This afternoon, the National Institute of Culture and History presented the winner of the theme competition for the September Celebrations with a cheque for one thousand dollars. Orange Walk teacher Argelia Mendoza Ken explains how she came up with “Sovereign and Strong – Together as One.” Argelia Mendoza Ken, Winner, September Celebrations Theme “I […]
Co-Chair of the National Celebrations Commission and Culture Minister Elodio Aragon Junior, like Ken, hails from Orange Walk. He told us the theme is apt for this year’s festivities. Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State, Culture “I think when you look at the theme, talking about sovereignty, talking about us being strong as a […]
As many as five years ago, a major immigration scandal rocked the government. It was revealed that ministers as well as senior officials were involved in facilitating visa approvals to hundreds of persons who did not quality. In fact, this station was taken to court by Minister of State Edmund Castro and after damning information […]
Evangelical Pastor Llewellyn Lucas was abducted from the residence of businessman William ‘Danny’ Mason on Intelco Hill in Belmopan on July eighth. Along with two other men, Lucas was blindfolded and taken to a ranch near mile thirty-one on the George Price Highway where he was butchered and decapitated. His head was later found inside […]
The release from the N.T.U.C.B. is rather tardy, almost a month and a half after the incident made international headlines. According to N.T.U.C.B. President Marvin Mora, the cumbersome structure of the trade union congress often affects the timeliness of its position since general consensus needs to be met prior to taking a public stance on […]
Religious leaders from across the country, particularly those who are members of the National Evangelical Association of Belize, are planning to descend on Belmopan on Tuesday to protest the controversial Section Fifty-three decision. The timing of the demonstration is set to coincide with the weekly Cabinet meeting, only there won’t be any this Tuesday since […]
The recent ruling on Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code is getting support from the Mental Health Association. The MHA says it applauds the Chief Justice’s recent ruling which is firmly based in law rather than emotion and upholds the right of privacy in consensual sexual activity between adults. According to the MHA, it is long […]
A science conference called the Mesoamerican Society for Biology and Consultation Congress is being held in Belize. Today and for the rest of the week, regional experts in biodiversity and the environment will be discussing issues threatening the ecosystem and making recommendations on regulations that can mitigate these challenges. Heavy topics such as the illegal […]
There are four Tropigas Branches across the country—in Belize City, Belmopan, Orange Walk and San Ignacio. Today, about seventy-five students from those municipalities were chosen as the recipients of a school grant of one hundred and fifty dollars to assist their parents with the cost of their education fees. News Five’s Duane Moody stopped in […]
Relief efforts continue across the country in the aftermath of Hurricane Earl. G.O.B. through its partner agencies as well other humanitarian organizations have been providing support to the many families that were affected by the category one hurricane that hit Belize on August third. The government has approached the U.S. Government through the embassy in […]
Weeks after he first made headlines, the threads continue to unravel in the story of accused con man turned alleged kidnapper and murderer, William “Danny” Mason. And the staggering scale of his many acquaintances and connections, both professionally and privately, is still being measured. During Thursday’s press conference, Treasurer of the Belize Progressive Party, Robert […]
Earlier this week, the Government of Belize announced that it will not be appealing Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin’s decision that Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code was unconstitutional. The landmark ruling, as is the controversial LGBT issue, has been met with mixed reactions. But what does the U.S. Ambassador have to say about it? Well […]
According to Ambassador Moreno, the decision sets a precedent that is being observed by Caribbean and Latin America. The legal system and the people of Belize, Moreno says, should be justifiably proud of this landmark decision. But is this a widely held international view being forced on the local population by the U.S. and the […]
Today, a closed meeting among church leaders with an attorney took place to discuss the way forward and a possible appeal of the decision by the Chief Justice that decriminalized same-sex intercourse between consenting adults. Prime Minister Barrow has indicated that the churches have the right to appeal. But can an interested party in fact […]
The political party Vision Inspired by the People says it stands in full support of Section Fifty-three of Belize’s Criminal Code and still wants the Government of Belize to appeal the decision to strike down that piece of law, despite Government saying that it will not. In a press release, VIP says that, “its support […]
The country’s largest telecommunications provider also runs one of its biggest scholarship programs. Established in 1991, Belize Telemedia Limited’s scholarship program has helped hundreds of Belizeans gain access to secondary education in the quarter-century it has been in existence. Today, Aaron Humes met with the latest cohort of scholars at the Radisson. Aaron Humes, […]
Relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Earl are ongoing. Contributions in the form of cash and other resources needed for victims to repair homes and properties continue to be made. This morning, the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, donated a hundred thousand dollars in construction material that will be distributed to victims across the […]
According to Councilor Phillip Willoughby, who also heads the City Emergency Management Organization, CEMO, there is a strict process in place to assist disaster victims. Phillip Willoughby, CEMO “What you see on the ground are windows, plycem, two-by-four type materials and that type of thing in assisting the rapid relief that we would classify […]
The Chetumal Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism, CANACO Servytur Chetumal, has also stepped up to assist victims of Hurricane Earl. At midday, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry received a number of relief items which were subsequently passed on to the Belize Red Cross. Those items include water, toiletry and food products, as […]
There was a fire and an accident in Ladyville and firefighters had to be called in to out the blaze, rescue victims trapped in the fire and extricate a critically wounded passenger from the motorcycle. It’s a firefighter’s worst nightmare, but luckily it was only a simulation as part of a training exercise that over […]
The annual drive to prepare primary school students for the start of the academic calendar by grooming and offering haircuts is just around the corner. On September third and fourth, children on the south side of Belize City are invited to visit Fabers Road Extension where the back-to-school event is being held. According to organizer […]
Another of the event’s organizer, Edmond Staine says that it is their humble way of giving back to the Fabers Road community. Staine says that this year, they are doing it in memory of a volunteer that was killed in a traffic accident. Edmond Staine, Inspirational Promotions “It’s all about the students, you know, […]
Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code, its interpretation, as well as the ramifications of the newly modified piece of legislation, remains a trending topic in public discourse. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, following a lengthy deliberation, has ruled that the law prohibiting carnal intercourse against the order of nature, which includes anal sex between consenting adults, […]
While members of the clergy have opined on government’s stance on appealing the Supreme Court ruling, the respective political organizations are yet to fully weigh in on the matter. So, what is the B.P.P.’s position on the striking down of Section Fifty-three? They maintain that it is a matter for the Belizean people to decide. […]
During a press conference on the Section Fifty-three decision on Wednesday, PM Barrow flatly refused to answer a question concerning his personal stance on LGBT issues, claiming that it was “not the right forum” to do so. Today, Party Leader of the Belize Progressive Party Patrick Rogers claimed that Barrow was hiding behind the judgment […]
