The People’s United Party has further postponed its Belmopan convention to the end of August amidst a legal challenge mounted by one of its very own, attorney Arthur Saldivar. Saldivar, who was barred from applying to participate, is seeking an injunction to stop the convention until the court can decide whether or not the P.U.P.’s […]
At this afternoon’s brief, the party chairman said that the postponement of the Belmopan convention should not be interpreted as any acceptance or recognition that Saldivar’s claim has any sort of merit. But Usher conceded that Saldivar is now allowed to apply and so does not see the need for further court action. Henry […]
A training programme by the Israeli government that started with controversy, ended quietly today in Belmopan. For a week, the police department and civilians received training from the Israeli instructors on best practices in community policing. The concept is one that is already being implemented in crime infested areas, but it is the instructors that […]
The controversial training in community policing has come and gone successfully. Fifteen men and women, some of them police officers and the others civilians employed in various areas of the public and private sectors, will now be able to move into various communities armed with the knowledge of building stronger relationships. The course was not […]
Deputy Commissioner Chester Williams, an advocate of strong community relations, credits the Israelis for their success in that area of outreach, despite what has been said by detractors of the initiative. Chester Williams, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) “As much as there may be critics out there, the Israelis are one of the best […]
A request for O.A.S. observers during the re-registration process has been ignored. That request was made by Opposition Leader John Briceño to Prime Minister Dean Barrow in a letter dated the thirtieth of May. Briceño wrote to the PM saying that for the process to be transparent, it would be best to invite an O.A.S. […]
A resolution to appoint four members to the Election and Boundaries Commission will be tabled before the Senate on Thursday, almost a week after the re-registration exercise commenced. The four persons to be appointed are Phillipa Griffith Bailey and Naima Barrow of the U.D.P. and Orlando Espat and Magali Marin of the P.U.P. But the […]
On Monday, P.U.P. Leader John Briceño accepted the resignation of Julius Espat as deputy party leader for the west. Espat who has criticized Briceño’s leadership told News Five that the post has become ceremonial and is unable to carry out his functions. P.U.P. Chairman Henry Charles Usher told the press that the party and Espat […]
A fire completely destroyed a plywood home in Belize City on Monday evening. The occupant was not at home at the time of the incident and by the time she arrived at her house, the fire had completely destroyed everything. Fire officials are investigating the blaze and say that while the cause has not been […]
There were also two house fires in San Pedro. The first one happened in the early hours of Sunday in the San Pablo area. The wooden home was wiped out completely and the owner, who is out of the country, lost everything. The second blaze happened this afternoon around one o’clock on Pescador Drive where […]
The last re-registration of electors took place in 1997. Another should have followed ten years later, but the law was amended for it to occur fifteen years later, which should have been in 2012. The process has been postponed twice since then, but this morning it got underway countrywide in anticipation of next year’s ICJ […]
A Special Sitting of the Senate is schedule to take place on Thursday. Four resolutions will be tabled including the appointment of members to the Election and Boundaries Commission. Those persons are Phillipa Griffith Bailey, Naima Barrow, Orlando Espat and Magali Marin. They will serve for a period of five years retroactive to May first, […]
The United Democratic Party has released the names of sixty-six candidates who are seeking to become their party’s standard bearers for the thirty-one constituencies in the next general elections. We note that three sitting area representatives will be challenged and in other areas, there are as many as five aspirants. In the city, Prime Minister […]
In the blue corner, Cayo South Area Representative, Julius Espat is no longer a Deputy Party Leader for the People’s United Party. Even though his resignation had been leaked before today, Espat met with Party Leader John Briceño this morning in Belize City where he officially handed in his resignation and it was accepted. Espat, […]
The Solid Waste Management Authority Office in Belmopan is in trouble tonight or more precisely it is closed today. It all started on Thursday when court marshals crow-footed the authority’s property. Their office furniture and three vehicles have been seized because the authority has failed to settle a half-a million dollar lawsuit brought by Vision […]
The Kolbe Foundation started a rehabilitation programme at the Belize Central Prison back in 2006 at the Ashcroft Rehabilitation Centre. To date, some two-thousand plus inmates have completed the course which aims to help convicted prisoners curb drug, alcohol, behavioral and other problems. The inmates also learn about life-skills, conflict resolution, anger management and other […]
At a press conference today, Robert ‘Bobby’ Lopez announced that he intends to file a claim in the courts of Belize to challenge the constitutionality of the Special Agreement signed by Belize and Guatemala. Lopez is heading what he calls the Peace Movement along with familiar faces such at Wil Maheia of the Belize Territorial […]
Much has been said about the re-registering of Guatemalans who have acquired Belizean nationality. The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry was the first to address the issue in a letter sent to the Prime Minister. The Chamber objected to the fact that granting nationality to Guatemalans is against the constitution. Since the concern was […]
The Belize City Council has named a new city administrator, following the suspension and subsequent dismissal of Candice Miller on May eighth. Earlier this evening, City Hall confirmed Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt as Miller’s successor. Lindo-Garbutt comes with experience having worked in both the private and public sectors in the area of sustainable project management. In other […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country for Jamaica over the weekend where he is scheduled to attend the Thirty-ninth CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in Montego Bay. The conference which begins on July fourth will be hosted by Prime Minister Andrew Holness and will focus primarily on issues relating to the CARICOM Single Market […]
Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai says that her department is fully prepared to carry out a successful re-registration exercise. Beginning on Monday, dozens of centers spread across all thirty-one constituencies will be manned by hundreds of temporary workers who would be registering electors with the hope of cleaning up the voters list. These centers will […]
A special sitting of the Senate has been scheduled for Thursday, July fifth. News Five has learnt that four resolutions will be tabled, one relating to the appointment of members of the Election and Boundaries Commission which is chaired by Doug Singh. The topic was first brought up by Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño, […]
Copyright compliance remains an issue for the local broadcast media to bring television and radio stations into conformity with existing regulations. Today, licensees from across the country met with the Belize Broadcasting Authority to discuss a timeline for when they are to become compliant, particularly where it concerns the use of copyrighted material from content […]
Broadcasters have six months to get in line with local content. Burns says she considers that timeline is adequate. Francine Burns, Chair, Belize Broadcasting Authority “Really, this is not the first time that they would have been hearing of it, so I do believe preparation should have been already underway and a lot of […]
The first six months of this year, has been bloody especially in the City where on Thursday night the murder of another teenager was recorded. There are more patrols on the ground and new initiatives to engage young persons, but still crime is persistent and stubborn. Tonight, the Informed Teen reporters, or ITR’s for short, […]
