Prime Minister Dean Barrow remains uncommitted to reviewing the contract the Government of Belize has with Belize Natural Energy, and he told our newspaper today that he also won’t commission a special investigation into the distribution of the over $600 million garnered from the sale of Belize crude.

Last week Thursday, January 28, a jury of six men and three women deliberated for a bit over two hours before returning with a guilty verdict in the manslaughter trial of Shian White, 23, who had been indicted for causing the death of her infant child on May 13, 2008.

Well-known businessman Rudolph “Sir Andie” Anderson, 72, a Justice of the Peace since 1980 and Commissioner of the Supreme Court since 1990, stopped by Amandala this morning to complain about the Hattieville police.

Amid advances in infrastructure and education, Belize’s hands tied by international recession, unfair oil deal with BNE... This weekend, the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) completes two full years since a comprehensive general elections victory in 2008, in which it swept the opposition People’s United Party (PUP) from office after ten years of being in government.

Gunman and his accomplice took nothing from the store... Police continue to investigate the vicious killing of a prominent businessman Thursday night in Orange Walk Town, the second homicide there in two weeks.

On Tuesday, 2nd February 2010 the Amandala Newspaper referred to what had been written in The Belize Times that Sunday. The Times claimed that Miss Deanne Barrow of the law firm of Lois Young Barrow & Co. billed the Government of Belize $2 million dollars for the M/V Westerhaven court case.

No money no deh, Prime Minister Dean Barrow told Amandala, in response to the unions’ demand for a salary adjustment... There will be no money in the new budget (2010-2011) to finance the cost of living adjustments for teachers and public servants, according to Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dean Barrow.

I have not been the editor of Amandala since 1992. Yes, I have a lot of say at Amandala, but I am not the editor. This means that some material is published in the newspaper which I don’t know about until I read it on Friday morning (or Tuesday morning, for that matter), just like yourselves.

On behalf of SATIIM and the communities we have the privilege of working with, I extend warm greetings to you for the New Year. I apologize for taking up your valuable time but I must, once again, bring your attention to a salient matter.

When you read this on Tuesday morning, February 9, 2010, it will be exactly 41 years since UBAD, the parent movement for the Kremandala experience, was founded in Belize, at a farm 26 miles on the Northern Highway actually. UBAD lasted for four full years, then a year and a half more in a divided form, until it was dissolved in November of 1974.

Jasmine Armstrong accounted for 63% of Sacred Heart College’s offensive output, as her team prevailed over Floyd Haylock Ballaz by the final score of 22-13 in the third and decisive game of the best of three final played last Friday night in San Ignacio Town. Jasmine, who played MVP caliber ball throughout the regular season, did not disappoint in the playoffs, particularly in this game, as she totaled a game high 14 pts. She was followed by Beatrice Alfaro 4 pts, while Shamera Perez and Ivorie Clark scored 4 pts each for Floyd Haylock Ballaz.

Excerpts of an interview with Peter “Chuku” Young.... We tried to get from Chuku how it is that he came to be the accountant for the legendary Bob Marley. (See article in our edition for Wednesday, February 3, titled “Chuku Young visits”.)

Customers owed $35 million, said PUC chairman... The legal disputes between the country’s major distributor of power, the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), charged with regulating the sector, took a new turn this week, when BEL was summoned to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to answer for not filing a tariff application required in law.

Amandala has confirmed that CHx Belize LP and its partner, West Bay Belize Limited, are challenging the Government of Belize over a recent decision not to renew the concession granted to them for petroleum exploration in the Orange Walk District.