A couple hundred football fans turned out yesterday afternoon at the MCC Grounds in Belize City to witness the clash of City rivals, Belize Defence Force and F.C. Belize, but most were probably disappointed, and it had nothing to do with the failure of both teams to score. What marred the game was the fact that, despite the presence of many good players on both teams, it was more about “playing man” than ball for much of the afternoon. A number of yellow cards were shown by referee Wellington “Spooners” Hall; but some red cards would have been in order.
“I don’t believe the company will remain a going concern,” says Supervisor of Insurance.... Supervisor of Insurance, Alma Gomez, told Amandala today that negotiations are currently underway with insurance companies in Belize, to see what could be done to preserve the over 10,800 health and life insurance policies held by Colonial Life Insurance Company (CLICO) in Belize.
3 Belize influenza patients “under investigation”; NATS 2009 still on, preventative measures in place, but “business as usual” in Free Zone... At press time tonight, some 152 persons are suspected to have died in connection with the epidemic of swine influenza type A (H1N1) in Belize’s northern neighbour, Mexico. Almost 2,000 cases of suspected swine flu have been reported and treated, according to a release of a speech by Mexican Health Minister, Dr. Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, on Monday afternoon in Mexico City.
Police are investigating a foiled kidnapping attempt made today on the daughter and nieces of Minister of National Security, Hon. Carlos Perdomo. While relatives declined comment to Amandala when we contacted them this evening, our newspaper is reliably informed that there was an attempt at a Northside high school earlier today by a man in a van to kidnap the daughter of Minister Perdomo, reportedly mistaken for her cousin.
Belize celebrates Labor Day on Friday, May 1, but even as the contribution of workers will be celebrated across the Jewel, there are major unresolved labor issues. This week Amandala received a complaint from a worker in Southern Belize, alleging that employers are shortchanging them their holiday benefits. (That story demands further investigation.)
Belizeans are on edge as our neighbour to the north, Mexico, struggles to come to grips with a deadly outbreak of swine influenza that has killed 149 persons there and infected more than 2,000. Worse, the disease has spread north to the United States and Canada, with one case confirmed in Spain and other suspected cases cropping up in the United Kingdom, France, Australia, Israel and New Zealand at press time.
Advisors say retarded growth in children “mainly the result of environmental factors,” and “not influenced by one’s genetic makeup or ethnicity”... It’s been 13 years since the first height census was done in Belize, measuring a total of 22,426 children across 262 primary schools. The target for the census was Standard 1 students, ages 6 to 9. The report of that study, titled, “Closing the Gap: National Height Census of School Children in Belize, 1996”, claims that 15.4% of the children showed growth retardation or were too short for their age.
Extradition hearing to continue... The last Belizean whose extradition has been requested by the United States for allegedly being involved in drug trafficking is Mark Seawell. Seawell has been imprisoned since February 2007, when a request was made by US authorities for his extradition.
Morgan Heritage, with their strong lyrics, positive vibration, and a original style of reggae music is going to be at the Civic Center, on Thursday, April 30th, 2009, for a concert that promises to be one of the best to ever touch Belize’s stage.
A few weeks ago tourists were cautioned about holidaying in Mexico because the drug cartels were fighting for cocaine turf. Today the legal drug called Tamiflu is ten times hotter than their wares.
I am a sixth form student and a resident of Valley of Peace in the Cayo District. My reason for writing is because I am very concerned about the unavailability of water in the village for over a month or more.
Social scientists who study these things will probably tell us that the graffiti, slangs and clothing fashions of a people say a whole lot about the cultural cohesion of their society. It seems logical that things scribbled on walls in the dark of night, sayings and catch phrases that become commonly used, and clothing patterns that become the popular “style and fashion”, all give clues about how people are thinking, what’s on their minds, what is important to them, and how they feel about themselves and about others.
The unwavering determination demonstrated by Marvin Staine back in 2007 in ensuring that his daughter, Doris, was able to fulfill her dream of attending mainstream school despite her challenge with spina bifida was a shining example of the kind of fortitude parents need to ensure that their children’s right to a good education and their right to seek out their educational options is not denied to them.
Alamilla’s Furniture/FCIB, one of the four remaining undefeated teams in Interoffice Basketball, extended their winning streak to three games this past Sunday afternoon, as they handed Home Protector Insurance their first loss of the season, walloping them by the final score of 72-55. Wes Mckenzie led the FCIB charge with 20 pts 8 rebs 1 block and 2 steals, followed by Ryan “Benz” Bennett with 12 pts. The previously undefeated Home Protector, who with the loss now fall to third place in the division, were led by Milton Flores 18 pts 4 rebs and Keith”Dos” Pollard 9 pts 3 rebs. In earlier games, SSB/BNTU won their first game of the season, as they trounced Youth for the Future by the final score of 69-31.
