A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck the Los Angeles area this morning. The quake centred four miles north of Malibu and occurred about seven miles below the surface.
Despite the noticeable impact, no injuries or major damage were reported immediately after the quake.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lt. Adam Zeko stated, “The quake jolted the area and shook for about 15 or 20 seconds.” He added, “We’re still conducting a critical facilities check,” though he confirmed, “We haven’t gotten anything major at this time.”
A live camera at the 115-year-old Santa Monica Pier showed several seconds of intense shaking during the quake.
Recent months have seen several quakes in the area, including a 4.4-magnitude earthquake in August that caused similar disturbances from Los Angeles to San Diego.
Belizean youth Christa Salam is representing Belize at the 4th Summit for First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv, Ukraine. At just 22 years old, Salam from Jacinto Ville, Toledo, delivered a poignant and empowering speech that resonated deeply with this year’s theme, ‘Child Safety.’
Salam has been in Kyiv since September 5 and is set to return on September 17. Salam addressed the audience with a deep personal resonance and broad message of empowerment. She is currently studying Natural Resources Management at the University of Belize’s Belmopan Campus,
Salam shared her own story. “I am a young indigenous Maya woman from the beautiful and very green country of Belize in Central America,” she said. Salam spoke about her early life challenges, including the loss of her father and her mother’s tireless efforts to support their family despite numerous hardships.
In her speech, Salam also highlighted her work with Belizean youth, focussing on human rights, community development, and helping a troubled child find hope and support.
“Children of Ukraine and around the world, you are the present and the future,” Salam urged. “Continue to be the brightest CHAHIM (one star) and brighten the dark situation for others to see and hear the fight and join collective responsibilities for others in this life.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is grappling with escalating economic challenges as his administration rapidly depletes the nation’s dollar reserves. Following his controversial declaration as the winner of the July presidential election, Maduro has faced significant international criticism, widespread protests, and a noticeable distancing from former allies.
The bolívar has weakened significantly in unofficial markets, trading up to 20% below the official rate, the widest gap since 2022. This drop highlights the shrinking dollar reserves, partly drained by Maduro’s election-related spending on rallies and advertisements.
Economist José Manuel Puente from the Institute of Higher Education in Administration in Caracas noted, “The government decided to keep the exchange rate anchored for political and electoral reasons. The imbalance will end as it always does in Venezuela: with a large exchange rate adjustment, probably with an inflationary shock, and with an economic slowdown or recession.”
Maduro defended his expenditures, saying, “That is not waste. It’s the necessary investment for the country to continue its course.”
Rising inflation is causing severe strain on businesses and contributing to the hardship of 82% of Venezuelans living in poverty. This economic pressure is likely to worsen the migration crisis, which has seen nearly 8 million people leave the country since 2015.
In a highly anticipated presidential debate held in Philadelphia on Tuesday night, Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump squared off for the first—and potentially last—time. The 90-minute debate proved to be a heated exchange between the two. It presents a stark contrast to the previous June 27 debate between President Biden and Trump.
Harris, a former prosecutor, used her opening statement to launch sharp criticisms at Trump. She accused him of implementing tariffs that would act as a sales tax on the middle class and labelled his presidency as presiding over “the worst attack on American democracy since the Civil War.” Harris also took aim at Trump’s treatment of women on the topic of abortion and his praise of foreign dictators, citing Trump’s intention of implementing Project 2025.
Trump, on the defensive, criticised Harris for moderating her positions since the 2020 Democratic primary, suggesting she had adopted some of his views. He also emphasised issues like inflation and immigration, accusing Harris of being an extension of Biden. “She is Biden,” Trump claimed.
However, Harris chided back to Trump for his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. She noted, “Donald Trump was fired by 81 million people.”
The debate featured ABC’s David Muir and Linsey Davis interjecting to fact-check the candidates and co-moderating the debate. Including Trump’s claim about Haitian immigrants in Ohio eating dogs and other pets.
“They’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats,” Trump declared. “They’re eating the pets of the people that live there, and this is what’s happening in our country, and it’s a shame.”
Muir immediately fact-checked Trump’s claims, saying that the city manager in Springfield, Ohio, told the network there had been no credible reports of pets being harmed, injured, or abused by people in the city’s immigrant community.
Trump later criticised the debate as unfair, claiming it was “three on one.”
Despite Harris’s strong performance, the outcome of the 2024 race remains uncertain. Polls continue to show a tight race.
For Belize, a small Caribbean nation with close ties to the U.S., the outcomes of such debates can have indirect but notable implications. The policies and positions of U.S. presidential candidates can influence international relations, trade agreements, and economic aid, all of which are crucial to Belize.
James Earl Jones, the iconic actor renowned for his deep, commanding voice and his portrayal of Darth Vader in Star Wars, has passed away at the age of 93. He died Monday morning at his home in Dutchess County, New York, as confirmed by his representative.
Overcoming a severe stutter as a child, Jones went on to become a trailblazing Black actor, with a career spanning over six decades. He made his Broadway debut in 1958 at the Cort Theatre, which was renamed the James Earl Jones Theatre in his honour in 2022. His versatility saw him in roles across film, television, and theatre. Jones’ illustrious filmography includes over 80 films.
A celebrated theatre actor, Jones won two Tony Awards: one in 1969 for The Great White Hope and another in 1987 for August Wilson’s Fences. He was nominated for four Tonys overall. His television work earned him eight Emmy nominations, winning two in 1991 for Heat Wave and Gabriel’s Fire, making him the first actor to win two Emmys in the same year.
Jones leaves behind a remarkable legacy, forever remembered for his rich voice and powerful presence across stage and screen.
On Saturday, the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security announced in a statement the deployment of two senior officers from the Belize Defence Force (BDF) to support Haiti’s restoration efforts.
The collaboration is part of the “United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699, which aims to re-establish security within Haiti and create conditions conductive to free and fair elections,” stated the Ministry.
According to the statement, the BDF officers, Ermil Coh and Claudio Quiroz, will join a multinational task force in collaboration with the Jamaican Defence Force.
Haiti last conducted elections in 2016, and since then, officials have cited gang violence and political instability as reasons for the inability to hold new elections. “This deployment underscores Belize’s steadfast commitment to aiding international security restoration efforts and reinforces our support for CARICOM partners and allies in the region,” the Ministry added.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an X post, “The BDF has deployed two officers to join their Jamaican counterparts for onward assignment in Haiti as part of the UN authorized Multinational Security Support Mission. Belize remains unequivocally committed to the success of the MSS in Haiti.”
Belizeans, whether at home or abroad, are taking over this weekend to celebrate Belize pride, even in the face of bad weather. While locals will get to enjoy the annual carnival road march, Belizeans in New York City will see the return of the Belize Park Fest on September 7, 2024, at Industry City in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park.
News 5 spoke with Duane Gutierrez, chairman of the NYC Belize Park Fest, and Dona Andrews, the fest’s secretary, to learn more about this year’s ‘one big Belizean Reunion’ in New York City.
Gutierrez expressed his vision to bring back the festival so Belizeans can reconnect. “It’s more so for the next generation of Belizeans that are here. To pretty much get to know their culture and heritage a lot more closer,” said Gutierrez.
According to Gutierrez and Andrews, the festival offers a slice of home for Belizeans residing in and around NYC—an opportunity for Belizeans to enjoy Belizean food and music.
Andrews highlighted the festival’s dual purpose as both a celebration and a fundraiser. “It is a fundraiser. So once you come and you support us, you’re not supporting us personally, you’re a part of what we are about, our dream, and helping Belizeans. So you are a part of what our dream is about,” she said.
“We’re very excited that we’re going to be helping our Belizeans here and abroad in sports, education, whatever,” she added.
The Belize Park Fest not only serves as a vibrant celebration of Belizean heritage but also as a meaningful way for the community to contribute to the next generation of Belizeans living abroad.
Despite the ongoing political unrest and the arrest of thousands of critics, Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro seems to have turned his attention to something entirely different: Christmas.
“It’s September, and it already smells like Christmas,” the 61-year-old remarked during his weekly television show on Monday night. He went on to announce, “That’s why this year, as a tribute to all of you and in gratitude, I’m declaring an early Christmas starting October 1.”
The Venezuelan Episcopal Conference quickly criticised this move, cautioning against using the holiday for political or propaganda purposes. They pointed out in a statement that Christmas traditionally begins on December 25.
This isn’t the first time Maduro has declared an early Christmas—he did so during the COVID-19 pandemic, though never this early. Despite the tense political atmosphere, Maduro insists the season will bring “peace, happiness, and security.”
Protests have erupted over the contested presidential election in July, where Maduro claimed a third term in office. Over 2,000 people have been arrested since.
Maduro’s declaration of an early Christmas, in the midst of Venezuela’s deepening political crisis, has been seen by many as a tactic to distract from the country’s troubles and bolster his own political agenda.
North Korea reportedly executed 30 officials last month for their alleged failure to address the catastrophic floods and landslides that claimed the lives of over 4,000 people.
According to South Korean outlet TV Chosun, the officials were accused of corruption and dereliction of duty. The devastating flooding, which struck Chagang province in July, displaced more than 15,000 people.
North Korean news reports indicated that the floods caused extensive damage in the northwestern city of Sinuiju and neighboring Uiju, affecting over 4,100 homes, 7,410 acres of farmland, as well as numerous roads, buildings, and railway lines. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the authorities to “strictly punish” the officials deemed responsible, the North Korean Central News Agency reported.
An unnamed official within the Kim regime told TV Chosun that 20 to 30 cadres from the flood-stricken area were executed late last month. Following the disaster, Kim declared that North Korea would reject any international aid, as reported by the Associated Press.
Instead, he directed officials to relocate thousands of displaced residents to the capital, Pyongyang, where they would receive better care and support. The rebuilding efforts were projected to take two to three months, during which the government planned to provide for nearly 15,400 vulnerable individuals in facilities within Pyongyang.
North Korea has a history of public executions, with an average of 10 occurring annually before the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Times, a South Korean media outlet. The number has since increased to an estimated 100 or more, the outlet claimed.
The United States seized an aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the Dominican Republic, citing violations of US sanctions and other criminal activities. The plane, a Dassault Falcon 900EX, was transported to Florida. This move escalates the already tense relationship between the US and Venezuela, as US authorities continue to investigate what they consider corrupt practices by the Venezuelan government.
The US Justice Department claims the aircraft was illegally purchased for $13 million through a shell company and smuggled out of the US. Multiple federal agencies were involved in the seizure, which was coordinated with the Dominican Republic. The plane was primarily used for Maduro’s international travels and flights to a Venezuelan military base.
US officials aim to disrupt financial flows to the Maduro regime, having previously seized numerous assets linked to Venezuelan officials. The situation continues to impact US politics, especially as millions of Venezuelans flee to the US-Mexico border due to the country’s economic crisis. The US also recently called for the release of specific election data from Venezuela, questioning the legitimacy of Maduro’s leadership.
