Still on the topic of guns, Gillett also met with the licensed arms dealers in Belize City to discuss issues related to the availability of ammunition. According to the Regional Commander, their intel shows that some of the weapons on the streets have made their way through licensed channels. One of the points discussed is […]
There is breaking news tonight that thirty-six-year-old punta rock artist Daniel Cacho, known to all as “Lova Boy”, is behind bars. The artist is being held without bail in a Los Angeles detention center. He is charged with two counts rape of a minor and two counts of kidnapping. The self-proclaimed “Prince of Belize” was […]
On April fifteenth, a referendum is scheduled to take place in Guatemala on taking the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice. But should Belize be worried about the legal challenge filed last Wednesday in Guatemala’s Civil Constitutional Court? The attorneys for Guatemalans Lionel Nájera and Héctor Quezada argue that the ratification of the […]
In December of 2016, Belize’s Senate, which has sole responsibility for ratification of treaties, protocols and other official documentation, ratified along party lines the 2008 Special Agreement and 2015 amendment. At that time it appeared that the country was nowhere close to a referendum after a joint date in 2015 was scrapped. So while Foreign […]
But Minister Elrington could not have known that earlier, we were made aware of just such plans by a group of litigants. They took their plans to attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley, who told us that they are still canvassing for legal opinions. But he noted that Belize has a similar provision to Guatemala in our […]
So if the Guatemalan lawsuit succeeds, could it give a boost for opponents of the process in Belize? Bradley reminded that the Sarstoon River and Sarstoon Island remain effectively under Guatemalan control, wiping out our southern border, and there are constant depredations in the West in the Chiquibul Forest and National Park. With Guatemala holding […]
There was consternation in the Senate with news that only forty thousand dollars was in the recently passed Budget for the public education campaign for the referendum on settling the Guatemalan claim at the I.C.J. But Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington confirmed to News Five today that while forty-K was approved, government needs eight […]
So where will the funding come from? The Government aims to use a mix of local funds, contributions and donations, and funding from several identified international partners. These range from the usual suspects such as Taiwan to other quieter donors. And in the coming months, Foreign Minister Elrington says we should expect to see lots […]
United States Marshals have expanded the manhunt for former marine, Raymond McLeod, who is wanted for the murder of his girlfriend, Krystal Mitchell. As we reported on Tuesday, an eleven thousand U.S. dollar reward is being given for assistance in the arrest of this fugitive. According to a release issued today by the U.S. Embassy […]
Less than a month after he was beaten at the polls, former Belize City Councilor and CEMO Coordinator since 2006, Phillip Willoughby has been appointed the new National Operations Officer for NEMO. Willoughby has abundant experience in the area of disaster and emergency management. His appointment takes effect immediately and today, the forty-year-old gave a […]
As you heard earlier in the newscast, Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett is working on multiple initiatives across south side Belize City. Today we caught up with the regional commander at one of his meet and greet in Precinct Two where he was visiting with residents in the Neal Pen Road Extension, Arlington Drive and surrounding […]
Gillett says that while a lot is being done to curb the crime and make life safer in communities, those on the frontlines can also expect some much needed incentives for their welfare. In his many meetings, Gillett has been talking with the business community on how they can improve the working conditions and lives […]
Building Up Nations for Christ hosted a one-day mission called “Young Athletes for Christ Camp”. The U.S. team has hosted mission camps in Belize over the years, but this is the first time they have engaged primary school students. The day of fun activities, games, motivational talks and basketball was held at the Trinity Methodist […]
The national referral hospital has resumed some services after certain areas had to be closed off due to a leaking roof. The K.H.M.H. Authority earlier today announced that specialists’ clinic services have resumed and that appointment are now being scheduled. A very brief release says that patients with appointments will now be treated. A team […]
The Senate wrapped up its deliberations on the General Revenue and Appropriation Bill very late last Wednesday. All the bills it has debated are now law, but several of them will continue to spark discussion even so. One example is amendments to the Immigration, Belizean Nationality and Passports Acts. These respectively speak to dividing the […]
Concerns were raised that dividing the Immigration Department as proposed in the bills could invite further mischief in a department already badly bruised by the 2011-2013 scandal discussed during last year’s Senate Special Select Committee public hearings. At those hearings, it was abundantly clear that the department had little in human resources to keep it […]
It has been said, only half-jokingly, that in Belize the Easter weekend is not as fun if a Belizean doesn’t win the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Indeed the nation’s longest-running sporting event, coming after the quiet of Good Friday, is the signal of a weekend of fun. So as eighty-plus Belizean riders took […]
Crime remains a hot-button issue in the social discourse. This week’s news has been dominated by the police’s response to Sunday’s confrontation between elements of the Gang Suppression Unit and residents of the ‘Ghost Town’ area centered on Mayflower Street. Then on Wednesday, residents of the area rejected conciliatory gestures by Deputy Commissioner Chester Williams […]
As chief executive of Belize City, Mayor Bernard Wagner must also grapple with the issue of crime, despite not having much to do with policing. He too made a public plea to the criminal element to “hold it down” and not put their fellow residents in danger. He also addressed the actions of the police […]
The Christian tradition of Easter stems from the death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, later called Jesus Christ. In a time when some have openly questioned their faith and the faith of a nation described in the Constitution as Christian or at least God-fearing, what sacrifices are we prepared to make for our neighbors […]
As happens annually at this time of year, most Belizeans have left for points north like Corozal, Chetumal and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico; west to Cayo and Benque; or south to Dangriga, Hopkins, Placencia and P.G., or even to the cayes. But wherever you’re watching this newscast tonight, know that in Belize City the […]
Is calling out C.E.O. of Agriculture Jose Alpuche for also being the chairman of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority political mischief, or is there a legitimate concern that his dual role constitutes a conflict of interest? According to Alpuche, the Ministry of Agriculture subsumed BAHA prior to it becoming a statutory body where a seat […]
Manatee Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on the twenty-ninth of March. In lieu of the Easter Holidays, the folks over at Sea to Shore Alliance launched a face board at the B.T.L. Park. The mission is to create further awareness on the sea cow and the issues surrounding its safety. Belize has the healthiest population […]
It is the Holy Grail of Belizean sport, but for the last four years – if 2015 Champion Justin Williams’ Belizean nationality is discounted – foreigners have dominated the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Two-time and defending champion, Guatemalan Alejandro Padilla Miranda, is unavailable for this year’s event. The rest of the field consists […]
For many, cross buns are an important part of the Easter holidays. As tradition would have it, cross bun recipes in Belize are passed down from generation to generation. Hot cross buns, with their combination of spicy, sweet and fruity flavors, have been around for centuries. At this time of the year, the symbolic cross […]
