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We’re closing out this month’s Bright Side theme of New Beginnings with a story that proves it’s never too early to chase your dreams. Meet Breana Budd, she’s just fourteen years old, but she’s already turning a simple love for beads into a booming business.

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Two BDF Soldiers Injured in City Shootout

Two Belize Defence Force soldiers were shot this evening in a shootout that occurred on the Phillip Goldson Highway just before 4 this evening. The incident unfolded in front of Horizon Academy in Belize City. Footage of the incident shows two gunmen getting out of a

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BTIA Celebrates 40 Years of Tourism Leadership

Forty years of growth and resilience in Belize’s tourism sector were marked today as the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) hosted its Annual General Meeting and prepared for a gala celebration honouring past presidents. BTIA President Efren Perez said the milestone is about recognising those who

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Twenty-Eight Youths Honoured for Turning Their Lives Around

Twenty-eight young Belizeans who once faced serious struggles have been celebrated for turning their lives around. They are the recipients of the Youth Resiliency Award, which recognises transformation and growth through rehabilitation and reintegration. Diversion Coordinator Jashua Estelle explained the importance of the event, stating, “It’s

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Climate Change is “Our Lived Reality”, Briceño Warns

Prime Minister John Briceño placed climate change at the heart of his United Nations address, stressing that small island developing states are already living with the severe impacts of a warming planet. “Belize is the fifth most vulnerable small island developing state to climate risk, ranked

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PM Briceño Calls for Justice in Palestine and Haiti

In his UNGA address, Prime Minister John Briceño strongly condemned the violence in Palestine and Haiti, urging immediate international action. “The genocide in Palestine must stop now. What hope can a child in Gaza have for tomorrow when their home is destroyed, their family murdered, their

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Briceño Urges Recognition of Taiwan’s Role in Global Development

Prime Minister John Briceño pressed the United Nations to acknowledge Taiwan’s contributions to global development and innovation, saying it is unfair that a thriving democracy remains excluded. He did so during his address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York. “With only five years

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Thank you, Madam President. For eight decades, the United Nations has endured a beacon of hope for the world, a defender of dignity and freedom, a shield against aggression, whether for the mighty or the small. And a foundation for a corporation that has lifted millions out of poverty and given humanity a chance to move forward together. Yet, division Penn eight years ago remains unfulfilled. Peoples and nations continue to suffer under oppressive regimes. We face new threats from criminal networks to planetary and technological challenges. That overwhelmed, natural systems, economies, and even basic human rights. These are global challenges. They don't stop at borders, and no matter how powerful a nation may be, none of us can meet them alone. Now, more than ever, we need to work together now more than ever. We need the United Nations. And if the UN has fallen short of its promise, it's not because the idea is flawed. It's because too often its members, including the most powerful among us, have failed to act, and we see the cost of that failure. Today, the world is facing more conflicts than at any time in recent decades. This year alone, six nuclear powers. Have been drawn into conflict in Asia, in Europe, and in the Middle East. Military spending has rose by 9% to $2.7 trillion last year. Even as global insecurity depend. That is more than half the GDP of all the conscious of Latin America and the Caribbean war in Ukraine. Gaza and Sudan dragging on year after year, hundreds of thousands, dead millions, displayed, orphaned left with nothing. The images should compel us to act, and yet too often the UN is actively blocked from doing its job in Gaza. One of the largest manmade humanitarian crisis grows worse day by day, the UN's Relief Agency lifeline to millions is being pushed to the brink and the two state solution. The vision of peace this body has long supported is slipping away in Sudan. A UN embargo has not stopped the killing. In Haiti, gangs have gangs have overrun the country political turmoil deepens and a mission met meant to restore order. Kenyan led backed by the UN remains underfunded and under resource. These are only a few of the many crisis, and in each of them weapons flow, drugs flow. Violence crosses, borders and governments are left weaker. Peace fleeting. These are not isolated tragedies. They're a warning. They're reveal a pattern of international indifference. Disregard for international law impunity, a tolerance of inhumanity and deepening cynicism. So the question before us is simple. Do we allow this cycle to continue or will we summon the will together to break it? Over the last two weeks, my country has chosen to act with restraint and caution in the face of repeated aggression and provocative actions by our neighbor Guatemala at our Southern boundary. Actions which seek to challenge belize's sovereignty and territorial integrity actions that do not accord with the obligations of states not to exacerbate or extend the dispute before the International Court of Justice. Latin America and the Caribbean are committed to maintaining our region as a zone of peace and area free of nuclear weapons. An area where conflicts are prevented through dialogue, and it is for this reason that we are concerned about the serious implications of utilizing military tactics against civilian vessels in the Caribbean Sea. Madame President, for 44 years of independence beliefs has been a peaceful and welcoming nation. We have been a refuge. For those fleeing war and terror from countries near and far per capita, we have observed more migrants than any other country in our region. These new religions have enriched our society and enjoy equal protection under the law. Every religion also benefits from free primary education. An accessible, free, or low low cost healthcare through Plan Beliefs 2.0. We're building on that foundation by expanding tuition coverage, improving healthcare, raising the minimum wage, creating more decent jobs, and widening access to housing. We have an ambitious energy transition plan. That places Belize on the truck to surpass net zero through innovative financing that turns our forest and reefs into investments for conservation. But ambition comes at a cost. My government has chosen fiscal discipline even as we pursue this bold agenda. Belize is the fifth most vulnerable small island developing state to climate risk ranked second in the world for impacts from extreme weather. Rising seas are already displacing some coastal communities, extreme heat strains our energy systems and unpredictable rainfall ches our farmers. Fishers Fishers must now travel farther and risk more for declining catches and warming seas, food securities on the trip. So too are the health of our people, the livelihoods and the survival of our ecosystems. This is our lived reality. It is not science fiction. It is not abstract theory. It is a danger to our overall security excellences. Our world is so intricately interconnected. Disruption anywhere, reverberates everywhere, geopolitical. And geo-economic competition are consequential globally. So too is the persistence of disease, hunger, poverty, and the inequalities among peoples and nations. Small states like my own and most vigilantly, guard against restive, neighbors seeking to sustain territorial claims. Through military provocation or aggression. This is not the world that the founders of the UN envision. Instead, it is a world embattled, a world divided, and yet it is not a world without solutions. Over 80 years, nations have agreed on laws and policies to defend human rights, pursue sustainable development. Promote this armament and protect the vulnerable and or environment. We have built strong institutions that remain vital, even if reform is overdue. But we cannot face today's challenges by relying on legacy alone in the pursuit of larger freedom and dignity for all. Let us act with urgency to rescue the development agenda. Leaving no one behind. For our part, Belize will spare no effort Through Plan Belize 2.0 and the implementation of our NDCs 3.0, we're working to lift our people out of poverty and to secure a healthy environment, but we cannot do it alone. We need international support that has been promised. Offers us a chance. To reenergize the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, a chance to renew commitments, especially to small island developing states. This is why Belize calls for the urgent attention to the Antigua and Bar Buddha agenda. For seeds, we must mainstream the multidimensional vulnerability index. We must expand access to grants and concessional finance, not more debt, and we must strengthen sid's participation in global financial decision making in COP 30 in Beem, Belize urges the G 20 responsible for 80% of emissions to commit to more ambitious emission reduction targets developed nations. And development banks must lead the mobilization of $1.3 trillion in climate finance and prioritize seeds whose adaption and lost and damaged needs are most urgent. It is high time, past time for the global financial system to rewards environmental stewardship. To recognize the true value of these natural assets for long-term resilience, consider this 30% of the world Ocean lie within the jurisdiction of small island developing states much under some form of protection. These marine environments help regulate the global climate, yet we receive little for our efforts. Only 1% of climate finance flows to seeds, half of which are loans. Meanwhile, the fossil fuel industry with trillions of dollars in subsidies annually is not just perverse, it is dangerous. Let us reverse this by investing more, much more in nature based on nature positive solutions. With only five years remaining to achieve the SDGs urgency is paramount. Madam President, realizing the ambition of leaving no one behind requires the involvement of everyone. Yet the UN still excludes one critical actor, the people of Taiwan. Taiwan is a thriving democracy with global leadership in high tech innovation, semiconductors, ai, biotechnology, renewable energy, all vital to global supply chain security, unsustainable development. Taiwan already contributes to the SDGs, assisting partners with advanced technology. We therefore urged United Nations to find appropriate ways to recognize Taiwan as an indispensable partner in our shared pursuit of sustainable development. Madam President, the people of Haiti deserve or urgent and united support to completely expunge the criminal gangs that have attempted to overrun that country. And to ensure that they're brought to justice. A workable path forward for HET exists, but it requires sustained security assistance, resources, and a coherent international response. We must act no excellences. Each nation must be free to define its own path. The International Court of Justice. Has affirmed that self-determination is preempt, is a preemptory norm. We must end the denial of this right to the people of Western Sahara who split. The world continues to ignore the economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States of America against Cuba must end and Cuba must immediately be removed. From the list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism, it is illegal, inhumane and contrary to the UN charter and the genocide in Palestine must stop now. What hope? Can a child in Gaza have for tomorrow? When their home is destroyed, their family murdered. Their future erased. What hope can there be if their right to self? This determination is distinguished. The UN once confronted apartheid in South Africa. With declarations, sanctions, conventions, and suspension of the regime from this assembly, we must draw that lesson again. No regime that de secretes the charter and destroys a people has a place in this hall, and that is why the rule of law must prevail. No man. No country stands above the Law of Nations. Belize took its seats in this assembly in 1981, less than half a century ago. Our membership was a milestone for our sovereignty. Global recognition of Ian sovereignty also meant full recognition of our territory. We stand firm in the conviction. That the boundaries of that territory were agreed in 1859, more than a century and a half ago, or Anthem proclaims it from the Proud we are under to the All Star Stone through Coral Isles over Blue Lagoon. Though our territories is contested, we remain firm, not belligerent, tested, but not subdued. Threatened, but not deterred. Because the rule of law is on our side together with Guatemala, we submitted our dispute to the ICGA in 2019 where we at the court's decision, we trust that justice will prevail. In the meantime, we reiterate or demand that Guatemala desist from any provocative behavior, which have the potential to affect or otherwise friendly. Bilateral relations. We reiterate our invitation to Guatemala to work with Belize in designing confidence building measures for the Sarto River and maritime species. Madam President, beliefs in our common humanity and in the existence of the common good equity and justice are our guiding principles. As we commemorate the ATE anniversary of this great institution, let us not only reflect on the past, but commit to ourselves to the future. Let us affirm together that multiculturalism is not an option, but an obligation that the rule of law is not an aspiration, but a necessity that the dignity of every human being. It's not negotiable, but invi believe pledges to do its part, to stand for law over force, for cooperation, over division, for justice, over impunity. And we call on every member state to do the same. Only then can we make real the promise of the charter peace, prosperity. And larger freedom for all peoples in every nation for generations yet to come. I thank you.

Belize Calls Out Guatemala at UN

Prime Minister John Briceño used his address at the 80th United Nations General Assembly to reaffirm Belize’s sovereignty in the face of recent tensions with neighbouring Guatemala. He accused Guatemala of carrying out “repeated aggression and provocative actions” along Belize’s southern boundary. “Over the last two

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New Details Emerge of Orange Walk Murder

Twenty-two-year-old Leonardo Vasquez was shot and killed near his home in Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District, on Thursday night. Police started their investigation after receiving reports of the incident. According to police, "Vasquez and another male were riding a motorcycle in Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District,

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Man Killed in Los Lagos Shooting

Marco Miranda, 37, was shot and killed inside his home in Los Lagos on Thursday night. Police say he was with his wife when a gunman forced his way through their door and opened fire. According to police investigation, the attack happened just before 9:00 p.m. Miranda