Bomb Expert and Commander of the Belize Defense Force, Brigadier General David Jones, is currently on pre-retirement leave after almost two decades of service with the force. But who will be moving up? Minister of Defense John Saldivar told News Five today that the current acting commander, Colonel Steven Ortega is the most senior officer […]
There have been complaints from residents on Caye Caulker that a dredging project may have adverse effects on the surrounding ecosystem and the barrier reef. Since the beginning of this month, San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi has been dredging a spot next to its docking pier on the island because its boats have been […]
The Statistical Institute of Belize, in partnership with the United Nations’ Population Fund, wrapped up a two-day training in data analysis and micro-data access in Belize City. The training for personnel from different ministries including agriculture and youth, the Belize Tourism Board and University of Belize and several other organizations saw the introduction of a […]
It’s been said that there is something permanent and something extremely profound in owning a home – and that is what a south side family found out today when they officially received the keys to their spanking new house. A mother and her three young children ages eight, six and four will move into their […]
This Saturday at the Memorial Park in Belize City, man’s best friend takes center stage in the first ever Dog Show and Pawty in the Park. From two to six p.m., residents are being encouraged to bring out their pets and enroll them into the eight categories including best dressed dog, best dog trick and […]
A telethon organized by the Council of Churches and the Belize City Council to raise funds in aid of the thousands of hurricane victims in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled for Saturday at the Bliss. While a target has not been set, Belizeans are being encouraged to give generously in order to assist […]
Many consider a stroke to be a silent killer. The truth is that a stroke may not always lead to loss of life but it can disrupt or destroy the normal function of about any part of your body. Yet, strokes are not as silent as we think. Some recognizable signs and symptoms may give […]
Since the announcement last week, there has been growing public outcry over the awarding of another contract to Imer Hernandez, the family of the former Deputy Prime Minister, Gaspar Vega. This afternoon, Prime Minister Dean Barrow called a press conference seeking to quell the firestorm on the cost of the works as well as over […]
As to the tendering for the award of the lucrative contract, you heard the Prime Minister say he solicited estimates from two contractors before settling for Hernandez. He had also consulted with U.D.P. mayoral candidate Dion Leslie. He calls this process, limited tendering, to expedite the works. The contract was signed last Thursday and by […]
To bolster an explanation on the seemingly exorbitant cost of the Faber’s Road project, government brought in an engineering consultant who has had extensive history working with the Ministry of Works. Avondale Moody handles a majority, if not all, of the internationally funded projects and after a detailed breakdown of expenditure, he claims that the […]
The Prime Minister opened the conference by specifically challenging the charge that the Finance and Audit Act was violated by the use of the selective tendering process rather than open tendering. He also defended against claims that the contract should have immediately gone to the National Assembly for review. The Act, said Barrow, provides that […]
Does Imer Hernandez’s family ties to former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega place him under intense public scrutiny insofar as the Faber’s Road project and other past contracts are concerned? Interestingly, PM Barrow says the nephew of the Orange Walk North Area Representative is not known for any party political allegiance. Barrow adds that the […]
It has now been over a month since any member of the Police Department last gave an on-camera interview to the press concerning criminal matters, not counting Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. In that time, by our count, there have been eighteen murders reported countrywide, no less than a dozen of them in Belize City […]
This evening, Caribbean Shores area representative Kareem Musa issued a statement on social media declaring that he would not contest the position of party leader of the People’s United Party against incumbent John Briceño. Musa’s name was raised shortly after the National Party Council meeting of September thirtieth as a potential challenger in the upcoming […]
The Donald Trump administration has put restrictions on U.S. banks from doing business with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and put the equivalent of ‘kingpin’ designations on President Nicolas Maduro and certain executives of the state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. So what does that mean for the prices at the pumps? Well, Prime Minister […]
The controversy surrounding the cost of the Faber’s Road reconstruction has also managed to tear away the crust over the healing wound that is Lake Independence Boulevard. That stretch of road from its junction with Faber’s Road and the George Price Highway to the Chetumal Street Bridge was built within the past two years and […]
The Senate Special Select Committee is moving closer to its conclusion, but it took a slight detour for today’s session. The two witnesses called – Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams and Assistant Registrar of the Vital Statistics Unit in the Attorney General’s Ministry, Patricia Hinkson – may not at first glance appear to be connected with […]
The Labour Department has a standing relationship with the two industries most in need of working labour – banana and citrus. But according to Commissioner Ivan Williams, there are concerns involving the employment of workers from neighboring Central American countries, particularly Guatemala. As we have reported, there are questions of whether Guatemalans seeking to become […]
The Vital Statistics Unit is at least partly computerized although a vault of the old books with manual entries of births is still maintained. The newly-appointed Assistant Registrar for the Unit, Patricia Hinkson, notes that it is still possible for anyone to walk in to register although most are done at the hospitals. But as […]
Hinkson indicated that the office does not do any vetting of its own concerning persons seeking birth certificates apart from the signature and I.D. scanning. But what can prevent someone seeking a certificate and paying off someone in the office to do so? Not much, Hinkson said, except the integrity of the system and her […]
It appears Chairman Aldo Salazar was at variance with his colleagues on the worth of today’s witnesses, but as indicated in his comments at the end of today’s session he bowed to their wishes. He issued a summary of the importance of the testimony for the Senate’s process. Aldo Salazar, Chair, Senate Special Select […]
The bulk of Salazar’s post-Senate interview concerned its future. He confirmed that Minister of Immigration and fellow senator Godwin Hulse is next to appear before the Committee, in two weeks’ time on November first, as there is a full Senate hearing due next Wednesday. As the chairman has previously indicated in media appearances, he is […]
The extent to which Belize’s economy depends on tourism generated by the threatened Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage site was revealed today by a new report from World Wildlife Fund and partner organizations. The report, “Natural Heritage, Natural Wealth,” aims to highlight the incredible resource the country is at risk of losing. The results of […]
The University of the West Indies Open Campus Auditorium on Princess Margaret Drive was the venue for a one-day seminar that targets the role of Human Resources Units in both the public and private sectors. Directors, managers and officers across Belize came together to discuss critical areas of strategic management, as part of the university’s […]
Justice Franz Parke showed up for his first day of work at the Court of Appeal of Belize this morning. The newly sworn-in judge is the latest senior official in the court of law to join the bench, despite the controversy surrounding his qualifications. The legal fraternity has sounded off on Parke’s lack of experience […]
