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Protest planned at Western Border over Danny Conorquie's murder
The Belize People’s Front (BPF) has rallied residents of the West, and indeed all of the country, to attend a rally at the Western Border, to protest the Government’s seeming inability to develop a policy to police our borders and protect our natural resources.
In the wake of the death of 20 year ol...
PUP celebrates 64th anniversary
The People's United Party Secretariat, in a press release on Monday, said the PUP is alive and vigorous at 64.
On September 29th� in the year of 1950, exactly 64 years ago, a group of young Nationalists met at 11-14 Pickstock Street, Belize City and formed the People's United Party.
In commemor...
Amandala
Organized crime in Chiquibul costing $20 million and Belizean lives
The broad daylight execution of Danny Conorquie, 20, a Belizean Tourism Police officer, allegedly by illegal Guatemala loggers at the main temple of the Caracol Archaeological Reserve last Thursday, September 25, underscores the security threat Belize faces on account of ceaseless incursions inside its protected areas for a range of illegal activities, the main one now being the multi-million-dollar trade in illegal timber, believed to be connected with organized crime and possibly narco-trafficking elements in Guatemala.
Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director of Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), who laments Conorquie's murder, which he says appears to have been a "hit" executed by illegal loggers, reports that for the past two years, roughly $20 million worth of cedar and mahogany have been extracted and along with that, expansion in illegal logging also comes, expanding security risks to both security and conservation personnel.
4 weekend shootings leave 2 injured
Although no murders were recorded in the Belize District over the weekend, which would be considered welcomed news for many residents, especially city dwellers, there were at least four shootings which have left two individuals in stable condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH).
The first shooting, which also happens to be the most serious of the four, took place this past Friday, September 26, at about 10:40 p.m. while Joshua Daniel Martinez, 21, was seeking shelter from the rain under a bus stop which is located at the junction of the George Price Highway and the Old Coastal Road at Mile 31, directly in front of La Democracia Village.
According to police, Martinez had just come off a Shaw's Bus, and while standing under the bus shed with his 16-year old sister, he was approached by three men, one of whom pulled out a firearm and released six shots in their direction.
Justice for Danny!!
Tourism Police Special Constable Danny Conorquie, 20, was laid to rest in his home village of Georgeville on Sunday, and tomorrow, Tuesday, hundreds of Belizeans are expected to make their way over to Belize's western border to make an international statement on the cold-blooded execution of the young tourism police officer around noon last Thursday at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve in western Belize at the hands of illegal Guatemalan loggers who may have retaliated after security forces confiscated their horses.
Tuesday's show of national outrage is being led by the Belize People's Front (BPF), an organization headed by Nancy Marin. The executive members of the Belize People's Front include Louis Diaz and Ronny Plette in Belize, and Joseph Roca, Wellington Ramos and Joseph Guerrero in the USA.
Constable David Griffith charged for the death of escaped prisoner 16 months later
Constable David Griffith of the Punta Gorda Police Formation has been released on bail of $8,000 after he was taken to the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court on Friday, on a charge of manslaughter for the death of prisoner Rasheed Elijio, 18, of Punta Gorda, who was shot and killed during an attempt to escape from police custody.
Griffith was ordered to return to court on October 28.
Police reports are that on May 9, 2013, Brian Garcia, 19, a security guard of Ogaldez Street, Punta Gorda Town, and Rasheed Elijio, 18, a laborer of Ogaldez Street, Punta Gorda Town, were both charged for the crime of carnal knowledge.
New sugar deal "in the works"
At this time, the two main partners in Belize's sugar industry, namely the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) and the Belize Sugar Industries/American Sugar Refineries (BSI/ASR), are working on a proposed commercial agreement to govern the relationship between the two parties, and which will aim to settle several points of contention that have overshadowed the rocky relationship - in particular, a revenue-sharing arrangement for bagasse, a disputed byproduct of sugar which is currently sold for use in the generation of electricity.
Two weeks ago, on September 8, BSCFA and BSI/ASR held a meeting at which the sugar producers presented a completely new commercial agreement to the cane farmers; however, neither side elaborated on the contents of the new agreement at the time, so as not to jeopardize the state of the negotiations.
Mother of leukemia patient seeking assistance
The mother of an ailing leukemia patient is making a desperate plea for the public's assistance in order to be able to provide medical treatment for him, and hopefully, give him a better chance of survival.
In April of this year, just before school re-opened after the Easter holidays, Clovis Matura got the shocking news that her son, Cleyon Marage, Jr., 10, was gravely ill after she noticed a swollen lymph node on his neck, which was followed by diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, and weakness.
When they took him to the hospital, he was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia, also known as AML, which is a relatively rare type of cancer that affects mostly adults, in which there is rapid growth of abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow that end up interfering with the production of normal blood cells.
Man, 33, rapes daughter, 12
The 33-year-old father of a 12-year-old girl, of a Jane Usher Boulevard address, is accused of taking her to his house in the Lake I area on Independence Day Eve and raping her.
The incident allegedly occurred at about 6:00 Saturday evening, September 20.
When the child went home on Sunday, she reported the sexual abuse to her mother, and they went to the police on Sunday, Independence Day, and made a formal report that her father, a Salvadoran, had repeatedly raped her.
Local karatekas shine at Cayo Invitational Karate Championships
The Cayo Shotokan Karate Club (CSKC) celebrated its 24th Anniversary in a grand fashion on Saturday, September 27, by hosting an International karate championship, where 60 athletes competed to represent their clubs and countries. For the entire event, the auditorium at Sacred Heart College was filled with constant roars from karate enthusiasts and spectators. Still in the September patriotic mode, our young athletes fought their hearts out to protect their home turf, Belize, literally with blood, sweat and tears.
The clubs who participated were Kazoku Shotokan Karate Dojo of San Ignacio; Cayo Shotokan Karate Club-Belmopan; Poptun Shotokan Karate Club-Guatemala; El Salvador; and host, Cayo Shotokan Karate Club-San Ignacio. At the end, CSKC-Belmopan overwhelmingly won the championship by winning 11 gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze medals. Second place was CSKC-San Ignacio with 6 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals. Third place was Guatemala with 3 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal.
Here we go again, preparing to fail? - no Belize City player on National U-17 squad
Last week Wednesday, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) announced the 25-member National U-17 Team which will represent Belize in the upcoming UNCAF U-17 qualifier to be held in Costa Rica from November 4-8.
Internationally, U-17 qualifiers are considered very serious business. That's because, aside from the fact that these qualifiers lead all the way to the U-17 FIFA World Cup, it is this squad that is expected to become in a few years' time the base for the National "A" Team, perhaps as early as World Cup 2018, but certainly by World Cup 2022. The National U-17 team, then, should be the culmination of a tough annual selection process that involves no less than a credible national U-16 competition, which has been preceded by regional U-16 tournaments to produce the best players to be showcased in the U-16 national tournament. Competition hones talent and also provides a showcase for fans and scouts alike to determine which players have developed the necessary skills and character attributes to earn a spot on the national U-17 team.
Special Olympics Belize partnership with Arizona
All during this week, Special Olympics Belize have been travelling about the country along with volunteers from Special Olympics Arizona (USA) in order to train clinicians and coaches on working with athletes who have intellectual disabilities, as well as to set up (more) Youth Activation Councils in the various districts, and to witness Special Olympic competitions. Those events took place in Belmopan, Belize City, Dangriga and Orange Walk.
Tonight is the culmination of this week's activities for us, and we hope to end it with Special Olympics Belize and Special Olympics Arizona entering into a formal Memorandum of Partnership agreement. The signing of this MoP will take place tonight, Friday, September 26, in the Altun Ha Room at the Radisson Fort George Hotel.
Editorial: A turning point
When you enter Mexico, it does not take you very long before you become conscious that you are in a territory which belongs to some people called Mexicans, and that you must tread carefully amongst these people inside the land they own. This applies whether you are a Belizean from small, poor Belize, entering Mexico from the south, or if you are an American from the mighty superpower United States of America, entering from the north. Mexico demands that you recognize that Mexico belongs to Mexicans.
This was not always so, you know. A hundred and fifty years ago the French, all the way from Europe, installed an Austrian named Maximilian as emperor of Mexico. This was more than forty years after the Mexicans gained their independence from Spain in 1821. Mexican independence had been shaky and unstable, because, as usually happens in early post-colonial societies, oligarchical classes had begun fighting for control of the new nation-state. In addition, a powerful neighbor, the United States, saw opportunity for territorial aggrandizement. Even as Mexico was losing Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and other territory to the United States, the Maya of the Yucat�n rebelled in 1847. The new Mexican state of 1821, and for some decades afterwards, was hardly the Mexico we know today in 2014.
From the Publisher
A very serious incident took place at the Caracol Maya site near Belize's border with Guatemala on Thursday, September 25, 2014, around midday. A Belizean tourism police constable, Danny Conorquie, 20, was shot dead in the presence of tourists and tour operators by individuals believed to be illegal loggers from the Guatemalan side of the Western border.
In that single, isolated incident on Thursday, Belize took more casualties than we did in eight days of what has been glorified as "The Battle of St. George's Caye" in September of 1798. Danny Conorquie was killed in the line of duty while he was protecting the nation of Belize and Belize's national assets from people who are most likely invaders.
There are Belizeans, and they include Wil Maheia, Rafael Manzanero, Tony Rath, and the Belizeans who work at KREM Radio and KREM Television, who have been trying to inform the rest of us that Belize is being invaded from the west and the south by Guatemalans who are damaging our national parks by cutting down trees and planting milpa crops, extracting xate leaves, hunting our animals and stealing our rare birds. The Guatemalans are also involved in illegal logging of our precious hardwoods and illegal panning for gold.
Letters: Alcoholism: Belize's best kept secret?
Is alcoholism Belize's best kept secret? Maybe it was, but not any more. The recent, highly publicized, deadly traffic accident attributed to heavy drinking by a top official, and other recent deaths related to abuse of alcohol are front page news and point to a serious problem in The Jewel. One that we have ignored and failed to find or even look for solutions.
While medical science says alcoholism is a disease as serious as cancer and even suggests it is beyond the control of the alcoholic due to genetic and other biological issues, it is a social and medical problem we need to address NOW, as well as cigarette smoking and AIDS. For example, a large sign hanging from the overpass at the Pallotti High School traffic circle implies it is better to drink than work! What a message to display to the children and others who go to school or wait for buses in the area. And, when we spend more money on flags than we do for rehab programs, we need to examine our priorities. Does anybody really care?
Letters: Seek union, not division: Swatsigga
I thank you for taking consideration of my thoughts and publishing them in your newspaper. Our Constitution clearly gives us the right to openly express ourselves without fear. I compliment your newspaper for being brave enough to share the truth that will awaken many of us.
Over the past few months I have been reading news around the world and noticed that most of them are centered on war, politics and economy. Nobody writes on the positive events and technological achievements of mankind that help us to progress as a united species. All of our media is centered on negative events that keep humanity negative and in consequence without hope. Over the course of my reading I have come to understand that by being positive we can move mountains, just as faith can move mountains. Being positive is just a part of having hope!
Letters: Civilization and Maya
The Maya Civilization has persisted for more than 52,000 years. It began two Great Cycles, or Platonic Years ago, each cycle 25,920 years. That is two complete precessions of the equinoxes, or Zodiacal turns.
This will be described here in simplified terms and in more detail in a future space. Human civilization, the seeds of man, or human souls, represented by the moon; move around the planet. We do this as part of our learning; we cycle all points, or spheres in spiraling patterns of great complexity. This holds true for race, culture, religion, area of habitat and nation, philosophy, art and sciences.
All 5 races take turns holding the seat of economic influence and control; philosophy, science, art and much more. All are spheres of thought, and the distribution of these forces are equalized over time in what may appear as a long time, but are but a blink of an eye in the re-evolution of the Hu-Man, or Hunab-Ku, the divine soul of humanity on its journey back to its origin, the One.
Letters: Valley of Peace checkpoints
I must commend a unit of officers that patrolled and carried, perhaps planned, but at the same time improvised, checkpoints in Valley of Peace village on the evening of Friday, September 26th, 2014.
Spot checks and questioning were conducted to questionable individuals within a framework of respect (I would not like to think that the operation was conducted in such a professional manner because witnesses were there.)
It is actions like these that make the transgressors accept their fault and acknowledge their guilt, as well as develop their respect for police officers. This also deepens the relationship and perception that the community has for the police.
Oceana announces Belize's 2014 Ocean Hero award winners
On Saturday, September 27, Oceana Belize formally recognized coral researcher Lisa Carne and manatee expert Jamal Galvez as ocean heroes. Being an ocean hero can mean many things, but mostly, it means deciding that you are ready to take action to help to protect our marine environment for people and creatures of today and for future generations.
In 2006, Ocean Hero Lisa Carne was a young biologist who had witnessed the devastating impact of Hurricane Iris in Southern Belize and was deeply troubled by the vulnerability of Belize's marine environment to climate change through rising sea temperatures and stronger storm surges.
Using the Laughing Bird Caye National Park as a natural laboratory, Carne established a coral "nursery" in attempt to restore critically endangered Acropora corals.
Today, with support from the communities of Independence and Placencia, her "Fragments of Hope" project has more than five thousand out-plants in more than eighteen sub-sites.
Strange creature found in northern Belize
Folkloric stories about what were once thought to be mythical creatures such as the blood-sucking cryptid, dubbed the "Chupacabra", which literally means "goat sucker", have been recited in Mestizo culture for decades, and while there have been several reported sightings in several parts of the Americas, the elusive predator has never been spotted in Belize until this past Wednesday night when a villager was astonished by a strange-looking animal that he accidentally knocked down while on his way home.
Cain Cal, a resident of San Lazaro Village, Orange Walk, was driving past a ranch between Yo Creek and San Lazaro Villages about 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday when he struck a curious animal that no one seems to be able to identify as yet.
While speaking with the media about the incident today, Cal said, "This animal appeared in [the] middle of the road and I hit it. [First], my wife told me it looked like a kangaroo and we started to laugh, but I said 'no' because we don't have kangaroos here [in Belize], but I know I have never seen it before, and it isn't a fox - even my daughter was asking me what it is and I couldn't tell her."
Toledo Maya villages want benefit-sharing agreement out of court mediation
Under Belize law, landowners receive 5% of the royalty payments made to the Government of Belize, which, in turn, is 7% of oil proceeds. That works out to 35 cents for every $100 earned, which by comparison is not much, but the Maya of Toledo, whose communal land rights claim is being fervently resisted by the Government of Belize, say that they want more than that razor thin slice of the petroleum pie.
Currently, US Capital Energy is drilling in Toledo inside the Sarstoon Temash National Park, and the Government of Belize has expressed confidence that a commercially viable supply of crude is available there.
Froyla Tzalam, Executive Director of the Sarstoon Temash National Park, told Amandala that the board met last Wednesday and the leaders from the buffer communities around the park, which mounted a legal challenge last year, want to pursue court mediation, ordered by Supreme Court Justice Michelle Arana last year.
"We will stick to the mediation process until told otherwise," said Tzalam.
Patrick Jones
Belize Bank seeks return of UHS millions via arbitral enforcement
The Belize Bank Limited, Belize's largest commercial bank, has been pursuing for several years now the return of some $33.5 million it says it is owed on a loan note signed seven years ago by the Musa administration. It is in relation to monies owed by the former [�]
Online video posts purportedly captured sound of fatal gunshots
A tourist visiting the Caracol Archaeological site on Thursday, September 25, captured on tape what appears to be the sounds of the gunshots that ended the life of Danny Conorquie. Video of the moments immediately after the murder show the fallen Special Constable and the frantic efforts [�]
Policeman jailed for attempting to corrupt fellow officer
44 year old Corporal of Police Darius Martinez will spend the next 18 months in prison after being found guilty of attempting to corrupt a public officer. The Orange Walk Town resident is accused of attempting to corrupt Woman Police Constable Stacy Smith, who is attached to the [�]
Michael McDonald charged for BTL Park shooting
It is intended to be a safe zone, but authorities were called out to BTL Park on Newtown Barracks on Sunday morning amid reports of gunshots fired. Around 3:09 a.m. they encountered and apprehended 23 year old Michael McDonald of a King Street address and retrieved a .38 [�]
CRIME BLOTTER: Shootings, robbery & alleged GSU abuse
Gang rivalry is alleged to be behind an incident that occurred around 10:40 Friday night in La Democracia Village. Police say 21 year old Joshua Martinez had just exited a Shaw's Bus going west at the junction of the George Price Highway and Coastal Road around 10:40 p.m. [�]
Caribbean Community consults on dangerous consumer goods
Consumer recalls are a fact of life, however they sometimes come too late to reverse damage or even death caused by faulty equipment or information. In the Caribbean region a CARICOM Rapid Alert System for Exchange of Information on Dangerous (Non-Food) Consumer Goods, known as CARREX, has been [�]
SAGA Humane Society Halloween Party
It's costume planning time and the date has been set for the 11th Annual SAGA Humane Society Spooktacular Halloween Party.
On Sunday October 26, 2014 from 11:00am to 5:00pm, Carlo & Ernie's Runway Bar will host what is expected to be the largest SAGA Halloween Party in history. New and exciting for the 2014 party, celebrity judged contests (Best Costume, Best Kisser, Owner/Pet Look-A-Like, Best Trick, and more), fun activities and games for pets and kids, raffles, auction items and so much more. SAGA is pleased to also include this year a Smooch-A-Pooch kissing booth that is sure to delight young and old.
SAGA Humane Society is working hard to make this their largest fundraiser of the year. Aside from raising money, their goals are to raise awareness about the benefits of spay and neuter, and that being kind is not a way of thinking but a way of living. They are also bringing awareness also to the many dogs that are for adoption through Ft. Dog and the shelter.
No matter where you go along the coast of Belize, you see huge conch shells everywhere - polished and on display, heaps on the beach and in the water and used, sometimes, in construction.
The word, by the way, is pronounced CONK here in Belize.
The beautiful, sometimes HUGE conch shell is the outside of a pretty ugly sea snail. A mollusk. It reaches it's maximum length of about a foot in three to five years�.which I find pretty miraculous. When it is soft, young and tender, it has quite a few predators but once it grows the hard shell? Very few can get in there.
Okay�enough chatter�here are some of my favorite conch dishes and where to get them in San Pedro.
I LOVE conch soup. Like a chowder but a bit thinner and made with coconut milk, it's just delicious. I've had a number of good ones but my favorites?
CARIBBEAN EXPORT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS STRENGTHENING TRADE RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CARIBBEAN AND CHINA
The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) supported a contingent of representatives from four (4) of the Region's Business Support Organisations (BSOs) to participate in the 8th China LAC Business Summit that was held in Changsha, China between September 12-13, 2014.
The mission to China led by the Honourable Minister Donville Inniss, Minister of Industry, International Business, Commerce and Small Business Development for Barbados sought to build relations, discover new potential trading partners and promote the Caribbean for viable investment opportunities. Speaking at the China LAC Summit, Minister Inniss noted that the areas for future cooperation between China and the Caribbean included financial services, logistics, tourism and hotel development, agribusiness and infrastructure development.
Education in Belize: Bullying in Schools / Need for Empathy
October is recognized as National Bullying Prevention month each year in the USA. The entire month is dedicated to combating bullying in Primary/Elementary and Secondary schools -- by placing a spotlight on, and educating others about bullying, in all its ugly forms. Whether physical, emotional, or digital, i.e. via online social media, bullying envelops its victims with many negative and harmful academic, social, and lifetime consequences. Is the pervasive problem of bullying in schools ever accidental, or fully intentional? Does it ever rear its ugly head in schools in Belize today? If it does, is bullying a reflection of our society and/or living conditions?
Belize Gestapo attacks Citizens
For years I've been warning you about the impending Police State, a few years ago I even stated we had arrived to that fork in the road. This is one example of it, but yet the leader of the GSU, the Belizeans version of the Gestapo will go on media talking shit.
Welcome to the New World Belizeans.
So last night I was physically abused by the GSU for a traffic accident that occurred on the corner of North Front street and Douglas Jones. I was heading home when their vehicle pulled up beside me and fired several shots without ever signalling to me that they were police. Well naturally I sped off thinking it was someone trying to rob me. After distancing myself I looked back in the mirror and saw flashing headlights and a very small blue light they had just put on. That's when I realized they were police and I stopped. They pulled beside me firing several more shots. One came out and said for me to not move. Another said put your hands up and yet another said exit the vehicle. I put my hands tru the door to show them I had nothing yet they seemed even more aggressive. I informed them that I was gonna open the door but from outside so they wouldn't have any reason to shoot. Two of their officers threw me to the ground and one immediately hit me to the back of my head while another sank his knee in my back.
Invest Belize Magazine vol 3
The main focus of the Invest Belize Magazine Volume 3 is: Agribusiness on the FOREFRONT: Corn, Cacao, Sugar and Citrus (to name a few). With a wide variety of informative articles, content, suppliers and local businesses, I am pleased to present to you:
International Sources
Mosquito Virus�That Walloped Caribbean�Spreads in U.S
A mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain lasting for years has spread to the continental U.S. after infecting hundreds of thousands of people in the Caribbean and Central America.
The virus is called Chikungunya, an African name meaning "to become contorted." While the illness, first identified in Tanzania in 1952, has long bedeviled Africa and Asia, the only recorded cases in the U.S. before July involved patients who contracted the virus abroad.
Now, 11 cases have been confirmed as originating in Florida, spurring concern this may be the beginning of the type of explosive growth seen elsewhere from a disease that has no vaccine or cure. Medical and environmental experts are debating how best to quell the outbreak before it takes off.
"In a way it's surprising it hasn't been here yet," said Scott Weaver, a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
UN: Belize, Barbados Condemn U.S. Blockade Against Cuba
Belize condemned today before the UN the continuous U.S. blockade against Cuba and the Israeli indiscriminate attack at innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip.
In his speech during the 69th period of sessions of the Un General Assembly, Foreign Minister of Belize, Wilfred Elrington, expressed his government's concern about the recent death and destruction of innocent Palestinian civilians, mainly unarmed women and children in Gaza.
He reiterated his government's support to the peaceful, safe coexistence of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine in their respective borders recognized by the international community.
He called for including in the UN agenda the elimination of unilateral harmful practices and joined the rest of the international community demanding the end of the "anachronistic U.S. blockade" against Cuba.
Belize making internet service tax free
Belize will not tax the internet starting October 1, telecoms portal Telegeography reported.
Latin American, Caribbean nations at UN highlight unique challenges, climate change woes
Addressing the General Assembly this morning, Suriname"s Foreign Minister Winston Guno Lackin called on the United Nations to "develop the muscles" needed to democratize itself and move away from the "restrictive" veto power. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize, Wilfred Elrington also said small countries like his own are disadvantaged by the lack of resources and human, financial and technological capacities, which are only compounded by the increasing effects of climate change.
Belize welcomes the UN multilateral legal framework of debt restructuring and hopes it will lead to a robust treaty that will increase the efficiency, stability and predictability of the international financial system. Following the 2008 financial meltdown, there have been "unmistakable and troubling indicia of donor fatigue and a tendency towards isolationism," he said.
Half of nature is still here! ... Yay?
In case you've avoided reading what may be the more depressing reports in the history of the natural world, the awful take-away is basically this: Half the animals of planet Earth have disappeared since 1970, and much of it is the fault of humans. ep, you read that right.
Half of the world's vertebrate animal populations are gone.
And it happened in only the span of two generations, according the Living Planet Report, which was published on Tuesday by the environmental group WWF, in collaboration with the Global Footprint Network, Water Footprint Network and the Zoological Society of London. "In other words," the report says, "vertebrate species populations across the globe are, on average, about half the size they were 40 years ago." %&*!
That's mind-blowingly infuriating.
And it's worse for some species and regions, in particular.
New World continues efforts over NP subscription
New World Oil & Gas (LON:NEW) is continuing efforts to progress the Niel Petroleum subscription, announced last year, the firm said in its latest half year results.
Under the deal, NP would would invest US$25 million into New World.
"Whilst discussions have continued with NP, we regret to inform shareholders that we have not yet seen evidence of sufficient funds for the subscription to proceed although we continue to be assured on a frequent basis that we will and, as noted below, have already received an amount of US$4.8 million in escrow," New World said.
The pre-tax loss for the six months to end June narrowed to US$1.9mln compared to a loss of US$9.5mln in 2013 as it reduced overheads.
Videos
Video: Zipling In Belize, 1.5min.
Ziplining Adventure
Jaguar Paw, Belize
Video: Wildtracks, Belize 2014, 4min.
My time at Wildtracks, a primate and manatee rehabilitation center.
Video: Taking a Water Taxi in Belize, 2min.
Water taxis, essentially small high-speed ferries, are a great way to travel from mainland Belize to the offshore islands, Ambergris Caye, the most visited spot in the country, and laid-back Caye Caulker to south. You can also travel to remote spots around Ambergris, between islands, and even as far as the town of Chetumal, in Mexico.
Travelers often fly in to the international airport in Belize City, take a cab to the ferry landing of one of the two major companies Caye Caulker Water Taxi and San Pedro Belize Express, and then motor over to the islands. There are about five to six ferries per day, with service starting early in the morning and cutting off at dusk.
The water taxi are on-time, safe, and reliable. And tickets are inexpensive, running around $22 to $32 round-trip, depending on where you're going.
Video: GoPro Travel Adventures - Caye Caulker, Belize [The Sweetness of Traveling], 1.5min.
How to spend a week in paradise: Caye Caulker, Belize
Video: Caracol Belize special constable shot dead 2014, 4min.
Just before midday September 25th, 2014, 20 year-
old Special Constable (SC) Danny Conorquie, assigned to the Tourism Police Unit was shot and killed in the line of duty at the Caracol Archaeological Site in the Cayo District. Initial reports reveal that SC Conorquie approached two men of Hispanic descent who were on horseback. The two men opened fire, mortally wounding SC Conorquie, and then fled the scene retreating into the dense cover of the jungle. SC Conorquie was rushed to the San Ignacio Town hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A special constable in Belize is not a full police officer, but rather a low ranking officer receiving two weeks basic training aimed at assisting police officers in the execution of their duties. Caracol is a highly visited tourism site. It is believed that Belizean soldiers in the area had stolen or confiscated 5 horses from peasants in the area, and the peasants retaliated. This is the first time a Belizean has been killed in the area by suspected nationals from Guatemala. Over the past decade some 11 Guatemalan peasants have been shot dead by Belize's security forces.
Video: AT Caracol VIDEO, 4min.
Special Constable Danny Conorquie, he is the first Belizean lawman to be killed in the line of duty, apparently by a Guatemalan civilian - and tonight, five days after he was killed, the 20 year old is still making national headlines.
There was a motorcade and protest at the Benque Viejo border today - and we'll tell you about that shortly. But first to a video that was posted on Vimeo last night by a group of tourists who were at Caracol when Conorquie was killed by Guatemalan bandits.
Their video is the most arresting footage we've seen, and we air it un-edited tonight. The tourists have put some production into it - and it begins with the sound of gunshots followed by panic - we have blurred some images:�
Video: Belize Liveaboard 2012, m18in.
Indy MPH Watersports Belize Liveaboard 2012
Video: 5 Reasons to Travel to Belize Before the Crowds Arrive, 2min.
With the Caribbean dominated by hyperactive all-inclusive resorts, you can still travel to Belize and still go native. Touting a fairytale landscape of white-sand beaches, lush rain forests, and soaring mountains, virtually all activities are accessible from several fun and funky beachfront towns. Belize accommodations are upscale yet small-scale, but much bigger developments are underway.
Video: Christmas in Belize - 2014, 3min.
Video: A fisherman on a pier in San Pedro, Belize netting some fish., 1min.
Video: Belize & Guatemala, 4min.
Caye Caulker & Tikal Travel Video.
Video: Ziplining in Belize, 8min.
GoPro Footage Ziplining in Belize 2 weeks ago.
Video: Half Moon Caye Dive, Belize 9-14, 3min.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
