Today, the United Democratic Party lost one of its giants. Nestor Vasquez, who was one of the founding members of the party in 1973, a key player in the creation of Belize Telecommunications Limited and a broadcast television pioneer passed away. The United Democratic Party leadership expressed its sorrow and announced they would be flying […]
An employee of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital lost his life on Sunday afternoon while swimming in the Belize River in Grace Bank. Despite frantic efforts to save him, he was pulled away by the undercurrent. Today the search continued for his body. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting From as early […]
An unusual activity occurred last week when a Cessna plane piloted by two Mexicans was given clearance to land at the Philip Goldson International Airport. The plane was purportedly brought to the country for sale to a Belizean. But that didn’t happen; in fact, the suspicious activity led to intervention from the police and civil […]
Union protests heated up today as teachers took to the streets in a number of municipalities. In Belize City, members of the Belize National Teachers Union picketed outside the branch offices of Belize Telemedia Limited and Smart, sending a message to not only these companies, but also to the government to once again denounce a […]
Elsewhere, the numbers seemed greater, especially in the Capital, Belmopan. B.N.T.U. members paraded in front of the B.T.L. branch on the Ring Road and the Smart Belmopan branch on Constitution Drive. Wearing their green “teechaz gat yuh bak” shirts, the sweltering heat did not stop the picketing. Duane Moody has more. Norlan Galvez, B.N.T.U. […]
In response to the protests at their offices, this afternoon, Belize Telemedia Limited stated categorically that the telecom giant does not owe any taxes in areas. During a press conference at corporate headquarters, Chairman Mark Lizarraga and C.E.O. Ivan Tesecum said despite efforts made to reach out to the leadership of the Belize National Teachers […]
But according to Lizarraga, after making inquiries with the Belize Tax Service, they received a letter on April fifteenth that there were outstanding arrears for the period 2002 to March 2010. Those arrears amounted to some eighteen point two million dollars, but due to section thirty-nine of the Income Tax and Business Act, a four-year […]
While the teachers walked the picket line, today the joint union leaders met with government officials today for close to five hours. The meeting which started at ten this morning at the Central Bank of Belize ended around three this afternoon. It is unclear what were the main points discussed in the meeting; however, information […]
Shoppers who frequent Albert Street in Belize City will be sad to hear the news that a man who was often seen dancing near Downtown Plaza was found death in Battlefield Park. Known to most simply as “Andrew,” he had down syndrome and had been abandoned as a baby at a shelter in Belize City. […]
The founder of Recological Systems Limited which is now at the heart of a scandal involving the Commerce Bight Port in Dangriga, Alan Gobie, has come forward with his version of what transpired with the company. This afternoon, Gobie held a zoom conference and spoke about the Memorandum of Understanding signed between his company and […]
According to Gobie, despite the fact that he also invested significantly in the Commerce Bight project, he is intent on justifying the shares that were meant for brothers Abraham and Heinrich Frose who have reportedly lost two million dollars in the deal. Gobie also reiterated that the initial purpose of Recological was to deal with […]
Today on Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes Morning Show the national costume for Miss Universe Belize 2020 was revealed to the nation. It is inspired by the Baron Bliss Lighthouse monument that sits on the coast of Belize City facing the harbour. This costume features the kite season that was brought to life by two […]
As Belizean children begin the phased return to schools, one organization is lending a helping hand with supplies. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting Back-to-school will be a challenge for many in these trying financial times. For students who come from impoverished communities in Belize City, new uniforms, book bags and school […]
Tonight there are sixty-seven active COVID-19 cases. The daily updates show that the numbers are increasing, albeit incrementally. Today there are nine new confirmed cases – two more than the seven identified in Thursday’s report. On Thursday, Santiago Castillo Limited had to close their warehouse on Slaughterhouse Road in Belize City after it was confirmed […]
Heading into the weekend, you may want to be aware of the new statutory instrument that came into effect on Wednesday at midnight. There are a few a few changes to the COVID-19 regulations. The amendments state that on Fridays and Saturdays the curfew hours are now from twelve a.m. to five a.m. and from […]
In news from the Toledo District, a fifteen-year-old boy drowned in San Benito Poite on Thursday. Police went out to the village around ten o’clock that night where they observed Sergio Butz’s motionless body on the river bank. The family told police that Butz left home alone at three that afternoon to go fishing but […]
Many Belizeans have family members who migrate to the U.S. But what happens if they leave property back home expecting to someday recover it? Well, that is at the center of a dispute in the village of May Pen that has the Moody brothers tussling over a herd of cattle that stayed in Belize in […]
The Commission of Inquiry has been adjourned indefinitely. That’s because the unions’ representative, President of the N.T.U.C.B. Luis Luke Martinez excused himself and informed the chairman that they wouldn’t be participating further until things were resolved with the government. He gave that notice just before the live stream of his presentation was dramatically cut off. […]
The media was waiting outside the House of Culture compound as the public announcement was being made by Commissioner Luke Martinez, on behalf of the unions, causing the postponement of today’s proceedings of the Commission of Inquiry. News Five’s Duane Moody reports from Regent Street in Belize City. Duane Moody, Reporting In attendance at […]
And now we turn to the chair of the Commission of Inquiry, Andrew Marshalleck. He spoke to the media directly after the proceedings ended. Marshalleck said he didn’t even know the broadcast had been cut. He admitted that he wouldn’t have gone about it that way – as a matter of fact, he said he […]
The bold move taken by the Public Service Union spread like wildfire on social media, despite attempts taken to prevent its transmission. But are union efforts falling on deaf ears? Even as there have been consultations leading up to the budget presentation and options outside of salary cuts and increment freeze proposed by the unions, […]
While we may never know who gave the order to cut off the live stream of the Commission of Inquiry proceedings today, what we do know is that the inquiry has been put off indefinitely – well that is until the unions and the government can come to an agreement. Marshalleck told the press that […]
In his closing interview with the press, Chairman Marshalleck insisted the inquiry is relevant and that it is clear that government officials are not following the rules of procurement or selling off of assets. Andrew Marshalleck, Chair, Commission of Inquiry “From my perspective our purpose has not yet been served. I would like to […]
Will a trade dispute also be filed against Public Service Minister Henry Charles Usher? On Wednesday, the joint unions’ team received a letter from the minister outlining the pay cut. We can tell you that it is not going to be ten percent straight across the board for all public officers and teachers, but rather, […]
First Vice President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, also gave a comment on the recent land compensation judgment that was afforded to a company owned by Olivia Villanueva. In that judgment, the government has been ordered to pay Ivorr Realty approximately five point six million dollars for a one-hundred and two-acre parcel of […]
