On Monday afternoon, the sixty-one-year-old driver of Dangriga’s Mayor Francis Humphrey ended his own life in front of his house as he was being pursued by the police. Maurice Serrano died instantly from the blast of a single shot as police, along with a social worker as well as two underage girls, approached him. The […]
A decision is pending on whether the export processing zone status of Santander Sugar Limited will be amended to allow it to put part of its plantation sugar on the local market, where seven percent of the sales of A.S.R./B.S.I. is reserved. The northern cane farmers’ associations oppose the decision because of Santander’s status, which […]
Minister for Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington has told us that the work to establish the Sarstoon protocol continues with our western neighbour and the Organization of American States, but that it will take some time. The protocol would articulate how to minimize conflicts on the river and the wider Caribbean Sea. Today, Opposition Leader John […]
It has become almost a fixture recently in the newscast: persons charged with murder years ago, languishing at the Belize Central Prison, attaching legal representation to seek bail. The law makes no distinction in offenses regarding the right to bail. Nevertheless, it has been the practice by the Crown to oppose bail on very serious […]
Earlier in the newscast, you hear the P.U.P. leader speak on a number of pressing national issues as well as party matters. But John Briceño opened his press conference today with an overview of the economic situation. He made note of the continuous price increases in fuel prices, which as has been pointed out, is […]
A total of seventy-nine murders have been reported, unofficially, across Belize to date, putting the country on course for another triple-digit year of killings. Other types of major crime reports, including burglary, robbery and theft have also been getting attention. Despite the change in command in Belize City and elsewhere and the plethora of plans […]
Earlier we heard about the P.U.P. statement on the deadly volcano that erupted in Guatemala killing as many as sixty persons so far. But the party has been going through internal turmoil and strife during its convention period. Following the fallout due to the disqualification of Patrick Andrews and Arthur Saldivar in the Belmopan constituency, […]
The Belize Intellectual Property Office hosted a seminar on the Patent Cooperation Treaty. Belize acceded to the treaty in June 2000 and today, two intellectual property rights experts, including a representative of the World Intellectual Property Organization, met in Belize to discuss WIPO’s role in processing patents before they are sent to BELIPO. We spoke […]
And on the topic of patents, BELIPO says that only a few Belizeans file applications for patents. According to the Deputy Registrar, if you have an invention, you can go to its Belmopan office and file a local or international application, which will then be taken to the bureau in Geneva, Switzerland. For the international […]
As any parent will tell you, it’s never too early to start thinking about back to school even with the current school year in its final weeks. Costs of education have regularly risen and Belizeans are increasingly turning to loans and other sources to pay for their children’s education. In the case of Holy Redeemer […]
The Ministry of Labour invited the International Labour Organisation to train about thirty persons in mediation and conciliation for this week. The training workshop which opened this morning includes senior technical staff of the Labour Office, trade unions and business sector representatives. Rainer Pritzer of the ILO Caribbean Office says that the training for the […]
Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams tells us that his office believes that the mediation and conciliation training will be useful to ongoing and future labour dialogue. He says he believes that equipping the participants with the skills will help to reduce third party interventions in labour disputes. Ivan Williams, Labour Commissioner “In some discussions we […]
It’s perhaps the most recognized and used suite of software in the world, but how well do you really know Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the like? A survey states that most Office users only use ten percent of the capacity of the software in their daily work. But for young people, training […]
Earlier this year, long-time unionist and former president of the Public Service Union, Jacqueline Willoughby, severed ties with the union amid claims of defamation of her character. She has even instituted a lawsuit against the union and its president, Doreth Cayetano-Obermayer. However, she made an appearance at Saturday’s annual general meeting of the union in San Ignacio. […]
The unfounded Guatemalan claim to Belize is the subject of much discussion, but how much of it will take place in our schools? It was noted during this morning’s presentation that Belize had never given much thought to teaching the issue in schools the way Guatemala has, and with the April tenth, 2019 referendum looming, […]
Two weeks ago we told you about the proposed development on Cayo Rosario in San Pedro. It is a small caye that falls within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve that was sold to a private investor. That investor has already submitted a proposal for a massive development that will see over-water cabanas erected in the […]
The Wildlife Conservation Society, Fisheries Department and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism launched “Fisherfolk Month” today in Belize City. All month long, WCS and its partners will host a number of activities and discussions to highlight the important role that fisherfolk play in Belize. The fishing industry, back in 2016, was said to earn in […]
It may be the first day of June, but in some parts people are already thinking of September – more specifically, the September Celebrations, which are now just three months away. Belizeans will be commemorating the two hundred and twentieth anniversary of the Battle of St. George’s Caye and the thirty-seventh anniversary of independence. On […]
Planning Belize’s biggest party is no joke for the September Celebrations Commission and the municipal councils, not to mention the various service organizations involved. While a few of the dates to mark your calendar are already set, such as for the Carnival Road March and Expo Belize, the celebrations will start to take shape over […]
About eight years ago, the Belize National Youth Apprenticeship programme was started in Belize City with the aim to reduce crime, through its focus on the development, education and employment of at-risk youth. Under the administration of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, hundreds of high school drop-outs and single mothers between the ages […]
The Social Security Board celebrated its thirty-seventh anniversary today, having opened its doors to the Belizean public on June first, 1981. In honor, of this occasion an open day was held at each of the S.S.B.’s branch offices across the country. The focus today was on promoting an upcoming transition to what is known as […]
The Ministry of Health has been closing down pharmacies across the country. Today, News Five confirmed with Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero that four pharmacies in the Cayo and Stann Creek districts have been shut down and many others may face the same fate. The Ministry of Heath has found these establishments to […]
Fifteen inmates have completed a five week business development course at the Belize Central Prison. They are preparing for life after lock-up. The prison, through the Kolbe Foundation, carries out a number of programmes to equip prisoners for life outside its walls. It is not often that the foundation gets a lot of outside help, […]
A 2014 survey has shown that twelve percent of young people between the ages of thirteen and fifteen have consumed a tobacco product and it is believed that those numbers have grown since then. The Ministry of Health, through the National Drug Abuse Control Council, has been working around the clock with awareness campaigns and […]
After thirteen months of testimony from over forty witnesses, close to half a million dollars spent and many Wednesdays full of drama and intrigue broadcast live to a captive nationwide television audience, the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration has yet to release its report. The last we were told was that the draft was […]
