While many Belizeans are on their way to their vacation spot to spend the Easter holidays, is the Christian tradition being lost to secular activities? Earlier today, a symbolic artwork of Jesus was erected on the Saint Martin De Porres Parish compound. News Five spoke with Father Matt Ruhl about the message for the Holy […]
A truce is in the making among rival gangs in the City. Going into the Easter holidays, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, whose work in community policing has been bearing fruits, brought gangs together, today. It is not the first time that a truce has been tried, but Williams hopes that this time it […]
As we mentioned, ED-South Commander Chester Williams has played a critical role in bringing the gangs together and negotiating a truce. While the noble attempt is nothing we haven’t seen before, the initiative must be attributed to the respective leaders. According to ACP Williams, the idea was borne out of a mediation held earlier this […]
The Ministry of Education confirmed this afternoon that the million-dollar honorarium promised by the Government to non-striking teachers will not go in on time. This is because several school managements have not submitted their list of teachers who attended school for make-up days in January and did not strike with their fellow teachers in October. […]
In the B.N.T.U.’s convention, Senator Elena Smith, Troy Coleman and Mario Mesh are vying to replace retiring three-term president Luke Palacio. Smith has the highest profile and is seen as the strongest candidate and she is outspoken against the government. Senator Eamon Courtenay believes that the million-dollar bonus is being used to influence teachers to […]
The condemnation of the Government’s plans has been widespread, from business to civil society to activist organizations to all major political organizations apart from the U.D.P. So what happens next? Eamon Courtenay, not normally one for rabble-rousing, told us today that the honorarium issue is serious enough that a campaign of civil disobedience – though […]
B.T.L. employees across the country staged a walkout this afternoon in protest of what is being reported as a refusal to properly address a two-pronged labor issue with the Belize Communications Workers Union. In a communiqué released to members of the B.C.W.U. on March twenty-fourth, the executive of the union informed that it is aware […]
This past week has not been a good one for cops; in separate busts they have been captured on cell phone video with contraband goods up north. They are not the only violators, at border and check points, loads of items are confiscated routinely as contraband goods. So what happens to these goods? Today, we […]
As many as four police officers have been placed on interdiction for their alleged involvement in the contraband of goods. The unprofessional conduct of the police officers has left the Department reeling for some good news in the midst of the illegal and unethical activities that officers of the law have been engaged in. An […]
Alvarine Burgess first came to national attention on this station as the “whistleblower” that exposed Minister Edmond Castro’s involvement in visa recommendations for Chinese nationals. She won a defamation case in the Supreme Court after the Minister withdrew the claim following extensive testimony that vindicated her position. She has since resumed a quiet life, but […]
The pristine sandy beaches of San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia and the inland destinations, such as the Cayo District, are known to attract visitors from all over the world. But there are other locations lesser known, that have the attributes to beckon those looking for niche tourism. This week, TIDE, invited the media for a […]
As reported earlier this week, tourism arrivals by overnight and cruise remain healthy, with March setting a record for overnight tourism arrivals at close to forty-five thousand. But where are they coming from; where are they going to; and are they coming back, or coming here for the first time? These are some of the […]
Burglaries have been on the rise in the Rural Eastern Division – and it is no secret that the jurisdiction is understaffed and under-resourced. Simply put it is a large area that requires more boots on the ground and more resources needed to fight crime. The spike in burglaries and other major crimes in the […]
Three cops remain on interdiction tonight following investigations into their alleged involvement in contraband activity up north; we say alleged because while amateur footage captured the officers in the act, they have only been disciplined, and not criminally charged. Tonight, the fate of Police Constables Jorge Ascurio of the Orange Walk Formation and Elston Rojas […]
News Five broke the story last Thursday of internal complaint in the General Sales Tax Department. A senior tax officer alleged influence by the Department’s management in the outcome of his auditor’s assessment and report. The officer wrote to the Solicitor General detailing how he calculated specific values for collection, only to see his bosses […]
The General Sales Tax of twelve and a half percent imposed since the first of April affects bills greater than one hundred dollars, but the actual rate is not expected to change. That is according to Belize Electricity Limited, which has submitted to the Public Utilities Commission its annual tariff review proceeding for 2017 to […]
There was a fatal traffic accident at the busy intersection of Princess Margaret Drive and Saint Joseph Street this morning, right next door to Social Security Board and the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. One man died on scene and at least seven others were injured. But none of it was real – though it obviously […]
And so while the emergency responders gave themselves good grades, what happened to the Karl Heusner Hospital itself? The hospital does have a mass casualty plan for situations like these, but there was no evidence on the ground of their involvement despite being close to the simulated accident scene. It was a question to ponder […]
Back in September, the Ministry of Health reached an accommodation with Belize Emergency Response Team to pay salaries for its emergency medical technicians and services beyond the annual government subvention. Essentially, this made the previously private entity an arm of the Government, while a more detailed arrangement was worked out. The new national coordinator for […]
Long-time national coordinator for the Belize Emergency Response Team, Yvette Burks, has handed over management of the organization to businessman Andre Carillo of Orange Walk. She continues to hold a seat on the Board of Directors. Carillo told reporters that BERT, which continues to provide services to all of the Belize District, currently does only […]
The Toledo Institute for Development and Environment, TIDE, has been actively involved with residents in two coastal communities in northeastern Toledo District. The villages of Monkey River and Punta Negra are far-flung, the latter being only accessible by water. Their respective coordinates on the map of Belize situate them ideally between the shoreline and the […]
June to November – that is the span of the Atlantic Basin’s hurricane season. But truth be told, preparation for “The Big One” is never far from the minds of many, especially the Central Emergency Management Organization. Securing shelters, fine-tuning plans, engaging the public – it is all in a day’s work for the man […]
Instead of enjoying vacation time going into the Easter holidays, students at most public schools as well as teachers, were present in the classrooms across the country. And that’s how it is going to be for the next two days as agreed upon earlier this year to make-up for lost time during last October teachers’ […]
Abandoned and infested buildings are a common across the City – they are hot beds for substance abusers and criminal elements. These are just some of the issues that the dilapidated structures present, making them unsafe and hazardous. The City Council says these buildings are going down; thirty-four structures are to be demolished. CitCo has […]
As a part of the multi-agency approach to clean up the city and make it safer, additional works will be undertaken outside of the demolition of derelict buildings. These efforts will include removing abandoned vehicles and clearing of overgrown lots. According to the City Council, there are twelve lots and sixteen derelict vehicles identified so […]
