Channel 5
Baptist Pastor Killed in Esperanza
There have been heinous murders in the west since the start of the year and tonight, the murder count went up by one. The latest victim is a seventy-nine-year-old pastor [...]
Man Charged 1 Year Later for Deadly Chopping Incident
Police have arrested and charged a man for the crime of murder exactly one year after the crime was committed. Twenty-three-year-old Marlon Padillo of Selena Village in Cayo was slapped [...]
Cops Accused in San Pedro Shooting Arraigned
Two cops were arraigned today at the San Pedro Magistrate court. The two were captured on video manhandling a woman and then firing indiscriminately on Barrier Reef Drive where a [...]
Teacher’s Union Claims Ministry ‘Bonus’ is Petty, Vindictive Union-Busting
As we reported on Monday, Minister of Education Patrick Faber confirmed that a million dollars has been set aside as a “honorarium” for teachers who showed up to work during [...]
A Reward for Doing Nothing? Union Says Money Could Have Been Used Elsewhere
According to Palacio, government is being crafty with its description of the payout. That million dollar bonus flies in the face of government’s proposed strictness at the start of the [...]
Could Teachers Have Been Paid Already?
There is more from B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio, who sat with the media this evening to discuss other concerns, including the salary adjustment. Prior to the 2017 budget presentation, Prime [...]
Bait and Switch: First 3 Days of Make-Up Will Involve Marking P.S.E.
To make matters worse, Palacio claims that the ministry is being disingenuous by requesting that teachers volunteer to mark Primary School Exams under the guise that they are attending workshops. [...]
Where Will Ministry Get Bonus Money From? Minister Cagey
While the Belize National Teachers’ Union has made clear how it feels about this ‘bonus,’ where exactly is the Ministry of Education going to get the money from? As the [...]
P.U.P. Calls Out Education Minister: “Stubborn, Immature and Downright Dangerous”
The P.U.P. in a release this evening called the million dollar payout to teachers, “the sign of a stubborn, immature and downright dangerous man who refuses to accept that he [...]
Honduran-Belizean Surprise Victim of Gun Violence
A shooting in the Old Capital on Monday has left a visiting Belizean in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Jeffery Martinez is a citizen, but resides [...]
Ride by Shooting on Raccoon Street
A pair of Belize City men riding on a motorcycle not too far from the Raccoon Street Police Station came under gunfire on Monday night when they were intercepted by [...]
Convicted for False Pretenses, Aaron Wilson Claims He Was Set Up by Top Cop
He wanted to be a real police officer – he even sat the examination. But in 2010, special constable Aaron Wilson found himself on the wrong side of the law, [...]
Former “Fake Cop” Says Real Police Covered Up, Did Not Properly Investigate Him
At trial, Henderson effectively denied knowing or assisting Wilson in any way, but Wilson says he worked exclusively under Henderson’s command and was allowed to wear the brown Police Number [...]
What Really Happened the Night Aaron Wilson was Busted
It all came crashing down in July of 2010, when Wilson, who had been working at a night club in Belize City as security, was accused of molesting a woman [...]
Legal Action May Come for Amendment to PACT Act
Attorney General Senator Michael Peyrefitte confirmed to News Five that as of Friday, March thirty-first, the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (Amendment) Act is now law, having been assented to by [...]
Twin Towns Mayor Addresses Crime
Earlier in the newscast you heard about the cold killing of a well-known and respected Pastor of San Ignacio. The news has shocked the San Ignacio and Santa Elena communities. [...]
Fixing Belize’s Statistical System
For the past year, the Inter-American Development Bank has funded efforts to streamline Belize’s National Statistical System, which is nominally managed by the Statistical Institute of Belize. With so many [...]
“Brave in the Attempt:” Special Olympics Boosts Profiles of Disabled
Almost three hundred athletes across the country participate in the various sporting programs of the Special Olympics, Belize Chapter. Disability or not, every athlete is skilled in a particular discipline [...]
CTV3
Lighthouse And Guiness Not Affected By Tax Increase
Yesterday the new prices for various commodities in the market came into effect following the enforcement of the 2017-2018 Budget where the Government of Belize legislated an increase in excise levies for certain products. Beer, stout and soft drinks are in the list of products that were hit with the increase, among several others.
Bowen and Bowen limited has confirmed the new set prices for these products, clarifying that only certain of their products witnessed an increase of four dollars per crate or twenty five cents in retail price.
BNTU Call GOB For Union Busting
Back in February, the Belize National Teacher’s Union claimed a small victory following mediation sessions with the Ministry of Education over the Ministry’s proposed salary cuts for teachers who participated in the Union’s strike action in October 2016.
We thought that that was it for quarrels and battles between the Union and the Ministry, but it seems the Ministry is adamant about not staying with the last lick. This week the Minister of Education Patrick Faber confirmed that the Ministry, while unable to withhold salaries for those who went on strike, will be compensating those teachers who did not go on strike. Faber said the Ministry will be spending $1 million to achieve this compensation, and according to him, the move even has the blessing of the Prime Minister.
PUP Says One Million Rewards To Teachers Spell Supplementary Allocation
The fact that GOB wants to reward teachers who did not take part in the October 2016 and January 2017 strike has given much to talk about over social media. Given the crisis the economy is currently facing Belizeans are already chastising government for its move. And today the Opposition also weighed in on the issue sighting that the move made by Minister of Education Patrick Faber
Is the sign of quote “A stubborn, immature and downright dangerous man who refuses to accept that he went up against the teachers and lost.” End of quote.
Cops Involved In San Pedro Shooting Placed In Interdiction
Over the weekend social media was in turmoil following the release of an amateur video taken in San Pedro which shows local authorities manhandling a handcuffed woman, pinning her down and then hitting her several times. The event transpired in the wee hours of Saturday April 1st and since then Belizeans have been taking to social media to condemn the actions taken by law enforcement officers. Today two of those officers, 27-year-old police officer Norman Coye and 22-year-old police officer Darnell Madrill were hauled to the San Pedro Magistrate Court where they were charged for two counts of wounding and one count of wounding respectively. Both men met bail today of $1,000 plus two sureties of five hundred dollars each.
LOVE FM
Top 3 Farmers of the Year Named
The annual National Agriculture and Trade Show is twenty four days away and as per tradition the 2017 Farmers of the Year have been selected and announced. The official announcement came today via a release from the trade show committee. Gary Canto of the Cayo District has been given the title of Male Farmer of […]
EU, Sugar and Impacts on Belize
Two weeks ago we brought you the story on the possible effects that our local sugarcane farmers could face due to the European Union’s decision to remove limits on its own beet-sugar output. That decision was made some five years ago and is slated to take effect in October. With that decision in place, Belize […]
Quarantine on Corned Beef Continues in Belize
March 24, 2017 saw the temporary suspension of import permits for corned beef from Brazil by the local agricultural health authorities. This decision was made following reports of some twenty one plants in Brazil found to be packaging and processing meats unfit for human consumption. Love News got an update from the CEO in the […]
Countdown to Belize Bandfest 2017
On Saturday, the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk Town will be the venue for the 12th annual Belize Band Fest. Member of the Bandfest Committee, Julia Carillo shared some of the details of the much anticipated event. JULIA CARRILLO “The public can expect a wonderful family event. It is the premier family event of the […]
Car Dealer Found Guilty of Impersonating Police Officer
A jury of five men and four women deliberated about two hours and twenty minutes yesterday in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas before it found 27 year old car dealer Aaron Wilson guilty of two counts of false pretense of officer. The jury’s verdict was unanimous. Justice Lucas has deferred sentencing until Monday, April […]
Belize Gears Up for A National Statistical System
Stakeholders are currently participating in workshop geared at developing a comprehensive data collecting system. Different bodies and organizations have been tasked to reach a consensus on a list of indicators that would be used to monitor the Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy through the National Statistical System and the Monitoring and Evaluating framework. These indicators […]
14-Year-old Girl Missing Following Threats on Her Life
A mother of La Democracia Village is reaching out to the media and the authorities for help in locating her teenaged daughter. 14-year-old, Aaliyah Martinez of Sadie Vernon High School was last seen by her mom, Dorita Bardalez when she left home on Friday, March 31 to take the bus to Belize City. DORITA BARDALEZ […]
367 Days Later: Padilla Charged with Edgar’s Murder
Marlon Padilla, a 23-year-old unemployed of Selena Village in the Cayo District was arrested and charged for the murder of Edgar Alfonso Perdomo Aldana. The 63 year old Guatemalan national was chopped to death in Selena Village, inside the Iguana Creek Government School Compound on April 2, 2016. Reports were that Aldana and a friend got […]
Two Charged for Adiel’s Murder
Police have arrested and charged two men for the murder of 21-year-old Adiel Mojica of San Felipe Village in the Orange Walk District. They are 47 year old Juan Antonio Orellana, a Salvadoran watchman and 40 year old Saul Reyes, both of San Felipe Village. On Saturday April first, Mojica was along with two other […]
Men Left ‘Mary Jane’ Behind
Two Hispanic men were scared away last Thursday morning upon seeing police patrols in the area along the Mopan River. The officers were doing their routine patrols just before eleven o’clock when they spotted the two men who subsequently ran away leaving behind over two thousand grams of marijuana. The drug was concealed in a […]
Amandala
Austrian government kicks out Belize ambassador Joel Nagel
Belize’s ambassador to Austria, businessman Joel Nagel, has been asked to leave his post in the country – a first occurrence of this type since Belize achieved political independence 35 years ago.
In September 2015, the Belize Government appointed the US attorney and businessman Joel Nagel to be Belize’s ambassador, plenipotentiary to Austria. In addition, Nagel was also appointed as Belize’s permanent representative to the UN offices in Vienna, Austria.
In the approximate year and a half that Nagel served as Belize’s Ambassador to Austria, his poor performance caught the attention of the Austrian Government and they asked him to pack up and leave the country. Joel Nagel is the founder and managing partner of international law firm Nagel and Associates, LLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The firm specializes in international commercial transactions and immigration.
Nagel is also chairman of Caye International Bank. He is also an investor in Exotic Caye Beach Resort, and president of Nicaragua Development Cooperation.
Aaron “Fake Cop” Wilson guilty on 2 counts of false pretense of office
For several months in 2010, Aaron Wilson masqueraded around Belize City as a police officer, but he was eventually indicted on 5 counts of “false pretense of office, to wit, a police officer.”
His trial in the Supreme Court of Justice Adolph Lucas ended this evening when a jury of four women and five men returned guilty verdicts on two of the five counts of pretense of office. The jury had deliberated for a little under 3 hours before returning into the courtroom with their unanimous guilty verdict.
Justice Adolph Lucas told Wilson, 27, “You would be stupid not to come back to court when I tell you to.”
Pickup with 14 people flipped; 2 dead, 12 injured
A Sunday afternoon trip to Placencia turned into a catastrophe which claimed the lives of two persons and left twelve persons with various injuries.
According to police reports, sometime before 2 p.m. on Sunday, they received information of a road traffic accident between Mile 4 and 5 on the Placencia road near the Belize Aquaculture Limited (BAL) Shrimp Farm.
When officers arrived on the scene, they observed a black two-door Ford Ranger pickup with extensive damage to the front portion and a broken windshield.
Police say they also saw two injured women and two men lying on the right side of the road.
Two females and one man were reportedly transported to the Southern Regional Hospital in private vehicles and ambulance.
“Wild West” cops charged for wounding
A confrontation between the San Pedro police and some residents of the town ended with police shooting in the air and into the ground to disperse the crowd, which resulted in five persons being injured by flying splinters of rocks and cement.
The ruckus occurred at the San Pedro Central Park at about 4:30 Saturday morning, and it was captured on cell phones by people who were at the park. Footage of the shooting was posted on Facebook, and it went viral.
The crowd reportedly became hostile toward the police officers after they pinned down a woman on the ground who was reportedly behaving disorderly and began to rough her up badly as they attempted to take her to the police station.
Tax hikes take effect with new 2017 budget
Prices for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages at the leading manufacturer in Belize were up at the start of the business week, with the implementation of an array of tax measures being implemented by the Barrow administration, which plans to raise an additional $80 million in recurrent revenue, to help prop up the national budget, which now takes effect.
The new budget, passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, March 24, and by the Senate on Monday, March 27, calls for a billion dollars in tax revenue, while spending would hover around BZ$1.4 billion, including the payment of expenses for the nationalization of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL).
Sedi will take your questions on the KREM WUB
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington—the man who has, by the nature of his public comments on the Belize-Guatemala border become the most controversial Minister in the Barrow Cabinet for the last nine years—will make a rare appearance on the KREM WUB show on Friday morning, April 7, 2017, and he has agreed to take calls from the public.
Elrington is due to join KREM WUB host Nuri Muhammed at 7:00 a.m., and the line will be opened to callers at 8:00 a.m.
Gian Lino of Cabral/Marin Cycling wins 18th Annual BEL Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic
On Sunday, April 2, the 18th Annual Junior Cross Country Classic, sponsored by Belize Electricity Limited was held. The race started in the Cayo District in front of the Succotz Ferry, and travelled all the way to Belize City, to conclude in front of BEL on the Philip Goldson Highway, for a total of 74 miles. Thirty-nine cyclists were at the start line, nine of them youth riders (under the age of 16), and the other thirty were junior riders (between the ages of 16 and 18). Unlike all the races throughout the year, this race does not give cash prizes. These young men are rewarded in kind: bike parts and accessories, vitamins and supplements, and most importantly, educational awards – school supplies, scholarships, etc.
2 undefeated teams at Week 3 of FFB National Amateur Women’s League 2017
The Football Federation of Belize’s (FFB) National Amateur Women’s League 2017 tournament completed Week 3 games over the weekend, and 2 of the 8 participating teams remain undefeated – Belize City FC in the North Zone and Jewel Fury FC in the South Zone. Three games were scheduled for Saturday, April 1, and one for Sunday, April 2.
On Saturday, at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga, visiting Jewel Fury FC from Belmopan unleashed their full fury on home standing Griga Pumas, with Fury goals coming from Eris Galdamez (8’ & 45’), Gisel Baeza (15’ & 35’), Ashley Rodriguez (53’), Jayda Brown (58’) and Iris Centeno (59’), before Griga Pumas managed a consolation goal from Tyler Savery (73’), for the 7-1 final score. Meanwhile, further south at the Victor Sanchez Union Field, the visitors were also victorious, as Sagitun Strikers from Independence came away with the 3-1 win over Toledo Strikers.
PLB Week 11 scores and standings; playoff race hot
In Week 11 games played yesterday in the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Closing Season 2016-2017, it was Belmopan Bandits SC, 2-0, over Verdes FC; Police United FC, 4-1, over Wagiya FC; BDF FC, 2-1, over Freedom Fighters FC; and FC Belize, 3-2, over Placencia Assassins FC. (We will have more details in our weekend issue.)
With 3 weeks of regular season games remaining, the race to the Top-4 playoffs is hot, as only the Bandits have already secured a playoff spot. Police, BDF and Verdes are in good position, but not quite secure, because FC Belize also has a back match in hand against Wagiya. A victory against Wagiya could put FC Belize right “in the thick of things.”
2 weeks remain in Pepsi NEBL season; 2 of 4 playoff spots clinched
he Pepsi National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) regular season is quickly bouncing to an end, with only 2 weeks remaining before playoffs. The outcome of one game creates havoc in the standings, and a team’s optimism of one week, is quickly shattered by a loss the following week. Every game has huge implications, as teams are now fighting for either a playoff spot or home court advantage in the playoffs. San Pedro Tiger Sharks and Belmopan Bandits are the first 2 teams to clinch a playoff spot, while the remaining 5 teams are battling for the last 2 playoff spots. This coming week, there are 3 games slated, after which the league will take a weekend off for Easter Break. The last week of regular season will conclude after Easter Break, followed by the playoffs, which will use a best of three format.
Editorial: The Barrow Emeritus future
When Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price was replaced as People’s United Party (PUP) Leader in 1996, he was around 76 years of age. At that point, of course, Mr. Price became PUP Leader Emeritus. He was a sitting member of the Belize House of Representatives in 1996, having been elected to the Pickstock seat in June of 1993, a seat he would win again in the August 1998 general election, and a seat he would give up in time for Godfrey Smith to win the seat for the PUP in the March 2003 general election.
When Rt. Hon. Dean Oliver Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize and United Democratic Party (UDP) Leader, gives up leadership of the ruling UDP and leadership of the nation of Belize later this year or sometime next year, he will be around 66 years of age. Whether Mr. Barrow will give up the Queen’s Square seat he has won in eight consecutive general elections (since December of 1984) when he resigns as Prime Minister and UDP Leader, is not clear. Whether he does or does not will not be that important: as UDP Leader Emeritus he will be functionally more powerful than Mr. Price was when he became PUP Leader Emeritus in 1996. That is the point of this essay. Mr. Price was forced out in 1996: Mr. Barrow, on the contrary, will leave voluntarily in order to allow his Deputy Prime Minister/Deputy UDP Leader, Hon. Patrick Faber of the Collet constituency, to prepare the party for the 2020 general election under the Faber mantle.
Considering Chalillo in 2004
Editor AMANDALA
Sir,
Much concern has been raised, both verbal and written, regarding the go-ahead for the Fortis Dam in the Macal River Valley of Belize. Of paramount importance is the effect it will have in damaging the environment – tropical rainforest and rare animal species that make it their home. On the other hand, very little has been said about the effect that flooding 1000 hectares of rainforest could have on “yet to be discovered” Mayan archaeological sites.
The only thing that might stop the Chalillo Dam, even though the project has begun, would be a “last hour” discovery of an ancient Mayan site somewhere within the endangered flood area!
This is the conclusion made in my recent novel, “The Thirteenth Disciple”, first published in Germany in 2000 and more recently re-published in English in 2003.
Who the cap fits
On 20th April, 1653, Oliver Cromwell, the renowned English military and political leader and later Lord Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland, who actually abolished the British monarchy and ruled Britain at one point in time, dissolved the Rump Parliament in London, England. In dismissing its members, this was his address:
“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place that you have dishonoured by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government: ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
THE LEGENDARY BELIZEAN ARTIST LEE LAA VERNON (R.I.P.)
There is a Belizean Creole proverb that says that we must not wait to honor, respect and give gratitude to someone when they are dead, but that we should do it when they are alive. And that is just the way we had felt here at Belizean Legends before the passing of Belize’s most respected and honored female artist and legend Lee Laa Vernon.
Just last week while Leela was hospitalized and was ailing, it became very urgent that we do something on this outstanding Belizean citizen who has given Belizean Creoles great pride in who they are as a people of African descent. But before that, as a matter of fact, it became apparent a long time ago that in another visit of yours truly to Belize, that Lee Laa Vernon was going to be found in Punta Gorda where she lived, and that I could do an exclusive interview with her.
However, it was not meant to be, and there are no excuses at Belizean Legends why this awesome and legendary Belizean artist was not already documented by this documentary series. We missed a golden opportunity and we are making it up to her now through this exposé as a reflection on her work as a Belizean artist.
ASTHMA: A Complex Respiratory Condition
Hello everyone. ASTHMA -a respiratory condition, is, hands down, the leading cause of disability and disease in children and teens—ages 2 to 17—according to the American Medical Association (AMA). In the United States, alone, one out of 40 people are asthma sufferers, with 65% of sufferers developing asthmatic symptoms before the age of 5. This is our discussion today: Asthma, its symptoms, naturopathic interpretations, and recommended treatments.
SPRINGTIME IS HERE, plenty of warm, balmy winds and rain in California, everything is beautiful, love is in the air, colorful flowers are blooming, and pollen is blowing everywhere . . . but, pollen in the air also means: difficult, obstructed breathing for asthma sufferers and those who suffer from hay fever. So, let’s talk “Asthma.” Asthma generally manifests itself in the form of an “asthma attack.” Between these attacks, an asthmatic will usually seem perfectly healthy. An attack may be characterized by a narrowing of the bronchial passages which makes it difficult to breathe. An attack may begin with an unproductive cough, followed by rapidly progressing difficulty in breathing
Belize’s Sandra Coye: We love & appreciate you!
Sandra Coye’s impact on me since her attending my Islamic wedding in 1986 in Los Angeles, California, has been something that is very difficult to erase from my memory, especially since her physical disappearance from Belize’s social life. She has stood out all the time for me as a Belizean woman of considerable brilliance and tenacity rarely seen in any woman of African heritage across these post-colonial slave societies in the Americas and across the African diaspora.
During my producing of Raymond Gongora’s documentary feature on what we here at Belizean Legends called, “The Belizean Artistic Renaissance”, Coye’s work came alive again in her dynamic poem called, “Genesis of Destruction”, that was used in an award-winning monologue at the 1976 Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA). It is a classic Belizean protest poem that was highly praised across the English- speaking Caribbean since the awesome Belizean artist, the late Beverly Smith-Lopez, brought it in monologue to Carifesta.
Belize loses bid in US Appeals Court to have BZ$36.9 mil Belize Bank award tossed out
The US Court of Appeal D.C. Circuit Court in the USA today upheld the confirmation of a US$18.5 million (or BZ$36.9 million) arbitration award, plus interest and legal costs, handed down in 2013 by the London Court of International Arbitration against the Government of Belize in the protracted litigation row over a deal involving Universal Health Services (UHS), today known as Belize Healthcare Partners Limited (BHPL).
The deal for a $33 million debt guarantee for the private hospital was originally made in 2004 under the former administration of Said Musa, followed by a settlement deed in 2007, and after a dispute arose, it was submitted for resolution to the foreign arbitral tribunal.
Breaking Belize News
PUP calls Patrick Faber: “Stubborn, Immature, and Downright Dangerous”
Yesterday, the People’s United Party (PUP) issued a release expressing consternation at the recent announcement by Education Minister, Patrick Faber that $1 million will be made available to pay teachers who attended school during BNTU’s 11-day strike in October 2016. “It’s the sign of […]
SIB and GOB team up for statistics workshop
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) and the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce (MEDP) joined together today to hold a workshop on strengthening the National Statistical System (NSS). The two-day workshop funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is being […]
14 year old student missing
The family of fourteen year old Aliyah Martinez are concerned about her whereabouts. Martinez is a student of Sadie Vernon High School in Belize City. She was last seen on Friday. The public is advised to contact the nearest police station if they know […]
Marlon Padilla charged for murder
Last year on April 3, San Ignacio police visited Selena Village after receiving information of a chopping incident. Police observed the lifeless body of an elderly Hispanic male in an open lot behind the Iguana Creek Government School with multiple chop wounds to the […]
Ministry of Investment and Trade tour shrimp farms
The Ministry with responsibility for Investment, Trade, and Commerce yesterday met with the Shrimp Growers Association to discuss the challenges and production problems facing the shrimp industry. Tracy Panton was representing that ministry along with the Chief Executive Officer, Amparo Masson, Lincoln Blake, Director […]
BNTU calls out GOB for union busting
The BNTU today issued a press release stating that the one million dollars set aside by government to compensate teachers who did not go on strike is union busting. The union said that despite the ruling of the chief justice, government’s intent is to […]
Man dies after being stabbed in Orange Walk
Over the weekend Orange Walk resident, Adjica Mojica was stabbed twice to his chest and to his arm. Yesterday, he reportedly died while undergoing treatment at the Northern Regional Hospital. Police have since charged Juan Antonio Orellana, 47, a Salvadoran watchman and Saul Reyes, […]
Faber says UDP in Dangriga united
Last Monday we had reported that a verbal altercation in Dangriga quickly turned physical among top ranking UDP insiders at a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister, Patrick Faber. We had reported that Dangriga Area Rep, Frank Papa Mena, complained that the Dangriga Chairman, Clifford […]
Belize Announces Farmers of the Year 2017
The National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration today announced the 2017 Farmers of the Year as follows: Male Farmer of the Year – Gary Canto […]
Major shakeup in police top brass
Big changes are reportedly coming to the Belize Police Department in the upcoming months. Reliable sources have told BBN that the Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie, will be placing the Eastern Division under a single commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Desiree Phillips, as […]
Bold thieves steal skiff and equipment worth over $27,000 in Belize City
According to police reports, yesterday morning around 12:42, Francisco Javier Gutierrez, 55, of a Belize City address reported that between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., someone stole his white and blue 25ft Mexican Lanchon fiber glass skiff with the name NAUTICA . […]
Police find 2270 grams of marijuana on Mopan River
Last week Thursday, police were conducting patrols along the Mopan River when their attention was drawn to 2 Hispanic men. The men were on the riverside and ran away when they saw the police. Police discovered a black, red, and white knapsack containing 2,270 […]
Police investigating the murder of Pastor Bardalez
Police in Cayo are investigating the murder of Pastor Florencio Guillermo Bardalez. Bardalez was killed last night around 7:45 at his farm in Esperanza Village, Cayo. When police arrived at his farm last night, Bardalez was seen with injuries to his face and head. […]
$1 million to be shared among “loyal” teachers
According to News 5, the Ministry of Education will reward “loyal” teachers this Easter. Readers will recall that the Ministry of Education and the BNTU had gone to court after the Ministry wanted to set the dates that teachers would make up for the […]
A Laidback Business By The Beach In Affordable, Caribbean Belize
David Diffendal is one of the many expats who came to the tropical peninsula of Placencia, as a vacationer…but quickly recognized the business opportunities and quality of life on offer here…and stayed.
“When I visited in 2014, I saw that there was a wealth of upscale restaurants, activities, and excursions in the village,” says David. “But within the village, the available lodging was still pretty rustic.” After speaking to locals and business owners in the area, he realized that a boutique, upscale resort within walking distance of everything was a niche not being met.
Up until several years ago, Placencia was a small, remote fishing village on Belize’s Caribbean coast. But after building the first paved road into the village in 2011, it’s grown into a tourist hot spot with more tourists, expats, and businesses coming down every year. Even so, the peninsula is progressing at a slow pace and maintaining its authentic charm, which struck David as an opportunity to grow a rewarding business and enjoy all the lifestyle benefits of a Caribbean paradise.
The Belize Black Hole Drop at Actun Loch Tunich
Although the name of the Black Hole Drop implies dropping into a bottomless pit, the Black Hole Drop is actually a unique climbing adventure where participants get lowered down through the floor of a cave that sits high above the nearby jungle canopy. As participants rappel further downward, they will pass through the canopy layer until they arrive in a deep hole that looks inky black, hence the name.
The tour begins by a hike through the jungle up to a cave named Actun Loch Tunich. From there, participants are carefully connected to a safety harness. The adventure begins when participants lower themselves over a ledge on the cave floor seemingly to descend into complete blackness.
Some 200 feet below the floor of the cave, participants will reach the upper level of the nearby jungle canopy. Facing their fears of heights, participants will continue to rappel downward through tree branches until they touch ground at the bottom of a cavern. As the cavern looks completely black from above, this is where the “black drop” name comes from. The total descent is approximately 500 feet (152 meters), requiring participants to master their fear of heights to enjoy this unique adventure experience.
International Sources
Off Belize, a Hunt for Saltwater Fly-Fishing’s Top Prizes
“Look: big school,” my guide, Emir, said. He was pointing to a spot 50 yards in the distance. The surface of the water was churning, black tails poking up like so many miniature sails. “Hop out,” he said.
We slid over the side of our skiff and stood in the knee-deep water. It was the first half-hour of the first day of a three-day fly-fishing excursion to Ambergris Caye, a small spit of land just off the east coast of Belize, and already Emir had led us to a sweet spot. A swath of emerald-green Caribbean lay in front of us. There wasn’t another boat in sight. The early-morning light was like something Hemingway would wax literary about.
Emir nodded toward the group of fish. “It’s actually two schools,” he said, and began walking toward one of them. Saltwater fly-fishing is more like hunting than fishing, really. It’s not about dropping a line in the water and crossing your fingers. The object is to navigate a promising expanse of water until you spot a specific fish or group of fish, the way you would traverse the woods in search of deer or elk. Then, once you have a target, you “sight cast” to that particular fish.
Global warming killed off the Mayans by locking leaders in violent power struggle
The reason for the collapse of Mayan civilisation has been hotly debated, but now scientists claim they have an answer - climate change.
Researchers believe that hot weather made the Mayans more aggressive and therefore likely to fight one another.
As crops failed due to the rising temperatures leaders waged war for power which lit the fuse of their eventual demise around 900 AD, the study says. With crops levels low Mayan leaders could no longer rely on brash festivals or building projects to keep their sujects happy.
So they resorted to power struggles and war instead which finished the mysterious civilisation off.
LGBT advocates attend global HRC summit in D.C.
Nearly 30 LGBT and intersex rights advocates from around the world are attending a Human Rights Campaign summit this week in D.C.
Activists from Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Latvia, Macedonia, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Colombia, Jamaica, Peru, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan and Tunisia are attending the second annual HRC Global Innovative Advocacy Summit that is taking place through April 7. Caleb Orozco, an LGBT advocate from Belize who successfully challenged his country’s sodomy law, is also taking part in the gathering that began on Monday.
7 Bed and Breakfasts Every Traveler Will Love
For some people, escape is what vacation is all about. Yes, many bed and breakfasts are located in areas that are off the beaten path, but they’re hardly isolated. When you head to Cayo Espanto, a tiny private island located off the coast of Belize, you’ll have all the privacy you want. It might not exactly be a bed and breakfast, but the hands-off approach to accommodations and relative seclusion give it a similar feel. You’ll even have your own personal houseman to bring you everything you could possibly want, including gourmet creations from the chef.
Such luxury doesn’t come cheap, though. Rates start near $1,500 a night and go up depending on the season and time of week. It might not become a go-to spot anytime soon, but it’s definitely worth a splurge.
Videos
BELIZE 2017 TRIP, 4min.
Dr Susan Kasedde, 3min. UNICEF works to protect children from violence, exploitation and abuse – including against online violence, sexual abuse and exploitation – in every region of the world. In Belize, 66% of youth aged 15-19 years use the Internet at least once a week. Online violence (or cyber violence) is another form of violence. Listen as our new Representative Dr. Susan Kasedde speaks on why combating cyber violence is an imperative. Thank you, U.S. Embassy Belize for this video message.
We Are Climate Change - Belize / Belmopan - UN-Habitat, 12min. Belmopan, the capital of Belize has partnered with UN-Habitat to develop a new Masterplan for the city.
Vollmann Productions followed UN-Habitat during their mission to Belize, Belmopan, took part in the participatory planning workshop, interviewed key persons within this project and took crisp hawk-eyed drone footage from the city.
VEHICLE BURNS DOWN IN COROZAL TOWN, 4min.
CJC HOLDS ITS ANNUAL SCIENCE AND BUSINESS FAIR MARCH 31ST, 2017, 10min.
TODAY APRIL 3RD STANDARD SIX STUDENTS COUNTRY WIDE SAT FOR THE FIRST PART OF PSE, 4min.
Patty Outdoors - Belize Boys Trip: BBQ Venison Meatballs, 1.5min. I made some BBQ Venison Meatballs to bring along on a boys' trip to Belize.
BELIZE 2017 TRIP, 4min.
Belize 2016, 3.5min.
MARLIN3 FROM BELIZE TO CAYE HD, 7min.
Snorkeling in Belize March 2017, 30min.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
