AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Belize Life News Daily news prior to today Today's Belize News: May 15, 2017

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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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Letter to the Editor: An Amazing experience with ACES
My name is Amaury Mellier, I am a 23 year-old french student in Biology. I want to work in wild conservation by the research way and I am particularly interested by reptile conservation. I came in Belize for the first time three years ago during two months to learn about Crocodile conservation with ACES (American Crocodile Education Sanctuary). In this way, i learned a large range of information about the American Crocodile, unique species present on Ambergris Caye, such as protocol of captures, physiology, morphology and behavior. Last 21st of March i was so glad to come back for new adventures and i couldn't have any idea about how dense it would be this time again.

Wolfe's Woofer: Ontario Village
"Stop for Belmopan," the bus driver called. "Next stop is Camalote." A little old lady stepped to the front of the bus. "Did you say the next stop is Ontario village?" she asked the bus driver. "No, ma'am. The next stop is Camalote. Then we make stops at Teakettle and after that, Ontario Village. " I was riding the bus to San Ignacio and the only one available that morning was what I call the "chicken bus." Unlike the more expensive buses, the "chicken bus" stops at every little village and the passengers carry everything from chickens to groceries. A few miles later the bus stopped and the driver announced, "Stop for Camalote. Next stop is Ontario Village."

Rotary club of Ambergris Caye Belize Celebrates 1st Year Charter Anniversary
Officially Charted by Rotary International on the 25th of May, 2016, Rotary Club of Ambergris Caye Belize (RCACB) prepares to celebrate its 1st anniversary and we'd like to share a little about Rotary in general, our Club and what we have been up to over the past year. Founded in Chicago, USA on February 23, 1905 - Rotary is a global network of volunteers who share a passion for enhancing communities and improving lives around the world. Rotary clubs participate in an array of service projects that address community needs at home and abroad - from fighting disease and providing clean water to supporting education, growing local economies and promoting peace.

Doctor Love: Sad and Ashamed
Dear Doctor Love, I am fourteen years old and very close to my mother, but sometimes we disagree on things. My mother doesn't want me to wear shorts and tops that show my belly but I want to wear them. One day she passed at the football field and I was wearing an outfit I had borrowed from my best friend. She didn't say anything to me and hasn't punished me, but I know she is very disappointed. I want to tell her I am sorry, but I don't know how. Can you help me please? /s/ Sad and Ashamed

Misc Belizean Sources

Caribbean girls under cyber attack
A cyberbullying victim's parents have spoken out in Belize against the alarming practice of posting nude photos of young girls online. The couple sits facing away from the camera as they recount the episode that forever changed their daughter's life. The father, slowly and in a plaintive voice, says someone accessed the photo from her social media account and reposted it to a public site. With just a few clicks, the damage had already been done. "It was a huge blow to our family when it happened. Me and her mother, we tried to be strong for her, and supported her in every way possible, and to try to get over it. It was a terrible thing for her," he said. "Be bold for change against cyber violence!" shouts the mother, firing a parting shot in the final frames.

23 gang members escape from Honduran prison
The public is advised to be on the alert, as 23 gang members escaped from one of Honduras' most overcrowded prisons on Thursday. The escapees are considered dangerous. The men were being transferred to a higher-security facility when they escaped from armed military guards. The inmates, who had been locked up in the special "Scorpion" unit for members of the notorious Barrio 18 gang, made their escape from the medium-security Marco Aurelio Soto prison on Thursday. The jail's director and several guards have been put on leave. Authorities are still searching for the escaped inmates and are investigating the escape. This escape is said to be one of the biggest in more than a decade in Honduras. In recent years, Honduras has been moving imprisoned members of the Barrio 18 and Mara Salvatrucha gangs to higher-security prisons to try to reduce the extortion, killings and drug deals they coordinate from behind bars.

Crooked Tree Cashew Festival
All weekend. It takes a village to stew cashew, bake cashew; cashew wine; cashew fudge.

FRENCHIE'S OFFSHORE OPEN
Attention All Anglers competing in the FRENCHIE'S OFFSHORE OPEN next weekend! Here are the tournament rules. Please feel free to ask any questions ahead of the Tournament Briefing on Friday where the rules will be further explained.

Chocolate Festival of Belize May 19
Chocolate has been celebrated for the last 10 years in this beautiful town. The count down begins. Only 5 more days before the big day. Happy Chocolate Fest 2017 to all.

MEN @ WORK art exhibit
The National Institute of Culture & History through the Corozal House of Culture invites you to the 6th Annual "Men at Work" art exhibition on Friday June 2nd, at 7:00 - Corozal House of Culture. Don't miss out!

The Reporter

Several prisoners escape from Honduran jail; some likely heading to Belize
Some 22 prisoners from the Barrio 18 gang in Honduras are at large and some of them are possibly heading towards Belize after they escaped from Honduras' most overcrowded prison. As a result, Belizean authorities have issued an advisory for people to be cautious, because the men could likely be heading towards Belize. The escape from the Marco Aurelio jail facility in Tamara, which is guarded by military staff, occurred last week, according the head of the National Penitentiary Institute, Rosa Gudiel. Prison authorities did not find out about the breakout until days later, however. The prisoners escaped from the "Scorpion" section, a special unit for members of the notorious Barrio 18 gang, which is one of Central America's strongest organized criminal groups.

Barrow confirms early retirement
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has confirmed that he will retire early. Barrow did so at Friday's House meeting and gave his reasons for doing so. During an interview after the House meeting, Barrow told reporters, " I have already discussed with the party that I will go no later than the start of 2020. Let's say the end of 2019, I do have to keep under review the possibility of going earlier." Barrow said that he is becoming tired of hearing of his ailing health. He states that in order to be fair to all concerned, he will keep into consideration the prospect of going earlier than the date planned, if he senses that he is not in a position to give it his all.

Breaking Belize News

Twenty-three dangerous Honduran prisoners on the run
The Belize Police Department is advising the public to be aware that 23 prisoners from a prison in Honduras escaped on Friday. According to reports from Prensa Latina, the dangerous criminals escaped from the Marco Aurelio Soto prison in Francisco Moraz�n, Honduras. Prensa Latina reports that the criminals reportedly fled on Thursday night but the authorities didn't notice until the following day after a routine inspection.

Blogs

We Traveled Throughout Belize to Pick Our Top 5 Favorite Resorts
Being a producer at Travelzoo certainly has its perks. Recently, I took a six-day trip to Belize, traveling all over the country to get a feel for it - the geography, the culture, the people and, of course, the best resorts to stay at while on a Belizean vacation. I found out that there is something here for everyone. Whether you're looking for adventure, a good beach or a dose of history, Belize has it all, along with a resort suited for your intended trip. I visited more than 20 resorts - here are my top 5 spanning from the jungle to the Caribbean seaside.

June is a great month to visit Belize
Slightly cooler and with better breezes than the months of April and May, June in Belize is a wonderful time to visit. Probably the best attraction for seafood lovers is all of the festivals throughout Belize that celebrate the beginning of the lobster season. The islands of Ambergris Caye and Caulker Caye, and the peninsula of Placencia, each hold their own special festival dedicated to all things lobster. June is also a great time to visit Belize as airfare from the United States is more affordable than ever. Major airlines like Delta, American Airlines and Southwest all run specials, and Belize is only 3-5 hours' flying time from several major American cities.

International Sources

Trough Of Low Pressure Over The Western Caribbean Will Produce Increased Rainfall This Week To Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, The Bahamas & Possibly Parts Of Central & South Florida
Satellite imagery and weather analysis this morning shows shower and thunderstorm activity occurring from parts of Central America through the western Caribbean. This shower and thunderstorm activity is also affecting parts of Cuba and the Bahamas. The reason for this convective activity is a trough of low pressure that is located over the western Caribbean as well as a stationary frontal boundary that is stretched from the southeastern Gulf of Mexico through the Florida Keys and into the northern Bahamas. A look at the environmental conditions across the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas reveals that there is 30 to 60 knots of wind shear impacting all of the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas and the northern and central Caribbean and this is highly unfavorable for tropical development. There is an area of 5 to 15 knots of wind shear occurring over the southwestern Caribbean, however, no disturbed weather is occurring over the southwestern Caribbean right now. All-in-all, tropical development is not expected anytime soon from the area of shower and thunderstorm activity over the western Caribbean.

Cancellation of ASC for four farms will not impact Belize's shrimp exports
The Belize Shrimp Growers Association (BSGA) said that the recent loss of Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certification by four of the country's shrimp farms will not impair the country's ability to export shrimp, The Reporter wrote. The four farms lost the certification because they opted out of a routine audit to maintain the standard, according to the association. "This does not impact their ability to export shrimp. We expect to see those farms audited in the medium term and their ASC status renewed," the association said.

CARICOM to fight back after US 'money laundering haven' tag
CARICOM Secretary General Irwin La Rocque believes the United States's listing of member states as money laundering jurisdictions could have devastating effects on the region. In its latest International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, 14 of CARICOM's 15 nations were labelled negatively. "I think these unilateral blacklistings are not helping anything," he said, adding that "there ought to be some discussion and transparency on how these lists are arrived at. La Rocque spoke to the AFP news agency after the issue was discussed by CARICOM trade ministers at a two-day meeting in Guyana, on the northeast coast of South America.

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