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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

H.E. Alexis Rosado Presents Credentials to the President of the Republic of Costa Rica
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce that his Excellency Luis Guillermo Solis Rivera, President of the Republic of Costa Rica, received H.E. Alexis Rosado in a solemn ceremony on Wednesday, 8th July 2015, on the occasion of the presentation of credentials accrediting Mr. Rosado as Belize's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of Costa Rica.

Frank "Papa" Mena takes Dangriga Constituency By-election
On Wednesday, July 8th residents of Dangriga Town, Sarawee Village and Hope Creek Village exercised their right as Belizeans in the by-election process for a new Dangriga Constituency Area Representative. At the end of the day United Democratic Party's (UDP) Frank "Papa" Mena was elected as area representative over People's United Party's (PUP) Anthony Sabal and Independent (Indp) Candidate Llewelyn Lucas. The by-election was a result of the abrupt resignation of former PUP Area Representative, Ivan Ramos.

Ambergris Today

Marissa Kayleen Gonzalez Celebrates Quincea�os
Carlos Gonzalez and Alba White presented to the San Pedro society their beautiful daughter Marissa Kayleen Gonzalez on Saturday, July 4, 2015, as she turned 15 years old. A special mass celebration of her Quincea�os was held at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church and a 'Sweet 15' party followed with friends and family. Kayleen's Godparents were Mr. Dennis & Mrs. Monica Alfaro.

Government of Belize Supports the Belize National Football Team
The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Finance officially handed over a BZ$125,000 grant to the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) today, July 13. The grant was approved by Cabinet from the Petrocaribe Fund to help them meet the national team's training and travel costs leading up to Round 3 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The grant was presented to the FFB by the Financial Secretary Mr. Joseph Waight, who on behalf of the Government extended well wishes to the National Team and assured future support from the Government as the team progresses in the games.

Belizean Beauty to Represent at Costa Maya Pageant
Samalia Vernon, 5'8" of Belize City, Belize District, is Miss Belize 2015 for the Reina de la Costa Maya 2015 international pageant, which is scheduled to take place in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize on August 6, 2015. Samalia, who is pursuing a degree in business and marketing, enjoys reading, painting, meditating, cooking, fashion, traveling and modeling. To stay fit she does yoga, dances, and plays tennis. Eight delegates representing Central America and Mexico are expected to compete in the beauty pageant. At the end of the night, Elisa Espinosa Gomez, of Mexico, will crown her successor.

Belize Ranks #5 on World Well-Being Rankings
Not all might be perfect in Belize and we all might complain here and there about a few things that bother us, but overall, we are a happy nation whose people live with much freedom. So it is not surprising to find out that a new global index has Belize standing strong at the No. 5 position in the World Well-Being Rankings. As a region, the Americas faired quite well in Gallup-Healthways Country Well-Being report, with Costa Rica (2), Belize (5) and Mexico in the top 10 positions and Panama at No. 1. Switzerland was the top European country, in fourth. At No. 23, the U.S. (dropping from No. 12) is one spot behind Israel and one ahead of Canada. No wonder Belize is such an amazing place to live in and has so much visitors flocking to its shores. We might think that we are No. 1 on that list, but if you are looking to boost your own well-being you might want to increase your leisure activities or even vacation more in Belize!!! The report indicates that the benefits can include "lower blood pressure, lower stress hormones and smaller waists."

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

BELIZE FISHING REPORT: Weeks of June 28th - July 4th, 2015
Lots of people enjoying Belize during of first week of summer 2 for 1 pricing. Even though he fishing peaks in the summer with the addition of Migratory tarpon to the mix, our attendance levels tend to be lower. Come enjoy the summer and fall with us. Even though it was windy we continue to light up the permit boards.

Ten day Weather Outlook for Belize: July 13-22, 2015
Two tropical waves will approach Belize over the next ten days. The first will make its entry late Tuesday, and the second will cross the country on Friday-Saturday of this week. An upper level trough in the western Caribbean will shift westwards over the next three days, favoring outbreaks of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday and Friday. Conditions will become more stable on Saturday through Sunday, but significantly unstable on Monday through Thursday of next week, associated with the slow-moving low pressure system forming in the extreme NW Caribbean and Belize. Farmers can expect some good showers on Tuesday afternoon, on Thursday and Friday. It will be much drier over the weekend. Expect more showers with some thunderstorm outbreaks during most of the working week next week.

Prevention of Violence against Women
Public Presentation

BTB Tourism Industry Conference
Aug 1st

Four Caribbean countries identified as choice locations for business
St. Lucia, Belize, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti have been identified as countries outside the United States that companies will move to in five to 10 years. That's according to readers of Site Selection Magazine, an influential publication that highlights corporate real estate strategy and area economic development. "In a tie with Eastern Europe, 31.4 per cent of respondents selected the Central/South America and the Caribbean and cited an educated workforce, the economic expansion of the region aided by the anticipated increase in traffic due to the widening of the Panama Canal and a growing middle class as some of the reasons behind the decision to invest in the logistics, automotive and chemical clusters," explained Senior Editor of Site Selection Patty Rasmussen.

DYS Reading Summer Camp
The Department of Youth Services and the Belmopan Public Library held their first Reading and Expressive Arts Summer Camp. They have a really cool video of the experience. Worth a watch. Reading is the key. Thanks, DYS! "The Department of Youth Services in collaboration with The Belmopan Public Library had its 1st Reading and Expressive Arts Summer Camp from July 6th- 10th 2015 at the Belmopan Public Library. It was a huge success and we are most thankful for our guest readers that took time out to come and share the love of reading with our little campers. Mrs. Gwen Nunez -Gonzalez, Ms. Claudia Groutsche, Brother Fem and Mrs. Cruz, Mayor Khalid Belisle, Ileana Cruz, Ms.Desha Elijio,Ms. Mary and Althia Garcia. I am also thankful for my team as they were instrumental in making this camp a success. Finally and most importantly we are thankful to the parents who allowed us to share the joy of reading with their little ones."

SIPL Summer Program
The San Ignacio Public Library had their Summer Camp for local kids. The theme was all about technology. "Some snapshots of our Summer Program 2015 under the theme 'Technology in Libraries: Past and Present.'"

New franchises for National Elite Basketball League
The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) is inviting any new franchise that would be interested in joining the league for our 2016 season, to submit your Letter of Intent to [email protected] Our next season is scheduled to commence on Friday, January 15, 2016. A new franchise cannot be from any of our 6 existing municipalities; which are Orange Walk Town, Belize City, San Pedro, Belmopan, San Ignacio and Dangriga. More than likely only one new franchise will be allowed to join the league next season, so submissions must be made by August 14, 2015.

Bowen & Bowen Job Opportunity
Join our Warehousing team as Dispatcher

Government of Belize Supports the Belize National Team
The Government of Belize through the Ministry of Finance officially handed over a BZ$125,000 grant to the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) today, July 13. The grant was approved by Cabinet from the Petrocaribe Fund to help them meet the national team's training and travel costs leading up to Round 3 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The grant was presented to the FFB by the Financial Secretary Mr. Joseph Waight, who on behalf of the Government extended well wishes to the National Team and assured future support from the Government as the team progresses in the games. Present at the ceremony were a few of the team players, Minister of National Security and National Team Coordinator Hon. John Saldivar, and the General Secretary of the FFB Mr. Michael Blease, who received the grant on behalf of the federation. Both Minister Saldivar and Mr. Blease expressed their gratitude to the Government and said that they look forward to the continued support.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Monday, July 13, 2015: 77. PICK 3: 5 6 5

Commentary: Am I a 'Carib' or 'Garifuna' and why would one want to be called a 'Carib' anyway?
By Wellington C. Ramos. The original names of our people are Kalinagu and Galinagu. These names were changed after Christopher Columbus attempted to take over the island of "Yurumein" now known as St Vincent and the Grenadines around 1502 to "Caribe"� Carib in English meaning cannibals. The reason why he labelled our people "Caribe" cannibal, the root word for "Carib", was because of the information he received from the "Taino" people when he met them and the resistance our people waged against his forces to take over our lands and enslave us. Then the French and the British came after using these labels: Carib, Yellow Caribs and Black Caribs. Other labels were also used by some other ethnic groups in the countries were we reside by the ethnic groups that were enslaved, brainwashed and subjugated by them. In Belize these labels were "Kerob" and "Kerobee". After years of protest against these derogatory labels being used to identify us, some Creoles in Belize and other ethnic groups still insist on calling us these names. This led to a movement by our people to bring this issue before the United Nations Human Rights Commission and other regional organizations to acknowledge our true names as Garifuna and Garinagu.

Paint N Splash "Garinagu Beauty"
Thursdayat 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Though commonly referred to as "Garifuna", the people are properly called "Garinagu" and the culture and language are "Garifuna". The Garinagu are recent arrivals to Belize, settling the southern coast of Belize in the early 19th century. This is my modern take on a Garinagu lady. I hope you guys like it.

Summer Art Wave's Corn Husk Art Program
The Summer Art Wave's Corn Husk Art program began today. Participants began the process of making coasters, place mats, baskets, and rugs. The week long program will also incorporate, flowers, dolls and more ... There are spaces still available for interested persons beginning at 1pm! - Courtesy Corozal House of Culture (NICH)

Sigourny Usher Wins Flor de la Feria
Congratulations, Sigourny Usher, for being crowned Miss Flor de la Feria 2015. Sigourny's title was Ms. Barrier Reef for the pageant. They have tons of pictures and videos from the event on their page. There's even some behind the scenes and bloopers.

King of the Hills 2015
The King of the Hills bike race was yesterday, and Kenny Lamb got some excellent shots of the event. Well done! More of his race pictures here. Congratulations to all the winners of the race. "Elite Men and Masters. Elite Men: Joel Borland Joslyn Chavarria Ron Vasquez Giovanni Choto Jesmar Guerra Masters Men: Liam Stewart Henry Moreira Kenroy Gladden"

Fledgling Keel-Billed Toucan
This little fledgling Keel-Billed Toucan was surrendered to us after suffering an accident that fractured his humerus bone which required surgery to fix. Thanks to the amazing work of Dr. Phillip De Shields at the Animal Medical Centre, the toucan is now on the road to recovery. The little guy also showed signs that he'd been possibly kept as a pet. Toucans are the national bird of Belize and it is illegal to keep them as pets, as are all wild birds of Belize. Please remember they are wild animals and deserve to stay in their natural habitats. If you find a baby or injured bird that needs help please contact us! We work to get these birds back to health and back home in the wild where they belong!

Caye Caulker Lobster Fest - The Ultimate Island Festival
The 21st Annual Caye Caulker Lobster Fest took place this past weekend (June 26 - 28), and definitely proved to be an eventful 3 days. Although the high season for travel to Belize runs from November through March, when the weather is commonly dry and cool, summer is also a great time to visit Belize. Summer in Belize typically means cheaper accommodations and tour packages, discounts on airfare and fewer crowds; what it also means and probably most importantly, is an increase in local events and cultural festivals for the entire family to enjoy. The original idea for the Caye Caulker Lobster Fest came from the traditional fishermen on the island, who thought it would be fitting to hold a celebration to honour the crustacean which has nurtured, fed and educated families for generations. Now, every year around the latter part of June, international travellers and locals alike make their way to the island for 3 days of pageantry, DJs, outdoor food booths and beach parties. Of course, the highlight of the festival is the devouring of succulent lobster prepared fresh in just about every imaginable way. Selections include lobster ceviche, stewed lobster, grilled lobster, lobster kebabs, whole lobster and lobster tails. Just about anything lobster was available.

Channel 7

Man Shot Up And Killed By Cops In The Place Called Hope
Police shot and killed a Hope Creek resident on Saturday night. Leopold Myvett was hanging out with his friends in front of a bar at around 9 on Saturday night when the police pulled up. Police say that Myvett pulled out a gun and pointed it at them - which is when they opened fire -killing him with four shots. Now the family is enraged - not only because they lost a family member but because they lost him to the hands of the law. Today we traveled to Hope Creek to get both sides of the story. Courtney Weatherburne reports. Courtney Weatherburne reporting On most days, these wooden benches are occupied. Friends would hang out for hours beneath the shade of this Almond Tree and then move over to the Billar Fuentes bar right in front. But today these seats were empty and have been since Saturday night, when one member of the crew was shot and killed by police. He is 28 year old Leopold Myvette. His niece was in this small house nearby when the shots echoed. Jez Lizama, Niece "I was at a house close to the bar and then we heard gunshots. It sounded like when you burst a whole belt of pop-shot one after the other. We peeped out and in front of the bar we saw a Mahindra there. Then after that we locked up the house. My friend told me to let's have a look and so then we opened the door. Then she says 'let go there.' At the same time were going out, my little brother came and told me that my mom is calling me and I ask where was she and he said at Pedro in front of the bar. I ask him what happened and he said that my son got shot."

Teenager Shot By Brazen Killer
And while Leopold Myvette was fatally shot by police in Hope Creek Village, an 18 year-old was murdered 24 hours earlier in Belize City by a very brazen gunman. On Friday night at around 8:00, 18 year-old Anthony Smith was riding his bicycle near the intersection of Central American Boulevard and Freedom Street when he was shot several times by an assailant who hid in the bushes. Daniel Ortiz found out why the on-duty police officers were not a deterrent when the gunman struck on Friday night: Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division "Around 8:50 p.m. police personnel visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw Anthony Smith, 18 years old, with multiple gunshots to the abdomen, to the chest and one gunshot wound to the head. He was pronounced dead thereafter and an investigation was carried out. Information is that he was riding a bicycle on Central American Boulevard near the intersection with Freedom Street when he was approached by a male person who fired several shots at him."

Sr. Supt. Mediates Madness In Ghost Town
And while the violence continued this weekend - police say that the most dangerous zone of the city - which is territory controlled by the Ghost Town Gang has been cooled down because of a police led mediation session. It happened on Friday - and Chester Williams - the new boss of the Eastern Division southside is the one who brought it together. Today, he told how it will promote peace:.. Sr. Supt Chester Williams, Commander Eastern Division South "I met with the two groups from Mayflower. As we all know that the situation on Mayflower is an internal issue between one gang: the Ghost Town gang. I met with them and their parents. I also brought in two counselors, Mrs. Diane Finnegan and Mrs. Anne Palacio and I also have Mr. Douglas Hyde who himself is a mediator and we discussed with them. We had the parents speaking to them first, let the parents know how exactly they are feeling about tension that exists in the Mayflower area. After the session with the parents, I then had the counselors, each having a session with them or a talk with them, to try and see how best they could assist them in calming the situation that exists between them and after the two counselors, then Mr. Hyde spoke to them and I just basically give a closing as it relates to what the three presenters have done or have said." "At the end of the meeting I must say was successful. They all agreed that they will put aside their personal issues and they will try to live together in that small community. They agreed and as part of that agreement they hand in to us one AR15 brand new rifle and I think 15 live rounds of ammunition for this same rifle."

Was Kareem's Killer A Minor?
And one man who was killed in Ghost Town turf - but not because of any gang affiliation is Amandala journalist Kareem Clarke. He was killed over a week ago - and now police believe that a minor did it. They say that a teenager has been detained pending charges:.. Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division "At this time we have one minor in custody for that murder. We are doing follow up work right now and we will determine whether he will be charged. Our officers are working on that case right now. We have one minor detained at this time." Reporter "Has the motive been established?" Supt. Hilberto Romero "No, a motive has not been established."

GSU Scraped The City Clean On The Weekend
He was on remand for almost 4 years for a double murder, but tonight, 27 year-old Jamie Smith is at home after he was acquitted in a Supreme Court trial before Justice Adolph Lucas. On May 20, 2011, the victims, 18 year old Eric Arana and 21 year old Dwayne Tillett, were leaning on an abandoned car on Antelope Street Extension. They were gambling with 1 man and 2 other women who included Khiry Haulze, Juvanna Gillett and Karen Rivers when a gunman rode up on a bicycle and opened fire on the group. Everyone was shot, and Arana and Tillett died from their injuries. Well, after 4 years, the accused, Smith, stood trial without a jury. The prosecution was allowed to present evidence against him directly to the judge. Still, at the conclusion of that case today, Justice Lucas ruled that the prosecution did not adequately prove the case against him, and so, he was obliged to acquit Smith. His defense attorney, Bryan Neal, explained to us this afternoon how he helped to convince the judge to find his client not guilty:

Murder Charge For Man Who Killed Customs Officer
Last week Friday, we told you how 25 year-old Customs Officer Keisha Buller was stabbed to death by her common-law husband, Ervin Wade. Well tonight, he's at the Belize Central Prison after being arraigned and remanded. He was formally charged with her murder, and he arraigned today in the San Ignacio Magistrate's Court. No plea was taken, and he was remanded until September 17. As we told you, the two had a quarrel on Friday afternoon at Buller's Benque Viejo home. Wade pulled a knife and stabbed her several times to the stomach, neck and shoulder. The fight, we are told, went from the house, all the way to street side, where she collapsed and died near her car. As soon after the fight ended, Wade grabbed their 4 year-old son and fled in his vehicle. Police caught him on the Western Highway near Galen University, in the Central Farm area.

Man Gets Off Double Murder
He was on remand for almost 4 years for a double murder, but tonight, 27 year-old Jamie Smith is at home after he was acquitted in a Supreme Court trial before Justice Adolph Lucas. On May 20, 2011, the victims, 18 year old Eric Arana and 21 year old Dwayne Tillett, were leaning on an abandoned car on Antelope Street Extension. They were gambling with 1 man and 2 other women who included Khiry Haulze, Juvanna Gillett and Karen Rivers when a gunman rode up on a bicycle and opened fire on the group. Everyone was shot, and Arana and Tillett died from their injuries. Well, after 4 years, the accused, Smith, stood trial without a jury. The prosecution was allowed to present evidence against him directly to the judge. Still, at the conclusion of that case today, Justice Lucas ruled that the prosecution did not adequately prove the case against him, and so, he was obliged to acquit Smith. His defense attorney, Bryan Neal, explained to us this afternoon how he helped to convince the judge to find his client not guilty:

Former Cop Knocked Down, Killed in Camalote
A former Inspector of police was knocked down in Camalote. 69 year old Miguel Cho left his home on Young Gyal road yesterday evening to pick up some money. But when he arrived in front of the Pattnet's Bar in Camalote a truck ran into the back wheel of his bicycle. Cho was flung into the air, and landed on his back on the pavement. He died from his injuries. We spoke to an eyewitness and Cho's grieving family today in Camalote. Voice of: Eyewitness "The man was by that hole there passing by. I don't know if he was going straight down, or if he was turning off. But I saw him get by the pool in front of the bar and to my idea, he was shunning that hole, not to go in it and he didn't look back and the truck was coming fast enough because he didn't brakes or anything. It happened so sudden that he didn't look back - just hit. And we ran and say oh my God. By the time he got hit, he got thrown off that bicycle and when we ran over there - I didn't even go close, but I saw bleeding from behind his head."

Longest Serving Death Row Prisoner Is Off Hangman's List
For almost 14 years, convicted murderer Glenford Baptist has been the only Belizean prisoner still on death row. That ended today when his death sentence was quashed by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. He was convicted along with co-defendants Gilroy Wade Jr., Oscar Mendez in November 2001 in a Supreme Court Trial before the then Justice Wilfred "Sedi" Elrington. The jury found them guilty of acting in joint enterprise to kill Azrin White on the night of July 24 in the year 2000. Coincidentally, to get the death sentence quashed, he sued Wilfred Elrington who is now the Attorney General of Belize. He contested that it is unjust to have him languishing on death row for 13 years and 8 months. His attorney, Priscilla Banner, argued the case before the Chief Justice, and she successfully convinced him to set it aside. She explained it to us this afternoon:

City Shooting Is Non Fatal
At the top of the news, we told you about how police have detained a minor for the investigation of the murder of Amandala Journalist Kareem Clarke. Well, they picked him up while following up on another shooting which happened on Friday night, just about 1 hour or so after Anthony Smith was killed on Central American Boulevard. Sometime after 10 p.m., 21 year-old Stevedore Glenn Murillo was standing in front of a Chinese shop on Vernon Street when a man walked up and fired 3 shots at him. Police told us today that he was only injured to their upper right arm: Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Division "On Friday, police responded to a shooting incident where they found Glenn Murillo, 21 years, with a single gunshot wound to the right upper arm. He was taken to the K.H.M.H. and he was treated; he is in a stable condition. We have one person detained for questioning in regards to that shooting." Supt. Hilberto Romero "We have our investigators working. We are working with the complainant. I know he went to the store and he was approached by one person who fired shots at him."

Former Benque Mayor Locked Up In Flores
Edgar "Whitie" Contreras, a former Mayor of Benque Viejo Town, is currently locked up in Flores, Peten Guatemala while he awaits a Court arraignment for having an illegal firearm while in that country. Contreras, who is a legally registered firearms holder in Belize went over to Melchor De Menchos this weekend with his weapon. Our information is that Contreras was alone in a park near the central Market. Unfortunately, for him, that's the time when Guatemalan police officers passed by and decided to do a stop and search sweep of the area. They were looking for a suspect in an incident which happened at a nearby bar. Contreras was searched by the Guat Police officers and because he is not a registered firearm's holder in that jurisdiction, he was detained. We understand that he has told friends and family in Benque that he simply forgot that he had the weapon on him when he crossed the border.

GOB Gives Petro$$$ To FFB
The Belize Jaguars are preparing to play the third round of world cup qualifiers on September fourth and eighth. IT'S the furthest Belize has ever gone in the qualifiers - and the national team is playing its best football ever. But, it costs ten thousand a week just to keep them in camp, and hundreds of thousands of dollars to sponsor the team's travel and accommodations. The FFB can't just whisk that out of thin air, and Government chipped in today with 125 thousand dollars. We found out more at a handing over at FFB headquarters today:.. Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary "The government was called upon and willingly stepped up from the funds basically to support the national team and to wish you well in the next round and the round after that and I think we can say that should there be another round and we all expect there will, that the government can come again and to say more is on its way as we progress down the line." Michael Blease, FFB General Secretary "Mr. Waight, on behalf of the federation, we want to thank the Government of Belize, your office, the Minister as well, the national team program - its a wonderful contribution. We expect more as Mr. Waight said as we progressed."

Treasure Missing Money Probe Deepens
And while we had the financial secretary, we asked him about the ongoing investigation into mass theft from the public treasury. As we reported in April, hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside for schools in the south were mis-directed to private accounts. Today the Fin. Sec. said that that the deeper they look, the more missing money they find:.. Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary "The investigation continues and I believe there may be a little more from what we heard originally. I got a report last week that there could be another transaction in the tune of twenty-five thousand dollars or so, we are still looking into it. In that one, the police are doing the investigations; we have gotten bank records. One gentleman has been arrested and now the idea is to try to build a case strong enough so that when it gets to court, it does not fall apart." 28 year-old David Enriquez, a clerk at the Treasury Department has been charged for the theft of two hundred and twenty five thousand dollars.

Man Claims Brutality, Extortion
We report on police harassment often in our newscast and tonight one more report is added to the list - but this time it's comingled with extortion. Late this evening 7news spoke with Brian Armstrong - who was released from police custody only minutes before the interview. According to Armstrong, he and 3 other men were picked up on Saturday by police for a stick of marijuana. One of the men pleaded guilty to the charges and the other 3 including Armstrong were released. But shortly after, he was picked up by police again - and this time claimed he had to pay an officer fifty dollars for him to be released.

What A Waste of Coast Guard Time And Resources
The Belize National Coast Guard is the main law enforcement agency in Belizean waters, and so, it has to respond to every distress call. So, this weekend, they made an urgent response to a report made by the Turneffe Island Resort. The information that the Island's Resort employees relayed to them was that a tour group with 2 international guests and their guide were robbed by pirates operating in the area. Well, it just happened to have been a great exaggeration, because as it turned out, a group of fishermen simply grabbed an ice box filled with food items that they left in their vessel when they went fly fishing. The Coast Guard told us this afternoon how they marshaled resources and manpower to investigate what turned out to be a frivolous complaint: The fishermen who grabbed the icebox were ordered by their captain to return it immediately. They say that they thought that the vessel was abandoned, and that's why they grabbed the food. They were in the process of returning it when the Coast Guard picked them up.

Channel 5

Hope Creek Cops Gun Down Running Man
A man was shot and killed by police officers in Hope Creek over the weekend. There a questions surrounding his death. Police say that the man pointed a gun at [...]

Youth Riddled With Bullets on Central American Blvd.
The relentless spate of gun violence in the Old Capital continued this weekend, leaving one person dead and another clinging to life in separate armed assaults.� On Friday night, an [...]

Minor Detained for Murder of Kareem Clarke
A Belize City minor is currently in custody for the murder of star reporter, Kareem Clarke. The minor was detained over the weekend by cops on patrol and the police [...]

Minor Also Main Suspect in Friday Night Shooting
But the minor, who has since been detained in connection with the murder of Kareem Clarke, is also the main suspect in a shooting that occurred on Friday night in [...]

Ghost Town Gang Truce in Effect
For quite some time now, the Ghost Town Gang has been splintered and rival factions have been waging war against each other in an internal squabble that has seen significant [...]

N.G.O.s Present Concerns on Protected Areas Bills
In June, two bills were presented to the House for a first reading - an amended PACT Bill and a brand new National Protected Areas System Bill. But while the [...]

APAMO/PfB Respond to Minister's Criticisms
This morning, the N.G.O. stakeholders asked the House sub-committee for more time, and they were granted that time, which means that there is room for much more consultation and input. [...]

Petrocaribe Drops a Quarter Million on the F.F.B.
The chronically cash strapped F.F.B. has received a much needed infusion of cash and, you guessed it…it's a gift from Mister Petrocaribe. The symbolic check was handed over this afternoon [...]

F.F.B. Needs $300,000 for Third Round
A quarter million dollars sounds like a lot of money - and it is…but set against the backdrop of a national team in training, and against the costs associated with [...]

Fin Sec Says Petrocaribe Money Being Spent Wisely
It's likely that nobody will be complaining much about Petrocaribe rolling onto the Jaguars' football pitch. The fact is that G.O.B. has been conspicuously absent in the national team's journey [...]

More Money Missing at Treasury Department
In April 2015 four persons were arrested for their involvement in a Treasury Department scam which allegedly netted them more than half-a-million dollars. Preliminary investigations indicated that money due as [...]

Smith Walks Free in Double Homicide Trial
Twenty-seven-year-old Jaimie Smith walked free from the double murder that claimed the lives of Eric Arana and Dwayne Tillett on Antelope Street Extension four years ago The acquittal took place [...]

Dawson Remanded for Sex With Minor
A construction worker from Bermudian Landing is tonight on remand for allegedly engaging in sexual intercourse three times with a fourteen-year-old minor. Forty-year-old Orlando Dawson Junior appeared before Chief Magistrate [...]

CEBO Provides Training for Youth Entrepreneurs
The Department of Youth Services, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, is doing a follow-up training to Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity. The regional initiative was piloted in five [...]

Training Continues for Local CEBO Reps
But the visit by the regional delegation is also to establish local CEBO trainers in an effort to sustain this youth and entrepreneurship effort locally.   Hilary Brown, Program Manager, [...]

Football, Basketball Cycling and Track Stats in Sports
Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.     We head immediately to Big Bird's Isle where Friday night, Atlantic Bank faced Generals in firms division basketball [...]


Joined: Oct 1999
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CTV3

$125,000.00 Of Petro Caribe Funds Donated To FFB
A couple of weeks ago we were all excited when we heard the news that Belize's National Football Team the Jaguars was advancing to the third round of the of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. But with that excitement, came disappointment, as the Football Federation of Belize announced that due to a lack of funds there was a high probability that team would not be able to travel to abroad. Of course that announcement tampered the spirits of Belizeans and the team itself. But today the FFB received a donation from GOB that could change things around and send team Jaguars to the third round of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, or at least get them closer to it. That donation comes in the amount of $125,000. Today we spoke to the executive member of the Football Federation of Belize, Marlon Kuylen, via phone and here is what he told us about the grant which was approved by Cabinet from the Petrocaribe Fund. . Marlon Kuylen - Executive Member FFB "Contributing one hundred and twenty five dollars was award towards the Jaguars fund and we receive that this afternoon and it will be used for expenses for the 3rd round of play for the world cup qualifiers and we have projected that this round will cost us somewhere in the vicinity of $361,000.00 ."

SIMIS Expected To Relief Delivery Problems To The Factory
As mentioned at the top of the story, while the 2014/2015 sugar crop season proved to be a huge success when it comes to cane quality there is a sour taste left in the mouths of cane farmers who were not able to deliver one single ton of cane. What will happen to them or their production is yet unknown. What we do know is that so far figures show that last year 138 cane farmers were unable to deliver their cane to the factory. This year that number reduced to 65 out of 5,440 registered farmers. The problem is one that stakeholders hope to resolve with the implementation of Sugar Industry Management Information System (SIMIS) which is designed to collect information continuously for the Sugar Industry in three levels: the general Information of the farmer, Information of the cane fields and finally information generated by the mill during the crop season.

Bringing Awareness On HIV Aids
In 2010 the UNAIDS Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic showed that Belize had the highest HIV prevalence in Central America and it ranked 3rd highest in the Caribbean. Since then Belize has made remarkable progress in reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis. Many trainings, workshops, and symposiums have been carried out over the past five years to achieve the getting to zero theme. But with that comes obstacles including the delinquency in adherence to the antiretroviral medication. On Saturday an adherence workshop was held in Corozal where facilitators focused on the importance of using the antiretroviral medication. Veronica Ortega- Facilitator Adherence workshop "Well, since adherence is focusing on prevention of this drug resistance viral patient it is very important for us to continue this follow up and this is just the beginning to a continuation to adherence specially when it comes to anti-viral therapy so that is where the country is moving as we do have a mixture of viruses now a stronger strand that presently for Belize is being studied and not being seen in other countries and it is a public health issue when it comes to studying this type of virus and what medication will be working if in case Belize continue to have this different process of reinfection and production of different types of HIV viruses.

Tourist Robbed Of $8000.00 Worth In Items
In San Pedro police are also investigating a case that left a tourist out of $8,000 in items. Seventy seven year old William Oniel, American retired presently residing at Barrier Reef Drive Resort, told cops that between Wednesday 4th February 2015 and Sunday 5th July 2015, his apartment located was burglarized. Most of the items stolen were appliances and electronic devices amounting to a total value of $8,000 Bze dollars. O'neil reported to police that he had left the keys for the apartment with one Wanda. Police are seeking this individual for questioning. According to island cops, on Saturday, around 9:30am, 77 year old William Oniel, American retired presently residing at Barrier Reef Drive Resort, reported that between Wednesday, 4th February, 2015 and Sunday, 5th July, 2015 his apartment located at the above mention address was burglarized. Most of the items were appliances and electronic devices amounting to a total value of $8,000. O'neil reported to police that he had left the keys for the apartment with one Wanda. Police are seeking this individual for questioning.

Final Cane Price Still To Be Determined
With the closure of the 2014/2015 crop the question now is how much money will the industry pump into the Belizean economy. Tonight that question will go unanswered as the factory is still producing sugar. According to BSI/ASR's Chief Financial Officer, Belizario Carballo revenues generated by the industry won't be known until all figures are in. "Well, we don't have a figure yet to be honest we yet to work out on the basis of the actual production cane price, the last cane price estimate was somewhere around $66.69 per ton and clearly that would be reviewed now and the second payment is five weeks after the crop ends so five weeks from now is second payment and by time before we will have a revised estimate in cane price for this crop so in terms of what revenue that has generated we will determine that but we don't have that figure with certainty but we will have it subsequently."

Drugs Confiscated In La Isla Bonita
Authorities on the island of Ambergris Caye cashed in on some illicit drugs and arrested several persons found within the residence that the drugs was found. Last Friday about 8:00am San Pedro Police was on operations in the Airstrip Area and whilst on Glitter Street officers visited a three apartment complex belonging to one Angela Guerrero/Pitts and conducted a search in all of the rooms. As a result of the search police found under a veranda that is attached to the building of the three apartment; a small pink pillow which contained (1) transparent plastic bag which was sealed air tight. The plastic bag contained some green, leafy vegetable substance weighing 100.4 grams suspected to be cannabis. Several persons including 53 year old Angela Guerrero, 34 year old Rosendo Rubio, 20 year old Sylvia Teul, 31 year old Indira Rivero, 40 year old Kerdel Meighan, and 19 year old Josie Castellanos, all of Glitter Street, San Pedro Town were arrested for the offence of drug trafficking.

Orange Walk Police Confiscates Fire Arm And Ammunition In August Pine Ridge
A resident of August Pine Ridge was arrested and charged over the weekend for keeping unlicensed ammunition. According to authorities this is a common offense and cops are cracking down on the illegal holders. "Orange Walk police were in patrol at August Pine Ridge where they conducted a search inside a white mazda pickup at the time driven by one Secundino Torres a Belizean labourer of August Pine Ridge whilst conducting a search inside the vehicle police found 17, 16 gauge cartridges in which a licence could not be produced by Torres, police further conducted a search at Torres residence and three more 16 gauge were found inside the house, Secundino Torres has been arrested and charged for kept unlicensed ammunition."

Altercation Leads To One Palmar Resident In Critical Condition At KHMH
An altercation between two men in the quiet sleeping Village of Palmar in Orange Walk has left one man in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital and his attacker in police custody. While there are many theories as to what led to the argument, the police's version was that the victim provoked his attacker. Inspector Selvin Tillett, newly appointed Officer Commanding the Orange Walk Police Station, says officers met the victim at the NRH. "They saw one Orvin Cantun a Belizean labourer of San Jose Palmar Village who was seen suffering from multiple chopped wounds to the back of his head and a large cut wound to his left elbow and hand, a large cut wound across his mouth and on top of his teeth and on his left side, initial police investigation revealed that whilst at Palmar Village Cantun has disrespected one Alberto Canche who attacked Cantun and inflicted said wound and at this moment Cantun is at the KHMH in a critical condition and Alberto Canche has been arrested and charged for crime of dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. What we understand is Canche was passing by and Orvin just start provoke him and he was drinking also."

LOVE FM

Murder Victim's Spouse Charged for Her Death
On Friday we reported on the murder of 25-year-old customs officer, Keisha Buller. Buller who was posted at the Western Border was stabbed, allegedly by her common law husband Orvin Wade who reportedly fled the scene. He was intercepted by Police near Central Farm on the George Price Highway. Today Wade appeared in San Ignacio [�]

Immunity for Ellis Meighan? Chester Says Not at All
Last Thursday there was a report of gunshots fired in the area of Vernon and Sibun Streets in Belize City. It turns out that those shots were fired just after ten o'clock when 23-year-old, Kendis Flowers and 42-year-old, Raph Martinez were getting out of a taxi on Vernon Street. The duo reported that whilst getting [�]

Court News: Burglary - Firearms - Sex Offences - Robbery
Glenroy Reynolds, a security guard who was on duty when the Traffic Department building was burglarized on April 4, was charged with burglary and handling stolen goods when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Reynolds pled not guilty to the charges. He was denied bail and he was remanded into custody until October [�]

Last Man on Death Row at Belize Central Prison Gets Some Reprieve
Glenford Baptist is the last person who remains on death row at the Belize Central Prison. Today, Baptist, who was on death row for 13 years, was given some reprieve when he was brought before the Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin where the decision of the Belize Court of Appeal was quashed after finding that his [�]

Kareem Clarke's Suspected Killer Detained by Police
In a shooting incident that occurred on Saturday, Glen Murrillo was shot to the hand whilst on Vernon Street in Belize City. Quick response to the sounds of gunshots led to the detention of a 16-year-old boy who police believes was the gunman. Sources indicate that the young man, who is out of school and [�]

House Fire Leaves Family of Thirteen Homeless
A two-storey wooden structure was burnt down in the wee hours of Saturday morning in Biscayne Village, Belize District. The fire occurred between two thirty and three o'clock this morning, leaving four adults and nine children homeless. According to the family, they were alerted of the fire when one of the occupants, Oscar Ponce felt [�]

PlusTV

Mena ready for General elections
Mena put on an impressive victory against his political opponent Anthony Sabal. However despite their loss, the PUP said that the unity of the blue team at Wednesday's by election is a sign that the winds of change is blowing. And while Mena holds the seat now, the seat goes up in the air at t...

Is police officer responsible for fellow officer's death?
He has never been criminally charged, but police constable Glenwayne Grant is believed to be the man who shot and killed plainclothes police detective Dean Yearwood Jr. while responding to a robbery in progress at the corner of Nargusta Street and Central American Boulevard in Belize City in Septemb...

Minister of State Mena; Sworn in two days after election
On Wednesday Frank Papa Mena was voted in by the people of Dangriga, Sarawee and Hope Creek as their new area representative and two days after his election, he is now the Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security. The Governor General's House was flooded by a sea of red shirts t...

Cotton Tree Village sues Government
The Cotton Tree Village Council has a grievance with the Barrow administration dating back to last year when the latter decided to set aside 240 lots in a section of the village to be shared up between eight UDP-controlled Belize City constituencies. According to the Council, as the duly elected rep...

Media colleagues honor the legacy of Kareem Clarke
With his funeral services set for Saturday afternoon in Belize City, we end this week of news as we began it, honoring the late Kareem Clarke, viciously targeted in the early hours of Monday at the corner of Vernon and Lakeview Streets. Today's Amandala newspaper announced that the organizatio...

Woman stabbed to death by common law husband
A woman from Benque Viejo Town was stabbed to death earlier this evening. According to police some minutes before 3 pm this evening, Keisha Buller, 25 year old Belizean Customs Officer of George Street Benque Viejo Town, was at home when she reportedly got into a domestic dispute with her common law...

Shots fired, two men escape injuries
Yesterday, July 9th, two construction workers escaped what could have been a fatal shooting. The men, Kendis Flowers and Ralph Martinez, exited a taxi on Vernon Street. While exiting the taxi, they both noticed Ellis Meighn who pulled out what appeared to be a 9mm pistol and fired several shots at t...

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Last man on death row spared
Glenford Baptist, a prisoner who was on death row for 13 years, was removed from death row today when he was brought before the Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin and the decision by the Belize Court of Appeal was quashed because it was found that his constitutional rights were [�]

Youth apprentice charged with robbery
Alan Phillips, who is a part of Mrs. Diane Finnegan's apprentice program, was charged with robbery, harm and aggravated assault when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Phillips pled not guilty to the charges. He was remanded into custody until October 13. The incident [�]

Security guard accused of burgling workplace
Glenroy Reynolds, a security guard who was on duty when the Traffic Department building was burglarized on April 4, was charged with burglary and handling stolen goods when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Reynolds pled not guilty to the charges. He was denied [�]

40 year old man charged for sex with teenager
Forty year old Orlando Dawson, a construction worker of Bermudian Landing, who allegedly had sex with a girl 14 years and 10 months old, was charged with 3 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. Dawson was remanded into [�]

Two charged with firearm offenses
Two men, 21 year old Lyson Cacho and 20 year old Nicasio Zuniga, were charged with firearm and ammunition offenses when they appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Anne Marie Smith. They pled not guilty to the charges. They were remanded into custody until October 15. They police, [�]

One Dead in Fatal Traffic Accident in Camalote Village
Acting on information received on July 12th, 2015, just after 5:00 p.m. Belmopan Police responded to a traffic accident in Camalote Village. At the scene, Police spoke to Odin Herrarte, 22 year old Belizean truck driver of #46 Venezuela Street, Belmopan who is believed to be the person [�]

"Ten Island Challenge" helps Belize promote renewable energy
Belize is among the world's most beautiful Caribbean countries with the most beautiful islands but like many other nations in our region, Belize's development is hampered by the fact that it is among the highest paying countries for electricity in the world. Realizing the potential of these Caribbean islands and [�]

Belize's fuel prices 5th highest in Caribbean region
Belizeans have benefited from a series of reductions in fuel prices in conjunction with the lowering of prices around the world. But a recent survey found that they are still among the highest in the Caribbean region, ranking only below several tourist destinations such as the Bahamas, Antigua [�]

St. Vincent Block residents challenge BWS over water
Monday June 22nd was the last straw for residents of the St. Vincent Block community as about 20 residents of the area gathered to protect the water meter that feeds one hundred and fifty people; men, women and mostly children. An agent representing Belize Water Services (BWS) arrived to [�]

Jamie Smith acquitted of murders
27 year old Jamie Smith was acquitted by Justice Adolph Lucas this morning of murder charges following a trial without jury. He was accused of the murders of Dwayne Tillet and Eric Arana on May 20, 2011, around eight in the evening on Antelope Street Extension. The two were sitting [�]

Firearm recovered from shooting scene
The Belize City Police's Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) made the discovery of a black .9mm Glock pistol after the shooting of 18 year old Anthony Smith on Friday night, July 10th. Smith was shot multiple times to the upper region of the body sometime before 9:00 that night on Central American Boulevard and had already been taken to the hospital when officers arrived on scene. GSU officers decided to conduct searches in the area in an attempt to locate the weapon used to shoot Smith.

Fair conditions are expected to prevail today across the country
The national Meteorological service of Belize calls for mostly fair and dry weather conditions. The 24 our forecast, is for mostly sunny today and partly cloudy tonight. Showers or thunderstorms will be isolated. Winds will blow to the east at 5 to 15 knots with the sea state to be choppy. High temperatures are expected to be around 88 degrees Fahrenheit along the coast; 95 degrees Fahrenheit inland and a comfortable 81 degrees Fahrenheit up on the exposed areas of the Mountain Pine Ridge and along the Maya Mountains in the south.

Blogs

Hot, swarmy and a big shout out
For 8:00am on Sunday it is pretty quiet in San Pablo area, oddly enough it was nosier at 5:00am when I awoke to neighbors singing. Could be worse sometimes we get a confused rooster crowing long before daylight. I had made plans to go to breakfast with Paul this am but due to last nights poker run, I am waiting quietly till an appropriate time to see if it is still happening or on delay. I am going to try and reroute us from Estel's to Sandbar to switch it up. I ended up at Estel's unexpectedly on Friday, when I had some time to kill before my flight to Caye Caulker. (Flight and golf cart taxi video coming.) Leaving you with a few pics from my last couple of days of driving around town with my friend Dick, lunch at Sand Bar with Paul and our gorgeous San Pedro Belize weather. It has been super hot and perfect for beach time, there were lots of people swimming this weekend. As for the swarmy is part, we have been experiencing intermittent patches of daytime mosquitoes. Those are the ones to watch out for as they are potential dengue carriers.

A Concise History Of Mesoamerica And The Ancient Maya Part 2
The term mesoamerica was first coined by anthropologist Paul Kirchoff. In 1943 anthropologists attempted to differentiate culture areas - cultures that shared characteristics that were found in the middle part of the America's. These characteristics were monumental architecture and other important developments such as: Corbel Arch, Ballcourts, Folded Books, Complex Calendars, Knowledge of Astronomy, Reliance on corn, bean, squash, Human Sacrifice, THE HISTORY OF RESEARCH. The Spanish Travellers: This is the period that will eventually lead to the conquest of the Maya. As we have probably heard or read somewhere in history, Christopher Columbus made 4 voyages to the America's. On his 4th voyage he came to the Bay of Honduras (The area toward the southern end of Belize where it meets with Guatemala and Honduras). he claimed he met some people (Maya) on some dugout canoes - large enough for 25 men and cargo.

Inner City Kids Just Being Kids at The Beach: Camp Basil Jones on North Ambergris Caye
Last Thursday, I headed up to a summer camp on North Ambergris Caye not really knowing what to expect. Other than kids�bunks�swimming�summer camp. And I met an amazing group of children & teens, some exceptional adults and had one of my most memorable experiences in my 8 years in Belize. I took an early boat up north from the Hol Chan Marine office in San Pedro. We were headed all the way up to the Basil Jones cut in the reef (see arrow below) - 14 miles north of town and right in front of the camp. This is the second year of summer camp at Camp Basil Jones. The site, just south of gorgeous Tranquility Bay Resort, is used for education for international university students during most of the year.

First Trip to “Mainlandia” and the Belize Zoo
For the last 5-1/2 years we have traveled to San Pedro, Belize 2-3 times a year. We have never been to the mainland���unless you count landing at the Philip S. W. Goldson Internationl Airport in Belize City. Can you imagine our embarrassment if we told people that we lived in Belize but had never discovered the beauty and awe that the mainland has to offer! Because of this sad, little fact, we decided to take a week and go exploring. What's on the itinerary, you ask? The Belize Zoo, San Ignacio and Hopkins. Another fact about our lack of adventure during prior trips is that we have only flown from the mainland to San Pedro via Tropic Air. We have never taken the water taxi over in 5-1/2 years. Shame on us!!!! (I know!) In our defense, I have to mention that we justified our decision for the short 12 minute flight over in order to maximize each vacation. The water taxi takes quite a bit longer. So, we headed over to Caye Caulker Water Taxi to catch the 10:00 a.m. shuttle, purchased our roundtrip tickets with 20 minutes to spare and headed to Lily's Treasure Chest for a morning Michelada. (Don't judge us!)

Top 5 Hostels in Belize
Belize is late in the game for catering to backpackers but in the past few years many new and impressive hostels have been popping up all over the country. The original place for budget travellers has always been Caye Caulker but now it’s extending to the South and West of Belize. Matter of fact, on my recent visit to San Ignacio I got exciting news that friends were opening a hostel! How awesome - how tired am I of Belizeans thinking the only way to get into tourism is by opening a luxury resort. Here is my list of the top hostels in Belize: Yumas House Belize, Bella's Backpacker's Hostel, The Old House Hostel, Pedro's Inn, The Funky Dodo Hostel.

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES
Ingredients 1 medium cooked sweet potato 1 cup almond flour 1tsp baking powder 2 organic eggs 1 tsp vanilla � teaspoon pumpkin pie spice pinch of salt coconut oil Instructions Mix all ingredients together except coconut oil. In a pan heat coconut oil over medium-low heat. Drop spoonful of sweet potato mixture and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

YOU BETTER BELIZE IT: HAPPINESS IN HOPKINS BAY
We'd come from New York, New Orleans, Chicago, and Flores - three by plane, one by bus. It had been a long journey to get to a tiny fisherman's village about three hours south of Belize City. But as we unloaded onto the sandy paths of Hopkins Bay Resort, any travel fatigue we might have been experiencing quickly melted away. Yes. This? This would most certainly do for the first stop of our Baackes-Allen Belize Takeover. Hopkins Bay Resort is a sprawling beach-front property at the far north end of the tiny village of Hopkins. It consists of freestanding villas arranged around two pools, the chic poolside Drum Bar, and the main gathering space, the Rhum Shack. The Rhum Shack was something straight out of the glossy pages of a travel magazine, a whimsically designed backdrop for a winning social media profile picture around every corner. "This," Olivia had declared, "is what Instagram dreams are made of."

'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE BELIZE�
When I was thirteen, I carefully ripped a page out of a magazine I'd found at the orthodontists' office. Wanderlust had begun to take hold on my psyche, and I'd forgone the gossip rags and fashion fluff in favor of an old issue of Cond� Nast Traveler. Something in it had caught my eye. And so, glancing up to make sure that no one was watching me vandalize a piece of waiting room property, I plucked the page. With that tear, an obsession was born. Forget braces. (I mean really, forget braces. Seriously, anyone who knows me, forget that horrible, awkward phase ever happened.) I wanted Belize. We spent four nights by the beach, and four nights in the jungle. We rode horses to secret waterfalls, kayaked through caves, clamored over Mayan ruins, and marveled at the open-air bathrooms in our resort. We went snorkeling and my sister and I saw coral reefs for the first time. It was the best trip we'd ever taken. It was also, as my extensive scrapbook of the trip reminds us, a terrible era for sunglass fashions.

Is Belize A Good Destination For Families?
While kid-friendly destinations like Walt Disney World may be at the top of your list for your next family vacation, why not consider a different kind of family adventure? How about a trip to the rainforests and cayes of Belize? Over the past several years, Belize has seen an increase in the number of family travelers making their way to this Central American paradise. Not only is a trip to Belize an adventure, it can be extremely educational for kids and adults alike. Travel To And Around Belize: With existing air carriers adding new routes, and others, like Southwest, slated to start service soon, getting your family to Belize is becoming a breeze. No one wants to spend a day or more traveling with kids just to start off a vacation. And, if you're considering a trip to neighboring countries like Mexico, Guatemala or Honduras, check out Tropic Air Belize who offers daily flights between Belize and all three countries. Geographically speaking, Belize is small enough to plan a holiday that includes time in various parts of the country. Spend part of a week in the jungles on the mainland, and then catch up on some rest and relaxation on one of Belize's cayes. And, getting between destinations within Belize is easy, as both Maya Island Air and Tropic Air offer daily flights all around the country.

BACKPACKING BELIZE - GO SLOW' ON CAYE CAULKER, ADVENTURE IN SAN IGNACIO
If you're planning to go to Central America, go backpacking Belize: It's the perfect place to slow down! Of all the tourists coming to Belize, most of them are headed to the islands in the Caribbean Sea, and the backpacking ones usually to Caye Caulker, I think. It has the aura and the reputation of being a backpacker´s heaven. Luckily, I felt it was not overcrowded nevertheless. Maybe because of the prices - backpacking Belize is not for cheapskates. For a beer at the local Reggae bar at the famous Split, you might have to spend more than in your favourite hometown pub. Still, it was very hard to leave Caye Caulker. It´s the island of �go slow' - something we all need to remind ourselves to do at times. And it also has some of the best diving I have ever experienced - in the world´s second biggest reef. You get to see turtles, manta rays, nurse sharks, and maybe even manatee - which is a breathtaking site, I can tell. But I was holding my breath anyway to dive closer to that huge sea-vegetarian. It´s the inside of a cave when you´ve put your headlamp off. My most exciting experience up to now has been to a cave near San Ignacio in Belize - it is completely dark inside and the whole cave system is tens of kilometers long - parts of it are not even explored. There is a river inside the cave which you have to swim through to get inside - you also climb across rocks and wade through the river all the way in the cave, until you get to a p art further up, where maya relicts have been found. Mostly clay pots, probably used for offerings, but also human remains were found. The objects are pretty well conserved in the cold of the cave, that´s why they are not transferred to a museum. As with most of the really impressive trips I´ve done so far, I hope this place stays as untouched and remote as it is now - but I don´t really dare to believe it.

BELIZEAN TIBURON RUM
So I cracked open my first bottle of Tiburon yesterday and I have to say that I am pleasantly surprised by the smooth taste from that sexy bottle that feels like running your hand through fine silk, not that I was expecting anything too different. This is highly recommended. I tried it in different ways: on the rocks, with coconut water, with club soda, with sprite, and I must say that on the rocks and coconut water are my favorite ways. If you have suggestions let me know. I will be trying out some recipes and making up my own stay tuned for updates as I run the tests. The rum has a sweet spicy smell along with some smells from back home like chocolate. My first taste was a sliver as is, my tongue did a little dance from the rush of flavors that hit it in a split second, mellow but exciting. This is a fun drink that you can have many ways and it will make a great addition to any bar and just about any brew you can conjure up. Tiburon is aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels amongst other barrels of different ages.

The 8 Best Places To Live Rich Without Much Money (So You Can Brig Your Dreams To Life)
It seems like everyone wants to be somewhere different yet no one knows where they want to be. What if you could live rich for cheap? Here are the eight best places to live where you can be rich without much money: (Not in any particular order.) 3. Corozal, Belize. This is a hot spot for people who meditate and those who do yoga. This place is full of captivating beaches and delicious restaurants. Rent for a one bedroom apartment only runs about one hundred and ninety dollars a month as well! Everything is relatively cheap, but minimum wage is only two dollars and ninety-two cents.

Top fun things to do this week in Placencia, Belize!
Who says it is low season??? Not Placencia! Tonight, Thursday night, July 9th: -All you can eat spaghetti at Flying Pig, 6pm, $15bz -Rumfish-Live Music @ Rumfish y Vino with Steve Fasano. Blues, Rock, Folk, Pop, Jazz & more. From 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Reservations and info @ 523-3293 -Turtle Inn--Indonesian Rijstaffel Dinner at Turtle Inn tonight.A tasting platter of the rich food culture from the island nation of Indonesia stretching from Sumatra to Timor. They serve 18 small servings on a "Lazy Susan" at BZ$64 per person. Call for reservations-523-3244

International Sourcesizz

Countries with the Most Expensive Fuel Prices in the Caribbean
5. Belize Belize has one of the highest per capita gasoline consumption in CARICOM. Fuel imports as a percentage of its merchandise imports in 2013 equaled 15.22%. Belize's generation mix includes HFO and Bagasse. Working with The Carbon War Room (an anti-carbon group he co-founded) and Virgin Group's Richard Branson in the 10 Island Renewable Challenge. Belize among other islands (The Bahamas, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and others) are seeking to switch away from diesel. According to Forbes, to help the cause, Carbon War Room and RMI have worked with the World Bank and the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation to earmark $300 million for new renewable energy projects in the islands.

Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association donate equipment to help country's athletes
The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (BOCGA) has donated BZ$17,000 (�5,400/$8,400/�7,500) worth of equipment to the Belize Athletics Association (BAA), it has been announced, in a bid to improve the performances of the country's athletes. The equipment, which including starting blocks, shot puts, discusses, javelins, stopwatches and hurdles, was handed to BAA President Deon Sutherland by BOCGA vice-president Owen Meighan. It is claimed the donation will help around 140 athletes in the Central American country, with Meighan claiming all requests made by the BAA were granted. "We just got a new track and some of the equipment they had before were lost," Meighan said. "Everything they requested we got. "We foresee a lot of the young athletes now as we see good potential in them and this helps them to perform much better."

Buying an island property as a second home becoming more popular
Whether it is a villa on Mallorca, a hideaway in the Caribbean or a remote Scottish retreat, owning an island home is proving popular with wealthy real estate investors. Some islands can still be expensive for buying property but others have seen property prices fall significantly, according to a new report from international real estate firm Knight Frank. The report into the world's top island destinations points out that while some islands are firmly back on the radar of second home buyers, others are still struggling to see sustained price growth following the financial crisis. Prime property price in Bali increased by 15% in 2014 while in Mustique, once a favourite of the former Princess Margaret, and in Ibiza prices have increased by 5% while those in other popular locations, such as the Caribbean have increased but not by as much. The report also identifies key emerging island destinations in Central American countries such as Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize and in Asia Pacific such as the Philippines and Tonga. At the same time the concept of a second home or lifestyle purchase is slowly becoming more established in Asia.

CARICOM Fears Dominican Migrant Policy Could Spread
The Regional Cultural Committee of the Caribbean Community recommended Monday that the 15-member organization urge the Dominican Republic to "desist" from deporting Dominican-born descendants of Haitian migrants, a policy some fear could be imitated by other countries in the region. CARICOM should advise the Dominican Republic "to immediately cease and desist such overtly racist policies disguised as state foreign policy," the Committee said in a statement. "We are mindful that while descendants of Haitian migrants might be seen as a clearly identifiable group in the context of the Dominican Republic, the ethnic similarities and cultural commonalities to the vast majority of the Caribbean population caution us that a similar policy can be utilized to expel wider groups of CARICOM peoples from nations," the Committee said.

Former Panama president moved funds for illegal purchases through Belize corporations
According to a government investigation into the purchase, and installation of illegal telephone and internet monitoring equipment purchased for Panama's former president, Ricardo Martinelli, in order to spy on opposition figures, and individuals that he wanted to blackmail, or to coerce them into having sexual relations with him, Martinelli's assistants used shell companies organized in Belize to mask the purchases, as well as hold title to the surveillance gear. Even though Panama is itself a jurisdiction where beneficial ownership can be totally obscured behind bearer-share corporate vehicles, Martinelli still chose to utilize another jurisdiction. Apparently he feared disclosure of his illegal acts.

Videos

  • Last Speech as Head Coach of Galen University (Belize), 1.5min. Coach Adam Carswell addresses the Galen Eagles after their 2014-2015 National Collegiate Championship.

  • Tortilla Soup with Flavors of Belize, min. Want to learn the easy way to make delicious tortilla soup? Flavors of Belize just released a video showing how to do just that. Looks delicious! "Follow along with Chef Carolee Chanona as we prepare a staple soup in Belize and in restaurants throughout the country - Tortilla Soup."

  • A River Somewhere Season 2 Turneffe Islands Belize, 27min.

  • Belize 2015, 9min.

  • 100 Miles From Nowhere: Belize, 42min. Heat, humidity, snakes, bugs and lost GoPro's at the bottom of a jungle waterfall. It's all here in Belize. Belize, Belize where is Belize you wonder? Is it in South America next to Brazil maybe? It has jungles so that means it's on the equator you feel pretty sure about that.

  • Belize Dive, 9min. Blackbird Caye, Turneffe Atoll, Belize

  • Belize Mission 2015 Barton Creek with ROW Kids, 7min. LCC team on mission with ROW Kids to San Ignacio Belize. Sunday was our first day which was spent team building through an amazing adventure at Barton's Creek in the mountains of Cayo district.

  • The Belize Song, 4min. by Hillbilly Cactus Juice. This is a song I wrote when I decided to quit a dead-end job and take some chances with my life. The chances paid off and in a few months we made our way to Jerry Jeff Walker's Camp Belize. Friendly people, perfect climate and cold Belikin beer make it a true paradise!

  • Water Walkers Dancing at Camp Basil Jones Belize, .5min.

  • Crystal cave tubing in Belize, 3min. Clips from our ship on the Royal Caribbean and our cave tubing in a crystal cave in Belize

  • Snorkeling Fun at Long Caye Aquarium Belize, 2min. Visit the popular Long Caye Aquarium site in Belize, Central America and enjoy an experience of a lifetime. Snorkel or dive to experience one of the most pristine and beautiful sites in the country and mingle with the rich marine life including colorful tropical fish, sharks, sting rays, sea turtles.

  • Christina, 20min. This is long (20 min) but oh so important to listen to. If you have been swayed at all by the government's take on what happened to Mr. Myles, then you owe it to yourself, your family, your community, your country to get both sides of the story. As long as votes and power can be bought (with our money), we do not live in a democracy in Belize...


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