Today's Belize News: October 15, 2014

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Today's Belize News: October 15, 2014 #496812 10/15/14 05:39 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,398 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. Specials and Events Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5 and CTV 3 Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and the Dickie Bradley Specials The San Pedro Sun Fido's and Blue Water Grill face off in a five-a-side match Even though it was a cloudy day, the heat was on. But the breeze was cool as two teams prepared to face off in one the island's favorite sports five-a-side football. While similar to normal football, the not yet recognized 'official sport of San Pedro' five-a-side has three major differences. It is played in a smaller field with five player to a team, and the play time is much shorter. Poor Fido's! They were taking a whooping, and only a miracle could save them! Well, the miracle came in the last 10 minutes of the second half, when Fido's managed to score four much needed goals, tying the game six to six. What are the odds of that?! Impressive, right?! After 35 minutes of adrenaline, lots of sweat and several tumbles, someone kicked the ball out of bounds and it got lost in the municipal jungle of San Pedro Town. No ball means no game, so it had to be called off. Illegal fisheries: green cards for five countries, but red card for Sri Lanka In its fight against illegal fishing activities worldwide, the European Commission has today proposed to ban imports of fisheries products from Sri Lanka to tackle the commercial benefits stemming from illegal fishing. The move comes after four years of intense dialogue with the country after which it could not demonstrate that it sufficiently addressed illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. In contrast, the Commission today confirmed that Belize, Fiji, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu, which had received warnings at the same time as Sri Lanka, have successfully taken measures to tackle illegal fishing. Consequently, the Commission proposes to lift the trade measures imposed in March this year against Belize. European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, said: "Our policy of resolute cooperation is yielding results. Five countries receive today our appreciation for getting serious on illegal fishing. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for Sri Lanka. I hope that the message we are sending today will be a wake-up call for this country." Progress confirmed for Belize, Fiji, Panama, Togo and Vanuatu. Fishing expedition off Ambergris Caye turns tragic; 1 man still missing The family of 21 year old Eric "Bird" Garcia is devastated after a fishing expedition turned tragic over the holiday weekend. Garcia was along with two others on board a canoe when it flipped at sea sometime around midday on Monday October 13th in the Tres Cocos Channel off Ambergris Caye. Two of three were rescued alive, but Garcia is still missing and presumed drowned. Since then a search and rescue operation has been in place, and includes the Belize Coast Guard and local divers from San Pedro Town. Ambergris Today Applications Open for Miss World Belize 2014 Miss World Belize Ltd hereby invites Contestants interested to compete for the title Miss World Belize 2014. Contestants must be females between 17 to 24 years old and has a valid Belizean passport. For more information please send a letter of request by e-mail to: [email protected] and request an application form to be filled out, signed and returned by e-mail on or before the deadline date of October 21, 2014 at 5:00 p.m. Cell phone: 600-8932. All Delegates during their stay in London, will visit historic venues, attend an array of festive events, compete in a variety of sub-contests in the lead up to the Grand Final with the current Miss World, Megan Young of the Philippines, who will crown her successor at the end of the event. Miss World 2014 will be the 64th edition of the Miss World pageant to be held on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 2:30 p.m. at the ExCeL's ICC Auditorium in London, England, which is the largest flexible auditorium in the United Kingdom. Miss World will embrace the Christmas Spirit in London, famed for its seasonal celebrations. Canoer Presumed Dead after Coast Guard Rescues Two at Sea The two men who were rescued are 25-year-old Jamal Martinez and 28-year-old Joseph Hernandez, both local residents and laborers of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Both were examined and treated and released in good health condition. The search for the third missing person, identified only as Erik 'Bird' has been ongoing since yesterday afternoon and today, Tuesday, October 14, 2014. The Belize Coast Guard is still searching for him with the assistance of five other vessels that have volunteered in the search. The Belize Coast Guard confirms that the men on the canoe were not wearing life jackets and that there was a small craft advisory sent out yesterday by the Belize Meteorological Department due to choppy sea conditions. Belize Boasts Impressive Numbers in Third Quarter Tourist Arrivals The Belize Tourism Board just released tourism arrival statistics for Belize which shows that the third quarter of 2014 has registered increases in tourist arrivals across the board. The outstanding growth in arrivals for both overnight and cruise have exceeded forecasted numbers for this quarter. Overall for the first nine months of this year, overnight arrivals are up by 11%; airport arrivals are up by 9.2% and cruise arrivals are up by almost 45%. Historically, the third quarter is the slowest period for visitor traffic into the international airport of Belize. However, this year, there were arrival increases in every month of the third quarter through the PGIA. Airport arrivals for the third (3rd) quarter of 2014 has seen an increase of 3.9% compared to last year. July registered an increase of 6.0%, the highest increase for this quarter when compared to July 2013. Misc Belizean Sources Perspectives of our Past Join us as we present our final lecture of the series this Thursday at 7 pm!! Chiquibul Protection Telethon Sat, October 18 Belize and Guatemala Hold Successful Meeting of the Joint Commission in Guatemala Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission Met to Discuss Framework for Negotiations and Confidence-Building Measures Hon. Francis Fonseca at Caracol Leader of the Opposition Hon. Francis Fonseca and PUP Leader was at the Caracol Archaeological Site on Sunday October 12, 2014. He visited the Visitors Shed, the spot at which our fallen Brother Danny Conorquie was murdered by unfriendly Forces from across our western border. IS BELIZE IN LOVE WITH MEXICO? What is the cost of a holiday? - Thousands of Belizeans flocked across to the shores of Mexico's Riviera Maya over this weekend's Pan American Holiday looking for white sugar beaches, turquoise warm Caribbean waters, gourmet dining, eco-cultural water parks and truly the Mexico experience. The Riviera Maya is a stretch of 80 miles from Tulum to Cancun. Being at the tail end of the slow tourist season, many resorts are offering all inclusive packages for a fraction of the normal cost. We anticipate that hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions of dollars were spent at these all-inclusive Mexican resorts by vacationing Belizeans over this holiday weekend. On their return late yesterday evening, many travelers were stuck at our Santa Elena Corozal border check-in booth with only one immigration officer attending to the flock of already tired souls. Early this morning many calls were made to the Belize talk shows to denounce the delay experienced in the processing of their passports at the immigration last night. People complained having to wait for a least one hour to get stamped in. Channel 7 Belize and Guatemala Discuss Caracol Security Breach For the past month, issues of national security has been dominating the national discourse. That's following the recent armed incursion which happened at the Valentin Conservation Post, 14 days ago. 40 or so armed Guatemalans from the village of La Rejoya came into Belizean territory in the Caracol Archaeological Reserve, and they threatened to burn down the Conservation Post that was under construction. Then, there was the murder Special Constable Danny Conorquie at the Caracol Site, presumed - but not proven - to be Guatemalan cross border bandits. Well, Diplomatic Representatives of the Government of Belize met with Guatemala during the long weekend. A press release says that the Belize-Guatemala Join Commission met on Friday and discussed different issues including murder and the incursion inside the Caracol Reserve. The Belize Delegation was led by the CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs H.E. Alexis Rosado, and included Sen. Lisa Shoman, Representative for the Leader of the Opposition; Gen. David Jones, Commander of the Belize Defense Force; ACP Russell Blackett as Acting Commissioner of Police and Superintendent Marco Vidal, Head of Special Branch. They were received by the New Guatemalan Foreign Minister, H.E. Carlos Raul Morales, and it was witnessed by H.E. Raul Lago, Special Representative of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States. Coast Guard Commandant: There Was No Security Issue At Hunting Caye But, as we told you, it caused quite a public uproar in the discussion of national security when it was discovered that the Guatemalan company, BINARQ, was building the Forward Operating Base for the Coast Guard on Hunting Caye, one of the southernmost islands in the Sapodilla Range. Last week Thursday, the United States Army Corp of Engineers sent the company a letter to stop construction, which was almost 75% complete. The public critics say, however, that the company shouldn't have gotten that far before it became public knowledge. So, today, in an effort to allay fears that the security of the nation has been breached by the Guatemalan employees who worked on the building, the Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard held a press conference in which he explained the vetting procedure. Admiral John Borland told the press today that the The Hunting Caye Project came about at an opportune time for the Coast Guard, when they realized that facilities built years ago was rundown. The upgrade was first requested by Coast Guard in 2005, but it was notnot approved until late 2010. Valentin Conservation Outpost Completed And speaking about the Valentin Conservation Post, it is now completed. Today, the Executive Director of Friends for Conservation and Development was in Belize City making the media rounds. He spoke with us saying that, given that Guatemalans have already threatened to burn it down, the Law enforcement agencies which will be posted there, must remain on high alert at all times to protect it: Rafael Manzanero - Executive Director, FCD "The Valentin Conservation Post, it actually was finish just less than 48 hours ago. The soldiers had already been there on location as a result of the last incident, so as far as I know there were about 20 soldiers that had been there for quite some days now and so we can estimate that some 8 of them will be able to comprise the patrol unit or the unit that would be left in Valentin. We are still in discussion with NICH because technically Valentin is inside the Caracol Archaeological Reserve and our impression is that they also should be able to put in one or two park wardens from NICH. The CP as how it stands, it is pretty much just basic, it's nothing really to be accommodating people because that is not the idea of a CP. The idea is really to be a sort of a hub where we can launch operations like for patrols or for enforcement and monitoring." Jose Umana Shot In The Head; Dies An Hour Later. Over the long 3-day weekend, there were three murders 2 stabbing deaths in Cayo and Ladyville on Friday Night and Sunday Morning respectively, and fatal shooting on Saturday night. Tonight, we report first on the shooting of 33 year-old Salvadoran Jose Luis Umana. It happened on Saturday night just before 9. Umana was at the corner of New Road and Hydes Lane when his attacker ambushed him and shot him in the center of the forehead. Police responded shortly after, and Umana was rushed to the KHMH. Doctors worked on him for just under an hour, but the injury to his brain was too severe, and he died while undergoing treatment. 7News has been following the story, and here's what his family had to say: 21 Year-old Stabbed To Death In Ladyville The weekend tragedies continued with the murder of 21 year-old Brandon Lynden Flowers, a fisherman from Ladyville. It happened in the early morning hours of Sunday. Flowers had gone out a few hours earlier to socialize, and his family received the terrible news at around 4 o'clock that he had been stabbed twice. He died on the spot, and at this time, the family is unsure as to why his attackers killed him, especially because, according to them, he kept out of trouble. They spoke with us today about it. Courtney Weathernburne has that story: Courtney Weathernburne reporting In the midday heat, this area in Ladyville might look like a cool and inviting spot to relax, away from sun, but in the early Sunday morning hours, it became a crime scene. Another 21 Year-old Killed In Stabbing Incident And that brings us to the third homicide this weekend of 21 year-old Kevin Taylor Jr. from Cayo. The family of this Unitedville Village resident continues to make preparations for his burial after he was attacked and stabbed on Friday night at around 10:15 p.m. Police haven't released the information as yet, but reports are this young man was socializing in the village, and there was a fight which broke out. During that confrontation, Taylor was stabbed multiple times in the left side of the chest. He was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital, but unfortunately, he passed away while the doctors were treating his wounds. Ghost Town Boss Walks Away From Gang Life For over 20 years, Roger Anthony, who has been living inside Mayflower Street, has been identified by numerous persons as the leader of the Ghost Town Crips, one of the most feared gangs in Belize City. But recently he's been going mainstream - well, sort of. You've seen him on this newscast making appearances on the news as the leader of the Mayflower group of workmen who have been taking part in the construction of the Chetumal Boulevard. But today, he took it one step further: he made a bold move, and announced on national television that he's walked away from the gang life. Here's how he explained it: Roger Anthony - No Longer With Mayflower "I am here today to say that the gang life that I've been in for the past 26 years, that isn't a life and I think it's time for us, we as leaders to make a change and to stand up and help the police especially the Gang Suppression Unit to stand strong and work with each leaders of the community so that we can make a change. GSU Commander Mauls Channel 7 Anthony's past interactions with the Gang Suppression Unit and other elements of the police department undoubtedly played a role in this drastic change, and the Commander, Mark Flowers made the introduction to his bold statement. This also gave us the much needed opportunity to question Flowers about the allegations which have been made against him. We've gone the great lengths to get his side of the story before our reports went to air on our newscast. He's since stopped taking our calls and answering our text message requests for comment, but we have our records to show that out of respect for his professional reputation and the very serious allegations made, we made attempts. Still, he's gone on the offensive, threatening to sue Channel 7, and he's also made aspersions against this media house. Coast Guard Rescues 3; Looks For 1 Tonight, we showed you the comments from the Commandant of the Coast Guard as he explained that thorny Hunting Caye Issue. But, apart from being under scrutiny, Coast Guard has also been making commendable efforts. Those included two well-executed rescues this weekend. Fleet Commander for the Belize Coast Guard, Lt. Soberanis discussed the details of these operations. Lt. Soberanis, Fleet Commander, Belize Coast Guard "The search and rescue case was one with a gentleman Kareem Roland, he was kayaking in the lagoon just whisk of San Pedro Town. He reported to the authorities that he was in distress. We were able to make contact with Mr. Roland via phone who stated that due to the wind and weather conditions at the time, he was unable to make it back to the island. Our station in San Pedro patrol a vessel with a search unit who coordinated with a local fisherman who was in that area at the time and Mr. Roland was found and transported back to the island. We are currently on a case where there were 3 individuals who were canoeing in the area of Grand Caribe. The Regional Perspective On Climate Change Last night in Bridgetown Barbados, the Belmopan based Caribbean Community Climate Change Center took center stage at the launch of the Fifth Assessment Report of the IPCC. The first report was delivered in 1990, and 24 years later, the fifth report finds all climate change indicators in the red zone. Jules Vasquez was in Bridgetown Barbados to find out what needs to be done to arrest climate change and its effect on the small states in the Caribbean: Jules Vasquez reporting The Frank Collymore Center in downtown Bridgetown Barbados - in the shadow of the country's towering Central Bank building was the venue for the presentation of the fifth report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - or IPCC as it is known. The event was chaired by Director of the Caribbean Climate Change Center, Belize's Dr. Kenrick Leslie and it carried a tone of urgency: Celebrating the Need For Standards World Standards Day was celebrated today under the theme "Standards Level the Playing Field". Why should you celebrate world standards day Well as abstract as it may seem, standards govern activities and decisions in every aspect of a society, from the quality of food you eat, to the type of butane you buy to cook your food. It also fosters a competitive atmosphere especially in the economy. Rudolpho Gutierrez, Consumer Protection Liaison Officer from the Belize Bureau of Standards explained the benefits of implementing standards in trade and investment in Belize. Rudolpho Gutierrez, Consumer Protection Liaison Officer "It's a day set aside to pay tribute to all these men and women from the world who work in indepthly in standards to promote and better the communities and societies of the world. For the exporting companies, in our mind I think the exporters are more cognizant of the need to have standards within their policies because at the end of the day there is a lot of requirements that needs to be met on the international market. We are a bit slow more in local with our importers of products. The local producers, but for the domestic markets, they need to embrace standards at a quicker pace." Channel 5 Tragedy at Sea: Kayak Capsizes off the Coast of San Pedro There was a dramatic rescue on the high seas by the Belize Coastguard of one of three persons who set out to fish on Monday. A second person was rescued [...] Hunting Caye F.O.B. Construction Poses No Threat to National Security Construction of a Coast Guard forward operating base on Hunting Caye was brought to an abrupt close last week after a stop order issued by the US Southern Command. That [...] Coast Guard Commander on Employment Status of Guatemalan Workers That, relatively speaking, takes care of the substantive matter of the forward operating base, but there are other serious issues - like the immigration and work status of those Guatemalan [...] Are Unwelcome Visitors Reconnoitering Conservation Post in Chiquibul? Another issue that has remained in the headlines is the execution-style murder of Danny Conorquie at the Caracol Archaeological Site, inside the Chiquibul National Park. The BDF says that groups [...] Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission Meets in Guatemala City to Discuss Security Issues The government also announced today that a Belizean delegation led by CEO Alexis Rosado traveled to Guatemala City last Friday where the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission convened a meeting to discuss [...] Was GSU Boss Involved in Human Smuggling Attempt? Early this morning the GSU called the media to a press briefing at Raccoon Street, hosted by no other than Inspector Mark Flowers. As usual, he had quite a lot [...] Ghost Town Overlord Roger Anthony Renounces Thug Life He hasn't been in charge of the Gang Suppression Unit for long, but he's racked up quite a record. A lot of people would say that's not a good thing [...] Former Gang Leader Finds God and Family o what has brought about this remarkable change in a man who has been linked to many acts of violence crime and even murder? Well as clich�d as it may [...] Jose Luis Umana Executed in Belize City There were two murders in the Belize District this weekend, one out west and one down south. We start with a murder on Saturday night at the corner of New [...] Stabbing Incident in Ladyville Claims the Life of Brandon Flowers The second murder happened in Ladyville at around three am Sunday morning. There are reports that twenty-one year old Brandon Flowers was partying at a club in the community when [...] Teakettle Duo Charged for Unitedville Murder In the west another man was killed when he was stabbed to death. Tonight a pair of Teakettle men is on remand at the Belize Central Prison, following the Friday [...] Bullet-riddled Body of Independence Woman Discovered The weekend's fourth murder occurred in the South where Independence police are investigating an apparent case of homicide, following the discovery of the lifeless body of a woman in that [...] Six-year-old Perishes in Spanish Lookout Mishap A six year old boy from Spanish Lookout also tragically lost his life over the weekend. Elam Penner was along with his father and siblings when he perished at about [...] Third Person Charged for A&R Heist Belize City police have arrested and charged another suspect for the armed robbery of A and R store which occurred back on twentieth August.� During the heist, robbers made off [...] GSU Mark Flowers Addresses Allegations of Police Brutality Two weeks ago, mechanic Allan McCoy claimed that members of the Gang Suppression Unit, including Inspector Mark Flowers, worked him over as he headed home from a club. Just minutes [...] Will Allan McCoy Be Charged After Allegedly Being Beaten Up By GSU? Flowers today made much of the Ombudsman's report, but made no mention of the Police report. That report, made by McCoy to the Professional Standards Bureau, does make very specific [...] Another Hilux Stolen in Belmopan Vehicles belonging to the Mayor of Belmopan and the Ministry of Health are among six vehicles to be stolen and not recovered from the Belmopan area. Over the weekend, another [...] Mark Flowers Goes In on the Media Once Again And we end our coverage of GSU Head Mark Flowers tonight with a quite remarkable rant. We're not sure what to make of it, to be honest. He attacks certain [...] EU to Lift Fisheries Ban on Belize There is some good news coming out the European Commission. In March this year, the EC imposed restrictions on Belize and other countries for not doing enough to combat illegal [...] Well-Known Belizean Businessman Karl H. Menzies Passes Away And this news well known businessman Karl H. Menzies whose reputable business on Barrack Road carries his name passed away on Saturday October eleventh. A mass in celebration of his [...] Weekend Sporting Events with James Adderley Good evening I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. The Cayo first division football competition is heating up so we took on Saturday's big time matchup inside the Norman [...] LOVE FM Admiral Says US Was Given Green Light to Choose Contractors Under the Musa Administration According to Admiral John Borland the matter of having the United States authorized to select the contractor for the US funded projects is one that stems from an agreement signed under the Said Musa administration back in 2007. The document, dubbed the Status of Forces agreement is a diplomatic note that gave the United States the authority to select contractors for specific projects. ADMIRAL JOHN BORLAND "There were 14 other projects, none of them built by Guatemalans. It is the process by which the contracts are awarded and I said we agreed to that when we signed that agreement in 2007 for the United States government to have the authority to hire any company based on their processes and normally it goes to lowest bidder. When the contracts were awarded to the Belizean contractors we thought that was great but we did not have a hand into who the other contracts would be awarded to. It was something we as a nation state agreed to in 2007." Toddler Dies In Trailer Tractor A six year old child from the Spanish Lookout community is dead. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story. FEM CRUZ "San Ignacio police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the sudden death of a 6-year-old of Spanish Lookout. The father of the child, 35-year-old, Walter Penner, farmer and resident of Spanish Lookout told Love News that on Monday evening, October 13 sometime after 5pm he was with his 6-year-old son, Elam Penner who was sitting on top of the corn inside of the trailer tractor. Penner says he stopped the tractor to check if it was plowing well and upon making further checks saw that the 6-year-old had disappeared along with the corn inside the bin. He quickly opened the bin and saw his son inside in an unconscious state. Six year old Elam Penner was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital by BERT ambulance but sadly passed away. Police investigation continues." Admiral Borland: Hunting Caye Construction Contract Did Not Constitute a National Threat Less than two weeks ago, the fact that a Guatemalan company was contracted to construct the Forward Operating Base for the Belize Coast Guard on Hunting Caye, was brought to light bringing with it a lot of discontent and outrage from the Belizean public. It has been an issue that has reached as far as the House of Representatives and that has been kept alive via social media and the various talk shows, with some citing a risk to our national security, a betrayal to the Belizean people among other perceptions. Today, during a conference in the conference room of the Belize Coast Guard base in Belize City, Admiral John Borland, the Commandant of the Coast Guard told the media that his administration has very little input or influence when it comes to the employing of contractors. ADMIRAL JOHN BORLAND "I do not know if the contracts included any requirement for Belizeans to be working on the Hunting Caye project specifically. I know there is a requirement for Belizeans to work on the San Pedro Project and there were Belizeans doing that project. All we do is facilitate the process when it comes to us. The request would normally come from the contracting party to the MLO's office, the US MLO's office and they in turn would request that we endorse the issuance of those work permits or authority to reside temporarily in the country during the phase of construction of the project. " Two Men Arraigned for Weekend Murder in Unitedville A third man was killed this weekend; this time in the Cayo District. Two men have been charged with the Friday night murder of 21-year-old Kevin Taylor Junior in Unitedville in the Cayo District. 27-year-old Brian Bell and 32-year-old Tyrone Rushford also known as Tyrone Gongora appeared in San Ignacio Magistrate Court this morning where they were read the murder charge. They are to reappear in court on December 30. According to police reports, sometime around nine thirty on Friday night three men were involved in a fight near a shop in the village. As a result Taylor received stab wounds to the left side of the chest, left side of the neck and a cut wound to the lower back. He was transported to the Western Regional Hospital where he died a short while later. From Village Party to City Morgue The second murder occurred on Sunday morning when police responded to a fight in progress in Ladyville. This time, the victim was 21 year old Lyndon Flowers who was stabbed multiple times. Martinez filled us in� RAPHAEL MARTINEZ "Police responded to a call of a fight in progress and when they arrived at Stork Street at minutes to four in the morning on Sunday, October 12 they saw 22-year-old, Lindon Flowers lying in the drain, suffering from apparent stab wounds to the chest. He was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and he later succumbed to his injuries while there at about six thirty in the morning. I have personally visited the Officer Commanding Ladyville and they have detained quite a few persons in connection to this latest stabbing incident but I have not been updated at this moment. Initial investigations are saying that there was a party, these young people got involved in an altercation which resulted in the stabbing death of young Linden Flowers. As I mentioned earlier, several people are being questioned at this time by Ladyville Police and hopefully we can get some closure to this." Minor Charged for Murder of Salvadoran National Two men were murdered in Belize City over the long weekend. The first occurred on Saturday night when 33 year old Salvadoran national Jose Luis Umana was gunned down while he was on New Road. Police Press Officer, Raphael Martinez shared more details. RAPHAEL MARTINEZ "Police responded to a shooting incident at the corner of Hydes Lane and New Road. When they arrived there they saw 33-year-old Salvadoran national Jose Luis Umana of a Cards Alley address suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the forehead. He was quickly transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but unfortunately he succumbed to his injuries at about 9:55 later that evening. So far police are investigating this shooting incident and no one has been detained as yet." Belize Sends Big Guns to Guatemala Since the shooting murder of Special Constable, Daniel Conorquie, at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve on September 25, sparked concerns to be voiced out across the country. The Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, out lined several measures that the Belize Government would be putting in place. However, with the murderers of Conorquie believed to be Guatemalans and the recorded history of Guatemalans incursion into the Chiquibul Forest, whatever measures the Government of Belize puts in place may not be one hundred percent effective, especially if Guatemalan Authorities are kept outside of the loop. The news tonight is that Belize-Guatemalan Joint Commission met on Friday in Guatemala City to discuss security concerns, including the murder of Conorquie. The Belize delegation was headed by CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Alexis Rosado, and included Senator Lisa Shoman, who representative the Leader of the Opposition, Commandant of the Belize Defense Force, Brigadier General David Jones, Assistant Commissioners of Police, Russell Blackett, who is the acting Commissioner of Police and Superintendent Marco Vidal, Head of Special Branch. A release from the Government Press Office, states that each security agency had an opportunity to meet directly with their Guatemalan counterparts and agreed on a way forward for direct collaboration in respect of all security concerns, including coordinated operations among security agencies to combat illegal activities and transnational crime. Belizean Faces Possibility of Death Penalty in Las Vegas A Belizean man is imprisoned in Las Vegas, USA following the shooting death of a woman and the wounding of another in a parking lot of a restaurant in the said state. Arraignment for the 27-year-old, Carim J. Cruz was postponed by the judge. Cruz is facing the possibility of the death penalty. Meanwhile, a defense attorney, John Momot is quoted as saying that Cruz' case is complicated and he will need more time to determine if he'll represent Cruz on murder, attempted murder and other charges. The shooting took place on August 16 outside the Geisha House sushi and steak restaurant. The new arraignment date has been set for October 23. According to Las Vegas police, Cruz was involved in an argument with the boyfriend of 33-year-ld, Deanna Serrano prior to the shooting that killed Serrano. Prosecutor Brad Turner commented that the case will be considered by the district attorney's death penalty panel. Patrick Jones GSU Commander responds to brutality allegations This morning, the GSU Commander Inspector Mark Flowers spoke out for the first time about several allegations of police brutality in which his name has been called. While these are being investigated by initially the Professional Standards Branch of the Department and eventually the Security Services Commission if [�] Belize City gang leader renounces lifestyle The Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) has been firm in its stated aim is to reduce and ultimately end activities of criminal gangs in Belize City. But while that has often meant face to face confrontations on the streets, some involving violence, it has also been working behind the scenes, [�] Three rescued, one still missing at sea after boats capsize Two separate incidents at sea near Ambergris Caye on Monday afternoon led to four men from San Pedro Town spending uncomfortable time in the water. Three have been rescued, but 22 year old Eric Garcia remains missing. Coast Guard Field Commander Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis reported that Kareem Rowland [�] Coast Guard boss says Guatemalan contract at Hunting Caye not a threat Belize's national security was at no time under threat from the Guatemalan company BINARC or its workers who were building the Belize National Coast Guard's forward operating base (FOB) at Hunting Caye in the Toledo District. That is according to Commandant of the Belize National Coast Guard Rear [�] Woman's body found in Independence village Police in Stann Creek are investigating a homicide in Independence village. Around 9 o'clock this morning, authorities found the body of 33 year old Lizette Aldana on the Tex Mar Shrimp Farm road in Independence village. A statement from the police press officer says that Aldana's body [�] Teenager charged for weekend murder in Belize City A 16 year old Belize City boy has been charged for the crime of murder. Due to his age, the name of the teenager cannot be revealed; but police today announced that the charge of murder has been brought against the boy for the shooting death of [�] Blogs From San Pedro to Hopkins, Belize To Help: It's NEVER Been Hipper to Snip Yesterday, for most of the day, I made my way south for a volunteer veterinary clinic held by the AMAZING Hopkins Humane Society. A relatively recent operation - founded in 2008 - that is�well�kicking ass in the village of Hopkins (population around 1000) and around Belize. Spaying and neutering dogs (over 1100 last year alone!), providing emergency care and taking care of the basics in this area, like mange, fleas, tick fever, botflies, worms�all can be life threatening here in Belize. This week, a volunteer vet has flown in from the states and with the local veterinarian and a team of volunteers, we are hitting Dangriga - a much bigger town to the north of Hopkins. A town with basically no veterinary care. Can Belize Kaggle? Are you a tech savy programmer or data scientist in Belize looking for a new challenge? Do you feel that you have the skills to compete globally? If yes, then you should definitely visit http://www.kaggle.com/competitions Through Kaggle, you can participate in real life competitions with significant payouts and a chance to compete globally for the big win! Kaggle is the leading platform for predictive modeling competitions which focus on analytics and data science. In order to join and compete on Kaggle, simply follow the three (3) steps indicated below: ReefCI launching Belize Lionfish jewellery ReefCI have expanded their Lionfish program to include a new initiative where we remove the fins and tails of the Lionfish and employ and empower local women to make Lionfish earrings! Come see us at TIDE fish festival in Punta Gorda this Sunday. Earrings will be selling at reduced show prices. Belize Lionfish earrings will soon be available at major outlets in Belize. The invasive Lionfish is a voracious predator, upsetting the fragile balance of our marine eco-system, potentially disastrous for the health of the coral reefs and marine species that we love! International Sources Plea delayed for Belize native in Las Vegas deadly shooting A judge postponed arraignment for a 27-year-old native of Belize who a prosecutor says could face the death penalty following his indictment in the shooting death of one woman and the wounding of another in a parking lot outside a Las Vegas restaurant. Defense attorney John Momot said Tuesday the case involving Carim J. Cruz is complicated, and he needs time to determine if he'll represent Cruz on murder, attempted murder and other charges in the Aug. 16 shooting outside the Geisha House sushi and steak restaurant. A judge reset Cruz's arraignment for Oct. 23. Prosecutor Brad Turner said outside court that the case will be considered by the district attorney's death penalty panel. Belize is Booming And Has The Numbers To Prove It Belize's third quarter visitor arrival statistics reflect a destination in the midst of a surging travel boom. The country recorded 45,862 arrivals between July, an increase of nearly four percent from 44,133 in 2013. The increase comes in what is traditionally Belize's slowest travel period. Visitor arrivals at Belize's Philip S.W. Goldson International Airport were in fact up higher in every month of the third quarter of 2014, said Belize Tourism Board (BTB) officials in a statement. While increased airport arrivals are driving a corresponding growth in overnight stays, Belize is also expanding its cruise ship arrivals. Airport arrivals are up nine percent for the first nine months of 2014, while overnight stays are up by 11 percent and cruise ship arrivals are up by 45 percent. 247exchange CEO Alexey Maximenko: 'Belize is an Attractive Place for Investments, Bitcoin Startups' Alexey Maximenko is a Russian native entrepreneur, former IT-specialist and system administrator, who co-founded the first and only digital currency exchanger incorporated in Belize, 247exchange. In his interview with CoinTelegraph, Maximenko shares his ambitions for his business, and discusses the future of digital currencies in Belize. CoinTelegraph: 247exchange is currently the only digital currency exchanger in Belize and the community hasn't heard much about your service. Could you give us a little background historic, and tells us how the idea of a digital currency exchange platform came up? Alexey Maximenko: One of our founders had a digital currency exchange business (but not a Bitcoin one) in Russia in the past. So, we're not novices in this industry. After some time the idea of making a global service appeared. We had analyzed the current situation on the market and saw that the future was up to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies and noticed the space we could fill in. We noticed that on the market, there was a lack of easy-to-understand services and, also, that some useful features were missing. Willats promotes summer Belize trip for all Science teacher Andrew Willats is promoting a trip to Belize over the summer through a program called Ecology Project International. The cost of the nine day trip is about $3,000. It will be from June 15, the Sunday after graduation, to June 23. "We need around 14 people to sign up for the trip," Willats said. "But if we don't reach that number, sometimes students' siblings or people from other schools sign up." Willats said that he tries to do a trip through this program about every other year. "We've gone to the Galapagos Islands, Mexico and Costa Rica," Willats said. The trip is for anyone from any school, regardless of experience in environmental science or ecology. Developer's Belize project raking in awards Real estate venture Eco-Futures Development, spearheaded by Huntington Beach resident Luke Chadwick, has received 17 international awards for Sanctuary Belize, a master-planned community in Belize, a country on the northeastern coast of Central America. The 14,000-acre retirement and vacation community has won the International Property Award for Best Mixed-Use Development for three consecutive years, along with various other honors. About 70 percent of the property is permanent open space in correlation with the development's 10,000-acre private wildlife reserve. Joblessness among region's youth chronic THE most valuable asset for the future economic and social development of the Caribbean is its young people. Regrettably, that asset is going to waste by inadequate education, migration and unemployment. Youth unemployment, in particular, has reached crisis proportions because of the adverse impact of the global economic recession since 2008 and ineffective domestic macroeconomic policy. In recent years, Caribbean economies have averaged 0-1 per cent growth, with Trinidad and Guyana being the exceptions. The economic crisis, accompanied by high indebtedness and fiscal deficits, has severely constrained the capacity of our governments to stimulate economic growth and employment. The World Bank reports that between 2007 and 2013 unemployment increased in The Bahamas by 73 per cent; in Barbados by 57 per cent; in Belize by 53 per cent and in St Lucia by 47 per cent. Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda experienced slower growth in joblessness. In Jamaica unemployment rose from 9.4 per cent in 2007 to 12.7 per cent in 2011. Top 10 millionaires' paradise islands: where the rich and famous go to get away from it all Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook Chief Executive, this week upped his status even further by joining the millionaire paradise club. The 30-year old bought a 700-acre piece of land on Kauai, the fourth largest of the Hawaiian islands, for a cool $100 million (�63 million). With its pristine beaches, old sugar plantation buildings and land on which there are plans for an organic farm, Zuckerberg and his family will be able to enjoy private vacations on one of the most beautiful places on earth. It has long been customary for the super-wealthy to spend some of their riches on a private island, a tradition which Zuckerberg is clearly embracing to the full. Here are some more of the world's most fabulous millionaire playgrounds: 2. Blackadore Caye, Belize, Leonardo DiCaprio Bought by the Wolf of Wall Street and Titanic star in 2005 for $1.75 million (�1.1 million), DiCaprio, a keen environmentalist, is planning to build an eco-friendly resort on the 104 acre island near the famous barrier reef off the coast of Belize. He has said the resort will be open to the public as an example of sustainable tourism, complete with eco-tours of the island. CRFM hopes US reject petition to ban import of Caribbean conch The Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) says its hopes data it supplied to the United States would convince authorities there not to list the queen conch as an endangered species, as a non-governmental organisation from Colorado has requested. The CRFM has requested on behalf of the Caribbean Community that the United States-CARICOM Council on Trade and Investment reject the petition of WildEarth Guardians, calling on U.S. authorities to list the queen conch as a "threatened" or "endangered" species under the USA Endangered Species Act. The United States is expected to give a ruling in early November, and if the species is listed as threatened or endangered under the ESA, conch exports from the CARICOM States to the United States market would be prohibited. Executive Director of CRFM, Milton Haughton, told a press conference at Caribbean Week of Agriculture on Friday that the CRFM opposes WildEarth Guardians' petition on the basis that its data is "outdated" and "in many cases just wrong". Caribbean Nations: UN, Specialized Agencies Must Prevent Ebola Spread Act now and avert a global public health emergency. That, in essence, was the urgent demand of Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Guyana, Barbados and their Caribbean neighbors and the plea was made at the United Nations in New York at a time when the U.S. was seeking to tame rising domestic worries about the potential spread of the deadly Ebola epidemic to America's shores. Essentially, what the island-nations and coastal states that belong to Caricom are asking is that the UN's specialized agencies and rich states ramp up their aid to the African states which are now bearing the full brunt of the deadly Ebola virus disease. The Caribbean also fears that the outbreak of the highly contagious disease would jump from Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone and spread to the rest of Africa and to developing nations in the Caribbean, Latin America, the Pacific and the Middle East. Thousands of victims have already died from Ebola in four African states. Videos Video: Belize Vacation Day1, 10min. Day 1 of our vacation in Belize. Video: BELIZE all your dreams can come true, 3min. Belize is our favorite spot to vacation, the people are great, the food cant be beat, the scenery is to die for .. we have made many friends there and look forward to our return trips each year.. Ruins ..Caracol, Lamanai ATM caves(when you could take pictures) Snorkeling at Hol Chan and Shark Ray alley .. Resorts shown were Belizean Shores Resort, Maya Beach Hotel and Bistro .. Caye Caulker Ambergris Caye ..Cameo of Wildlife Photographer Wayne Hall Video: Snorkeling Belize, 4.5min.