There is a disturbing report of the death of a five-month-old baby in the south. The newborn boy died on March third, under rather mysterious circumstances. It is believed that baby Ricardo Quintero died after being administered the wrong medication at a private health center in Independence village. That Friday morning, the lifeless body of […]
Police confirmed today that the Orange Walk house of visa facilitator Barton Middleton was searched on Thursday morning as we reported in our newscast. The search came on the heels of Middleton’s appearance before the Senate on Wednesday where he indicated he would not say anything further in respect of missing visa foils to which […]
While employees of the Corozal Free Zone stayed away for a second day due to issues with management of C.E.O. Valentino Blanco, employees of all Social Security Board branch offices country-wide showed up to work today in their union t-shirts, as they did last week. They intended to send a message to higher ups that […]
A one-point-seven-five percent pay raise is on the table for employees. According to Singh, a lot of staff members have accumulated vacation days for which they expect to be paid. That results in increased money for the Board to pay out and it also affects your contributions to the Board which are the basis for […]
There’s also unrest among government employees at the Treasury Department, located within the Central Bank of Belize. Since this morning, News Five can confirm that the employees have been on a go-slow with a threat of further action by next week. This morning, a meeting was held with Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and Treasury officials. […]
Last week, a petty officer at the Belize National Coastguard, Randy King filed a complaint against his Commander, Admiral John Borland. King claimed that apart from verbally abusing him inside an office, the commander threatened his job and his life. The petty officer sought criminal charges against the Commander and had requested legal action against […]
If you’re a fan of the world-famous Dario’s Meat Pies you may want to stock up this weekend. Prices for the tasty treat go up on Tuesday from a dollar to a dollar and twenty-five cents at the bakery itself on Hyde’s Lane. Street vendors and other outlets will raise prices accordingly as well. So […]
The Belize City Council is marking its fifth annual ‘Labour for Belize’ event on May first, beginning at the rising of the sun at B.T.L. Park. A feature initiative of the mayoralty of Darrell Bradley, the project encompasses various efforts at making the Old Capital look a little brighter and providing needed community service to […]
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize, for the first time in recent memory, is not marking Labour Day with a parade and rally. It is announced at the very end of their Labour Day message, which states that N.T.U.C.B. takes no pride in acknowledging that this year we could not muster even the modest […]
And on this upcoming Labour Day weekend, Belizeans are expected to cross border points. Neighboring Mexican communities, including Botes and La Union, are hotspots for the illicit movement of uncustomed goods. On an almost daily basis, dozens, if not hundreds of Belizeans, cross over illegally to these locations to purchase groceries and other household items. […]
Illegal activities continue deep in the Chiqubul where the forests are under serious attack. Gold-panning of late has become one of the most lucrative activities attracting Guatemalan nationals. In a fly-over today with Friends for Conservation, which manages the natural reserve, the denuding of the thick forests is also highly visible. Slash and burn practices […]
“Building Competitiveness in Belize in a Global World- the Role of the University of Belize” that is the theme in which it held its annual research conference in Belize City. The event showcases research done by students and faculty of three of U.B.’s campuses. This conference highlights practical and policy oriented research on a broad […]
And in more U.B. news, today the institution met with several stakeholders of the private and public sectors in a workshop to discuss institutional enhancement of the university in an effort to help drive the social and economic development of Belize. The institution has received grant financing from the Caribbean Development Bank towards the cost […]
The finals of the National Tertiary Debate sponsored by the Social Security Board were held today in Belize City. The final two teams, Independence Junior College and Ecumenical Junior College, debated on the topic “Be it resolved that Belize should submit its territorial differendum with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice”. The Independence team […]
Thousands of Belizeans will be heading to the Capital City on Saturday and Sunday for the annual National Agriculture and Trade Show. Since it started back in 1970, “Agric” has grown from year to year. While for many years the focus was on the agriculture industry, in the last decade or two it has expanded […]
The Corozal Commercial Free Zone has had its share of recent troubles with imports falling drastically and sales plummeting as well. Now comes word that with a new man at the helm, administrative staff protested by not showing up to work today because of unenumerated ‘issues’ with their boss. News Five understands that all activity […]
On the eve of the extended holiday weekend, opposing gangs met in the city to commit to a crime free weekend. The meeting was held at the Raccoon Police Station and attended by representatives of all gangs and top cop Chester Williams of the Eastern Division South as well as mediator Dianne Finnegan and Motivational […]
Omar Phillips worked as a Data Entry Clerk for the Immigration Department from 2009 to 2013, when the Won Hong Kim scandal broke, and his role became known. He and two other officers, Erwin Robinson and Sharon Neal, were suspended from their jobs. They were also taken before the Public Service Commission for a hearing. […]
According to Phillips, Immigration officers, particularly at lower levels, receive only the most basic training in the various tasks to which they are assigned on a daily basis. For data entry and capture, that is as simple as looking at the forms cursorily without attention to specific detail, and passing them on. Senator Mark Lizarraga […]
As we reported on Wednesday, retired Immigration Officer Therese Chavarria confirmed that in at least two or three cases, with permission from senior officials, she was able to fool the passport system into accepting a picture of someone who did not appear to take the photograph in person. Her method was basic: she simply printed […]
The Senate Special Select Committee has been soliciting most attendees of the public hearings for their ideas on how the Immigration Department can be improved. While it has become clear that a culture of corruption and hustling pervaded the Department, the will to remove it has been absent. As a public officer for more than […]
A Canadian woman and her boyfriend are reported missing in the north. On Wednesday midday American national Joseph Milholen reported that earlier that day he went to pick up his friend fifty-two-year-old Francesca Matus from Serenity Sands on the Consejo Road in Corozal. Milholen reported that he was to take Matus to the P.G.I.A., but […]
Police officers from El Salvador were in Belize to take part in the GREAT program. They joined up with local police officers for a two-week training program that concluded today at the Radisson Hotel in the City. GREAT has had considerable success in gang and violence prevention. It has been implemented in Belize for years. […]
Rural Eastern Division of the Police Department is making changes to their headquarters in Ladyville, Belize District to allow for greater space for officers to do their work. Both Government and the private sector are contributing to building an attachment to the building currently hosting the commander’s office as well as a new detention center […]
On Wednesday, you heard South Side Commander ACP Chester Williams talk about the progress community policing has made on the south side. Last weekend his division held a family day in the Conch Shell Bay area and he says that more activities like that are on the horizon. One of the areas he wants to […]
