On Thursday, the second and third reading of amendment two to the criminal code was passed in the House of Representatives. The amendment had a rocky start because some sectors felt that the decriminalization of sodomy was being sneaked in through the amendment, even before a ruling from the Supreme Court on that issue has […]
There is a change to report tonight at the top of the Kolbe Foundation which manages the Belize Central Prison. John Woods, who had been Chairman since 2002 when the prison was placed under private management, stepped down from the post earlier this week. It paved the way for the appointment of Lynn Young as […]
A group of four, including a minor, two brothers and a friend were today before the court to answer to ammunition offenses after they were busted in the city allegedly in possession of three live rounds of nine millimeter ammunitions. They are twenty-year old Kenroy Willoughby, his older brother, twenty-four year old Julian Willoughby, along […]
The Senate is scheduled to meet next week to ratify a number of bills that were passed at Thursday’s House meeting. But another matter will be coming up. The opposition Senator, Lisa Shoman will be bringing back to the Senate floor, a motion for a senate inquiry into the immigration scandal. The first time Shoman […]
In August of 2011, there was a violent confrontation on the streets of Belize City between armed police officers of the Gang Suppression Unit and residents of George Street who were mourning the loss of Charles Woodye, murdered one week prior. The altercation occurred at the post-funeral gathering at a house on George Street in […]
Each of the eighteen claimants is to be paid a portion of the total judgment, to be divided according to the evidence each presented. Those who accused the officers of abuse and brutality leading to injury and false imprisonment for sixty-two hours will be paid some twelve thousand dollars each and the others, who could […]
Amateur boxers from across the country will be competing this weekend for a chance at making the Belize National Boxing Selection. Pugilists from various gyms, including the Lion’s Den One and Two, as well as the Leopold Smart Boxing Gym will converge at the Bird’s Isle on Saturday where they will participate in a daylong […]
Popular Belizean food vendor Gloria Jimenez is in a protracted battle with the Department of Human Services for custody of her three children. The kids were taken away from her and placed into foster care three years ago. Since then she has been trying desperately to regain legal rights over the children, whom she […]
The House of Representatives met in its last session for 2013 today. On the agenda were two important bills and some minor house-cleaning issues. Now traditionally, this last meeting before Christmas is tame and almost nauseatingly jovial, with Christmas cheer, goodwill and bonhomie dominating the atmosphere in the House. But the sitting was anything but […]
While the walkout by Opposition members ended the day, it wasn’t the first of the day. For weeks the N.T.U.C.B. has been agitating for the introduction of the Occupational Safety and Health Bill in the House. This is a bill which has been in the works for years, but despite extensive vetting locally and regionally, […]
With the walkouts out of the way, we turn to some of the important matters which came out in today’s House sitting. First…the National Bank of Belize. It opened its doors in September, and today Prime Minister Dean Barrow reported that two point six million dollars in mortgage financing has already been disbursed, with another […]
The Government of Belize’s Christmas Cheer Program has been the subject of much scrutiny of late, and some criticism, though that is directed more at the stated allocations and less at the initiative itself. As it stands, U.D.P. Area Representatives will receive ninety thousand dollars each, P.U.P. Area representatives will receive twenty-five thousand dollars and […]
And with the nuts and bolts of the program out the way, the PM lashed out at the Opposition for daring to criticize the allocations of Christmas cheer. The People’s United Party has gone on record to criticize the program on two levels – one, that U.D.P. representatives are receiving ninety thousand dollars for their […]
The Belize Defense Force is mourning the death of one of its own following a traffic incident on the Phillip Goldson Highway in the wee hours of this morning. Forty year old Staff Sergeant Abimael Carrillo was a passenger in the private Toyota pickup truck of warrant officer Juan Tuyub. There were two other passengers […]
A head-on collision between a Belize Waste Control garbage truck and a passenger bus near the Haulover Bridge this evening has resulted in the hospitalization of at least nine persons. According to the driver of the garbage truck, he was driving the vehicle across the bridge when he lost control and crashed into a Haylock […]
Jose Alpuche was back into the government service in March 2012 following the last general elections. Alpuche was named Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture and assigned specifically to the agriculture to work alongside Minister of State, Hugo Patt. With the recent resignation of Beverly Castillo as C.E.O. of Natural […]
Today the bill to amend the Criminal Code of Belize, after a long and torturous journey, was read a second and third time and passed through the House of Representatives. It was introduced to the House in late September, and received less than rave reviews, primarily from the churches. That led to a public session […]
And then it was on to the bills for amendments to the Immigration Act. The amendments are the results of the ongoing immigration scandal, measures proposed by Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse to slam shut open doors of opportunity for hustling. Those amendments have been roundly criticized and shredded by President of the Bar Eamon […]
Where in Belize is former Minister of State Elvin Penner? Nobody’s sure, because the man who was in the center of the passport scandal has gone to ground. We know that he is still receiving his salary as an Area Representative, in addition to approximately seven thousand dollars each month that should be used to […]
On September eighth, Belmopan resident Tyrell Hyde was allegedly shaken down by Police officers who stopped and searched his vehicle. Hyde claimed that money was stolen from him, and then he was taken to an Atlantic Bank ATM, forced by Police officers to withdraw money, and then jacked. It was all caught on tape, and […]
The embattled Christian Workers Union, booted from the fold of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize in late October for failing to convene a meeting to elect executives, has a new president. Audrey Matura-Shepherd has been unanimously approved by all fourteen entities within the CWU, including stevedores, as well as Central Bank and Social […]
Outgoing president Antonio Gonzalez says he’s pleased that the membership of the union has chosen Matura-Shepherd, whom he believes will help to return the CWU to its glory days. Similarly, General Secretary James McFoy, whose post will become vacant as of this Saturday when a general assembly will be held, says that they will continue […]
A police officer attached to the San Ignacio Police is tonight in big trouble following a report by a minor that he assaulted her. A fourteen year old student in the company of her aunt went to the San Ignacio precinct and made the report. The child claims that last Saturday morning, while sleeping on […]
It has been raining consistently for several weeks; in fact, it has been an above average rainy season with the measure of rainfall doubling in some areas. In the city, the overnight rain has caused heavy flooding in main arteries at the entrance of the city and Freetown Road. But just about everywhere, the streets […]
On Wednesday, the government of Taiwan handed over three projects to the Ministry of Natural Resources; today it was the Ministry of Education that benefitted from Taiwan’s generosity. It received sixty computers which went to some deserving teachers and for a learning center at the E.P. Yorke High School. Duane Moody has that story. […]
