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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

Over 900 Lionfish caught for Hol Chan Reef Week Tournament
As part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Reef Week 2018 a Lionfish Tournament was hosted at Estel's Dine by the Sea on Friday, May 11th. The tournament is meant to raise awareness of the invasive species that poses a major threat to marine life. Teams competing for the grand prize were French Angel, Amigos Del Mar Dive Shop, The Dive Bar, Team Bradley, Ramon's Village, and Sea Star Belize. Around 7AM, boats headed out to sea fully equipped to catch as many lionfish as they could and hoping to claim one of the fabulous tournament prizes. After approximately eight hours at sea, teams began returning with their ice boxes full of lionfish, ready to weigh and count. A large crowd gathered at the scale to view the huge amounts of fish caught. Out of the total 901 lionfish caught, the smallest was only five centimeters and the largest 40 centimeters.

Ambergris Caye Fishing Guide Association holds first meeting of the year
The Ambergris Caye Fishing Guide Association (ACFGA) held its first 2018 meeting at the Lions Den in San Pedro Town on Thursday, May 10th. In attendance were various fishermen and stakeholders who had a variety of topics to discuss and follow up with. After ACFGA President Enrique Marin, welcomed everyone, Hol Chan Marine Reserve manager Miguel Alamilla spoke to the gathering about a new project his organization has started. "We have started to create artificial reefs at the back of the island to expand areas for fly fishermen," said Alamilla. He asked ACFGA members to check out the project and provide feedback to Hol Chan so that they can improve, re-design or re-evaluate. ACFGA secretary Giovanni Marin spoke next, sharing with those gathered that the Belize Tourism Board has approved their petition of extending the size requirements on 'lanchon' boats - primarily used for fly-fishing - to 26 feet and under, as the majority of the fishermen's boats are currently built to that length. BTB also approved their request to increase the number of boat passengers to six, with one guide, and no helper required. Secretary Marin also revealed the association's new website www.ambergriscayefishingguideassociation.com.

Ambergris Today

It's A Wrap! - Successful Reef Week 2018 Comes To An End!
Hol Chan Marine Reserve's Reef Week 2018 came to a successful end with two major events, the Lionfish Competition and Coastal Clean Up. Hol Chan Marine Reserve's Lionfish Tournament was hosted at Estel's Dine by the Sea on Friday, May 11, 2018, where participating businesses headed out to sea from early morning to catch as much fish as possible. The count took place at the end of the day on the beach at Estel's with fun activities that included a Lionfish filleting competition. The Lionfish Tournament and fillet competition results are as follows:

San Pedro Election Results Dispute Goes To Court
It is the first of its kind in Belize, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin yesterday, Monday, May 14, 2018, heard the claim brought by Andre Perez against San Pedro Town Mayor Daniel Guerrero. Perez has contested the March 7 municipal elections results for the PUP claiming that there is a discrepancy with regards to the results of San Pedro Town. While deliberations ensued in court, a small protest took place in front of the Supreme Court building. Daniel Guerrero won out Andre Perez the elections by only 38 votes and immediately after the People's United Party (PUP) contested the results by alleging multiple irregularities in the handling and reconciling go the ballots.

Notice To All Justices Of The Peace
The Attorney General's Ministry informs that all Justices of the Peace, including Senior Justices of the Peace, must contact the Ministry to verify their JP status before July 31, 2018. This exercise is being carried out in preparation for the upcoming re-registration process by the Elections and Boundaries Department.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Hands Across the Sand 2018
Join us at this international event this Saturday to send a message to the world. Let's stand together and Let's Say NO to dirty fuels and YES to clean energy.

Replay Match: Premiere League of Belize 2017-2018 Closing Season. Verdes FC vs BDF FC (Replay Match)
Game has moved to Wednesday, May 16th, 2018.

Become a Friend of Ya'axch�
When you become a Friend of Ya'axch�, your contribution will support the conservation and management of a 700,000-acre mosaic landscape of protected areas and private and community lands. You will:

Upcoming Rotary clinics around Belize!

Chocolate festival coming up
Excited to announce the last of the Three Kings, Mr Florencio Mes, will be performing at the Grand Finale at Nim Li Punit on Sunday 20th May! Thanks to NICH for supporting this event!

The 2018 Turtle nesting season has begun!
To those enjoying the northern beaches Punta Azul, Basil Jones, Robles, please remember that for the next 6 months you will be sharing the space with sea turtles who are laying eggs so be careful not to drive over the nest, take your garbage home with you to dispose of properly, and do not tamper with marked nests. The turtles will thank you.

Expected Changes in Domestic Fuel Prices Due to Increase in World Oil Prices
The Ministry of Finance advises that with effect from midnight on May 16, 2018, there will be adjustments in the pump prices of fuel products as follows: Belize City Prices: Premium Gasoline - $11.36 per gallon - down by 3 cents. Regular Gasoline - $11.14 per gallon - up by 10 cents. Diesel Oil - $10.60 per gallon - up by 11 cents. Kerosene - $7.75 per gallon - down by 12 cents.

Caye Caulker Dental clinic today
Another successful day 2 of Health Week, thank you BCVI for another day of eye clinic and thank you Dr. D for the package. Today at 9:00 a.m. at Allan Chan's conference room dental clinic, no appointment required come in and patiently wait your turn.

DFC Loan Inquiry Form
DFC - Helping farmers since 1963. Agriculture - Business - Homes - Education. How can we help you?

2018 Cacao Festivities - BTB Kiosks

Museum of Belize and Houses of Culture Celebrate International Museum Day on Friday, May 18th
This year's International Museum Day will be celebrated on Friday, May 18th 2018, under the theme "Hyperconnected museums: New approaches, New Publics". The objective of International Museum Day is to raise awareness of Museums as important methods of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, cooperation and peace among peoples. The Museum of Belize will be granting free access for Belizeans to the Museum of Belize, gifting the public a complimentary viewing of the Slavery, Maya and Insect displays. The Museum of Belize will also be sending their cutest and most loved representative "Beulah" to the various events being supported by the Houses of Culture to show support.

TS'UNU'UN MAYA LEGEND
The hummingbird is one of the most fascinating birds: beautiful, light and with the ability to move subtle as a feather. But ... do you know his story? The Maya have a beautiful legend about the hummingbird or hummingbird. For them, their feathers were magical. The hummingbird was a bird with a very special purpose ... do you want to know which one? The wisest Maya say that the Gods created all things on Earth and in doing so, each animal, each tree and each stone was commissioned a job. But when they were finished, they noticed that there was no one in charge of taking their wishes and thoughts from one place to another. As they no longer had mud or corn to make another animal, they took a jade stone and with it carved a very small arrow. When it was ready, they blew on it and the little arrow went flying. It was no longer a simple arrow, now it had life, the gods had created the x ts'unu'un, that is, the hummingbird.

Channel 7

8 Shots Fired At Belmopan Mayor's House
There was a shooting in Belmopan last night but it wasn't just any random shooting, the Mayor - Khalid Belisle's house was the target. Last night around 10:30, Belisle was awakened by the sound of gun blasts. When he checked his house this morning he saw the bullet holes and piercings in the walls and his fiancé's car. It is a bold and brazen move and it is even more shocking because it happened in the Garden City to a soft-spoken politician, who is far from being abrasive. Courtney Weatherburne went to Belmopan to try and find some answers. Mayor Khalid Belisle has been living in this Valencia Street house for 3 years. He and his fiancée has made it their home and they enjoy the peace and quiet in the area. But that calm was ruptured last night after someone shot up his house.

Danny Mason Will Stand Trial For Kidnapping
Last year, accused murderer William Danny Mason was committed to the Supreme Court to stand trial along with his co-accused for the beheading murder of Pastor Llewelyn Lucas. Today, he got more bad news when Senior Magistrate Merlene Moody ruled that he will stand trial for the charge of kidnapping. This kidnapping was alleged to have occurred weeks before Belmopan police found Pastor Lucas' decapitated head in the back of Mason's vehicle. Mennonite Lloyd Friesen reported to police that he got into a business arrangement with Mason, where Mason would import three hundred thousand dollars' worth of corn through Argentina. Friesen told police that he fronted the money, but the shipment never materialized. He then demanded that Mason return his money, and kept pressing for it.

SSB Demands Payment From Citco
Weeks ago, the new Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner reported that his predecessor hadn't been remitting Social Security payments to the SSB since August of 2017, right up to the election. Former mayor Darrell Bradley flatly denied it - as did his now terminated city administrator, Candice Miller. Here's how she responded to the allegation last week: Jules Vasquez, reporter: "The suggestion is that, which is illegal, that the council withheld the taxes and social security from August 2017 and didn't pass it on to central government and social security."

City Hall Refused To Re-Instate Terminated Union Employees
But we did get word from the council on a meeting with the Christian Workers Union - which represents two of the 6 workers who were fired last week. The release says, quote "Today, the Belize City Council met with the Christian Workers Union Executive and their employees' representative. Both sides conveyed their concerns. However, the council remained resolute that there will not be any reinstatement of the employees that were let go and the council does wish them the best." End quote.

Dr. Alain Wins Re-Instatement At KHMH
And while city hall isn't re-instating, at the KHMH a doctor who was fired didn't need a labour union - he just needed a good attorney. One month ago we told you about Dr. Alain Gonzalez, the former two term UDP City Councillor who was abruptly fired from the KHMH - after 10 years and one month of service. And not only was he fired without a chance to defend himself, he was escorted out of the hospital by security. But, Gonzalez didn't blow them up with a scathing interview or Facebook post - he got a lawyer, filed an appeal with the board of directors and bided his time. And it paid off, because he has been re-instated. 7news has confirmed that Gonzalez is back at work and transferred form the emergency room to the surgical ward.

Gas Going Up, But Not Yet Gone
US President Donald Trump's pullout from the Iran nuclear deal is driving up oil prices worldwide, and you can expect the same with Belize's already sky high fuel prices. But the news isn't all bad - not yet, at least. Effective tomorrow May 16th at midnight, Premium Gasoline which is now $11.36 per gallon in the city will actually go down by 3 cents, Regular Gasoline will go up by 10 cents, and you will be paying 11 cents more per gallon for Diesel, while Kerosene will go down by 12 cents.

Patt Manslaughter Suspects Charged
Today, the three men accused of causing the death of Demetrio Patt were taken back to the Orange Walk Magistrate's Court where their charges were upgraded to manslaughter. After a night in the detention cell, Carlos Westby, Deltran Perez, and Leodigario Chan were marched to Orange Walk Magistrate's Court this morning in handcuffs. They had already been charged for wounding and dangerous harm - and now they are charged with manslaughter.

Your Cable Bill Is Going Up
For weeks we've been warning you that there's going to be changes with your cable television service. And it looks like it's here: fewer channels for more money - and it takes effect within 15 days. 7News has received a press release from the Belize Cable Television Operators Association which says that they propose to offer a basic package of 80 channels or $60.00 dollars. That's up 33% from what most people currently pay: $45.00 for over two hundred channels. And those two hundred channels presently include HBO, STARZ, SHOWTIME - and all those - which are called premium channels. Well, not anymore. As we understand it - those are not included in this basic package. For those channels you'd have to upgrade to a premium package for more money. The details on that haven't been released.

Why The BDF Sent Soldiers To Erect A Fence
Last night on the news, you saw the fence that the BDF is building out at the Benque Viejo border - and heard about the slight disturbance it created with Guatemalan Taxi drivers crying foul. Today we asked the BDF Commander why they chose to send the BDF to build a fence at the border and what was the message sent by that. He said it was a practical decision: Jules Vasquez, reporter: "Usually if you want to put up a fence or cordoned off an area, you hire a contractor and it's just a civil process. Why did you all choose to send in the military in the form of a light engineering company?"

BDF Increasing Patrol Presence In Chiquibul
The BDF plans to pull out of the area when the fence is finished. But while they won't stay at that border the army is increasing its presence along the western border in the Chiquibul Forest. Last week, the Friends For Conservation and Development reported that since the April 15th referendum in Guatemala, many of the campesinos in the border communities adjoining the Chiquibul were misled into believing that the "yes" meant, "yes" they now own Belize. The BDF has had to respond by increasing patrols along the wide frontier before Guatemalan farmers put down roots in Belize:

The San Pedro Election, Which Way Will The Court Decide?
Last night, we took you to the Supreme Court for the PUP's petition against the San Pedro Election results of March 7. You'll remember that the election ended with UDP's Mayor Daniel Guerrero and the UDP 7 being declared as winners. The PUP wants the Chief Justice to set aside those election results, and order a new election for the island town. That hearing lasted the entire day yesterday, and it ended only a few minutes before the start of news. So, to properly summarize why it is that the PUP feels that the Elections and Boundaries Commission mishandled that process, Daniel Ortiz recounts the most important elements. Here's his story:

Interesting Ammunition Situation In A San Pedro Room
As we told you last night, San Pedro police made an interesting bust yesterday morning. They searched 18 year old John Hernandez - and it led them to his hotel room at the Central Hotel. Police searched the room and found seven 9 millimeter rounds of ammunition. They also learned that 21-year-old Tracey Betancourt is the one who had rented the room. Police arrested and charged both Hernandez and Betancourt with Kept Ammunition without a Gun License. Betancourt is known as the girlfriend of the recently murdered Paul Jex.

Is BDF Befriending Guatemala's Ally?
So with all this chuminess between Israel and Guatemala - what's a BDF Captain doing in Mexico - along with the police and Coast Guard at a cyber security conference? That's what we asked the BDF commander today:.. Jules Vasquez, reporter: "The President of Guatemala is in Israel today for the opening of their embassy. The Guatemalans are big supporter of Israel, but I saw that a BDF Captain Usher, was in Mexico recently at an Israeli cyber security conference. Is that something that the BDF is looking at knowing that the Israeli and the Guatemalans are very close allies?"

Filipino/Belizean Found Dead At Sea
Yesterday morning the body of 73-year-old Placencia village resident Juan Caducio was found floating in the Sea near Harvest Caye. According to authorities, Caducio left to go fishing on Sunday in his fiberglass skiff but never returned. Reports say Caducio was a Filipino who had been in Belize for over 20 years and was into real estate. He is believed to have fallen off his boat while fishing and foul play is not suspected.

Work Resumes, Slowly On Multi Purpose Building
Last night we told you about the woes at the multi-purpose building on Lake I Boulevard. The 4.46 million dollar project is two years behind schedule - and the contractor has chronic problems paying suppliers and employees. That's why when we went there yesterday, the 25 man work crew had basically gone on strike because they weren't paid on Friday - and neither were they paid yesterday. But today when we went there we saw some activity - though the work crew still hadn't returned. The supervisor told us more - and did his best to put a happy spin on a less than ideal situation:..

Reward For Stolen Explorer
On Friday night, someone stole businessman Dean Fuller's 2012 Ford Explorer. He told police he parked it across from the Old Chateau Caribbean. When Fuller returned to the spot, the SUV was gone. Inside his stolen vehicle was a Samsung Galaxy S7 cell phone and a black Dell Laptop. The vehicle has comprehensive insurance. Fuller is offering a reward of $3,000 to anyone that is able to locate the vehicle. The police investigation continues.

The Urological Solution
We've reported extensively on the One Struggle the group that brings together those affected by gun violence. The group has done a lot of work with not only direct victims of violence but also with family members of the deceased, and today we found they are doing more. They are seeking free medical treatment for victims of gun violence. Urologists from the United States will be here on Sunday in Corozal and Dangriga. Since urological complications often follow gunshot injuries, The One Struggle group is offering free transportation to people who would also like to be examined.

Festival Of The Arts Starts
The Festival of Arts is an annual event where primary and high school kids showcase their many talents. Today was day one of this year's festival and the kids took to the stage at Birds Isle with a great deal of excitement. We stopped by to find out more about the festival and what this year has to offer. Darlene Lozano, Education Officer: "The festival of art highlights the expressive arts program in schools. This year we are doing it over three days. The 15th, 16th, and 17th. The 15th and 16th are for primary schools and the 17th is for secondary schools." "We have performances in drama, music, and dance. This morning we had 22 items from six different primary schools."

Come To Cacao Fest
This weekend Belizeans and tourists have the chance to visit chocolate heaven at the tenth annual Cacao fest in Punta Gorda. The fest is an eagerly anticipated event because of the rich diversity of chocolate and cultural offerings. We found out more about what the weekend has to offer from one of the event organizers Dennis Garbutt - who we spoke to via phone. If you would like to buy tickets for the event you can do so at the BTIA office in PG.

Channel 5

Belmopan Mayor's Rude Awakening: House "Shot Up" in the Dead of Night
Belmopan's Mayor Khalid Belisle was awoken on Monday night to the sound of gun blasts. Located on Cohune Walk in the capital, there were at least four bullet holes on [...]

Mayor Beefs Up Security; Police Not On Call
Monday night's shooting in Cohune Walk happened less than a hundred feet away from a police booth at the entrance of the community.� That checkpoint, according to Mayor Belisle, has [...]

2 Seek Bail on 4-Year-Old Murder Charge
There has been a recent trend of accused murderers seeking bail while on remand for their charges. It is a symptom of the heavy backlog in cases at the Supreme [...]

CitCo Says No to Rehiring Fired Employees
The Belize City Council says it is not interested in taking back any of the six employees fired a week ago. A meeting took place today with the executive of [...]

Gov't Warns of Oil Situation; Regular and Diesel Hiked
Barely two weeks after the last change, there are further changes to report tonight in relation to fuel prices, which take effect at midnight on Wednesday. Premium gasoline moves down [...]

Will C.E.O.'s Blunder Lead to New Election in San Pedro Town?
It was one of those rare court cases that didn't wrap up when the courts normally close at five o'clock. But that's not even the most unusual thing about the [...]

Separate Gun, Drug Busts on the Island
At around midday today, San Pedro police conducted a search at the residence of thirty-seven-year-old Brionne Deston Swift, a fisherman of the DFC area.� The joint operation led to the [...]

City Man Fined for Drug Sale to Undercover Cop
A Belize City man was caught red-handed supplying drugs to an undercover police officer and took the rap for it today. Emmerson Neal of Aloe Vera Street admitted a charge [...]

"Danny" Mason et al Face Kidnapping Trial
An apparently shocked William "Danny" Mason was told this morning he would face yet another Supreme Court trial. �Back in February of 2017, Mason and his co-accused were similarly committed [...]

2 Charged in Aggravated Assault of Friend
Two men are charged in connection with the aggravated assault by firearm of twenty-one-year-old Joshua Augustine on May fifth, 2018. �Eighteen-year-old Phozhaun Lewis was charged last week and today it [...]

Said Musa Speaks Up for Palestinian People
Former Prime Minister Said Musa, in a statement, has called on the Government of Belize to join in condemnation of Israel for using excessive and deadly force to respond to [...]

San Pedranos Meet on Cayo Rosario Development
San Pedranos are up in arms about a proposed development within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.� A small caye called Cayo Rosario was sold off to a private developer and [...]

69 Murders for 2018; What's Driving Killings?
There have been an alarming number of homicides countrywide for the first five months of this year and counting. More than sixty-five are recorded which means that so far, there [...]

Fisherman's Body Found Off Harvest Caye
A postmortem examination is pending following further investigation into a body found on Monday morning off the Placencia peninsula. Reports are that the remains of a man, who has since [...]

Checking on the Fish You Eat
Over the past few months, the Wildlife Conservation (WCS) has been rolling out a mobile app used to determine local fish consumption. The app, which is compatible with android phones, [...]

Tests to Determine What's Killing Fish in O.W., Ambergris
One week ago, we reported on the apparent pollution of the New River in the area of Orange Walk Town as well as villages to the north and east, including [...]

Nazarene Kids Tell Truth on Teen Issues at Expo
The school year is fast winding down and while most students are already looking forward to summer camp, visits abroad or just generally hanging out, there's still lots to learn. [...]

Belize District Festival of Arts Underway
Day one of the 2018 Festival of Arts for the Belize District got underway at the Bird's Isle in Belize City. Over one hundred items from twenty-five primary schools and [...]

LOVE FM

Chief Justice reserves decision for first ever Election Petition
Yesterday Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin heard a case challenging the outcome of the March 7 elections in San Pedro Town. The People's United Party is challenging the elections results of San Pedro Town because they believe that there were enough discrepancies that affected the results. The UDP's Mayor Daniel Guerrero and his council defeated the �

Belmopan Mayor targeted; police search for motive
Is Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle being targeted? This is what Belmopan Police are investigating after someone fired several shots at the Mayor's home in that municipality. It happened around ten thirty last night, and while the Mayor heard what he described as four loud bangs, he did not realize his house had been shot at �

Education Minister says Proposal 22 has already been discussed
A meeting between Minister of Education Patrick Faber and the Belize National Teacher's Union (BNTU) is pending. The meeting was requested by the BNTU and last week Minister Faber confirmed that he would grant the union the meeting. The BNTU requested the meeting to discuss matters concerning the collective bargaining agreement, which it says has �

Fire-fighters respond to three fires over the weekend
Fire fighters were kept busy this past weekend with three structural fires. Three houses, two in Ladyville and one in the Eight Miles Community, caught fire. The first happened on Friday. Fire fighters were called out to Manta Ray Boulevard in Ladyville Village where they saw a fire consuming a wooden house. Station Manager at �

CDB and GOB partner up for capacity building programme
The second phase of a capacity building programme was launched yesterday by the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank. The programme aims to further strengthen the human resource capacity and competence of public officers at the technical, middle and senior management levels in the areas of Public Policy Analysis and Management and Project Cycle Management. �

Concern lingers at Belmopan City Hall following shooting
As mentioned earlier, the police are still working identifying a suspect and a motive for the shooting. Meanwhile, those close to the Mayor are left wondering why this has happened. His colleague Ralston Frazer, the City Administrator, says he does not have any idea why Mayor Belisle would be targeted. He added that while no �

UNDP's Belize River Watershed Project
Today, the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) launched the project preparation phase of a multi-sectoral project at the Radisson Fort George Hotel. Love News was there and spoke with Diane Wade-Moore, Programme Analysis at UNDP, who said the project addresses bio-diversity management, sustainable land management, integrated water resource management and forest management within the Belize �

Anglican Diocese to celebrate 50th Diocesan Synod
The Anglican Diocese will be celebrating its fiftieth Diocesan Synod under the theme "Intentional Discipleship -It is What We Are About". Love News spoke with Bishop Philip Wright of the Anglican Diocese of Belize about the event. Bishop Wright went on to speak about some initiatives which have been birthed from past Diocesan Synods. Bishop �

Churches joins Belmopan Police Formation in recognizing outstanding police officers
Police officers at the Belmopan Police Formation were recognized for their outstanding work today. The formation leaders also recognized women police officers who are mothers in celebration of Mother's Day. The event was held at the My Refuge Christian Ministries which, in collaboration of Word at Work, sponsored a luncheon for officers awarded. Director of �

Belmopan Mayor maintains trust in his community
The incident has shaken the residents in the Cohune Walk Area, an area in Belmopan that is not known for crime and violence. Mayor Belisle says that, in fact, crimes are usually isolated around the city. He adds that despite the severity of the incident, he continues to trust his community and believes that Belmopan �

SSB threatens legal action against Belize City Council over monies owed
The Social Security Board is threatening to take legal action against the Belize City Council for unpaid Social Security deductions. A letter, dated May 15, sent to the council, reminds the council of an outstanding balance of m �

School managements will not dock teachers' salaries
The Belize Association of General Managers for Pre and Primary Schools says that it will not dock its teachers' salaries. The decision was relayed via a press statement issued yesterday. The association disputes statements made by BNTU's President Senator Elena Smith last week �

JP's have until the end of July to verify their status
The Attorney General's Office is giving all Justices of the Peace until the end of July to verify their JP status. According to the Ministry, the exercise is being carried out in preparation for the upcoming re-registration process by the Elections and Boundaries Department �

Pain at the Pump
Fuel prices will go up once again. According to the Ministry of Finance, the new prices will come into effect at midnight. The new price of premium will be eleven dollars and thirty-six cents, a decrease of three cents, regular gasoline went up by ten cents with the new price being eleven dollars and fourteen cents �

Amandala

In court, irregularities in San Pedro elections exposed
The March 7 national municipal elections have come and gone, and all the elected municipal bodies are functioning, except for the United Democratic Party (UDP) Town Council in San Pedro, which is facing a legal challenge in an election petition about its legitimacy. In the election, the UDP mayoral candidate Daniel Guerrero won with 2,667 votes while the PUP mayoral candidate Abner Perez received 2,629 votes. This morning, a group of PUP supporters from San Pedro gathered in Battlefield Park, in front of the Supreme Court buildings on Regent Street, clutching their signs of protest as their party's election petition got underway in the biggest courtroom in the country, which was packed to capacity, with standing room only.

San Pedro businessman, Lamont Lipka, 49, murdered
Lamont Lipka, 49, an American businessman and owner of Tropicana Restaurant, died after he was shot multiple times by a gunman in his restaurant. Information to us is that Lipka was standing behind the counter of his restaurant at about 9:30 last night, near the cash register, with his back turned towards the side door. An unknown gunman entered through the side door and fired multiple shots, five of which struck Lipka. The killer then ran out, behind the restaurant and onto Coconut Drive, and escaped.

Richard Hyde, 36, arraigned for the murder of Miguel Monje, 23
Miguel Monje, 23, a bartender and a father of two children, lost his life after being stabbed in his armpit by a chain snatcher. Information to us is that the incident occurred as the Caba�a Night Club was about to close at about 3:00 Friday morning. The patrons in the club were already going outside, when one of the men snatched a chain from the neck of a woman. The woman began shouting for help and Monje and his friend, Dennis Monterrosa, intervened. They saw the thief, who was running away, and they pursued him and caught him on Sultana Street, not far from the club.

6-year-old escaped death in "dalla-van"
Lamar Orellana, 6, was almost killed when a 16-year-old minor fired at a rival gang member on Central American Boulevard, who was running away from him. The minor fired about 10 shots at the rival gang member, one of which hit the rear window of a "dalla-van" that had stopped in front of Gadgets store, at the corner of Vernon Street and Central American Boulevard. Orellana and his mother were in the back seat of the van, which was headed towards Cemetery Road at about 9:30 Saturday morning.

House destroyed by fire due to old, malfunctioning fire-fighting equipment
At around 7:37 a.m., the Fire Department was alerted to a fire at 7007 Iguana Street. Upon arrival at the scene of the fire, they discovered that the upper flat of a two-storey wooden structure was engulfed in flames. According to Benisford Matura, Deputy Fire Chief, the firefighters immediately began to extinguish the fire using one of the two units that they had brought. After they had gotten the fire under control, they decided to use the other unit. However, Matura said, they began having mechanical difficulties with the second unit.

Sunshine's claim has no merit, finds Justice Courtenay Abel
The Government of Belize has been litigating with the Ashcroft alliance since 2009, when it passed a legislation to re-acquire Belize Telemedia Limited in a second nationalization that saw six years of legal wrangling, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. This lasted until September 2015, when Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that he was leaving the country for "medical reasons" and returned with his now controversial BTL Settlement Deed. However, the BTL Settlement Deed was not the last move. Prime Minister Barrow's law partner, attorney Rodwell Williams, SC, brought a claim from Sunshine Holdings Limited, a government-controlled company, against Dean Boyce and the BTL Employees Trust. The claim involves 114 million dollars that was paid out of the BTL Settlement Deed.

Verdes vs BDF re-play on Wednesday at Norman Broaster
As we were about to go to press last Thursday night, word was received that the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) Appeals Board had ruled in favor of BDF FC, overturning the previous decision of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) Disciplinary Committee which had turned down their protest of the April 29 semifinal game 2 against Verdes FC, that Verdes had won, 3-nil. BDF had protested the game on the grounds that the referee failed to allow a re-take of their scored penalty kick, after he had ruled an infringement by a BDF player. The Disciplinary Committee hearing had been followed by sanctions for both the referee and linesman involved in the incident; but it had also ruled that the game result stands...

Mr. T. Birthday Race this Sunday in 'Griga
In conjunction with the Third Annual Dangriga Day this weekend, the Dangriga Amateur Cycling Association, in collaboration with the Dangriga Town Council, will be hosting the 8th Annual Mr. T. Birthday Classic this Sunday, May 20, starting at 10:00 a.m. This race is an Open race for Juniors and amateur riders from across the country - NO ELITES. The race will start (and finish) from in front of the Dangriga Police Station on Commerce Street, and head on to the Southern Highway, into Hopkins Village, make a U-turn from in front of the Hopkins Police Station, and head back to the finish.

National Women's League Week 5 scores; 1 more week to playoffs
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) National Amateur Women's League (NAWL) 2018 completed Week 5 of its Group Phase over the weekend. A�fter Week 6, the top 2 teams from each group will go on to the home-and-away semifinals. In the only NAWL game on Saturday, undefeated Jewel Fury of Belmopan had to come from behind to secure a 2-2 draw with visiting Toledo Rumberas at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium. After a scoreless first half, Ashley Rodriguez struck twice (64' & 67') to give Rumberas the 2-nil lead; but Suswani Martinez came up with 2 big goals (77' & 90+') to equalize for Jewel Fury, who maintain their lead in the standings.

C-Ray High School Cycling Week 2 results and standings
Here are the results from Day Two (Thursday, May 10) of the C-Ray Cycling Club High School Cycling Series 2018, as well as the overall standings. (Legend: Wesley College - WES; Maude Williams High - MWH; St. Catherine Academy - SCA; Sadie Vernon Technical - SVT; Gwen Lizarraga High - GLH; St. John's College - SJC; Excelsior High - EXH; Canaan Seventh Day Adventist - CSDA; Edward P. Yorke High - EPY; Institute of Technical Vocational Education & Training - ITVET)

From here to April 10, 2019
We listened to an interesting conversation last Friday morning on PLUS TV between a Belizean lady Ph.D. who is an intense proponent of our going to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for arbitration on the Guatemalan claim, and the host of the show, Pastor Louis Wade, who is also highly educated but is a strong opponent of ICJ arbitration. Pastor Wade is a man with some strange beliefs. For example, he believes that the abandoned planes being found in Belize are directly related to Belize's decriminalization of 10 grams of marijuana where individual possession is concerned. But, Pastor Wade is a pleasant man whom we have never heard lose his temper. The lady Ph.D. is an impatient individual who can't see why any Belizean would not want to go to the ICJ "to get the Guatemalan monkey off our backs." She is 100 percent positive that the ICJ will rule in Belize's favor. Pastor Wade's position is that Belize is simply risking too much - half of our territory - in the hope of a favorable ruling.

From The Publisher
Kremandala reached a peak of power twenty five years ago when the Kremandala Raiders became champions of semi-pro basketball in Belize. I think that some very big people at that point decided that we were getting too big for our britches on Partridge Street. The Raiders represented a supreme management and business effort on Kremandala's part. It was an investment in youth, and in basketball as an urban entertainment industry which, in my opinion, could not possibly fail. On the eve of my birthday two weeks ago, I dreamed of a "little man," a proud black man by the name of Richmond Fitzgibbon, from Victoria Street. I saw him very clearly in my dream, and after I woke I thought of a tall man they called Farouk, who used to work at the old slaughterhouse. I thought of Farouk along with Mr. Fitzgibbon, because to me these two represented black Belizeans who had believed in me in the early days almost a half century ago.

Burgos must rent upstairs apartments
Immediately I heard that the Belize City Council was going to address the silting eyesore at Yaabra Bridge, I thought they were being presented with an opportunity. I thought that while it was silted (and we were in dry weather), was the most cost effective time for them to put in a gate. Before I go on, let me say this. I will never offer an opinion to an engineer about the design of a bridge over a river. But I will question an engineer about the siting of the bridge. I will never offer an opinion about the construction of a two-storey, and up, building. But I will respect my two cents about where they are putting it. It is incredible that they cemented the sides of the main canals, East/West and Collet Canal, in Belize City (BC). I believe the bottoms of the canals were cemented too. When we buy materials our country doesn't make, for examples cement and steel, we absolutely have to put them to best use. It wasn't necessary in the canals.

MUSLIMS CELEBRATE RAMADAN
Muslims will begin the one-month fast of Ramadan this year on Wednesday, May 16, 2018. The twenty-nine or thirty days of fasting is one of the central tenets of the religion of Islam, which is adhered to by over two billion people worldwide. The end of this years' fast is expected to be on June 14 or 15, 2018. Ramadan is the ninth of 12 lunar months observed in Islam. It is a time of fasting and worship prescribed by Almighty God in the final revelation to Prophet Muhammad, (peace be upon him), known as the Holy Qur'an. In it God says: "O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that you may attain God-consciousness."

BELIZEAN STANISLAUS
To make reform an achievable goal, those who have political power should be the prime agents of change or at least not be obstructionists. Without their approval reformers could find themselves leading a not so peaceful revolution, which may God spare us from, often results in the most barbaric expressions of human nature. Therefore, it will be most salutary if those with power allow themselves to be disciplined to accept useful and necessary curtailment of it. What we need, really, is peaceful, constructive change. Those who support the status quo may object asking: what is wrong? Everything is going fine! Look at the improvements in infrastructure! Let's leave good enough alone!

Three weed busts over the weekend
Three drug busts reportedly occurred over the weekend. The first occurred in the Orange Walk District, on Friday at around 5 p.m., when police conducted a search on Asuncion Street in an abandoned lot. This search resulted in the discovery of 21 live 9mm rounds of ammunition and 451 grams of cannabis. Since there was no one found in the area, the ammunition and drugs were labeled as found property. The second drug bust occurred in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro Town during a joint operation that was conducted on May 11 at around 4 a.m. During the operation, police searched an abandoned lot, where they discovered 79.5 grams of a hydro-type of cannabis, as well as four 9mm live rounds consisting of three GFL Luger brand ammo, and one Anguilla brand of ammunition.

Aquatic life found dead in Ambergris Caye, New River, and the Belize River
On May 8, Ambergris Today reported that dead fish had washed ashore near Sandy Toes Beach Bar and Grill on the island. Among the dead fish were sardines, needlenose fishes, and puffer fishes. Naturally, the residents of the island were concerned about this unusual occurrence, and wondered what could have been causing it. There was no obvious answer, but there was much speculation about possible causes, including a strong rip current, a low tide leaving the fish stranded out of the water, and Sargasso toxins poisoning the fishes.

Guatemalans jumpy at the Adjacency Zone over Belize construction work
Guatemalans got jumpy at the Adjacency Zone between Belize and Melchor on Sunday, when Belize Defence Force light engineers moved to clear the area of Guatemalan taxis so that they could discharge construction materials for a perimeter fence that Belizean authorities are planning to build to ease the flow of traffic and to make traversing the area more convenient, according to a news report aired on News5 earlier this evening. The CEO for the Ministry of National Security, Felix Enriquez, told News5 that for some time now there has been a general police presence in place to improve the way that things are managed at the border.

Sandhill fisherman charged with attempted murder
Jude Moody, 28, a fisherman of Mile 19, Philip Goldson Highway, Sandhill, was arraigned on three indictable offences when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. The charges were attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm for a chopping incident that occurred around 11 p.m. on May 11 in Sandhill. The complainant, Ivan Hyde, 26, a construction worker of Sandhill, reported to the police that he went in front of the house of a friend and saw some men playing a card game. He said one of the men was Moody, and a misunderstanding ensued between him and Moody.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

House of Belmopan Mayor shot at
Reports to BBN is that around 10:30 on Monday night, the home of Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle was shot [�]

No mercy! Gas going up again at midnight
The Ministry of Finance informed today that with effect from midnight on May 16, there will be adjustments in [�]

Warm weather to continue
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is reporting that mostly sunny skies and warm weather will [�]

Police issue report on man found floating in sea
Yesterday around 10:30 a.m., police visited Harvest Caye where a man's body was found floating in [�]

Health Ministry receives US $170,000 from Taiwan
Yesterday, an award ceremony was held by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) [�]

Registry clerks busted forging documents
Last week, two clerks from the Belize City Registry Department were busted for forging two certificates. [�]

Minor charged for weekend shooting incident
Over the weekend, BBN reported of a shooting incident that resulted in the injury of a [�]

Gas, electricity and now cable prices hiked
Cable providers are now issuing public notices to their customers informing of a coming increase in [�]

Belize City Council says senior citizens' tax discount remains uninterrupted
After the Belize City Council announced that it would be ending the 25 % discount on [�]

Benque Viejo police seize 22 pounds of weed
Benque Viejo police seized over 22 pounds of marijuana yesterday from a bus parked at the [�]

International Sourcesizz

Belize principal pledges to return to Penn Relays
After creating history by becoming the first country in Central and South America to compete in the illustrious Penn Relays in more than 80 years, the principal of the Belize high school that participated in last month's relays carnival has pledged to be back. "We will definitely be back at the Penn Relays," vowed Dr. Jeremy "Jackie" Cayetano, of the Stann Creek Ecumenical High School, in an exclusive Caribbean Life interview over the weekend. "Mr. Cordice has indicated that he will continue to support our team," added Dr. Cayetano, referring to James Cordice, the Vincentian-born, Philadelphia-based architect behind Belize and St. Vincent and the Grenadines' participation in the oldest and largest collegiate athletic meet in the United States.

Capacity building programmes launched by Government of Belize and Caribbean Development Bank
The government of Belize (GOB) entered in a collaboration with the Caribbean Development Bank to launch a series of capacity building programmes in Belmopan. The aim of the programme will be to strengthen public capacity and enhance the competence of public officers at different levels. Public Capital Investment Programmes as well as Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy launched by GOB, will get a fillip by the recent collaboration. Yvonne Hyde, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Economic Development and Petroleum said that the training imparted will serve to increase the ownership of the project cycle by concerned stakeholders.

Videos

  • Belize Shark Dive: National Assoc. of Black Scuba Divers, 4.5min.

  • Impressions of Belize from Jennifer Rakoswski| President of at Way To Go Tours!, 2min.

  • Open Your Eyes Mothers Day Special 2018, 2hr.

  • Public Meeting: Citizens against proposed tourism development at Cayo Rosario!, 80min.

  • Cayo Rosario Public Meeting, 75min.

  • How to climb a coconut tree (with a machete in your hand), 1.5min.

  • 4 RIFLES Training the BDF JNCOs in Belize, 1min. Specialised Infantry from 4 RIFLES are tasked to Train, Mentor and Accompany troops in the counties they operate in. Here we see a Team from B Company 4 RIFLES assiting in the training of the next batch of Non-Commissioned Officers in the Belizean Defence Force.

  • Belize, diving into the great blue hole, 5min.

  • Allie Ayers Gets Flirty In This Revealing Belize Paradise | Intimates | Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, 2min.

  • Iyonna Fairbanks Invites You To Unwind With Her In Belize | Uncovered | Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, 1.5min.

  • Amazing Belize, 3min. Some of the breathtaking scenes from our dive trip to Long Caye, Lighthouse Reef, Belize (April 2018)

  • Backpacking Belize - Punta Gorda - INCREDIBLE Cotton Tree Lodge, 6min. Sabrina and leave Placencia and head to Punta Gorda in southern Belize. We take a water taxi and chicken bus to get there. Once in Punta Gorda we head slightly north to an incredible organic farm - Cotton Tree Lodge.

  • Belize District Festival of Arts 2018 Day 1 Afternoon Session Bird's Isle Belize City, 73min.

  • Police Check Point May 15, 60min.

  • The Way of the Maya Masewal Part 1, 2min. Nojoch Mak Faustino Yam a Yucatec Maya from Cristo Rey (Corozal) showing his little milpa . This Mayero have been working hard in the preservation of our Maya identity in Northern Belize . He is part of To'one Masehualoon and also the Northern Maya Association of Belize .

  • The Way of the Maya Masewal Part 2, 1.5min.