Six days have passed since five homes were burned down and demolished by suspected arsonists in Trio Village, Toledo. The incident appears to be linked to a land dispute involving over fifteen thousand acres of land located four miles outside of the community. So far, the company that claims the land has issued no statement […]
The meeting that the farmers wanted did not materialize because Cabinet was in session. Additionally, they found out that a letter written to the Prime Minister following the cease-and-desist letter sent by attorneys for the Greenwood Companies in September never made it to his desk. According to Francis Sanchez, now that a copy is there, […]
Since Monday night we’ve been telling you about the arson that destroyed five properties in Trio Village. The affected residents were trying to get a meeting with Government representatives on Tuesday but they were not successful. Seven families have suffered great loss and have reported that they are waiting for the National Emergency Management Organization […]
While NEMO Minister Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro may not be fully abreast on the details of the arson in Trio, in his capacity as Minister of Transport he is quite versed on the public transportation landscape. He spoke with the media at length this morning, explaining the rate adjustments in bus fares across the […]
Bus fares for runs in the south, primarily from Dangriga to Independence, have been the most expensive. The recent readjustment has seen a significant decrease in the cost per ticket, much to the chagrin of bus operators. Edmond Castro, Minister of Transport “When you look at from Dangriga to Punta Gorda then it goes […]
It seems only Minister of Transport Edmond Castro didn’t get the memo or heard on the news that there was a shut out of local media from the grand Harvest Caye opening last week. Local media were reporting on Harvest Caye from the start and all through the controversies, including the steps it took to […]
Earlier this month, the results for the 2016 Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate and the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examinations were released by the Ministry of Education and a whopping three hundred and sixty-six Belizean fourth form and sixth form students received distinction. While Edward P. Yorke High School had the record number of passes for CSEC […]
On Tuesday night, the U.S. Embassy held a candlelight ceremony as part of their activities to observe the Sixteen Days of Activism: unmasking the many faces of gender-based violence. The sixteen days kick off on Friday, November twenty-fifth and ends on December tenth. During that period, the Embassy and local partners, including the Women’s Department, […]
Over the last two months we have seen an increase in fires in the City. There have been deaths, injuries and significant loss of property and usually the first responders on the scene would be our firefighters. Now, it’s no secret that the National Fire Service has very old trucks and not the best equipment […]
A former U.S. president once said that the chief business of his country is business. There have been efforts down the years to move Belize to that credo, and the best place to start is at the University of Belize, whose students today displayed the fruits of a semester’s worth of work in marketing and […]
Attorneys for Cayo Representative Julius Espat and House Speaker Michael Peyrefitte today argued the merits of Espat’s purported suspension at the last sitting of the House back in August. Espat was to debate the Special Immigration Audit, but before that could happen, hell broke loose and he was removed from the chamber by the security […]
There is still no definitive timeline tonight for when teachers will receive the refund of their salaries for the eleven days they were out on strike last month. Despite a Supreme Court ruling in its favor on Monday, the Belize National Teachers Union remains uncertain when government will process and disburse the remainder of their […]
This morning, a contingent of villagers from Trio in the Toledo District tried to get an audience with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, but this is Cabinet Tuesday so he was not available. It concerns a suspicious fire five days ago, which destroyed four houses, with another demolished by hand, in the village. The Prime Minister’s […]
Every time Belizeans travel up the Sarstoon River, they are told by the Guatemalan Armed Forces to “Respecte el Protocolo.” But is there a protocol that Belizeans must follow to enter the Sarstoon River? On this side of the border, Belize Defense Force Commander, Brigadier General David Jones confirmed today that both countries have been […]
Recently, Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington indicated that he has been unable to engage Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister, Carlos Raul Morales in any discussion. The breakdown in communication has been since the results of the international independent investigation into the shooting death of thirteen year old Julio Rene Alvarado Ruano exonerated the B.D.F. from […]
Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti over a month ago and the island is trying to rebuild. While hundreds of lives were lost, thousands were left homeless after the hurricane. The Caribbean region has rallied around Haiti and the relief has been going their way for the past couple weeks, but the damage and destruction were significant […]
Commuters, as well as some bus owners across the country are equally incensed, following a recent adjustment in bus fares which has since come into effect. In September, bus operators from the west proceeded to arbitrarily adjust the cost of tickets to and from certain destinations along their routes. The general complaint among operators was […]
What do Belizean businesses want most for Christmas, other than good sales? That would be an ease with taxes. In these hard times, every penny counts for businesses of all kinds. Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley has been a consistent proponent of trade license and ease of business reform, and today he had an update […]
Exercise Tropical Dagger Sixteen came to a successful end today at Camp Belizario in the Cayo District. The four-week exercise is a Canadian initiative to beef up security in the region. The Belize and the Jamaican Defense Forces honed their skills to respond to international criminal activity that is threatening peace in the region. According […]
The Salvation Army’s north side offices in Belize City suffered some eighty-eight thousand dollars in damage from a fire on November seventh which also destroyed two adjacent houses. The organization moved promptly to assist fire victims. The Salvation Army’s service to the community continues throughout the busy Christmas season. The congregation, according to Regional Commander […]
While we were with the Salvation Army, we got an update on its Christmas Kettle Appeal which is underway. Your coins and paper bills donated to the church are used to help those less fortunate have a brighter Christmas, whether through the children’s lunch or food baskets. Major Joliker Leandre, the Regional Commander, is grateful […]
The current Belize City Council administration has embarked on an ambitious program to upgrade Belize City streets. Results have held up for the most part, but concreting costs money and with most of its guaranteed funding locked up in the Municipal Bond, the Council is on the lookout for ways to partner with affected communities. […]
Believe it or not, Christmas di come! The year has certainly flown by, but the Belize City Council is looking forward to the holiday season, not just for goodies and giveaways – although there will be plenty of those – but also for opportunities for the Council itself to do charity throughout the Old Capital. […]
A major decision was handed down this afternoon by the Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. The Belize National Teachers Union, led by President Luke Palacio and Adelaida Guerra, took the government to court seeking to stop a decision by the Ministry of Education to dock the salaries of teachers who went on strike for eleven days […]
B.N.T.U. returns to court on December sixteenth, when it is expected that the substantive matter, a claim that the decision to deduct teachers’ salaries is unconstitutional, will be argued before the Chief Justice. The teachers union is challenging the validity of that decision made by the Ministry of Education. It is also prepared to argue […]
