#stabbingincident

1. Police continue to investigate stabbing in St Johns in Topsail Road.

A 34-year-old man was seriously injured in a stabbing in the west end of St. John’s.

The assault took place between Bay Bulls Road and Topsail Road.

Police are urging anyone with information or video footage of the area during the specified time to come forward.

2. A man from Bell Island is facing charges after being caught on 12 July with drugs in a car which was pulled over for speeding.  He was driving while his licence was suspended and showing signs of driving impaired.

3. Near miss at Braya refinery.  A Stop-work order has not been issued by the department. 

Occupational Health and Safety is investigating a "near-miss" incident at the Braya refinery in Come By Chance, involving drilling on a repurposed line that had previously been in nitrogen service.

The line was not in service or under pressure at the time of the incident, and internal analysis was conducted before sharing the findings with OHS and employees.

This incident comes almost a year after a fatal explosion at the refinery, which resulted in a criminal negligence investigation by the RCMP.

4.  Clean-up underway after an unexpected tornado in Half Moon Bay.

5. Electrically-serviced campsites in loops A and B of Newman Sound Campground in Terra Nova Park are currently without power.

6. Oceana Canada is concerned about DFO’s failure to close Capelin Fishery [via VOCM].

OC says that the Canadian government, specifically the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), is not effectively incorporating climate change data and research into fisheries management decisions, which is exacerbating the depletion of fish stocks.

7. Candidate Tony Wakeham is releasing his healthcare plan for connecting residents with a primary provider for healthcare.

Tony Wakeham's health care plan focuses on improving access to timely care in Newfoundland and Labrador by connecting every resident with a primary health care provider and establishing family health care teams.

The plan prioritizes job offers to health care professionals at the beginning of their training to address the shortage of healthcare providers in the province.

Wakeham emphasizes the urgency of addressing the lack of access to health care and believes that waiting for the long-term vision of the Health Accord is not feasible for the province.

8. Musgrave Harbour failed to respond to two access to information requests, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner has found [per VOCM].

9. It is peak tourism for Newfoundland and Labrador right now. Business has picked up but the sector still faces challenges, including air access [per VOCM].

Small businesses in the hospitality industry, such as restaurants and tour companies, are relying on a busy summer season to help cover costs and repay loans taken out during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staffing shortages, inflation, and rising food prices are adding to the challenges faced by businesses in the summer, but increased tourism can help offset these difficulties.

The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) ventured to the Belize Defence Force's Forward Operating Base (FOB) at the Sarstoon River, which has been abandoned for over a year.

The BTV wants to maintain a presence at the FOB due to the ongoing territorial dispute with Guatemala and the importance of the area in the ICJ case.

The government has now acknowledged the importance of the FOB and is working to allocate funds for repairs, but the BTV is willing to assist in rebuilding the base.

2. A woman in Progresso Village was stabbed to death during an argument.

3. During a Senate meeting, Senator Kevin Herrera criticized Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) for not exploring alternative energy sources such as solar power.

Herrera mentioned that when Mexico had supply issues, it could have resulted in blackouts for Belize. Herrera blamed the lack of options on the country's policies and regulators, stating that they had not done enough to prevent this situation. He also highlighted that without Mexican supply, there are currently no other viable options, except for domestic supply, which barely meets demand.

Herrera warned that if it wasn't for the rains in July, there could have been a major crisis with severe consequences for businesses and households.

4. Belize has embraced CARICOM's decision for free movement of CARICOM nationals, allowing for unlimited movement among member countries.

The decision does not impact Belize's current laws surrounding migration, as immigration officers will still interview CARICOM nationals to determine if they meet entry requirements.

The implementation of unlimited free movement is expected to be completed by March of next year.

5. The People's United Party is grieving the loss of Winston Smiling. 

6. The Benny's Belize Hurricanes won the 2023 national basketball title, their third championship victory in the Belize Elite Basketball League.

In other news,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Eamon Courtenay, stated that he is not concerned about Ben Juratowich misunderstanding government instructions.

The Senate approved an inquiry into the Definitive Agreement, with all 13 Senators in favor. Senator Eamon Courtenay supported the motion but expressed concerns about potential issues for the government.