Over the weekend, Father Matt delivered a rousing homily during the Sunday Mass. The religious lecture touched on everything, including recent statements made against the Dugu ceremony. Isani Cayetano “Now you delivered a rather powerful homily on Sunday discussing this very same issue. In terms of the reception from your congregation, I’m almost certain […]
The Dugu ceremony is performed in Garifuna culture as a form of spiritual healing. It is very rare that the ceremony can be captured by cameras but back in 1989, Great Belize Productions was allowed to video the ceremony. We went back to our archives and tonight we look at a Mali, which is part […]
On Holy Saturday, B.D.F. Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey was shot as he led a patrol to a water source near Valentin Camp in the Chiquibul. After undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, he was released and is recovering at his home in Punta Gorda. But five days after the shooting, a confidential report […]
Debate continues to rage over remarks made by Evangelist Pastor Scott Stirm eight months ago comparing the Garifuna dugu ceremony to witchcraft. Scott has issued a light-hearted apology which has been flatly rejected by the National Garifuna Council. But last week, the National Evangelical Association of Belize came out in full support of Stirm at […]
Appalling remarks made by Pastor Scott Stirm during his testimonial abroad continue to reverberate across the Garifuna community, in Belize and in the Diaspora. While he has been candid in his convictions, as well as his perspective on the Dugu ceremony, Stirm’s description of the sacred ritual as witchcraft has raised the ire of many, […]
Details are extremely sketchy and law enforcement authorities aren’t talking officially, but News Five has been able to confirm that at least eleven illegal immigrants were detained on Saturday night in Benque Viejo Del Carmen. Sources tell us that the intelligence-driven operation led Police to the home of an elderly man where they found the […]
The implementation of a curfew on unaccompanied minors after nine p.m. by Eastern Division South Regional Commander Chester Williams has stirred a firestorm. ACP Williams announced several weeks ago that the program would be implemented as a result of recent murders that were allegedly committed by minors. While the move has received support by residents […]
Minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez, however, says that he supports the initiative. But that a curfew imposed on children won’t address the issue of minors being recruited to commit violent crimes. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Minister of Human Development “It’s an initiative that I support, but also too looking at the whole aspect of the involvement […]
A little over a month ago there was public concern over the construction of a parking lot at the MCC Grounds by the Princess Group. News Five investigated and found what seemed to be a win-win scenario for the Sports Council. The Princess would fund the parking lot as well as the construction of a […]
It’s being dubbed as the biggest leak in the history of data journalism – eleven point five million leaked files, two point six terabytes of confidential documents – linking current and past world leaders as well as prominent world figures to billions stashed in offshore accounts. The leak came from a Panamanian law firm known […]
This Saturday, the United Democratic Party will hold a special national party council meeting to determine the date for a convention to elect a new first deputy leader. The post became vacant after Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega announced on March eighth that he was stepping down as deputy leader of the U.D.P. Since then, […]
A four point six million dollar facility will be constructed in the south side of the City with part of a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. When completed, it will provide the space for sports, arts and culture, literacy and life skills programs for the youths of the areas. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. […]
Two lucky young Belizeans with ideas on starting their own small business will get that opportunity, thanks to an initiative which was launched today. It’s the brainchild of another young entrepreneur, Crystal Samos, owner of Capio. And to commemorate the first anniversary of her successful line of Carpe Diem products, Samos has decided to pay […]
The government has not said much concerning the shooting of Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey that took place in the Chiquibul on Holy Saturday, but tonight, News Five has received further details on the report made by the B.D.F. to the Ministry of National Security. That report is dated March thirty-first, 2016. According to the B.D.F., […]
Tonight, Pastor Scott Stirm remains in the eye of a storm for disparaging comments he made that have enraged the Garifuna community and other sectors. Stirm is well-known as a vocal and passionate advocate on a number of issues, including his stance against same sex relationships. This time, however, he’s seemingly taken aim at Garifuna […]
Today, the association held a press conference to clarify those statements, saying that it is not against the Garifuna culture or its people, but against the spiritual practices and beliefs of the Garinagu. Now the dugu, a world renowned spiritual practice of the Garifuna people, to honor the spirit of their loved ones who have […]
On March thirtieth, Stirm issued a release as a reaction to a letter from the National Garifuna Council. In his response, Stirm says that the video was manipulatively edited and posted on social media to discredit his character due to his strong stance that he and other church leaders have taken against moral and social […]
For the past two weeks, the National Assembly has been occupied with the annual budget which came into effect today. The fiscal plan has been presented and carefully taken apart in the House of Representatives and the Senate. But, while all attention was focused on the Revenue Appropriation Bill, less emphasis was seemingly placed on […]
The purpose of the proposed pieces of law is unclear since Minister Hulse has full powers. Courtenay surmises, however, that it may be one of two reasons: either to give rise to a junior minister with special powers or to create one minister of state with extraordinary capabilities. Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator “I said […]
Investigations continue into a fatal traffic accident in which Dean Dawson was hit and killed by the highly connected Director of the Press Officer, Dorian Pakeman who was heading from Orange Walk to Ladyville at around eleven-thirty on Wednesday. Pakeman maintains he has been working closely with the police to bring closure to the tragedy. […]
The implementation of an unofficial curfew in south side Belize City is not sitting well in many sectors. Two weeks ago, in the wake of at least three murders allegedly committed at the hands of minors, Eastern Division South Regional Commander Chester Williams announced the implementation of the curfew where minors found on the streets […]
While most residents are not against a curfew for minors, the proposal brings to light the issue of parenting or the lack thereof. Recently, the Belize City Council signed on as a Child Friendly Municipality. In a sit-down with Mayor Darrell Bradley, he expressed that the curfew is not the best approach to keeping the […]
As we reported on Wednesday, charges against two members of the Santa Cruz Thirteen were withdrawn when the case against a group of Maya leaders came up in the Magistrate Court in Punta Gorda. Both Reymundo Show and Oligario Sho will no longer face unlawful imprisonment and common assault charges. The Maya leaders were arrested […]
There is more from the Senate other that the budget debate that provide for interesting moments from senators on both sides of the floor. In her budget presentation, Doctor Carla Barnett, a former financial secretary, contextualized the role of the senate in respect of the annual budget. She says that the senate has no influence […]
Doctor Barnett’s perspective on an elected Senate was not lost on lead Opposition Senator Eamon Courtenay. While Courtenay fully agrees with Barnett, he maintains that it is the U.D.P. government, to whom she belongs, that is preventing the election of senators. Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator “I think most people in the senate and those […]
