It lay quietly under the news radar until it was casually revealed in a newspaper interview about two weeks ago by B.T.L. Chairman, Net Vasquez. We’re talking about the fact that the Central Bank of Belize has purchased twenty million dollars worth of shares in B.T.L. because no one else was buying. But did Central […]
The other hot button issue is Preventive Detention. It is a measure that was first withdrawn due to considerable opposition by the man on the street. In its incarnation in May of this year, there were still objections by many as well as by organizations such as the Human’s Rights Commission and the Opposition. It […]
Before the measure which could have seen citizens detained for up to twenty one days without being charged was set aside, the People’s United Party sent the PM a notice regarding preventive detention. Barrow’s response was that it’s a procedural issue in which the minimum time for consideration is ninety days. But now, it may […]
By a vote of sixty-one to thirty, the Belize Chamber of Commerce ratified a resolution on Friday July fifteenth calling on government to respect the rule of law and that in respect of compulsory acquisitions; persons must be quickly and adequately compensated. That resolution was hastily rejected by the Prime Minister. With uncharacteristic brevity, the […]
On Tuesday morning, Lord Michael Ashcroft discussed a number of issues in a one hour interview for our morning show that was broadcast live from Miami. Following the show, the station was flooded with requests for a repeat of the Open Your Eyes show since only the government’s perspective had been heard regarding the acquisitions […]
Lord Ashcroft also drew an analogy in respect of the nationalization of Telemedia. He compared it to the forced acquisition of a house, its value reduced and no compensation is paid to the previous owners. Here is how he put it. Lord Michael Ashcroft “Just imagine that you’ve got a nice house by the side […]
Honduras’ Banco Atlántida’s interest in a buyout of Belize Sugar Industries was revealed earlier this year. In January representatives of the Honduran bank visited the factory at Tower Hill in Orange Walk along with experts in factory and field work. With millions of dollars in loans owed to I.N.G. and First Caribbean Bank, a buyout […]
Last Wednesday a team of officers including Belize Defense Force personnel, forest rangers and conservationists came under fire from illegal loggers in the Chiquibul National Park. The men had already cleared quite a number of mature cedar trees, fifty-six in total, for extraction to neighboring Guatemala. While incursion from Guatemalan poachers remains a perennial issue […]
The incidences of Guatemalan poachers and loggers in the Chiquibul were put to the Prime Minister. Dean Barrow says that diplomatic channels have been opened; the Belize Embassy in Guatemala is active on the issue and the B.D.F. patrols on our side of the border will continue as scheduled. Dean Barrow “There was a second […]
It’s also dangerous in the streets of the city and another Belize City resident was viciously mowed down in a storm of bullets just after midnight. Thirty-three year old Jermaine Arnold, also known as Yankee, was accosted by a lone gunman upon reaching the corners of South and Albert Streets. He was shot multiple times […]
In November 2010 the landing of an executive jet laden with eighty bales of cocaine along the Southern Highway near the Bladen Reserve made headlines as the biggest drug bust in the country’s history. Arrested for facilitating the arrival of the aircraft and the shipment of its cargo were police officers Renel Grant, Lawrence Humes, […]
Also in court, for the first time in years, a woman has been found guilty of murder. For that crime, today Veola Pook was sentenced to life imprisonment for burning her common-law-husband to death at their home in Rancho Dolores on New Years Eve 2008. The sentence is effective as of July eighth, when she […]
The sensational battle between prominent cardiologist, Dr. John Gough and his neighbor Egbert Nicholson versus the family of sixteen year old Carlos Zelaya Junior started last year and ended today with a settlement. Nicholson was convicted of wounding while Gough was exonerated in the Magistrates Court, but the Zelaya family filed a civil suit against […]
A fifteen year old girl gave birth last Thursday; the same day the news broke that she had been having a sexual relationship with twenty-four year old Police Constable Yannic Wade. Today Wade was arraigned on six charges; two counts of carnal knowledge and four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge for allegedly having sex with […]
Both locally and internationally, the acquisitions of Telemedia and B.E.L. triggered alarm bells because it weakens the already slow economy. The Belize Chamber of Commerce has called on the government to pay compensation quickly and adequately. We asked Lord Michael Ashcroft for his perspective on the investment climate. Lord Michael Ashcroft “I think there needs […]
Before closing the interview, Lord Ashcroft reflected on the future, saying that he has moved on, and that he is not the enemy in the room. Marleni Cuellar “As we head into the next two elections, 2012 and 2013, do you see yourself becoming more involved in the political landscape in terms of support to […]
On Tuesday night, the World Series of Poker’s Hold Em’ Championship whittled down from six thousand eight hundred and sixty five players to the final nine. We can confirm that the player who ranked number ten, John Hewitt of Costa Rica, exited the game with six hundred and seven thousand eight hundred and eighty two […]
The first of two summer camps hosted by the Belize Defence Force is well underway at Price Barracks. Students between the ages of ten and seventeen are learning to have fun in a structured environment. Those who are not interested in painting and cooking can have a pick at sporting activities. The second takes place […]
A university professor was charged in January for allegedly being in possession of a bulletproof vest, which was prohibited at the time. But according to Leon Leslie, he had no knowledge of the vest which police claim was found inside his vehicle. Today Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer struck out the charge because the arresting officer […]
Eighteen years ago, a couple from California, USA spent time in Belize teaching at Kings College. The couple did not leave only with photos and wonderful memories; they left the country with two babies they adopted. Don Christian and his adopted daughter, Nettie, have returned to Belize to visit old friends but there is a […]
The Bliss auditorium was ram jammed on Tuesday night when group B of KTV Duets made its first appearance. The show opened and closed with a bang and according to the judges, the strong performances by the eight duos will make this year’s show even more competitive. Here’s a clip of the energetic performers. {Highlight […]
