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Marty Offline OP
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The news will be a bit brief for the next week or so due to time constraints


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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

Guatemala is exploiting the Chiquibul National Forest: An eye-opening account from photographer Tony Rath
The on-going Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute has extended to our Chiquibal National Forest. Located in the south-western region of Belize, the Chiquibul Forest includes the largest cave system in Central America, the Caracol Maya Site, and the Chiquibul River, which provides water to 40% of Belize's population. Professional photographer Tony Rath ventured once again to the Chiquibul, where he witnessed first-hand the destruction of our forests at the hands of Guatemalans. The exploitation of our valuable natural resources is cause for much concern to Belizean conservationists. There is only a small group of dedicated Belizeans risking their lives each day for the protection and conservation of the natural resources of Chiquibul, all 1,073 square kilometers of it. They are called Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), and at present, their main concern is the agriculture encroachment and gold-panning by illegal Guatemalans. On September 8, 2014, Rath detailed his first foray into the Chiquibul. His harrowing experience included a shootout between illegal Guatemalan loggers and seven members of the FCD. His expose of that experience declared that "Belize is at War, without even knowing it." The initial article generated a lot of buzz, and incensed many patriotic Belizeans.

Third annual Public Service Fashion Show
The third Annual Public Service Fashion Show took place on Saturday, June 25th at Se�or Marlin's Beach Bar. Featuring office wear and high fashion outside the office, the show was well-received by an enthusiastic audience. The DJ kept the tunes going as models strutted the runway, showcasing the different uniforms from various government offices. Following that following segment, the models graced the runway in the latest summer outfits from Foreva Fancy Boutique. The 'Glitz and Glamour' segment followed by much applause. During intermissions, the models entertained the crowd with various dance numbers, and raffling of some great prizes. The last segment of the night saw the models showcasing pieces from the 'Victoria Secret,' collection. The grand finale gave attendees a glimpse of what is available at Foreva Fancy Boutique, especially for the summer season. Capping off the show was another dance number by all the models.

Congratulations to the Castillo's Hardware Father's Day Raffle Winners
Castillo's Hardware Limited often honors different holidays by holding raffles that give back to their customers. In honor of Father's Day, Castillo's raffled three items. For every $50 purchase or payment on account, customers got a ticket in the barrel, hoping to win either the first prize of a Bosch Construction Saw, the second prize of a Makita Hammer Drill, or the third prize of a Stanley Tool Box loaded with tools. On Friday, June 17th, the three items were raffled, and the lucky winners are: Robert Bailey (1st Prize), Chris Rivero (2nd Prize), Mr. Moh (3rd Prize). Castillo's Hardware Limited is the go-to store for electrical, paint, plumbing and household appliances, offering the best value for all your construction needs. They are located on Pescador Drive just before the San Juan Roundabout, and can be contacted via phone at 226-2303 or email: [email protected]

Recognizing some of the Faces of San Pedro's worst Fire tragedy
In the early hours of Monday, June 27th, a huge fire engulfed several businesses and homes on Pescador Drive. It was a devastating blaze that left over 88 residents homeless. They are grandparents, parents, children, husbands, wives, friends�and as a community we realize their plight could just as easily been ours. It's hard to imagine the terrifying experience of surviving such a disaster, and some of them were kind enough to share their harrowing experience with us.

GOB to pay $388 Million - final settlement to Ashcroft group for Telemedia shares
GOB pays off Ashcroft-3The Government of Belize (GOB) will pay the former owners of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Bze$388 Million for the shares which GOB acquired in a public interest in 2009, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow announced at a standing room only press conference at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City on Wednesday, June 29. Government Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, UDP Senators and other scions of the Barrow administration, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and BTL Chairman of the Board Nestor Vasquez flanked Barrow as he announced the final decision handed down by the arbitration panel to which Telemedia's former owners had submitted the settlement of their claim. Financial Secretary Joe Waight crunched the numbers: the arbitrators ruled GOB should pay Bze$265 Million for the acquired shares, of which GOB had paid $65 million in a partial preliminary settlement last September. So GOB still owes $190 Million, and the interest payments would come to another $198 Million, for a total of $388 Million. Waight cautioned that because of legal fees and other costs yet to be finalized, the final total might be closer to $395 Million.

Ambergris Today

El Fogon Wins Best Lobster Dish at San Pedro Lobsterfest
It was El Fogon's Belikin Beer Battered Lobster with Orange Ginger Rice that captured the first place trophy at this year's tenth annual San Pedro Lobsterfest during an exciting night of judging, lobster sampling, new lobster inspired cocktails, super desserts including lobster cheesecake and ice cream and plenty of musical entertainment. Winners of Lobster Fest 2016 Best Lobster Dish: El Fogon - Belikin Beer Fried Lobster, Finn & Martini/El Jefe - Three Cheese Lobster & Spinach Empanadas, Elvi's Kitchen - Veggie Lobster Empanadas with Smoked Gouda Lobster Cheese Sauce.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

SBDC Workshop: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS TAX
Presented by: Mrs. Carol Baird and Mrs. Annisa Perdomo. Post/Teaching Description: Tax Officers, Income Tax Department. Location: BTEC Building, ITVET Campus, Belize City. Workshop Date: July 07, 2016. Time: 9am to 12 noon. Income Tax was enacted in Belize in 1924 and remained in that basic form up to July 1998, when Business Tax was introduced. The Legislation is now called "The Income And Business Tax Act", with an effective date of January 1999 in its current form. The Act is divided into three parts with Income Tax under Part 1, Income Tax on Profits arising from Petroleum under Part 11 and Business Tax under Part 111. This Information session will help you understand the ACT in details.

Agriculture Course in Israel
Honorary Consul General of Belize, Mr. Yoram Naor, Deputy Director General of Israeli MFA and Head of MASHAV, Ambassador Gil Haskel, Mr. Tony Carlito Chulin, Cotton Tree Greenhouse, Belize and Director of MASHAV's Training Department, Ambassador Mattanaya Cohen. Mr. Chulin participated in an Agriculture Course in Israel.

Southern Belize Communities Better Prepared for Natural Disasters - Taiwan and PADF training program benefits 14,000 residents
The Pan American Development Foundation, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Belize, held its Capstone Conference for its Community Preparedness and Resilience Project today at The Pelican Beach Resort in Dangriga Town. Thousands of residents of coastal Belize are better prepared for extreme weather and the effects of climate change after a yearlong program funded by Taiwan and implemented by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). Through the Community Preparedness and Resilience initiative, launched in July 2015, PADF assisted over 14,000 residents of Belize's Stann Creek District in preparing for and responding to disasters.

Mr. Cliff Arthurs passes away
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to express our deepest condolences to the Arthurs family and friends on the passing of Mr. Cliff Arthurs. May his soul rest in peace.

Cayo Road Safety Initiative
The SISE Town Council and local police met with a road safety consultant to start the Road Safety Operational Plan. "June 28, 2016 - Twin towns: San Ignacio and Santa Elena road safety stakeholders were actively engaged and displayed a high level of commitment in the process towards a workable plan which should be completed by ending September 2016. The Road Safety International Consultant, Ms Mavis Johnson, worked along with key partners to commence in the drafting of the Road Safety Operational Plan. We extend our appreciation to each of them!"

The Belize Travel Trade team taking part in this years' JG Black Book Colorado Roadshow.

Angel Navidad is bound for Harvard University
Ambassador Moreno had the opportunity to meet with Angel Navidad, a Belizean student bound for Harvard University this fall. Harvard University is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts (US), established 1636, whose history, influence and wealth have made it one of the world's most prestigious universities. We are so proud of his achievement, and look forward to hearing more stories like this from other hardworking young Belizean students pursuing higher education. They are Belize's future! About Angel Navidad: He graduated from Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk in 2013 and St. John's College in 2015. He has excelled in distinct achievements, including winning the Sagicor Visionary Challenge, a 'STEM' (science, technology, engineering, and math) regional competition. During the challenge, he was the team leader for the project called "Coconuts for Life", and the Coconut Ecology Park impressed judges like Russlynn Ali, head of the XQ Super School project.

Channel 7

Kieran Killed, Companion Critical
There was another murder on the south side of Belize City last night. This time the victim is 20-year-old Kieran Morrison. Reports say Morrison was shot 5 times and died on the spot - while his friend was shot once and is still clinging to life at the KHMH tonight. It happened last night in the Saint Martin's area- a zone that- while gang ridden - had been dormant for a while. In fact it has been nearly a year since the last murder there. So what triggered last night's murderous attack? Today Emanuel Pech went looking for answers. The familiar sound of gunshots was heard in the St. Martin's area of Belize City around 8:30 last night. The victims this time were 20 year old Kieran Morrison and 18 year old Kent Brooks. At the time the two were hanging out here in front of Morrison's house on La Croix Boulevard. Then out of nowhere, a single gunman emerged from a vehicle and fired several shots in their direction. Residents report hearing as many as 7 gunshots go off.

Teenaged Shooting Victim Needs Blood
Now as we told you, one of the victims of this deadly shooting is 18 year old Kent Brooks. He is currently admitted at the KHMH and, according to doctors, his situation is very dire. He underwent his first surgery last night and is slated for another this weekend. But the teenager will need a lot of blood. That is why the father today appealed to blood donors and the general public to assist the family in raising 8 pints of blood. Kent Brooks Sr., Father of shooting victim: "This morning when I left from the hospital and saw the doctor, they said he's in a critical condition. They did a surgery on him from last night when he went in and he lost a whole lot of blood so he needs 8 pints of blood. The doctor told us that the condition he has is like a 20-30 percent chance of survival because the gunshot he got was serious that disrupted some of his organs.

17 Year Old Stabbed For "Mumuch"?
Today police confirmed the reports surrounding 17 year old Jasmine Petillo's murder. She was stabbed to death on Tuesday night and her body was found after 10:00 Wednesday morning in a ditch near her house. Now as we told you, the family and residents suspect that Jasmine's murder is connected to the June 2015 killing of Desmond Usher better known as "Mumuch". But that is just one aspect of the investigation. Today police gave us more details. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "Yesterday about a little after 10, we received information of a female body that was found. The police responded and upon arriving they discovered what was later on identified to be Jasmine Petillo, 17 years old, a domestic of #1Q Mahogany Heights, with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the body. We are currently investigating that matter, we believe that it has something to do with the death of Desmond Meyers that occurred a year ago. We're investigating this matter, we have some leads that we're working on and we may have some updates next week as to the progress of this investigation."

MIT Makes Move On Marijuana
The Police Department's Mobile Interdiction Team is known for its random highway checkpoints and one of them paid off big time last night: they caught a man with over 100 pounds of weed near Teakettle Village. But it wasn't easy - they had to chase him! Here's how it played out. At 9:00 pm, a beat up taxi station wagon heading towards Belize City blew past a MIT checkpoint in Teakettle at mile 54. The officers set chase and caught up with the driver in the Arizona area of Teakettle two miles down an old logging road. The driver, 19 year old Maynor Portillo, dashed out of the car and tried to run away but the police quickly caught him. The team searched his car and found 2 sacks of weed amounting to 104 pounds. The sacks bore markings saying it originated from Guatemala.

Teen Found Drowned, Not Decapitated In Rio Hondo
Yesterday morning word went out that a man's decapitated body had been fished out of the Rio Hondo near "La Union" - which is the northwestern border with Mexico. The body was on the Mexican side so it didn't make news on Belize, initially. But it is in the headlines tonight because the dead male is a 17 year old from San Felipe Village in Orange Walk. He went missing the day before, and the family had to go to the Chetumal Morgue to identify him by his clothing. But, it turns out he wasn't decapitated - and no foul play is suspected. The Officer in Charge of Orange Walk explains:.. Selvyn Tillett, OC, Orange Walk Formation: "There was a body indeed but it was floating in Mexican territory. There was nothing we could have done at that moment. Later on yesterday evening a female from San Felipe reported that her son Dustin Cortez, a teenager from San Felipe village had left with friend to La Union on a motorcycle from since Sunday and hadn't returned as yet. The description given to us by Dustin's mother fit that of the body seen floating in the river. As such orange walk police informed Mexican authorities of the report where the family of Dustin will need to go across on the Mexican side and try to identify the body. According to Mexican authorities, it appears to have been drowning. People have mentioned earlier something about his face, but apparently his face was damaged because it seems that fish had bitten his face."

PUP Blasts Barrow Administration for Half a Billion Dollar BTL Bukkut
Last night you heard the government's hard spin on the final price of the BTL Nationalization. Government's bottom line puts it at over 450 million dollars, the total for the shares and interest. But the government argues that the whole package is worth 775 million dollars - when one factors in the savings to consumers and taxpayers. But, not surprisingly, the PUP isn't buying it. And, for the opposition, it's not just a knee jerk rejection - the party held a press conference today to pitch a deeply felt position: Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Deputy Leader: "Well if we look at what they have paid out, its approximately 557.5 million dollars which is about a little more than half a billion dollars and what the true value of the company is and you get that by the shares that they are putting the value to the company and the amount of shares that you have. So that's gives you the company approximately a million dollars. That leaves you with a loss of 450 million dollars approximately."

Accommodation Agreement Asides
But the government says a big chunk that cost - fully 60% of the price of the shares - is the fault of the PUP. It's called the Accommodation Agreement and that inflated the share price by 3 dollars and 38 cents per share - to a total of about 153 million of the 255 million dollars in share value that government now has to pay. The accommodation agreement dates back to 2005 - when the then PUP government was trying to secretly get someone to cover the cost of some Intelco Properties which Social Security had (also) secretly guaranteed. So, they invited the Ashcroft Alliance to step in and take over the 19.2 million dollars in debt. The Alliance had them on the hook - and to make sure they stayed hooked, a secret accommodation agreement was crafted. Among other things, it guaranteed BTL a 15% rate of return, and tied the hands of the PUC. John Briceno was Deputy Prime Minister at the time but he never knew about it - in fact, today he told us that ten years later, he still had not read it! And today he said the Barrow Administration is just trying to deflect blame by using the accommodation agreement:...

The Speednet Carve-Out In The Accommodation Agreement
And while Briceno points to the punishment of the electorate, he doesn't get off so easy. That's because his family part owns the other phone company, Speednet. That company - which also has the Ashcroft Alliance as a major shareholder - gets special mention the accommodation agreement. The agreement says, quote, "no persons other than BTL and Speednet�will hold an individual license to legally carry on, conduct, or provide telecommunication services." It's a special carve out in a very special agreement, and today, Briceno bristled when we asked if he had the standing to condemn this latest BTL payout when his family's company was involved in the Accommodation Agreement:... Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader: "It has been no secret that my family in involved in a company with the competition against BTL - SPEEDNET. They got no special concessions from the government of Belize, they got no tax exemptions from the government of Belize and thirdly, I was unaware of that agreement. You knew that. You've ask me this before Jules if I knew about the agreement. You know I did not know about the agreement. So then how then can you ask whether I have a moral authority to speak? Of course I have moral authority. I am the Leader of the Opposition, I am the leader of this party and we have to hold Dean Barrow and the UDP accountable for the folly that is costing that country hundreds of millions of dollars."

Action At The Auction
A crowd of city residents stampeded through the gates of the Queen Street Police Station this morning, and it wasn't to make mass complaints or to visit their loved ones in lock down, they were there for the auction. The police auctioned off a number of items from old rusted bicycles and motorcyles to household appliances. But it was more than just the auction, today was a full fun day with a Red Wingle raffle and an all day fair. Northside Public Relations Officer Fitzroy Yearwood told us about today's initiative. Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, PR - Eastern Division North: "First of all this is the most highly anticipated auction. as you know this is our first for this year and we had to do a lot of planning because it coincides with our all day fair event and the raffle of our Police Wingle Pickup that should take place 7:30 tonight."

US Trafficking Report Blasts Government
Today, the US gave Belize another "F" for its progress against human trafficking. For the second year in a row, Belize continues to be listed as a "Tier 3" country - which means that, by the interpretation of the US State Department, the Belize does not meet the minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to do so. So, just to make it clear, countries that do the most to fight human trafficking are listed in Tier 1. Those that do the least - are listed in Tier 3. Belize is the only tier 3 country in Central America. The report notes that there are 17 pending cases from previous years, but for 2016, no new prosecutions have started, even though law enforcement raids increased when compared to last year's number. Though it does not specify, the TIPs report says, quote, "The government did not investigate or prosecute any public officials for alleged complicity in human trafficking-related offenses, despite reports of a significant level of official complicity." End quote.

PUP Says 7News Got Special Sarstoon Pass
Today at the PUP press conference, we also asked them about the party's position on the Sarstoon. As we've reported, the opposition has pulled out of Belize - Guatemala talks saying that the current approach is futile and misdirected. But, what about the Sarstoon? Yesterday the Prime Minister suggested that things were back to normal - and pointed to the trip 7News made there a week ago when we received no harassment. Well, today PUP Leader Briceno said we must have gotten a special pass:... Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader: "I think that Daniel got a special pass, the pass that we got, yes, to go to the Sarstoon. But I think that Wil mentioned that he attempted to go and he was stopped. I have to check that, I am not sure about that. But I am told that he attempted to go and he was stopped by the Guatemalans. Obviously you have to get a pass, you have to speak to the Prime Minister, then Prime Minister will call Guatemala and then Guatemala will give us permission to visit our own country, which we find unacceptable."

Summer Funner With Tourism
It's coming up on Independence Day in the USA, which means the summer tourism season opens tomorrow and the Belize Hotel Association members are ready for tourists to come pouring in for the next couple of months. And just to make sure the members are on the same page for this season, the association held its Annual General Meeting today at the Biltmore. President Lisa Carr-Caceres outlined the major areas that were discussed and the importance of tourism in Belize. Lisa Carr-Caceres: "What we're doing right now is mostly dissolving the current board and re-electing a new board that will start out year which basically starts tomorrow July 1st and runs through next year June 30th. This basically is when we start our year, we still accept applications for membership and we'll be doing that throughout the month of July. We're happy to say that most of our members have already renewed their membership, so this is just a benchmark of where we're starting the year off and ending our previous year."

Scotia Scholars Smile With Supercop
For the past 10 years, Scotiabank has been providing needy primary school students with scholarships to continue their education. It's part of their Bright Future Program, and today 77 deserving children accepted their scholarship grants at a ceremony at Scotiabank's Albert Street in Belize City. To keep them motivated to remain in school, the bank staff invited the Eastern Division South's Police Commander, Chester Williams as a guest speaker. After the Ceremony, we got a chance to talk to the country manager about their reasons for keeping this program alive: Scotia Bank Representative: "It's a scotia bright future where we ensure that we participate in the country's activities. Scotia bank is big unto two really key initiatives. Initiative number one is health, initiative number two is education. You can't have a healthy population not being educated and vice versa. Every year we participate in this function where we give a number of scholarships to kids who are transitioning from the junior school to high school. To date we have given over 750 scholarships since the inception of the program."

Cruel Summer For Cops
Summer is here and while kids and teens get to play or relax, for the police department, it means more work making sure those idle hands don't end up doing...well you know what idle hands do... So police are keeping the child curfew in effect, but their youth intervention efforts are not limited to the curfew hours. The South Side Commander spoke to us about an incident involving kids and a known gang figure that took place yesterday during daylight. ACP Chester Williams - O. C., Eastern South Division: "I will tell you that just yesterday we brought in 7 little boys, the oldest probably about 12 years old, this was during the day, who were involved in a little activity where a major gang player came and wanted to rescue them because obviously their tied to him. We withdrew the kids from here and we got the parents and social people involved. Again the objective is that we want to be able to stop these little kids from associating with these gang members. While the current gang members are so adamant about killing out each other, we believe that the only way we can bridge or to stop this madness is to slow down the recruitment. So that when they kill out themselves, there will be no one to take over for them."

Third World Camp
Now while the police continue their intervention efforts , the Third World Flower's Sports Education Club also continues its efforts in getting kids off the streets and onto basketball courts and football fields. The program has been running for the past 17 years - and while it's an annual struggle to get the finds for the camp, they have managed to expand the program. The camp started this week at the Third World field on Vernon Street and 120 kids have registered. Today we stopped by to check on the progress and also learnt that the camp deals with much more than just sports. Now as we said the organizers have had a hard time finding sponsors for the three week program, so if you are interested in pitching in by way of donating monies or equipment you can get in contact with the coordinator Deon Flowers at 607-8585.

After The Fire, The Philanthropy
It's been 4 days now since that terrible fire in the heart of downtown San Pedro, which left 88 persons homeless after 17 buildings caught fire, 11 of them totally destroyed. Well, today, bulldozers and other heavy equipment were working all day to clean up the block between Pescador Drive, Buccaneer Street, and Black Coral Street. That's where the fire took hold and razed the buildings to the ground. Apart from the clean-up campaign, the humanitarian efforts continued today with the San Cas Group of Companies pitching in and donating groceries to the 88 fire victims. And, as viewers remember, Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. told us that they were going to organize a radiothon to raise money to assist those affected. Reliable reports tell us that it started early this morning, and when it closed about 2 hours ago, the organizers managed to secure pledges totaling almost 173 thousand dollars. We're also told that the San Pedro Lions Club has also collected approximately $30,000, and that's funds separately generated, apart from the radiothon.

PC Assi Esta Bien
Yesterday Precinct 3 honored their officer of the month for June. PC Regino Assi was awarded for his excellent police work and dedication. WE spoke to Assi's commander and she told us why he stood out among the rest. Assi also told us about his daily motivation as a cop. He received a certificate and money from Zitro Western Union.

Reggae All Over The World
If you're a lover of reggae music, you probably don't need any excuse to listen your favorite Bob Marley, Dennis Brown or Aswad song. But, the rest of the Reggae World has decided that on July 1 of every year, they will celebrate International Reggae Day. That's tomorrow, and Belize will participate for the first time. The Coordinator of International Reggae Day in Belize, Kwame Scott, told us what local reggae listeners will be treated to: 34 of the 35 countries will have concerts - Belize is the only one, which is its first year of observance will not.


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Channel 5

P.U.P. Says B.T.L. Isn't Worth a Fraction of Cost to Taxpayers
Following Prime Minister Dean Barrow's presentation and spin of the Arbitration Award for B.T.L. on Wednesday, the Opposition issued a release entitled the Cost of Barrow's Arrogance. Government will be [...]

PM Barrow Says $97 Million BCB Settlement is B.T.L.'s Liability
And while he claims things are going downhill at the utility company, Brice�o says it's going to get much worse since apparently B.T.L. will be made to take on the [...]

G.O.B. Explains Source of First $200 Million Due in 8 Days
In our previous newscast, we brought you the basics of the Arbitration Award presented by Government - as a victory and as vindication. To recap - the total award, including [...]

P.U.P. Deputy Says Cost of B.T.L. Won't Benefit Belizeans
The assertion by government that payment of at least the first two hundred million due in days will be pretty much a piece of cake is no consolation to P.U.P. [...]

Was 7 Years of Litigation Necessary?
B.T.L. was appropriated in 2009, and the approximately two hundred million dollars in interest alone is the result of there being no settlement of the matter until the arbitration panel's [...]

P.U.P. Leader Says Matter Could Have Been Settled Long Ago
Brice�o disagrees, vehemently, stating that only the previous owners and the Barrows have benefitted from the appropriation of B.T.L. and from the PM dragging the matter out for seven long [...]

Man Killed and Another Injured in Wednesday Night Shooting
Another youth has lost his life in the urban gang warfare that has erupted once more in the Old Capital. At about eight-thirty on Wednesday night, Kieran Morrison and his [...]

ACP Williams Says parents Must Play Role in Fighting Crime
But according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, police intervention is not expected to deter murders, but minimize the occurrences of these bloody crimes. Strategies are now being put [...]

G.O.B. Explains Access to Funds for Projects to Benefit Belizeans
Back to the issue of the arbitration award for the nationalization of B.T.L�.During his presentation on Wednesday, the P.M. claimed victory, particularly because of his own remixed accommodation agreement with [...]

P.U.P. Says Funds Will Belong to Ashcroft, not to G.O.B.
But is it a cross between an outright lie and a crude attempt to put lipstick on the proverbial muddy pig? P.U.P. Leader John Brice�o says the PM is speaking [...]

Brice�o Defends Moral Authority to Discuss Arbitration Award
Does P.U.P. Leader John Brice�o have the moral authority to speak about the arbitration award? That was the question put to him by a reporter today at the press conference. [...]

2016 Sugar Cane Crop Closes
The 2016 sugar crop closed on Sunday and the numbers show that the crop was a healthy one and even though there was a small reduction in sugar production, the [...]

Will Sugar Roads Ever Be Fixed?
The deplorable conditions of sugar roads remain an issue for caneros in the north.�� Every season they experience major setbacks during the course of extracting cane from their farms.� Despite [...]

Stevedore Missing for a Week
Thirty-four year old stevedore Tylon Gladden has been missing for almost a week. His mother Geraldine Brown came to News Five's Studios on Coney Drive making a public plea for [...]

Healthy Living - Student Life Before and After Stella Maris
Last Wednesday evening, nineteen proud students donned their gold caps and gowns; they eagerly strut across the podium to collect their well deserved diplomas. Their excitement and those of their [...]

LOVE FM

PM Extends Invite to PUP; Briceno Says Things Need to Be Different
A few weeks ago the Leader of the Opposition announced that they are pulling away from the Belize Guatemala negotiating team after being excluded time and time again from meetings on the issue. Prime Minister was asked to weigh in on this issue. DEAN BARROW " Today, Briceno responded to the Prime Minister's comments saying [�]

Kieran Killed 4 Months After His Brother Was Shot
One man is dead and another is hospitalized following a shooting incident last night in Belize City. Last night at around eight thirty, twenty year old Kieran Morrison and eighteen year old Kent Brooks Jr. were socializing on La Croix Boulevard in the Lake Independence area when they came under fire from a sole gunman [�]

Lake Independence Area Sees First Homicide in 90 Days
Last night's murder in the Lake Independence area was the first in about three months. Police and residents say the area had been quiet for some time. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams spoke of the efforts being put into that area of the city. CHESTER WILLIAMS Resident Kimberly Michael who was on scene [�]

Global Giving for the UWI
Today, the University of the West Indies in Belize launched their Global Giving Week initiative. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Education, and attended by Governor General, His Excellency, Sir Colville Young. The Campaign was officially launched with greetings from UWI's Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles via video [�]

PlusTV

P.M. claims Progress made on Sarstoon
Belize remains on tenterhooks for a solution to the Sarstoon. In the more than 30 days since the lifting of the Public Safety Act Regulations-Sarstoon Order, several media houses have visited the area with mixed results. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow cites the regression of Guatemala's aggressive b...

Belizean Economy shrinks by 2% in first quarter
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) released a battery of economic statistics during a press conference today in Belize City. The big headline is that the economy shrank 2 percent in the first quarter, primarily due to a slowdown in agriculture, marine production and manufacturing, which form ...

Belize had it right in Istanbul, says P.M.
Since the leak of the Guatemalan statement emphatically declaring that it had not agreed that Belizean citizens had "untrammelled access" to the waters of the Sarstoon, Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington has been publicly branded a "liar" and a "traitor." Today Prime Minister Dean Barrow c...

BWS sponsors scholarships and sports
Belize Water Services Limited (BWS) has entered a four-year partnership with RESTORE Belize to sponsor its "I am Belize" scholarship program for needy students, to the tune of 40 thousand dollars for the next four years. The state-owned water company also gave a check for 5 thousand dollars today to...

Woman murdered in Mahogany Heights
A woman's body was found in the small community of Mahogany Heights near mile 30 on the George price Highway. The body had multiple stab wounds and police say they believe they know who it is but final identification has not yet been made. While the body was discovered early this morning, police bel...

Man shot at Crooked Tree junction
A man is recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained in a shooting incident which occurred on Tuesday night. Reports are that Steven Palacio was shot as many as five times sometime around 8:00 p.m. last night while he was near the entrance of Crooked Tree Village on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Pala...

Human Traffickers intercepted
What appears to be a human trafficking activity was intercepted on Tuesday night in the country of Belize. Reports are that police intercepted a gray van travelling from the Cayo District to the North of the country. Plusnews understand that 18 Salvadorans and 2 Belizeans were in the van at the time...

Chopped child succumbs to injuries
One of the children attacked by a machete wielding madman has died as a result of the injuries he received during that attack which occurred in Yo Creek village last Friday. 13 year old Danny Choc was battling for his life at the KHMH died on Tuesday afternoon. As we have reported, 35 year old La...

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

P.M. claims progress made on Sarstoon but Sarstoon protocol comes before anything else
Belize remains on tenterhooks for a solution to the Sarstoon. In the more than 30 days since the lifting of the Public Safety Act Regulations-Sarstoon Order, several media houses have visited the area with mixed results. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow cites the regression of [�]

PUP take down final BTL settlement
The People's United Party (PUP) says it is not fooled by the face-saving effort put up by Prime Minister Dean Barrow yesterday following the announcement of the BTL Arbitration Award - and Belizeans should not be either. Barrow's arrogance, according to PUP leaders, will not [�]

BPP says BREXIT further pushes Belize's economy in a downward spiral
Belize's economy is in dire straits, according to the Belize Progressive Party (BPP). The country's debt has shot up over the recent years while its economic growth keeps plummeting, it said adding that the recent BTL arbitration judgement of almost $500 million adds unwanted economic [�]

A Belize-flagged oil tanker smuggling fuel stopped in Libya
An oil tanker "under the flag of Belize" and its crew were intercepted in Lybia on Tuesday as it attempted to smuggle fuel. The Belize-flagged Temeteron oil tanker is reported to be loaded with 5,227 metric tons of illicit diesel fuel and was intercepted by Azzawiya and [�]

Fair weather to prevail
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is calling for mainly fair weather conditions that will prevail over most areas. The 24-hour forecast is for sunny skies with a few cloudy spells today and cloudy at times tonight. Showers or thunderstorms will generally be isolated, except for [�]

Two shot in Belize City
Breaking Belize news has been informed that two young men were shot sometime after 8:00 last night on Lacroix Boulevard in the Gungulung area of Belize City. Information is still sketchy at this point but sources indicate that of the two young men shot, one may have [�]

Blogs

Lamanai Maya Site: Another Way To Go, a Huge New Venture and LOTS to See
Lamanai is one of the largest and most beautiful Maya sites in Belize. And the location is just spectacular. Lamanai is located on the largest body of fresh water in Belize - the New River Lagoon. The river is the longest that is entirely in Belize and wells up from fresh water springs. The gorgeous lagoon, lined with grasses, lily pads and crocodiles, is 30 miles long and DEEP - as deep as 90+ feet in spots. It is also the heart of colonial settlement in Belize due to fertile land and the fresh water running to the sea - an excellent conduit for the early logging business. But the Maya knew that for centuries. As early as 1500 BC, Lamanai, the oldest continuously populated Mayan site, was perfecting agricultural techniques and doing some pretty amazing things. Last weekend, I received an invitation from a tour company called AyinHa Adventures - I had never heard of them but had chatted before with Blanca when she was at a different location. Would I like to go to Lamanai with them? Ummmm�.YES! This time, I would take the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi to Belize City - and be picked up on arrival. We would take a new way to Lamanai, visit the Baboon Sanctuary and, as I found out, a ton more�

International Sourcesizz

IMF says some small countries could suffer as banks cut ties
Major global banks' elimination of correspondent banking relationships could threaten growth and financial stability in some small countries, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released on Thursday. IMF researchers found that smaller states in Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Pacific islands have been among the most affected by global banks' decisions to withdraw some of these relationships, known as CBRs. Among reasons for the moves, they cited banks' desire to reduce risks associated with money-laundering or terrorism financing, to comply with international sanctions or reduce regulatory compliance costs that had made such business unattractive. The reductions in CBRs could lead to fewer channels for some countries to receive remittances from overseas workers and for business transactions in dollars or other reserve currencies, and could ultimately hamper lending and economic growth. In Belize, the IMF study showed that only two of the nine domestic and international banks serving the country have managed to maintain full correspondent banking relationships, forcing others to turn to non-bank providers of payment services. It added that even Belize's central bank has been cut off by two global banks.

Caribbean countries expanding share in $130 billion global seafood market
Caribbean economies are poised to benefit from a region-wide initiative to expand seafood market share, through the implementation of food safety measures to enable countries to get a bigger piece of the global pie, worth an estimated US $130 billion annually. Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, are now capitalising on a coordinated approach to broaden the gateway to the growing market. CARIFORUM (the Caribbean Community Caricom and the Dominican Republic) now exports about US $400 million worth of fish and seafood annually. Belize and Jamaica are two Caribbean seafood exporters already tapping into markets controlled by the European Union (EU) - a tough market to access because of stringent standards that require countries have systems in place to ensure that their exports are not only safe for consumption but also free from harmful pests and pathogens. In the case of Belize, which has traditionally exported shrimp to the EU, it is moving to export conch to that market for the first time, according to Endhir Sosa, senior food safety inspector, Belize. Sosa was among the 18 professionals from CARIFORUM who recently received management training on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) in Iceland. The training was offered under the capacity-building component of an EU-sponsored project to implement SPS Measures under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) regime. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) are collaborating to implement the fisheries component of the project.

Videos

  • Super Lamas at Costa Maya!, 1/2min. Quiero chupar! Get ready for the legendary Super Lamas! Saturday August 6, 2016.

  • Belize Chelsea and Brandon, 3min.

  • Belize movie, 4min.

  • Belize, 15min. Phantom 3 advanced, Go Pro Hero 3, Belize.

  • Belize Cave Expedition, 10min. An unforgettable adventure with the Jennings Family in the caves of Belize.

  • Ask A Belizean: What are the main differences between Belize and the rest of Central America?, 8min.

  • Carl Sandburg High School Trip 2016 - Belize, Guatemala, and Mexico, 40min.

  • Guadalupe Lampalla recognized as one of Belize's outstanding fishers by Punta Fuego, 3min.

  • Belize Trip, 13min.

  • Cesar Mu�oz of Sarteneja is 2016 Fisher of the Year in Belize, 7min.

  • Rafael Guerra on Lower Dover, 1min. The BAAS is in full swing, with scores of presentations that have special meaning here in Belize. Rafael Guerra talks a little about the significance of Lower Dover in this short video. "Meet Rafael Guerra, Belizean archaeologist! He presented results from a recent excavation (working with Belizean Dr. Jaime Awe) at the Lower Dover Maya site at Unitedville here at Institute of Archaeology (NICH) Belize "


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