The first of a string of activities by the Belize National Teachers Union was held simultaneously today across the country. Members of the union rallied together in motorcades to sound their discontent with a government proposed salary cut and increment freeze. The teachers are not backing down and will continue with a plan of action […]
Last week Wednesday, the teachers from the Stann Creek District were the first to organize their motorcade in protest of the proposed salary cut and increment freeze. Today, they hit the streets of Dangriga again as part of the national action plan of the Belize National Teachers Union. Also in the far south, in Punta […]
In his weekly message on Monday, PM Briceño said that tens of thousands of people have lost their jobs or taking the ultimate risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. He says he is now asking the unions to get “Belize Bounced Back Betta.” Senator Elena Smith responds: Senator Elena Smith, National President, B.N.T.U. “How much […]
The state of Belize’s economy is dire and the International Monetary Fund confirmed this week that the country is broke and has been in a recession since before the COVID-19 pandemic. But who’s responsible? The Briceño administration blames the former U.D.P. government, former Prime Minister Dean Barrow in particular. But Senator Elena Smith says that […]
B.N.T.U. National President, Senator Elena Smith says that in other districts, members of the Public Service Union and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers joined in the motorcades. Senator Smith says there is collaboration between the unions in the dialogue with G.O.B. since the salary cut and increment freeze is across the board for […]
The Briceño administration met in an all-day session today at the House of Culture in Belize City where a cabinet meeting was convened. There were a number of pressing issues that were brought up for discussion, including the pending 2021 budget and the proposed ten percent salary reduction for teachers and public officers. The meeting […]
Many teachers are not happy about G.O.B.’s proposed ten percent salary cut and increment freeze. They have taken to the streets to protest these proposals because they feel that they will be giving up a lot and that other measures should be explored. But just how will these proposed measures affect teachers? One teacher has […]
Are schools reopening for face-to-face learning soon? The Ministry of Education formed the COVID-19 Education Task Force to plan for that safe reopening, aiming for August/September 2021. But there has been talk of a pilot programme at the end of April or early May, after teachers have been vaccinated. But will this happen? Consultations have […]
Over the weekend, the torture of a sixteen-year-old boy was videotaped and the recording went viral on Facebook. The post and its subsequent circulation drew the ire of children’s rights activists, the Police Commissioner and many others who voiced their disgust and condemnation. Just before noon today, one of the accused in the case, Elvin […]
The trial of accused murder Jason Sanchez got underway this week and just as quickly, it entered into a closed session called a voir dire. This is to determine whether the trial judge, Justice Herbert Lord, can permit the admissibility of a statement as part of the evidence in the trial itself. Sanchez is charged […]
Police have arrested and charged a Libertad man for possession of a controlled drug. On Tuesday, the K9 Unit and Commanders Operation Support Team carried out an operation in Corozal where they searched the home of twenty-year-old Edwin Catzim in Libertad. Police say they didn’t find anything illegal inside the house, but a search of […]
In magistrate court news, on Monday, Keshawn Dennison was remanded to the Belize Central Prison after appearing on two charges. He is accused of harming Erica Sutherland twice, the first was on March tenth and then a second incident two days later on the twelfth. Dennison is on remand until he reappears in court on […]
The Friends for Conservation and Development conducted the Maya Quest Five Expedition to Doyle’s Delight earlier this week. The purpose of the expedition was to assess the impacts and document the human footprint on the highest point in the Maya Mountains. According to the F.C.D., the six-person team observed mining activity at Ceibo Chico, as […]
The Port of Belize Limited has announced its new Chief Executive Officer. According to a release, Andrew Lane brings twenty-five years of experience in ship operations and port terminals. His expertise includes network optimization, container terminal management, safety, productivity and labor relations. His past experience was at ports in Malaysia, Nigeria, Panama and Sri Lanka.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise has received training materials from the Republic of China, Taiwan. The fifty-eight packages are in the form of flash drives loaded with information on general sheep management practices, commercial sheep and goat production, nutrition, breeding, and herd health. They will be distributed to livestock extension officers and […]
Belizeans are encouraged to get vaccinated against COVID-19, despite growing concerns elsewhere regarding the side effects of the Oxford-AstraZeneca shots. At least twelve countries within the European Union have halted use of the serum, following claims that it has led to blood clots. Severe reactions to the vaccine have been minimal when compared to almost […]
There are fifty-five active cases of COVID-19 in the country, with six new infections and six recoveries being recorded today. Fortunately, there are no new deaths to report on this evening. In fact, the COVID Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has gone without a single patient for several weeks. It is marked improvement […]
A jarring video of extreme pain being inflicted on a male minor began making its rounds on social media on Saturday morning. The individual, who is seen torturing the teenager, is someone well-known to police. The clip shows an individual lying on the floor, being kicked and struck repeatedly with a broomstick, before a kitchen […]
According to ComPol Williams, the teenager, who was subsequently handled with little to no regard by police officers at the station, would not have survived the harrowing ordeal were it not for a noise complaint from neighbors. Sutherland, he says, is facing a raft of charges relating to the incident. Chester Williams, Commissioner of […]
The trio police accuse of kidnapping and torturing a minor over the weekend were shuttled to the Magistrate’s Court in the back of a police van this afternoon but they never appeared before a magistrate. It is not clear if there was an error with their charge sheets, but sometime around three p.m., police escorted […]
Earlier today, there was a flurry of activity on social media when it was reported that B.T.L. had terminated over a hundred employees. While the so-called firings were never confirmed prior to publication of the news story, the article went on to say that as many as two hundred workers would be let go from […]
Today, the Belize Tourism Board issued a very sparse statement confirming what News Five first reported on Friday: Tourism Director Karen Bevans no longer holds the post. Following a meeting of the B.T.B. Board of Directors, a unanimous decision was taken on March twelfth that the “time had come to part ways with Misses Bevans.” […]
News Five has confirmed that teachers will take to the streets across the country in their green shirts on Tuesday for simultaneous protest motorcades in each municipality. It is part the union’s response G.O.B.’s proposal for a ten percent salary cut and an increment freeze for an additional three years for teachers and public officers. […]
A Belize City family is making a serious charge, saying their loved one would be alive today had an ambulance responded in time to a distress call instead of asking about a service fee. News Five’s Duane Moody reports on the incident in Belize City on Friday night. Duane Moody, Reporting As the family […]
A young man Leary Simon has succumbed to injuries he received after being shot on Reggae Street March seventh. The Santa Elena resident was approached by a lone gunman last Sunday. He was hospitalized at the K.H.M.H. where he fought for his life until Friday morning when he passed away. Senior Superintendent Hilberto Romero told […]
