“The Civic” condemned for September celebrations Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:26 PM Sound Fest moves to Birds Isle due to concerns about safety at Belize City Center; Queen of the Bay and Children’s Rally to follow... Amandala has confirmed that the Ministry of Works has condemned “The Civic,” the Belize City Center, as unfit to be used for events during the September Celebrations. Five PUP divisions boycott Johnny Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:23 PM PUP’s set October 17 as date for Special National Convention... Nominations opened today, Monday, for hopefuls inside the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) who want to challenge PUP leader Johnny Briceño for the leadership position. Edgar David Gonzalez, 47, missing for 3 weeks Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:20 PM Maria Ochoa, 36, and 5 children “in dire need”.. Wife and mother of five children, Maria Ochoa, 36, is today under great stress, as she anxiously awaits the return of her husband of 17 years, Edgar David Gonzalez, 47, who went missing on Sunday, August 8, 2010. Eight charged for stabbing and brawl in St. Margaret’s Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:17 PM Ninth suspect sought as constable recovers from stabbing injuries... Police have charged eight men and are seeking a ninth in connection with a brawl and stabbing that resulted in severe injuries to a police officer from St. Margaret’s Village, Cayo District. Early morning shooting on South Street Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:15 PM In an already traumatized and battered neighborhood whose residents have grown tired of the gun violence plaguing their streets and claiming their children, another shooting victim dodged death’s door; he was shot in the face, but lived. Maya leaders call on GOB to withdraw appeal – recognize customary Maya land rights Posted: 30/08/2010 - 10:12 PM “Successive governments prefer to have our perpetual insecurity regarding the legal status of our lands hanging over us so that they can promise to do something about it every election.” The Maya community of Toledo has issued an extensive statement with resolutions in response to the stance declared more than three weeks ago, on Sunday, August 1, 2010, by the ruling United Democratic Party, staunchly opposing customary land tenure in the Maya community. “I’m not scared!” - PUP leader John Briceño Posted: 27/08/2010 - 09:48 AM “Nobody is challenging my leadership.” If any party member, even from Crique Sarco, Toledo, wants to challenge me for leadership, “it won’t scare me,” says Briceño... The heavyweights inside the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP) are tussling again over a recent move by party leader Johnny Briceño to call an early national convention on Sunday, September 26, in what some party officials see as an unconstitutional maneuver to retain his grip on the PUP’s leadership going into the next municipal elections due by 2012 and general elections due by 2013. Sex trade destroying the lives of our children Posted: 27/08/2010 - 09:46 AM Children exploited for sex for as little as $20... “Commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking are huge, and organized crime is behind all of it.”... “One of the penalties we are looking at is life imprisonment.” New water royalties and licenses to take effect Posted: 27/08/2010 - 09:43 AM BWS will soon have to pay for each gallon extracted from rivers, wells, etc.... A first of its kind water bill is about to be signed into law in Belize which would put all of Belize’s water resources under the management of a new authority, the National Integrated Water Resources Authority. This authority would be the agency to issue licenses to any person or company wanting to dig wells to extract water, especially if it is for commercial and industrial purposes. Tougher sentences in the pipeline for serious crimes Posted: 27/08/2010 - 09:41 AM Minimum sentence for burglary to be expanded 3 years.. Penalties for first conviction in firearms crime would be increased from sentences of 2 to 5 years... Stricter bail restrictions will require cash or land papers