Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
are conducted in Creole. In the interest of clarity for our foreign readers,
we attempt to paraphrase the Creole quotes in English
We begin tonight with the tragic drowning of a 17-year-old girl. The incident occurred around 1:00 this afternoon when Sue Liu and her father were attacked by bees near mile 7 on the Philip Goldson Highway. In the blink of an eye, Liu had slipped into the Belize River, likely to escape the swarm. But that part of the river is said to be about 20 feet deep and Liu couldn't get back to the surface.
In the hours between the attack and the discovery of her body, several Coast Guard officers and civilians scoured the water looking for her. And when they finally pulled her up, it was a tragedy made real. Courtney Menzies was at the scene and has this story.
This was the heartbreaking moment when 17-year-old Sue Liu's body was pulled from the murky depths of the Belize River. Her brother, upon realizing that his sister was indeed gone, broke down in tears, only to be consoled by the very men who'd spent the last three hours looking for her.
Liu was walking with her father and these three dogs along the highway when they were attacked by a swarm of bees nesting in a tree stump. They both ran a few feet ahead, trying to escape the stings. Passersby were assisting Liu's father, and sometime during the commotion, Liu went into the water and never came back up.
According to her brother, Liu and her father often walk along that same route, coming from their home in Lord's Bank. When her brother got to the scene, all he could do was wait for information.
Brother of Deceased: "The thing is, it just happened, I just came here, I don't know anything but I'm trying to see what is happening."
Reporter: "What can you tell us about what she was doing in this area?"
Brother of Deceased: "I'm not really sure how she came here because she walks with my dad, again I don't know what's happening, my aunt just called me to say she was walking here and this thing happened and I just hurry come here."
Courtney Menzies: "Do you guys live around here?"
Brother of Deceased: "No, we don't live around here."
Courtney Menzies: "So she was walking kind of far?"
Brother of Deceased: "I think so."
Reporter: "Do you know if she can swim?"
Brother of Deceased: "No, she can't swim."
It was around 1 in the afternoon when she jumped in, but it wasn't until closer to 3:30 when her body was finally retrieved. The men who waded through those difficult waters were from 501 Lifeguard. Tevin Conorquie, who first located the body, explained what it was like:
Tevin Conorquie, Lifeguard/Swimming Instructor, 501 Lifeguard "Honestly it was a little bit breathtaking due to the depth of the water. All we could have done was free dive and try to scan the area and see how fast we could have gotten the body out of the water. Due to the darkness of the water, it was intense for us to see but we still pulled through, we had the faith and the courage and we did what we had to do to get it out."
Courtney Menzies: "How long were you guys in there?"
Tevin Conorquie: "Probably about 3 to 4 hours in the water."
Courtney Menzies: "What was that moment like when you first felt something was there?"
Tevin Conorquie: "I felt excited to know at least we could have gotten the body out for the family because I know they feel this. I know it's tragic that their loved one is in the water and passed away due to drowning but thanks to the hope and faith of my team, we managed to get the body out of the water and bring it to the brother. If you noticed, he is the one that felt it the most."
Courtney Menzies: "How difficult was it maneuvering deep dark waters like that?"
Tevin Conorquie: "Very difficult due to the fact that we know there may be crocodiles with us as well. But we have the faith and we have the courage."
And they shared some of that faith with Liu's brother when they circled him and said a prayer. The owner of 501 Lifeguard spoke to us about that moment.
Reporter: "Beyond the search, your team is also consoling the family, what's that about?"
Andrew Gentle, Owner, 501 Lifeguard/Coach Andrew Swim Club "You know with our team it's just love. We always give, we show love but we don't come out a lot but we show our respect to everybody. These guys were working teaching swimming classes and they wanted to leave the class but I told them we have to take three of the teams out, but the whole team is here, all the instructors are here. Thanks to my team, Tevin, and Chaplin."
And it was also emotional for members of the Belize Coast Guard, who were also assisting in the search.
Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis, Commandant, Belize Coast Guard
"We got a call from police, Mr. Marciano, that an unfortunate incident had occurred where a young lady had jumped in the river as a result of being attacked by bees. And so he was asking for the assistance of the Coast Guard to do a dive operations to which we responded."
Rear Admiral Gregory Soberanis: "It's never easy because you're talking about the loss of life. I've been a diver for years, I've recovered personnel, people who have been deceased in water and it's never easy. There were times when I myself shed tears because of the situation. Especially when you're talking about a young person such as the one today, so it's difficult for divers, for our people when you have to retrieve someone like this from the water knowing that their parents or loved ones are right here, sometimes you do become emotional."
Liu's father is currently recovering in the hospital. The family also explained that Liu has an autism diagnosis and was living with just her father.
Authorities have since sprayed the area where the bees were nesting.
The search and rescue team included 8 civilians from 501 Lifeguard.
Tonight, popular opposition continues to take shape against BTL's decision to acquire Speednet. And that extends to the highest reaches of the Briceno administration where there are murmurs of discontent with the deal which will benefit the Prime Minister's family to the tune of 18 million dollars.
And while that percolates in the background, in the public eye most notably we have seen the social partners committing to, quote, "pursue all lawful regulatory, parliamentary, administrative, and legal remedies available, including peaceful demonstrations and, where appropriate, seeking injunctive relief as permitted under the Telecommunications Act and any other relief available at law to ensure public interest drives decision-making." End quote.
That part about "peaceful demonstrations" put us in mind of 2004 and 2005 when that alliance was forged to great and crippling effect against the Musa administration. Jaleeza Roberts went looking in the archive:
We have seen this joint statement from the social partners including the Belize Chamber of Commerce. And while it's not everyday labor and capital find common cause, it's not the first time.
We first saw it back in 2004-2005-days of protest and unrest.
In March of 2005, The National Trade Union Congress and the Belize Chamber of Commerce led respectively by Horace Patten and Arturo Vasquez actually signed an agreement for a joint plan of action to keep the then Musa administration on the straight and narrow when it comes to reform and taxation.
posted (March 17, 2005)
Arturo Vasquez, President, BCCI "Why put it on paper, why sign an agreement? Really it is so we can be clear between both organizations as to what we want to achieve. We do understand there may be differences at time. We may be addressing different issues so the document clearly states that there are times when we may want to be addressing certain issues on our own. We may be going after the same objective but in different angles. Like for example Friday there is a demonstration, the Chamber will not be participating in that as an organization but we will be participating as individual members. As to whether we will be closing businesses in the future, there is a possibility."
Turns out, they did both a shutdown and participate in a massive protest. That shutdown was in January of 2005:
And Businesses Agree to 2-Day Shutdown
posted (January 19, 2005)
Arturo Vasquez, President, BCCI "The recommendation was a one day shutdown. Interestingly as we presented this to the membership, nobody was satisfied with just one day, the majority was shouting for 2 or more. But I don't feel we need to get too irresponsible at this point. I think we need to address it little by little. So the resolution, to answer your question, is it's a two day shutdown for Thursday and Friday."
Joining the Chamber chorus, the Belize Business Bureau today called for a 3-day shutdown of businesses.
And the members of the Chamber and the Belize Business Bureau marched with the unions in August of 2004 even if they could not get a blanket endorsement from their divided membership:
posted (August 26, 2004)
Arturo Vasquez, President, Chamber of Commerce "We will be appealing to our membership to go out as individuals but the Chamber will not be out there behind a banner of the Chamber. But I think the demonstration will show that people are dissatisfied."
Dr. Cardo Martinez, President, Belize Business Bureau "We support the objective of the parade which is to allow the citizenry a space to protest. But as a Board we cannot mandate our memberships to go out here and parade."
That demonstration turned out to be one of the largest protests we have ever seen when thousands walked through the streets with a strong and militant message against the Musa administration:
Jeremy Spooner: "If I didn't come out here I would have felt bad on Monday. This is something I have to do. This is not personal, this is something I felt I had to do."
Lois Young, Senior Counsel: "There is a first step and this is the first step to show the government that this has to stop. You see the banner? Enough."
Rev. David Goff, Methodist Church: "Well I am hoping to send a clear message to the authorities, to the powers that be, that the people are concerned and the people have perhaps reached the stage of being past concerned and in many instances people are fed up and want to see positive actions in terms of how we handle ourselves and how we manage our resources in this nation."
Protester #1: "I am out here for my money. It's time and overtime for people in Belize to standup and say what they believe. This is not about party politics, this is about how much we are paying every month and we don't know where it is."
Snakeman: "Well I think the PUP really gone too far; at least some ministers in the government gone too far messing with our Social Security money and the only people who suffer are the poor people."
Adele Ramos, Amandala Assistant Editor: "Just like everybody else I am concerned about the public funds. I know that people are trying to paint this as a political thing but it is not a political thing and I have joined in solidarity with the Belizean people."
That was 2004, and now 22 years later all eyes turn to Belmopan on Tuesday where Cabinet will meet-and, reports suggest, protesters plan to be outside that meeting.
Tonight, the Santander Sugar Group is responding to growing questions surrounding the fish kill in the Belize River Valley. In a statement, the company says its operations do not routinely discharge process water into the Belize River and that its canals are not connected to Labouring Creek.
Santander says it has been cooperating with the Department of the Environment and other government agencies investigating the incident. The company said it, quote, "immediately granted unrestricted access to our facilities and operations" and remains available to provide information or assistance to investigators.
On the issue of wastewater, the company says its processing facility operates as a "closed-loop system." Quote, "Unlike conventional discharge systems, the factory does not operate with a continuous process effluent stream returning to the Belize River,".
Santander says its operations form part of a larger watershed that includes agricultural, residential, and other land uses extending from the Cayo District into the Belize District. They added that it manages approximately 12 percent of the agricultural land within that wider watershed.
The Department of the Environment still has not established the cause of the fish kill, but continues to investigate and area rep Marconi Leal says he's determined to get to the bottom of it.
Today, the Magistrate Courts of Belize took a step closer to digitization as they launched their new website. The launch included a full explanation of what it offers and how it can help speed up the process of daily tasks at the magistrate courts throughout the country. Notably, the landmark occasion saw the absence of Belize's Chief Justice Madam Justice Louise Esther Blenman, but saw the attendance of the DPP, Justices of the High Court, the Solicitor General, as well as other legal dignitaries. Jaleeza Roberts attended the ceremony and found out how the courts got closer with the click of a button:
For many Belizeans, dealing with the Magistrate Court has never been as simple as showing up for a hearing. It can mean spending hours on a bus, returning to court for endless adjournments, waiting in long lines, making repeated phone calls that go unanswered, or relying on friends to explain what a summons, bail application or court form actually means.
And for people already navigating an intimidating system, one wrong piece of information can make an already difficult process even harder.
But the Magistrate Court is now trying to change that. A new website is putting court information, forms and practical guidance at the fingertips of Belizeans-an initiative Chief Magistrate Deborah Rogers says is about more than technology; it is about making justice accessible:
Deborah Rogers, Chief Magistrate "This website is meant to be a tool to assist the public on how to operate when they come to the magistrate court, to have information so that they know exactly what to ask for and get the exact services that they need."
Jaleeza Roberts: "What specific problems or complaints from the public convinced you that this website was necessary?"
Deborah Rogers: "One of our biggest criticisms in the magistrates is that we didn't explain things enough to people. And unfortunately, our magistrates and our clerks of court have a high degree of workload. Our dockets are 50 to 100 people a day. The magistrate court is a high-traffic institution. So to meet that need and to give access to that information, we thought that a website would have been the best and most accessible platform. Yes, our staff is still going to be there to be able to assist those who don't have access to internet services or who don't have a computer or printer at home. But for now, we believe that this is a significant step in meeting that demand."
Legal systems can be difficult for regular folks to navigate, and that difficulty can become even greater when information is presented in legal jargon. The European Union, which supported the development of the platform, says the goal is to bring the justice sector closer to the people:
Elizabeth Lanzi Mazzocchini, Programme Officer, European Union "So what the website does is that it makes it easier for the people living in Belize to be able to get clear guidance, clear information, download the forms on their own and kind of get information, which is in plain, simple language, not legal jargon, because we know that can be really tough in Spanish and English. So it's a great thought."
Reporter: "How do you feel about the final product?"
Elizabeth Lanzi Mazzocchini: "I took a look yesterday night when I was preparing to talk today. I think it's really great. I think it's a great start. I found it user friendly, easy to navigate. I like the fact that it's in two languages. Of course, we know there's more languages spoken in Belize, but perhaps that will come gradually. So all in all, ten out of ten."
And Belize is increasingly moving toward digital government services, but the Chief Magistrate says the justice system cannot afford to leave behind the very people it is supposed to serve. Some Belizeans still have limited internet access, others do not own computers or printers. And some still communicate with the court the way they always have, on paper:
Deborah Rogers: "While more government ministries are moving towards a fully digital platform, we believe in the magistracy that we can never fully go digital. That means that we would disenfranchise the greater majority of people that we serve. So in order to do that, we're taking on a more blended approach. So yes, more services will be available through the platform, but we'll still maintain our paper-based services for those who don't. We still get handwritten correspondence from litigants quite often at the magistrate court. So that is an indication of the demographic that we're serving and the people who need our services."
More times than not, the justice system, especially the Magistrates court intimidates people, but Rogers says they want to change the perception of the courts to the public:
Deborah Rogers: "We want to break that stigma in how the public operates with the magistrate court, in how we interact. We want to dispel the misconception that the court should be feared. Please approach us, ask us the questions that you have, because we have a duty to respond. We have a duty to assist you all. Many of the perceptions that the general public holds of the magistracy come from our colonial heritage. But in modernizing our court, we also have to appreciate that it needs to be user-friendly. And for the longest time, the magistrate court simply was not user-friendly to the ordinary litigant. So that's what we're trying to change."
A new era for the courts. But will making the system more user-friendly actually improve the delivery of justice? For that, we'll have to wait and see.
Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
But the question now arises if the fancy new website will be able to eliminate the backlog completely. In 2025, Belize's Magistrate's Court recorded 15,317 criminal cases submitted and 4,877 disposed of, for a 32% clearance rate, meaning about 68% were not disposed of during the reporting period. The civil caseload showed an even lower clearance rate, with 4,941 cases submitted and just 891 disposed of, or 18%, leaving more than 80% not disposed of during the reporting period.
Tonight, the administrative fallout from the SmartStream exposure has officially hit the desk of every Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer in Belmopan.
With the sub-ten-thousand-dollar invoice splitting pipeline exposed to the public, ministries looking to bypass open competitive bidding have been leaning on another classic administrative trick: abusing 'Selective' and 'Limited' tendering under the convenient cover of 'urgency.'
Well, Contractor General Maria Arthurs is officially slamming that backdoor shut.
In a stern memorandum issued on July 23rd-Circular Number 3 of 2026-the Contractor General formally puts the entire public service on notice: open tendering is the law, and claiming a contract is 'urgent' will no longer be accepted as a blanket excuse to handpick preferred vendors.
The Contractor General notes that her office has observed a sharp increase in ministries bypassing open, public bidding. In response, the memorandum underscored strict new parameters designed to strip away the standard administrative excuses.
The Contractor General warns that any submission failing to meet these strict legal standards will be flatly rejected and returned to the ministry.
Coming just sixteen days after Prime Minister John Briceño convened a special Cabinet summit on procurement compliance, this directive confirms what the SmartStream leaks made undeniable: the loopholes used to circumvent open competition were being systematically exploited.
BTL's proposed $80 million acquisition of Speednet Communications Limited is being framed as a strategic upgrade for national infrastructure. However, we've been studying the numbers and the analysis of the financial projections, legal boundaries, and corporate governance reveals a deal pitched by the seller on questionable accounting assumptions, significant public risk, and clear anti-competition concerns.
Jules Vasquez reports:
BTL and the seller claim the $80 million price tag is justified by an estimated 4.2-year payback period. However, the underlying numbers reveal key discrepancies.
First, there's the omission of financial ratios: BTL's public communications emphasize a "4.2-year payback" without providing the standard metrics used for public investments - such as Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return, or a formal Discounted Payback schedule.
The 4.2-year recovery claim appears to rely on simple payback math: dividing the $80M purchase price by an assumed $19M annual net profit. But simple payback can be too simple; it ignores the time value of money, future operating capital expenditures, and debt service costs.
And then there's the financial modeling by Moore Belize - which is one of the only documents that board members received. It projects Speednet will generate $69.1M in revenue with a massive 66.5% profit margin - far higher than BTL's own 44% margin.
But, if Speednet's annual revenue is closer to $28M-$32M, the realistic payback timeline expands from 4.2 years to 13-25 years.
Proponents highlight that core profits will nearly double from $65M to $119M, but company slides show total sales stop growing as soon as the deal closes.
Combined revenue would increase to $234.1M in financial year 2027 as Speednet is subsumed, but that revenue grows by less than 1% annually through financial year 2029.
So, because revenue growth goes flat, the projected jump in profit seems to depend almost entirely on aggressive cost reduction.
Lord Ashcroft's press release confirms planned reductions in power costs, software licenses, maintenance, and duplicated corporate functions - including sales, marketing, HR, finance, IT, and purchasing.
Neither BTL nor the Government has disclosed the exact scope of planned redundancies or downsizing to Speednet staff.
Beyond the financial metrics, the transaction eliminates Belize's only second major mobile and broadband operator, creating a national telecom monopoly.
As the social partners have pointed out, Section 42(4) of the Telecommunications Act explicitly prohibits any licensee from entering agreements that have the effect of "significantly lessening competition in any market for the supply of telecommunication services." They have called for an "immediate halt" to the acquisition.
BTL is a publicly owned private company and key questions have not been answered:
Will BTL release Speednet's full audited financial statements for the past 5 years to verify actual revenue and profit margins?
Why were standard valuation metrics omitted from public disclosures and board consideration?
How will the PUC enforce Section 42(4) of the Telecommunications Act to prevent a complete market monopoly?
We'll continue to look more closely at the numbers next week.
As the new school semester approaches, these 85 students and their parents will have one less thing to worry about regarding education financing, thanks to the Social Security Board's annual scholarship program. A handover ceremony was held today for the selected students, with the majority being associate degree awardees. Jomarie Lanza attended the ceremony and here's how it went.
In a major legal blow to the State, the Court of Appeal of Belize has unanimously dismissed an appeal brought by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Attorney General. The court affirmed that four August 2020 land sale agreements with Fowler Works Enterprises Limited remain valid and legally enforceable-even if they were politically questionable and went afoul of FARA provisions. The decision leaves the Government facing potentially millions of dollars in damages.
The controversy dates back to the final months of the previous administration, when the Ministry of Natural Resources entered into four separate agreements to sell a total of nearly two thousand acres of national land in the Duck Run area of the Cayo District to Fowler Works Enterprises Limited.
Fowler Works paid the full purchase price on October 22, 2020. However, following the general election on November 11, 2020, the new administration deemed the transaction suspicious, refused to transfer title, and effectively cancelled the deal.
Fowler Works treated the Government's refusal as a repudiation of contract and filed suit claiming damages.
The company won that case at the High Court. Dissatisfied with the trial judge's decision, the Government went to the Court of Appeal.
In a comprehensive judgment delivered today by Chief Justice Louise Blenman, the appellate court firmly rejected the State's arguments.
The Court of Appeal ordered that the case be remitted to the High Court for the formal assessment of damages owed to Fowler Works Enterprises Limited.
Given that the land transaction involved nearly 2,000 acres, coupled with accrued interest and legal expenses, the judgment is expected to cost Belizean taxpayers a substantial sum. The State was also ordered to pay Fowler Works' court costs for the appeal.
Fowler Works was represented by Dean Barrow, SC, and Agassi Finnegan, while Deputy Solicitor General Samantha Matute and Imani Burgess represented the Minister of Natural Resources and the Attorney General.
The Belize Police Department wrapped up its annual Summer Swim Camp today at Old Belize Kukumba Beach. Up to fifty young participants spent the past few weeks mastering water safety, boosting their confidence, and picking up essential life skills under the guidance of police and Coast Guard officers. Jomarie Lanza stopped by the final session to see what they learned about staying afloat in life and on the water.
Stig Da Artist is stepping into a new chapter with his self-titled album "Stig," released one week ago.
The 10-track project showcases the Belizean artist's versatility, moving between dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and more melodic sounds.
The album is also making an early impact, with Stig announcing that it debuted at number seven on the iTunes Reggae chart in the US.
Today he told us he just wants to inspire youths to believe in their dreams:
Earlyn Hutchinson (Stig Da Artist), Musician "So this entire time, I think 10 years professionally I've been doing music and I've never dropped an actual album. So I said, now is the time. You know, I'm so locked in these past couple of months. I'm on a new path, you know, spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally. So I said, I want to express myself through music. You know, through what I do best."
Jaleeza Roberts: "What have you learned throughout the past 10 years doing music professionally?"
Earlyn Hutchinson (Stig Da Artist): "I think I've learned longevity. I think my journey has shown that I've, you know, I went on a path and I stuck on the path. And now I'm finally seeing some of the, some of the fruits of my hard labor."
Jaleeza Roberts: "What can persons expect to hear in this album?"
Earlyn Hutchinson (Stig Da Artist): "I want people to, whenever people hear this album, I want you to think hits. Cause every single song, you know, I didn't come, I didn't approach this album thinking, Oh, I want to vent or I want to tell you guys a story. No, I thought about the gym. I thought about the clubs, the radio. Yes, there's a few songs that are inspiring, but the purpose of this album, honestly, it's a playlist for you to enjoy, for you to dance, for you to feel good, to uplift you."
Jaleeza Roberts: "How long did it take for you to put this together?"
Earlyn Hutchinson (Stig Da Artist): "We spent two weeks in the studio. I can't lie. Me and Randy Sutherland, we spent two weeks in the Placencia song studio and every single day we just grind and we made a new song every single day we were locked in."
"One youth from Camalote with a dream is now touring the US, now performing on a big stage, collabing with Byron Messia, DJ Khaled, you know, Davido. It all started with a dream and it all started with the love for music and, like I said, consistency, longevity."
"With the place that I'm at, the number one goal is to inspire, to keep inspiring the youth. So, to all the youth that have a dream, know that if you keep consistent and you keep believing and you keep working towards your goal, whatever it is, it is possible."
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We begin tonight with the tragic drowning of a 17-year-old girl. The incident occurred around 1:00 this afternoon when Sue Liu and her father were attacked by bees near mile 7 on the Philip Goldson Highway. In the blink of an eye, Liu had slipped into the Belize River, likely to escape the swarm. But that part of the river is said to be about 20 feet deep and Liu couldn't get back to the surface.
Tevin Conorquie, Lifeguard/Swimming Instructor, 501 Lifeguard
Andrew Gentle, Owner, 501 Lifeguard/Coach Andrew Swim Club
"We got a call from police, Mr. Marciano, that an unfortunate incident had occurred where a young lady had jumped in the river as a result of being attacked by bees. And so he was asking for the assistance of the Coast Guard to do a dive operations to which we responded."
Tonight, popular opposition continues to take shape against BTL's decision to acquire Speednet. And that extends to the highest reaches of the Briceno administration where there are murmurs of discontent with the deal which will benefit the Prime Minister's family to the tune of 18 million dollars.
And while that percolates in the background, in the public eye most notably we have seen the social partners committing to, quote, "pursue all lawful regulatory, parliamentary, administrative, and legal remedies available, including peaceful demonstrations and, where appropriate, seeking injunctive relief as permitted under the Telecommunications Act and any other relief available at law to ensure public interest drives decision-making." End quote.
That part about "peaceful demonstrations" put us in mind of 2004 and 2005 when that alliance was forged to great and crippling effect against the Musa administration. Jaleeza Roberts went looking in the archive:
"Why put it on paper, why sign an agreement? Really it is so we can be clear between both organizations as to what we want to achieve. We do understand there may be differences at time. We may be addressing different issues so the document clearly states that there are times when we may want to be addressing certain issues on our own. We may be going after the same objective but in different angles. Like for example Friday there is a demonstration, the Chamber will not be participating in that as an organization but we will be participating as individual members. As to whether we will be closing businesses in the future, there is a possibility."
"The recommendation was a one day shutdown. Interestingly as we presented this to the membership, nobody was satisfied with just one day, the majority was shouting for 2 or more. But I don't feel we need to get too irresponsible at this point. I think we need to address it little by little. So the resolution, to answer your question, is it's a two day shutdown for Thursday and Friday."
Dr. Cardo Martinez, President, Belize Business Bureau
That demonstration turned out to be one of the largest protests we have ever seen when thousands walked through the streets with a strong and militant message against the Musa administration:
"There is a first step and this is the first step to show the government that this has to stop. You see the banner? Enough."
"Well I am hoping to send a clear message to the authorities, to the powers that be, that the people are concerned and the people have perhaps reached the stage of being past concerned and in many instances people are fed up and want to see positive actions in terms of how we handle ourselves and how we manage our resources in this nation."
"I am out here for my money. It's time and overtime for people in Belize to standup and say what they believe. This is not about party politics, this is about how much we are paying every month and we don't know where it is."
"Well I think the PUP really gone too far; at least some ministers in the government gone too far messing with our Social Security money and the only people who suffer are the poor people."
That was 2004, and now 22 years later all eyes turn to Belmopan on Tuesday where Cabinet will meet-and, reports suggest, protesters plan to be outside that meeting.
Tonight, the Santander Sugar Group is responding to growing questions surrounding the fish kill in the Belize River Valley. In a statement, the company says its operations do not routinely discharge process water into the Belize River and that its canals are not connected to Labouring Creek.
Today, the Magistrate Courts of Belize took a step closer to digitization as they launched their new website. The launch included a full explanation of what it offers and how it can help speed up the process of daily tasks at the magistrate courts throughout the country. Notably, the landmark occasion saw the absence of Belize's Chief Justice Madam Justice Louise Esther Blenman, but saw the attendance of the DPP, Justices of the High Court, the Solicitor General, as well as other legal dignitaries. Jaleeza Roberts attended the ceremony and found out how the courts got closer with the click of a button:
"This website is meant to be a tool to assist the public on how to operate when they come to the magistrate court, to have information so that they know exactly what to ask for and get the exact services that they need."
"So what the website does is that it makes it easier for the people living in Belize to be able to get clear guidance, clear information, download the forms on their own and kind of get information, which is in plain, simple language, not legal jargon, because we know that can be really tough in Spanish and English. So it's a great thought."
Tonight, the administrative fallout from the SmartStream exposure has officially hit the desk of every Chief Executive Officer and Accounting Officer in Belmopan.
BTL's proposed $80 million acquisition of Speednet Communications Limited is being framed as a strategic upgrade for national infrastructure. However, we've been studying the numbers and the analysis of the financial projections, legal boundaries, and corporate governance reveals a deal pitched by the seller on questionable accounting assumptions, significant public risk, and clear anti-competition concerns.
In a major legal blow to the State, the Court of Appeal of Belize has unanimously dismissed an appeal brought by the Minister of Natural Resources and the Attorney General. The court affirmed that four August 2020 land sale agreements with Fowler Works Enterprises Limited remain valid and legally enforceable-even if they were politically questionable and went afoul of FARA provisions. The decision leaves the Government facing potentially millions of dollars in damages.
Stig Da Artist is stepping into a new chapter with his self-titled album "Stig," released one week ago.
Earlyn Hutchinson (Stig Da Artist): 