For months the illegal rosewood extraction has been a topic of interest, and since the burning of over four hundred thousand dollars worth of flitches by forestry Minister Lisel Alamilla last Friday, let’s just say the topic is receiving national attention. And apparently with good cause as tonight there are credible reports that another […]
January fifteenth is the birthday of the man who has been hailed as the father of Belizean Independence and the Father of the Nation. George Price died on September nineteenth, twenty eleven, just before Independence Day. But his memory has lived on, and Price is remembered for his humility, his achievements, his contributions and the […]
In the wake of the four brutal murders last week, Leader of the Opposition Francis Fonseca offered the cooperation of his Party to fight crime; it was accepted in principle by the Prime Minister. Fonseca has since taken to the streets and is meeting with residents of the most affected communities. Today, News Five spoke […]
There was mayhem inside the Magistrate’s Court detention area this morning and a BERT ambulance had to be called to the scene after a fight broke out between prison inmates and police officers. It happened early this morning when the Kolbe Correctional Facility bus arrived in the area transporting as many as sixty-eight prisoners charged […]
With the ICJ question up in the air, a referendum on the Belize/Guatemala dispute scheduled for October sixth and persistent incursions into our borders, the lack of security at the borders has been a major concern. But to increase patrols, it also means additional resources—human and otherwise. In a brief ceremony in Belmopan this morning, […]
The funeral of Leonard ‘Ghost’ Myers, reputed to be the second in command of the George Street Gang in Belize City, was held in his home village of Gales Point, Manatee on Sunday afternoon. Meyers, along with three affiliates of the George Street Gang, was killed in brutal execution fashion at an apartment building at […]
This morning, traffic in downtown Belize City came to a halt, for the pageantry and ceremony which marks the opening of the Supreme Court for the calendar year. School children, tourists and regular passersby stood watch as the traditional pomp and circumstance of the formal event played out in front of the historic Supreme Court. […]
In his presentation at the opening of the Supreme Court Attorney General Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington raised several issues with the Bar Association—specifically, the need for continuous education and a return to its traditional role. According to Elrington, it cannot be Bar versus Bench. Wilfred Elrington, Attorney General “My lord with respect to the private […]
This morning’s weekly police press conference deviated from the norm, as the media was met by old faces in new commands. Assistant Commissioner of Police Elodio Aragon Jr., formerly head of Eastern Division, has been promoted to Deputy Commissioner of Police with responsibility for Operations. Assistant Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura takes over the reins […]
Late last week, Belize City Mayor, Darrell Bradley, confirmed to News Five that residents who are behind in the payment of taxes will have to pay up those arrears, possibly through a payment plan, before they can receive or renew their drivers’ licenses. According to the Mayor, the Council is on an aggressive timetable of […]
An executive meeting of the Belize National Teachers’ Union branches will be held tonight in advance of membership meetings later this week as the unions begin to mobilize in response to current issues. Top on the list is crime, the state of the economy, the partially-resolved collective bargaining agreement with Government and the ICJ referendum […]
Today Revenue Fairs were held around the country, and like its name suggests, it is all about making sure that government receives its share of the pie. The first fair, held last year, was the brainchild of the Income Tax Department, but today’s event featured the participation of other departments with one goal – collecting […]
Motorists, property and business owners are being affected by the latest plan devised by City Hall to collect outstanding revenue owed in taxes. The Mayor says that persons who owe the city will have to pay up if they want to continue using services offered by the city. City Hall’s newest way to collect income […]
The Belize Tourism Board held its industry presentation this morning at La Isla Bonita. The Board was out in full force and the report on the state of the industry was glowing with arrivals on an upward trend. A master plan for the next two years was unveiled and so was a new logo: Belize: […]
There is a serious allegation against a prominent attorney tonight. A couple from Michigan in the US is accusing attorney Arthur Saldivar of accepting payment, but not delivering services. The couple, John and Cynthia Engelhardt, claim that they paid Saldivar thirteen thousand dollars to process their title for a condo in San Pedro. That was […]
The Lord’s Ridge Cemetery and Eternal Garden are the two resting sites controlled by the Belize City Council. On December seventeenth, 2012, the Council informed undertakers and funeral homes that it would take control of the building of tombs and vaults at these sites to ensure quality control. There has been an expected backlash from […]
In a decade of what some may call inactivity and decaying infrastructure, Mayor Darrell Bradley is adding his personal touch to the city’s landscape. Instead of constructing unsightly signs with names of donors, as has been done in the past, the mayor is concreting streets that have fallen apart. The ongoing work which has to […]
Youth Enhancement Services received a cheque of one hundred and eighty-seven thousand one hundred U.S. dollars courtesy of the Central American Regional Security Initiative (CARSI). The monies will fund a three year project that is being undertaken in collaboration with Community Policing Unit of the Police Department to fulfill three goals including: the renovation of […]
Ever since the Belize City Council announced it would be taking over the responsibilities of building tombs and vaults at the Lord Ridge Cemetery and Eternal Gardens, undertakers briefly kept quiet on the decision. A few residents, however, have readily made their discontent known about the tombs built by City Hall. And one particular undertaker, […]
The crime rate in Belize, particularly murders, has reached a historical high and it appears to only be getting worse with every violent killing, the heinous sexual crimes against women and children, the frequent shootings and other firearm related offences. With no change in sight, residents no longer feel safe and some have started seeing […]
Citizens Organized for Liberty Through Action (COLA), is calling on citizens to reject taking the Belize/Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). COLA says the decision to subject Belizeans to a one-sided decision and referendum should be considered unconstitutional. Geovanni Brackett, COLA’s President, says it attempts to circumvent the procedure established by our […]
According to the Belize Tourism Board, arrivals peaked last year with record numbers of visitors. But to start the year and in the height of the high season, one of the biggest cruise lines, Carnival Cruise line has cancelled ten stops in Belize for 2013, starting as early as this week. That can have a […]
Two stops by the Carnival Legend, which carries two thousand, one hundred and twenty-four passengers, were canceled; one this week and one in December. The other eight calls being cancelled in the coming months are for the Carnival Glory; a two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-four passenger ship. If you do the math, that’s twenty-eight […]
The People’s United Party issued another press release today on the quadruple homicides of members of the George Street Gang. The party leader Francis Fonseca is now calling for a commission of inquiry into the possible involvement of the GSU in what residents strongly believe were state-sanctioned executions. A complete report subsequent to the official […]
In the aftermath of the gruesome discovery on Tuesday of four George Street Gang members, who had been brutally murdered, the U.S. Embassy has issued a security message for American nationals residing in and travelling to Belize. The advisory notes that, “while there is no indication that U.S. citizens are targeted or otherwise under direct […]
