As we bring you the news tonight, the Budget Debate is still raging in the sacred chambers of the National Assembly in Belmopan. All members of parliament from both sides of the House are given the opportunity to speak on the draft estimates for the year 2014 – 2015. It’s important stuff, because it is […]
In theory, the purpose of the two-day session currently in the House of Representatives is to debate the 2014 – 2015 Budget. But in fact, after twelve speakers from both sides on Monday, there has been little or no mention of the draft estimates. Today, it started off with much more of the same, as […]
On Sunday unknown persons entered the home of P.U.P. Area Representative for Cayo South Julius Espat, in Belize City. Espat told News Five on Monday that despite the presence of money and other valuables, only two laptops and his debate speech were stolen from his personal office. While burglaries are commonplace and common folk […]
On Monday, the Council of the European Union formally imposed a sanction on Belize, as well as two other countries, for failure to comply with international regulations in the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The ban is a hard blow being dealt to non-compliant third countries, including Cambodia, Guinea and Belize, and its […]
Last week, our friends at PGTV reported that a container of rosewood was detected near Trio Village and taken to Big Falls Port ready to be exported. While there is a moratorium in place, government officials told News Five that the rosewood was allowed under the 2013 amnesty program. Well tonight, there is another report […]
The issue did not make it in the Minister’s presentation during the budget debate, but today the People’s United Party wrote Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, for an update on the proposed amendments to the Firearms Act and Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act. Writing as legal advisor to the P.U.P., Attorney and Senator, […]
As we’ve told you, most of the budget debate never touched on the budget, but there was plenty of entertainment. On the opposition side, there was a lot of ‘call elections if you’re bad…’ while on the government side there was an equal amount of – ‘we will win every seat in every corner of […]
The 2014 preschool festival of arts opened on Monday at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. Hundreds of preschoolers from Belize District are performing in dance, music and drama for the rest of the week. National Coordinator for Expressive Arts, Leroy Green told News Five on Monday that the event is a prelude to […]
The Santa Rita Monument stands proudly at the northern entrance of Corozal Town. Once a thriving trading center for the Mayas, it has now been transformed and restored into a cultural center to revive Mayan history into an enriching experience. The Corozal B.T.I.A. believes that the Maya Wedding Garden Project will create economic opportunities in […]
Today parliamentarians from constituencies countrywide gathered to debate the 2014 – 2015 Budget, presented by Prime Minister Dean Barrow two weeks ago. It’s titled Bettering People, Building Belize – A Budget for All. PM Barrow has referred to it as a good news budget, perhaps the best yet. As has become tradition, every member on […]
The third speaker for the day was former Prime Minister and political firebrand Said Musa. If there’s one thing that can be said for the wily veteran, it is that he gives as good as he gets. Today, he was in fighting trim, and set his sights squarely on Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Barrow once […]
According to Musa, the performance of the economy under the U.D.P. has been dismal at best, and that is borne out by poverty statistics. The government has boasted about the expanded Boost and food pantry programs, but far from being impressed, Musa says that the need to expand those programs is a reflection of the […]
Following former Prime Minister Said Musa was Collet Area Rep and Minister of Education, Patrick Faber. He’s usually good for two hours, but today he seemed somewhat subdued. Still, he was good for a potshot or two at his favorite whipping horse, the Belize National Teachers Union. FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE. Patrick Faber, Collet Area […]
Area Representative for Orange Walk Central, John Briceño, then took center stage. He was fired up, and combined past achievements and present statistics to lash out at the U.D.P. government. Briceño says that if the Prime Minister thinks he’s bad, he should go ahead and call elections. FOR VIDEO CLICK HERE. John Briceño, Orange Walk […]
There is an update to report on the National Bank of Belize. As you know by now, Jose Marin was named Managing Director when the Bank opened its doors last year. Last Friday, he was told to step aside and even though Marin told News Five he had considered stepping down a month ago, he […]
Former Product Development Officer at the Belize Tourism Board, Janine Ebanks-Alpuche has been appointed as executive director of Friends of Belize. Alpuche is responsible for heading the organization’s efforts in fostering favorable economic and job-growth policies in the country. Having served for seven years in her previous post at B.T.B., Alpuche, says F.O.B. Director and […]
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize called for a boycott of Bowen and Bowen products today after the recent termination of thirteen employees from the company. The employees were challenging new terms of employment and absented themselves from work for two days saying they were sick. The boycott, however, did not appear to hold […]
A gang of fifteen stevedores on Wednesday pulled off an unexpected strike at the compound of Port of Belize. The gang was scheduled to unload ninety-five containers from Seaboard Marine vessel. The shift should have lasted approximately twelve hours, but the stevedores refused to work because they were fed pasta salad, barbecue chicken and a […]
With that issue on the political backburner for the time being, the P.U.P. is concentrating on forging ahead in unity, or as much unity as possible in any political party. So today when P.U.P. leader Francis Fonseca made the official announcement of the new senators, it was with a happy heart and smiles all around. […]
Early this morning, members of several high-intensity, elite units of the Police, B.D.F. and Coast Guard descended on the island of San Pedro. It is part of an operation to restore order to the island in a hurry, with as much impact to the criminal element as possible. From what News Five has been able […]
Stakeholders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a cross-section of government, as well as other non-governmental organizations, including the National AIDS Commission, gathered at the Biltmore this morning to review the achievements of the Program for Strengthening the Central American Response to HIV. PASCA, as it is known, is a five-year project spearheaded by USAID. The […]
The Embassy of the Republic of Venezuela held a press conference this morning to update the local media on the current state of affairs of that country, in the wake of an attempt by the opposition to ouster President Nicolas Maduro from political office. The effort to destabilize the government and cause social upheaval through […]
Thomas Vincent Ramos, founder of Garifuna Settlement Day, is widely regarded as one of our many national heroes. While he is remembered during the month of November when Garinagu in Belize and abroad celebrate the arrival of their ancestors to the shores of Belize almost two centuries ago, master sculptor Stephen Okeke has immortalized Ramos […]
The People’s United Party will be holding a press briefing on Thursday to announce the appointment of two new senators. From what we can gather unofficially, Attorney at law, Anthony Sylvestre Junior, the legal advisor to the People’s United Party, will be formally named senator. Sylvestre has filled in as Senator when the substantive senators […]
The status of a criminal investigation at the Immigration Department remains somewhat in limbo following an order of Mandamus against Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. The ruling was time sensitive since both summary offences used in procuring the order had periods of limitation which have since expired. An investigation commenced, and since then DPP Cheryl-Lyn […]
