What is the future of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System as a UNESCO World Heritage Site? That’s the question conservationists are asking in light of international attention focused on the vulnerability of the barrier reef. According to an announcement from the World Wildlife Fund, a World Heritage Committee has released a draft decision pertaining […]
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will convene in Istanbul, Turkey in July to debate the status of some of the most extraordinary natural places on the planet. This includes the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. Earlier this year, WWF called for greater protection of the barrier reef from harmful industrial activities such as oil, gas […]
As we told you earlier, the arbitration award is in and no matter how it’s spun, it’s bad news for G.O.B. – about three hundred and fifty million dollars-worth of bad news. That’s surely going to bring some serious scrutiny down on a very recent decision by the S.S.B. to look into buying B.T.L. shares […]
Brackett today sent out a call to the S.S.B. to halt any transaction with G.O.B. where the shares are concerned, at least until there is much more consultation and much more light shone on the pros and cons of the deal. Geovanni Brackett, President, COLA “This administration has had hundreds of millions of dollars […]
On Monday Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie also spoke about Police presence in Punta Gorda. There have been two murders recently and while Police have arraigned two persons for the first in San Benito Poite, it has highlighted the remote location of the communities and the effect that has on Police response. First, though, the […]
It’s a question that has been raised in the past – can civilians take photographs and video of Police Officers while they are conducting their duties? It was raised again Monday because of an incident in which a Police officer photographed during an operation allegedly forced the photographer, a reporter, to delete the photos. Commissioner […]
In March of last year, Moses Sulph entered into an agreement with an individual to order a number of items which would later be purchased upon delivery. When the products arrived the customer was unable to pay her bill because she was reportedly strapped for cash. Sulph, a trader, agreed to a payment plan with […]
For the past two days, the Ministry of Education has been hosting a conference on Cyber Security. The awareness workshop opened dialogue with principals of secondary schools, IT teachers, parents, board members, primary and secondary school counselors as well as students about virtual hazards. Cyber security is essentially the policies that individuals and in this […]
Cyber bullying, the release of nudes and sex tapes on social media platforms have become a concern in Belize, exposing the lack of personal securities. But according to the professionals, the intervention starts at home. Parents must be vigilant with their children on the use of electronic devices. Cleveland Thomas and Doctor Kay Xuereb of […]
We’re just back from Las Vegas, Nevada where over the weekend; Belize was represented by eighteen poker players in the World Series of Poker Monster Stack Event. It was the second year a group travelled to Sin City to compete in the event. While the performance of the Belize team has improved, the poker players […]
As many as eighty-eight persons have been affected by the biggest fire to erupt in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. The inferno sent clouds of fire into the sky as smoke engulfed the area on Sunday night. It is not yet known what sparked the blaze on Pescador Drive in the heart of the town, destroying […]
The families displaced by the fire are looking for basic necessities following the horrible fire. They lost everything in the blink of an eye. In the island, relief efforts have started, but it will take some time to recover from the tremendous losses. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting In the immediate […]
There is another fire which police have classified as arson. On Friday night, the first floor of a two-storey building on East Collet Canal, Belize City went up in flames. But the blaze was fortunately contained by the Fire Department before it could spread. It is suspected that the fire was set by Alberto Rivera, […]
There was a murder on Friday night in Belize City. Thirty-eight year old Anthony Gillett was killed at his home on West Collet Canal by a man sources claim was a friend. Police acted quickly to take the suspect, Ryan Barnett, into custody and he was arraigned this morning in Belize City. So why did […]
On Sunday morning a PG resident made a gruesome discovery on the beach. She spotted vultures circling and when she investigated found a badly decomposed body washed up on shore. Following an on-site post-mortem examination PG Police have ruled that B.D.F. soldier Orlando Rash, reported missing on Friday, was murdered. Today, Officer Commanding Punta Gorda, […]
On Monday, June twentieth, Police rounded up nineteen members of the Ahmad family from six different homes in Hattieville. The homes were searched and documents, weapons and electronic items were seized by the Police. Interestingly, the family was released ten hours after without being informed of why they were detained in the first place. The […]
Still not revealing anything, Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie explained that he is satisfied that the investigation, search and seizure were conducted within the parameters of the law. That will be a matter for the Court to decide, since the Commissioner says he has already gotten a letter from an attorney representing the Ahmad family. […]
A resident of Yo Creek, Orange Walk with a mental disability maimed three persons and injured several others while on a chopping spree in the village last Friday afternoon. Larry Banner first struck at his family, injuring his sister-in-law and three minors before turning a machete on his neighbor, Moises Pech and his wife Juanita. […]
After a year of numerous court appearances, the Santa Cruz Thirteen has been freed of all charges stemming from the unlawful arrest of Rupert Myles. This morning, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal withdrew charges against the villagers, stating that there is, “no intention to lay charges against the accused in the future.” In […]
On Sunday morning as Customs Officers and B.D.F. soldiers conducted a checkpoint in the Blue Creek community, they intercepted a Mazda pickup truck, driven at the time by San Felipe resident Juan Carlos Molina. As the authorities attempted to search the vehicle, Molina sped off, leaving behind a bag containing suspected cannabis. The drugs weighed […]
Late this evening, the Customs Department dragged to court five Mexican nationals and two Belizeans from the San Jose, Orange Walk for uncustomed goods in respect of two hundred and fifteen hammocks. The items were found in their possession last week Thursday during a raid at mile seventeen on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The group included […]
Today, the top brass of the Belize Police Department gathered to pay tribute to seven officers – four of them involved in the bizarre shootout in front of the Queen Street Police Station last week. Three men – Corporal Brian Miller, Corporal Joel Grinage and PC Criston Moore received their awards for bravery at the […]
One police officer who certainly won’t be receiving any awards of distinction anytime soon is Detective Constable Urbie Alamilla. Alamilla was charged criminally last week for discharging his weapon in a bar while allegedly under the influence. Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie says that while cops are human, cops who do wrong are an embarrassment […]
Anthropologist Doctor Herbert Gayle is releasing a book on urban violence in Belize. Gayle started his studies of Belize in 2008 and released the infamous Gayle Report in 2010. This book, released six years later, is aimed at providing a comprehensive look at where Belize has moved in the time-gap between report and book. Today, […]
According to the expert, Belize has the exceptional public will to do away with violence and that’s a critical component of positive change. But the time to start moving is sooner rather than later. Dr. Herbert Gayle, Anthropologist of Social Violence, UWI Jamaica “Things are becoming better worldwide. The problem we’re having though is […]
