The Las Flores Steering Committee has been leading the fight against the completed sale of parcels eighty-seven-thirteen and eighty-seven-fourteen near Saint Michael R.C. Primary School in the community outside Belmopan to a resident, Amy Chen. The community insists that the parcels were intended for the future expansion of the school and its sale is disrespectful […]
Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar also chimed in on the current land dispute in Las Flores. While the suggestion to cede parcels sixty-two fifty-two and sixty-two fifty-three to the Catholic Diocese does not require the approval of the community, residents are outraged that an agreement was met without their consent. Despite the rejection by residents, […]
Hurricane Irma – one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic – is hammering Puerto Rico tonight after slamming a string of small northern Caribbean islands where at least three people were killed in the last twenty four hours. The BVI, Saint Maarten, Antigua and Barbuda are among the island nations affected. According […]
Today, carnival band leaders, police and representatives from the National Celebrations Committee and the Belize Carnival Association converged at the Bliss Center for the Performing arts to sign a carnival safety declaration to ensure public security during the 2017 road march. It is the forty-second anniversary of carnival in Belize and the competitive spirit has […]
This morning, stakeholders from the public and private sectors, as well as members of the environmental community, gathered at the Radisson to present on the strengthening of Belize’s oil spill response capabilities. On hand for the meeting were officials from the Department of the Environment, Oceana in Belize and other invited guests. News Five’s Isani […]
With the Carnival King and Queen 2017 determined on Saturday night, the mas camps got underway on Monday night in the north and south sides of the city. The bands are getting ready for this weekend’s road march and gave us a peak look at what can be expected. While judging is on originality and […]
The revelry aside….the Northern Lesser Antilles and Florida are bracing for a category-five hurricane to make landfall over the next few days. This morning, Hurricane Irma was upgraded from a category four to five and according to the National Hurricane Center it is the strongest hurricane ever recorded outside the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. […]
In environmental news, members of the Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage have written Chief Environmental Officer Martin Alegria to raise concerns on the scope of a planned consultancy intended to strengthen prevention, preparedness, and coordinated emergency response in the event of an oil spill in terrestrial, aquatic and marine environment. An outgrowth of this […]
Despite agreeing to legislate the moratorium, the Prime Minister has told environmentalists and the press that he remains against a permanent ban on exploration, as he is unwilling to rule out the possibility that with advanced technology Belize can still take advantage of whatever resources lie under the sea. The other concern is that the […]
There are more revelations tonight concerning the extent of the Vega family’s grab for land across the country. Not only was there land swapping with seemingly willing accomplices, but new documentation indicates that relatives of former deputy Prime Minister and Lands Minister Gaspar Vega engaged in alleged forgery in a land scheme involving compensation for […]
It remains to be seen how the Prime Minister and Senator Doctor Carla Barnett, who has been put in day-to-day charge of the Ministry of Natural Resources, will react to the bombshell dropped by Amy Forte and her attorneys. But in response to a sheaf of documents totaling one hundred and eighteen, which detailed another […]
After years of negotiations with the Government of Belize, developer Michael Feinstein has finally gotten the green-light to proceed with the construction of the Stake Bank Cruise Ship Docking Facility. The last we had heard of the proposed project was that there was a back-and-forth between Feinstein and Minister of Tourism Manuel Heredia Junior in […]
P.U.P. Senator Valerie Woods, having heard the prime minister’s response to former Foreign Minister Lisa Shoman’s open letter on Thursday, is also weighing in on the comment made by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. While responding to questions asked by the media last Wednesday, the chief diplomat reiterated that Belize’s borders are not internationally recognized and […]
According to Woods, while government at some point will turn to the people for a vote on whether the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute should be taken to the ICJ for resolution, it should avow that Belize’s borders are indeed internationally recognized. Valerie Woods, Opposition Senator “All that I stated was, one: I commend Ms. Shoman. […]
On Monday, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Works and Transport, signed a multimillion-dollar road rehabilitation project for Santa Elena Town. Valued at fewer than seven million dollars, the construction contract was successfully won by Belize Roadway Construction Limited to carry out drainage and pavement works on the George Price Highway between Three […]
The Ministry of Health has confirmed two further cases of suspected ciguatera poisoning, reported by persons who ate barracuda fish from the Turneffe Islands. A release states that this fish has been the sole carrier of the ciguatoxin or poison, but warns that the contaminated fish does not have any odor or taste and the […]
A new ticket purchasing procedure comes into effect on August twenty-eighth, for visitors wanting to experience the Nohoch Che’en and Altun Ha archaeological reserves. As of Monday, all tour groups, those consisting of eight or more guests, as well as groups of fifteen, visiting Nohoch Che’en and Altun Ha, respectively, will have to pay for […]
The number of manatee fatalities annually continues to rise and despite conservation and awareness efforts by Sea to Shore Alliance, in particular Jamal Galvez, the population continues to be threatened by boaters along the coast of Belize City. So far, there have been twenty-eight deaths since the start of the year. News Five’s Duane Moody […]
It’s wait and see for the Belize Network of Non-Governmental Organizations regarding government’s announced intention to place in law an indefinite moratorium on activities leading up to offshore oil exploration in Belizean territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone. The BNN points to its own resolution which additionally calls for the matter to be taken […]
The National Meteorological Service is reporting that the remains of what was once Tropical Storm Harvey are expected to reach the coast of Belize or the Yucatan Peninsula early on Tuesday. It is still possible for the system to organize, but whether it does or not, expect lots of rain starting tonight and continuing through […]
Most of the United States got a rare opportunity this afternoon when they witnessed a total eclipse of the Sun. While solar eclipses generally occur twice a year, the Moon completely blocking the sun, as happens in a total eclipse, is much rarer. In Belize, as in most of the rest of North America, the […]
By its next session in October, a bill formally legislating the indefinite moratorium against offshore oil exploration activity should be before the House of Representatives. It is considered a major victory for environmental groups including OCEANA. But does this mean a complete ban on exploration of any kind in the future? The Prime Minister says […]
OCEANA in Belize has been lobbying tirelessly for a complete ban on offshore exploration since it established itself in the country under the leadership of Audrey Matura. During that time, the organization partnered with the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage to hold a referendum on offshore drilling. While a majority of votes were […]
Going into the weekend, the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, has issued its first advisory in respect of Tropical Storm Harvey which continues a westward path in the direction of Belize. TS Harvey is presently one thousand, seven hundred miles away from the country and is moving at a speed of twenty-one miles per hour, […]
The Ministry of Health says that suspected fish poisoning, specifically Ciguatera poisoning, was detected in persons who had consumed barracuda bought from a vendor in Ladyville, Belize District. The toxin does not affect the appearance, odor or taste; and freezing or cooking the contaminated fish will not prevent the poisoning. Individuals, who have come in […]
