Government assumed control of the registries on Tuesday morning; and there will be much discussion and yes, expensive litigation ahead. B.I.S.L. is confident that it holds a valid agreement and government has breached that contract. In a release issued on Tuesday that company claims that it will, “vigorously defend its contractual rights and pursue its […]
The death of thirteen newborns at the K.H.M.H. in the month of May and the deadly bacteria outbreak in the neonatal intensive care unit is another big issue which is unresolved. An issue of this magnitude would at least invite a comment from the Minister of Health, Pablo Marin…but so far he has been mum […]
The alleged terrorist suspect who took the identity of a Mennonite Wilhelm Dyck that died shortly after childbirth has been released from prison. In August 2012, a Belizean passport, driver’s license and birth certificate, were all issued to the alleged Hezbollah associate, Raffic Labboun. Labboun, an American citizen of Lebanese descent, was initially released on […]
A Guatemalan national was shot by the Belize Defense Force last Tuesday in the Chiquibul and remains hospital under guard at the Western Regional Hospital. Prime Minister Barrow explained today that all investigations have revealed that twenty-seven year old Edgar Alexander Sacasa of Picalito Village was indeed inside Belizean territory when he was shot to […]
The report from the government on the shooting of Sacasa says that the soldiers on patrol found a make shift thatch roof shed within Belizean territory. And while securing the area, Sacasa entered the area and fired at them. The soldiers then returned fire. That version of events is different from reports by news organizations […]
Among those who attended the Prime Minister’s press conference this morning, was the Minister of State, Santino Castillo. Castillo was involved in a cycling accident on the George Price Highway on June fourth and had to be hospitalized for a fractured rib, a broken collar bone and punctured lungs. He successfully underwent surgery and is […]
The Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center in Belize’s mission is to ‘provide a temporary safe and caring environment where children can seek refuge during a difficult period in their lives.’ In 1975, the Child Care Center was opened for twelve children and that the current number of children now hosted by the facility is up […]
In 2009, the government of Belize nationalized the telephone company, B.T.L. and the electricity company, B.E.L. Today, government went further and took over control of the Belize International Services Limited (BISL) which manages the International Business Companies Registry (IBCR) and the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE). That action will land the government in […]
Since discovering oil in Laguna Seca, an area within the northwest corner of the Orange Walk District, Maranco Energy Belize Ltd. has been trying to determine whether the promising show is of commercial quantity. That breakthrough was reported back in late March. In the days that followed, the government expressed its enthusiasm about the show […]
Stories on the street works being done in Belize City are not new, and neither are stories of frustration, congestion, inconvenience and even loss of revenue caused by that work. While the traffic situation has been bad for months, it seems to have reached new heights with the latest round of infrastructural works. It’s not […]
In November 2012, the Belize City Council launched its Municipal Development Bond. It was a novel idea to raise much needed money for infrastructure works and it was greeted with the requisite amount of political cynicism and public scrutiny. Considering the scale of works, today News Five asked Mayor Darrell Bradley if there is anything […]
Late this evening, government announced a third round of nationalization. In a short and bare press release, the government announced it is taking over the management services agreement with Belize International Services Limited (B.I.S.L.) to manage the International Business Companies Registry and the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE). IMMARBE and the I.B.C. registry […]
The Special Envoy for Children, Kim Simplis Barrow has endorsed a program called Girls Fly. After her first experience in Belize, the organizer of Girls Fly, Gael Sylvia made a heartfelt commitment to showcase the experiences of women in Belize. Sylvia has returned to Belize and she expects that ten thousand girls and women will […]
Fifteen year old Rowan Garel may be visually impaired, but his vision and passion more than compensate. He has claimed the heights of the Victoria Peak and has walked across the country, all to raise awareness and funds for the programs offered by the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. This year Rowan takes on […]
With Crawl Caye off the table as a cruise ship destination, Norwegian Cruise Lines is looking for other areas in southern Belize for a cruise ship tourism project. On Tuesday, cabinet went with the recommendation of a five-minister subcommittee, that in respect of Crawl Caye, only pocket tourism is recommended. The NCL representative, Colin Murphy, […]
While the Council of Churches is yet to meet with P.M. Barrow to express its views on the inclusion of the term sexual orientation in the Revised Gender Policy, the alliance of regional church leaders representing the Cayo District says it has sought advice from lawyers, teachers and sociologists on the possible far-reaching effects of […]
The Church may be a hallmark of communities but no municipality can survive without a market. That is why the mayors from across the country were attending an important meeting at the El Rancho Bar and Restaurant in the Capital. A European Union (EU) Consultant had travelled the country and spent quality time at each […]
All eyes are focused on the K.H.M.H. and a deadly bacteria outbreak in the neonatal intensive care unit. K.H.M.H. figures put the infant mortality in the first twenty days of May at thirteen and the official position is that seven of those infants died as a result of the bacteria, while the rest died from […]
On Tuesday, the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action held a press conference to demand answers from the K.H.M.H. and the government on the thirteen newborn deaths in the neonatal intensive care unit in the month of May. And this morning COLA, some of the grieving parents and concerned Belizeans marched on the K.H.M.H. to […]
When the national gender policy was launched in mid-May, it immediately unleashed a firestorm of controversy from very vocal church groups and most recently, the Belize National Teachers Union. The most outspoken opposition has come from the west, where local pastors have led the charge to have the gender policy withdrawn and revisited. Prime Minister […]
Internet rates have gone down recently and while some people are counting the extra change in their pockets, there really should be quite a few dollars more that internet subscribers could save. Belize has the highest internet rates as well as the slowest bandwidth in CARICOM. How bad is it? Well, a survey of the […]
At a press conference in late April, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced the creation of the National Bank of Belize Limited. A Board of Directors, a Managing Director, location and startup money of twenty million dollars that would come from Petrocaribe funds were identified. It’s mission… principally to make residential mortgage and other consumer loans […]
Norwegian Cruise Line will have to find a different island for its cruise ship port. But there is another tourism related project in development that far surpasses Norwegian’s hundred million dollar price tag. Stake Bank, originally estimated at US Two hundred and fifty million dollars would include the construction of three luxury hotels, a restaurant […]
As we reported on Tuesday night, the Norwegian Cruise Line’s proposed one hundred million dollar tourism investment project in Belize is currently on hold. A technical team working with Cabinet’s subcommittee determined that Crawl Caye cannot be developed as a cruise terminal because of “numerous environmental considerations.” And that recommendation was endorsed by cabinet at […]
But all is not lost for Norwegian Cruise Line as it is now shifting attention to other islands for development in the southern Belize. Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that the rejection of Crawl Caye should not be interpreted as a rejection of cruise tourism. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “The word from the technical […]
