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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, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Full Moon Concert features talented Cuban Band Morena Son
Under the glow of a full moon, San Pedro town residents were treated to an international concert featuring the female Cuban band ‘Morena Son’ on Wednesday, June 14th. Held at the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), the event was organized by the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC), the San Pedro Cultural Committee, in collaboration with the Embassy of Cuba in Belize and the SPHC. Welcoming guests was Jorge Aldana from the SPTC, and he introduced the group, which comes from Santiago de Cuba. Its members are Aimee Campos, Aylen Guevara, Maria Soto, Juna Filiu, Niurka Cardona, Orialis Luna, and Deisy Estrada, and they have toured South America and Europe. This is their first time in Belize.

AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER OVER THE NORTHWEST CARIBBEAN
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) in close collaboration with the National Meteorological Service hereby informs the general public that a large area of disturbed weather has formed over the northwest Caribbean Sea and adjacent land areas of Central America. The system is unlikely to develop significantly within 24 hours, but there is a medium chance for further development during Sunday and Monday as it moves north-westward across the Yucatan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Mexico. Even though significant development is not expected at this time, the system is expected to produce moderate to heavy rainfall over the country. Rainfall is expected to increase over most areas tonight and persist through the weekend. Heavy rainfall will cause localized flooding over low lying coastal areas, and may lead to flash flooding near rivers and streams especially in the south.

Middle Island Neighborhood Watch continues to trash the bad habit of littering
For the past 10 years, the Middle Island Neighborhood Watch (MINW) has been tackling Ambergris Caye’s garbage by cleaning their neighborhood’s beaches and roads. With special focus on the Journey’s End area and north of Mata Grande Grocery Store, MINW’s members are not only cleaning surrounding areas, but also raising awareness so that other communities are motivated to keep their environment clean. Since the establishment of MINW, one of their main missions is to help beautify Ambergris Caye. MINW President Jan Van Noord, and MINW Secretary Diane Campbell, who currently spearheads the MINW trash project, have been actively working as a team. Now, with MINW advocating these cleanup efforts, the project has expanded, with many volunteers showing up to work hard. During a recent outreach program, MINW received various cash donations, which was used to carry out a deep cleaning of roadsides and beaches. On two different occasions, one person filled nine large bags with trash. Just days after, another team was able to fill 41 contractor (55-gallon) trash bags, and local businesspeople volunteered their trucks and personnel to haul the debris away.

Kent Gabourel & Jordan Santos in Olympic Day run
Kent “Bob” Gabourel won third place in the Open category and Jordan Santos and placed fourth in the 14-19 years male category when the National Olympic and Commonwealth Games committee held its annual Olympic Day run on the streets of downtown Belize City on Sunday, June 11th. Kent “Bob” Gabourel clocked 15:56.84 minutes in two laps over the course from Scotiabank parking lot on Regent Street to the first turning point at Mule Park in front of Belize Bank, then down Albert Street to Isaiah Morter monument and around the Yarborough Cemetery, returning to the St. John’s Cathedral, and on to Regent Street to the finish line.

Ministry of Health implements new pharmaceutical regulations
In an effort to ensure Belizeans are receiving quality medicinal products, the Office of the Director of Health Services made an announcement on Tuesday, June 6th via a press release, informing pharmaceutical importers that all custom entries will now be processed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Belmopan. Such entries could be over the counter medication, FedEx, Amerijet, prescription medications and others. This transition is expected to commence on July 1, 2017, and the new regulation will effect roughly 60 registered pharmaceutical importers within the country.

Eight years later, Belize Barrier Reef remains on the UNESCO ‘in danger’ list
The state of Belize’s Barrier Reef System continues to be poor and for another consecutive year it will remain on the UNESCO World Heritage Site’s ‘in danger list.’ The Belizean reef system has been on this list since 2009 and every year in March, the Government submits a status report to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Committee for review. The committee’s report was delivered on Friday, June 9th, stating that more needs to be done for its removal from this vulnerable category. According to Nadia Bood from the World Wildlife Fund, they are ensuring that everything is done to get the reef off that list. She also explained why this year, Belize did not meet the Committee’s expectations. “The Committee reiterates its position that the adequacy of the one kilometer buffer zone needs revision,” said Bood. “The Government said back in December of 2015 that there would be a ban on oil exploration within the property and a one kilometer buffer around the property and the barrier reef. The World Heritage Site Committee does not accept that.” Bood indicated that the Committee would like to see a justification for such a decision from the Government.

Ambergris Today

Fifty Four Belizeans Receive Suicide Prevention Training
Fifty-four persons from across the country have received training in Suicide Prevention through a partnership between the Youth Resilience and Inclusive Social Empowerment (RISE) Project, Galen University, and COBEC. The workshops were one of the first activities under the recently launched Youth Rise Project and took place in Cayo and Stann Creek between June 8th and 13th, 2017. Participants included persons who actively work with youths within community safety nets, such as counsellors from high schools in central and southern Belize and the University of Belize, counsellors and social workers from the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation, the Department of Youth Services, and the Community Policing Unit, as well as professionals from the ITVET.

Misc Belizean Sources

SMALL HIVE BEETLE SURVEY – BEEKEEPING
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment & Sustainable Development and Immigration in collaboration with OIRSA, Belize (Organismo Internacional Regional de Sanidad Agropecuaria) will be conducting a national apiculture survey from 3rd to 21st July 2017. This survey will start in Toledo District and followed by the Corozal District. This diagnostic assessment is to determine the status of apiaries with a special focus on the presence of pest and disease such as Small Hive Beetle (SHB). Last year, SHB was detected in a number of hives which were located along the north-eastern border of the Corozal District. Through this survey, the Department of Agriculture will also map existing apiaries and update the national honey production database.

NICH and San Pedro House of Culture keep traditions alive during Lobster Fest
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through The Museum Of Belize and The San Pedro House of Culture invites everyone to take part in the rich traditions of San Pedro during the month of June. For the next two (2) weeks San Pedro will be a fountain of traditional and contemporary cultural activities celebrating the sacrifice of the fishermen, the bounty of the sea, the sanctity of religion, the sense of family and the all-encompassing spirit of San Pedro. The traditional aspect of this year’s festivities will begin on June 20. The villagers will be roused from sleep to attend La Bajada at the Roman Catholic Church, a ceremony that is centered around the fishermen removing the statue of St. Peter from its usual place in the church and placing it at the bottom level of his altar.

5th Annual Kaina Martinez Track and Field Games
The Seine Bight village on the Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize will host the fifth annual Kaina Martinez Track and Field Games on July 22-23, 2017.

JASMINE ALERT!!!!
MISSING CHILD from Ranchito Village, Corozal.

Belize's Wonder Women! Ann-Marie Williams
Ann-Marie Williams is the first and current Executive Director of the National Women’s Commission (NWC) since 2008. Ann-Marie recently participated in the highly prestigious The Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship Program focusing on “Trafficking in Persons, Policy and Prevention" at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. After completing the program, consisting of a year of graduate studies, Ann-Marie received a special certificate. While in DC, as part of her professional development, she worked for a stint at the World Bank on development issues in Knowledge Management. This former television anchor likes being an award-winning journalist best, as it has and continues to broaden her worldview on a myriad of issues, while building her intellectual capacity which is steeped in human rights.

Induction ceremony at the Bliss Center
On June 15th, The Museum of Belize hosted an induction ceremony at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Robert Sydney Reyes, a friend and past student of Governor General Sir Colville Young, donated 4 beautiful paintings to the National Art Collection. Sir Colville Young handed over the paintings on Mr. Reyes' behalf.

NURI AKBAR & THE CALLING!
As a childhood friend in Belize City Derrick Estrada had more freedom than most of us who grew up in the same neighborhood and in very strict homes like myself in the late 1960s. But remembering him and his shy personality since then makes me realize that boys like him had appeared distant in many ways. Though for me there was always this wonderment why my sheltered background at the time prevented me from knowing him better. It later appeared after we both became teenagers in the late 1970s, and my family's departure from the neighborhood that divided us from connecting, that we were to meet again in more maturity. There was a sense of reluctance still even though we would chat occasionally at the Belize Islamic center on Racecourse Street that had become like a educational pub for some of Belize's most brilliant minds.

MADDAM DIANE HAYLOCK: IN THE SPIRIT OF STRUGGLE & RESISTANCE!
Let's recall the work of this outstanding Belizean woman, Diane Haylock, as it is seen from across the Belizean diaspora where she had made a tremendous impact as one of the most articulate representatives of the organization SPEAR (Society for the Promotion of Education & Research). When SPEAR visited the Los Angeles Belizean Community in 1989 at the invitation of BREDAA (Belize Rural Economic Development of Agriculture through Alliance), Haylock stood out as one of the most politically conscious and culturally aware Belizean women of her time. Throughout her presentations to the Belizean diaspora town meetings along with her other colleagues, Assad Shoman and Wilfred "Sedi" Elrington, she understood the significance of the Belizean diaspora in Belize's development and its potential and power was one of her main messages that has come to light some thirty years since SPEAR"S memorable and historic visit to the Los Angeles Belizean Community.

Library Summer Camp: Endangered Birds of Belize
The San Pedro Town Public Library will be hosting its annual summer camp under the theme endangered birds of Belize. All community and branch libraries countrywide will be hosting the same activity so there is no need to miss out on the fun. For children ages 6 - 14, this could be a fantastic opportunity to learn so much about our Belize birds!

Energy Learning Exchange - Belize Electricity Limited Hosts The Bahamas Power & Light Company
Representatives of The Bahamas Power and Light Company (BPL) visited Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) on June 1 & 2, 2017 as part of a knowledge exchange program facilitated by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The primary objective of the mission was to provide insight into and experience of BEL’s recent transformation which may be of benefit to BPL as they embark on a relatively similar journey. Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) hosted information sharing sessions and technical tours to local generating and substation facilities. BEL’s corporate objectives, strategies and successes of key programs and initiatives were shared through presentations and discussions in the areas of Transmission and Distribution Operations, System Planning and Engineering, Safety Health and Environment Management, Customer Care and Human Resources Management.

Art in the Park June edition cancelled
Due to the impending wet weather for this weekend and the scheduled Candlelight Vigil for June 24th, Art in the Park June edition has been cancelled.

Belize September Celebration
Save the Date. September 10th 2017, Belize September Celebrations Street Festival. Between Market St and LaBrea on Nutwood in front of Little Belize Restaurant. Booths are going fast. For booths call 3238226687

Summer Showcase
Our annual Creative Arts Camp for Primary and Preschool starts July 10th!!! Pick up a registration form today at The Bliss! Or give us a call at 227-2210! July 10 – July 24, Belize City.

Corozal Community College graduation
Corozal Community College graduates in jovial camaraderie while awaiting for their graduation march. Not even the high temperatures diminished their enthusiasm, happiness….and beauty! Congratulations!

Cultural Day in San Antonio Village
The Institute of Archaeology, along with the Institute for Social & Cultural Research both visited United Pentecostal School in San Antonio Village to be a part of their Cultural Day celebrations. From learning about cultural celebrations to creating hand-prints and talking about Maya tools, it was a day well spent in education.

Channel 7

Anguish In August Pine Ridge Over Nonagenarian's Murder
Last night we told you about the killing of a 90 year old shopkeeper in August Pine Ridge Village in Orange Walk. Tonight, more is known about the very disturbing and diabolical murder and robbery. 7News went to Orange Walk to speak Pablo Pol's family and found that the elderly shopkeeper was killed for just a few dollars:... Jules Vasquez reporting: Pol's Shop on the August Pine Ridge Road. Apart from a Coca Cola sign out front, there's not much to it. But yesterday two hispanic men who had been seen on this August Pine Ridge Road went into the store and pounced on the 90 year old owner and proprietor, Pablo Pol, viciously beating and robbing him. A customer found him on the floor, and called the family. A niece was the first to respond:

Police Have A Suspect For Murder
Today, Orange Walk police were in a conference in Belmopan and could not give the media any interviews about the murder of Pablo Pol. And so this evening, the ranking police officer in the Press Office, Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood told the media what investigators know so far, and the possible involvement of minors... The community was involved in leading police to the suspect.

Dangriga Teacher On Bike Killed
In Dangriga, a pre school teacher was killed in a traffic accident. Yesterday at around 4:00, 26-year-old Naomi Abigail Taylor McKenzie was riding her beach cruiser to the mother's resdience when she was rear ended by a motorbike. 22 year old Michael Estero was driving the motorbike with a 17 year old passenger. They were behind McKenzie when they crashed into her rear wheel, and that sent the schoolteacher crashing to the pavement. She received head injuries and was rushed to the Southern Regional Hospital where she died at 5:30.

Thursday Night Shooting In City
Last night 24 year old Wasan Avila was socializing with a friend on the far end of Jasmine Street when two men approached them on bicycles. One of the men pulled out a hand gun and opened fire. Avila's friend escaped unharmed, but he was shot in the back and arm. Avila was rushed to the KHMH and was released in stable condition earlier today. ACP Chester Williams told us what they know so far.... So far, police believe that the assailants intended to rob Avila and his friend.

NEMO Warns About Weekend Weather
There's some heavy weather headed this way - and it has prompted NEMO to issue its first national advisory of the Hurricane Season. The release says, quote, "a large area of disturbed weather has formed over the northwest Caribbean Sea and adjacent land areas of Central America. The system is expected to produce moderate to heavy rainfall over the country. Rainfall is expected to increase over most areas tonight and persist through the weekend. Heavy rainfall will cause localized flooding over low lying coastal areas, and may lead to flash flooding near rivers and streams especially in the south."

IMF Says GOB Should Increase GST Rate to 15%
The IMF finished its Article IV Consultation in Belize yesterday and issued its concluding statement this morning. While not exactly upbeat, the report does note with encouragement that "the economy is expected to return to positive growth in 2017", but laments that "the medium term outlook remains weak." They project 2½ percent growth in 2017, and an average of just under 2 percent in the medium-term. The report also concludes that international reserves are projected to decline to two and a half months of imports over the medium term, and, quote, "any negative shocks could push them below that level." Notably, the IMF estimates the overall level of public debt at about 100 percent of GDP - which is very high.

A Complicated Appeal Resolved, Or Is It?
The Court of Appeal ended its June session today, and as it does at the end of sitting, which lasts for 2 weeks, the court handed down pending judgments. The Court handed down a trio of very important judgments, and we start first tonight with the criminal appeal of Gilbert Henry. Now, we've gotten in touch with the attorneys involved in the case, even after it's conclusion, there is deep disagreement on what the outcome is and should be. On one hand, there is Henry and his attorney, Kevin Arthurs, who says that he was arbitrarily deprived of his freedom having served 5 years in prison, only to learn after the fact that his conviction and time spent in jail should not have happened. The court has ruled that his conviction is a nullity, meaning that it is invalid.

A Titanic Turn In Fortunes
And, from that huge judgment, the Court of Appeal went on to hand down another big one in the favor of the Barrow Administration. It's the Titan International Securities lawsuit. That's the case from September 2014 where Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel (able) awarded 8.8 million dollars in compensation to the company owners, Rohn Knowles and Kelvin Leach. The judge found that the police department's raid on their Matalon Building Office was excessive, and abusive. The Government appealed that case, insisting that the judge's ruling was wrong, and today, the Court of Appeal agreed meaning the Government doesn't have to pay the multi-million-dollar judgment. But, it's only a partial victory because while they don't have to pay the award of damages, the Court did take note that the search and seizure of all of Titan's documents, computers and business records went too far. We spoke with Solicitor General Nigel Hawke about the outcome of the case.

Appeals Court Rules Ashcroft Alliance In Awich Challenge
And the final decision from the Court of Appeal which we report on tonight concerns the sitting Justice of Appeal, Samuel Awich. That's the case where the Ashcroft Alliance, namely, Dean Boyce, British Caribbean Bank - now named Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited, and Lord Michael Ashcroft himself, was challenging Awich's appointment to the Court of Appeal. They filed a lawsuit against the the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, alleging that the commission did not take their complaints against Awich seriously. They alleged that Awich had performed inadequately as a Supreme Court judge, and should not have been eligible as a justice of the Court of Appeal. Justice Courtney Abel (able) ruled against the Government, and in favor of the Alliance, finding that the commission should not have dismissed the complaint. Justice Abel said that the complaint should have been sent up the Belize Advisory Council.

Euros For OAS Adjacency Office
The OAS is currently holding its 47th. General Assembly in Cancun, but here in Belize, reports say the Adjacency Zone office in Benque Viejo has gotten a new lease on life. Unconfirmed reports say that the European Union has come up with 10 million euros for the office - which was on the verge of closure because funding had dried up. Yesterday the BDF Commander told us that the continued presence of the Adjacency Office bodes well for stability in cross border relations:.. The European Funders have stressed that both nations must move decisively towards a referendum and a resolution of the dispute.

Cops: To Catch Hard Rock's Killer
As we told you last night, the man who allegedly killed Andrew Bennett, known to most as the popular DJ "Hard Rock", is in jail tonight. David Richard Arnold was arraigned yesterday and remanded. It took three weeks for police to track down this alleged killer, and ACP Chester Williams told us more about his arrest today... ACP Chester Williams - OC, Eastern South Division: "As you may have remembered in previous interviews we have said that we knew who the suspect was in respect to the murder of Hard Rock and that individual we were looking for, David Arnold, was apprehended in the Belmopan area and was transported to us here in Belize City. We did our investigation further into the incident and yesterday we were able to formally arrested and charged David Arnold for the crime of murder in respect to the shooting death of Hard Rock."

Education Minister Reflects on Dismal PSE
A week ago we told you about the PSE results. Basically there has been no significant improvement in performance especially in Math and SCIENCE scores went down sharply. Now while there are those who excelled, over a thousand students got scores of "E" - which is basically a failing grade. It is a concern that is expressed every year but what is being done to really improve these grades? Yesterday Education Minister Patrick Faber told us that one other long term option right now is focusing on early childhood education.

Faber Emphasizes Opposition to Corporal Punishment
Still on education, the Ministry is investigating a corporal punishment case at San Pablo Government in Orange Walk. A teacher allegedly banged her 8 year old students head on the wall among other abusive acts. When the child told his mother, the mom went to the school and attacked the teacher. It was a messy scene at the school and Education Minister says he doesn't have all details but officials are trying to get to the bottom of this troubling case. Faber also re-iterated the Ministry's strong position against corporal punishment.

Desperate Mom Says Her Son Missing For 24 Days
A concerned mother came to 7News today deeply worried about the whereabouts of her son who has been missing since May 21st. He's 32 year old San Pedrano Erin Linares. His mother had checked him into a substance abuse program in Bullett Tree, Cayo, but he only stayed for one or two days. The next morning he was seen roaming the village in T-shirt and a pair of boxers. Now, she has no clue where she is and is begging for him to come home:...

FFB Management Team Says Ag. President Kuylen Should Step Down
The infighting within the FFB continues to get uglier. But now the dispute isn't over Sergio Chuc and Ruperto Vicente, it's over acting President Marlon Kuylen. He is offering himself for president, but FFB's Management team, namely the Directors of Competition, Finance and Communications say that Kuylen has an unfair advantage. The three men signed to a letter saying that by stating on as president in an election where he is vying for president, Kuylen is allowed an unfair and unethical advantage. They cite various FIFA regulations which they claim he is violating. They wrote their latter to the chair of the electoral committee three days ago.

Belize-Taiwan Making Exchanges
Last night you heard Deputy Prime Minister Faber say that Belize isn't planning to break ties with Taiwan like Panama has. Belize and Taiwan have enjoyed many years of meaningful partnership and amicable relations and today that connection continues to be solidified by outreach programs and initiatives. Another one was launched today. It's called the 2017 Taiwan Cultural Exchange Programme in Belize. We stopped by at the House of Culture to find out more about the program and its history. The program will run until the end of the year. As you heard there will be a series of events. To find out more about the exchange program you can call Fiona Hsu at 623 6499.

Ms. Y, Swinging Seenagers
We have reported extensively on the controversy surrounding Miss Belize, Rebecca Rath and her rollercoaster ride as a beauty queen. But don't expect any such in disputes in tomorrow's Miss Y Pageant, because it's just a group of mature ladies just wanting to have fun and entertain. We stopped in at the Bliss as the lovely "Seenagers" gave us a preview of what to expect tomorrow night. Participants must be 60 years and older, and this year, the oldest is 66. The pageant starts at 7:30 tomorrow night at the Bliss.

General Looks Beyond The Event Horizon
All week long, we've been reporting on the windup of the Beyond The Horizon program of assistance with the US Army. It has built classrooms and beefed up emergency rooms, but when will it come again? The BDF General discussed that yesterday:... Brig. Gen. David Jones - Commander, BDF: "There is another dimension of the military that is shown here which is humanitarian assistance and whenever we get the opportunity to do this, its good training experience for the BDF and its good economic benefit for Belize, because these building comes free of cost from the US government and it's our Belizean people, the government and the community that gets the benefit from it, so we will continue to ask for these projects. Perhaps within the next 2-3 years we will have another one and we will welcome them and then we will decide where are the different locations these projects will continue."

Faber Grateful For The Help
On a final note from the Beyond the Horizon 2017 project. Minister of Education Patrick Faber expressed how grateful he is for the new 3 classroom building at St. Matthew's Government School. Yesterday at the closing ceremony he said it was a much needed upgrade. Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister: "Of course on the issue of the school that was built at St. Matthews Government we are very pleased that this particular school could be a recipient. It is a school that was very much in need of the infrastructure, we were pleased to have the furniture donated by an NGO called Global Aid so that once the new school year starts, life at St. Matthews Government School should be much more comfortable for the students and teachers there."

Hon. Campos Says Clinics Coming
The construction of the new emergency room at the Western Regional hospital under the Beyond the Horizon project isn't the only recent health upgrade. Earlier this week Minister of State Dr. Angel Campos told us about several other clinics they have opened in the North and West.

Channel 5

An Elderly Shopkeeper’s Grisly End in August Pine Ridge
An elderly shop keeper was callously murdered on Thursday afternoon in Orange Walk. Ninety-year-old Pedro Pol was robbed inside his shop in August Pine Ridge at around two o’clock. Police [...]

Police Say Minor Detained as Investigations Continue
While Orange Walk police say one minor is in custody, the family contends that at least two persons; one from Guinea Grass and one from August Pine Ridge have been [...]

City Youth Tells Story of Shooting on Jasmine Street
In the city, shots rang out on Thursday night. A young man was shot on Jasmine Street at around seven o’clock.  Wasani Avila was along with a friend when a [...]

Shooting a Result of Robbery; One Held, One Sought
Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams spoke briefly about the shooting incident involving twenty-four-year-old Wasani Avila.  According to the Officer Commanding Eastern Division South, the motive for the attack on [...]

Police Nabbed Accused Killer of “Hard Rock” in Belmopan
The murder of popular Belize City disc jockey Andrew ‘Hard Rock’ Bennett stunned the deejay fraternity several weeks ago, when word of the deadly shooting on Central American Boulevard spread [...]

Stann Creek Teacher, P.G. Student Die In Traffic Mishaps
Twenty-six-year-old Naomi Abigail Taylor, a primary school teacher of Dangriga, lost her life on Thursday evening while riding a bicycle on Ecumenical Drive.  Taylor was heading to her mother’s house [...]

I.M.F. Says More Must Be Done for Belize’s Economy
The International Monetary Fund has concluded its annual Article Four consultative visit to Belize, held from June sixth to fifteenth. It has issued its preliminary findings, which speak of a [...]

Protest Planned to Address Minimum Wage
A group of Belizeans who probably agree with the conclusions of the International Monetary Fund is the Belize Leaders for Social Justice. It is a grouping of social justice organizations [...]

Belize Weighs Policy on Admitting Refugees, Improving Services
The Immigration and Nationality Department has been under intense scrutiny ever since Auditor General Dorothy Bradley released a special report on findings within that government agency during 2011 and 2013.  [...]

Caleb asks Morality Commission, “What About Us?”
On Thursday, we brought you the response of the chair of the so-called “Morality Commission”, Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber, to the news that the Anglican and Methodist churches have [...]

Bail for Guatemalan Man Accused of Sex Assault of Minor
Sixty-five-year-old Guatemalan national, Francisco Levi Figueroa, secured bail from the Supreme Court today with the help of his attorney, Leeroy Banner. Figueroa is accused of fondling a six-year-old girl.  But [...]

Mek Mi Rich Litigants Face October Appeal
Andre Vega and Sanjay Hotchandani, co-owners of the “Mek Mi Rich” game show were back in court on Thursday. Businessman Curtis Swasey contended in 2015 that it was his original [...]

Benque Moneychanger Shot at Home
A well-known money lender of Benque Viejo del Carmen is recovering from gunshot injuries he received on Thursday, when armed assailants opened fire on his home.  Fifty-one-year-old Erwin Cocom was [...]

San Pedro Missing Man Left Rehabilitation Center
A San Pedro man is missing for over three weeks and his family is desperately looking for him. Thirty two year old Erin Linarez left his family home on the [...]

Split with Panama Angers Taiwan; Belize Will Not Be Next
Earlier this week, Panama severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan and announced it was forging relations with China. The move angered Taiwan, which later announced that it was closing its embassy [...]

China Plotting Strategy, but Will Not Offer Something for Nothing
And while Ambassador Charles Liu remains positive and hopeful about the ties with Belize, we asked him if there is any concern that China, with its big coffers, will come [...]

Taiwan Offers Art Culture Exchange
The Taiwanese Government, through the Primary and Secondary Art Skills Training Centre, launched the Taiwan Cultural Exchange Program in Belize. This is the first of its kind program that aims [...]

Museum of Belize to Help Smaller Museums Associate
The Museum of Belize is spearheading a project that will see small museums enter into an association. Next week the Museum of Belize is going to officially incorporate and sign [...]

From ‘Magnificent Seven’ Who Will Be Next Miss Y?
It’s usually held closer to Mother’s Day, but this year’s Miss Y.W.C.A. pageant will be a Father’s Day affair. Seven “seenagers” will vie for the prestigious title at the Bliss [...]

Judy Boucher is Back for the Grown People
Vincentian-born R and B and reggae singer Judy Boucher says she considers Belize a second home, having come here regularly for concerts in the last few years. The author of [...]

Hypa Rush, Belizeans Kick Off Carnival Season
Soca in June? Belizeans rarely need an excuse to party, but this weekend marks the official start of the soca and carnival season. Six of Belize’s top soca performers – [...]

PlusTV

Benque money changer shot at his home
A well known businessman and border money changer, Erwin Cocom, was shot multiple times at his home in Benque Viejo. According to initial police reports, sometime around 11 o’clock this morning, two Hispanic male persons on a motor cycle went to the home of Erwin Cocom. Cocom was in front of his ya...

Teacher perishes in fatal RTA
There are reports of a fatal traffic accident this evening in the Stann Creek District. Information is still sketchy at this time but we are told that the accident happened on Ecumenical Drive in Dangriga. The accident was between a person on a motor cycle and a person on a bicycle and has claimed t...

Jeremy Parham charged with Omar Barahona’s murder
The man accused of shooting and killing 21 year old Omar Barahona was arraigned in the Belmopan court this afternoon. He is identified as 24 year old Jeremy Parham. He appeared before Magistrate Ladonna John where he was read three charges: the “murder” of Omar Barahona, “use of deadly means of harm...

Suspect in “Hard Rock” murder arraigned
Police have made another arrest in another murder case. The person accused of shooting and killing Andrew Ian Bennett Sr. is 25-year-old David Richard Arnold We understand that police found Arnold in Belmopan. Arnold appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser where he was read a single charge...

Stevedores forbid CWU from continuing negotiations with Port of Belize
Stevedores want Christian Workers Union to halt negotiations with the Port of Belize. That’s according to a letter dated June 12, 2017, and addressed to President of the Christian Workers Union, Dale Trujeque. The letter states that Trujeque and the negotiation team are being asked to “..step away...

Pawn Shop robbery in Dangriga
A Pawn shop on Chatuye Street in Dangriga Town was robbed. On Wednesday 14th June at 3:00 p.m., 29-year-old Felecita Murcia, the cashier at Southern Quick Loan, was at the business place when a male person entered the office and took off with over $3000 worth of cash and valuables. Dangriga Corre..

DEREK AIKMAN says UDP responsible for Maritme Areas Act
The Maritime Areas Act was introduced by the People’s United Party in the Belize House of Representatives in August of 1991. To say the least, it was a controversial bill. The UDP had just lost that election two years before but they supported the Bill which laid down a framework for Belize to only ...

Motorcycle thieves caught red handed
Two motorcycle thieves were caught red handed. On Wednesday, June 14, sometime around 2 o’clock that morning, Kevin Antonio Amaya was socializing at a house on Rutilio Grande Street, in Valley of Peace Village. He said that he parked his Black Meilun Motor-cycle on the street but later remembered th...

Two men arrested for drug trafficking in Belize City
Two men were arrested in Belize City for drug trafficking. According to police reports, on Tuesday June 14, a joint special branch strike team arrived at a residence on Vernon St. where two male persons were seen packaging a large amount of cannabis in one of the apartment rooms. As a result, polic...

$10,000 for weed found in man’s underwear
37 year old Emerson Williams is in debt to the court for the sum of $10,000. That was the fine imposed upon him late this evening after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking of 189 grams of cannabis.He appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sharon Fraser where he asked to plead guilty to only possession...

BPP Offers reward for information into Toledo Credit Union heist
Independence Police are awaiting finger print evidence to see if the person they detained should be charged for the burglary of the Toledo Teachers Credit union in Bella Vista village. As we have reported, the thief or thieves made off with 7 thousand US dollars and over 100 thousand Belizean doll...

Would be hotel guests actually robbers
26 year old Phillip Maclaren was arraigned in court on charges of robbery and attempted robbery. According to police reports, on Sunday June 11, Maclaren and another male person entered Radisson Hotel pulling a wheeled kit bag. They walked up to the front desk and asked the receptionist for a room ...

Man remanded for stealing $177,000 worth of BEL equipment
Santiago Padilla was arraigned in court on Wednesday for theft. The value of the items stolen is over 177 thousand dollars. According to reports, between February and April of this year, Padilla allegedly stole 3,033 light meters from Belize Electricity Ltd, valued at $177,000 dollars. It is allege...

Workshop for fathers in PG
Today was day one of a two day workshop for Fathers. The workshop, being conducted in Punta Gorda Town, is the initiative of the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation’s National Parenting Task Force. The sessions focus on the importance of the father’s role in ...

Amandala

Shopkeeper, 90, chopped to death in grocery store
A 90-year-old shopkeeper of August Pine Ridge, in the Orange Walk District, is the country’s latest homicide victim. According to police reports, sometime after 2 p.m. today, Thursday, Pedro Pol was inside his grocery shop when he was tied up and robbed by two Hispanic men. Before leaving the scene, the assailants, armed with machetes, reportedly chopped Pol multiple times in his face and body, and left him for dead. However, a customer who visited the shop minutes later saw Pol lying on the floor bleeding profusely, and immediately called Terencio Pol, 59, his son, who quickly transported his father to the hospital.

Teacher Naomi Taylor McKenzie, 26, dies in traffic accident
A 26-year-old teacher of Wagierale, Naomi Taylor McKenzie, died after she was knocked down on Ecumenical Drive by a motorcycle while riding home after school on her bicycle at about 4:30 this evening. Police said that the motorcycle was being driven at the time by Michael Estero, 22, who had a passenger, Calvin Williams, 17, both of Dangriga. The motorcycle collided with the back of the bicycle, and McKenzie was thrown of the bicycle and landed on the pavement. She suffered massive head and body injuries, and died on the scene.

Noel Leal, Jr., son of ACP Noel Leal, Sr., and Ralph Belisle charged with trafficking 14 pounds of weed
Noel Leal, Jr., 32, an auto dealer who is the son of Assistant Commissioner of Police Noel Leal, Sr., and Ralph Belisle, 21, a bodyworks man, appeared in the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon to answer to a charge of drug trafficking for 14 pounds of high-grade cannabis that police busted them with yesterday. The two accused drug traffickers appeared along with their attorney, Herbert Panton, before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. After reading the police facts of the case, Magistrate Fraser said, “If I am going by this, it is damning.”

Derek’s bombshell!
In its entry on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia says, “As of 28 May 2008, only two countries still use the 3-mile (4.8 km) limit: Jordan and Palau. That limit is also used in certain Australian islands, an area of Belize, some Japanese straits, certain areas of Papua New Guinea, and a few British Overseas Territories, such as Anguilla.” Just how Belize came to limit its territorial sea to 3 miles, instead of the 12-mile limit to which it is entitled under the Law of the Sea Convention has to do with a major concession to Guatemala that was orchestrated by the United Democratic Party government of Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel in 1984-1989 and passed into law by the People’s United Party government of 1989-1993, led by Prime Minister George Price.

David Arnold, 25, arraigned for the murder of Andrew “DJ Hard Rock” Bennett, 42
A Crimes Investigation Branch (CIB) vehicle pulled up at the Magistrate’s Court Regent Street side this morning and some remanded persons were taken out of the court’s holding cell and loaded into the pan of the CIB pickup. One of the men protested when court reporters “opened fire” on him with their cameras, saying “I no get charge yet, so no tek mi picture!” That same man was brought back to court to be arraigned in the afternoon session. Police charged David Richard Arnold, 25, a construction worker of 7 Armadillo Street, for the murder of Andrew “DJ Hard Rock” Bennett, 42, who was killed execution-style on Wednesday, May 24, near his Central American Boulevard home.

Ady Pacheco won’t respond to Senate Select Committee’s questions without her lawyer
Over four months ago, senior Immigration officer Ady Pacheco was summoned to appear before the Senate Select Committee. However, she claimed that she was unable to do so because she was at the time pregnant and had experienced a number of complications. Today, Wednesday, Pacheco sat before the committee, but she would not comment on the Won Hong Kim scandal – which involved Kim, a South Korean national, receiving a Belizean nationality certificate and passport while in a Taiwanese prison. He had reportedly never set foot in Belize. According to former Immigration Director Maria Marin, Pacheco had facilitated the issuance of the nationality certificate, which was riddled with irregularities.

Championship finals and awards for Simeon Lopez Kids
The Belmopan Football Association (BFA) held First and Second Round Finals over the weekend for the Simeon Lopez Kids, Youth & Female Cup 2017 Tournament. The games were played at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, and awards were issued after the championship finals on Sunday. Third place matches preceded the first round finals on Saturday, June 10; and on Sunday, June 11, championship finals were held for all 4 categories. Saturday – finals first round In the U-15 3rd place game on Saturday, Armenia FC and Las Flores Wild Cats drew 1-1 in regulation. Santos Beltran (3’) put Las Flores in front, but Josue Enriquez (17’) equalized for Armenia. In the penalty shootout, Las Flores Wild Cats prevailed, 4-2, with goals from Kevin Alas, Carlos Montalvo, Anthony Castillo and Gohali Alvarez; while only Anner Mess and Josue Enriquez converted for Armenia. In the U-15 first-round final which followed, Mountain View Revolution dropped Piccini Rising Star, 3-0, with goals from Kelvin Gordon (20’ & 44’) and Bryan Raymundo (41’).

Cricket Corner – Summer Fever burns Wicked 11 with high temperature
Hello, cricket fans! Thanks mucho to our sponsor of this year’s cricket season, Bowen & Bowen. Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, the Harrison Parks 2017 Cricket Competition continued over the weekend. On Saturday, the tie-breaker has come and gone, with Summer Fever sending Wicked 11 away. This game was played in Lords Bank in front of a large crowd. Summer Fever took to bat first, and the spirit on both sides was high, as this game will tell who goes to the semifinal and meet three-time champ Easy Does It. Summer Fever won the toss, and went to bat first. At the starting, the Wicked boys thought that this game was theirs, as the first wicket fell for 4 runs. Then the second fell for 10.

National Over-40 Week 2 results
The National Over-40 Football Tournament continued over the weekend with 1 game on Saturday, June 10, and 3 games on Sunday, June 11. On Saturday night, Pickstock Lake I travelled to San Pedro and drew 0-0 with San Pedro Veterans at the San Pedro Stadium. On Sunday afternoon at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, Kulture Yabra Veterans droped BDF Veterans, 3-1, with 2 goals from Francis McCaulay (18’ & 49’) and 1 from Rudolph McKoy (41’), while Gregory “Paisa” Cantun (89’) scored for BDF. Meanwhile, at the Santa Cruz Football Field, San Ignacio Quintas won by the same 3-1 margin over Benque Veterans.

Coby returns for annual Basketball Camp & 3 on 3 Knockout Tournaments
CEO of COBY Foundation, legendary Belize basketball star Evondale “Coby” Coburn says he will be back in the Jewel on Monday, June 19, to finalize preparations for next weekend’s event. For the 9th year running, COBY Foundation, in collaboration with Hoop Dreams, FIBA 33 Youth Basketball & GBED, will be holding its annual COBY Basketball Camp & 3 on 3 Knockout Tournaments in Belize City. This year’s event takes place at St. Catherine’s Academy Gym from Thursday to Saturday, June 22-24. A 2-Day Basketball Clinic will be held on Thursday and Friday, June 22-23, going from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. daily.

Editorial: The real of the deal
In the aftermath of the Citizen Kim passport scandal back there in 2013, there had been an occasion when Belize Prime Minister, the Right Hon. Dean O. Barrow, said publicly to his Cabinet Ministers that if anything could bring down his United Democratic Party (UDP) government, it was immigration irregularities, and he publicly begged his Cabinet Ministers to “stop it!” The less said about the Senate Committee inquiry performance of former Immigration Minister, Carlos Perdomo, the Caribbean Shores area representative who served as Immigration Minister in the first Barrow administration (2008-2012), the better. These last two Wednesdays in the National Assembly building, Mr. Perdomo has given the nation of Belize reason to understand why Prime Minister Barrow went looking for five Belizeans to bring into Cabinet as Ministers through the Senate for his second term as Prime Minister (2012-2015).

From the Publisher
Short term, the sedition arrest of February 1970 was a mistake by the ruling People’s United Party (PUP), but over the long term the sedition arrest benefited the power structure in Belize. What it did, was force the UBAD cultural movement into conventional political party thinking, and this led to UBAD’s demise by early 1973. I will accept all the blame for the political party decision in August of 1970 following our sedition acquittal in Supreme Court the month before. Because I saw the sedition arrest as a political arrest, I felt that the best way to prepare for such arrests in the future, which I expected, would be to organize ourselves along party political lines. In September of 1971 the Methodist Church in Belize gave me a job teaching English at Wesley College, which I did for the 1971/72 school year. (The principal of Wesley College during the 1970/1971 school year, the late Rev. Coleridge Barnett, had been one of four witnesses for our defence during the sedition trial. Having left Belize with his ailing wife after the 70/71 school year, Rev. Barnett had been replaced by the man Joey Belisle.) It was only a few weeks after I began teaching at Wesley that Hon. Philip Goldson’s National Independence Party (NIP) approached the UBAD Party in order for us to enter into a coalition with the NIP for the December 1971 Belize City Council election.

Czarnecki’s column
Dear Editor, With each passing day, I’m increasingly dismayed, as it becomes easier to conclude that the Government of Belize has no fealty to anything resembling the Rule of Law, with Ministries riddled with gifters, whose only desire is for material wealth and gain. Plagued with corruption, a compromised judiciary and a poorly educated constabulary, Belize continues its downward spiral, slowed only by the courageous reporting found in the pages of this newspaper. But even if you have a good story, it might get lost in the telling when being forced to deal with liars and men with no honor. This is why it’s no longer about UDP or PUP, or in the U.S., Republicans or Democrats.

Kaina Martinez seeks assistance for youth sports program
My name is Kaina Martinez, and I have worked very hard to earn the recognition as one of Belize’s most outstanding athletes. I am 11 times an All-American track athlete, 2 times an NCAA Champion, Olympian, Central American and Belize record holder for 100m, but above all, I am a young woman who finds passion and love in contributing to create positive change. Cognizant of the multitude of challenges facing my beloved community on a daily basis, I developed a focus to use sport as a catalyst to motivate the young and to nurture their minds, so that I could help build strong individuals who are willing to work hard – just like me – despite life’s limitations. The annual Kaina Martinez Track and Field Games targets children ages 4 to 14 years old, and has been hosted at the football (soccer) field in Seine Bight Village. Children of Seine Bight Village are not the only ones who can benefit from these games; all kids from the Placencia Peninsula are welcome to participate.

RIGHT TO THE POINT: Women… marriages … and children…
I am of the opinion that systems in society, especially the law, were designed to benefit a certain class of people, but those people are surely not the poor, the academically disadvantaged, the Indigenous or the oppressed. Unfortunately, the common law legal system we inherited from the British was never designed to meet our local needs and surely was never meant to be understood by the common man. However, one of the legal maxims on which our law is premised is that your ignorance of the law is no excuse for your not knowing the law and breaking the law. So even if you genuinely did not know it as illegal, per law, to do something, yet you did it, you cannot turn around and use as your defence your ignorance of the law. Sounds crazy, right? It’s even crazier when you put that in context with the reality of our education system, our social system and or governance system. So in theory, our Common Law system presumes that we ALL know the law and because we all know it, we know when we are breaking it.

Magistrate Blake of Corozal
The Magistrate of Corozal, a man named Blake, who had business contact with the Cruzob, hurried up to help the survivors. He offered 2,500 pesos in ransom to Venancio Puc, but found that he had to deal with a higher authority: the Speaking Cross, or a substitute, had come down to rule the captured town. That night the Englishman watched the Maya assemble before a house in which the Cross was kept, and listened to the praying and a military band until around eleven o’clock, when the prisoners were brought out — men, women, and children— and forced to kneel in the street. Over the children’s crying, he heard “a squeaking, whistling noise.” The Cross wanted 4,000 pesos. Blake went back to Corozal for the money, returning on March 1 with Captain Anderson of the Second West Indian Regiment and a message from the Superintendent of Belize. But neither the message nor the money had the desired effect on the Cross; that night it gave new orders. As Henry Fowler later reported it:

Novel consumer complaint platform to report “dangerous” goods being finalized
Consumers in Belize and the rest of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will soon have access to a cutting-edge online platform where they can file complaints about dangerous or potentially harmful products, originating both within and outside of the region. A press release from the CARICOM Secretariat issued on Monday, June 12, said that the CARREX Online Electronic Platform (which will be available online at www.carrex.caricom.org) is a public interface which will also provide alerts on dangerous non-food consumer goods on the market in all 15 CARICOM Member States. Rodolfo Gutierrez, Consumer Protection Liaison Officer, at the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS), has been a part of the cadre of Caribbean professionals which has been working with the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana to help develop the novel online electronic platform.

Two men committed to Supreme Court trial for possession of false nationality certificates
Two men, one from the Corozal District and the other from the Belize District, will be indicted in the upcoming June session of the Supreme Court for being in possession of 13 false Belizean nationality certificates, a preliminary inquiry determined today. Marcos Bastro, an unemployed resident of Corozal, and Mark Antonio Rosales, an unemployed resident of San Pedro Town, Belize District, have a prima facie case to answer for being in possession of nationality certificates to which they were not entitled. The two were first charged in November 2015, with 13 counts of “being in possession of false documents.”

Former Immigration minister, Carlos Perdomo, “doesn’t agree,” “doesn’t know anything”
When the UDP became the ruling administration in 2008, Carlos Perdomo, a one-term Cabinet Minister, was the first person inside Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s Cabinet with responsibility for the Immigration Department. However, his name would become entangled with questionable Immigration processes in the Auditor General’s audit of the Immigration Department for the period 2011-2013. Last Wednesday, Perdomo appeared before the Senate Select Committee after retired immigration officer Therese Chavarria told the committee that he had instructed that a passport be issued to an applicant who applied with a suspected fraudulent Belizean birth certificate in 2011.

The Reporter

PUP takes aim at UDP party chairman
The People’s United Party (PUP) is calling on the Government of Belize to remove United Democratic Party (UDP) Chairman, Alberto August, from his post as Chairman of the Board of Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL). The PUP condemned August for his role in disrupting the […]

Taiwan-Belize cultural exchange program 2017 officially launched
The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of China (Taiwan), through its embassy in Belize, launched the first ever Belize-Taiwan cultural exchange program, this morning at the House of Culture in Belize City. The program, hosted by the The Primary and Secondary Art Skills Training […]

Tropical storm could form by next week
There is a likelihood that a tropical storm could develop in the Caribbean or the Gulf of Mexico early next week. Weather experts are monitoring an area of rain and clouds in the area of the northwestern Caribbean Sea and Yucatan Peninsula that has the […]

Ninety-year-old man chopped to death by thieves
A 90-year-old shop keeper is dead after he was chopped multiple times and then tied up by two machete-wielding thieves. The thieves struck his place of business in August Pine Ridge village, Orange Walk at around 2:30 p.m., on Thursday. The deceased, Pedro Pol, was […]

IPC appeals, GOB stands to lose millions
IPC Corporate Services Limited, a company forcibly closed down by the Financial Intelligence Unit in 2014, is mounting an appeal against the Government of Belize, potentially worth millions of dollars. IPC has already been vindicated in the Supreme Court of Belize, when the court ruled […]

Big Red is not dead!
about Big Red, the Scarlet Macaw sent to Harvest Caye. Of great concern, is the stand taken by known and respected Belize Forest Department officials, on this crucial issue. […]

Western Regional Hospital gets new emergency building
On Tuesday, officials from the 2017 Beyond The Horizon project held a ribbon cutting exercise at the Western Regional Hospital In Belmopan City. The ceremony was held to officially mark the opening of a new emergency room building and a new medical waste incinerator building. The emergency […]

Belize’s fire service to receive aid from US
The Belize National Fire Service is expected to receive much-needed aid from the US government, after surveys are completed for a new fire station in Belmopan and a budget is approved for a donation of fire trucks and equipment for the country. Defense Attache at […]

Earthquake in Guatemala felt in Belize
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale, which shook Guatemala near its border with Mexico, was felt in Belize early Wednesday. The tremor struck just short of five miles southwest of Tajumulco, Guatemala, at 1.29 a.m., local time, killing a man, […]

Family says PM’s sister taking their land
A Belize City family is fighting to keep their family land, this week, after Denise “Sista B” Barrow, sister of the Prime Minister allegedly commissioned houses to be built on the property without the family’s consent. The Usher family, explained this week, that Barrow had already built […]

Mounting financial concerns for GOB
The Government of Belize is under continued financial pressure this week as the former owners of BTL pursue millions of dollars in arbitration award settlements. Reports are that Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin lifted the injunction barring the Belize Bank from claiming its US $50 million award, handed […]

Belmopan to Bridgeton, tourism minister wants closer ties to Barbados
Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia Jr. is making an effort to strengthen Belize’s working relationship with the government of Barbados, saying that tourism in both countries can benefit from closer collaboration. Heredia, in an interview with Barbados Today, said that he has already began talks with Barbados’ Tourism Minister, Richard […]

Elderly man fights off armed attacker in Orange Walk
An elderly Orange Walk resident and well-known businessman is lucky to be alive after he was attacked and stabbed multiple times by an assailant who police claims to be a mental patient. The incident, which occurred around 12:25 on Saturday, June 10 left 84-year-old Pablo Zenon Reyes […]

One detained for Cotton Tree shooting
Police have detained one man, in an ongoing investigation into the shooting death of 21-year-old Cotton Tree Resident, Omar Barahona Jr. Senior Superintendent of Police Howell Gillett, explained that since police have not charged the individual, they did not disclose his name. Gillett said that the detainee […]

Police shoots and kills Chunox man outside his home
A Chunox resident is dead after he was shot multiple times by a group of four police officers attached to the Corozal Police Station. Officers claim they were forced to shoot him down after he attacked them with a machete last Friday. Richard Allen Garcia, 44, died […]

Toledo Teachers Credit Union loses over $100,000 to burglars
The Toledo Teachers Credit Union in Bella Vista village, Toledo District was burglarized by two bandits who stole over $100,000 in cash between last Thursday night and Friday morning. Police were called to the credit union at 8:45 a.m, on Friday June 9 where cops observed a […]

High school teacher investigated for impregnating student
A teacher at Eden Seventh Day Adventist high school in Santa Elena, Cayo, is under investigation by San Ignacio police and the Ministry of Education, on allegations of sexual misconduct with as many as four of his students. One of the girls may have had […]

FFB fears election boycott
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) said this week, that its standing could be compromised if members boycott the upcoming Annual Congress. The federation issued a statement on Wednesday, after barred FFB presidential candidate Serjio Chuc, claimed to have secured the support of 60 percent […]

Chan takes the stand, Perdomo reappears before Senate
The Senate Special Select Committee had two witnesses this week, Police Inspector Rochelle Chan and former Immigration Minister Carlos Perdomo, making his second appearance. In his testimony, Chan denied all allegations made against him by last week’s most memorable witness, Alvarene Burgess. Burgess had named […]

Dangriga teacher killed when motorbike slams into her
A teacher of Stann Creek  was killed Thursday evening when a motorcycle slammed into her in Dangriga.. Naomi Abigail Taylor, 26, a teacher of Kids First school, was riding a bicycle on Ecumenical Drive in the Wagierale area around 4:15 p.m., when a motorcycle crashed […]

Breaking Belize News

Mother pleads for assistance in finding missing son
A mother is pleading for the public’s assistance in finding her son, Erin Linarez. 32 year old Linarez has been missing since May 23. Linarez was admitted at REMAR rehabilitation center in Bullet Tree Village, Cayo. Reports to BBN is that Linarez stayed at […]

Minister Castro’s son reportedly caught with contraband
Confirmed reports to BBN is that one of NEMO Minister, Edmond Castro’s son is detained at this moment by Orange Walk customs. The young Castro was reportedly caught with 89 cases of beer and is being held at the Orange Walk police station. BBN […]

Murder in Santa Elena, Cayo
Confirmed reports to BBN is that a man was gunned down near the Convention Center in Santa Elena, Cayo a short while ago. The name of the victim is being withheld as BBN could not confirm if the family has been informed. Police are […]

NEMO issues advisory on incoming weather system
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO), in close collaboration with the National Meteorological Service, is informing the general public that a large area of disturbed weather has formed over the northwest Caribbean Sea and adjacent land areas of Central America. The system is unlikely […]

Outlook for Belize weak, IMF says
The International Monetary Fund (IMF), this morning, released a statement following its recent 2017 Article IV mission to Belize calling the country’s medium-term financial outlook “weak” and making several recommendations to GOB, including raising the General Sales Tax (GST) and implementing further fiscal consolidation measures. […]

Belize: We need to address the source of the Cancer
By Charles Leslie Jr. : “Poverty is the worse form of violence.” Mahatma Gandhi CRIME AND POVERTY IN BELIZE Crime is a result of deprivation. Deprivation is a result of imbalance and lack of equity. Imbalance and lack of equity is due to our Constitution giving arbitrary […]

Erwin Contreras tours SIF Projects
By Delroy Cuthkelvin: Minister Erwin Contreras is currently on a nationwide tour and inspection of projects implemented by the government of Belize through the Social Investment Fund (SIF), some recently completed; others in progress. Some of the projects inspected by the Minister on the most recent leg […]

Belmopan City Council launches ‘My Safetipin’ app
The National Security Council Secretariat through the InfoSegura Project launched its Safer City Pilot Project in August 2016. As a part of the Safer City Project, the My Safetipin mobile application was developed. The Belmopan City Council has officially launched the app. Citizens of […]

Fatal road traffic accident in Dangriga
According to police reports, around 4:15 yesterday evening, Naomi Taylor, 26, of the Wagerale area of Dangriga was riding her bike on Ecumenical Drive when a motorcycle collided into the back of her bike. The motorcycle was driven at the time by Micheal Estero, […]

Celebration of the Incorporation of the Belize Association of Museums
On Thursday, June 22, senior members of the Belize Association of Museums (BAM) will be signing their incorporation documents, marking the official formation of BAM. The members of BAM first convened in March 2016, through a planning workshop hosted by the Museum of Belize. […]

UNICEF highlights ‘Super Dads’
UNICEF Belize joins UNICEF’s global ‘Super Dads’ campaign to highlight the critical role that fathers play in the early development of their children. Early childhood development has been recognized for the role it can play in the achievement of multiple goals in the sustainable […]

NICH and San Pedro House of Culture celebrate Lobster Fest 2017
The National Institute of Culture and History (NICH) through the Museum Of Belize and the San Pedro House of Culture is inviting the public to participate in the rich traditions of San Pedro during the month of June. For the next two weeks San Pedro […]

Beyond the Horizon 2017, valued at US$11.5 million, completed
The Beyond the Horizon (BTH) 2017 program, an effort between the U.S. government and Belize, officially came to a close yesterday. The U.S. Embassy and the government of Belize, in coordination with U.S. Army South, celebrated the successful completion of the Beyond the Horizon […]

NHC monitoring two tropical systems
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is monitoring two tropical systems with the potential to impact the Caribbean over the next several days. According to the NHC, cloudiness and showers are expected associated with a tropical wave located southwest of the Cabo Verde islands. The […]

Belize participates in regional security talks
Belize is taking part in the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, a two-day conference on regional security hosted by the Governments of the United States and Mexico. Belize joins Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the European Union, Nicaragua, Panama and Spain, […]

Blogs

Mata Grande Grocery – North AC’s best little shop
North Ambergris Caye has expanded significantly, and with roads taking us further up the coast of this island, chances are you’ll get thirsty or a bit hungry along the way. Maybe you jumped on your golf cart too quickly, and forgot a few essentials, like, water and snacks. Have no fear… Mata Grande Grocery has you covered. From cookies, chips, COLD beers, water, juices and sodas and even a bathroom for a quick roadside break, this is a life-saving little shop! Owners Tami and Justin Romsa moved their shop to best fit the new road, and even expanded with a shady palapa and picnic tables. Hot and thirsty travelers can take a little break under the shade, sipping a refreshing beverage or two or nibble on a snack before continuing on their journey.

What guests say they wish they knew before they came to Belize...26 tips from past guests!
We like to revisit this topic periodically - facts change over time, and we aim to keep our guests as well informed as possible so you can fully enjoy and relax during your time with us! Here is some recent feedback, right from our past guests, about what they wish they'd known before they got to Belize/Placencia: I wish I'd known that... I didn't need to pack so much - no need to haul things like sunscreen, SPF, etc, as these were available readily in the village. No fancy clothes/shoes/jewelry needed!! Nowhere would really take American Express - Visa and MC were ok. Also call your cc companies/bank and let them know you are traveling so your card is not declined here. More of an fyi for future guests - if you like the all inclusive resort style, this will not be for you. Exploring the village and beyond is what Belize is about.

“What a Fool Believes” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
Yes, I know, it’s been a long, long while since I last published an edition. Now I could say I’ve been extremely busy. I could. But I won’t , because I haven’t really been that busy. Rose and I did go to the UK in April. Me for nine nights and Rose for a month. We stayed in Central London (Tottenham Court Road if you are at all interested) which put us close to Theatreland and we took full advantage of this and went to see Kinky Boots Being in the West End we obviously went shopping. Well, I more tagged along than actually went shopping! We also got to sample cuisine that we don’t get to enjoy very often now and managed to get into Simpson’s in the Strand before it closed for major refurbishment . If you’ve never been there you should go when next in London. The roast beef, roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding are scrumptious.

Christmas and New Year's in Belize
December and January may be a time of bitter cold, snow, and short, gray days in North America, but it's one of the best times to visit Belize. December and January fall during the "dry season," a long stretch of clear blue skies, warmer temperatures, and fabulous weather that is ideal for snorkeling, fishing, scuba diving, hiking, and working on your tan. Best of all, increased competition means that airfare to Belize is now more affordable than ever. For travelers in the United States, all four of the biggest airlines have non-stop routes from major cities to Belize. Southwest has three routes (Denver - DIA, Houston - HOU, and Fort Lauderdale - FLL) to Belize City (BZE) while American, Delta, and United have routes from Los Angeles, Dallas, Newark, Atlanta, Miami, and many more cities. Canadians too are now able to enjoy an unforgettable Christmas and New Year's in Belize thanks to the announcement by Air Canada that it will be joining rival WestJet in offering direct service to Belize City (BZE) from Toronto (YYZ). Here are a few things you can look forward to on your winter vacation in Belize:

10 Reasons Why a Honeymoon In Belize Is So Amazing
Located just 2-5 hours flying time from major cities across the United States, Belize is a wonderland of tropical islands, pristine rainforests, an eclectic mix of Caribbean cultures, and exotic ancient Maya temples and palaces, so it's no surprise that it's also one of the top spots in the world for enjoying an unforgettable honeymoon. Here are 10 amazing reasons why people love honeymooning in Belize: Composed of hundreds of islands and coral atolls, the Belize Barrier Reef is a paradise for snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and sailing. 2 - English. Belize is the only country in Central America that is a former British colony. English is the official language, making it easy to get around and chat with the friendly locals.

Simone Biles is back in Belize with a group of friends
A famous Belizean/American Gymnastic is back in Belize vacationing with her group of friends. She had been tweeting on Twitter Simone Biles Twitter in Belize. In the photos shown below shows that she was enjoying herself along with her friends. They all went snorkeling, and swimming by the reef touching starfish and viewing the lemon sharks. Simone Arianne Biles is an American artistic gymnast. Biles is the 2016 Olympic individual all-around, vault and floor gold medalist. She was part of the gold medal-winning team dubbed the "Final Five" at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Have you savored the flavor of Belize? Part II
Last time I blogged about how a city can transform stranded assets, like cemeteries and abandoned properties, into magnets for urban regeneration. The new flavor of the week is “canals”. Belize City is located at the mouth of the Belize River and Haulover Creek, a location that early settlers perhaps chose due to its importance for the then-booming timber trade because it provided access to the city’s natural harbor. Over the years, as Belize City grew, canals were built and dredged, changing the natural flow of the rivers and creeks, and some mangrove swamps in low-lying areas were filled in. These changes contributed to periodic flooding episodes by affecting the drainage capacity of the city, especially during major storms, including the deadly hurricane of 1931, Hurricane Hattie in 1961 (which prompted relocation of the country’s capital inland, to Belmopan), and more recently, Hurricane Earl in 2016.

International Sources

The Western Caribbean & The Central & Eastern Atlantic Will Need To Be Monitored Closely For Tropical Development This Weekend
Western Caribbean Tropical Development Remains Quite Possible This Weekend: The combination of a tropical wave now located over the western Caribbean and a trough of low pressure located over Central America has the potential to gel into an area of low pressure that develops over the northwestern Caribbean this weekend. This low pressure system has a decent shot of developing into a tropical depression or a tropical storm later this weekend into next week as it moves west-northwest and northwest towards the western Caribbean.

Two Named Storms May Be Forming in the Atlantic
Two tropical waves—one in the western Caribbean, the other in the central tropical Atlantic—both have potential to grow into tropical storms over the next 5 or 6 days. It’s not so uncommon to get a named storm in the Atlantic during June—last year brought us Colin and Danielle, the earliest C and D storms on record—but it’s remarkable to have two potential tropical cyclones at the same time during mid-June. The next two names on the list of Atlantic storms for 2017 are Bret and Cindy. The NOAA/NWS National Hurricane Center (NHC) designated the central Atlantic wave as Invest 92L on Friday morning, which kicks off the process of tracking and forecasting this wave in greater detail.

This Incredibly Creepy 3,000-Year-Old Mask Could Rewrite South American History
A square-shaped copper mask dug up in north-west Argentina has been dated to around 3,000 years ago – and it could radically change our thinking on when people in that area began working with metal. Most experts assume metallurgy – the study of the physical and chemical properties of metal – in South America was first developed in Peru, but the copper mask was found hundreds of kilometres away down the Andes mountains, and is from an even earlier time than similar artefacts uncovered in Peru.

Videos

Adventure in Belize 2017 - Part 1: Hopkins Village & The Beach, 24min. This is our trip to Belize in March 2017, the first half of the trip we stayed on the coast at the Hopkins Fishing Village. We explored the Jaguar Reserve, drove to Placencia and went to the Blue Hole National Park...check out the second half of the trip where we went inland to the jungle, explored caves and mayan ruins!

Yochi- Trailer, 1/2min. Yochi is a US-Belizean co-production about a 9-year-old selectively mute Mayan boy who guards a nest of endangered Yellow-Headed Parrots in Belize’s pine savannah. When his beloved older brother, Itza, returns from the city, Yochi learns that he’s in debt and has turned to poaching – setting the brothers on a collision course. It is shot in western Belize, with a cast made up entirely of Belizean non-actors from villages in Cayo district. The film is in four languages: Yucatec Mayan, English Creole, English, and Spanish.

San Pedro Belize, 4min. Nine Lovely Days in Paradise.

A day in the Island (Belize), 3min. Fun with Slickrock Adventures.

Scuba diving, snorkeling in Belize!, 4min. Dolphins!!!

Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America, 1/2min. Great to see Foreign Minister Elrington representing Belize at the Conference on Prosperity and Security in Central America. Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson stand together with fellow delegation leaders, in Miami, Florida, June 15, 2017.

ABDUL MARIN NUNEZ & THE BELIZE GANG CRISIS!, min. (A documentary film by yours truly Bilal Morris on the violent gang crisis exploding in Belize today that was screened at the 2017 Garifuna International & Indigenous Film Festival in Venice, California)

Judy Boucher is in Belize to perform for a Father"s Day Concert, 21min.

Belize Estate Company Limited celebrates Customer Appreciation Day, 17min.

Miss "Y” Pageant under the theme “Empowering Women in a Changing World.”, 15min.

Belize 17 Day 13, 4min.

Belize Kiteboarding, 3min. Kiting in the middle of the village in Caye Caulker island in Belize. 2017 March

Guilty Pleasures Cabaret in Belize May 2017, 2min. The dancers of GPC head to San Pedro, Belize for their first international performances!

Wilson's Plover - Ladyville Belize, 1/2min.

BELIZE - SAN IGNACIO - SAN PEDRO, 3min.

Stout Wench crew conversing with dolphins along the Belize/Mexico coast in December 2016, 5min.