For several weeks, Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa has been pushing for the introduction of a piece of legislation under the Private Members Bill that would consider the eligibility of Belizeans in the Diaspora to participate in the upcoming I.C.J. referendum, notwithstanding existing requirements. Late Tuesday night, during the final minutes of the budget […]
Following the no vote for the Diaspora Bill, at around eleven o’clock on Tuesday night, Prime Minister Barrow closed off the exhaustive two-day debate of the 2019-2020 Budget. After responding to the criticisms from the Opposition, the PM continued to tout the budget, lauding government’s track record for improving the economy and the spending on […]
The Statistical Institute Belize today released its latest figures relating to the Gross Domestic Product during the fourth quarter of 2018. They report that the economy grew by one point three percent in the fourth quarter. The increase is attributed to the growth seen in the primary and tertiary sectors which experienced a twelve point […]
There is a fake S.I.B. website and officials at the institute are warning users and the public not to trust the data on it. During its quarterly press conference today, Deputy Director General Diana Castillo-Trejo told the media that the website has been stealing their information and posting it. She warns that the data can […]
The Wonder Woman Competition came to a grueling end this afternoon. The coast guard team ALPHA emerged victorious, defeating four other teams including from the Belize Defense Force and the Police Department. The last leg of the competition involved a cross fit competition that tested the physical fitness of the women. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo […]
Today small, medium enterprises as well as large scale industry stakeholders converged at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize City for a metrology workshop, hosted by the Belize Bureau of Standards. With the assistance of the Mexican Metrology Institute, the Bureau of Standards intends to build the capacity of its staff and provide the expertise in […]
In 2018, PACT became the first Belizean entity to have its accreditation approved by the Green Climate Fund, a unique global fund established to limit or reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries. The fund also aims to assist vulnerable societies to adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. According to its website, given […]
At news time, the budget debate is still ongoing at the National Assembly. This morning, Cayo South’s Julius Espat started the debate, which will be wrapped up later this evening by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Espat and other members on his side of the House hammered the budget, touching on a wide range of issues, […]
The judiciary has seen a considerable chunk of its annual budget being slashed in the upcoming financial year. In contrast, additional allocations are being made for the Attorney General’s ministry, despite a very poor record of winning major cases in court. It’s a point that was highlighted by Caribbean Shores Area Rep Kareem Musa who […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington has taken a backseat in the I.C.J. campaign, giving way to the Referendum Unit and Citizens for the Defense of Sovereignty to lead the charge in educating the public on the upcoming national vote. In fact, his absence from the usual media rounds is noticeable. Today, during the budget debate, Elrington […]
In responding to claims made by the Opposition, Foreign Minister Elrington called out parliamentarian Kareem Musa whose father, himself a former Foreign Minister, is in favour of Belize taking the Guatemala territorial dispute to the I.C.J. for resolution. Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Foreign Affairs Minister “The son, the member from Caribbean Shores, is vying for […]
The agro-productive sector remains a key feature in the annual national budget and is an area of particular interest for Orange Walk South Area Representative Jose Abelardo Mai, who is an agronomist. During his presentation, Mai focused on the overall performance of the agriculture industry and government’s failure to support local farmers in recovering from […]
In taking the Attorney General’s Ministry to task, Kareem Musa called out the daughter of Mesop Area Rep Michael Finnegan whom he says was involved in a land issue representing government. He said that at the end of litigation, Justice Michelle Arana ordered government to pay out over sixteen million dollars. Well, attorney Agassi Finnegan […]
The Commissioner of Police along with representatives of Ministry of Human Development, UNICEF and B.D.F. were on a working visit to Jamaica to learn more about the island’s model to tackle sex crimes and child abuse. It is called CISOCA, the Center for Investigation of Sexual Offences and Child Abuse, which is a part of […]
Belize’s bananas are said to be some of the best on the market. They have a high demand in Europe and right here at home they make for healthy and tasty snack. And while the bananas are in planted in our soil, the little plants or meristems, as they are called, are actually not from […]
News Five joined other members of the media on an overnight trip to Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, the largest marine reserve in this part of the world. The visit one of the most spectacular sites under protection was coordinated by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, an N.G.O. formed in 2013 with the aim to promote […]
A contingent of athletes returned home today victorious. The team of twenty-five drawn from the three arms of law enforcement brought home the three feet tall trophy after securing the top spot in the Baker to Vegas Relay Competition in Las Vegas. This is the fourth time they compete and they placed first, breaking a […]
The fourth annual Wonder Woman Competition began on Monday morning with five teams from across the security forces of Belize. With the aim of the three-day competition is to identify the best team from across the services which include the Belize Police Department, the Belize Defence Force, and the Belize Coast Guard. Day one the […]
Day-one of the budget debate got underway this morning and will continue on Tuesday, Government has a week before the end of the financial year on March thirtieth and the start of the new on April first. The estimates were presented on March fifteenth by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, giving the other side of the […]
The Office of the Contractor General has remained vacant since 2018, when government chose not to renew its agreement with Godwin Arzu who failed to submit six annual reports during his term of office. In the absence of that government-appointed individual, contracts have instead been directed to the Solicitor General’s office for revision. While it […]
Never one to pass on an opportunity to land a few solid jabs on his political opponents, former Prime Minister Said Musa also went in on government for its infrastructure-heavy budget. While PM Barrow boasted about the estimates for infrastructure, the excess borrowing, says Musa, will continue to bloat the national debt by almost ninety-six […]
Former Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca, after reviewing the budget for the approaching fiscal year, criticized government for failure to reduce the exorbitant cost of fuel, a campaign promise that dates back to 2008. The price of fuel, across the board, remains above the ten-dollar mark and government last week announced a one cent reduction on […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, headed by Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, was not spared the sharp wit of former prime minister Said Musa who, in his casual humour, took square aim at the ministry for claiming it had opened an embassy in Caracas, as well as the ministry opening a call center in Chicago and the […]
On Friday, a case was brought against Commissioner of Police Chester Williams from within the ranks of the police department. Corporal Eldon Arzu, the President of the Police Association is challenging a statutory instrument signed by Williams to remove him as head of the association. At the centre of the dispute is a request made […]
There were six road fatalities this weekend and four of those accidents involved motorcycles. The road traffic accidents are not new, but there has been a rise in accidents in recent weeks. The accidents are a concern to the Belize Police Department and so they are embarking on a media sensitization campaign to educate motorists […]
