It is rare, but the Supreme Court has handed down a decision in respect of one of its own, Justice Samuel Awich. The background is that a complaint was lodged back in 2012 by Dean Boyce and the British Caribbean Bank Limited as well as Lord Michael Ashcroft challenging the legality of a decision by […]
The Prime Minister was at the National Call to Action Conference on Women and Girls’ Financial Health hosted by his wife, Kim Simplis Barrow, when he was drilled by the media. Still speaking on the issue of Justice Awich, Barrow directed his ire at the Bar Association. According to the PM, the Bar is political […]
Prime Minister Barrow earlier today also dealt with other significant issues in respect of companies relating to the Ashcroft Group. These include the international arbitral awards; the local enforcement on UHS being heard in September in Belize and then the second nationalization of B.T.L. which will be heard before the CCJ in December. First, PM […]
The Prime Minister also asked about the second nationalization of Belize Telemedia, which is before the Caribbean Court of Justice on appeal. The PM says that even if the government erred in the takeover, the company might still not be returned to its previous owners. Reporter “The government still stands to lose and if […]
Remember the Joint Negotiation Team that comprises of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, the Public Service Union and the Belize National Teachers Union? For years the unions had been fighting for a comprehensive collective bargaining agreement that would see among other things, salary adjustments and increments provided to its membership. The government agreed […]
There is another issue that came up this morning…the infrastructure works that are currently ongoing in many parts of the country which are funded through a twenty million dollar loan facility from Venezuela through the Petrocaribe initiative. There is one kink that is outstanding and that’s because the Finance and Audit Act requires that loans, […]
Connect Americas seeks to promote foreign trade and international investments and is a social platform which allows local businesses to network with clients, suppliers, and investors. The social platform was created by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with assistance from leading companies such as Google, DH, and VISA. This morning at the Biltmore Plaza the […]
The Concerned Belizean Women organization is putting off one of its many annual fundraising activities this weekend. It is the Independence Day Junior Miss Pageant. Eight young girls are contending for the title in the fifth annual event that will be held at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts this Sunday. The group started […]
The Christian Workers Union which represents bank employees has joined the chorus of condemnation against the Dangriga Branch of the First Caribbean Bank. Recently, a bank employee, Uwahnie Martinez, was written by the management instructing that she desist from using her native tongue when conducting transactions with customers. While a meeting has been requested with […]
A letter from Tate & Lyle delivered to the B.S.C.F.A. on Tuesday has sent shockwaves through that Association, which governs eighteen branches in Orange Walk and Corozal. Citing the fluctuating EU market, the company proceeded to inform the B.S.C.F.A. that it would be purchasing fifty-five thousand tons less of sugar from them under the Fairtrade […]
While the impending Fairtrade disaster has taken center stage with the B.S.C.F.A. and the five thousand plus cane farmers in the north, there is plenty of turmoil in the industry even without it. Bagasse payment remains the ten thousand pound gorilla in the room which nobody wants to touch. The Sugar Industry Control Board, G.O.B.’s […]
The People’s United Party has suspended, attorney Arthur Saldivar as standard bearer for the Belize Rural North Constituency. That happened on Wednesday at a meeting called by the executive to discuss Saldivar’s fate. There were some who wanted the party to go further than a suspension and to have him removed as standard bearer. But […]
In June 2012, twelve year old Jasmine Lowe was found dead on a lonely street in the Cayo District. Her death sparked unprecedented awareness and action, and in her name the Jasmine Alert was born a month later. It’s a program which networks the country in an immediate response when children are reported missing. Like […]
Just before one this morning, police constable Victor Chulin had to be hospitalized for a gunshot wound to his leg. The officer was reportedly on Cemetery Road in front of Trench Alley when his nine millimetre CZ brand service pistol accidentally fell from his trousers and went off hitting him on the leg. Police say they […]
You may not be aware of it, but there is a body entrusted with looking after the rights of Police Officers countrywide – from the rank of constable all the way to sergeant. It’s sort of like a union within the Police Department, complete with an executive body. We don’t hear much about it, really, […]
This afternoon, Dangriga Mayor Gilbert Suazo, himself a prominent member of the Garifuna community, denounced the action of the bank. According to Mayor Suazo, the idea of restricting employees of the bank from speaking Garifuna, particularly in an area where the ethnic composition is primarily Garifuna is absurd. Via Phone: Gilbert Suazo, Dangriga Town […]
There is controversy brewing tonight in Dangriga where a young woman’s job as a teller is reportedly in jeopardy after being reprimanded by her superiors for speaking her native language when greeting and transacting business with customers of the bank. News Five understands that an employee of Garifuna extraction at CIBC First Caribbean, whose name […]
Earlier today, CIBC First Caribbean issued a statement in which it says that the use of official language is encouraged within the working environment as a courtesy to all its customers and employees, particularly for conversations that are held in earshot of other ethnicities. We do note however, that while English is Belize’s national language, […]
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released its latest economic figures corresponding to the second quarter of 2014. All be told, transportation shot up by ten percent while the basket of food went down slightly by point three percent. But there is concern over a continuous downward spiral in crude production, citrus and sugar. News […]
As we mentioned earlier in the newscast, sugar cane farmers in the north have been dealt a serious blow by Tate & Lyle when the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association was informed that the company would only be purchasing ten thousand tons of sugar. That decision adds to the already dismal figures for the industry […]
A yoga dance concert and competition will be held this Sunday at the B.T.L. Park. The event is organized by Yoga Instructor Ashanti “Airbender” Garcia and is focused on bringing awareness to the intricacies of the creative sport. Garcia told News Five today that the event will include performances from several yoga students of all […]
As we told you, one of the straws which broke the proverbial camel’s back was the disqualification of Belize from the champions League. CONCACAF refused to certify the football pitch for international play because it simply was not adequate. But while nobody argued the lack of readiness of the field, there was some agitation when […]
eveloping Child Friendly Cities is an initiative of UNICEF, the Ministry of Local Government and the United Nations Development Programme which defines and develops child friendly municipalities and communities. The CFC framework in fact identifies steps needed to build a local system of governance committed to fulfilling children’s rights through the implementation of the UN […]
The implementation of the sustainable and child friendly municipalities’ initiative falls in line with the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The MDG’s were signed back in 2000; they focus on safety, education and health for youths. While the MDGs have been measured at the national level, it is only through the local authorities or […]
Tonight, our Channel Five family is pleased to announce that we have onceagain made Belize proud of our regional accomplishments as a national station. This year, we won the most awards in television in the Caribbean. As a member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, this station has always strived to maintain its high broadcasting standards […]
