Today's Belize News: November 16, 2017

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Today's Belize News: November 16, 2017 #527108 11/16/17 06:20 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 Misc Belizean Sources SBDC Workshop: Customer Service for Management and Business Owners Presented by: Ms. Monique Usher, Business Advisor SBDCBelize, Beltraide. Location: BTEC Building, ITVET Campus, Belize City. Workshop Date: November 23rd, 2017. Time: 9am to 3pm. This training seminar on providing good customer service gives you the skills you need to communicate professionally, gain respect, enhance customer relationships and secure an overall competitive advantage through customer service excellence. American crocodile on Turneffe Atoll using a coral nursery table as cover Just like a lot of other species, crocs use and rely on our reefs here in Belize and it's up to us to protect this amazing resource. Free Legal Advice San Pedro residents... Nov. 17th, San Pedro Town Hall. 9:30am - 3pm. People will be seen on a first come first served basis. Questions? 625-9221 Maimouna Youssef and Friends in Belize City Are you ready for Maimouna Youssef and Friends? They are hours away from landing in Belize. We invite everyone to pickup their tickets from the Bliss Centre or contact us to attend the FREE Belize City concert on Thursday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m. It will be lots of fun with an opening performance by 'Di Maroons' of Belize City!! Pest and Disease Management approach in the Sugar Industry of Belize Part of SIRDI's commitment to introduce Best Practices to the sugarcane farming community is now showcasing a new video presentation on the topic of Integrated Pest and Disease Management. The video describes the number of pests of economic value to farmers with emphasis on the Frog hopper. This pest is the major cause of lower yields and poor quality of sugarcane delivered to the mill. Its control is highlighted by using integrated pest management practices to control it and emphasizes that chemical control is the last line of attack. Integrated pest management is the most ecologically approved method to control pests and diseases and makes the most sense in a quality improvement program of management of sugarcane production. The video was produced by SIRDI and BSI/ASR and aired using funds provided by the IDB/MIF project "Creating a Sustainable Sugarcane Industry in Northern Belize". The National Channel ticket giveaway for San Pedro Pirates FC vs Belmopan Bandits SC In Ambergris Stadium. San Pedro. Be the first and you get your ticket! Exhibitors at World GIS Day OA Form 2 Geography students showcased real-world uses of mapping technology. OA shared how tracking manatee locations is important for the creation of "no wake" zones, and they also discussed liquid and solid waste management site locations and transport. Hundreds of Belize City students attend this event, so OA students gained excellent practice in communication and presentation skills! ayor Daniel Guerrero visits Chetumal bringing earthquake aid On Monday, November 13, 2017, Mayor Daniel Guerrero visited Chetumal, Q. Roo to deliver boxes of canned items and rice to help aid the earth quake victims in M�xico. Also accompanying the mayor was president of the San Pedro Red Cross, Mr. Eiden Salazar, the Mayor's wife, the Mayor's secretary and members of the San Pedro Red Cross, Nissan Zuniga and Ashty Dennison. Before handing over the items, the Mayor made a few protocolary visits, which included a visit to the person in charge of the Customs department at the Santa Elena border. The next visit included a visit to the Mayor of Othon P. Blanco, Ing. Luis Torres Llanes where he gave a warm welcome to Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his accompanying guests. They discussed the strong relationship that Belize, and especially San Pedro Town, holds with the city of Chetumal and its neighboring municipalities of X'Calak and Mahahual. New roundabout coming to Corozal Caye Caulker Papsmear Drive Nov 24 & 25 Cancer Society along with Ministry of Health will be having a Papsmear drive on November 24th and 25th 2017 from 8a.m to 5p.m at the Caye Caulker Health Center. See you there! Power outage scheduled for a portion of Stann Creek District on Thursday, November 16 from 7:00am to 1:00pm To affect entire Placencia Village and Malacate area of Independence Village. BEL to conduct maintenance and testing of equipment, and install reclosers at Independence Substation. We are working to produce an Inga Alley Cropping video Inga alley cropping, an innovative farming technique, could transform the way land is cultivated for food and cash crops in Belize. We are working with 17 farmers to pioneer this farming practice; however, we want it to be adopted beyond the Maya Golden Landscape. We are excited and we will keep you informed on the release date! DOE's Radio Trivia Week 28 Attention Stann Creek and Toledo residents!!!.... it's your chance this week... CSEC Examination Grant Application Are you a student who is planning to take CSEC or BzNVQ examinations or do you know someone who is? Then this message is for you! In keeping with its commitment to provide equitable access to quality education for all Belizeans, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture (MoEYSC) pays the cost for secondary school students to sit up to six (6) Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations and for students at ITVETs to sit up to three (3) Belize National Vocational Qualification (BzNVQ) examinations. INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION AT THE 1ST BELIZE TERTIARY OPTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES EDUCATION EXPO 2018 Be a part of an amazing event!!! The Ministry of Education's Tertiary Unit cordially invites all institutions that offer financial aid in the form of scholarships or grants for tertiary level studies in Belize or abroad, to participate in the 1st Belize Tertiary Options and Opportunities Education Expo 2018. The Belize TOO Education Expo will be held on January 31, 2018, from 9:00 a.m.-6:00p.m. at the Belize ITVET. This invitation is extended to foreign and local government and non-government organizations, educational institutions, embassies, and private sponsors. Expanding Belize's Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) The United States and Belize are partnering to upgrade and expand Belize's Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS). AFIS uses digital imaging to obtain, store, and analyze fingerprint data. Its standard use will make a huge difference in Belize's ability to use fingerprint evidence in criminal cases. As part of the program, the U.S. Embassy sponsored training for 15 Scenes of Crime technicians and 14 Police Officers on November 13. Our next step is a "train the trainer" course that will start next week. Belizean Christmas Concert Alida Sharp and Mervin Budram will be performing their hits at the Belizean Christmas Concert at the George Price Centre on December 8th. Their Christmas album, Belizean Christmas Vol. 1, was released on Sunday. Institute of Archaeology Notice 16 November 2017. The Nohoch Cheen, ATM and Barton Creek Archaeological Reserves are open. The Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve is closed Channel 7 Many Bogus Nationality Documents In Circulation Last week the news was all about Yuanran Zheng, the Chinese man who was caught with a bogus nationality certificate, and Zheng Hui Lin, his Taiwanese-Belizean translator. Zheng left the country on Friday, and, as a Belizean, Lin was free to return to his residence in Camalote after he pleaded guilty to uttering upon a forged document and trying to use that document. But, 7News has learned that after questioning those men, police have gathered information which points to a functioning immigration ring, and, reports suggest it involves senior employees of the Department of Immigration and The Social Security Board. 7News has confirmed that one SSB manager has been placed on administrative leave while an internal investigation is underway. Board Chairman Doug Singh told us it's not an indictment of this manager, the Board just wants to carry out an investigation without interference. No Charges For Alleged Armenia Killer Police haven't yet charged the main suspect in the Armenia murder case. He is a Guatemalan man resident in the village, but there are no charges against him yet because the arresting officer is waiting on a directive from the DPP . As we told you, 28 year old Carlos Albeño left his mother's Armenia house on Friday morning but his body was found on the side of the Hummingbird Highway on Monday evening. He had been shot and killed. Information is that Albeño was killed as a result of a deal gone wrong with an associate. They had gotten their hands on a looted Mayan artifact from a ruin. Albeño allegedly sold it on the black market and didn't share up the monies from the sale with his buddies. A dispute over those proceeds is believed to have led to the murder. Southern Police Ready to Bring Charges In Accidents Police expect to charge 42 year old BDF soldier Donald Enriquez tomorrow for causing the death of 34 year old Dangriga resident Hubert Lucas. On Friday night, Enriquez ran over Lucas right in front of the Bowen and Bowen distributor on George Price Drive in Dangriga. In the weekend's other fatal accident in the Stann Creek District, where Placencia couple Mark Leslie and Myrna Vasquez were killed, the driver of the GMC Yukon, Delmar Ortega has been served with a notice of intended prosecution. Ortega remains in the hospital- and could face charges when he comes out. Police say he was overtaking a tractor when he ran into Leslie's car at mile 12 on the Southern Highway. Dangriga Police Find A Body A body was found in the seas off the coast of Dangriga this evening. Police retrieved the body about two hours ago in the waters close to "Y-Not" island, near the market. It's too early to tell, but, so far, police suspect the person was swimming when he drowned. The drowning victim had been known to have some mental health issues. Police do not suspect foul play, but a forensic doctor will determine the cause of death. Pablo Vs. The Pharmacists Last night on the news you heard from two pharmacists coming out of the recently formed Belize Community Pharmacists Association. They say that with the new regulations implemented by the Ministry of Health at the start of this month, you won't be able to access your regular meds coming out of the US, Canada, UK and Europe. Why? Well, it will be too expensive - if it is available any at all. That's because the ministry now requires what's called a GMP certificate - that's short for good manufacturing practices. But, the pharmacists told us that those developed countries give another kind of certificate, and it's called GDP, short for good distribution practices - which the Ministry no longer accepts. They said that it will create a scarcity of proven and favored pharmaceutical products. Here's how Wayne Vernon from Waver Pharmacy put it:.. Man Who Shot At Cops In Cayo On The Run Gerson Espinoza Medina is still on the run. He is the brazen Honduran national who pulled a gun on Cayo police on Friday night. Police had pulled him over on Loma Luz Boulevard to search him. Medina came out of his vehicle and allegedly tried to bribe the officers. That didn't work and the officers told him he was under arrest and that is when Medina pulled out a gun. One of the officers tried to wrest the gun away from Medina and in that struggle it went off. Medina escaped but not before firing two shots at the police. Police returned fire but Medina got away. Police are still looking for him and suspect he may have been grazed by a bullet. Lamppost Collision Didn't Kill Capital Cabbie Belmopan taxi driver Preston Coleman died of a heart attack at the wheel. It wasn't a car accident â�" he died before the car came to a stop at the lamppost. As we told you, Coleman was in his taxi driving along the San Martin Road when his heart failed. No one knows what triggered this heart attack but family says he got his first heart attack about 13 years ago and that severely affected his heart and he was also a diabetic. Coleman was a well-known taxi man in Belmopan and he worked as a security guard at the Belmopan Comprehensive School for 10 years. Charged For Chopping Two Friends At 1:00 yesterday morning, 24 year old David Williams and 37 year old David Phillips were socializing in front of Phillips tom eon Central American Boulevard when a man attacked them with a machete. But received cut wounds on their hands and arms. Phillips got the worst of it and his injury was classified as grievous harm. Today, the alleged culprit 23 year old AYMON FLORES appeared in court where he was arraigned on charges of "Use of Deadly Means of Harm & Grievous Harm." He was offered bail of $1,000 and his case was adjourned until January 31st. Curlan To Court For March Attack 28 year old Curlan Phillips is on remand tonight for attempted murder. Phillips was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. He is accused of shooting Freedom Street resident Inmar Welch in March of this year. Welch was hanging out in front of a house on Jones Street when Phillips allegedly drove by, came out of his vehicle and shot at Welch hitting him in his lower back. Today in court Phillips asked for leniency because he says he has a 2 year old son who has heart problems and he is the only one to take care of him. But he did not produce anything to prove this. He also said that the case was settled out of court. But regardless of his statements, he was he was remanded into custody until January 29. The Sweet Science of Sugar Last night, we brought you coverage of the latest cost-saving measures that the sugar cane farmers and the millers are about to roll out for the next crop season. 6 of the 18 reaping groups from Corozal and Orange Walk, representing all 3 cane farming associations, will participate in the first phase of the Pre-Harvest Cane Quality Program. The technicians who work in the sugar industry want to give all farmers a system of telling exactly when to cut their cane, for optimal quality. Tonight, we have the full story, and Daniel Ortiz reports: Yesterday in Guinea Grass, the leaders of 6 harvesting groups, representing all 3 cane farmer associations, stepped forward to sign up for the Pre-Harvest Cane Quality Program. For this upcoming harvesting season, these 6 test groups are going to be trained in the science of getting the sweetest sugar from their cane. BSCFA and ASR/BSI Make Peace, Quietly So, as you can see, those who earn a living from sugar are doing all they can to ensure that Belize's product can compete with the Beet Sugar from European farmers. Their low cost production is driving the world price for sugar down, and right now, it's as much as 10 US dollars lower per pound than last year. So, the projected financial impact of that trend probably helped convince the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association to sign a revised commercial agreement with ASR/BSI. As we told you, there had been a brewing dispute between the BSFCA and the millers, over the 2015 cane purchase agreement. BSI wanted to remove the three-year opt-out clause and allow the contract to run for its full term until 2022. But, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association did not want to get locked in like that. Hulse Back At The Senate, Stays On Defence After a week's break, Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse was today called to testify a second time in the Senate Hearings on Immigration. You'll remember how the Senate Select Committee grilled him on a great many topics within his ministerial portfolio, and a number of the cases of irregularities flagged by the Auditor General in her reports. In the hearing from 2 weeks ago, they asked him about things that shouldn't have happened under his watch as the substantive minister. But in today's hearing, he was in the hot seat for nationality documents he signed for persons who did not qualify. You'll remember the cases of Randall James Davis and Charles Francis Knoll Jr., who both entered Belize in September 2012. And in only 3 months, they were given Belizean nationality and Belizean passports they certainly didn't qualify for. Mr. Hulse and Mr. Tien The Senate Select Committee also questioned him about a note he wrote on November 29, 2012 to the former Acting Director of Immigration, Maria Marin. In it, he instructs quote, "Ms. Marin, Mr. Roger Tien will be applying for visas for visitors from Mainland, China. Kindly peruse and facilitate if all is in order." End quote. Apparently, this "Mr. Roger Tien" approached the Immigration Department at that time asking them to approve visas for persons who were supposed to visit to look at prospective investment opportunities. The Auditor General then flagged the visa applicants because their names then showed up on Nationality applications, documents that they didn't qualify for. Re-thinking Public Service Commission And one part of today's hearing which caught our attention was Hulse's conversation with the Senate Committee about the Public Service Commission. You'll remember his very strong comments against the Commission for the tribunal's decision to reinstate the immigration officers who were suspected being culpable for the Won Hong Kim Passport scandal. Well, the Senators brought that topic back up today, and they asked him about the dilemma of holding public officers responsible for wrongdoings versus trying to protect rights to natural justice. Making GIS Relevant Today, in countries all across the world, fairs and expos were held to educate the public about Geographical Information Systems, and all the things these systems do that you might not be aware of. 7News visited the annual EXPO here in Belize City and learnt about the useful program. This morning students, educators, and the general public from all over the country crammed into a room at the Ramada Hotel to attend a fair highlighting the great benefits that the Geographic Information System has to offer. The name sounds complex but it is actually a pretty basic system that has made life easier for many companies and people all around the world. How does it do that? Well, one of the GIS experts told us exactly how. " Caught With Cannabis in Caulker Yesterday afternoon Caye Caulker police conducted a search at the second story flat of 57-year-old Timothy Stapleton and they found 64.8 grams of cannabis on a table. Police found Stapleton along with 30-year-old Bernardo Teul and 25-year-old Raphael Erebua. Now, under the new law, you might say they were allowed 10 grammes each, but that only counts when it's a total of ten grammes or less. So there's no discounting the quantity for personal possession, meaning that in this case, the heavier charge of trafficking is used for 60 grammes and above. With that, all three were charged for drug trafficking. Man Accused of Molesting Girl A man was charged with two counts sexual assault for molesting a 9 year old girl. Today 31 year old gas attendant Orlando Fisher pled not guilty to the charges. He was denied bail and remanded into custody until February 15th. The incident happened on October 17th. The little girl reported that while she was in a house on North Creek Road, Fisher fondled her. High School, High Culture At this time of year, you can bet you will start to see Christmas lights, decorations and everything you need for the season in stock at every store. But before we get to loading up on the ham and turkey, there is an observance that always starts off the end of year festivities with a bang, and that is Garifuna Settlement Day on the 19th. This morning in that strong Garifuna cultural spirit, Wesley College had a celebration of their own: Courtney Weatherburne: "You said it is pretty much a cultural day commemorating and celebrating the Garifuna culture?" Edison Ogaldez - Head of Department, Social Sciences: "Yes it is that and more, we respect the other cultures and so today we re-enacted the Yuremi, we just arrived and we are now going through the service. It is something that we try to do yearly and we have succeeded since we started." Briceno Wants Answers From BIL Leader of the Opposition John Briceno wants some answers from BIL. Two weeks ago, he wrote to Deputy Prime Minster Patrick Faber as co-chair of Belize Infrastructure Limited asking for audited accounts, all projects, proof of public tendering, and all contracts. Today the PUP sent the media the letter, noting that "there has been no response from the D.P.M., not even an acknowledgment of receipt." In his letter, Briceno alleges that works completed under BIL's supervision have poor design, lack of proper execution and will result in losses of public funds. Making Right On Muffles On Monday we told you about the NSSSA volleyball national tournament. But, we made an error naming the competitors in the female competition. We reported that it was Saint Catherines Academy against Muffles for the finals when it was actually SCA against Stann Creek Ecumenical High School. SCA emerged victorious. We apologize for the mix-up. Muffles Bobcats won 3rd place in the male category. Channel 5 Godwin Hulse Says Questionable Guate-Belizeans Can't Vote in I.C.J. Referendum After a week's hiatus, the Senate Special Select Committee returned with Minister of Immigration and Nationality Senator Godwin Hulse facing his Senate colleagues in the chair once again.� Over three [...] Immigration & Foreign Affairs Moving Slowly on Verification of Renunciation Process That announcement came during an extensive discussion of the countries' relations in terms of Guatemalans becoming Belizean citizens.� Hulse told the Committee that previously, Guatemala simply accepted the Belizean renunciation [...] Are 'Canceled' Nationalities, Passports Still Being Used? The Minister of Immigration and Nationality, Senator Godwin Hulse, is the final authority on the granting of nationality certificates. In the Auditor General's special report, two cases were cited of [...] Recommenders for Nationality Must Come Out in the Open In light of the many problems with recommenders for nationality and other Immigration problems, Minister Hulse readily agreed that a recommendation should be made that recommenders present themselves in person [...] 5 Years Later, Still No Solution on Peter Dahlstrom's Citizenship by Marriage As noted by Minister Hulse, the case of Swedish national Peter Dahlstrom was one of those that made the news. He married the sister of Kim Simplis Barrow more than [...] Won Hong Kim Could Evade Gazette Publication for Nationality P.U.P. Senator Eamon Courtenay questioned Minister Hulse on the matter of the composition of the Nationality Committee, which considers the qualifications of applicants, as well as the publication of names [...] The "Culture" of Ministerial Recommendations Those members of Cabinet who have appeared before the Senate Special Select Committee continuously contend that their recommendations for persons to acquire visas, permanent residence, passports and even nationality should [...] What's Happened to the Commercial Center Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley is coming to the end of his two terms in office, that's six years at the helm of City Hall.� Now, he has undertaken massive [...] Guatemalan Resident of Armenia Held Pending Murder Charge A Guatemalan national, who resides in Armenia Village, remains in police custody tonight pending directives from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions if charges should be laid on [...] City Resident Remanded on Sexual Assault Charge Tonight, thirty-one-year-old Orlando Fisher of Belize City is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after being denied bail for the alleged sexual abuse of a nine-year-old child on two [...] Machete Attack Leads to Charges An alleged machete wielding attacker was arraigned this morning in court. He is twenty-two-year-old Aaron Flores of Gentle Street, Belize City, who is charged with grievous harm and use of [...] Trio Charged for Caye Caulker Drug Offence Police have arrested and charged three Caye Caulker residents for a drug offence.� Around two-thirty on Tuesday afternoon, Police searched the home of fifty-seven-year-old Timothy Stapleton where they found sixty-five [...] No Ease for Ex-Servicemen Manager - She Must Pay to Park Congestion and an overall lack of adequate parking along Newtown Barracks in the vicinity of B.T.L. Park, continues to be a problem for patrons of the various establishments along the [...] Zoning Contributing to Parking Problem The challenge, according to Mayor Bradley, is that a lack of zoning forces motorists to compete for public parking and that buildings should have been erected with a private parking [...] New Belizean Tops Regional Nurse Examinations The results of the Regional Exam for Nurse Registration were released the week and it shows an impressive performance by the students of the University of Belize.� The Caribbean Examination [...] Diabetes Association Now Has Branch in Corozal On Tuesday, we shared the staggering diabetes statistics. Latest numbers show that the disease is on the rise in Belize and that more than fifty-thousand persons are afflicted.� During World [...] World Geographic Information System Day Expo Targets Schools Young minds gathered today in Belize City at the start of an expo that showcases how the use of technology can result in efficiency. GIS, or Geographic Information System, is [...] Celebrating Culture and Music at Stella Maris Cultural activities are taking place around the country to celebrate Garifuna Settlement Day. Over at Stella Maris today in Belize City, we found the young children celebrating four other cultures [...] CTV3 Guatemala Changes Referendum Date Guatemala has changed the date on which it will hold a Referendum on whether to take their claim of Belize's entire territory before the International Court of Justice to adjudicate. In mid-October Guatemala's Supreme Electoral Tribunal announced that it would be holding that exercise on Sunday, March 18, 2018. The date was later approved by Guatemala's Congress and plans have moved forward. But Guatemalan officials have had to deal with their first hurdle - which is that that Sunday will be an important day for Catholics worldwide who will be celebrating Lent season. The specific date will be the Fifth Sunday of Lent and the fear for officials is that citizens would be dissuaded from participating in the political process. As a result, the date was changed to April 15, 2018. LOVE FM Chinese Man ordered to leave Belize Forty-five-year-old Chinese national Yuanran Zheng, was given the order to leave the country last week which he did. Zheng is the man who was caught attempting to obtain a Social Security Card using a phony nationality certificate. He was arrested, charged and later arraigned in Belmopan Magistrate court for the crimes of uttering upon a [�] "Sweet Sampling for Sweet Returns" "Sweet Sampling for sweet returns", that's the slogan for the new pre-harvesting quality testing program to be implemented in the coming sugar crop. The program is a collaborative effort among BSI/ASR, the three cane farmer associations, the Sugar Cane Production Committee and the Hershey Company. The program aims to have mature sugar cane tested before [�] BSI/ASR looks for New Market BSI/ASR now has the full cooperation of the three cane farmers associations as they move forward with the project of producing more direct consumption sugar. BSI/ASR is investing twenty-two million dollars in BSI to increase the production of direct consumption sugars that fetch higher prices on the world market and especially the EU market. The [�] EU's Sugar Reform will cause Sugar Prices to Fall The new sugar crop is almost here, and as stakeholders in the industry continue to work towards improving their product, the imminent lower paychecks lie ahead. Again these are due largely to the sugar reforms in the European market. It became effective in October this year, and at the final payment for the last sugar [�] McLachlan: "We have no problem in exchanging information about pricing" At a recent meeting, the People's United Party's Northern Caucus passed three resolutions relating to the sugar industry. The PUP has agreed to support the amendment to the Sugar Industry Act which seeks to establish a Marketing Committee comprised of all stakeholders. The PUP is of the view that a ceiling to the sugar cane [�] Briceno: BIL's Negligence has caused Millions in Loss to Public Purse The leader of the Opposition, John Briceno, says that Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has yet to answer a letter he sent two weeks ago. The letter is with respect to Belize Infrastructure Limited, BIL, which is Co-Chaired by Minister Faber. In his letter, Briceno writes quote, "Recent revelations suggested that through its negligence, millions [�] Guyana chooses the ICJ to Solve Border Problem Belize and Guyana are both former British colonies who have border disputes with their neighbours. The unfounded Guatemalan claim over a portion of Belize has been well documented and it is expected that a referendum on the matter will take place. Meanwhile, for Guyana, Venezuela is claiming over 40 percent of the country. Love News [�] Man sacrificed to realize Dream This year, 47 men and women sat the Regional Exam for Nurse Registration which is administered by the Caribbean Examination Council, CXC. The students who successfully completed the exams are from the University of Belize. Hipolito Novelo reports. Eight years ago, Bonaventure Nwangwu traveled to Belize from Nigeria. Bonaventure Nwangwu, Nursing Student, U.B. "When I [�] Dr. Marques: ICA is ready to help TCGA The Inter American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture is prepared to assist the Toledo Cacao Growers Association. Correspondent Paul Mahung has the story. Paul Mahung, Love FM "The message of preparedness to help the Toledo Cacao Growers Association in its revitalizing efforts was mentioned at TCGA's recent annual general meeting by Inter-American Institute for Cooperation [�] Matachica Resort and Spa makes the Top Ten List for Central America Located on Ambergris Caye, Matachica Resort and Spa has been named as one of the Top Ten resorts in Central America in the 2017 Cond� Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards. The award celebrates outstanding properties from every region of the globe using feedback from its readers to decide upon the winning properties. For the 30th [�] Belize celebrates GIS Day Today Belize joined the world in celebrating GIS Day. The day provides for a forum for users of geographic information systems (GIS) technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society. The expo here in Belize was organized by Total Business Solutions Limited. Hipolito Novelo reports. "Students from across the country [�] One Suspect detained in connection with Murder in Armenia Belmopan Police have detained one suspect in connection with the murder of Carlos Navarro of Armenia Village. On Monday, Navarro's partially decomposed body was found about one hundred and fifty yards off a feeder Road off the Hummingbird Highway. A post-mortem conducted certified the cause of death as gunshot injuries to the chest. Fisher charged with Sexual Assault Thirty-one-year-old Orlando Fisher, a gas attendant at 1700 North Creek Road, was charged with two counts of sexual assault when he appeared today before the Chief Magistrate, Sharon Fraser. He pled not guilty to the charges. He was denied bail and he was remanded into custody until February 15. The incident occurred on October 17. [�] Phillips charged with Attempted Murder Twenty-eight-year-old Curlan Phillips, who allegedly shot Inmar Welch, was charged with attempted murder when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. Phillips was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. Senior Magistrate Ford told him that he will have to give her special reasons for her to grant him [�] UNDP Speaks Out Against Corruption UNDP continues its campaign to bring awareness to the topic of corruption. The present campaign is targeting students. Today the team stopped in at a high school in Belmopan. Correspondent Fem Cruz reports. Fem Cruz "In celebrating International Anticorruption Day which is on the 9th of December Karen Bernard Deputy Resident Representative from UNDP along [�] Musical Ambassador shows up for Stella Maris' Cultural Day Today, Stella Maris held their cultural day for children to appreciate who they are, as well as to appreciate other individuals, who are different from them. Love News was on hand for the event and spoke with the Principal of Stella Maris, Karema Oshon and Felecia Garbutt, Sewing Teacher about the event. Karema Oshon - [�] Breaking Belize News Belize Football Woes - the secret ballot and the FFB elections Between these lines �."In my opinion, fixing the problems plaguing the Football Federation of Belize [�] Mar Alliance condemns fishers who killed sharks On Monday, Mar Alliance shared photos of two men posing with two dead sharks on [�] Police make arrest in murder of Armenia villager Police have made a breakthrough in the murder case of 28-year-old Guatemalan national residing in [�] Government vehicle in accident on Coastal road According to reports, on Monday evening a Government issued vehicle assigned to the Belmopan Lands [�] Regional Commission on Marijuana to host National Consultations The Attorney General's Ministry of Belize in collaboration with and under the auspices of CARICOM's [�] International Sources Belize Uses Tourism Growth to Shine Spotlight on Caribbean "Though recent news has been covering the hurricane destruction, we want to shift perceptions to remind travelers that the Caribbean remains open for business," Karen Bevans, director of tourism for the Belize Tourism Board and vice chairman for the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), told TMR. While Belize, located on the eastern coast of Central America, was spared from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, a number of Caribbean countries in the northern Leeward Islands and the northern Caribbean were not as lucky - many of which are still recovering from the storms a month later. "Because we are in a position to welcome visitors and are experiencing tourism growth, we want to use that bright spot to help others during this difficult time," Bevans said. Big, Bold Dreams: The Belize International Film Festival brings the world to Central America There's no shortage of film festivals in the world. From the prestige of Cannes, Toronto and Sundance to more regional affairs, on any given weekend any film fan with enough money and free time can hop on a plane and touch down in some city or other where the local cinephile set is celebrating movies from both near and far. But no other festival has a goal quite so noble as that of the Belize International Film Festival: jumpstarting the film industry of its home country. Granted, that's only of the goals of BIFF, the 12th annual incarnation of which took place in Belize City Nov. 9-12. The plain and simple act of showing good films-like Ryan Suffern's Steven Spielberg-executive produced documentary Finding Oscar, about Guatemala's Dos Erres massacre, or Flavio Florencio's intimate, passionate Made in Bangkok, about the journey of a trans opera singer to undergo sexual-reassignment surgery-is priority number one. But speaking with those on the ground at BIFF-the staff, the volunteers, the attendees-two things come across more than any other: love of Belize and love of film. Videos Restoring coral reefs in Belize, 1min. Lisa Carne works to restore coral reef habitats and advocates for the sustainable management of these beneficial habitats with her organization, Fragments of Hope in Belize. Anchoring on Grassy Bottom in Belize, 2min. About 6 ft depth, Moorings 3800 Catamaran Flood mitigation: stemming the tide in Belize City, 5min. Check out how through this flood mitigation program we are helping Belize City to reduce severity of flooding caused by tropical storms and climate change YuMi Adventures-Belize 2017, 5min. Belize-2016, 4min. La Jolla Presbyterian Church Snorkeling in Belize, 46min. Adventures in Belize ! Mayan Temples, Sharks and More!, 9.5min. MINISTER OF IMMIGRATION GODWIN HULSE ADMITS HE WAS DUPED BY IMMIGRATION OFFICERS, 3min. So how does Minister Hulse feel about the 700-page audit findings rife with evidence of wrongdoing, of which a majority happened under his watch? Well today he didn't mince words about his views, but, truthfully, appeared very much like a toothless tiger who couldn't do much about it. The usually outspoken, no-nonsense, anti-corruption advocate said he was hopeful that the Committee's recommendations bring about justice. The substantive Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse testifies before investigation, 6min. The substantive Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse testified before the Senate Select Committee investigating the Auditor General's special audit on immigration for a second time today. This time however, Hulse was confronted with questionable cases that involved him directly. One such case was flagged by the auditor general in the nationality report. In 2012, Hulse signed the nationality certificates for purported U.S. nationals Charles Francis Noll Jr. and Randall James Davis. But it appears, these two individuals did not qualify for Belizean citizenship, and in her audit findings, the auditor general pointed out why. Today, Hulse admitted that the certificates should not have been granted. Garbage Situation in PG, 1min. Online shopping - How to avoid common online mistakes, on Open Your Eyes, 14min. Garifuna drumming at the San Pedro House of Culture, 1min. A little taste of Placencia!!!, 2.5min. Belize Prison Reflections, 11min. CEO Virgilio Murillo and Former Food Services Manager Louis Turner reflect on when they were both working at the Belize Prison in 2002. Sections include the Kolbe Foundation Mission Statement for the prison; Mr. Murillo's start as the CEO in 2002; Financial Accountability; and the Chaplaincy Program TaiwanICDF ICT Project in Belize User Story:Rainforest Seafoods, 2min. Dtourz - Placencia, Belize 2017, 4min. A taste of some of our times in Belize all thanks to Doyle from DTourz and the birthday girl bringing everyone together. Belize 2017, 15min. Diving on the Belize Aggressor III Nov.4-11 2017 Great time with awesome people ! Greasy pole contest . Easter in Belize 2017, 2min. BELIZE TRAVEL VLOG \| Zip lining, Snorkeling, and more!, 10min.