Amnesty International Bermuda will hold its annual general meeting on Thursday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at Bermuda Chamber of Commerce on Point Pleasant Road, Hamilton.

The guest speaker will be David Northcote from Two Words And A Comma, a group formed last April with the aim of getting the Human Rights Act amended to include protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

There will also be wine tasting, courtesy of Michael Robinson, and cheese and crackers. For more information about the event and on how to join Amnesty email aibda@ibl.bm or call 296-3249.

Fraternity wins regional award

Bermuda's alumni chapter of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity has won the Eastern Region Chapter of the Year for the second year in a row.

The Epsilon Theta Lambda group is carrying out a number of projects to help young men in the community.

These include a mentoring programme at the Co-Ed Facility in partnership with Bermuda Prisons, in which brothers talk to up to ten young prisoners to discuss how they can make better life choices.

Project Alpha, in collaboration with the March of Dimes Foundation, aims to increase young men's knowledge about the consequences of teenage pregnancy from the male perspective.

Other initiatives include the Big Brothers and Sisters programme; Math Attack tutoring; Alpha Beautillion showcasing of talents; Cub Scout partnership; and the Head Start programme to help fathers beat negative social factors.

'Big ticket items' being stolen

Police say there were 22 burglaries and five attempted burglaries from March 24 to March 31.

In the western parishes, there were ten burglaries with six in Southampton and four in Warwick.

In the central parishes, there were six burglaries – three in Paget, two in Pembroke and one in Devonshire.

There were six burglaries in the eastern parishes with two in Smith's, one in Hamilton Parish and three in St. George's.

Common targeted goods are cash, jewellery and electronic items including flat screen televisions, laptop computers, cell phones, iPods and DVD players. The most common methods of entry are an insecure window or door and forced or pried window and door.

According to the Police, burglars have targeted homes in the South Road, Turtle Bay Lane, Whale Bay Road, Coral Acres Drive, Southampton area.

Despite attempts to alert the public to burglaries around the Island, "big ticket items" are still being stolen.

Police are reminding the public to secure their homes when leaving and to be vigilant for any suspicious activity or individuals in their neighbourhoods.

Teenager assaulted in Hamilton

A teenager was taken to hospital with a facial injury after he was attacked with a pointed object.

The victim, believed to be a 19-year-old man from Warwick, was assaulted in Par-La-Ville Park, Reid Street, at about 5.30 p.m. on Monday. He suffered a laceration to the right side of his face.

Police say he has refused to cooperate with them and no witnesses have been found, even though officers have spoken to people who were in the park at the time.

They are appealing for anyone with information to get in touch on 295-0011.

Police issue cheque book warning

Police are encouraging the public to keep their cheque books in a safe place to stop them from being stolen.

Residents are being told not to leave their cheque books lying around the house and warned never to leave blank spaces when filling out a cheque.

Police also advise that cheque books not be left in the glove compartment of cars or unlocked drawers in workplaces. And they recommend that people refrain from signing blank cheques.

If your cheque book is lost or stolen, report it immediately to the relevant bank and the Police.