Minister of Education Patrick Faber is neck deep in a personal and political scandal tonight. The senior government minister has been accused of assaulting a staff member and her friend while at a party at his home in Lord’s Bank on Friday night. The shocking report was made to the Ladyville Police Station at five […]
Despite being up that proverbial creek without a paddle, Faber has both hands in the water and is churning up a storm. Interestingly, while the report speaks about the Minister of Education choking a young woman and punching her in the face twice, Faber maintains that he is an upstanding citizen, and in his opinion, […]
The Minister didn’t deny the incident happened, but insisted the report was withdrawn. As Minister of Education, Faber travels the nation speaking to students, encouraging them to reach for the stars and do the right thing but it’s not looking good for the young Minister, who says he’s only human. In the end, Faber turned […]
At a press briefing called today, the newly formed Public Relations Unit of the Police did their best in a bad situation. When asked the question about the report made against Faber, Police Press Officer Raphael Martinez appeared uncomfortable. And as to the report – well the police line is that it was withdrawn, so […]
There is more political news. While U.D.P. Minister Patrick Faber is under heavy public scrutiny tonight, attorney Arthur Saldivar’s political star is dimming very quickly. Saldivar is currently on suspension as standard bearer in the Belize Rural North for the People’s United Party. That came as a result of an allegation that he took just […]
It all leads to the road march this coming weekend. But on Saturday night, an extravagant show of stunning and colorful creations overwhelmed revelers as a record number of Bands competed for the King and Queen of the 2014 carnival. The elaborate outfits were judged on various points from artistic design to movement adding up […]
The Gang Suppression Unit, in recent days, has come under sustained fire from the public for its strong-arm approach to crime fighting. Of late, there have been allegations made against the GSU concerning the use of excessive force in carrying out its job. That seemingly unconventional tactic, however, has, to an extent, proven successful, reducing […]
Following today’s sitting of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Barrow was asked about the exchange between former Prime Minister Said Musa and GSU head Mark Flowers. The exchange has gone viral. Barrow, like others we’ve asked, refused to touch it, claiming that both Musa and Flowers have said more than enough. Interestingly, he claims […]
While things inside the House of Representatives were relatively tame today, comparatively speaking, there was a very vocal protest outside the House. About one hundred villagers travelled a long way from the southern communities of Silk Grass and Santa Cruz to draw attention to issues affecting them. The numbers were small but their voices were […]
Earlier this week, five mothers of babies who died in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in May 2013 received settlement from that institution. Investigations by the Pan American Health Organization have indicated that the infant deaths were the result of bacteria in the neo-natal unit, allegedly the end result of the hospital’s lack of adherence […]
That wasn’t the fiery debate just yet…that came when Briceño went after former K.H.M.H. Director of Finance Carlos Perera. Perera was fired by the K.H.M.H. Board recently, following a series of allegations made against him during his time as finance director. The Speaker of the House took exception to the point being made, claiming that […]
Dangriga Police are tonight investigating the sudden death of a forty-five-year-old resident. Details are that the man went swimming earlier this morning and his body was later found floating near the sea shore. Raphael Martinez says that a preliminary investigation has revealed no signs of violence on the body. Raphael Martinez, Police Press Officer […]
There was quite a scare in the sugar industry last week, when it was announced that there would be a considerable reduction in the quantity of fair-trade sugar to be purchased by Tate & Lyle for the European market. Farmers, for whatever reason, were of the impression that the change would abruptly come into effect […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow lashed out at the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, the body which administrates the eighteen cane-farming branches. ASR has maintained that the decision to reduce quota of fair-trade sugar purchased is because of EU markets. But the B.S.C.F.A. has taken some hits because that Association was recently cited for serious non-compliances […]
The National Bank of Belize recently celebrated its first birthday, with much the same fanfare with which it celebrated its birth. Today, Prime Minister Dean Barrow lauded the institution which he says can barely keep up with the demand for affordable, low-interest credit from Belizeans. The bank was capitalized with twenty-million dollars from Petro Caribe […]
The alleged killer of an elderly woman from the southern community of San Pedro, Columbia is tonight in Police custody. And he has confessed to the brutal murder of sixty-one-year-old Agripina Coc. Twenty-four-year-old Miguel Choco has been on the run since Saturday evening, but Punta Gorda Police, with the assistance of villagers, ran him aground […]
The villagers of San Pedro, Columbia and those from San Marcos played a crucial role in the capture of the alleged killer. They acted swiftly after the murder of a woman they respected and loved, and vowed to hunt down the man they believed had taken her life. Men, women and children carrying sticks, batons […]
The Gang Suppression Unit remains the object of intense public scrutiny. Recently, the elite task force came under fire from the People’s United Party which ultimately resulted in a tiff between former prime minister Said Musa and Inspector Mark Flowers. Despite a succession of commanders however, the GSU is widely viewed as a rogue faction […]
A series of checks in various denominations were distributed this afternoon to small business owners who will use the financial assistance as venture capital and for the expansion of their businesses. They gathered at the Radisson where Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development Mike Singh was on hand, along with […]
On Friday, a terse email from the Police Press Officer announced to the media that all requests for information or interviews from senior officers would have to be channelled through a new Public Relations Unit. That new policy, not surprisingly, didn’t find favour in the media. So today there was a formal, though informal introduction […]
Where the media is concerned, we are assured that using the new method information-gathering will be streamlined and much more efficient. All queries will be made to the new unit, which will then pass it on if they have it, or get it if they don’t. All requests for interviews on any particular story will […]
The Eastern Division is getting a new look and new feel, the brainchild of Commander Dezerie Phillips. It’s all about changing the perception of the Police Department, making it more people friendly, more community-oriented and more accessible. It includes some spring cleaning, some painting and much needed sprucing up…but much more important than that – […]
Belize currently holds the presidency of the Central American Integrated System, SICA. That means hosting a round of regional meetings in different critical areas, like energy. This morning, directors from all member countries of SICA sat down in San Pedro to discuss energy. It’s a two-day session designed to allow SICA countries to strengthen cooperation […]
Day three of Mas Camp 2014 is currently underway and a News Five team is visiting the five remaining bands that will face the judges in the preliminaries of the Carnival Road March 2014. The mas camps started on Tuesday with five bands and on Wednesday night two junior bands and two seniors were visited. […]
Last week, Tate and Lyle dropped a bombshell on cane farmers when it wrote to say that it will be buying a minimum of ten thousand tons of fair-trade sugar from the farmers. That’s a whopping fifty-five thousand tons less than they did last year. Well tonight, there is sweet news for the farmers because […]
