Today was the first sitting of the House of Representatives for 2014. And as has become practice rather than rule, sparks flew across from both sides of the aisle. Now, numerous bills were tabled and one was fast tracked through the three stages. But we start first with a story we had been following involving […]
Distasteful and wrong, but not corrupt. That’s a very fine line drawn by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who has been faced with all manner of accusations against his ministers and officials. Still, the bottom line is that as distasteful as it may be, Castro will face no punishment for the outrageous fleecing of taxpayers’ money. […]
After months of absence in the House, the disgraced former Minister of Immigration, Elvin Penner put in an appearance. Penner, as you all know, is at the centre at the huge immigration scandal that will not go away. The former Minister personally delivered an incomplete application for nationality certificate and moved it through the process […]
While Castro ran for cover, Elvin Penner emerged from hiding and was in the House of Representatives this morning. As we said, he was seated all by himself in the far corner of the government side, but was present and accounted for. Penner’s name has resurfaced with the leaking of the Won Hong Kim report […]
On Friday, teachers in the Cayo District will rally under the banner of the Belize National Teachers Union and take to the streets. It is the third such industrial action since the beginning of the year by the union and its members, and it has become apparent that while the salary adjustment may be the […]
After devoting much of his address to detailing all the things this administration has done for teachers, Faber then rounded on the Belize Chamber of Commerce. Faber was offended because of a release issued by the Chamber of Commerce last week, which expressed support for a salary adjustment for teachers. After stating that he didn’t […]
At this hour, the Environmental Impact Assessment into the Norwegian Cruise Lines project is taking place at the Independence High School Auditorium in the south. A News Five crew on the ground is reporting a massive turnout of those in support and those against the multimillion dollar tourism project. The project attracted controversy and strong […]
A young man who was shot on the head at about eight-thirty on Tuesday morning died as he was about to undergo emergency surgery at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Micah Williams was fired upon as he washed his car that was parked immediately in front of his house on Raccoon Street Extension. The twelve-hour […]
Prior to the shooting turned murder of Williams on Raccoon Street Extension, the body of another man was discovered on Banak Street. Just before ten on Sunday night, thirty-six year old Eaton Eamon Carr was shot multiple times—to the chest neck and right arm; he died in a drain on Banak Street. Carr, who was […]
The Williams and Carr murders are examples of an upsurge in urban gun violence since the beginning of the year. As it relates to another murder, that of Derrick Parham, there has been no movement by the police as it relates to arrests. Twenty-five year old Parham was shot in the presence of his aunt […]
But there is a fourth murder which is most recent and involved a man wanted by Belmopan Police. Marlon Balona’s body was found under cohune leaves off a feeder road in an isolated area of the village of La Gracia on Sunday afternoon. Balona’s body had injuries to the chest and neck area; and on […]
Meanwhile, San Ignacio Police are saying that there is a breakthrough in the investigation of a string of robberies in the west. On Sunday afternoon, Kevin ‘Midget’ Manzanero was taken into custody after he was admitted at the San Ignacio Hospital for multiple chop wounds to the body. Manzanero was wanted along with his partner […]
A conviction has been secured for the attempted murder of Jesus Bol. The decision was handed down in the Supreme Court of Justice Denis Hanomansingh in the Southern Session of the Supreme Court on Monday of this week. Judge Hanomansingh said that after looking carefully at the facts of the case revealed during trial between […]
After being unable for the third time to produce any proper identification to prove her true identity, Camille Ferguson was spared jail time today. When Ferguson appeared before Magistrate Stephanie Gillett, this morning, she again failed to provide either a social security card or a passport. Magistrate Gillett told her that the court simply could […]
Now to the real business of the day in the House of Representatives. Various new bills were tabled for first reading and some came up for second reading. The Stake Bank Cruise Docking Facility Bill will enable the construction of the multimillion dollar tourism project at Stake Bank, undertaken by businessman, Mike Feinsten. The bill […]
As a consequence of that protest at the last sitting, union executives have been banned from participating in two sittings of the House. That may seem like a small price to pay for having finally gotten the OSH bill on the table, and it probably is. But one very vocal union rep took the opportunity […]
The 2013/2014 sugar cane crop season is slated to begin at ten a.m. on Friday morning, after a delay of more than two months. At least, it is the hope of all stakeholders, from foreign to factory to field, that the season will start. The biggest problem facing the farmers now is the state of […]
