People’s power – that’s what moved government into action today. For days, environmentalists and other stakeholders have been on high alert. G.O.B. had given the green light for offshore seismic testing to a US company – TGS. They collect geo-scientific data that is sold off to oil and gas l exploration companies. They say this […]
This evening members of the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage held a celebratory press briefing at the Audubon Society’s headquarters. The representatives of the Belize Tourism Industry Association; OCEANA Belize; World Wildlife Fund; Healthy Reefs Initiative; and the Audubon acknowledged, in particular, residents of the islands of Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker and […]
The surveys being conducted before the suspension was announced involved two separate methodologies: multi-beam and seep sea surveys. It is the latter that has the environmental community up in arms because, as Executive Director of the Belize Audubon Society Amanda Acosta explains, the type of survey involved leads in only one direction – to drilling […]
The local fishing and tourism community is keeping an eye on the ship involved in the survey. While it is not clear where it will be berthing tonight, the World Wildlife Fund’s Nadia Bood and the B.T.I.A.’s John Burgos said eyes will be spying on them to ensure they adhere to the decision by Government. […]
Having put their strike on hold, the teachers are still facing another battle; this time, its salary deductions for the striking days. Today, the Chief Education Officer Doctor Carol Babb issued yet another memo to general managers of government and grant-aided primary schools and board of managements and principals of secondary schools and junior colleges. […]
The total monthly salary is to be divided by the number of days in the month – thirty-one; then multiplied by the total number of days the teacher is out on strike. But do they have the authority to withhold the payments for teachers’ salaries? This afternoon, we spoke with the National President of the […]
Late this evening, News Five obtained a letter from Minister Faber sent to Luke Palacio. The letter makes two proposals in which the ministry is softening its position. Faber proposes that the B.N.T.U. utilizes the strike fund to pay the teachers who were on strike and second, that the Government of Belize, through the Ministry […]
To pay or not to pay the protestant teachers; that’s the position that schools management are faced with following an eleven-day strike effected by the Belize National Teachers Union. While the industrial action was initially to compel government into addressing the three percent salary adjustment, the tone of the resulting protest quickly became a call […]
There will finally be a thirteenth member appointed to the Upper House, the Senate. However, it will come twenty days into the New Year. With little fanfare, the Government Press Office announced that Prime Minister Dean Barrow today signed the commencement order to give effect to the provisions relating to the appointment of the thirteenth […]
Opposition representative Kareem Musa acknowledges the steadfast effort of the B.N.T.U. in forcing government to sign the commencement order. However, he believes that the three-month delay in appointing the N.G.O. representative is a deliberate move to prevent another senator from being named to the Senate Select Committee. That individual, according to Musa, would also be […]
Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington is of an entirely different position. He maintains that despite introducing the idea of a thirteenth senator several years ago, it has become apparent that non-government senators often oppose any motion that is tabled simply for the sake of doing so. Elrington argues that a thirteenth senator is just […]
There is a most unprecedented case to report tonight. No other than the Speaker of the House of Representatives has launched a law suit against his own government. Michael Peyrefitte is making good on an earlier threat and is suing his government’s Attorney General Vanessa Retreage who by law is the legal representative for all […]
Four-year-old Brenae Timmons was seriously injured on January twenty-ninth when a wrought-iron gate fell on top of her while playing in the compound at the Samuel Haynes Institute. The incident left the toddler comatose for two weeks, suffering from severe injuries to the brain. Baby Brenae was reportedly struck in the head when the unhinged […]
Pickstock Area Representative Wilfred Elrington, whose brainchild is the Samuel Haynes Institute, says the unfortunate incident is being used as a political football. He dismissed the claim altogether. Isani Cayetano “There has been a lawsuit filed against several entities, including the Samuel Haynes Institute, regarding an incident earlier this year in which a wrought […]
There has been rampant speculation since Wednesday about a predawn raid at the business place of businessman Doug Singh in the City. Speaking from Thailand by phone, the highly connected Singh, who is chair of the Social Security Board as well as Citrus Products of Belize Limited, told us absolutely not so on Wednesday. Today, […]
There is one more issue over which the B.N.T.U. has received further good news. The Union, among many others, had demanded from Government an international investigation by law enforcement authorities into the death of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas, whose head was found in William “Danny” Mason’s pick-up truck. Mason and four other men are accused of […]
On Tuesday, we told you about a fire that gutted a home on the south side of Belize City. Sometime after eleven on Monday night, fire woke up residents on Iguana Street Extension. Today, we spoke with the homeowner, Shantia Gill, who says that her wooden home was set on fire. Luckily, she and her […]
But was the fire an act of arson? Gill believes that the fire stemmed from a shooting incident on Saturday, three days before her house was set ablaze. She explains how she narrowly escaped being shot in what police say was a crossfire between two individuals. Shantia Gill, Fire Victim “From since Saturday night […]
Earlier in the newscast, we heard about G.O.B.’s proposed seismic testing that has been put on hold following the tourism industry and conservation community’s uproar. On Wednesday, the Coalition told the media that the proposed seismic testing also means bad business in getting the Belize Barrier Reef System off the World Heritage Endangered list. Back […]
The P.U.P. says that they want an audit in the Department of Lands from 2008 to 2015 – the years when disgraced former Minister Gaspar Vega led the lands department. The call comes in light of the recent scandal where Vega’s son, Andre, and U.D.P. loyalist, Sharon Pitts, walked away with four hundred thousand dollars […]
And while we are on it – Briceño says bring on the audit for the Petro Caribe funds and the Belize Infrastructure Limited. He says that he believes that the monies must be accounted for and proper records for contracts and bidding should be open. This call comes in the wake of persistent speculations that […]
It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. It means it’s time for some education on this preventable form of cancer. In tonight’s Healthy Living, we test your breast cancer awareness as we present five lesser known facts and common misconceptions about breast cancer. Marleni Cuellar, Reporting How much do you know about Breast Cancer? There has […]
