The individual claims that over two hundred visas were ‘assisted’ by Minister Edmund Castro for two thousand dollars each. If you do the math, that’s four hundred thousand dollars to Castro, in a scheme which lasted six months, from October 2012 to March 2013, but may involve a much longer period with other facilitators. According […]
There is much more to come in the alleged Castro visa hustle, but the Elvin Penner debacle is still simmering. It hasn’t boiled over yet because there is absolutely no word from the Ministry of Immigration on what is being found. The best the public has been offered is that there are multiple investigations underway, […]
Still on the issue of the passport scandal, Belize City Councilor Eric Chang’s arrival is eagerly anticipated. Chang has been M.I.A. since September third, and last week, he was stripped of his Deputy Mayor title. Mayor Darrell Bradley today told News Five that there has been no further communication with Chang, but his extended absence […]
Since October fifteen, Activist, Patrick Menzies, launched a campaign to gather support across the country asking parents not to send their children to school to send a clear message to the government. Menzies is fighting many battles, but primarily he want stop amendments to section forty-six of the criminal code as it pertains to children. […]
While he was on camera, Menzies also lambasted certain leaders of the religious community saying that they are engaged in politricks. He says that’s the reason why he and several other leaders of the church have separated themselves from “politricians.” Patrick Menzies, Activist “I have no desire for politricks like many religious leaders in […]
Approximately ninety percent of those gathered are naturalized Belizeans so we asked Menzies if he was taking advantage of those persons or was he pushing his own agenda. Menzies says that his agenda is God’s agenda. Patrick Menzies, Activist “Very good question and it is a good question; a needed question. What agenda can […]
On September nineteenth, Elvin Penner was relieved of his appointment as minister of state after credible information landed at the Ministry that he had signed off on a nationality certificate and recommended the issuance of a passport to Wonhong Kim. Kim was in jail in Taiwan and was wanted for embezzlement of millions of dollars […]
The passport scandal has dominated the media for weeks, night after night, and tonight there is still more to report. Elvin Penner is back in the country, and is awaiting meetings with his executive committee and the Prime Minister before he makes a decision on whether he will accept the invitation by his leader to […]
SATIIM, the Mayan communities in the Sarstoon-Temash buffer zone, U.S. Capital Energy and the Government of Belize had their day in court today – or at least the first day, since arguments are complicated and protracted. The claimants in the case are SATIIM and four Mayan Communities – Crique Sarco, Conejo, Graham Creek and Midway. […]
Patrick Menzies is a community activist who has aligned himself with the Hispanic evangelical churches in Belize. And using that platform, he has now launched a move for a national shutdown, lobbying parents to pull their children out of classrooms. For Menzies, it’s all about the national gender policy and now the proposed amendments to […]
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says the government is nonchalant where the safety of employees is concerned. That is the basis for a fiery release sent out over the weekend. The matter on the table is the Occupational Health and Safety Bill, which addresses working conditions, equipment and safety requirements for employees. The […]
Women in public office have been a rarity in Belize’s political landscape when compared to the number of men who have offered themselves for candidacy in municipal and general elections over the years. Sure, there have been a number of initiatives, including Women In Politics, a broad curriculum organized by the National Women’s Commission, to […]
The National Secondary Schools Sports Association, the governing body for high school athletics in Belize, has joined forces with Crystal Bottling Company after several unsuccessful attempts at forging a productive working relationship to improve sports across the country. This afternoon, representatives from the Bowen and Bowen Group were present for the signing of an agreement […]
There is an uproar tonight among various organizations, including the National Women’s Commission and the Special Envoy for Women and Children, following the publication of an article entitled “Bake It Again” in Friday’s edition of the Amandala Newspaper. The article is written by columnist Colin Hyde and it expresses his views on the amendment to […]
A ten year old student from Holy Redeemer made to the top three in an international art competition. Tasia Sutherland competed among students from around the globe and her piece entitled, “Again at the Principal’s Office” was picked among the winning entries in a competition organized by the Taiwanese Government. Tasia was among a group […]
This weekend, the Sacred Heart College will be hosting its annual school fair and business expo on its grounds in San Ignacio. The event will feature businesses from throughout the community which will be offering special deals and promotions for the occasion. The annual fair and expo is the single biggest fund raising event of […]
CARICOM has been a fixture within the Caribbean since its establishment in 1973 through the Treaty of Chaguaramas signed by four countries: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica and Trinidad. While CARICOM is synonymous with regionalism, there has been somewhat of a disconnect between the organization and its member-states, prompting the regional body that is headquartered in Guyana […]
If you take a walk down Jane Usher Boulevard, you will see a difference in the neighborhood. That’s because the area of the basketball court which is heavily populated has been illuminated and residents and passerby can now enjoy a safer community. News Five’s Isani Cayetano dropped by for a look at the improvements. […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow is in Los Angeles for fund-raising activities and meetings with Belizeans living in that area. While he is out, his deputy, Minister of Natural Resources Gaspar Vega is acting Prime Minister. But while many miles separate them, Vega is out of sight, but not out of mind. The Ministry of Immigration […]
Former Minister of State and the man on the immigration hot seat Elvin Penner is back in Belize. He returned from Guatemala on Sunday, after receiving medical attention for hypertension and headaches. But the passport scandal boiling over in Belize probably won’t help his high blood pressure any. And his headaches will not be going […]
While Elvin Penner has not made up his mind if he is resigning, the People’s United Party says it now has enough signatures to start the process of a recall in Cayo Northeast. According to deputy leader, Julius Espat, the P.U.P. has now made it to the one thousand seven hundred plus signatures it requires […]
According to the Prime Minister Dean Barrow, government coffers are overflowing and there are millions upon millions of dollars to hand out. That’s what the U.D.P. leader told constituents of Cayo Northeast during a tour a week ago. According to Barrow, there will be unprecedented spending in Cayo Northeast. In fact, in the PM’s own […]
Last Friday, we reported on American fugitive, forty-seven year old Kenneth Hibbs, who was caught by San Ignacio Police on Burns Avenue. Hibbs was wanted by U.S. Marshalls for parole violation and theft of Motor Vehicle. Hibbs carried no identification but he is currently in detention awaiting extradition to the U.S. sometime this week. But […]
In the south, a demonstration was held this morning by parents and students of the Julian Cho Technical High School and tonight, the school has closed its doors. It stems from the lack of science classes to students in the last two years of high school, who are preparing to sit the 2014 CSEC exams. […]
The Christian Workers Union was suspended from the National Trade Union Congress of Belize in mid-August and tonight it is facing expulsion from the umbrella organization if it decides to forego a scheduled general congress on Saturday. The upcoming meeting is for the membership of the union to elect new executives in light of ongoing […]
