Belizean Artisans Called on to Join CARIFESTA 2025 in Barbados

Junior Youth Artist Ambassador Musa Shaeed is calling on Belizean artisans to represent the country at CARIFESTA XV in Barbados this August.

The Caribbean Festival of Arts, CARIFESTA, is the region’s largest celebration of culture and arts, featuring music, film, fashion, theatre, dance, culinary arts, literature, and more. This year’s event runs from August 22 to 31 and promises concerts, symposia, workshops, and the vibrant Grand Market.

Shaeed, who has held the ambassador role since 2019, said Belize’s presence in past events has been limited. “We’re not making much use of this opportunity; we’re not learning from it,” he said.

He added that CARIFESTA is a “crucial hub for Belizean talents to connect with our Caribbean brothers and sisters” and a “crucial opportunity for Belizeans to evolve and grow.”

Artisans can apply independently or through the Ministry of Education and Culture to be part of the official delegation. “60 booths are left out of 300, and they can easily sign up if they want to come and sell food, perform, or do poetry or anything they’d like to share,” he said.

“Our artisans really need to start looking at how we want to move forward in the next 20 or 50 years,” he added. “The creative sector has a lot to do with the identity of a people.”

Belize Zoo Mourns Death of Belize’s Jaguar Lindo

The Belize Zoo has announced the passing of Lindo, one of its most well-known jaguars. He was humanely euthanised after battling chronic kidney disease and the effects of old age.

The Belize Zoo shared that Lindo arrived at the zoo in 2008 from the Linda Vista area in northern Belize after repeatedly attacking livestock. Rather than being killed, he was relocated with the help of the Forest Department and concerned residents.

“In many other circumstances, a jaguar with a learned behaviour of preying on livestock would have been killed. Instead, through collaboration and compassion, Lindo was given the opportunity to live safely and meaningfully,” the zoo stated.

Initially kept behind the scenes as part of the Human-Jaguar Conflict Program, Lindo later became a public ambassador, admired for his striking appearance and calm nature.

“At over 18 years old, he lived a long and meaningful life, a remarkable milestone for a “wild jaguar” in human care,” the zoo added.

Tropical Storms Barry and Flossie Form Off Mexican Coasts

Two tropical storms, Barry and Flossie, have formed in the Gulf and Pacific waters off Mexico.

Tropical Storm Barry, which developed this morning in the Gulf of Mexico, was located about 90 miles east-southeast of Tuxpan and 165 miles southeast of Tampico, with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. The storm is moving northwest at 6 mph and is forecast to strengthen slightly before making landfall.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Flossie formed off Mexico’s southwest coast in the Eastern Pacific, about 240 miles south of Acapulco. It is moving west at 9 mph with sustained winds of 40 mph. Forecasters are expecting Flossie to strengthen into a hurricane early this week. Heavy rainfall is expected across Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco.

Miss Universe Belize 2025 is Isabella Zabaneh

The new Miss Universe Belize is Isabella Zabaneh. Zabaneh is officially crowned as the country’s beauty ambassador for 2025 to represent Belize on the international Miss Universe stage in Thailand.

She now takes the crown from Halima Hoy, Miss Universe Belize 2024, who proudly represented the Jewel in Mexico City last November.

This year’s pageant featured four other inspiring and graceful young women vying for the title: Monisha Hyde, Imani Jex, Libny Rodriguez, and Hope Panton.

Miss Universe Belize 2025 Results

  • Winner (Miss Universe Belize 2025): Isabella Zabaneh

  • 1st Runner-Up: Monisha Hyde

  • 2nd Runner-Up: Hope Panton

Special Awards:

  • Miss Photogenic: Hope Panton

  • Miss Congeniality: Imani Jex

State of Emergency Expires, 48 Detainees Released from Kolbe

Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa confirmed that the state of emergency (SOE), which was declared to address a spike in gang-related violence in specific parts of the country, has officially expired. As a result, 48 young men who were detained under the SOE were released from the Kolbe Foundation prison.

Speaking to News 5, Minister Musa said, “We did have a meeting last week with the Eastern Division, as well as the specialised unit, in terms of a plan moving forward, a strategy moving forward.”

He added, “I’m pretty confident, pretty comfortable with the plan that was devised by the commissioner and all the officers. And so you’ll see some of the strategies playing out over the next coming weeks and months.”

Minister Musa explained that the SOE was put in place because of the spike in crime. “Based on the information that was coming out at that time, there was bound to be a lot of retaliation,” he said. “Since the young men have been under the state of emergency, we have had mediation sessions, interventions. We have arrested in two of the cases, two of the murders, we have arrested the suspects.”

“We have taken a lot of guns off of the streets, and so you could see where for that period we were able to quell the crime and to reduce the tensions in the streets,” Musa stated.

With the release of the detainees, authorities are hoping for a lasting effect from the interventions. “We are hoping that the mediation sessions that were carried all behind prison, that they’re going to have great effect and upon their return out to society, that there would not be that continuation of crime and violence,” he said.

 

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