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Exactly three years to the day after she was arraigned in San Pedro for the shooting death of Superintendent Henry Jemmott, Jasmine Hartin was fined seventy-five thousand dollars as her sentence. Presiding Judge, Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft, in a twenty-five-page ruling, imposed the fine, to be paid within twelve months, or, in default, Hartin would face […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Jasmine Hartin Fined $75,000 for Death of Henry Jemmott
So what happens now for Hartin? We tried to ask her when she exited the courtroom today, but she was not talking. We also tried to get Jemmott’s sisters upon their exit, but they too declined comment. Hartin’s lawyer says she can leave the country, but with a sentence that stipulates that if she doesn’t […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
Crime,
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Law,
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Comments Off on What’s Next for Jasmine Hartin?
Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler was among several colleagues who raised objections to a white paper presented by Prime Minister John Briceño to Cabinet on May twenty-third. That document had to do with proposed legislation that would facilitate the development of a cruise tourism terminal in the vicinity of the Sibun River. It follows a Definitive […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on “The opposition is going to say anything.” – Anthony Mahler
According to Mahler, blame for the signing of the divisive agreement which provides, among other benefits, a tax holiday for Port of Magical Belize should be placed squarely at the feet of the former U.D.P. government. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism “When it was presented to Cabinet, it was based on a timing issue, […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Mahler Says There Was No Revolt in Cabinet
On Tuesday, Chief Executive Officer Ted Peralta, on behalf of the Port of Belize Limited, wrote to Ombudsman Gilbert Swazo requesting an investigation into the circumstances of the signing of the Definitive Agreement. The request is based on reasonable grounds which were presented by way of evidence that former Minister of Economic Development Erwin Contreras […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ombudsman is Asked to Investigate Dubious Signing of Definitive Agreement
Saudi Minister of Tourism Ahmed Al Khateeb arrived at the Philip Goldson International Airport on Tuesday where he was received on the tarmac by Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler. The purpose of the visit included the signing of a loan agreement with the Saudi Fund for Development to build a tertiary hospital in Belmopan. Belize […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Regional / International |
Comments Off on Saudi Minister of Tourism Visits Belize; $90M Loan is Signed
Tourism numbers for Belize continue to climb, but the figures are still not quite back to where they were pre-COVID. But that time is just ahead, according to Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler, who said the difference is just a fraction between what they were then and what they are now. He shared those figures […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Environment,
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Comments Off on Tourism Numbers Almost Back to Pre-COVID Status
One of the tourism routes that Belize has not been able to land an agreement with as yet is Europe. Getting European airlines into Belize would cater to a whole new market that would take up the number one foreign exchange earner for our country. That reality is expected to come in the not too […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Environment,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Discussions Still Underway to Get European Airlines into Belize
Consumer prices are up by four point six percent in April, according to the Statistical Institute of Belize. S.I.B. says this is the lowest overall national inflation rate recorded since early 2021. But, food prices are still considerably higher than they were during the same month last year. In fact, according to S.I.B., the food […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Environment,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Lowest Overall National Inflation Rate since Early 2021 Recorded in April 2023
Every year, millions of dollars are pumped into the sugar industry in Belize, through Fairtrade premiums. A premium is a calculated sum added to an ordinary price or charge. In the sugar industry, Fairtrade premiums act as an incentive to producers in developing countries that adhere to Fairtrade standards in the production of their sugarcane. […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Environment,
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Comments Off on Multi-million Dollar Fairtrade System in Belize; Fairtrade or Unfair Trade?
Today, in a remote area of Toledo District, a clandestine airstrip used in a recent drug plane landing was destroyed by the Belize Defense Force. At first light, this morning, troops made their way to the area where explosives were planted along the cleared path that was approximately two kilometers long. News Five spoke with […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Social Issues |
Comments Off on B.D.F. Destroys Illegal Airstrips in Southern Belize
The 2023 Atlantic Hurricane season officially begins on Thursday. To mark the start of the season, the City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) hosted a symposium in Belize City. The event, titled “Build Disaster Resilience”, saw the participation of various stakeholders from across government ministries and humanitarian organizations. They all gathered to discuss the strengths and […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Environment,
People & Places,
Weather |
Comments Off on CEMO Marks the Start of 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season with Stakeholder Symposium
Melanie Dawson, the CEMO Liaison Officer at the Belize City Council, also gave an overview of the cleanup efforts that the council undertook across the city following the all-clear. She says that sixty-three thousand, six hundred and thirty tons of solid waste were removed from the streets of Belize City during the operation. The National […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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People & Places,
Weather |
Comments Off on Record 63,000 Tons of Trash Removed From Belize City Streets Following Hurricane Lisa
Following Hurricane Lisa, the Belize City Council spent an estimated five hundred thousand dollars, according to Mayor Wagner. He explained that these funds were reimbursed by central government. Another weakness that Mayor Wagner identified is the bureaucracy that affected persons often face in accessing relief supplies. Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor “What we also […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Weather |
Comments Off on Mayor Wagner Wants less Bureaucracy in Distribution of Hurricane Relief Supplies
For decades, Edward P. Yorke High School has been promoting sports among its students, but the challenge has always been that their basketball court was the ground. Through assistance from two well-known alumni, the school now boasts a spanking new basketball court. Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler and the General Manager of R F & […]
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on E.P. Yorke High School Gets New Basketball Court
The latest winner of Scratch and Win is a Belize City resident who is twenty-one thousand dollars richer after purchasing a lucky ticket on Monday night. On Tuesday, he stopped by our office with a cheque for twenty-one thousand dollars and explained how he came by his latest fortune.
Written on May 31, 2023 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on A New Scratch & Win Winner Comes Forward
The Definitive Agreement between the Barrow administration and Portico Enterprises Limited back in October 2020, remains a hot button issue among parliamentarians on both sides of the floor. On Monday, Prime Minister John Briceño went on record to express his frustration with the disclosure of a white paper that was recently presented to Cabinet on […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Opposition Leader Criticizes PM Briceño Over Leaked Cabinet Paper
During his interview with reporters, Barrow made the point that Prime Minister Briceño has challenged the legality of several contracts entered into by the previous administration. He found it curious that PM Briceño did not denounce the Definitive Agreement, despite its many controversial clauses. Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition “My reaction is the […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Why Hasn’t PM Briceño Sought to Challenge Definitive Agreement?
While Barrow has reserved choice words to describe the prime minister for presenting a seemingly shady agreement to Cabinet, he hasn’t disparaged the former Minister of Economic Development in a similar tone. In fact, much of Barrow’s response came off as a direct attack on the prime minister. But is it all just smoke and […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Shyne’s Criticism of PM Briceño, Is It Smoke and Mirrors?
The government’s proposed replacement hospital for the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan has raised serious concerns, particularly for the K.H.M.H. Workers Union. In a release issued on May twenty-fifth, the union pointed to a myriad other reasons why the ninety million dollars would be better spent in other areas of the public health sector. The […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
Health |
Comments Off on Shyne Says He Thinks a Replacement WRH Is a Waste of Money
Over the past two weeks, two young women were brutally killed in Belize. The murders of nineteen-year-old Imari Galvez on the Hummingbird Highway and thirty-one-year-old Mirza Morales at her home in El Progresso Village, Cayo on Friday night shocked the nation. Today, Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow denounced the murder of women. He said that after […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Crime,
Economy,
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Comments Off on Shyne on Murder of Women: I Wish This Was Not an Issue We Had to Discuss
Last week, former Police Corporal, Kareem Martinez was sentenced to eighteen years in prison for the shooting death of Laddie Gillett. The fourteen-year-old boy was shot dead in Placencia in July of 2020. It was later revealed that the men in black were actually policemen who were summoned to investigate two suspicious youths who were […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Crime,
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on ComPol on Martinez Sentence: Martinez Was Not a Rogue Cop
Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner has gone on record to say that he would like a third term in office at the municipal level to complete various projects that began under his term as mayor. But that decision is a matter for the P.U.P.’s national party council. And while Wagner enjoys the support of some […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Bernard Wagner Wants Endorsement, Not Convention
The United Democratic Party installed its Collet Area Representative, Patrick Faber as the standard bearer for that division in the next general elections. It has been a whirlwind experience for Faber, who has seen his political career plummet from once being Acting Prime Minister to just area representative and with a replacement standard bearer in […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Shyne Barrow Says Patrick Faber’s Reinstatement Was Expected
The Belize District Festival of Arts commenced on Monday in San Pedro and Caye Caulker and today, made its way to the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts in Belize City. During this week, approximately one hundred performances from primary and secondary school students will be presented on stafe in dance, music and drama. While […]
Written on May 30, 2023 | Posted in
Art & Culture,
Economy,
Entertainment,
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Comments Off on Cultural Explosion in the Belize District Festival of Arts
