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Cabinet has approved the repeal of the Libel and Defamation Law and will be replacing it with simply a Defamation Law, the papers for which will be introduced at the next House of Representatives meeting. We spoke with Attorney-General, Magali Marin-Young, who explained that the new Bill will replace an outdated piece of legislation with […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
Featured,
Law,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Libel and Defamation Law to be Replaced
Under the new laws, people who make Facebook posts that are republished or shared or draw other comments that can be deemed as libelous or defamatory comments can be held accountable. Unless they can prove in court that they were unaware of the libel. Magali Marin-Young, Attorney-General “Sometimes somebody publishes something and its republished, […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
Featured,
Law,
People & Places |
Comments Off on People Who Republish Defamatory Posts Can Defend Themselves
In this week’s Cabinet meeting, the Prime Minister and his advisors approved the Free Prior Informed Consent Protocol that will guide consultations with Maya communities. According to this week’s Cabinet briefing, this protocol is in keeping with government’s commitment to the implementation of the 2015 Consent Order of the Caribbean Court of Justice. Cabinet has […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Cabinet Looks at Port Strike, Migrants Arriving Via P.G.I.A., and Blue Bond Unit
According to the Pan American Health Organization, Belize is reporting the highest rate of new COVID infections in Central America. In terms of the rest of the region, many of Mexico’s southern states have seen new infections triple, and infections are accelerating in Honduras and Costa Rica. There have been spikes in South America as […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
Health,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Belize Has Highest Rate of New COVID Infections in Central America
Since 2021, Minister of Natural Resources Cordel Hyde has been bringing the lands department to the people through its mobile clinics across the country. They’ve been south in Dangriga, north in Corozal, and to the island town of San Pedro. But today, their stop was Ladyville – one of the largest, most populated areas of […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
People & Places |
Comments Off on Mobile Land Clinic Convened in Ladyville
It’s been over two weeks since classes have been reopened to hybrid learning. But, not all students have the resources to access learning material virtually. Today, five schools from across the country are benefiting from a total of ninety-nine laptops. A symbolic handing over ceremony was held at the House of Culture in Belize City […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
Education,
People & Places |
Comments Off on 99 Laptops for Primary Schools
C.E.O. Valentino Shal also announced that there are another two hundred laptops that will be donated under the Basic Needs Trust Fund Ninth Program in the near future. Those will be distributed to high school students. Valentino Shal, Deputy Chair, Social Investment Fund “Very soon C.E.O. Maheia, we will also be making another contribution […]
Written on January 27, 2022 | Posted in
Education,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Another Donation of Laptops to be Handed over to M.O.E.
The standstill at the Port of Belize Limited is now in its seventh day. Some ships have already turned back, causing importers to activate contingency plans. Shipping agents are looking to their only alternative, the Big Creek Port in Independence Village. But where the Port of Belize Limited offers proximity to many of its clients, […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Port Strike in 7th Day; Shipping Agents Shifting to Big Creek
In an attempt to loosen the logjam at Port of Belize Limited brought on by the striking stevedores, the Minister responsible for Logistics, Michel Chebat has reportedly been in conversation with both P.B.L. and the C.W.U. Reports are that the Government of Belize has proposed a compromise to the union and the P.M. says a […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on GOB Proposes Compromise for Port Impasse
And while the impasse continues between stevedores and the Port of Belize, shipments that were destined to be processed through that entry and exit point have been channeled through the Big Creek Port in Stann Creek. While that has not created any bottlenecks in the traffic at that southern facility, the impasse is creating higher […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Impasse between Port and Stevedores: The View From Big Creek
Prime Minister John Briceño chimed in on the state of affairs within the United Democratic Party, referring to the domestic violence allegations against Patrick Faber as a pattern. As the U.D.P. seeks to rebuild its internal leadership, P.M. Briceño noted that it is everyone’s business to condemn domestic violence and offer support to victims. […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Featured,
Social Issues |
Comments Off on PM to Domestic Violence Victims: “Your Partner Has No Right to Hit You”
This week the neighboring state of Quintana Roo, Mexico went to level orange on its five scale COVID-19 alerts. Orange is second highest, just below red, with a number of restrictions in place. That orange will be activated for the next week. But so far, the plan to reopen Belize’s land borders by February first […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Borders to Reopen Feb 1; Vaccination May Be Requirement
This morning, before today’s meeting, Prime Minister John Briceño praised the efforts his Administration has made in growing the local economy over the last year. But, what will those successes mean for teachers and public servants? Prime Minister John Briceño “I believe we are going to be having a long meeting. We are going […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on PM Hopeful 10% Can Be Reinstated Soon
P.M. Briceño says Belize has a lot to be grateful for with the economy rebounding, the Blue Bond, and now the Millennium Challenge Corporation funds. He maintains there is more to be done in terms of employment and other opportunities. Prime Minister John Briceño “Just imagine, in one year we paid off the Super […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Uncategorized |
Comments Off on PM Outlines Economic Accomplishments
The Government of Belize is preparing to table a reported sixteen million dollar supplementary budget in the House of Representatives for the Ministry of Health. It will not be the first time the Briceño administration is going to the House to seek approval for further spending for health. In fact, it will be the third […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on GOB to Seek Additional Funds For MOHW
Prime Minister John Briceño left the country today for Honduras to attend the inauguration of Xiomara Castro, the Central American nation’s first woman president. Briceño also spoke this morning about upcoming regional meeting including a CARICOM Summit in March, and efforts to strengthen relationships with both Central America and the Caribbean. Prime Minister John […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Regional / International |
Comments Off on PM to Honduran Presidential Inauguration
In early December, we reported on an effort to encourage women and youth in entrepreneurship through a project called Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Era. With support funding from the Government of Taiwan, seven recipients were handed twenty-five thousand U.S. dollars to advance these […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Islanders and Sea Salt Production/Seaweed Farming
A visit to the island of Caye Caulker today was different than it was six months ago. Tourism activity on La Isla Cariñosa was palpable, with many tour boats out at the reef and tourists basking in the sun and sand. The return of employment for most of the island residents has been welcome. News […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on Booming Economic Activity on Caye Caulker as Tourism Rebounding
Like the rest of the country, COVID is on the island of Caye Caulker. With the omicron and delta variants in country, the village also saw an increase in COVID numbers earlier this month. But there has been a downward trend and up to the end of last week, there were only about twenty active […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Caye Caulker Sees Drop in COVID Cases
This is village council election year, so News Five asked the chairlady of Caye Caulker if she will re-contest. After all, Seleny Villanueva-Pott is a two-term village council chairlady and the fourth in her family to hold the post. She says yes, if she has the support of Belize Rural South Area Representative, Andre Perez […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Politics |
Comments Off on Will Villanueva-Pott Run Again?
It is one of the government’s key revenue departments and today, the Government of Belize commemorated International Customs Day. The ceremony this year was held in the banana belt in Independence Village, Stann Creek with the theme: “Scaling Up Customs Digital Transformation by Embracing A Data Culture and Building a Data Ecosystem.” News Five’s Marion […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Customs Departments Celebrates Digital Achievements on International Customs Day
Since the reopening of schools on January tenth, there have been reports of teachers and students having COVID-19 but none of them were engaged in hybrid learning, and there have not been any reported COVID clusters originating at schools. Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Doctor Louis Zabaneh told News Five today that […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Education |
Comments Off on More Schools Reopening
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Doctor Marvin Manzanero was government’s chief medical advisor in his then capacity as Director of Health Services. Notwithstanding the controversial changes in the Ministry of Health and Wellness since the Briceño administration took over in November 2020, Doctor Manza, as most refer to him, has been closely following […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on Are We Any Closer to the End of the Pandemic?
According to Doctor Manzanero, what is equally of concern is the shortened time span when people can become re-infected with COVID. Omicron, he says, is capable of coming back. Dr. Marvin Manzanero “In terms of strains, for example, Omicron what it seems to do is it has learned how to evade immunity. So you […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Health |
Comments Off on Omicron is Elusive to Immunity
First it was a blockage by cane farmers that delayed the start of the sugar crop, now rocks, metals, and other debris are threatening to shut down operations at the northern sugar mill, A.S.R./B.S.I. The company announced today mud levels in the product are within the normal range, the presence of other materials is unusually […]
Written on January 26, 2022 | Posted in
Environment,
People & Places |
Comments Off on “Extraneous Materials” Hampering Cane Processing
