the Caribbean and Latin America are on board. As a matter of fact Central America is about to become the first sub region worldwide fully on board the convention of cluster munitions, the country that is missing is Belize. We know that it shouldn't be difficult for the country to accede to this treaty because it has never use, produce, and stockpile or transferred or being affected by cluster munitions. One way of showing the interest that Belize has for this would be to participate in the 5th meeting for states parties coming on in September in San Jose, Costa Rica. It will be the first international meeting around the convention Cluster Munitions taking place in Latin America and the Caribbean, but most important it's going to take place in Central America, so it's an excellent opportunity."

Channel 5

Former Minister of State Elvin Penner Freed of Charges, COLA Will Appeal Decision
Elvin Penner walks….A decision was handed down today in the case of Elvin Penner, who facilitated the issuance of a passport to South Korean fugitive, Won Hong Kim. The former [...]

Is the Won Hong Kim Passport Really Critical to the Penner Case?
The Won Hong Kim scandal erupted in September 2013. The catalyst was a Belizean passport issued to Kim. Kim received Belizean nationality and his passport while he languished in a [...]

Leader of the Opposition Says Penner Acquittal Is A Bitter Disappointment
P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca got the news about Penner shortly after the former Minister of State walked out the door of the Belmopan Magistrate Court, indicted now only by public [...]

COLA Excoriates Attorney General, Says He Should be Ashamed of Himself
Prime Minister Dean Barrow, on more than one occasion, has expressed his doubt that Elvin Penner could be successfully prosecuted, maintaining the difference between factual guilt and legal guilt. Attorney-General [...]

Francis Fonseca Says Sedi's Comments Aren't Surprising
P.U.P. Leader, Francis Fonseca, himself a former Attorney-General, also took issue with the comments of Elrington, but like the outcome of the case, he says they weren't surprising. He says [...]

Belize City Fire Guts Berkley Street Residence
There have been four fires in the past sixteen days in the Belize District that have unfortunately been caused by children playing with lighters. The incidents have prompted the Fire [...]

Children Playing With Lighters Are Cause for Recent Fires
Prior to responding to the fire on Berkley Street, the National Fire Service had to respond to another fire, this time in the Conch Shell Bay Area. Smith also had [...]

What's Next After Writ of Mandamus? Francis Fonseca Comments
Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie continues to be the man in the hot seat, and the man under fire in the Penner immigration scandal. He did not hand over the [...]

SATIIM Says Penner Acquittal Is an Injustice to Belizeans
The reaction of the crowd outside the courtroom was immediate. As Elvin Penner and his family walked to a parked vehicle, there were cries of 'thief' and 'you should be [...]

Greg Ch'oc Says There's Still No Mediation between SATIIM and U.S. Capital Energy
On June sixteenth, Justice Michelle Arana ordered the government of Belize and SATIIM to engage in mediation where the exploration by US Capital Energy is concerned - mediation, but with [...]

Government Vehicles Missing�Again
If you're the driver of a late model government ride, especially a Toyota Hilux, you may want to be careful where you park. That's because there are some brazen thieves [...]

Tortilla Vendor Perishes In Road Traffic Accident In Orange Walk
There was a fatal road traffic accident today in the Orange Walk District.� Sometime around two o'clock this afternoon, two vehicles traveling in opposite directions along the Yo Creek Road [...]

Maurice Tomlinson To Be Represented At CCJ By Former Court of Appeal Judge
A case management conference was held at the Caribbean Court of Justice this morning in a suit brought against the governments of Belize and Trinidad & Tobago by Jamaican gay [...]

Belize City Restaurateur Fined For Undersized Lobsters
Belize City businesswoman Heidi Andrades appeared unrepresented in magistrates' court today where she pleaded guilty to a fisheries offense after being busted with thirty-nine undersized lobster tails at her restaurant.� [...]

San Pedro Family Acquitted of Ammunition Charge
Magistrate Sherigne Rodriguez this morning found a San Pedro family of four not guilty of the charge of possession of six rounds of unlicensed ammunition. This matter came to public [...]

Belize Off To A Rocky Start At Commonwealth Games 2014
The Commonwealth Games 2014 opened in Glasgow, Scotland on Wednesday night to much fanfare.� Belize is among seventy-one nations participating in the multi-sport event.� With a delegation that spreads across [...]

Belizean Athletes Upbeat About Commonwealth Outing
Belizean cyclist, Gregory Lovell, and Flag Bearer, Katy Sealy, were selected from the delegation to dine with Queen Elizabeth the Second and the Duke of Edinburgh at the Commonwealth Games [...]

CitCo Hosts Summer Camp for Belize City Kids
Summertime is extra special for children and youths who are attending interesting summer camps. Over at the Skills Training Center on Magazine Road, the City Council wrapped up two summer [...]

BCVI Formally Handed Keys to New Office Space
BCVI and the Lions have been in partnership for decades. Today, the official handing over of two projects that BCVI was able to secure through the local Belize Lions took [...]

Healthy Living: Medical Mission Works With Inspiration Center
Currently, the Friends of Pediatrics N.G.O. is hosting a highly anticipated medical mission for Belizean children. Over thirty families will be directly impacted by the work of two visiting medical [...]

CTV3

Corozaleno Arrested For Aggravated Assault
A custom official on duty at the northern border got a brush with death after he was nearly dragged by a fleeing Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The incident occurred around 11:15pm on Monday. Martin Lino, assistant security for the Customs Department at the Santa Elena Border, reported to police that he was at the Customs Check point carrying out his duties; when a white Toyota Tacoma pickup truck driven at the time by 21 year old Benigno Loria, a laborer of San Andres Village approached the checkpoint. According to Lino, he was doing his routine search inside the vehicle and upon finishing the interior of the vehicle, he then asked the driver to open the hood of the engine for him to check the engine area. But what happened next took Lino by surprise. Upon sighting the police, Loria reversed the vehicle and managed to drive away from the checkpoint and headed back across the Mexican Border.

Felix Brothers Free After Eight Years
Brothers Maurice, 30, and Emory Felix, 27, are free men tonight after spending approximately 8 years behind bars and facing 3 murder trials. Viewers may recall that the brothers were accused of killing mechanic Mitchum Heredia, 29, at his T-Street resident on April 10, 2006. Main witness Romel Palacio Jr., had testified that he witnessed the brothers approach Heredia, who was in his Nissan Maxima vehicle, with guns drawn. One of them spoke to him and then both fired shots to his head and continued to fire, resulting in multiple gunshot wounds. In October of 2007 a jury found them guilty but the Court of Appeal ordered a retrial after finding a material misdirection of the jury by Justice Adolph Lucas. A second jury sitting before Justice Herbert Lord four years later was unable to reach a verdict. For this trial, the prosecutor Sheiniza Smith successfully applied for a change of venue, citing alleged jury tampering in the previous trials to Justice Gonzalez.

GOB Unfreezes Increments From 1995 to 1997
Today the government announced the authorization to the Accountant General to transfer the balance of 3.06 million dollars held in a Government Savings account to the trustees of the public sector workers trust including teachers whose annual increments were frozen during April 1st, 1995 to March 31st 1997. For context, in 1995, GOB had agreed to give the Public Service Union and the National Teachers Union some 749,732 shares in Belize Telecommunications (now Belize Telemedia Ltd) as compensation for the suspension of annual increments of public officers and teachers during the fiscal period aforementioned. These shares say the release, continued earning dividends which were kept in a separate Government savings account in trust for the affected public officers and teachers.

Cigarettes Smuggled From Belize Confiscated In Guatemala
A few weeks ago Guatemalan Authorities confiscated a cargo truck carrying more than fifty cartons of contraband cigarettes believed to have originated from Belize and this morning authorities hit the jackpot again. According to today's edition of La Prensa Libre, the bust occurred in the Municipality of Poptun, Peten. A total of seven hundred and ninety thousand cigarettes, smuggled from Belize into Guatemala were confiscated. The driver of the vehicle 33 year old Guatemalan National Calos Humberto Rodriguez Gomez was detained by authorities and now faces criminal charges. The cigarettes have a value of three hundred and ninety five thousand Quetzals.

Stolen Bicycles Recovered By Corozal Police
Keen observation and quick response by police has landed two in police custody and led to the recovery of stolen items. Superintendent Andre Ramirez, Officer in Charge of the Corozal Police Formation told us more about the detention. Andrew Ramirez - Officer in Charge of the Corozal Police Formation "This afternoon the police officers posted at the San Narcisco Sub-station upon detaining these two individuals they decided to apprehend them and during the process they referred them to the Corozal police station for interview as the main man wanted for the Corozal CIB for questioning as a result Corporal Valladares who is the newly appointed supervisor for the CIB section here in Corozal did the interview and as a result the police were taken to the Xaibe village where approximately five bicycles were found in a yard, now we believe that these bikes excluding one that has been identified by one of the victim, the other four are stolen good and they are requesting, asking the member of the public who had bicycles stolen especially here in Corozal, if they can visit the Corozal station and look at it and see possibly for identification purposes, several of the stolen bikes based on the interview were taken in Concepcion village and San Victor villages, so the persons in these villages had bought bicycles in the past we are requesting that these bikes be turn over to the police for further investigation because if the investigation leads to these individuals then mostly we would be proceeding with criminal charges against them because it is a crime to be buying stolen goods."

Two Belizean Students Awarded For Environmental Poster Competition
Two Belizean students were awarded prizes in the Florida Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) Foundation Children's Environmental Poster Competition. According to the Belize Tourism Board, the Belize's Junior Division representative, Amber McKoy of Grace Primary School, placed second at the regional level. For her entry, Amber was awarded $1,500USD. As the second place school, Grace Primary also won $1,500USD. Belize's representative in the Senior Division, Dengry Hernandez of Ladyville Technical High School, didn't place but his quality submission was recognized with a consolation prize of $200USD.

Three Men Charged For Beating Of Pregnant Woman
This morning three of the six men detained by Corozal Police for their involvement in a Sunday night scuffle in the Village of Chunox in Corozal, were arraigned at the Corozal Magistrates court. Eighteen year old Rolanie Mendez, 22 year old Jose Gonzales and a 16 year old male minor all from the Village of Chunox were jointly charged for one count of harm against 20 year old Mariacel Tun. The trio was offered bail of $800.00 each and a surety of the same amount and are scheduled to reappear in court on the 24th of September 2014. For context, the incident played out on Sunday at around 10:00pm. According to Tun, who is said to be four months pregnant, she was at home when she heard a loud noise coming from outside her residence. As Tun, her mother and some friends stepped outside to see what was the matter, she noticed that four male person were beating her common law husband, 19 year old Jose Danilo Monzon, with what appeared to be a shotgun. Upon seeing that her common-law-husband was basically defenseless, Tun tried to assist him but at that instant was stopped by two of the men who grabbed her by the hand and threw her to the ground. As if that was not enough the men hit her several times. Tun defended herself by biting one of her attackers who punched her on the left eye.

Man Stabbed In San Pedro By Common-Law-Wife
28 year old Felix Eduardo Alamilla was fatally stabbed this morning on Ambergris Caye allegedly by his common-law-wife. Alamilla was a caretaker and a resident of Mosquito Coast on the island. Initial investigations revealed that at around 6:15 Alamilla was sleeping on a coach in the living room of a house located in the Boca Ceiga Area, south of San Pedro when he was allegedly stabbed with a knife by his common-law-wife 37 year old Mexican National Anabell Cumul. Alamilla, who we understand was the caretaker of the building, was stabbed on the head, chest area and leg. It is alleged that the deceased had an affair outside their relationship and did not come home for two days; police are citing this case as a crime of passion.


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LOVE FM

Is There a Take-Over By Mexicans at the Northern Border?
Belizean taxi drivers operating at the northern border are up in arms over whst they say is unfair conditions. Reporter Arturo Cantun has the story. "Tension is building at the Northern Border between Belizean and Mexican taxi men. It's a recurring problem that over the years the appropriate Belizean authorities have failed to address. Once again Belizean taxi men who operate at the northern border are expressing concerns and now demanding that the authorities look into the matter as it's taking away food from their mouths and of their families'. Love News understands that the problem is because Mexican taxis are allowed to park in front of the Princess Casino at the foot of the old Mexico Belize friendship bridge. We visited the area and spoke off camera to some of the Belizean and Mexican taxi operators who each told us their side of the story. According to Belizean Taxi operators, Mexican taxi operators are allowed to park in front of the casinos and take up most of the parking space.

Centre for Visually Impaired Boasts Expansion and New Equipment
Members and stakeholders of the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired and the Lion's Club gathered inside the Lester Young building on Princess Margaret Drive this morning for an official opening of an extension to the BCVI's offices. In addition to an expansion of workspace, the eye clinic also acquired new equipment to better serve its patients. Love News spoke to the Deputy Director, Karla Ayres-Musa. "Well BCVI and Lions have actually been in partnership for decades; we have the same goal which is preventing blindness throughout Belize. Many people know the Lions building and that building on Princess Margaret Drive actually houses BCVI's clinic so the work that we do as far as operation and actually treating people is actually done out of a Lions building. The first part of the handing over today is the handing over of the newly constructed and expanded building so we were able to create more waiting space for our patients thanks to the contribution from Lions and the second portion is our National Diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment program. Through the Lions we were able to purchase a lot of equipment that is needed to be able to conduct very detrimental screening throughout the country, so these cameras that we purchased are portable to allow us to do that and we also have done a little bit of training to get our screeners up to par to be able to carry out the program."

Caught With Crack Cocaine After Riding Contrary to Traffic
A 45 year old man, who was riding his bicycle without bell and against the flow of traffic, was busted with an undetermined amount of crack cocaine. When police stopped him he was unable to speak properly due to the crack hidden under his tongue. He is Stuart Smith, a resident of Lizarraga Avenue. Smith was charged with possession of a controlled drug, causing a bicycle to proceed up a one way street and rode bicycle without bell. He pled guilty to the charges when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. He was fined 100 dollars for the drug offence and 25 dollars for each of the traffic offences. He was given until August 31 to pay the fines. If he defaults on payment he will serve six weeks. Yesterday Smith was riding a black female beach cruiser bicycle on Victoria Street against the flow of traffic when he was stopped by the police. After the police realized that he was unable to speak properly they made him open his mouth and after he did so they retrieved an aluminum foil that contained an undetermined amount of crack.

Firearm Offence Sends 23-Year-Old to Prison
Twenty-three year old Francis Arana, a resident of Lavender Street who was remanded to prison on Monday for a firearm offence, was brought today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser and charged with two counts of robbery and one count of aggravated assault. Arana pled not guilty to the charges. He was further remanded into custody until September 26. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. on July 17. Marlon Wade, a security guard employed by Fort Point Security, reported to the police that he was driving a Ford Ranger pick-up truck and he had along with him security guards, Eddie Arnold and Chester Mclaren and when they reached Eleven Shop on Oleander Street where they were to make a delivery they were approached by three men. Wade said one of the men wore a stocking mask and was armed with what appeared to be a .38 revolver, while the others wore no mask and were unarmed. Wade said they stole a 9 millimeter pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition in its magazine from him, the property of Fort Point Security, which has a value of three thousand dollars. Wade said they stole a Samsung cellular phone valued at one thousand two hundred dollars from Arnold and they committed an aggravated assault on Mclaren.

The Guardian

Big Payday for Public Officers
It is a good year for public officers as the government of Belize announced on Wednesday, July 3rd, that 3.6 million dollars which was being held in a Government Savings account has been transferred to the Trustees of the Public Sector Workers' Trust. The money accumulated after the UDP government in 1995 gave the Public Service Union and the Belize National Teachers Union 794,732 shares in Belize Telecommunications Limited, now Belize Telemedia Ltd. (BTL). The shares were given in lieu of a freeze in increments between April 1, 1995 to March 31, 1997. This represented compensation for the frozen annual increments for public officers and teachers. Since the time of the transfer to present the shares have been earning dividends which were held in a separate savings account in trust for the public officers and teachers.

IDB continues support for Belize
On Monday of this week, President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Luis Alberto Moreno met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow. In a release, Moreno has assured IDB's partnership with Belize, aiming to spend some $30 million US dollars for this year alone in Educational Areas and Transport Infrastructural works. Under education spending, a 10 million U.S. dollar project "Education Quality Improvement Program" will be implemented by June of this year. Infrastructural work will also be done to rehabilitate sections of the George Price Highway bringing it up to international standards while simultaneously making it more resistant to climate changes. This program of works will be approved in November.

Ashcroft refusing defeat
The Ashcroft Alliance and Fortis Energy Belize Limited refuse to accept their loss in the Court of Appeal. In May of this year, the Appeal Court ruled that the Government's Acquisition of your electricity company, and the re-acquisition of your telecommunications company was done lawfully. The Ashcroft Attorneys promised that there would be a very vigorous appeal of that decision, and it began on Wednesday, July 23, before the Caribbean Court of Justice. Though it was mostly case management, the Guardian has learnt that attorneys Eamon Courtenay, representing the British Caribbean Bank and Fortis Energy Belize Limited, and Godfrey Smith, representing Dean Boyce and the Trustees of the Employees Trust, have all filed an appeal against the Government of Belize.

"Strengthening Public Private Partnerships for Growth"
Attendees at the Prime Minister's business forum had a chance to participate in intense two-way dialogue with the UDP Government last Thursday at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel. This marks the third annual Forum hosted by the Prime Minister and exceeded all expectations, proving the importance placed by this administration on the need for partnership in growing the economy. Over 200 top level business and government leaders attended the Public and Private sector dialogue. This event made it clear that this administration under Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow has made a concerted effort to reach out to the private sector to discuss and address its concerns on Belize's national development. The event echoed the theme of "strengthening partnerships for growth," while also reminding the attendees of the diligent efforts of the Government to achieve this goal.

Juan de Dios Moguel delivers lands in Yo Creek
On Sunday July 20, Lease Approvals were handed out to over 180 residents of Yo Creek village in the Orange Walk South Constituency. The approvals came after the UDP Standard Bearer in that area identified the need for land to be secured for residents there. With the help of Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Gaspar Vega, Moguel was able to secure the lease approvals and these were handed out to residents, some who are first time land owners and others who have been using and occupying their land but who have not had the opportunity to have secure tenure.

Two Halves
I found it amusingly ironic that within the same week in which yet another self-proclaimed PUP champion of the poor, Dickey Bradley, was promoting the allegorical novel "Animal Farm" in his show, a writer from Toledo was using Orwell's same poignant style in the Guardian to describe the man called Ch'oc. What I did not find amusing was the accusation that the latter is living the life of the rich and famous, while promoting the philosophy of communal land ownership for his fellow Maya people. I myself have read "Animal Farm" about four times, the first being at Muffles as a literature course taught by the late Fred Martinez. It is one of the best novels I have ever read and the greatest example of unethical leaders imbedded within the different local organizations today. And while Bradley was quick to use the story to point fingers at the UDP, I think he should have first looked at the man in the mirror, and then at the rest of the PUP administration between 1998 and 2008.

Public/Private Sector Forum to Strengthen Partnership for Growth
Private sector representatives from financial institutions, wholesalers, construction companies, energy, agricultural, tourism sectors and others joined Government officials on Thursday, July 17, for Prime Minister Barrow's 3rd Business Forum. The first forum was held in November of 2011 and the event has significantly strengthened the relationship and trust between Government and the private sector. This year's forum was held under the theme "Strengthening Partnership for Growth". The only reason there is a third Business Forum is because of the tireless work of a committee that was formed during the first. That committee evolved into the Economic Development Council. Amparo Masson was the President of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the time of the first business forum. Shortly after that forum, she was appointed by Prime Minister Barrow as Special Liaison to the Private Sector, working directly out of the Office of the Prime Minister. Masson was also selected to be Co-Chair of the Economic Development Council along with Mike Singh, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Trade. The Economic Development Council is comprised of ten members: five from the private sector and five Chief Executive Officers of Government. In the words of Prime Minister Barrow, the Council's role is "to identify and implement those approaches, activities and operations that will raise the level of business activity in Belize on a sustainable basis; that will expand jobs, incomes, and business profits; that will improve and expand the efficiency and effectiveness of public sector operations; and all with a view to improving, as rapidly as possible and on a sustained basis, the living levels and quality of life of all residents of our country."

"Strengthening Public Private Partnerships for Growth"
Attendees at the Prime Minister's business forum had a chance to participate in intense two-way dialogue with the UDP Government last Thursday at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel. This marks the third annual Forum hosted by the Prime Minister and exceeded all expectations, proving the importance placed by this administration on the need for partnership in growing the economy. Over 200 top level business and government leaders attended the Public and Private sector dialogue. This event made it clear that this administration under Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow has made a concerted effort to reach out to the private sector to discuss and address its concerns on Belize's national development. The event echoed the theme of "strengthening partnerships for growth," while also reminding the attendees of the diligent efforts of the Government to achieve this goal.

Juan de Dios Moguel delivers lands in Yo Creek
On Sunday July 20, Lease Approvals were handed out to over 180 residents of Yo Creek village in the Orange Walk South Constituency. The approvals came after the UDP Standard Bearer in that area identified the need for land to be secured for residents there. With the help of Minister of Natural Resources, Hon. Gaspar Vega, Moguel was able to secure the lease approvals and these were handed out to residents, some who are first time land owners and others who have been using and occupying their land but who have not had the opportunity to have secure tenure.

Ariel Rosado Foundation's Credibility Takes Major Hit
Donors to the Ariel Rosado Memorial Education Foundation are keeping a close eye on the dispute between the Sanchez family and the Rosado family over the use of the organization's funds. The Sanchez family and Rosado family are "co-owners" of the foundation which was launched in January of 2012. However, for over a year the two families have had disagreements about the use of the money by Dr. Alvaro Rosado, father of the late Ariel Rosado. The dispute was not made public until after the parties were forced to appear in court on Monday, July 14. Since that court hearing, both families have shared their sides of the story to the public. Alvaro Rosado, President of the Foundation's Board of Directors, was first to break the silence. After presenting scholarships to 30 students on Wednesday, July 16, Rosado explained to the press that the Sanchez directors have refused to sign cheques for over a year because they disagree with the way the funds are being used. He said, "Their idea of what the foundation was all about was not our idea� We may be able to discuss some things but what is certain is the funds must be used to provide scholarships and sporting opportunities." Rosado's statements gave the impression that the Sanchez family wants the funds to be used for things other than scholarships. Bruce Sanchez Sr. says he can not allow his name to be dragged in the mud like that and decided to bring his side of the story to the public.

Cane Farmers say no to BSI proposal
The sugar cane farmers from the north have rejected the offer from Belize Sugar Industries Limited for a reasonable bagasse payment. BSI continues to believe that 51 cents is fair and equitable, but farmers want much more. That decision got an overwhelming support during their annual general membership meeting on Sunday, July 20. After the negotiating team from the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association presented the BSI model, farmers were invited to make comments to their 909 other peers. Those who took the microphone had only negative comments against the company, claiming that the factory owners are taking advantage of the small farmer. When the motion was put to the floor to give the negotiating team more time to convince the factory owners for a higher payment, it got the support from the entire congregation. That is now the decision of the farmers. Their negotiators must now try to keep bargaining with BSI in hopes of getting a bigger payment for bagasse.

Presentation of Credentials to the Governor General of Belize
Ambassador of the Philippines His Excellency Catalino R. Dilem Jr. and Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) His Excellency Benjamin Ho presented their credentials to the Governor General of Belize His Excellency Sir Colville Young today at the Belize House in the City of Belmopan. Ambassador Dilem stated that his country continues to enjoy a friendly and fruitful relationship with Belize and they look forward to strengthening that relationship through trade and other areas. Ambassador Ho expressed his Government's deepest gratitude and appreciation to the Government and people of Belize for their friendship and stated that the endeavors of Taiwan are to continue to promote interests of mutual benefit to both countries.

The Governor General graciously received the credentials of the ambassadors and warmly welcomed them to Belize.

Towards a General History of Belize
Efforts to continue strengthening the History Association as a viable organization continues as the Executive Board prepares to hold a meeting at the George Price Center for Peace and Development in Belmopan on August 2, 2014. The purpose of this meeting is to review and approve the draft Articles and Memorandum of Association for the establishment of the Belize History Association as has been reviewed by a lawyer. The executive board of the History Association had met on June 26, to review and make suggestions for amendments and queries with the lawyer; a series of steps necessary for a way forward towards a greater understanding on the History of Belize. Following the August 2, meeting, the first involvement of the History Association will be a lecture and panel discussion on the Battle of St. George's Caye at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts in Belize City on September 3, 2014.

KHMH improves Emergency Department
The Accident and Emergency Department at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is the largest and busiest unit in the country of Belize. Each year there are more than 30,000 encounters and all categories of emergencies are managed successfully there. It is the only hospital with a mass casualty plan and would be the site for care even for air traffic accidents, if they were to occur. Despite the many successes especially in trauma care, it has been recognized that this very important resource requires a major strengthening to deal with the more complex issues that match the evolving role of the KHMH as the only Tertiary Care Public facility in the country of Belize. The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority, in conjunction with the Ministry of Health, has entered into a relationship with the Medical College of Wisconsin with the aim of providing advanced training in Emergency Medicine to a group of doctors and nurses currently working in the hospital's Accident and Emergency Department. A two year structured curriculum has been developed and since January 2014, there has been ongoing targeted training being conducted by certified Emergency Medicine Specialist Doctors and Nurses affiliated with the Medical College of Wisconsin, which entails three two-week sessions per year, where the instructors travel to Belize and train KHMH A and E staff, and one two-week observer period for the KHMH staff in Wisconsin.

UDP to the rescue of Incompetence in O.W.
Just a few months ago there was a riot on Facebook concerning the state of the streets in Orange Walk Town and particularly the state of the portion of the Phillip Goldson Highway that passes through that Municipality. On the ground, creative banners that possibly cost thousands of dollars to create, install and maintain could be seen in strategic locations along said route. Money they could have donated to the Orange Walk Town Council to put towards the fixing of one of those horrible streets. All and sundry in the PUP camp criticized the UDP area representatives, standard bearers and the UDP Central Government. The blame fell squarely on the UDP government for everything, including the streets within the Town of Orange Walk which invariably fall under the purview of the Town Council. Now, not all citizens that were complaining truly understand this. The local authority, being the town council, is responsible for everything that happens within the town. They must ensure that streets are fixed, drains are cleaned, garbage is picked up�etc., and that is why they collect taxes from the residents of the town. The taxes in return must be put to work for the people who pay them, but in Orange Walk Town it is anyone's guess where the money goes. The streets in Orange Walk Town are truly UDP to the rescue of Incompetence in O.W.

Recovery assistance for Prince Street Fire Victims
On Friday, July 18, fire ravaged through the homes of 4 families on Prince Street in the Albert Division. The families lost everything they owned and they appealed for assistance from the government. That assistance came quickly as councilor Philip Willoughby was first to mobilize under his portfolio in charge of the City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO). Through CEMO, resources from the National Emergency Management Organization were mobilized and on Wednesday, July 23rd, the 4 families that were affected received assistance to get them to start to normalize their lives. Each of the families received relief items including first aid kits, mops, brooms, pots, a gas stove, a gas tank, clothes, mattresses and beddings.

Kaina Martinez is Trailblazer of the Week
This week's feature is on a young Belizean athlete who has made us proud countless times and is currently in Scotland to represent Belize once again in the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Kaina Martinez, known to many as Kaina Arzu, is a well-known accomplished Belizean athlete; both locally and internationally. She was born in Independence Village, Stann Creek District and was raised in Seine Bight by her single mother who never failed to teach her the importance of building character and being a good citizen. Kaina's love for sports dates back as far as 1999 when she attended the St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Primary School and participated in the 4th National Primary School Sport Championships. She was a part of the 1999-2000 National Primary School Volleyball, Basketball, Softball and Football champions. Here history was made as St. Alphonsus was the first Primary school to win all four national championships in one year. That year, Kaina was awarded MVP (Most Valuable Player) for both basketball and softball. She went on to Independence High School where she continued in her love for sport and represented her school on numerous occasions.

Two new UDP ladies for Belize Rural Central
The Belize Rural Central constituency has two new representatives as a result of bi-elections which were held in Lord's Bank and Western Paradise Village. The elections became necessary after the chairman of Lord's bank resigned as well as a councilor from Western Paradise did the same. While there were actual elections in Lord's Bank, there was an endorsement in Western Paradise. The new Chairman of Lord's bank is Shirlett Martinez who was soundly elected to the position receiving 145 votes. There were a total of 232 ballots cast with her opponent. William Smith, receiving 75 votes and 12 being spoilt. In Western Paradise, Paulette Gentle was endorsed as a new councilor.

Health Hookup
Doctor's Order - Back to basics - Proper Diet I shall start off with a disclaimer, I am not a nutritional expert, however, I am a doctor and the advice I'm giving you here is what I have given my patients in the past. One of the cornerstones of a healthy lifestyle includes a proper diet. Interpretation of what a proper diet is where things get tricky. According to the World Health Organization (2011) Belize's estimated prevalence of obesity is greater than 30%. What does this mean? That at least 3 out of 10 Belizeans is obese, not just overweight but one level "heavier" than overweight. Excessive weight at this level can lead to negative health effects such as heart conditions, diabetes, and joint pain.

Vanity comes with a Price
Are you lured by the atmosphere of brand - names, especially those sophisticated designer logos? If the answer is "yes" then you will more likely overspend if "you're so vain". Vanity may be one of the main driving forces in consumers to spend more of their hard - earned money on high-end brand name products. It is not only that they care about impressing others, but the more likely they will to overspend. The more focused the individual is on his thoughts, feelings, and impressions that he makes of others; the more he will seek outwardly recognizable status symbols. Vain people do not only care about looking good to others, but more importantly looking good to themselves. Many of us evaluate ourselves in relation to other people. In psychology, there are three types of social comparison, namely downward social comparison, converse process, and upward social comparison. In the downward social comparison and converse process, the individual feels better because he views himself as more fortunate than others when he compares his situation with other people's situation; thus, he will more likely accept his situation. Furthermore, in the upward social comparison, the individual will feel worse if his peers are outdoing him; therefore, he will rebuke himself for letting someone else outdo him.

Youth Talks - The World of Writing
Writing is often times taken for granted. As humans we sometimes forget that it is very important and that we use it on a daily basis. Writing is something that is all around us. It exists in signs, books, brochures, newspaper and chats. Language is so diverse that every group of every kind communicates in distinctive ways. For example many words have different meanings to other people. What may mean one thing to us may mean the next to others. So why is it essential for people to write? Most of the things that we learn from come from books, columns, brochures and many others. Writing provides readers with information. Whether this information is factual, an opinion or argument is very important. Each reader is different and may communicate differently. Readers are of different ages, cultures, religions and communities. Hence what the writer writes must be in a proper language in order to prevent bias, misinterpretations, or even false information from going across. Since many people may read what is already written, the writer has to be precise with what he or she is trying to say. The writer can't just assume that what he or she is writing about is factual to some extent because readers may believe it and thus carrying false information to others. In today's world we find much false information in writings that are especially found around the web. People sometimes take their opinions as being true and end up writing it in Wikipedia or other websites for others to read. In order for the right information to be told or written to others, accuracy with words, statements and statistics being used is needed. In writing it is good making sure that the correct information is given to others.

Stabbed for no reason
Family and friends of 27 year-old Oscar Lambey are trying their best to cope with his sudden death, after his body was found early on Friday, July 18. He had been stabbed to death. The reason, it comes as particularly difficult for his loved-ones, is that he was an avid Evangelist, who worked hard to become a preacher. He visited the watchman of the Ephesus Seventh Day Adventist Church the night before, and he had a conversation with him. After they talked, the watchman went back to his duties, and it was not until the next day, at around 6:30 a.m., that he discovered Lambey's body. He suffered 3 stab wounds to the chest and back, and his attackers left him to die right in front of the gate of the church on Wilson Street.

Separate Accidents claim two Lives
The lives of two men were claimed this weekend due to traffic accidents, 1 in the north, and another in the west. The first one happened just after midnight on Sunday, July 20. 62 year-old retiree Alfonso Manzanero was returning to his house in Belmopan, and on the way there he ran into a ditch. 3 strangers tried to help him, and when they towed his vehicle out of the drain, his vehicle spun and knocked him down. He was rushed to the Western Regional Hospitals for head and body injuries, but he succumbed while undergoing treatment. A post mortem has confirmed that he died from those traffic accident injuries. About an hour later, a family of 4 from the Corozal district had a terrible traffic accident, where the patriarch passed away. 43 year-old Rejemio Botes was driving his wife, Vianney Botes; his son, Emmano Botes; and his daughter, Giselle Botes. They were heading home to Cristo Rey, Corozal, but on the way, Rejemio Botes lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road. The vehicle struck a big rock, and the impact sent Rejemio Botes into the windshield. It is believed that the force of the impact caused him to suffer serious head injuries, and he died on the scene. His 9 year-old daughter, Giselle, reportedly dragged herself out of the vehicle, got onto the road, and signalled a passer-by for help. Everyone else was rushed to the hospital in time.

Accused Car Thief out on Bail
Winfield Tasher, 40, is out on bail after he was charged on Friday, July 18, with theft of a motor vehicle. Chika Essel, a naturalized Belizean from Nigeria, reported to police that sometime between Thursday, March 6, and Friday, March 7, 2014, Tasher stole his 1992 Toyota Corolla from in front of his house. Tasher appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser to answer to the charge. He pleaded not guilty and told the Magistrate that he was renting the vehicle from Essel to provide taxi services to tourists. He says the vehicle began to experience problems and he left it on the road. Tasher says he was unable to get in contact with the owner and had to leave the vehicle for a while. When he returned the vehicle was gone. Senior Magistrate Fraser granted bail in the sum of $4,000 plus one surety of the same amount. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 11.

Five Conch Shell Bay Resident Charged for Gambling
Five Conch Shell Bay residents appeared in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on Monday, July 21, to answer to a charge of gambling. According to police, the individuals were found gambling at the corner of West Collect Canal and Vernon Street on Sunday, July 20. The accused are 64-year-old Marie Trapp, 42-year-old Jermaine Hyde, 42-year-old Mounthcreef Joseph Flowers, 31-year-old Jeffery Jacob Craig and 25-year-old Quinn Melinda Arnold. All except Quinn Arnold pleaded guilty before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart. They were fined $100 plus $5 cost of court. Arnold was granted bail in the sum of $300 plus two sureties of the same amount. She is scheduled to reappear in court on September 4.

Municipal Court Prosecutor Out on Bail from Gun Charge
Joseph Nunez, 40, is out on bail after he spent three weeks on remand for gun and ammunition charges. He is a former police officer who is now employed as a Municipial Court Prosecutor but the law man is in trouble with the law after he was busted with a firearm loaded with 15 live rounds of ammunition on Sunday, June 22. Nunez was busted shortly after he intervened in a domestic dispute between a friend and his friend's wife. According to reports, Nunez convinced his friend, who was intoxicated, to hand over his licensed firearm because the argument with his wife was getting heated and out of control. Nunez took away the gun, got on his motorcycle and headed for home. Unfortunately, police spotted Nunez riding the cycle with no helmet and no back light. The officers stopped Nunez and as they approached him he informed them that he had a gun on him. The firearm is licensed to his friend who is a security guard. Nunez does not have a gun license and as a result he was arrested and charged for being in possession of a firearm and ammunition without a license.

Inmate Charged for Stabbing Incident inside Belize Central Prison
Giovanni Ramirez, 20, is serving five years in prison for robbery and more time could be added to his sentence for allegedly stabbing Jamal Ariola, 23, inside the prison on Wednesday, July 16. Ramirez allegedly stabbed inmate, Jamal Ariola, multiple times with a 'bora'. The incident occurred sometime around 10 a.m. Ariola is said to have been engaged in a conversation with Ramirez when he suddenly felt a sharp pain to the left side of his chest. It was then that he saw Ramirez with a sharpened metal object known as a bora in his hand. Ramirez continued to stab Ariola and he was left with wounds to the hand, back and left foot. He was taken to the medical center where he was admitted to ward. Police were called to the prison and recovered a six inch instrument near the area where the stabbing incident took place. Ariola's injuries were classified as wounding.

Shoplifter Gets Six Years stealing $11 worth of Products
Flamboyant Street resident Sherwin Leslie, 55, will have six years to think about an Armor-All he stole from Uno Gas Station on Central American Boulevard. Leslie appeared before Magistrate Hettie-Mae Stewart on Tuesday, July 22, and wasted no time in pleading guilty to a single charge of theft. The incident occurred on Sunday, July 20. Leslie walked into the convenience store when the cashier was away from the desk and took an Armor-All. He hid it under his shirt and tried to walk out. Unfortunately for Leslie, PC August who was working at the gas station saw the play unfold. August approached Leslie, took away the item and restrained him until a police mobile arrived at the scene.

Wilfred Stanley in Prison for pawning stolen Items
Wilfred Stanley is in Prison after he was convicted on six counts of handling stolen goods. Janelle Reyes, resident of Freshman Lane in West Landivar, reported to police that her home was burgalrized sometime between 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, and 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2014. An assortment of jewelry and other items were taken from the home.

Belize's Flag raised in the Commonwealth Games Village
The International Zone of the Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow, Scotland was the centre stage for the raising of the Belizean Flag during the team's Official Welcome Ceremony to the XX Commonwealth Games. During the short but impressive ceremony that included the raising of the Belizean Flag, the playing of the National Anthem of Belize and the exchanging of gifts between the Chef-de-Mission of Belize and the Lord Provost of the City of Dundee, Scotland, the Belizean Team along with its Commonwealth Games Assistants were treated to a cultural performance by the National Youth Theater of the United Kingdom.

FFB President's Cup for female teams
The Football Federation of Belize inform all female teams from each of the Football District including Independence Village to send a representative to a very important meeting scheduled for Saturday, July 26, at 10:00 am at the Football Federation of Belize in Belmopan. The meeting will discuss the FFB President's Cup Women Division and the Secretariat is asking all to make a very extra effort to attend and to be on time.

City Boys is Smart 13 and U Football Champions
The 3rd Annual Smart 13 and U Football Tournament came to an end on Saturday, July 19, 2014. In the championship game, City Boys won over Rising Stars in penalty shoot out after the game ended 0-0 in regulation time. In the game for third place, Brown Bombers blanked Collet Strikers by the score of 2-0 to capture the third place position. The goals for Brown Bombers were scored by Jovann Ramos and Dion Cacho.

Progresso FC takes over lead in President's Cup Tournament
The FFB President's Cup Tournament continued over the week with three more games on its schedule. On Sunday July, 20, at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga Town, the visiting Sagitun FC edged the host team Pomona United by the score of 2-1. The goals for Sagitun FC were scored by Darren Thompson in the 2nd minute of play and Rollin Burgess in the 65th minute of play. Meanwhile, the goal for Pomona United was scored by Jevon Aranda in the 60th minute of play. At the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in the City of Belmopan, Roaring Creek United defeated Estrellas FC by the score of 4-2. The goals for Roaring Creek United were scored by Kenny Williams in the 11th minute of play, Alden Coleman in the 35th minute of play via a penalty kick, Alexander Watson in the 40th minute of play and Orin Reneau in the 83rd minute of play via a Penalty Kick.

Dara's 3rd Annual Ride for Hunger
Dara Robinson will be holding his 3rd annual Ride for Hunger on Sunday, July 27. According to Robinson, the ride is organized to raise funds for his feeding program where he feeds almost 50 children in Belize City. The ride is scheduled to start at 6:30 from in front of SMART on the Philip Goldson Highway making its way to the Burrell Boom road and returning back to Belize City from the Boom road junction with the George Price Highway in Hattieville and then back to the Philip Goldson Highway in front of SMART. There will be refreshments and music will be available up to midday. Riders who will be participating should cover a $5.00 registration fee and all riders are asked to wear a helmet. Robinson says that all riders will be provided with a raffle ticket as well as servicing and healthy snacks and drinks while they participate in the ride. Those who are unable to make it on time to pay for the registration can do so at the end of the ride. For persons who do not wish to ride but want to contribute they can do so by providing non-perishable items, school supplies or cash.

Another Devastating Prince Street Fire
A Friday night fire near downtown Belize City, has left 3 families homeless after their house on Prince Street burnt down. It happened at around 8:30 p.m. on July 18. What police and the Fire Department have been able to piece together so far is that one of the 4 children on the upper flat was playing with a lighter. Somehow, the child lit the bed on fire by mistake, and then it spread to the walls. It's a wooden house, and so it spread quickly to the other parts of the upper flat. Shortly after the Fire Department arrived on the scene, but there was not much they could do because the blaze was already out of control. They manage to out the fire within 15 minutes of their activation, and they saved the 3 other house which were in the same yard.

Painting over the signs of gang activity
The Cayo Neighborhood Watch Association (CNWA) in collaboration with the San Ignacio Police Formation will be deleting graffiti in different areas of San Ignacio and Santa Elena Town on July 29th from 6:00 to 7:00 am. Graffiti has been noted to be near the Eden High School in Santa Elena Town, at the end of the Hawkesworth Bridge and in the Santiago Juan Layout Areas. Three different teams will be painting over these unsightly markings on public places, which are indications of or are a precursor to gang activity. "We are dealing with graffiti in those areas, it is a sign of gangs and of course we don't tolerate that, we want to let them know that it is being seen and dealt with... to let people know that there are volunteers that care about clean, good community," says Ernie Braun, Chairman of the CNWA.

Desperation Squared
I make it a point to steer clear from commenting on the different practices and traditions of the several religious denominations that exist in Belize today. This is because many scholars hold firm the opinion that religious intolerance between differing faiths has sparked the most appalling conflicts in our world's civilized history; several of these deadly conflicts continue without abate even to this day. That said, and I say this tongue in cheek, I will risk one comment here on a ritual which I thought was pretty uncommon and bizarre, especially coming from a nationally recognized organization who participated in this ceremony. Last week Wednesday January 15 the leadership of the People's United Party went to sing "happy birthday" songs at the tombstone of the late Rt. Hon. George C. Price, and then later went on to sponsor a press conference at Independence Hall, evoking the former PUP leader's name several times during the in-house political rally.

Patrick JonesPJ

Maurice Tomlinson case continues before CCJ
This morning, a short case management conference was held between the parties in the original jurisdiction case of Maurice Tomlinson vs. Belize and Trinidad and Tobago before the Caribbean Court of Justice. Tomlinson, a gay Jamaican residing in Canada, is asking the court to overturn provisions of each [�]

Destructive fires caused by child neglect: Fire Service
Separate fires at either end of Southside Belize City in four hours this morning claimed two structures and left as many as seven persons homeless. Both fires were caused by children left unattended or out of the reach of adult supervision who were playing with cigarette lighters. Tragic [�]

Art from Corozal at Image Factory
The Image Factory's latest exhibit features a Corozal artist and farmer who paints stunningly life-like images with the help of acrylic paint on canvas. From Bob Marley to bad guys of the West, no topic escapes the attention of first-time exhibitor Freddy Bencomo. We got a preview of [�]

Fire guts house in Orange Walk town
An Orange Walk family of four is without a roof over their heads after fire gutted their house this afternoon. The bungalow house that was destroyed by the fire was located in the Black Water Creek area of Orange Walk Town. The cause of the blaze is [�]

Fatal traffic accident on the Yo Creek road
There are reports of a fatal road traffic accident in Orange Walk. According to reports, a jeep belonging to Maya Tortilla, slammed into a truck that was parked on the right hand side of the road around 2 o'clock this afternoon. The incident happened at mile two [�]

Plane vanishes from radar; believed to have crashed
Another aircraft has been "lost" and hundreds of souls believed to have perished in another plane crash. According to international media reports, the Air Algerie flight with 116 people on board disappeared from radar about 50 minutes into what was to have been a 4-hour flight from Burkina Faso to Algiers. Flight 5017 is believed to have crashed in a remote part of Mali.

Police Academy entrance exam this weekend
Reports from Belmopan say that the case against Cayo Northeast area representative Elvin Penner for alleged wrongdoing in the passport scandal has been thrown out. Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, (COLA) was pursuing a private prosecution of Penner. Indications are that the case was thrown out for lack of evidence this morning in the Belmopan Magistrate's Court when the case resumed before Magistrate Aretha Ford. COLA has indicated that it will appeal and has 21 days within which to make that appeal.

Private prosecution of Elvin Penner thrown out
The Belize Police Department has announced the venues for the entrance examinations for persons wishing to enter the Police Training Academy. The examination will be administered on Saturday, July 26. In Corozal the examination will be administered at the Corozal Community College; Orange Walk it is at Muffles High School; for Cayo it is at the Belmopan Comprehensive High School; in Stann Creek it is at the Delille Academy, in Toledo it is at the UB Campus and in Belize City it is at the Gwen Lizarraga High School.

Blogs

An Afternoon And Stand Up Paddle Boarding With Friends at X'tan Ha Resort, Ambergris Caye
Travel 7.5 miles north on Ambergris Caye and you almost feel like you are in a different part of San Pedro. Yesterday, my friends and I hopped aboard the Coastal Express Water Taxi�to spend the afternoon at X'tan Ha Resort�on the beautiful beach, near the Mexico Rocks snorkeling site. It's about 30 minutes up there�we dropped off tourists and resort employees along the way. At almost that exact spot, the water seems to look like a giant swimming pool. Here are some of my pictures from yesterday. For many more (and photos of the pool and the buildings, you can check out my last year's visit.) When you hear people say that there are no beaches in Belize�now you know that they are DEAD wrong.

Branding: The Key Pillar to Success
When creating a brand identity, you'll want to establish defined guidelines that cover all of the following elements such as name, colors, logo, fonts, design imagery, or a combination to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers from those of other sellers. From a customer-relationship perspective, having a strong brand is obviously advantageous. Word of mouth is a powerful form of marketing as customers attest their satisfaction and promote the product/ service.. For instance, when Belizeans think of hot sauce, they think of Marie Sharp's Pepper Sauce. You want to have that kind of immediate, definitive relationship with your buyers as well. At the mentioning of a product customers can identify a brand that meets their stands out in the market.

Rugby Sevens - First Rugby in Belize
Preparations are being made for the first rugby clubs to be established in Belize, focusing on the hugely popular and fast growing Sevens game, which will make its debut in the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympic Games. Rugby Sevens is a variant of the traditional rugby union game in a number of ways, chiefly: Seven players on the field only (2 Props, Hooker, Scrum half, Fly-half, Centre & Winger) Seven minute halves, instead of forty minutes, with one minute half-time All conversions are drop-kicked, not place-kicked Only three players in the scrum instead of eight "Rugby Belize plans to focus on the development of rugby sevens as a forerunner to growing a full regular (15 man) team, and prepare to enter Belize into the next Commonwealth and Olympic games. Rugby Belize Global Ambassador, Jono Woodward, is himself an experienced sevens player and is enjoying a very successful pro-rugby career in sevens." Explained Tony Gillings, Founder of Rugby Belize.

PASSING OF A FRIEND
Ambergris Today's blog and host Jesse Cope passed away yesterday the 23rd of July. He was an icon here on the island and will be dearly missed. Rest in peace Jesse

SALAD BAR - PROSCIUTTO WITH MELON AND ASPARAGUS
Trim the asparagus, cutting in half if very long. Cook in lightly salted boiling water over medium heart for 5 minutes, or until tender. drain and plunge into cold water, then drain again and set aside. Cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut into small wedges and cut away rind. Separate the prosciutto slices, cut in half and wrap around the melon wedges. Arrange the salad greens on a large serving platter and place the melon wedges on top together with the asparagus spears.

International Sourcesizz

Bloomberg Untangles CYNK Technology Corp's Strange History
When CYNK Technology Corp (OTCMKTS:CYNK)'s stock price exploded earlier this month, the story of an asset-less product-less company valued in the billions went viral in the financial blogosphere. Most people assumed it was a pump-and-dump scheme that had somehow reached the stratosphere, but when the price kept going up in the face of steady ridicule, short sellers found themselves getting squeezed by what was obviously some sort of fraud. The problem was that no one could tell exactly what had happened. Lots of people tried to call Cynk's listed number, to no avail, so Bloomberg Businessweek reporters Zeke Faux and Dune Lawrence went down to Belize and have put together the most comprehensive back story we've seen. Kueber says that he has no idea what's going on with the company that he founded, and that he hasn't been buying or selling shares, but he moved to San Pedro, Belize (where Romero is from) around the same time that CYNK Technology Corp (OTCMKTS:CYNK)'s relocated to Belize. Besides, it's not that far-fetched to think that someone starting a pump-and-dump scheme would operate through a proxy.

In Belize, a curiously common address among fishy stock deals
Some of the market's most noteworthy recent cases of questionable stock deals seem to be coming from a single floor in a single office building in Belize City, Belize. Two weeks ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission asserted in a lawsuit that two brothers, Mike and Andrew Affa, conspired with others to manipulate the stock of a company called Amogear, which claimed to produce clothing for mixed martial arts fighters, but the SEC says in reality did nothing. The Affas, who are from New Jersey and New York, met in Boston to discuss their business plans with a friend and another person who, unbeknownst to them, was an FBI agent. When it came time to place the trades that would get the fraud rolling, though, the SEC says the Affas did it through a tiny offshore brokerage firm called Titan International Securities, which is located on the fourth floor of an office building called the Matalon in Belize City. The Affas have denied the SEC's allegations. Titan is not a defendant in the suit.

What nature should we protect?
Conservation biology shares the distinction with medicine in that it is a science that is given a moral imperative. Like medicine, conservation biology is an amalgamation of different fields (ecology, genetics, environmental science, etc) brought together for a single purpose.The question now is what exactly is that problem. Conservation biology has historically focused on protecting nature for nature's sake. There has been pressure in recent years for a more human-based approach: one that focuses on what nature can do for humans through ecosystem services. These are known as the biocentric and anthropocentric approaches, and their proponents are locked in a heated debate. In the June issue of the scientific journal "Conservation Biology," this debate came into the spotlight. To an extent both sides are right. If purely anthropocentric and biocentric points of view are considered along a spectrum, many conservation projects exist largely in the middle. The Community Baboon Sanctuary in Belize was an example of a conservation effort that would likely please both camps. Two hundred landowners agreed to set aside twenty square miles of land to protect rainforest and the endangered howler monkey. The project was an early and largely successful example of ecotourism and has been in place since the early 1980s. This stands in contrast to many other projects that have simply left poverty stricken populations without access to resources.

Britain 101 - Understanding How the British Write Dates, Weeks and Measure Things Differently from an Expat
As a Briton happily marooned in Minnesota, land of 10,000 wind-swept ice-bound lakes, my mind often turns to the minutiae of the differences between the United Kingdom and the United States. We all know that I say 'tomatoh', and you say 'tomayto', but, before we call the whole thing off, let's try and clear up some of this confusion, shall we? Date order Like all right-thinking people, I'm a big fan of the British stand-up comedian Stewart Lee. Who has not nodded in agreement, as he discusses, in mock solicitude, the 'tragic events of the 9th of November'? 9/11 ('September the 11th ') was a wake-up call for many reasons; but for the more pedantically minded it was the first concrete global indication of a particular American eccentricity; when enumerating dates, American convention puts the month first. As far as I can tell (by searching on the internet) the USA is one of only two countries in the world that reverses a pretty self-evidently logical convention. The other one's Belize.

Videos

Video: Training of Facilitators Testimonials - Extended Cut - Belmopan, Belize, 7min.

Video: Search for Cynk's $6B Leads to Shack in Belize, 4min.
Bloomberg's Zeke Faux reports on his trip to Belize on the trail of Cynk, a company with no assets, no revenue, and one employee, that for one hour in July had a market value of more than $6 billion. He speaks on Market Makers."

Video: Belize Road Safety Training, 6min.
In June 2014, The Government of Belize launched its Youth and Road Safety Capacity Building Project with the commencement of an intensive two-week training course for 19 youths ages 18 to 25. It is expected that over the two-year lifecycle of the CDB funded project, over 2,000 youths ages 16-29 will benefit.

Video: You better Belize it, 6min.

Video: Grandparents Hulse (BELIZE), 3min.

Video: Belize - Termites, 1min.
Tasting live termites in the Belizean jungle. Thanks to our guide, Patrick, with Belize Nature Travel for introducing us to this woody, minty, protein rich snack.

Video: belize 2014 nunez family, 4min.
family vacation summer of '14.

Video: Cave Tubing! Mystery Meat WTF? Day 4 Vacation Cruise Ship Belize, 4min.



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