Today's Belize News: August 3, 2017

Print Thread

Today's Belize News: August 3, 2017 #524922 08/03/17 05:51 AM
Joined: Oct 1999 Posts: 84,395 oregon, spr Marty OP
OP Marty	FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report. 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 Five-a-side Football Tournament crowns five champions The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) 5-a-side Football Tournament has come to an end after crowning five champion teams. The first round of the final games took place on Wednesday, July 26th at the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex, with teams in the Under-10, Under-13, and Under-15 divisions playing their championship matches, while the senior male teams played semi-final matches. On Saturday, July 29th the final round of games saw the female and male champs being awarded. After all games had ended, it was time for trophies to be issued. Individual winners were first to be awarded. In the Under-10 division, Jaheme Martinez and Brandon Quijano of Team Pirates Manchester were awarded Best Goal Keeper and Most Goals, respectively. The award for Best Goal Keeper in the Under-13 division went to Eleazer Castillo of FC Larubey, while Robert Nah of Team San Pedro Pirates received the Under-13 award for Most Goals. Yahir Sandoval of Team Caribe�a Strikers was awarded Under-15 Best Goal Keeper and Harol Ramos of Team New Ravens was awarded Most Goals in the Under-15 division. In the female division, Damaris Cruz of Island Strikers was awarded Best Goal Keeper, while Sue Castillo of Island Invaders was awarded for Most Goals. Keeping our Costa Maya delegates busy From the moment they touched down on Ambergris Caye, the eight beauty contestants vying for the title of Reina de la Costa Maya have been on a jam-packed schedule! Between pre-breakfast photo shoots to lunches, dinners, tours, mingling with the public and more, the ladies sure have been kept busy! Miss Belize Michelle Nu�ez, Miss Costa Rica Glennys Medina Segura, Miss El Salvador Iris Yazmin Guerra, Miss Guatemala Lesly Fernanda Flores Sagastume, Miss Honduras Andrea Nicolle Salinas Godoy, Miss Mexico Ximena Cardoso Gutierrez, Miss Nicaragua Danielle Nicole Hodgson Joseph and Miss Panama Maria Fernanda Jaspe were treated to a fabulous Maya buffet on Friday, July 28th. The island's long-standing and oldest restaurants Elvi's Kitchen welcomed all eight beauties to enjoy a night of good food, refreshing drinks and excellent service. Kids in Action Summer Camp graduates 34 new open water divers A total of 34 persons, including children, successfully concluded the annual Kids in Action Diving Summer Camp on Saturday, July 29th. The two-week summer program was organized by the San Pedro Tour Operators Association in collaboration with San Pedro Tour Guide Association (SPTGA),and aimed to train participants in open water diving, while passing down skills from older professionals to the young generation. At the end of the camp, participants were recognized as certified open water divers. Ambergris Today Dooley Bear And The Beauty Queen Island celebrity dog Dooley Bear got to meet past Miss San Pedro and now Belize representative for Miss Costa Maya Pageant, Michelle Nu�ez this past weekend as he caught up with all the Costa Maya beauty delegates at Hol Chan Marine Reserve. On board the YOLO catamaran of Island Dream Tours, the ladies were enjoying a relaxing picnic at sea when Dooley Bear dropped by to say hello. He instantly bonded with Michelle as both jumped in the water to cool off and enjoy the day. Belize Film Commission Gets High Ratings In California For the third year in a row the Belize Film Commission - NICH has hosted an event in Southern California that focuses on establishing and nurturing relationships with Hollywood producers and investors to Belize and connecting with members of our Belizean Diaspora willing to support Belize's film industry. During the successful luncheon held on July 22 at the Pacific Palisades home of Belizean-Americans, Dr. Yvonne Goff and Mr. David Fairweather, guests were treated to a virtual reality experience by CEO Ryan Moore of Experience 360° using VR headsets, the screening of Yochi, the winning short film at the 2016 Belize International Film Festival directed by Ilana Lapid and shot entirely on location in Belize; and, a surprise unveiling of an Eco-Raw portrait of the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize by artist, John Barge III. Award Ceremony For Annual Wonder Woman Challenge Belize On Friday, July 28, 2017, Defense Minister Hon. John Saldivar joined Charg� d' Affaires from the U.S. Embassy Adrienne Galanek and Lieutenant Gregory Soberanis of the Belize Coast Guard as they presented awards to members of the Belize Coast Guard and Belize Defense Force, who were victorious in the 2017 Annual Wonder Woman Challenge. They handed out medals and gifts to the groups who took first, second and third place in the competition held in May. Misc Belizean Sources Police Youth Cadet Corps Summer Camp The 2017 Police Youth Cadet Corps Summer Camp has come to a close. Everyone had a very educational time. "The Belize Police Department (BPD) held its 20th Police Youth Cadet Corp Annual Summer Camp hosted at the Belmopan Comprehensive High School from July 24 to 28. A total of 266 youth participated in the week-long event. The week activities included the Gang Resistance Education and Training (G.R.E.A.T.) Program lessons, camp fire, educational tours, presentations from the Meteorology Department, Hurricane preparedness lessons, talent show, pageant talent show, jungle survival training, foot drill competition, sporting activities and other sporting activities. The Cadets also visited elderly homes and donated 266 hampers. Costa Maya Delegates Cultural presentation and Saga Fundraiser The eight lovely Costa Maya contestants delighted a large crowd during their Cultural Dress Presentation at the Palapa Bar and Grill. Each of the beauty ambassadors, from Belize, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, proudly modeled and introduced to the audience their cultural outfits. The event also included a fundraiser in favor of San Pedro's Saga Humane Society. Saga also held raffles, and lucky winners won fabolous prizes during the event. STATEMENT FROM FAYE LIN CANNON'S FATHER My name is Dave Cannon, I am the adoptive father of Zoe Lin Cannon, Mia Lin Cannon, Faye Lin Cannon and Siri Lin Cannon. I would like to thank the citizens of San Pedro Town for your heartfelt condolences and your support for my daughters and me during these difficult times. I know that San Pedranos are dedicated to knowing the TRUTH about what happened to my daughters, and dedicated to justice for Faye Lin Cannon. I know that many people witnessed how my daughters were treated over the last five years that they lived here in San Pedro Town. I am asking everyone who witnessed, first hand, how my daughters were treated to please go to the San Pedro Police Department and make a sworn statement to one of the Criminal Investigations Bureau Officer, so that the TRUTH WILL COME OUT! Splashers Come paint with us today at Crazy Canucks Beach Bar. We will be painting "A New Day" inspired by local artist Marcus Larious. REDD+ Readiness Project The Government of Belize, in collaboration with the World Bank (WB) is implementing the project entitled "REDD+ Readiness Project". The objective of the REDD+ Readiness Project is to carry out Readiness Preparation through a participatory and inclusive process in order to strengthen Belize's capacity to participate in future REDD+ carbon payment transactions. The REDD+ Readiness Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration (MAFFESDI) through a dedicated REDD+ Coordination Unit (REDD+CU) with Fiduciary Management by the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT). NEW CABALLO CONSERVATION POST FOR THE CHIQUIBUL NATIONAL PARK Through funding from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) and the Environmental Management Fund (EMF), a new conservation post has been constructed in the Chiquibul National Park at a cost of BZ $115,000. Today, an official inauguration was held for the Caballo Conservation Post after which a tour of the new facilities was provided to guests. Present at the inauguration were Hon. Dr. Omar Figueroa, Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development (MAFFESD) as well as CEO in the Ministry and PACT Board Chair Dr. Percival Cho, and CEO in the Ministry of Defense Felix Enriquez among others. The new conservation post is part of the Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative (CFII) that was launched in December 2016. The main objective of the initiative is to increase the management and enforcement presence within the Chiquibul, Columbia and Vaca forest areas. PACT Board Chair Dr. Cho, in his welcome remarks, highlighted that "the Caballo conservation post is but one part of a larger goal aimed at encouraging multi-institutional strategy and strengthening the capacity for joint law enforcement and protection of the Chiquibul." Anti-trafficking in Persons Council of Belize 2016-2017 Activities The Anti-trafficking in Persons Council of the Ministry of Human Development Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation takes this opportunity to share with the public activities implemented by the Council for the reporting period 2016-2017. The Council's information education and communication, Operations, and Monitoring Committees conducted activities for the National Action Plan in the areas of Prevention and Capacity Building, Protection and Prosecution/ Investigations and Partnerships. The infographic is a three-part report of activities for 2016-2017. Today, we feature part one on Prevention and Capacity Building. Representative of UN Development Program visits Chiquibul Mr. Christian Salazar Volkmann- Resident Coordinator/Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program visited the Chiquibul to learn more of the challenges faced. We thank Mr. Leonel Requena, GEF SGP National Coordinator for making this visit possible. This Day in History August 2nd, 1775, Mr. Hodgson was dismissed from his Superintendency by letter of recall from the Earl of Dartmouth. The first Superintendent of the Mosquito Shore was Robert Hodgson Sr. 1749 - 1758 and he resided at Black River, Honduras. The "Hodgson" being referred to in this post is Robert Hodgson Jr. (1767 - 1775) the son of Robert Hodgson Sr. They would be the only father son that supervised the Mosquito Shore and or the Bay of Honduras. British Honduras would not have its own official Superintendent until Edward Marcus Depard arrived in 1787 - 1790. Day 9 Pageant Delegate Activities and Moments Moments from Day Two with the Costa Maya Pageant Delegates Channel 7 No Suspects In Murder of Guatemalan Businessman On last night's news, we broke the story of the murder of a Guatemalan visitor who was shot and robbed near the Lord Ridge Cemetery in Belize City. Well, police are finally releasing information on the case and they say that the victim, 39 year-old Josue Arizandieta, was here on a business trip. As we told you he was walking on the George Price Highway with his friend, Walter Lopez on Saturday morning at 9:30, when a gunman robbed them. Arizandieta refused tried to fight off the robber, and he was shot in the process. The officer commanding Police Precinct 2's Criminal Investigation Branch told us today that they have no suspects: BSI Says BSCFA Wants Out Of Agreement Last night we told you about the fiery press release from the Belize Cane Farmers Association. They spoke about their members becoming fearful of being denied access to deliver cane to the mill, and warned that this fear might fuel rage in the cane farming community that [quote] "BSI could regret" [unquote]. This is after ASR/BSI put out a release with a dire warning; it says, quote: "BSI is unable under law to accept cane from farmers who do not have a cane purchase agreement in place. Therefore, if the agreement is terminated, BSI will not be able to accept cane from Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) farmers" Today, Vice President Mac McLachlan explained why they made that provocative statement and shared his concern that the BSCFA wants to back out of the present commercial agreement:.. Taiwan Gave Mega Bucks To Guate For 1859 Road Last week, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Dr. David Lee visited Belize for 48 hours. When he left, he had signed a 60 million USD dollar Memorandum of Understanding for a four year package of loans and grants to Belize. It's another generous gesture from the Taiwanese, but it pales in comparison to the 650 million US dollars in assistance Taiwan is giving Guatemala for the building of an important road. First off, it's basically the same road that the British agreed to build in the 1859 treaty. The British never lived up to their promise - which is why we're still living with this territorial dispute. It's called the "Jacobo Arbenz" 4-lane freeway to Puerto Barrios, a project that should be finished in October 2019. Speaking about the project two days ago in a meeting with mayors, Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales said that "this is one of the most longed for projects in his tenure, for its historical and strategic importance in increasing the country's competitiveness." Valentine Baptist Will Stand Trial For 19 Year Old's Murder 13 months ago - on July 6, 2016, there were three city murders in just five hours. 19 year old Devin Parham was the second murder victim; he was killed on Cemetery Road in broad daylight. Today, Valentine Baptist, the man accused of his murder was committed to stand trial for it in the October session of the Supreme Court. That happened today after a preliminary inquiry was held in the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Senior Magistrate Fraser told him that he has until August 8 to submit the name of the witness in writing. Apart from the murder charge, Baptist has a charge of kept firearm without a gun license which is pending trial. Two Tales Leads To Shooting and Car Crash In OW Yesterday Orange Walk Police responded to a road traffic accident just in front of M-1 Sugar. According to reports, the two passengers, Tiburcio Fernandez and Abdi Aban, had been drinking and, Fernandez, who was driving, lost control of the vehicle. But that's not where the story ends; and it's far from where it begins. Fernandez told police that he had left San Pedro village earlier that day and was giving Aban a ride, but when they got to the Mameyal Curve, Fernandez says that Aban pulled out a knife, robbed him of his phone and attempted to escape. Fernandez then stopped the car and set chase, armed with his licensed .22 rifle. Fernandez eventually caught sight of Aban and shot him once to the right foot. After arriving on the scene, police transported Aban to the Northern Regional Hospital, where he was treated and handed back over to police. The Queen's Baton Cometh In 2005 it was brought to Belize for the first time carrying a special electronic message from the Queen herself- Well the Queen's Baton came back to Belize today to commemorate next year's Commonwealth Games which are held every 4 years. Belize is just one stop on a long journey to visit all 70 commonwealth nations. Now this baton wasn't coated in 24 Karat Gold nor did it have that automated message but it's distinctive design certainly did not disappoint. Courtney Weatherburne looks at the brief history behind the Queen's Baton and what it means for Belize. The Queen's Baton Relay tradition started back in 1958. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the 2nd wrote and enclosed this letter in this silver-gilt enamel baton. Belize At The Games Now after the all the excitement surrounding the arrival of the Queen's Baton subsides, that will be the time to focus on the 2018 Commonwealth games in the Gold Coast. While it is referred to as the friendly games there are still high expectations for Belize's performance in the games. The Assistant Secretary General for the Commonwealth Games Association Giovanni Alamilla told us more about the games and his hope for the Belize team. Giovanni Alamilla - Assistant Secretary General, Commonwealth Games Association "The commonwealth games themselves you don't have to qualify to participate, like the Olympics you have to qualify, the commonwealth games are supposed to be the friendly games. Everyone around the world sends their best athletes so we have to send our best ones as well. The olympic committee has asked the federation to have regular competitions to that when they send the athletes, they are sending the best athletes, you're not just sending one to participate, you want someone one to at least go there and finish the event. You have cycling, triathlon, events like that where it's an endurance sport, you don't want after 2, 3 laps they can't finish the race, you want them to at least finish the event." MIT Got Pump Action Shotgun The MIT today seized a 12 gauge pump action shotgun. The MIT's Alpha and Charlie Teams found the weapon this afternoon at 4:10 when they set up a checkpoint at mile 54 on the Western Highway. They searched a Valencia Bus headed form Benque to Belmopan and there it was. No one claimed ownership so the weapon was labelled as found property. Weed Busted On Bus And in another case of anonymous bus smuggling, today in the north, Orange Walk Customs searched an Alamilla bus on Yo Creek Road. They found one kilo of weed which had no owner and was labelled as found property. A History Of Senate Sparring Usually on Wednesday, the news is loaded with stories from the Senate Hearings. But the Senate Select Committee is on a one month break, so, tonight, we'll look back at a few memorable moments. In the 8 months that the hearings have been ongoing, the Committee has had its fair share of stunning reveals, from bribery and corruption, to outright theft. The Senate went digging, and they certainly found a few bodies. Unfortunately, they just couldn't determine with absolute certainty, who is guilty of crimes committed at the Department. Many in the public would wish to point in the direction of ministers as being responsible for the immigration hustle. But in the blur of allegations and counter allegations, it became a question of who the viewer believed more. Just last month, the Senate called 4 sitting UDP Ministers, and while it certainly was entertaining to watch the sparring matches with the Senators, after the dust settled, we're no closer to knowing the truth. Shooter and Chopping Victim Bethancourt Under Police Guard Nevis Bethancourt shot and killed Jose Nunez Castellanos last week Thursday. He told police that Nunez Castellanos was chopping off his hand, so he did it in self defence. But there's another version to that story which puts Bethancourt as the aggressor. While the DPP weighs both sides of the story, Bethancourt remains in the hospital recovering from the major chop wound to his hand. Notably, the police press office says that he is under police guard while he recovers - which suggests that he could be facing charges pending the decision of the DPP. Gill Street Jacking Today police are investigating a case of alleged robbery. 58-year-old Norman Whitfield told police that he parked in front of his Gill Street home last night and was getting out of his vehicle when he was approached by two men, one of whom was holding a black object resembling a firearm. The men then proceeded to strip Whitfield of his gold chain and cross, car keys, and smart phone before fleeing the scene. Whitfield says the value of his phone and chain adds up to about $1200. BERT Gets Wings Earlier this week, the Belize Emergency Response Team added a new airplane to their fleet of response vehicles. The plane was donated by the Wings of Hope Foundation, which has been working closely with BERT for the last few decades. We went to check out the new air craft earlier today, and spoke to BERT's National Coordinator, as well as a pilot, about the importance of this donation... The plane will be used to transport patients outside of Belize should they require treatment in a nearby country. Mayor Accepts Managerial Failures On Manhole Covers As Mayor Darrell Bradley starts to wind down his two term tenure as mayor - he is in a reflective mood. And one of the things he reflected on was those manhole covers - a failed project that was supposed to replace thousands of manhole and drain covers but only completed a small percentage of that. Yesterday the mayor said it is because of his managerial shortcomings:.. Darrell Bradley - Mayor, Belize City: "One of the things that I can assess in terms of a weakness of my leadership is that I'm not that managerial type of person and I notice that there are some weaknesses with relation with that so that I've also shared this concerned with some of my councilor colleagues and also councilor Leslie that I think that there is certain advantages and gains we have built over the last 5 and a half years but we have to admit that there are weaknesses." Channel 5 Guatemalan Businessman Robbed and Murdered in City over Weekend The robbery of a Guatemalan businessman went under the radar until it turned murder forty-eight hours later. The thirty-nine-year-old businessman who was robbed and shot early on Saturday morning, perished [...] Teenager Struck Down in Orange Walk by Hit-and-Run Driver A teenager remains in a coma tonight after she was knocked down in Orange Walk sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning. Sixteen-year-old Monique Morey was out partying with a [...] Family of Accident Victim Seeks Assistance for Medical Bills The teenager remains hospitalized in a critical condition. She has swelling on the brain and remains in coma after she was left for dead.� The family says that they don't [...] Wilfred Malcolm Laid to Rest; Accused Shooter Released without Charges In the southern village of Bella Vista today, a young man was laid to rest after being fatally shot over the weekend. But the circumstances that led to the death [...] Trial for Accused Killer in One-Day July Spree After a year on remand for a broad daylight murder in the city, twenty-eight-year-old Valentine Baptist was committed to stand trial at the Supreme Court for the murder of nineteen-year-old [...] Sugar Impasse Continues; B.S.C.F.A. Demands Respect from B.S.I. The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers' Association has officially written to American Sugar Refining/Belize Sugar Industries Limited, announcing that while it supports the investment of twenty-two million dollars for production of [...] Cane Farmers Back in Fairtrade's Good Graces At the start of the sugar crop last December, farmer Eloy Escalante was effectively disowned by the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers' Association. The Association was facing a third suspension in [...] Dianne Finnegan is U.S. Embassy's "Wonder Woman" The United States Embassy recognizes youth advocate Diane Finnegan as Wonder Woman for the month of August.� As coordinator for the Youth Apprenticeship Program and wife of U.D.P. politician Michael [...] Finnegan Intercedes as Peace Participant Alex Underwood Released from Detention As we've mentioned, News Five caught up with Finnegan at the Precinct One compound this evening, upon the release of SSG boss Alex Underwood who was detained overnight by Belize [...] Taiwan Delivers Massive Funding for Major Guatemalan Road; Belize Gets Sixty Mil Earlier today the Guatemalan Congress approved the holding of a referendum to take its territorial claim over Belize to the International Court of Justice. According to reports in Prensa Libre, [...] The Queen's Baton Links Belize to 2018 Commonwealth Games The Queen's Baton arrived in the Jewel today as it makes it way to Gold Coast in Australia in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games. Here, it was met with [...] Venezuela Promises Continuation of Petrocaribe Despite Downturn On Tuesday the Venezuelan embassy in Belize held a press conference to issue a defense of the ongoing situation in the South American country. More than eight million Venezuelans of [...] Premium Fuel Will Return with Stable World Prices Belize receives regular and diesel fuel through the Petrocaribe program with Venezuela although prices remain high at the pumps. But for some time now Belize has been unable to source [...] Former Public Officers Keith Arnold, William Fonseca Pass On There are two deaths of notable personalities to report. Former Central Bank Governor Keith Arnold, who served as head of Belize's primary financial institution from January 1992 to April 2002, [...] S.S.B. Provides Computers for Accident and Emergency at K.H.M.H. The Accident and Emergency Department at the K.H.M.H. received a much needed donation from the Social Security Board. Computers valued at five thousand dollars were handed over to help the [...] Belmopan Youth Engage in Agriculture as Opposed to Crime Back in 2015, villages surrounding Belmopan had a spiraling in crime committed by youths.� After assessing the issue, the Belmopan Police decided to do a program to engage young people [...] CitCo Teams Up to Pave Bella Vista Residents' Streets The Belize City Council has engaged residents of the Bella Vista development in a one hundred and eighty-thousand-dollar project to pave eight streets in the community in exchange for property [...] New Sitcom 'Livin Mi Life' Coming to T.V. A new locally produced sitcom that will air on this station is called "Livin' Mi Life."� It was written and created by Kim Vasquez, who partnered with Thirteen Productions and [...] CTV3 BSI/ASR And BSCFA Remain At Odds Over Proposed Amendments To Commercial Agreement Tonight, we can report that the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and BSI/ASR continue to disagree, over the proposed amendments to the current commercial agreement. BSI wants to amend the 2015 cane purchase agreement to cement certain clauses, including the payment for bagasse and the value share agreement until 2022, while BSCFA is proposing amendments of their own. Yesterday Monday July 31st the BSCFA wrote a letter to BSI/ASR in which they present the position taken by the association, following consultations with its membership. Today Vice president of International relations of BSI/ASR, Mac McLachlan responded to BSCFA's letter reiterating the company's position that changes to the current agreement would not be beneficial to the industry at this time. BSCFA Tells BSI/ASR Open BELGOGEN Financial Books As it has been widely reported one of the amendments to the Cane Purchase Agreement proposed by BSI/ASR as part of its proposed 22 million dollar investment is the cementing of the current formula for payment of Bagasse until 2022. During an interview with CEO of the BSCFA, Oscar Alonso yesterday, he told us that while an agreement has not been reached the association would be willing to accept that amendment if the milling company would pop open its financial books as it relates to BELCOGEN. During our interview today with Vice president of International relations of BSI/ASR, Mac McLachlan we questioned him on this matter, here is what he had to say. BSCFA Accuses Milling Company Of Bullying On Monday evening the BSCFA fired off a press release in response to BSI/ASR's statement warning that if the association opts out of the current cane purchasing agreement, by law the company would not be able to accept cane from their members. Now, the BSCFA is not taking the statement lightly and in their release has even accused BSI/ASR of bullying and using intimidation tactics to force cane farmers to sign the proposed agreement. Those are some very serious accusations, accusation's which Vice President of International Relation of ASR group, Mac McLachlan rejected completely. Willoughby Is Not Fazed By Darrell Bradley Endorsement Yesterday in our newscast you heard Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley make two significant announcements about his political career. The first is that his career as Mayor is winding down as he will not be contesting the next Municipal elections next March. The second is that he is endorsing his former Deputy, Dion Leslie, for Mayor. While Leslie has celebrated the announcement, his colleague and challenger, Phillip Willoughby, has had to watch a crucial endorsement slip out of his fingers. Today the media met him volunteering at a park development project and he discussed how the Mayor's lack of support will affect his ambitions. Breaking Belize News Guatemalan congress votes to hold referendum on Belize territorial claim In a final count of 102 to 158, the Guatemalan congress has supported the decision to hold a referendum to determine if the border dispute with Belize should be settled at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The Guatemalan Supreme Electoral Tribunal, has been [�] Not normal in Belize - Gapi, Hilmer and clan Today is August 2, 2017. Five years ago, in 2012, on this day, Margarito 'Gapi' Vega uttered his now infamous words " I am not a normal person in Belize. I work much harder than a lot of other people." No matter how hard [�] Between these lines�My crowded bus ride experience By Glenn Tillett: I just about skipped out of Dialisis de Belice on Monday shortly before noon and the first of my weekly four-hour sessions, and walked briskly to the Orange Walk Town bus terminal. I felt good physically, mentally I felt sharp and my spirits were [�] Belize City man robbed in front of home Norman Whitfield, 58, reported to police that he was robbed at gunpoint at his home on Gill Street in Belize City. He told police that at around 7:30 last night he was exiting his Mitsubishi Outlander in front of his yard when he was [�] Belize City cops take .9mm off streets At around 5:00 p.m. yesterday, Belize City police conducted a search inside an empty lot on Lavender Street. That search led to the discovery of a black .9 mm pistol. Police additiionally found a 12-shooter magazine containing seven live .9mm rounds. No one was in [�] Police seeking fugitive murder suspect Twenty-one-year-old Samuel Mendez was murdered in Belmopan City when a man pulled up and opened fire on him as he was cutting grass in an open lot. Police say that Angel Antonio Orellano, 22, is a major suspect in this murder. Police have issued [�] Guatemalan killed in Belize City robbery attempt Two Guatemalan nationals were held up at gun point in Belize City on Saturday, in an incident which turned deadly for one of the men while the other lived to tell the story. 7News reported that 46 year-old Walter Lopez and 39 year-old Josue [�] Police seek man who allegedly abducted infant son Police are seeking public assistance in locating a 16-month-year-old baby boy abducted from his mother's home by his father. Police also want to locate the father, Tereak Palacio Sr., 18, for violating a "breach of Protection Order." Reports are that that Palacio Sr. visited [�] Police receive six new Lifan motorcycles On Monday, the Belize Police Department received a donation of six brand new Lifan motorcycles. The generous donation was given by businessman Glen Wilson. Wilson has lived in Belize for almost 10 years and is the owner of Offshore solutions. Wilson told the gathering [�] Blogs Belize's Cultural Celebrations: Las Posadas Las Posadas is a religious commemoration of the blessed Mary's and Joseph's travails on their journey to Bethlehem. The celebration begins on the 15th or 16th December and concludes on Christmas Eve. On each of the nine nights, a young couple carries the statues representing Mary and Joseph as they visit different houses asking for posadas or "lodging". A processes ion of rezadoras (prayer ladies), and cantadoras (ladies singing hymns) accompanies them. At each home, one group outside sings asking for shelter, and those inside refuse them. Tropic Air, Verge of Umbra and a Custom Guitar at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany "We couldn't just stand by and watch," Juan-Carlos 'JC' Cuellar, Digital Communications Manager at Tropic Air Belize told me. He was talking about Verge of Umbra, and their attempt to raise funds - they were coming up short of their goal, and the date to travel to their well-deserved performance at Wacken Open Air in Germany seemed to loom nearer and nearer. Despite having won against other bands from Central America back in March at the Metal Battle in Guatemala, the gentlemen of Verge couldn't seem to get the financial support they needed to make it to Germany. Well, thanks to many generous businesses, including Tropic Air, not only did they end up making it to Germany, but their sound will be heard on Thursday, August 3rd (at 5:50AM Belize time). And included in the awesome package that Verge will bring onstage is a custom guitar. Visit Caye Caulker, Belize Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (8.0 km) (north to south) by less than 1 mile (1.6 km) (east to west). The town on the island is known by the name Caye Caulker Village. Caye Caulker is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) north-northeast of Belize City, and is accessible by high-speed water taxi or small plane. In recent years the island has become a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists. There are over 30 tiny hotels and a number of restaurants and shops.The island is basically a sand bar over a limestone shelf. An underwater cave named Giant Cave is found below the Caye in the limestone. In front of the village, a shallow lagoon, between 6 inches (150 mm) and 14 feet (4.3 m) deep, meets the Belize Barrier Reef to the east. In front of the village, the reef is known as a dry reef with the reef exposed at the surface, while further north the reef is a deep reef and lies under 2 to 8 feet (0.61 to 2.44 m) of water. This area is popular with windsurfers. Queen of the Bay 2017-2018 Meet the 5 lovely ladies who will be competing for the prestigious title of Queen of the Bay 2017-2018. They are (from left to right): Julissa Herarte, Sharissa Dominguez, Nalisha Acosta, Naylea Rancharan and Selene Pe�a. August 26th, 2017 at the Corozal Civic Center. It will commence at 6pm. ome and see which of these 5 beautiful young ladies will be our new reigning Queen of the Bay 2017-2018. The event will take place August 26, 2017 @ the Andres Campos Civic Center starting at 6:00pm. Admission fees are as follows: $5.00 - Bleachers $10 - Reserved $15 -VIP Tickets can be purchased at the Corozal Bay UDP Office in 4th Avenue. See you there! Videos KTV the Remix (August 1, 2017), 2hr. The Senate Select Committee inquiry is on a month break, 8min. The Senate Select Committee inquiry is on a month break after several months of conducting hearings and listening to testimonies. There has been much said and exposed through the statements from key persons involved in Immigration. Over the next few weeks we will be revisiting key aspects of the testimonies, taking a closer examination at the goings-on at Immigration. Morning Matters: Dian White Chairwoman of Ladyville, 60min. The Ministry of Health discuss World Breastfeeding Week 2017, 38min. The Department of Transport discuss road safety regulations, 44min. The University of the West Indies discuss plans for upcoming academic year, 19min. Miss Costa Maya National Costume Preliminary Competition took place at Palapa Bar & Grill this afternoon, min. As part of Saga Humane Society Fundraiser. Here's a glimpse of what to expect on Pageant Night, tomorrow Thursday, August 3. Miss Costa Maya / Saga Humane Society fundraiser , 17min. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Completes Three-day Visit to Belize, 5min. H.E. Dr. David Lee, Foreign Minister of the Republic of China (Taiwan), completed a three-day visit to Belize from 26th to 28th, July 2017, on the invitation of Hon. Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belize. During his visit, the Foreign Minister signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Bilateral cooperation; received an order of distinction and visited Taiwan's technical mission in Central Farm, Cayo District. DAILY LIFE IN DANGRIGA, BELIZE 2017, 30min. Manatee while snorkeling in Belize, 1/2min. I captured this video of a manatee while snorkeling near Thatch Caye in Belize. Fishing in Belize, 3min. Eco-Sanctuary Belize (2000), 47min. In this pioneering film, journey deep into this fragile paradise to look at two of the most ambitious - and most endangered - of these cutting-edge experiments: a multi-village cooperative to create a vast Howler Monkey preserve with the goal of protecting its habitat, while providing a thriving Eco-tourism economy; and a manatee sanctuary on the Belizian coast to protect the manatee and the critically endangered Hawksbill turtle, where it was human nature that became the greatest and most unexpected threat. Narrated by NPR's Warren Olney, the film also goes on a magical trek by horseback through the magnificent Slate Creek rainforest preserve on Belize's rugged border with Guatemala. 7 Elements Belize Trip 2017, 8min. From June 18th to the 27th, we went to Belize. This trip was made possible by 7Elements, which is an organization that works to teach groups about sustainability and the "7 Elements" of human security. Belize Summons Hollywood as Film Destination, 8min. The Sentinel meets with Belize's Film Commissioner Niguel Miguel, Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Patrick Faber and General Consul of Belize Roland Yorke to discuss plans to make the tropical Afro-Centric country a prime film production destination. - Interviews held at the 3rd Annual Belize Film Commission Luncheon in Pacific Palisades. At The Top of Xunantunich in Belize, 1min. Summer 2012 San Pedro - Belize, 8min.