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Twenty-one-year-old Bernard Cayetano, aka Unlimited, a local artist was arraigned on Wednesday in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for allegedly obstructing and assaulting a police officer, and resisting arrest. He was released on bail but today another artist, Shikell Nunez, aka “Cross Di Nitro” was also taken to court and arraigned, but he did not […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Trials |
Comments Off on Artist “Cross Di Nitro” Charged with Police Threats; He Says He Fears for His Life
The recent decriminalization of a small quantity of marijuana for personal use is not unique to Belize. In fact, it follows a similar model that has been implemented in Jamaica where a greater amount of two ounces, the equivalent of fifty-six point six grams of cannabis, has been permitted for individual consumption. According to Kamina […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Crime,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Jamaican Foreign Minister Shares Decriminalization Experience
Along with decriminalization is a broader conversation of legalizing the marijuana industry as a viable contributor to a country‘s Gross Domestic Product. That prototype would be similar to a model that has been implemented in Denver, Colorado where significant economic growth has been recorded, following legalization of the drug. Kamina Johnson-Smith, Foreign Minister, Jamaica […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Crime,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Jamaica Takes Baby Steps Toward Legalization
A session of the Public Accounts Committee during which Auditor General Dorothy Bradley was scheduled to appear, was called off earlier today when four U.D.P. ministers who sit on the working group failed to show up for the meeting. The scheduled sitting would have seen the auditor general responding to questions about irregularities described in […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on PAC Member Patrick Faber Hits Back at Chairman Espat
The Caribbean’s judicial officers have for the past few months been consulting on an issue of region-wide importance. With an increase reported in sexually-based offences, particularly here in Belize in the cases of rape, unlawful sexual intercourse and similar offences, there are more persons left vulnerable and subject to stigma and discrimination, not to mention […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on New Guidelines Introduced for Dealing with Sex Charges
Tonight, my colleague Marleni Cuellar is in San Francisco, U.S.A. where she is attending the tenth World Conference of Science Journalists. Marleni is teaming up with Channel Seven’s Courtney Weatherburne and fellow team members Tameka Lundy and Deanya Knowles of the Bahamas. The team is participating in the international forum on science journalism as a […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Channel Five’s Marleni Cuellar Represents at Science Journalists’ Conference
The Ministry of Health released the 2016 Annual HIV Statistical Report and the numbers show that there were fewer persons infected than in 2015. As in previous years, the report shows that not as many men were tested, but even so, more men were HIV positive. The Ministry of Health says that while there were […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Health,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on HIV in Belize: Infections Stable, Strides Made, More Work to Do
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has had to suspend elective surgeries because ten days ago, it reported that there has been a shortage of available blood due to a limited blood supply and restrictions imposed by the Blood Bank of the Ministry of Health. Tonight, we can tell you that the Ministry is being accused […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Health,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Ministry of Health Screwed Up Blood Bank?
The spike in violent crimes across Belize City, as well as allegations of state-sanctioned killings as a possible solution to the rampant homicides that have gripped the Old Capital, has raised serious concerns among the citizenry. This is in light of allegations of an extrajudicial assignment to be undertaken by a special unit of the […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Crime,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Jamaica’s INDECOM a Model for Addressing Police Issues
The Ministry of Works signed a contract with Italian consultancy firm Politecnica for a feasibility study and detailed designs for the upgrading of the coastal road. Politecnica is the same firm consulted for the rehab of the Haulover Bridge. For the coastal road, the consultancy fee is nine hundred and ninety-five thousand U.S. dollars or […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Designing a New Coastal Highway
In contrast to the debate in the House of Representatives which centered on the salary of its C.E.O., the Senate’s debate of the International Banking (Amendment) Bill focuses on Belize Telemedia Limited’s efforts to obtain a loan for the Internet to houses broadband program, costing thirty-five million U.S. dollars. It intends to obtain a portion […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on How Telemedia Will Handle Planned U.S.-dollar Loan
An amendment to the Immigration Act proposes to create a new class of persons with legal immigration status in Belize. As the name suggests, temporary residency supposes that holders who are active in Belize but maintain other residences and legal statuses would be allowed to claim Belizean-ness for as long as they wish without having […]
Written on October 26, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Why Temporary Residency is Necessary
Belize today played host to the fourth gathering of the heads of government of the Caribbean and Mexico. Mexico is one of the most populous nations surpassing by far the combined population of the Caribbean islands, but there is plenty that the two sub-regions share. Most recently, natural disasters impacted the two so that the […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Mexico and CARICOM Meet in Belize
The CARICOM/Mexico Summit concluded just after five o’clock this evening at the Best Western Hotel and it was immediately followed by a press conference led by Doctor Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada, who is the current chair of CARICOM. Doctor Mitchell summarized the top-level diplomatic conference by stating that Mexico has pledged to strengthen […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on CARICOM Chair Announces Increased Contribution for Disaster Management
Among the other areas of focus is an aim to bolster trade and investment between CARICOM and Mexico, through investment promotion agencies. Likewise, the announcement of a high-level private/public sector meeting among CARICOM member states was made. That gathering will be held in Grenada in December and will feature billionaire investor Richard Branson of Virgin […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Plans for Increase in Trade and Cooperation
President Enrique Peña Nieto aside from reaffirming Mexico’s commitment to assisting the hurricane-affected island nations of the Caribbean also spoke about the need for improving bilateral cooperation in other areas of common interest. Enrique Peña Nieto, President of Mexico [Translated] “Mexico has participated since 1974 as an observer to CARICOM; this organization that unites […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Mexico Pledges More Support for Hurricane-Hit Islands
In mid-September of this year, the island country of Barbuda was deemed uninhabitable after category-five hurricane Irma flattened the island. Thousands were displaced and transferred to the twin island of Antigua. One week later, another category-five hurricane, Maria, swept through the Caribbean, devastating Dominica in its path; they too sought refuge on Antiguan soil. Today, […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Disasters,
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Antigua and Barbuda Fights On after Hurricane Hits
But even as Barbuda is in the early stages of rebuilding, the next hurricane season starts in seven months. According to Minister Greene, the greatest challenge facing the island is that even as the recovery process takes place, there is no access to concessionary funding because they are told that the gross domestic product in […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Disasters,
Featured,
Foreign Affairs,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Antigua Minister Says Rebuilding Will Cost Hundreds of Millions
Just before news time on Tuesday night shots rang out on New Road. As sixty-year-old Judith Rocke and her grandchildren sat inside their house to watch the television evening news, reports are that a gunman standing at a nearby alley fired up to six shots at the house. Rocke was hit to the right arm, […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Crime,
Featured |
1 comment
There is another shooting to report as violence continues to grip the south side of Belize City. Twenty-eight-year-old Cardinal Andrews is said to be in critical condition after he was critically injured in a shooting incident on Partridge Street. Sometime around four this afternoon, the Burrell Boom resident was in the area when a single […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Crime |
1 comment
Up and coming local artist Unlimited was slapped with three charges today when he appeared in court. Unlimited, whose real name is Bernard Cayetano, was charged with obstruction, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. The charges stem from an incident on Wednesday that happened at the house of Kenneth ‘Big Tom’ Flowers – Unlimited’s […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Trials |
Comments Off on “Unlimited” Charged for Resisting Police over ‘Big Tom’
On Tuesday’s newscast, we reported on a question asked of the commissioner of police by a reporter which suggested that the officer referred to in the video posted by Cross di Nitro was charged with extortion several years ago. We are able to confirm tonight, however, that the officer who was charged with extortion is […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places |
1 comment
The loss of correspondent banking, also known as derisking, was a sticking point for Antiguan Minister of Trade, E.P. Chet Greene. His government has taken the lead for the Caribbean in exposing the effects of delinking countries from the international money chain. CARICOM member states, including Belize, have been adversely affected after U.S. financial institutions […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Economy,
Foreign Affairs,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Derisking Still an Issue for Caribbean
Even before the arrival of Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto, the official delegations including heads of states from CARICOM and the respective foreign ministers, met at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza in two sessions this morning, ahead of the CARICOM-Mexico Summit. But in the case of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne was […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Foreign Affairs,
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Antigua Minister Looks for Trade and Infrastructure Help at Summit
The upper chamber of the National Assembly met in regular session today to consider multiple motions and bills, most brought from the House of Representatives after it met last Friday. One motion and one bill in particular provoked extensive debate which took up most of the day’s proceedings. The OFID Haulover Bridge Loan Motion was […]
Written on October 25, 2017 | Posted in
Miscellaneous,
People & Places,
Politics |
1 comment
