In an interview with B.E.L.’s Public Relations Manager on Tuesday, Vonetta Burrell informed that the company ensured that its employees were being paid, despite losing money consistently since 2011. According to Burrell, the staff has been receiving twenty percent average increase, along with annual bonuses of about six percent for the past four years. We […]
The P.U.P. today held a meeting of the National Executive, which also includes standard bearers, to decide a way forward to general elections. But by our count, there were at least twelve standard bearers who did not show up. Now, what we heard is that those persons – including five from the north, three from […]
When P.U.P. leader Francis Fonseca emerged, he said that it was just a regular meeting to discuss the way forward for the Party. And even though he agrees that an election is right around the corner, Fonseca claims that so many Standard Bearers and Representatives missing a National Executive Meeting is no big deal. […]
And what about the post of National Campaign Manager, abruptly vacated by Godfrey Smith? It was believed that when Smith was brought on board in 2014, he would have provided some sort of financial access, but that reportedly did not come through. So Smith is gone, and the party leader says there’s no new NCM, […]
Day two of protests took place today during the lunch hour by members of the Belize Energy Workers Union employed at the government controlled Belize Electricity Company. The final round is planned for Wednesday as workers protests the utility company over salary increases. In the fiscal year 2014, B.E.L. made a whopping thirty-six million dollars […]
This morning, Marvin Mora, wearing his hat as President of the Belize Energy Workers Union, discussed to issue as he sat on the couch on Open Your Eyes. While disputing some of the statements made by B.E.L., Mora also said that the union had lost trust and confidence in the labor commissioner because there is […]
And our question for tonight is: Do you believe the government needs to consult with Guatemala over construction of the Forward Operating Base in Belizean territory? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments […]
Mexican newspapers are reporting that a Belizean minor was found in the nude and in a drunken stupor in a bushy area of Cancun where she has reportedly been in a relationship with Mexican national. Residents of the area did not respond to screams and later on Sunday morning, the fourteen year old girl was […]
The Mediterranean Fruit Fly has been detected in two areas southern Belize. That’s the report today via a press release from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, better known as BAHA. The pest, which can cause the country to lose its citrus, bananas and other fruits for export if it is not contained, was detected one […]
The news from the K.H.M.H. tonight is that medical services are back on track. It follows a go slow that started on Friday and continued over the weekend when some medical services at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital were abruptly reduced. All outpatient elective surgeries referred to the K.H.M.H. were also cancelled indefinitely. Those measures […]
Following the lengthy two and a half hour discussion, Minister of Health Pablo Marin would emerge optimistic, bearing what can only be described cautiously as good news since none of the representatives in that meeting would disclose the details of the agreements met. The good news, first and foremost for patients of K.H.M.H., is as […]
According to chairperson, Chandra Cansino, the Board of Governors of the K.H.M.H. along with representatives of the hospital staff, will form a task force to provide government with critical information that has been requested. Notwithstanding an end to the go-slow, Cansino told the media that she is unable to inform K.H.M.H. staff of what those […]
But while the K.H.M.H. staff was lobbying for a salary adjustment the hard way, by effecting a go-slow at the hospital, patients, including twenty-seven-year-old Irvin Cantun, were affected. After being viciously attacked with a machete during an incident in Palmar Village last Monday, Cantun has been in need of surgery to his face and arm. […]
While staff at the K.H.M.H. is looking to unionize, N.T.U.C.B. President, Marvin Mora, chimed in on the K.H.M.H. issue, emphasizing a need for employees to organize in order to proceed with a collective bargaining agreement. Marvin Mora, President, N.T.U.C.B. “We have always been advocating trade unionism , especially of areas of essential services in […]
An idyllic hang-out with friends, drinks and food on Saturday turned into a bloody tragedy when a domestic attack elicited a deadly response. Thytis James Blancaneaux, thirty, was at the residence he shared with Keyren Tzib, twenty-four, in the Spanish Town Area of Lord’s Bank. They were having some drinks with friends and preparing some […]
Aside from the killing of Thytis Blancaneaux, there are two murders to report. Hattieville resident, thirty-one Hugh Dyer, was today charged with murder of forty-seven year old Steve Munnings, a handyman from the village. Dyer is the ex of twenty-six year old Michelle Brakeman for whom Munnings was building a bathroom. She claims that on […]
Services at the national referral hospital were significantly reduced today, and will continue so for an indefinite period, affecting patients from the districts who require medical attention at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. As many as six hundred employees at the K.H. M.H. are staging a go-slow, having canceled all outpatient elective services and surgeries […]
Coming out of Thursday’s meeting, the staff of the KHMH is organizing a workers’ union and plans to negotiate on behalf of employees with the Board of Governors and government. They demand an equal wage increase to be paid retroactively. Peter Allen, C.E.O., Ministry of Health “I can certainly understand the staff’s requesting the […]
An accident in Spanish Lookout claimed the life of a detective attached to the Special Branch in Belmopan. San Ignacio police were called out to the Spanish Lookout Road sometime between seven-thirty and eight on Thursday night following a report of a fatal traffic accident which cut short the life of Police Corporal Carlos Orio […]
In news of a political nature, on Tuesday, Attorney Godfrey Smith abruptly departed his post as National Campaign Manager in the wake of a third consecutive election loss by the party since the beginning of the year. No replacement has been found, but the matter is surely to come up next week when the party […]
Five Belizeans were detained in Guatemala in mid-June and reportedly experienced a horrible ordeal at the hands of the Guatemalans military. The group was hanging out at a restaurant in the village of Santa Cruz which is just across the border when they were told to leave. Among the group was Councilor Ashton McKenzie of […]
There is another recent arrest by Guatemalan authorities. On July eleventh, 2015, Benque Viejo businessman and former Mayor, Edgar Contreras was arrested in Guatemala for having a gun not registered in that country. Contreras, who is cousin of Minister Erwin Contreras, reportedly keeps a licensed firearm because of his job as a money changer. On […]
The case against Harvest Caye, a tourism development project created by Norwegian Cruise Lines, concluded in the courtroom of Justice Courtney Abel today with closing arguments. The Belize Tourism Industry Association is disputing the decisions of the Department of the Environment and the National Environmental Appraisal Committee. Both agencies sanctioned an Environmental Impact Assessment for […]
On Wednesday night, News Five was the first to report on a formal protest issued by Guatemala in relation to the planned construction of a Forward Operating Base at the mouth of Sarstoon River on the mainland. That protest comes in the wake of an altercation between Guatemalan military and Coast Guard personnel – in […]
Just before leaving for Washington and Mexico today, Elrington told News Five that Guatemala’s position on the Forward Operating Base was conveyed in a very civilized manner, through a diplomatic note from that country. Because that territory is indeed in dispute, the Foreign Minister says that going to the O.A.S. is the right thing to […]
