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No Agreement on Special Agreement as Opposition Asks: What’s The Rush?

The Senate met for its latest session today at the National Assembly in Belmopan with a full agenda. Thirteen motions were tabled for debate and consideration, of which ten were particularly significant. The Upper House was asked to ratify both the original Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala, formalizing the process of potentially resolving the […]

Courtenay Blasts “Salami Sausage Diplomacy”; Confident A.G. States the Facts

Senator Courtenay went on to attack what he called “salami sausage diplomacy” – the piecemeal offerings by the Government on the Guatemala issue, starting with the ratification of the Special Agreement and Protocol and moving on to the Referendum Act. Courtenay also bruited the possibility of Constitutional amendments and amendments to the Maritime Areas Act, […]

Integrity Commission Named; Can Partisan Appointees Be Neutral?

The Integrity Commission was finally named today. The names of Marilyn Williams for Chairman; Armead Gabourel; Lisbeth Delgado; Wilmot Simmons; Nestor Vasquez; Melissa Balderamos Mahler and Claudet Grinage have been submitted to participate in the Commission for a period of two years from December first, 2016. Quite a few of the names are well known […]

Why Always Net? P.U.P. Knocks G.O.B. for Rejecting Institute of Chartered Accountants’ Nominee

New chair Marilyn Williams is being appointed in her capacity as an attorney, as provided for by law, while Nestor Vasquez is being appointed in his capacity as an accountant by trade. But that latter appointment had most of the upper chamber agog. In addition to his many conflicts of interest, the Prime Minister, with […]

UNCAC Finally on the Way!

Also debated before the Senate today is the resolution authorizing the accession by Belize to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). Belize is nine days away from the formal ratification of the UNCAC, but the last major hurdle is confirmation by the Senate. While the Government of Belize has indicated that it was disposed […]

Warning: Don’t Expect Miracles After Ratification of Convention

A working group has been established to smooth the path to ratification. That group has planned a number of events leading up to the actual signing of the Convention on December ninth at the Prime Minister’s Belize City office. It features membership from Government and the Private Sector, but not the Opposition, which lead Senator, […]

Recession Deepens: Exports Are Down, Prices Are Up and Thousands More Jobless

Figures were released today by the Statistical Institute of Belize that confirm a gloomy economy picture in this fashion: exports are down, prices are up and thousands have joined the unemployment lines.   According to SIB, for the third quarter of 2016, production by the main industries declined by more than twenty percent. News Five’s Isani […]

Andre and Sharon: Where’s My Money, G.O.B. Asks?

The Government of Belize wrote letters on thirty-first October, 2016 demanding from the son of former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Lands Gaspar Vega and attorney Sharon Pitts, the repayment of the sum of four hundred thousand dollars which was paid to each of them. These were “compensations” for land that was sold to […]

Catherine Cumberbatch and Derrick Rudon Lead Met Service

There is a new chief at the Belize Met Service. You’ve heard and seen her on the news before. Catherine Cumberbatch who has had thirty years at the Met Service and served as Deputy Chief Meteorologist has now moved up to the chief’s seat. Cumberbatch takes up the position that is left vacant after Dennis […]

Kashief Gallego Shot on Weekend

The south side of Belize City has been rather quiet and little to no crime is always good news to report. But over the weekend, on Sunday night, there was a shooting on East Canal. Just before eleven p.m., twenty-four year old Kashief Gallego was shot to the left thigh and buttocks as he was […]

Unlucky Burglars Caught in Freezer

A pair of burglars was caught in the act just after twelve o’clock this morning by officers attached to the Eastern Division South. The duo had broken into Lucky Supermarket on Central American Boulevard in Belize City under the cover of darkness when police arrived on the scene. To avoid the long arms of the […]

Mother Says Sons Did Not Kill Nelson Zelaya

Tonight, nineteen year old Lenford Harris Junior of Gardenia, Belize District and his sixteen year old brother from Biscayne are behind bars, charged with the murder of twenty-seven year old neighbor Nelson Zelaya, shot to death on November twenty-fourth in his yard. While police believe they have their men in relation to this incident, their […]

National Assembly Plans Busy December: 4 Meetings in 15 Days

A busy December in the Legislature is being planned, with a House and Senate meeting scheduled around two meetings of the Special Senate Select Committee on Immigration, all in the first fifteen days of the month before the Christmas break. Clerk of the National Assembly Eddie Webster informs that on December seventh, the Committee hosts […]

Crooked Tree Gets Its Own Hurricane Shelter

On the day that marks the end of the Hurricane Season, Crooked Tree Village was gifted with a million dollar disaster shelter. It is a fittingly appropriate gift to the people of Crooked Tree – after all, their village is always affected by hurricanes and flooding when it passes over that part of the country. […]

What Caused Above-Average 2016 Hurricane Season?

It’s the thirtieth of November and it is a day when a lot of people let out a sigh of relief- particularly those who live in low lying areas and along the coast. It is the end of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season- one that has been above normal and went as predicted.  Belize didn’t […]

Police Contribute to Persons with Disabilities

A team of officers and civilian employees attached to Eastern Division North ran across Belize City this morning to raise funds for children with diverse abilities.  The relay kicked off from the Fort George Memorial Park and made its way through the main streets of the Old Capital before changing its torchbearer while en route […]

Meeting and Greeting in Southside Belize City

Southside police were on their weekly meet and greet. Today they were in the Vernon Street area and we met up with them to see what they were doing. Some thirty traffic and community police officers were walking around talking to resident and business owners in the area. We caught up with Deputy Commander of […]

Police Find Lots to Clean Up on Southside

Last week, the command of the Eastern Division South commenced a cleanup campaign across south side Belize City, going into the Raccoon Street Extension area and cleaning up overgrown lots that have been left abandoned. These properties, as has been proven in the past, have been used by criminals to hide their loot as well […]

Persons with Diverse Abilities Rally in Old Capital

Throughout this week, consciousness raising activities are being held around the globe to bring attention to the rights of those living with disabilities. The challenge is to create an environment that is conducive to a better quality of life. There has been improvement in conditions at workplaces and schools for disabled persons, but there is […]

Possible Drug Plane Landed and Abandoned Items Near La Democracia

Police are tonight investigating the landing of an aircraft, presumably a drug plane, overnight in the vicinity of La Democracia, Belize District.  Officers at the Hattieville substation were notified of a suspicious airplane hovering in an area off the Coastal Road.  By the time they were able to make contact with an anti-narcotics team and […]

Security Forces to Double Down on Securing Drug Airstrip

The coordinated response involving a trio of law enforcement agencies was fairly swift, but not fast enough to arrest the ensuing activity.  So, was their reaction timely enough?  That’s what we asked ACP Broaster, who said that they did not know the exact location of the landing strip.   Isani Cayetano “Do you believe that […]

Employees Try to Pick Up Pieces from Devastating Chateau Caribbean Fire

Employees of the Chateau Caribbean are picking up the pieces in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed the iconic restaurant. While most people are preparing for the Christmas, scores of employees have been left jobless. Official investigations are ongoing, but a long-serving employee of the Chateau provides gripping details of what went awfully wrong […]

Should Belizean Tour Operators Be Allowed Access to Harvest Caye Cruise Port?

And tonight’s question is: Do you believe Belizean tour operators should be allowed access to Harvest Caye Cruise Port?  Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to questions@channel5belize.com

Fidel Castro: Remembering the Man and the Leader

A memorial attended by world leaders to reflect on the life and death of celebrated Cuban leader Fidel Castro is taking place at this time in Havana, Cuba. Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington are attending on Belize’s behalf. But many in the world over are remembering Fidel in […]

Elian Gonzalez and Others Pay Tribute in Havana

Ahead of this evening’s memorial ceremony, millions of Cubans have been paying their respects to Fidel Castro where his body lies in state in Havana. World leaders have also been paying tribute. Two such leaders are President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela and Evo Morales of Bolivia, whose countries also subscribe to similar policies as Castro’s […]