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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

Belizean Chefs share the best of The Jewel at See & Taste Belize
On Saturday October 12th, some of Belize’s top chefs found themselves at The See & Taste Belize Festival in Miami, Florida USA at the FIU Kovens Conference Center. Chefs in attendance included Jennie Staines of Elvi’s Kitchen- Ambergris Caye, Hugo Meyer and Sherlette Belisle of Rain Restaurant and Rooftop Terrace- Ambergris Caye, Sean Kuylen, and Robert Pronk. The festival is organized by the Consulate of Belize in Florida and Belize’s Office of Special Envoy for Women and Children along with the Belize Tourism Board (BTB), BELTRAIDE, Flavors of Belize, and FIU’s School of Hospitality Management and Tourism and aims to market the best of Belize’s culinary culture, while fundraising for the development of Belize’s first dedicated Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).

Off to the Lone Star State: Houston via Southwest Airlines!
This is by far one of the coolest things I get to do in my time at The San Pedro Sun and My Beautiful Belize: International Travel! In February of 2015, Southwest Airlines announced their brand new international destination out of Houston, Texas, USA, and it was to our beloved Belize! I met with Brad Hawkins, then Michelle Agnew, as they finalized the details of their upcoming grand arrival. In the process, guess who got an INVITATION?! And I had a choice too: I could go to Houston via other routes, then fly in ON the first flight out of Houston to Belize…OR…I could fly back on the return to Houston, and stay as long as I wanted! Thanks to the awesome people at Tropic Air, I even got a flight to International Airport from San Pedro Town. (Y’all love me, you really love me…)

UDP Rally held in San Pedro prior to General Elections
The United Democratic Party (UDP) held its pre-election rally over the weekend in San Pedro. The event took place on the night of Saturday, October 10th at the Central Park. The party showed its strength by bringing some of their current leaders to the event. A large crowd gathered at the park, eager to listen to the different speakers of the event, including the UDP candidates contesting the November 4th General Elections, Area Representative Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr., and Belize City Mayor Darell Bradley. “This is a government that is working for the people, especially for the neediest ones. We are working with education as well by helping many students from low income families and making sure that our young people, the future of the country, get their lots,” Heredia remarked.

Belize regains Avian Influenza Free status
On the 9th September 2015 the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) declared that Belize had regained its free status from the Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N2. This virus had been circulating in the Spanish Lookout Area, one of the most important poultry sector in Belize. BAHA has continued testing in all other areas of the country and responding to calls from the general public whom has remained vigilant. To date BAHA has detected four suspect outbreaks in backyard poultry only; two villages in the southern districts, namely Red Bank and Bella Vista and two villages in the north, namely Fireburn and Sylvestre. The early detection and rapid response by BAHA has not allowed for the spread of the suspect disease in the surrounding areas and other communities. BAHA with the support from the Poultry Industry conducted depopulation of the infected birds in the affected villages.

Jamila Janmohamed host yet another successful Poppy Appeal Dinner
On Saturday, October 10th island residents and visitors dined for a worthy cause at the annual Poppy Appeal Dinner. Organized by longtime San Pedro resident Jamila Janmohamed, the dinner is a collaboration between The Royal British Legion, Belize Branch and El Fogon to help raise funds for the Poppy Appeal. These funds are used to support past and present members of the British Armed Forces and their families. For a contribution of $100, patrons enjoyed a wonderful four course Indian dinner. In order to accommodate all patrons, the fundraiser had two dinner seatings, with the first one at 6PM and the second one at 8PM. Guests enjoyed a meal including Potato Champs, Spicy Lentil Soup, Beef Rogan Josh with Aloo Gobi and Pilau Rice, and a dessert of Carrot Halwa. The fundraising dinner was a delicious success.

Christian Ministry addresses high school and college students
The Lighthouse Christian Radio in collaboration with He Intends Victory (HIV), a Christian Ministry that deals with those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, held a presentation for students at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium. The event took place on Thursday, October 8th and included three speakers, Dan Davis, Ronald Magno, and Scane Curfman. All three speakers are living with the HIV virus. According to Clive Welsh, the country director for HIV, the sole purpose of the ministry is to bring hope to those afflicted with HIV/AIDS. “This Ministry is involved in 18 countries around the world. One of the main goals is to bring education and understanding to those that are not infected and we go a step forward by bringing people who are infected to tell their stories,” said Welch.

Ambergris Today

Must Try Signature Dishes at Hidden Treasure Restaurant
I look down at the menu of Hidden Treasure Restaurant and I always find it difficult to select my dinner. Should I have the amazing Almond Crusted Grouper that I loved so much last time, or should I go for something new? It was so delicious! Decisions are the worst, although any choice at Hidden Treasure cannot be bad. With a menu filled with delicious Belizean delicacies, each dining experience is one to remember. Plus, nothing could be worse that sitting back in a relaxed and enchanting setting, sipping on a great Caribbean cocktail waiting for your dinner to arrive, RIGHT!? That is what I love about Hidden Treasure, the atmosphere of the restaurant is much like an elegant patio setting where you feel taken away from the daily distractions and stress. Plus it’s comfy and homey; the tending staff is always making sure you are having a great dining experience.

October Sunsets Make Belize GLOW
There is a saying that big things are made up of little things – little things that are priceless, golden and magical. There is no explaining how precious they are; they just are. This cannot be truer than life in Belize, my incredibly stunning Belize. It’s the simple kinda life: * Those short footsteps you take and you are already at the beach * The fresh and salty smell of the morning sea breeze * That morning commute where you get to say ‘Good Morning’ to half of your friends * That morning commute on golf cart * Stopping at that hole-in-the-wall where you always get the perfect breakfast

Flashbacks - The Small and Quaint Belize International Airport
The small and quaint Belize International Airport served the country up until the 1990’s, before becoming the much larger and well-known Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport of today. It was a small but very welcoming airport with the air traffic control tower right on top of the building. Friendly immigration and custom officials who spoke only in Creole dialect were very hospitable. The suitcases were all piled up on a ramp and one had to wait in groups to select his luggage.

25 Years Ago - Remembering When WE USED TO… in San Pedro Village No. 5
TEA TIME: Do you know why the morning breakfast was called “Tea”? I’ll tell you right now. And do you know why the evening supper was also called “Tea”? It is very simple; it’s because along with whatever we ate in the mornings and evenings, we also USED TO have a cup of tea sweetened with condensed milk. Coffee was not very common yet to San Pedro, and so were chocolate drinks. BREAST FEEDING: Breast feeding today is exactly the same as breast feeding in the past. How can it be different? Well, I’ll take it back because today in public nursing mothers carry specialized baby bottles or “baba” as they were called in San Pedro. In the past mothers used to breastfeed the very young babies anywhere in public because they had no baby bottles. DUTCH CHEESE THE ONLY CHEESE: There was a time in San Pedro when the cheese that comes in one large ball with a red waxy cover was the only cheese in San Pedro. In days gone by, mom USED TO say: Go to the store and get me half a pound of cheese and she meant Dutch cheese, or the round cheese. In Spanish they called it “queso de calavera” or queso de bola. One never questioned what kind of cheese because there was only one kind of cheese- Dutch cheese.

Arianna & Hector Nuptials
Arianna Lara and Hector Ortega exchanged vows in Holy Matrimony at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church on Saturday, October 10, 2015. Their godparents were Rocio Jimenez and Francisco Mendez. A reception followed after the mass celebration at the San Pedro Lion’s Den with family, friends and invited guests. Congratulations to Arianna and Hector!

Misc Belizean Sources

Hamanasi Resort Celebrates 15 years as Belize's Ultimate Adventure Resort
October 18, 2015, marks 15 years of romance, adventure and award-winning customer service at Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort, a top boutique eco-resort in Belize. Since day one, this eco-chic resort has offered luxurious, sustainable accommodations outside the quaint village of Hopkins, away from the tourist path and just steps from the Caribbean Sea. Over the years, Hamanasi has continued to exceed travelers' expectations, providing a one-stop resort that affords the best of Belize from a beautiful, centralized location. The resort is the dream-turned reality of two adventurous Americans, Dana and David Krauskopf, who turned their vision of a little resort on a secluded beach into a successful model for sustainable tourism. Hamanasi has experienced continual levels of growth thanks in part to its three core values: guests are treated like family and enjoy an experience of a lifetime; employees receive incentive and ongoing training programs that encourage a happy, skilled and proud staff; and Hamanasi works with local organizations to help in crisis as well as with everyday projects.

Paradise Theater: Playing this weekend!
Because we get asked this every week.. NO... we will not be closed because of the rain. We are open Friday Saturday and Sunday night. thank you for your support.

2016 Applications for the renewal of Trade and Liquor Licenses
The San Pedro Town Council, The San Pedro Trade Licensing Board and the San Pedro Liquor Licensing Board take this opportunity to remind all business owners that applications for the renewal of Trade and Liquor Licenses for the year 2016 are now being accepted. TRADE LICENSE APPLICATION DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 27, 2015 LIQUOR LICENSE APPLICATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 11, 2015 The SPTC and the SPTLB also take this opportunity to remind all License Holders to settle any arrear before the new fiscal year. Failure to comply may result in legal action. Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday (8:00 AM to 5:00 PM) Friday (8:00 AM to 4:30 PM)

Pardon the interruption
Power interruptions 6:00am to 6:20am & 4:40pm to 5:00pm scheduled for entire Orange Walk & Corozal Districts on Thursday, October 15, Friday, October 16 & Saturday, October 17. BEL to conduct climbing inspections of transmission system in area.

SISE HoC Finados
The SISE House of Culture is having a Finados Alter Display on October 30th. They'll have some traditional and culture food you can try. The display is in honor of Mrs. Merdit Sanz. "You are cordially invited to the Finados Alter Display at SISEHOC on Friday October 30th. Come and witness and learn about the traditional Finados Alter Display."

BBG Halloween Crafts
The Belize Botanical Garden's Halloween craft and mask making fun day is going to be at their Garden Shop in town. Treats and arts supplies are provided. "Come ONE, come all! This HALLOWEEN at the BBG Garden Shop - MASK MAKING, TREATS, CRAFTS fun for kids and adults alike! Will have projector running and fun for all! in 37 West Street, San Ignacio, Cayo/ Tel: 671-3322" Come ONE, come all! This HALLOWEEN at the BBG Garden Shop - MASK MAKING, TREATS, CRAFTS fun for kids and adults alike! Will have projector running and fun for all! in 37 West Street, San Ignacio, Cayo/ Tel: 671-3322

THE AFRICAN BELIZE / MEXICO CONNECTION: PART ONE!
Many Belizeans of African descent have relatives in Mexico because of the African presence in Mexico, and the fact that many runaway slaves in Belize sought refuge in Mexico. The featured article explains how and why.

THE BELIZEAN MAYA & DOWN SOUTH ON ELECTION DAY!
As the Belize general elections wheels grind away across the country come November 4, 2015, it is interesting to know that the present government in power has not delivered yet since the Belize Maya won a landmark case at the Caribbean Courts of Justice (CCJ) in their struggle for self-determination. How much of this issue will become a political football to win the Belizean mayan votes?

BELIZEANS: THE SLEEPING GIANT!
George Gabb's epic art piece, The Sleeping Giant, has become the face of the Belize Documentary Series called Belizean Legends. For many Belizeans at home and abroad, it portrays a humble and proud people who many have come to believe presents a laid back personality that appears quite submissive and apathetic. Until it wakes up and breaks up the circus. There is a Belizean saying that goes: Belize brukup bigga circus dan dat! Oh what a day when the Sleeping Giant awakes!

Channel 7

PUP Sign Social Contract - '98 All Over Again?
The PUP is driving hard towards the November fourth general election and trying to build momentum in the process. That means staying in the public eye – and doing all it can to convince the electorate that Francis Fonseca’s PUP is serious about reform – and is not the old PUP. That’s no easy task – considering that a large part of the voting public is understandably skeptical about glib pre-election promises. And so, to show the seriousness of their resolve, the PUP signed their name to a social contract today – and 7News was there to ask the tough questions:… Jules Vasquez Reporting…. The PUP’s candidates – or 28 of them today signed a 12 point contract: Francis Fonseca - PUP, Party Leader "This is our opportunity to get it right. And we in the PUP will take that very very seriously." For some of them – let’s just say this isn’t their first rodeo This social contract from the PUP in 1998 still has a many unfulfilled promises.

Cousin Ralph: UDP Bogeyman Or PUP Bagman?
But, while the party has its policy types working in the backrooms to kick out the agendas – in the middle of a national campaign – there’s also got to be someone in the basement, shoveling money. It’s no secret that politics is a big money business – heck! – even the third party, the BPP says it needs half a million dollars to run a bare bones national campaign. So, for sure, the mainstream parties need at least ten times that to do politics on a mass party scale. That’s no easy feat – raising 5 million dollars or more in just five weeks – and in the PUP – since the mid 90’s - that job of chief fundraiser has fallen to the National Campaign Manager. Except, right now in the PUP, there is none – the post was vacated when Godfrey Smith was given his walking papers after the Dangriga bye election in July. And, like nature, politics abhors a vacuum – and, so, we are told - that into this breech has stepped Ralph Fonseca as the de-facto campaign manager. Now, indeed there’s a lot of propaganda about this issue – but, beyond that, there are also credible reports of his re-appearance, and, in practical terms, it wouldn’t be a stretch since Fonseca held and defined the post during the PUP’s glory days. But current PUP Leader Francis Fonseca bristled when we asked him about it on Sunday: Daniel Ortiz "Only about" 25, 24 days away from the election, have you all filled the post of national campaign manager, is there anyone? " Francis Fonseca - PUP, Party Leader "We have our structure in place."

Appeal Court Says One Year Contracts For Judges Are OK
The Court of Appeal has ruled that there is nothing wrong with High Court Judges being appointed to one year contracts. At first glance, that might appear as a very trivial conclusion, but it’s a victory for the Barrow Administration which has been criticized by opponents who have suggested that the Prime Minister amended the law so that the Cabinet could have more direct influence on the judiciary. That would go against the separation of powers principle in which one branch of Government is trying to exert authority over another. The Bar Association took the Government to court arguing that the constitutional amendments in 2008 were unlawful, null, and void. As viewers may remember, the effect of these amendments was to substitute an appointment tenure of 1 year where the appointment of certain judges did not specify an end date.

Pastor's Family Suffers Terrifying Home Invasion In Cayo
There was a terrifying early morning home invasion in a village in the Cayo district. We cannot be precise with the details or the images of the area, because a minor was raped – and we can’t show or say anything which would lead to disclosure of that child’s identity. So, all we can say is that it happened in one of the villages outside Belmopan in the Cayo District. We spoke to the family today and learned that yesterday morning after 7:00, the man of the house, a foreign pastor was working in his yard with his helper when two armed and masked men emerged from these bushes and told them to lie on the ground. The armed men then tied their hands with tape and took them into the main house. The pastor’s wife and daughter were in the house and their hands were also tied. One of the men stayed with the family while the other rummaged through the entire house stealing TV’s, laptops, phones, jewelry and cash.

Dumping Tonnes Of Drought-Damaged Bananas
Last week, we showed you Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s response to the difficulties that Maya King Banana Farm is experiencing due to the drought. He said that the Government simply cannot help one single farm. Last week, we followed up with John Zabaneh, spokesperson for Mayan King Banana Farm. He told us that the company is still losing a lot of money due to truckloads of bananas that they cannot sell because they are stunted by drought and haven’t grown to the size that the international banana distributors require. So Maya King has been forced to dump huge volumes of bananas, like this one, in the different communities near to their farm. They simply truck it over to public areas, such as a basketball court or a football field. There, they unload as much as 14 tonnes of bananas per truck and allow the residents to take home as much they want to their families. According to Zabaneh, the entire load – all 14 tonnes of it(!) - usually disappears within 10 to 15 minutes.

BPP Picking Up Candidates
For the past two days in the news – you’ve seen a whole lot of what the UDP and PUP are doing, but there’s also a third party – and coming up to Nomination day on October the 16th , they’re trying to gain critical mass by fielding 31 candidates, or a figure that’s pretty close to it. Today they got to 24, when the BPP presented 7 new candidates to the public at a press conference at the Belize Institute of Management. 7News was there:.. Dr. Javier Reyes - BPP Candidate, OW East "We need to address the serious existing problems in the health sector, in education and in learning institutions to name a few." Phillip De La Fuente - BPP Candidate, OW Central "My decision to run on the green team was made because when they brought out their initial ideas and manifestos, those were very similar to what I had when I wanted to run for the UDP again. But then they didn't want me to run for the UDP; they denied it, so I said well, this party is more along the lines that I personally would like to run."

Yasmin Shoman Says Faber's Followers Are "Fightacious"
The Collet division in Belize City is one of the poorest, most developmentally challenged areas in the city – and it is also one of the most politically charged. Even though the UDP consider it a safe seat, the PUP challenger Yasmin Shoman is determined to create an upset. She’s campaigning hard in the area – and she says that has created tensions between her supporters and those from the Faber camp. Shoman tells us that yesterday – that resulted in a physical altercation – which she would only speak to us about in very general terms:… Yasmin Shoman – PUP Candidate, Collet "Things have gotten a bit tense for about a week, week and a half now. Friday alone, some of his supporters tore down about 100 of my political signs and I've instructed my people not to follow suite; we don't want to get into that. Let them do what they feel is necessary out of desperation but we are bigger than that." Monica Bodden "Tell us a little bit about what happened this morning." Reporter "Weapon shown and stuff, knives."

Setting The Standard
Do Belize’s private and public sectors have standards in place? That’s what we found out at the standards Expo today. Several organizations from both sectors presented on how the standards have improved products and services for you - the consumer. One of the coordinators from the Bureau of Standards spoke to us about the importance of implementing standards for customer satisfaction and a representative from the Central Information Technology Office explained to us how they use those standards in their security management system. While CITO seems to have a sustainable standards system – other sectors are still working on drafting and implementing standards. Representatives from the water and energy sectors explained the challenges of actually applying standards. The Rep. from the Bureau of Standards told us that there are two types of standards - the mandatory standards and voluntary standards, like the ones that these entities are working on.

Is Freetown Still For Francis?
The old saying goes that in a Boledo town any number can play, and coming unto elections that is truer than ever. Apart from about seven or eight seats countrywide which the PUP and UDP have locked down – the other 25 seats are - to greater and lesser degrees – still in play. Of that 25, either of the mass parties are likely to win another five or six of them comfortably – based on the historical record. That leaves about 16 seats truly in play – and, again, based on the historical record, we’d have to put PUP Leader Francis Fonseca’s Freetown seat in that Boledo barrel. He won in 2012 by only 150 votes – and this time he’s facing a big name candidate in Dr. Carla Barnett who has major backing from her party. That’s fed into huge spending on infrastructure in the Freetown Division – add to that Dr. Barnett’s blue chip credentials as a public official – and, optically at least, it’s a formidable mix. But, Francis Fonseca appears unfazed – the man who won his last two election challenges by a cumulative 167 votes is confident he can do it again this time. We found out more when we campaigned with him yesterday:…

Albert Candidates on Promises
Tomorrow, we’ll continue our campaign trail coverage with the candidates from the Albert Division. As a preview of that story – where we talked to both candidates – we asked them about voter fatigue or cynicism about pre-election promises. Here’s what they said: Daniel Ortiz "How do you convince the voters to trust that you will come in and help them when; I'm sure it was here before and it is now here while you are here many years. Some would say you another politician coming in giving me promises but no results." Tracy Taegar-Panton - UDP Candidate, Albert "Like I say Daniel, I have a long relationship in this division. I have worked in this division long before politics, long before Mark Espat through my community outreach programmes, through my church or through the Red Cross, through many of the organisation I've been involved with. I have certainly have a long track record in tourism and a lot of these people I have advocated for." Daniel Ortiz "This effect of poverty; isn't that an indicator that they have somewhat been neglected by those been elected to represent them?" Tracy Taegar-Panton - UDP Candidate, Albert "I think that question is really best answered by the voters in the division if they felt neglected by their representation. I think on November 5th we will have a clear indication of how the people feel about the UDP government and certainly how they feel about me as their next representative."

Julius: Public Piety VS. Private Profiteering
And going back now to PUP Leader Francis Fonseca, for success as leader – he leans on his Deputy Julius Espat. He’s one of five deputies, but being around the public PUP, we get the very clear sense that Julius Espat is Francis Fonseca’s go to guy. He appeared today as a policy propagator, and we’ve seen him act as party whip, publicly scolding out of line standard bearers. And while Espat occupies the public stage as a no-nonsense good governance proponent – in his previous life, as a private architect and contractor – he benefitted from some plum public contracts. We asked him about the contrast between public piety and private profiteering – but he said it was irrelevant:… Jules Vasquez "But sir you wish to live in an idle but the fact is you yourself have been enriched by government contracts in the past." Julius Espat - PUP, Deputy Leader "Are you speaking on behalf of Channel 7?" Jules Vasquez "I am speaking on behalf of my knowledge and experience. I'm not saying you made an unfair profit."

Faber Denies Shoman
And, in one final political story tonight, a few minutes ago, we spoke with the UDP’s candidate in Collett Patrick Faber about the alleged physical confrontation between his supporters and those of his opponent Yasmin Shoman. He told us that he has no idea what that’s about and says no such report was made to him. He says there was some ahrd talk a few nights ago when she allegedly told some of his supporters to take down Faber’s signs but there was no physical altercation. He claims his signs have been torn down by Shoman’s supporters.

Channel 5

Daring Home Invasion in Camalote, Armed Intruders Rape Minor
Aggravated burglaries, also known as home invasions, are experiences that often times leave victims traumatized and in some cases hospitalized for days. It has been some time since we’ve reported [...]

Lincoln Flowers Remanded for Burglary and Attempted Rape
While officers in the west are on the hunt for a pair of armed intruders who sexually assaulted a minor in Camalote, forty-two-year old Lincoln Flowers appeared unrepresented before Chief [...]

Thief Makes Off with Firearms from Hopkins Police Station
Here’s a story you don’t hear everyday…Hopkins Police are investigating a burglary in which two nine millimeter guns were stolen. The good news is that they don’t have to go [...]

Did U.D.P. Cronies Benefit from Land Grab in Orange Walk?
It is no secret that there is corruption in the Lands Department…in fact, even the prime minister has gone on record to say that the department is, “a hotbed of [...]

Three Prime Parcels in Sugar City Sold for Dirt Cheap
Emir Cruz was issued parcel forty-three-zero-four while Derrick Gillett was sold parcel forty-three-zero-three and plot forty-one-thirty-five was given to Roman Alvarez. Both Gillett and Cruz paid eight hundred dollars for [...]

Seven More Candidates for Belize Progressive Party
A third cohort of candidates was inducted into the Belize Progressive Party earlier today, ahead of nomination day on Friday.  While the BPP is attempting to beat the clock, its [...]

…But are Its Campaign Finances Adding Up?
At the launch of the Belize Progressive Party on October first, an open petition was made for campaign financing from the local business community.  The effort to raise the necessary [...]

P.U.P. Introduces Social Contract Ahead of Upcoming Elections
In the past few weeks, the P.U.P. has rolled out several of the party’s platforms which it plans to implement and stand behind if elected to office. This morning, it [...]

What’s Really Going On at Benque’s Elections & Boundaries Office?
Late last week, Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai made a rare public appearance to claim that an elections officer in Benque Viejo had been attacked and assaulted. The incident occurred [...]

More from P.U.P. Candidate on Elections & Boundaries in Benque
Guerra also had another story to tell from Benque. The Elections and Boundaries Department is controlled completely by the party in power and there have been a veritable legion of [...]

Newcomers Contest Orange Walk East
On Tuesday, we took you on the campaign trail with the three candidates who will be battling for the Orange Walk Central seat on November fourth. It’s part of our [...]

Alleged Arsonist to Stand Trial for Torching Aunt’s House
Twenty-eight-year-old Darryl Alvarez, an alleged arsonist, will stand trial in Supreme Court for reportedly torching his aunt’s home in the Gungulung area in August 2014.  Alvarez, who was unrepresented, appeared [...]

Kendalle Green on Bail for Escape
Belize City resident, Kendalle Green, who has once beaten a murder charge, was today before the courts accused of escaping from police, obstruction and assaulting a police officer and resisting [...]

World Standards Day Celebrated in Belize
World Standards Day is celebrated annually on October fourteenth and today, the Belize Bureau of Standards held an expo at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. The event follows a [...]

CTV3

PUP Gaining Momentum As Tour Travels Across Country
And while the PUP candidates in the north remain confident, so are other candidates within the party. PUP Standard Bearer for Collet in Belize City Yasmin Shoman was at the Power to the People Rally held in Orange Walk Town on Sunday and says the party is gaining momentum as it travels across the country. “I feel very confident, the numbers have been getting bigger and bigger as the tour travels across the country, I was made to understand that today we have ten thousand strong, in Corozal in San Narciso we had seven thousand now we have ten thousand so as we keep moving and keep spreading the message of hope of the next PUP government we are picking up supporters and it its being energized that margin of people that didn’t come out and vote in the 2012 and in the municipal elections are motivated and they want a change and we are picking up a lot of independent voters, swing voters and even some UDPs’ who are not happy with their own party are joining the PUP movement...

UDP Continues Issuing Land To Cronies And Friends
The Prime Minister himself has described the Lands Department as a hot bed of corruption and to date, despite several so called measures set in place, the same tune is being played as there is no doubt that the Ministry of Natural Resources continues to be a pain on the side for the Prime Minister. Testament to that statement are the following documents we received recently showing the award of land deals to close friends of the Deputy Prime Minister. Parcels 4303, 4304 and 4135 are located in this area just a few feet away from the Philip Goldson Highway. Because they are surrounded by large businesses, these parcels are considered to be in prime location so their market value is high. But documents from the lands department show that Derrick Gillett, Roman Alvarez and Emir Cruz paid a very low price for their parcel of land.

BPP Introduces Candidates For Upcoming General Elections
Today the Belize Progressive party introduced the party’s new candidates. When it comes to the Orange Walk District, the party now has a representative in the Central Constituency Philip De La Fuente and in Orange Walk East Doctor Javier Reyes. Other candidates include Nedal McLaren for the Port Loyola constituency and Anthony Pettillo for Dangriga.

PUP Is More United And Stronger Party
The banners, flags and commercials are strong indication that we are now in the full political swing. Mudslinging and slandering now form part of the Belizean culture whenever election time comes around and of course criticism from both major political parties is now an everyday meal. In the same way that the PUP have been very critical about the UDP’s performance over the past eight years, the United Democratic Party has been hitting back and with even more force since the announcement of the date for General Elections. The primary criticism by the UDP and even voters is that the PUP is not ready for office – the party is divided and there is still much work left to be done to restore the PUP back to its former glory and is not a viable option. Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceno dismisses all of the UDP’s critiques saying that the differences in opinions and views within the PUP are precisely what makes it a strong party and best option for the people of Belize.

The Difference Between PUP & UDP, Says Orange Walk Area Representative
The political race is on and both major political parties are intensifying their campaigns across the nation. In northern Belize, the People’s United Party remains confident about a victory. In an interview with John Briceno, he told us that the UDP has been tried, weighed and have been found wanting. This says Briceno is ultimately what separates the UDP from the PUP, as unlike the UDP government, a PUP government would have invested money on the people, on the productive sector which has been suffering as of late. “Farmers in the north were going through a severe crisis, it took the Honorable Jose Mai who called the media to take them to Blue Creek in that area to show them the thousands acres of rice and corn and grains that has gone to nothing because it has not rained to show them cane fields where they are so bad because there is no rain now, we are not blaming the government for the lack of rain but what we are saying here we have Petro Caribe monies where we are paying 1% interest rate, their concern is you know what I will give my nephew millions of dollars out of contracts...

LOVE FM

Opposition Party Makes Promises to Electorate in Various Sectors
Independence Hall on Queen Street was the venue where the People’s United Party launched its social agenda. Reporter Hipolito Novelo was there and has the story. HIPOLITO NOVELO REPORTING “Twenty eight standard bearers of the People’s United Party signed what they called, ‘The Social Contract to the People”. It consists of 12 bullet points- promises […]

Deputy Leader Says All Standard Bearers Support the Social Contract
At today’s signing of the PUP’s Social Contract, three area representatives were absent. We were unable to asked party Leader, Francis Fonseca about the absence of John Briceno, Dan Silva and Ramiro Ramirez because there was no questions and answers following the presentation so we asked Deputy Party leader Julius Espat about it. HIPOLITO NOVELO […]

Toledo West Standard Bearers Meet With Returning Officer
The Returning Officer in Toledo West met yesterday with the division’s three standard bearers. Correspondent Paul Mahung reports. MIRIAM CODD “On Tuesday October 13 at 10am I conducted a meeting with the candidates of the three political parties in the presence of our Superintendent Simeon Alvarez, my election clerk, Mr. John Nembhard and the Registering […]

Teenager Charged with Ladyville Murder
In yesterday’s newscast we told you of the stabbing death of a young man in the Lords Bank Area in Ladyville Village, Belize District. Tonight we can tell you that following investigations into this incident, 19-year-old, Kafele Shemar Kishawn, a Belizean student was charged with murder earlier today. 25-year-old, Ervin Franklin was stabbed multiple times […]

GOB’s 6th Amendment Upheld by Court of Appeals
Back in 2008, the Government of Belize brought about the sixth amendment. As part of that amendment, there was a portion that allowed the Government to appoint judges on short term contracts. It was a move that the Bar Association of Belize had disapproved of and therefore in 2010, they took the matter before the […]

Police Investigate Home Invasion in Western Belize
Police are investigating a case of aggravated burglary in the Cayo District. Police say that about 10:30 yesterday morning, they responded to a robbery near Mile 49 on the George Price Highway where they saw a 62-year-old man of Camalote Village. The man reported that earlier that morning while he was at home with his […]

Belize Holds National Expo In Recognition of World Standards Day
Belize joins the world in celebrating World Standards Day under the theme, “Standards, The World’s Common Language”. A national standards expo to commemorate this day is being held in Belize City where both private and public sector organizations are depicting the theme with the use of booth displays. According to Rodolfo Gutierrez the Consumer Protection […]

Convicted Murderer Says God Took Too Long To Answer Him
The Court of Appeal today heard the case of Jason Bruce Lawrence who was convicted of the 2009 murder of his common law wife, Mercedes Carrillo. After he was found guilty of murder, Lawrence was sentenced to life imprisonment in May of 2014. In December 2009, Lawrence stabbed his common law wife Mercedes multiple times […]

Breaking Belize News

GOB wins case over tenure of judges
The last session of the Court of Appeal closed today in Belize City. The schedule was lighter in this session as the Court dealt mostly with criminal appeals. Today it handed down a decision in a case dating back to June of 2014 between the Government and the […]

BPP presents final candidates
On Wednesday the Belize Progressive Party introduced 7 more standard bearers who are putting their names in the hat on nomination day – this brings their tally of candidates to 25, 6 shy of completing a slate of 31. All 7 candidates, like those before, pledged to declare their […]

PUP launch governance agenda
The Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) on Wednesday launched its governance reform agenda, which stands alongside three other pillars of planned governance such as education, health and the economy and is built of a platform of social justice. At the center of this agenda is a social contract with the Belizean […]

Man charged with escape from police
A former murder suspect is back in court. 23 year old Kendale Green is charged with assaulting police constable #1338, Shelton Williams; one count of obstruction, one count of resisting arrest by P.C. Williams and one count of escape from police custody. Green was one of four men acquitted […]

Man charged for arson to stand trial
The man alleged to have set his Belizean-American aunt’s house on fire a year and two months ago will stand trial for it in the Supreme Court. 28 year old Darryl Alvarez was committed for trial at the end of his preliminary inquiry in the Magistrate’s Court despite […]

Man charged for burglary and sexual assault
A Belize City man is accused of burglarizing a woman’s house with apparent intent to rape her; he was stopped by her common-law husband, who intervened after awaking from sleep. 42 year old Lincoln Flowers of Cadle Street was charged with sexual assault of the 41 year old […]

Robbers charged for Hopkins incident
Two Belize City men were arraigned before a Magistrate in Independence this morning for charges of robbery after they were accused of being responsible for stealing items valued at $3,500 from a Chinese businessman in Hopkins. The incident occurred on October 5 at around 6:00 p.m., when three […]

Police searching for rape and home invasion suspects
Police are currently searching for two suspects who robbed a house and raped a teenager in Camalote Village. According to reports, police responded to the robbery on Mile 49 on the George Price Highway where they saw a 62-year-old man of Camalote Village who reported that at about 7:15 a.m. […]

Rainy days ahead says Met Service
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting cloudy spells today with a few showers and isolated thunderstorms mostly over the sea and along the coast. Skies will be cloudy tonight with some showers and a few thunderstorms over most areas. Winds will be blowing from the North-Northeast at five […]

Post mortem examination conducted on BDF soldier Killed in Orange Walk Town
The post mortem examination conducted on the body of 32-year-old Rafael Abel Rivas of Trial Farm Village, Orange Walk District certified the cause of his death to be Cardiogenic Shock, Acute Tanguade Syndrome due to stab wound to the heart. Rivas was murdered over the weekend in Orange Walk Town […]

PUP unveils social contract with the people of Belize
This morning at a packed Independence Hall, the People’s United Party has presented it’s social contract with the people of Belize. Over the first 100 days of a PUP Government, the party plans to address key issues from education to health to government reform. The governance reform agenda […]

Blogs

Sustainable Home Building Off the Grid
Its funny when talking with folks and the subject comes up where are you living. When I tell them Cerros Sands, outside of Corozal, Belize, they either think it is pretty cool, living off-grid or they look at you sideways and cannot fathom why you would not want to be connected to “Electricity.” Then the conversation takes a turn… I explain that I have all the power I want and do not have to deal with outages and electric bills. They become more interested. I also tell them I am not connected to water as well. This is a bit easier on them, as some have wells. Then we go off into the details of how much sunshine we get in Belize. That is easily understood. Now it begins to sink in and they start coming around. I detail the solar array, inverter, charger controller and batteries. It is becoming easier to understand. Then I throw Wind Power into the mix. As these conversations are usually down by the beachside in Corozal, the picture becomes even clearer. Here at Cerros Sands, my home has a ceiling fan in each room, nice Hunter top of the line ones as well. Guess what they are nothing but decorations, the breeze here is awesome. One of the many reasons I decided on this area for my off-the-grid project.

“I Love My Work…and My Less Stressful Life in Belize”
Dick Walton, 53, and his wife, Dawn, 47, have always loved to travel. And they knew for a long time that they wanted to retire to English-speaking Belize…the tiny Central American country on the Caribbean Sea. But when Dawn had an aneurysm in 2009, the couple pushed up that timetable to escape the stress and fast pace of life in their hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Over time they visited a few places in Belize: the island of Ambergris Caye and the low-cost retiree haven of Corozal. They then spent Christmas 2011 in Placencia, a 17-mile narrow peninsula that offers laidback Caribbean living. The sun, the beach, the people—it had everything they wanted. “When we came for that visit, I woke up one morning, got a cup of coffee, turned to Dawn and said, ‘This is it,'” recounts Dick. “When we got home we sold the businesses and everything else.” Seven months later they moved. Today, the couple enjoys a new life with all the benefits of life in a beach town. A big one for these northerners is the climate—it’s warm year-round in Placencia.

5 Epic Outdoor Adventures in Belize
Belize has a way of bringing out the best parts of you. You morph into “the you” you’ve always imagined yourself to be. The most adventurous you. The daredevil version of you. Best outdoor activities in Belize. Mountainous jungles bring out the hiker in you, and the inner zipliner. There are reefs for your inner snorkeler and diver. Ancient Mayan Ruins and Caves for your inner explorer. Waterfalls for your inner rappeller. And, at the end of each day’s adventures, Rhum Bars on the beach will definitely bring you out to kick back in a beach hammock and end the day with a delicious pina colada. Whatever your taste in recreation – or perhaps just relaxation? Belize is a paradise for all your needs, so, we guarantee there will be something for you to do – or not do…. Active travelers rejoice! Adventure in Belize.

The 15th Belize General Election – Who Will Win?
No candidate or party has won the 15th Belize General Election scheduled for Wednesday, November 4th, 2015, as yet, but the presumptive front runner, the incumbent United Democratic Party is now, in the words of several observers, “a lot less cocky.” Last weekend the incumbent UDP, the opposition Peoples United Party and the upstart Belize Progressive Party all held successful rallies as their campaigns and their campaigners are becoming more focused. The UDP are now rallying behind the theme “The best is yet to come” apparently moving away from their earlier slogan “The transformation continues”. It held rallies in Belmopan last week, and then consecutive rallies in Dangriga, Punta Gorda and Orange Walk over the holiday weekend. Three were reportedly well-attended with large crowds, speeches and live entertainment. Fonseca power to the peopleThe PUP held its largest rally to date last Sunday in Orange Walk in the continuation of its “Power to the People” tour which was started in August. It has been releasing a series of position papers on health, education, governance reform.

San Pedro to Houston And Tomorrow, Southwest Airline’s First Belize Flight
This two day whirlwind trip to Houston and back has, so far, been pretty amazing. Making our way to Houston as guests’ of Southwest to take that very first flight from Houston Hobby Airport to Belize City is super exciting for me. I packed a few things…including my Belize (and Southwest) colors and was off…. Tuesday morning, I was booked on the 9am Tropic Air flight from San Pedro to Belize City to start my journey. Almost everything is complete at Philip Goldson’s Belize City Airport. Handy kiosks to print out all of your Southwest information, even your luggage tagging. What a gorgeous day to fly out…

Carne de Cerdo a la Naranja
En una olla amplia vas a poner un poquito de aceite a calentar. Mientras se calienta el aceite, sazonas la carne con sal y pimienta por todos lados. Ya caliente el aceite pones la carne y la doras perfectamente por ambos lados a fuego medio. En lo que se dora, vas a licuar el jugo de naranja con los chiles y los ajos. Ya que la carne esté bien dorada vacías lo licuado y agregas el caldo de pollo.

International Sources

Pineapple Juice Is 5 Times More Effective Than Cough Syrup
Did you know that pineapple juice is 500% more effective at helping you to stop coughing than cough syrup is? Well, it’s true, and it’s all on account of the fact that fresh pineapples contain a substance known as Bromelain; a specific type of enzyme that has anti-inflammatory characteristics which can combat infections and eradicate bacteria. Taking pineapple juice doesn’t just help to soothe the irritation of nasty coughs; it also helps to loosen up any annoying mucus. Back in 2010, some research was carried out in an attempt to find treatments to help sufferers of tuberculosis. The findings of the reports were published “Der Pharma Chemica”, and they included the fact that a mixture of natural pineapple juice, together with honey, and salt and pepper, when taken daily helps to dissolve mucus that congregates in the lungs, causing illnesses such as Mycobacterium Tuberculosis.

HOBBY AIRPORT OPENS INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL TODAY
Houston's Hobby Airport made history this morning. The facility's brand new international terminal opened to passengers with its first flight headed to Cancun, Mexico. Southwest Airlines covered the $156 million cost of constructing the building. The terminal is more than 280,000 square feet with five gates. By year's end, Southwest Airlines plan to offer flights to 10 Latin American destinations with service to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Belize. Eyewitness News caught up with Southwest Airlines spokesperson Thais Hanson to talk about what this may mean for your next flight. The company said they promised to "Free Hobby" and drive down prices in the market. Today, Southwest Airlines said their dream of giving Houstonians another option in aviation has come true. "Your question was our we trying to bring down the price in the market. That's what we do. The Southwest effect is what we're known as. We do that domestically and now we're looking forward to doing that internationally as well," said Hanson. "Houstonians no longer have to drive north to fly to fly south. We're creating a new need and giving Houstonians what they want and what they needed for a long time."

CSU Students Help Hunt The Voracious Lionfish
An international effort to stop an invasive species now includes a campaign by a group of Colorado State University graduate students. Lionfish are beautiful, ornate, reef fish, native to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They are also popular pets in home aquariums. But according to a report on CBS Sunday Morning, the fish have found their way into the wild and have invaded tropical Atlantic waters. They are now found from Rhode Island to Brazil and they are devouring native fish and harming coral reef ecosystems. Now efforts to control the unwelcome lionfish include a campaign by a group of CSU graduate students. The students are in the Conservation Leadership through Learning master’s program and studying in Belize. They turned to crowdfunding to help Belizean women learn how to make jewelry from the tails and fins of the voracious fish. The CSU students raised more than $2,000 in 27 days to provide four women with the opportunity to attend the workshop sponsored by Blue Ventures, an organization that uses commercial strategies to raise awareness for conservation efforts.

Marlon James, Jamaican Novelist, Wins Man Booker Prize
The Jamaican novelist Marlon James won the Man Booker Prize on Tuesday for his novel “A Brief History of Seven Killings,” a raw, violent epic that uses the attempted assassination of Bob Marley in 1976 to explore Jamaican politics, gang wars and drug trafficking. Mr. James is the first Jamaican-born author to win the Man Booker, Britain’s most prestigious literary award. At a ceremony at London’s Guildhall, Mr. James said he was so certain that he would not win that he did not prepare an acceptance speech. “I’m not an easy writer to like,” he said, referring to his experimental style. The Booker judges praised Mr. James’s stylistic range and his unflinching exploration of violence, cronyism and corruption. “It’s a crime novel that moves beyond the world of crime and takes us deep into a recent history we know far too little about,” Michael Wood, the chair of the Booker judges, said when awarding the prize.

The One Big Passport Mistake You've Got To Avoid
A U.S. passport is one of the most powerful in the world, allowing citizens free access to more than 150 countries. And passports are indeed fairly easy for citizens to obtain, even in a pinch. But do NOT try to travel with a damaged passport. New bride Carly Baker learned that the hard way this week. Her dream honeymoon was thwarted when an airline rep refused to let her board a plane on Sunday, saying her previously-acceptable passport was too damaged to fly. Baker told BuzzFeed News she and her new husband then spent $2,000 in new rush passport and travel change fees, trying to salvage their trip. “A passport cover is clearly a good investment,” she said. Indeed. "Significantly damaged" passports are completely ineligible for travel, according to State Department guidelines, and it may surprise you -- as it did Baker -- to learn how "significant" your passport's damage may be considered. The term includes water damage, substantial tears, missing visa pages and either damage, rips or markings on your bio page in the front.

Videos

Join us in Belize, min. We invite you to experience Belize. Here's a glimpse of what you'll get to enjoy.

Day 6 Belize Trip 2015, 24min. Scuba diving and fun in Belize.

You Betta Belize It!, 4min.

Belize Wins Big at 2015 World Travel Awards, 3min.

A day in the Life of the BELIZEAN FISHERMAN, 86min. Follow Six Belizean Fisherfolk from different parts of the country as they seek out their livelihood. They dive for conch and lobster, spear fin fish and conduct deep sea fishing.

SPMAGTF-SC Marines Train Belize Military, 3.5min. B-Roll package of U.S. Marines, Security Cooperation Team-Belize, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force-Southern Command training Belize Coast Guard during a training exercise in Price Barracks/Hattieville, Belize on Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2015. SPMAGTF-SC is a temporary deployment of Marines and Sailors throughout Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize with a focus on building and maintaining partnership capacity with each country through shared values, challenges, and responsibility. (U.S. Marine Corps motion imagery by Cpl. Shakeasha J. Payton/Released).

Cessna 172 Flight to Blue Creek, 6min. Flight from Spanish Lookout , Belize to Blue Creek,Belize in a 1972 Cessna 172L.

Pêche d'un barracuda à Caye Caulker, Belize, 1.5min.

10-4-2015 Small Sand ray at Bread & Butter Cayes in Belize, 1min. This trip we saw a small Sand ray right at the steps into the water at Bread and Butter Cayes in the Stann Creek District of Belize.