This past week has not been a good one for cops; in separate busts they have been captured on cell phone video with contraband goods up north. They are not the only violators, at border and check points, loads of items are confiscated routinely as contraband goods. So what happens to these goods? Today, we […]
There was murder in the City on Monday night, within days of the Easter holidays. Thirty-nine-year-old Rafael Mario Guerra, a Salvadoran national was walking on Holy Emmanuel Street when he was executed at about seven-thirty. The construction worker left home after receiving a text, but did not make it far when his life was snuffed […]
Three cops remain on interdiction tonight following investigations into their alleged involvement in contraband activity up north; we say alleged because while amateur footage captured the officers in the act, they have only been disciplined, and not criminally charged. Tonight, the fate of Police Constables Jorge Ascurio of the Orange Walk Formation and Elston Rojas […]
The recent saga of three cops and a special constable caught on video in separate incidents of contraband at the Northern Border in Orange Walk and Corozal respectively has caught national attention. And while many have lamented the fresh black eyes for the Police Department, an alternative view has been raised by the Belize Chamber […]
On Monday night, police responded to a report of a fire at Ladyville R.C School where the lower flat of a two-storey building was engulfed in flames. Quick action by the Fire Service contained and extinguished the fire. The fire, which was deliberately set, destroyed the principal’s office and thousands of dollars in machines and […]
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority and Ministry of Health have lifted the temporary ban on the importation of corned beef from Brazil. BAHA says it has confirmed that the popular food item imported into the country is not contaminated. A report in March attributed to Brazilian authorities said that corned beef from several meat processing […]
News Five broke the story last Thursday of internal complaint in the General Sales Tax Department. A senior tax officer alleged influence by the Department’s management in the outcome of his auditor’s assessment and report. The officer wrote to the Solicitor General detailing how he calculated specific values for collection, only to see his bosses […]
The General Sales Tax of twelve and a half percent imposed since the first of April affects bills greater than one hundred dollars, but the actual rate is not expected to change. That is according to Belize Electricity Limited, which has submitted to the Public Utilities Commission its annual tariff review proceeding for 2017 to […]
Instead of enjoying vacation time going into the Easter holidays, students at most public schools as well as teachers, were present in the classrooms across the country. And that’s how it is going to be for the next two days as agreed upon earlier this year to make-up for lost time during last October teachers’ […]
Up to news time today, Ministry of Education officials confirmed to News Five that the one-million dollar honorarium to non-striking teachers had not been issued and that data was still being collected to determine the number of teachers and the total payout. Now this ‘bonus’ has been lambasted by the unions and in other sectors […]
On Friday, police made a belated announcement of disciplinary proceedings against a police constable and a special constable based in Orange Walk, who were accused of illegally contrabanding items at the Rio Hondo/Botes crossing. Police Constable Jorge Ascurio of the Orange Walk Formation was charged for acting in prejudice to good order and discipline and […]
A Corozal family is grappling with an explosion of violence at their home over the weekend that has landed a husband and wife in hospital and her father in possible legal trouble. The allegation at its center, however, is that the husband, Gabriel Zelaya, continuously abused his wife, leading to her father, Armando Cobb, having […]
A family deep in prayer was caught by stray bullets on Sunday night at their Antelope Street house in Belize City. Miguel Alpuche Junior and his mother, Ignacia, were offering prayers on the first anniversary of the death of Alpuche Senior when gunshots interrupted the solemn celebration. A third family member was fortunate and was […]
Just after seven on Sunday morning, shots rang out on Rivero Street, near Kraal Road on south side Belize City. Reports are that as twenty-one-year-old Earlin Butler Junior stood outside his house near the intersection of Rivero and Fairweather Streets, a lone gunman approached and opened fire on the unsuspecting youth. Butler Junior was hit […]
Several other persons remain critically injured at medical facilities across the country following separate shooting incidents on Saturday in the west and south. The first shooting took place near the Eight and Eight Restaurant on Bishop Martin Street in San Elena. Police, who responded to reports of shots fired in the area, would discover a […]
Moments ago, the Police Department issued notice that a cop from Orange Walk and a volunteer special constable will face disciplinary measures from the department in relation to a video of contraband activity in the Botes area of Orange Walk. Police Constable Jorge Ascurio of the Orange Walk Formation was charged for acting in prejudice […]
The latest pronouncement by Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington on the definition of Belize’s territory and borders is predictably causing uproar. A few weeks ago he surprised reporters during a press conference with Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, by pointing out that Belize’s borders are not internationally recognized, and […]
Joel Nagel continues tonight as Ambassador of Belize to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The U.S. attorney was accredited to Austria and several other European countries, but was cancelled by the Government of Austria, a move that earned Belize a black eye in diplomatic circles. The dismissal has […]
The Minister of Foreign Affairs contended that business continues as usual for Nagel, and he has already brought results, including a closer relationship with the I.A.E.A., who has sent teams to Belize to observe the situation with cancer caused by various agents, among other things. While it’s hard to believe that what is essentially ‘gossip’ […]
The San Pedro, Ambergris Caye woman at the center of the brutality that led to police confronting civilians on the island early on Saturday morning has come forward to the press. However, she has asked that her full name not be disclosed. Police Corporals Norman Coye and Darnell Madrill are attached to the Quick Response […]
In the immediate aftermath of the gunfire, the woman says she was forgotten for the moment. But after things cleared up, she was taken home by other cops and did not face any charges. Police wanted to speak to her but on Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Keith Lino, the commander of the Professional Standards […]
“Not now…not ever!”….the civil society has come out strong against the Government after the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Patrick Faber announced on Monday that non-striking teachers will be given a ‘bonus’ for last October’s eleven-day industrial action. The Belize National Teachers Union, the Christian Workers Union, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry […]
A second Seawell sibling was set free today after an extradition request fell apart. Gary Seawell was released last November, and this morning after spending over a decade in prison, Mark Seawell was set free by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. The process to get him off was long and arduous, but after walking up the […]
Seventy-nine-year-old pastor Florencio Guillermo Bardalez of the San Ignacio Baptist Church was brutally murdered on his farm in Esperanza Village on Monday night. Tonight, thirty-five-year-old Gabriel Cunil, a resident of Esperanza, was arraigned for the murder of the elderly man. Bardalez’s body was found under a tree on his farm; he had been beaten badly […]
A fire at the popular Publics Supermarket on Central American Boulevard in the City was quickly contained on Wednesday night. The fire started from a freezer loaded with sodas and beer. Soon enough, the fire department was on the scene and brought things under control, averting a major disaster. By this morning, team work from […]
