On Wednesday, the U.D.P., all hyped up and bursting with enthusiasm, announced the entry of Doctor Carla Barnett into electoral politics. Barnett is no stranger to the public service, and has also gained recognition regionally, though overt politicking is something new for her. Flanked by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Deputy Gaspar Vega, Barnett made […]
The U.D.P. has placed great emphasis on Barnett’s integrity in public life, and Prime Minister Barrow has stated publicly that it is perhaps her strongest point. The Prime Minister is also using that claim to integrity as an attack on the P.U.P. On Wednesday, he told the gathering that indeed, Barnett’s integrity was so formidable […]
The Prime Minister has jubilantly placed Barnett against Fonseca in a political battle for Freetown, and only time will tell how that plays out. But in the meantime, Barrow is also poking fun at Fonseca at every possible turn, claiming that the P.U.P. leader’s days are numbered. Today, we asked Fonseca for a response which […]
Tonight, two persons are being questioned about the murder of twenty-four year old Roaring Creek entrepreneur, Emerson Daly Junior. While Police are not saying if the men in custody are friends of Daly’s, they confirmed that the duo is from the Belmopan Area. On Wednesday morning, Daly’s decomposing body was discovered in the Belize […]
There was a collision this morning between a Ready Call bus transporting fifty-one employees and a dump truck. It happened on the Boom-Hattieville Road when the loaded bus crashed into the rear of the truck that was heading to a nearby quarry. The employees on the bus were pretty shaken up, but fortunately only two […]
Earlier we showed you P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca’s response to the announcement of his opponent in Freetown. He wasn’t too impressed or concerned. Fonseca has other things on his mind right now, like the municipal elections scheduled for March fourth. It is believed the results of that election will be a reliable indicator of which […]
A search for Emerson Daly, a Roaring Creek resident, concluded this morning when his body was pulled out from the river behind Banana Bank in the Cow Run area. The decomposing body was partially nude and while it was suspected that he died from stab wounds, police clarified this evening that Daly was in fact […]
With much pomp and ceremony, this morning the United Democratic Party announced its new choice for the Freetown constituency, replacing caretaker Lee Mark Chang. Doctor Carla Barnett has worked under both administrations, and is also regionally recognized. And now, she will abandon the boardrooms, for the moment at least, and will take her game to […]
As we mentioned, Barnett will be butting heads against a seasoned politician, a three-time winner in Freetown, a former Minister of Education and Attorney- General as well as the leader of the People’s United Party. One would say that’s a formidable opponent for a novice to tackle, and this morning Barnett was asked point-blank if […]
Currently, there are only two women in the House of Representatives on the U.D.P. side. Both of them were brought in through the Senate, and not elected. The U.D.P. doesn’t have a great track record when it comes to women running for office on their ticket. Doctor Carla Barnett has been ushered into the spotlight […]
Today, Audrey Matura-Shepherd, flanked by the executive of the Christian Workers Union, called a press conference to give a status report after one year as President. Matura-Shepherd has come under scathing criticism lately from U.D.P. functionaries who claim that she has neglected the CWU to go meddle in sugar. The firebrand attorney and CWU president […]
Matura-Shepherd provided an update on the status of collective bargaining agreements with all entities whose workers are represented by the Christian Workers Union, including the Belize Port Authority and the Belize City Council. Those two, especially, have been in the news lately. She reiterates that for the success of collective bargaining agreements, the involvement of […]
On Tuesday we told you about OCEANA’s position on the draft Petroleum Exploration Zones and Exploration Guidelines prepared by the Geology and Petroleum Department. Today, the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities came out firing at Oceana’s statements. A release issued by the Ministry states that Oceana was not accurate in its […]
The family of a missing Roaring Creek resident fears the worst tonight. Twenty-four year old Emerson Daly took off on Sunday in a vehicle belonging to his uncle promising to return it soon enough but he never did. This morning, the police found the Pathfinder in an abandoned area of Belmopan with blood stains on […]
Two brothers have been arraigned for Saturday’s murder of B.D.F. volunteer, Denver Villafranco. The siblings, Orlando and Phil Tyrone Staine from the Saint Martin De Porres area appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith today after they were charged for the violent and cold blooded homicide. Villafranco was chopped to death near the Complex building […]
The Belize Barrier Reef was placed on an endangered list by UNESCO since 2009 and it remains on that list tonight. But we can report that a delegation from UNESCO’s World Heritage Center is in country to review the state of the Barrier Reef. The reef reserve system was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site […]
Over the past five years, there has been continuous degradation of the reef. Concessions have been granted for offshore oil exploration and mega tourism developments within the reef system are raising concern for environmental groups. According to the Communications Officer of OCEANA, Alyssa Carnegie, the visit by UNESCO will start the dialogue between the environmental […]
And our question tonight is: Do you think the sugar industry is better off with the amendments to the Sugar Act allowing for the formation of splinter associations? 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 […]
The Geology and Petroleum Department has circulated a document entitled Petroleum Exploration Zones and Exploration Guidelines. The department claims that it “recognized the need for a framework aimed at harmonizing petroleum exploration and environmental protection and tourism development in the onshore and offshore areas of Belize and the barrier reef system.” It’s only a draft, […]
When the N.T.U.C.B. hosted a press conference last week to express support for the farmers, President Dylan Reneau was conspicuously absent. Inquisitive by nature, we asked for an explanation and were told by second Vice President Adelaida Guerra that if we wanted to know why he wasn’t there, we’d have to ask him. On Monday, […]
The sugar crisis is a volatile one and has occupied the public conscious for months. On Sunday, the crisis came closer to resolution when the B.S.C.F.A. agreed to sign on with the millers, ASR/B.S.I. We’ll have that later in the newscast, but we go to this morning sitting of the House of Representatives in Belmopan. […]
As justification, Prime Minister Barrow indicated that it was essential that the bill be pushed through all stages because of the new associations in play, and the complexities involved in ensuring that all operate on a level playing field. And so, notwithstanding the protest by the opposition, Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega introduced those amendments. […]
That justification didn’t impress P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca, who then declared open season on the government, and on those he called their moles and cronies within the B.S.C.F.A. Fonseca says history will record that it was the treachery and betrayal of the government which forced caneros to their knees. Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader “We […]
Fonseca also reserved special attention for Prime Minister Dean Barrow, asking him why he has to be so rude…to attorney Audrey Matura-Shepherd, that is. The P.M. recently referred to her as a junior grade, empty-vessel attorney. Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader “What does ASR have over this Prime Minister and his government? What is really […]
Even as the debate raged inside the House, outside cane farmers and supporters were gathered in protest. There weren’t many of them – at peak probably fifty – but there was representation from the N.T.U.C.B., V.I.P., COLA, ROC and even random activists. Mike Rudon has that story from outside the House. Mike Rudon, Reporting […]
