In early November, Martinez came out in support of Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, who was considered the dark horse who would have gone head to head against DPM Patrick Faber and National Security Minister John Saldivar for the leadership. With a delay in the leadership fight, can Faber and Saldivar expect others to make a […]
Last week we reported on the US Government’s decision to cut non-humanitarian aid and non-trade assistance to Belize. United States President Donald Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum which listed Belize as one of several countries that has failed to comply with minimum standards of international human trafficking regulations. As a result, aid to Belize will […]
The AFP, or the Agence France-Presse, is an international news agency with over fifteen hundred journalists contributing to its twenty-four-hour news coverage from across the globe. The AFP has one news outlet in The Hague with a staff of four. They cover news from the Netherlands, the International Criminal Court, the Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals […]
Another question the journalists sought answers for was about the liberal use of marijuana in the Netherlands. It was not so common in The Hague; in fact, it was hardly noticeable. But in the capital city of Amsterdam, there are hundreds of what are called coffee shops, essentially marijuana shops, that are given permits to […]
A five-day conference kicked off today in Belize City. Policy makers are attempting to strengthen what is in place to eliminate poverty among the various pockets of the vulnerable populations. Issues of healthcare, income security for children, the elderly or the disabled are also on the table. On the first day, social protection registries and […]
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, through the U.S. AID-funded Climate Change Adaptation Programme, launched its Light Detection and Ranging system today in Belize City. The system, known as LiDAR will help to significantly boost the Caribbean’s ability to limit the devastation of climate change by improving its capability to monitor and plan for physical […]
U.D.P. Leader Dean Barrow will remain as Prime Minister until the year 2020, which is when the next general elections will be held. PM Barrow had initially announced that he would demit office prior to the elections to allow his successor enough time to rally the party together under a new leadership. This gave aspiring […]
We also asked Minister Godwin Hulse about U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision not to provide non-humanitarian, nontrade-related assistance to the Government of Belize. The determination is based on Belize’s ranking on the U.S. 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report. At Tier Three, it means that the Government is doing little to nothing to address the trafficking […]
On April tenth, 2019, Belizeans will be tasked to make one of the most important decisions of Belize’s young history. That decision to take the territorial dispute with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice would be a major milestone in this longstanding issue. But many have found themselves indecisive; as making an informed decision […]
A one week of coverage from The Hague, Netherlands concludes today. News Five’s Marleni Cuellar and eight other media colleagues from seven media houses and the government press office have participated in a week-long immersion trip to increase their knowledge of the functioning of the International Court of Justice. There has been coverage on many […]
After a number of fake investors slipped through the net, the Government of Belize says it is working to strengthen the review process for those who seek to establish businesses in the Jewel. That was the response from Minister of State for Economic Development, Tracy Taegar-Panton, during an interview with News Five at BELTRAIDE’s annual […]
Millions of dollars were scammed from persons who invested heavily in securing a prime parcel of land in Sanctuary Bay, by a convict carrying out the operation from behind bars in a U.S. prison. Unsuspecting investors were shown pictures of various developments purportedly occurring within the gated community in southern Belize. So is it a […]
Small and micro business owners converged today in Belize City at the annual entrepreneurship convention. The event provides the sector with information on how to tap into opportunities and grow their businesses. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting The fourth annual national entrepreneurship convention 2018 was held at the Biltmore Plaza in […]
Cabinet has approved a national trade policy that will be officially launched in January. While some entrepreneurs have been able to sell their products to the region and elsewhere, many have not been able to access international markets with ease. Minister of State Panton says that when rolled out, the national trade policy will foster […]
Orange Walk Town has lost one of its most prominent members. Former politician, teacher and businessman, Rosendo Urbina Senior passed away on Thursday night. The founder of A and R chain of stores, U.D.P politician, and former Ambassador to Mexico, “Chendo” Urbina is well-known across Orange Walk Town, having served on multiple boards of educational […]
It has been ten years since renowned Belizean musical icon Andy Palacio passed away. Despite his untimely death in 2008, Palacio’s legacy in world music remains intact. This weekend, friends and family of the late cultural ambassador will gather in Belize City to celebrate his life on the eve of what would have been his […]
World AIDS Day is celebrated globally on December first; the occasion is used to encourage persons to get tested and prevent the disease. On this the thirtieth anniversary, there are worrisome figures that place Belize as one of the countries with the highest rates in the region. There are two hundred and twenty-three new infections […]
Orange Walk Town Council is getting ready for Christmas! Today, we found the Council’s employees hard at work getting the Central Park ready for the holidays. The council is hosting its annual tree lighting ceremony which will feature entertainment, Santa Claus and lots of fun activities on Saturday evening at six. Mayor Kevin Bernard says […]
The U.S. government has determined it will be withholding aid to Belize for various programmes. Earlier today, the State Department announced that President Donald Trump had signed off a decree to stop assistance to a number of countries. In the case of Belize, the U.S. will not provide non-humanitarian and non trade-related assistance for the […]
Today in The Hague, the Belize media had the opportunity to sit down with two law experts in International dispute resolution from Leiden University in the Netherlands to weigh in on the Belize Guatemala dispute. They provided a wealth of information based on their experience in the principles of international law and how it is […]
Another hot-button issue that the media has been pressing for answers while at The Hague is the specific wording of the Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala. The court would be asked to settle based on International law – “any and all legal claims of Guatemala against Belize.” Some fear the wording is too open-ended […]
On Tuesday, two former employees of Choice Bank Limited vented their frustration at Sagicor Life over their pension plan monies. Former Chief Operating Officer, Brian Stypul and former Chief Compliance Officer Adrian Arana, along with twenty-three other former employees of the bank, say they have been trying to get Sagicor to return the monies they […]
A Transparent B.P.O. bus burst into flames this morning. The incident happened between miles eight and nine on the Philip Goldson Highway at around six-fifty-five. Ladyville police and firefighters responded, but while the inferno was extinguished, the bus was totally destroyed. Inspector Wilfredo Ferrufino shared more. Insp. Wilfredo Ferrufino, C.I.B., Belize City “The fire […]
Earlier this month, police officer Osbourne Martinez was fatally shot while responding to a robbery in progress at Belcove Hotel in downtown Belize City. Following his death, many questioned the police department’s commitment to adequately equip police officers who would respond to these types of crimes. Today, Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie happily announced that […]
A sub-regional conference of HelpAge International concluded today at the Ramada Princess in Belize City. Six countries in region examined a convention that was signed in 2015 under the Organization of American States in respect of the protection of the human rights of older persons in Latin America and the Caribbean. But only Costa Rica […]
