General
PWLB officially launched
Albert Vaughan, new City Administrator
Belize launches Garifuna Language in Schools Program
NATS Committee announces Farmers of the Year 2024
James Swan, 23, kidnapped and beaten for cocaine
Police have arrested one man and are tonight looking for two other men, whose identity they know but whose names they have not released, in connection with a kidnapping report made by a resident of San Pedro.
Late today in the San Pedro Magistrate?s Court in front of Magistrate Eric Fairweather, Elbert Swift, the captain of the boat, Delila, was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and wounding.
Laurencio Smith, 50, wants payment for the loss of his eye!
Court ordered payment of $15,000, but only $800 paid
A Biscayne father of 4, Laurencio Smith, Sr., 50, an ex-police officer who was shot in the left eye in September of 2003 by the son of his neighbor, and who has since lost sight in that eye, visited Amandala on Wednesday morning to inform us that he has still not been compensated fully for the injuries he suffered.
Smith was shot once in the eye almost two years ago, after a 7-month-old misunderstanding between two Biscayne families, neighbors.
PSU lambastes Zetina and the Police
The Director of Immigration, Mr. Jose Zetina, has made statements to the media to the effect that 90% of staff at the Immigration Department are corrupt. He has also stated his belief that the stolen passports were an orchestrated attempt by staff members to embarrass and depose him from his position as Director of the Department.
The Public Service Union finds these statements by a Head of Department utterly baseless, irresponsible and indicative of an administrator who has lost control of his department and who has now resorted to rule by intimidation, fear and paranoia.
Gaspar gets guillotined ? millions missing!!
Gaspar Aguilar, former CEO of the Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL), was thrown out of office by the Government of Belize and Michael Ashcroft after 25 years with the company. This Tuesday, Aguilar was terminated, according to a company bulletin, ?for good and sufficient reason.?
BTL?s chairman, former Central Bank governor, Keith Arnold, confirmed Aguilar?s termination today. He declined to elaborate on the reasons for his termination, saying that it was a private matter between Aguilar and BTL, which is run by a coalition board comprised of the GOB and Ashcroft representatives.
Belize and Guatemala ? ?once more unto the breech?
Belize and Guatemala have signed an agreement on Framework of Negotiations and Confidence Building Measures, according to Chief Negotiator for Belize, HE Assad Shoman, and representative of the United Democratic Party, Diane Haylock, in a press briefing held today.
Yesterday, Wednesday, the agreement was signed by Shoman and HE Jorge Briz Abularach, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, and Secretary General of the OAS, Jose Miguel Insulza, during a ceremony that was held at the headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in Washington, D.C.
BELIZE AND GUATEMALA SIGN AGREEMENT ON NEGOTIATION FRAMEWORK AND CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES
An Agreement on a Framework of Negotiation and Confidence Building Measures between Belize and Guatemala was signed by those governments today, seeking to maintain and deepen their friendly bilateral relationship until the territorial differendum is permanently resolved.
Ambassador Assad Shoman, Chief Negotiator with Guatemala and Senior Ambassador with Ministerial Rank, signed on behalf of the government of Belize, along with Guatemala?s Foreign Minister Jorge Briz and Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General Jos? Miguel Insulza.
ICC goes back to Miami court after GOB cancels Special Share
to the Government of Belize?s move to cancel the right to appoint two Special Share directors, Jeffrey Prosser of Innovative Communication Corporation has gone back to the United States District Court in Miami court, asking for it to reconsider its ruling granted in favor of Belize in mid-August and to possibly grant a new trial.
ICC filed a Memorandum of Law in Miami on Wednesday, August 31, 2005, noting that even though it has filed the memorandum, it is not waiving its right to appeal the decision Judge Ursula Ungaro handed down in favor of GOB on August 16.
Landy Burns of L&S alleges political victimization inside the Corozal Free Zone
Today Orlando Burns, proprietor and manager of L&S Hardware and Home Center located in the Corozal Free Zone, spoke with Amandala. He alleged that there was political victimization inside the zone, which is under the rule of PUP Southeast area representative, Florencio Marin, Sr., the chairman of the zone, and his son, Florencio Marin, Jr., who is in charge of security.
Burns, who has been operating his business inside the free zone for a period of 6 years, said that on Thursday, August 25, around 4:00 p.m., he had gone to check on his business. His vehicle had on political stickers with the picture of UDP Orange Walk North candidate, Gaspar Vega.
The deadly Katrina ? worst natural disaster to hit the US in a century!
Chaos has erupted almost four days after the Hurricane Katrina?deemed to be the deadliest and costliest natural disaster to strike the United States in a century?slammed into the Louisiana area, inundating the vast majority of the City of New Orleans in water up to 20 feet deep, in some places.
Amid rescue efforts today, New Orleans mayor, Ray Nagin, declared martial law and ordered rescuers to suspend rescue missions to return the city to law and order after looting and gunfire caused the city to descend into chaos.
When rats ?mind? cheese!
Police say that the crime scene was tampered with and evidence destroyed in the break-in and robbery of 200 blank machine-readable passports from the Immigration Department office in Belmopan.
Today the board of the Immigration Department in Belmopan City, Cayo District, is having a meeting to discuss the apparent robbery at the department, which took place sometime between Friday, August 26, after the 5:00 p.m. closing hours, and Monday, August 29, before the 8:00 a.m. opening hours.
18-year-old lover stabs her 73-year-old man?s 20-year- old daughter!
Late this evening police charged Lisa Loriano, 18, with the attempted murder of Precilla Hope, 20, her stepdaughter, who was the victim of a stabbing incident that occurred last night, Wednesday, August 31, on Racoon Street, as a result of an argument over the victim?s 73- year-old father.
Loriano was additionally charged by police with two other charges - grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm. She is expected to be arraigned tomorrow in the Belize Magistrate?s Court on these charges, said Police Liaison Officer, G. Michael Reid, late this evening.
ICC?s threatens to take GOB to court after second ouster
Jeffrey Prosser?s Innovative Communication Corporation (ICC) has issued a statement to the Belize media, challenging the Government of Belize?s move on Friday to cancel the Special Share that had given ICC two seats on the board of the Belize Telecommunications Limited.
Carnival on the Tenth ? big dispute!
This morning at 10:00 the St. George?s Caye Day Committee held a press conference to voice its displeasure with the idea of carnival being held on the Tenth of September, usually reserved for the Queen of The Bay and Patriotic Parade to commemorate the Battle of St. George?s Caye.
The Committee charged that the people working against them are not true patriots, because the carnival does not show any respect for the Tenth and, moreover, it does not add anything to the day.
WPC, 21, and Superintendent?s wife, 37, fight on North Front Street
This morning in the Belize Magistrate?s Court, police charged one of their own, Woman Police Constable Alice Francis Gillett, 21, of #3543 Fabers Road, along with Esperanza Leal, a teller and the wife of Superintendent Leal, Director of Belmopan Training School, with ?wounding? each other.
The charges were filed as a result of an altercation between the two women which occurred on Wednesday, August 23, at about 10:50 p.m. in front of the Belize City Council building on North Front Street.
