The case of the thirteenth Senator came up today in the Chambers of Acting Chief Justice Samuel Lungole Awich. Belizeans for Justice is taking the government to court for not implementing a constitutional amendment to appoint one more person to the Senate. That appointment would have come from the N.G.O.s, who elected a nominee but […]
A tourism project in San Pedro funded by the International Development Bank is running into trouble with residents of the town who over the years have relied on the designated area to earn their livelihood. The project contemplates blocking access to the lagoon and for boatmen, that’s like taking from their tables. The islanders say […]
On January seventeenth, aspiring local musician Damion August came to our studios with his jaws wired shut to make a public complaint of police brutality. August, who goes by the stage name Weezy, is tonight once again in the news not for an album release or another physical confrontation with the police but for allegedly […]
In another case along the same lines, two police officers almost lost their jobs and had their reputations tarnished when a Caye Caulker resident accused them of stealing cash and household items from him. But forty-five year old Maxwell Castillo is now being accused of fabricating the allegations and is facing a charge of Committing […]
Word to News Five is that employees of Social Security across the country are planning a sickout on Monday. According to the report, workers are up in arms because they have been unable to reach agreement on a number of issues that include salary increases, sick leave and health insurance. The negotiations apparently go back […]
Eight Millennium Development Goals, called the MDGs, were passed at the United Nations back in 2000. The MDGs provide specific and ambitious benchmarks to tackle world poverty by the year 2015. The local Alliance Against AIDS is part of a global project of forty-four countries. It is the focal point agency for developing advocacy initiatives […]
It was last week Wednesday that American tourist, Diana Mechling, was killed when the propeller from a catamaran she had traveled on, cut her on the right pelvis and leg. For almost a week the matter was under investigation before any regulatory body issued any kind of statement. Then the Belize Port Authority issued a […]
We reported in our newscast on Wednesday, that Santino Castillo, the deputy chairman of the Belize Tourism Board who also chairs the Board’s Finance Sub-Committee, had been unceremoniously dumped from the B.T.B. His firing came in a letter signed by the Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia, delivered at Castillo’s office. It is big news because […]
The Prime Minister’s first quarterly press conference for 2011 was on Wednesday; it took place at a time when high priority industries are operating in crisis mode. On the heels of a hurricane that ravaged crops, the citrus industry is facing legal arbitration with an international investor; the country’s only sugar factory has halted production […]
That was the prime minister’s take on Wednesday and by today the reaction has been fast and furious. SATIIM issued a release saying that the P.M.’s statement shows complete disregard for the law. It goes on to quote Gregory Ch’oc, the Executive Director, as saying that; “SATIIM will challenge any illegal action in order to […]
The nationalization of Telemedia in August 2009 has sparked debate in local and international quarters. How safe is the investment climate for foreign investors? That’s a question asked by serious and potential investors in the Jewel. Well, the P.M. said on Wednesday that he expects that there will be more rounds of litigation that will […]
In a senate meeting in November last year, Senator Godwin Hulse projected that the sugar content in the new cane crop was possibly better than that of 2009. In his estimate the cane had a minimum sugar content of ten to one. He even went as far as to outline how the mill would be […]
Both major political parties, the U.D.P. and the P.U.P. agree that Cruise Tourism is an industry that needs more than just souvenirs, taxis and hair braiders to stay afloat. While there are no shortages of visitors, when Carnival sneezes, the entire industry catches a cold. The dispute has been over the cost to ferry tourists […]
Since the crisis involving tendering for cruise tourism broke, we have not heard from the Minister of Tourism. He accompanied the Prime Minister and B.T.B. officials to Miami on January seventh to meet with Carnival Cruise Lines but he has been quiet on that most important issue for the tourism industry. But today, Minister Manuel […]
Belize Western Energy Ltd. invited to its Belize City offices today to clarify what it considers to be serious allegations made against the company in light of a news item aired in certain sections of the media. In a story on Wednesday several tanks of varying weight and measure were filled with butane after being […]
While most of the P.M.’s quarterly press conference laid out hard times for the people, there was one moment at the end of the press conference when Barrow paused to make mention of an incident, which he felt was a footnote worth mentioning. Last week, the Committee Organized for Liberty Through Action, COLA, camped out […]
A ruling was handed down in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in a case brought by Maranco LLC against Susan Morrice, Tony Quinn, International Natural Energy LLC and Belize Natural Energy Limited. Maranco is a minority shareholder in I.N.E., which in turn is the sole shareholder of B.N.E. In a media advisory issued on Wednesday, […]
Twenty year old Charles Young Jr. has been fingered as one of two gunmen who assaulted a trio last Friday evening as they stood talking at the corner of Tibruce Street and Hibiscus Lane. Despite being charged on Tuesday for the murders of Ian Martinez and Daniel Puerto as well as the near fatal shooting […]
The Barrow administration is now entering its fourth year in office. Prime Minister Barrow today hosted his first quarterly press conference. He discussed a range of issues including one that has the population on edge. While everyone is waiting for the cost of fuel to go down, the price at the pump continues to shoot […]
The Prime Minister was drilled on a number of issues, including the recent oil exploration concession given to his nephew Kimano Barrow. Environmentalists have sounded the alarm about Kimano’s lack of knowhow in the oil industry and are concerned that there was no bidding process for the concession issued in the large parcel of land […]
The Sugar Cane Industry is at a virtual standstill tonight because the Belize Sugar Industry Factory is inoperable due to failed machinery at the BELCOGEN Plant. The international lending organizations were ready to pull the plug at B.S.I., but government granted a ten million dollar bailout loan to keep the factory open. Well now, the […]
The P.M. also used the occasion to give a report card of how his administration had fared over the past three years. He gave a preview of the upcoming budget for the new fiscal year and while he promised no new taxes, the productive and tourism sectors are not in the best shape and fuel […]
Late reports to News Five indicate that Santino Castillo, well known businessman and co-host of Channel Five’s KTV Latino, has been abruptly fired from his position as deputy chairman of the Belize Tourism Board. Castillo reportedly received a handed delivered letter from Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr. today informing him that his services were no […]
As we told you at the top of the newscast, the temporary shut-down of the Tower Hill Factory is set for this Thursday. Grinding is expected to come to a halt for three to four weeks in the first instance which is likely to extend the 2011 crop into the rainy season. Even if production […]
A group of cruise visitors who were out sightseeing in downtown Belize City today fell victim to one of the crooks that plague the streets of the old capital. Just after eleven a.m. fifty-five year old Dutch National Koos Klybroek was along with his wife, Esther Van Eeden and three friends when he was suddenly […]
