The House of Representatives’ special session in Belmopan today was chock-full of news inside and outside. There were eight bills presented, one of which was taken through all its stages, and the Auditor General’s Annual Report for 2012 to 2013 was tabled. Our coverage begins with the audit, which was only tabled. It discusses in […]
Five years after the first proposals were made and three years after an officially constituted committee, today G.O.B. brought legislation to the House to amend the Misuse of Drugs Act. The Bill seeks to decriminalize the possession of cannabis or marijuana in amounts not exceeding ten grams or less than half an ounce. The amendment […]
But there will be opposition to the bill, primarily from church groups. They believe that marijuana along with alcohol is a ‘gateway drug’ to harder drugs such as cocaine and heroin and that the amount chosen to regulate is arbitrary. Prime Minister Dean Barrow shied away from direct confrontation with pastor and journalist Louis Wade, […]
The National Evangelical Association of Belize has registered its disagreement with the proposed new legislation, which it says is a wrong move in the wrong direction that will bring wrong results. It cites its own package of scientific studies and reports showing the danger of marijuana use in younger persons and also claims that the […]
By its next session in October, a bill formally legislating the indefinite moratorium against offshore oil exploration activity should be before the House of Representatives. It is considered a major victory for environmental groups including OCEANA. But does this mean a complete ban on exploration of any kind in the future? The Prime Minister says […]
OCEANA in Belize has been lobbying tirelessly for a complete ban on offshore exploration since it established itself in the country under the leadership of Audrey Matura. During that time, the organization partnered with the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage to hold a referendum on offshore drilling. While a majority of votes were […]
Going into the weekend, the National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO, has issued its first advisory in respect of Tropical Storm Harvey which continues a westward path in the direction of Belize. TS Harvey is presently one thousand, seven hundred miles away from the country and is moving at a speed of twenty-one miles per hour, […]
The distribution center of Bowen and Bowen located at Slaughterhouse Road in Belize City was robbed on Thursday night. The brazen robbery occurred before eight o’clock and involved four masked men. Of the four, two were armed; they held up personnel and proceeded to carry out the heist which netted them as much as twenty-five […]
The family of thirty-year-old Dwayne Almendarez is demanding answers from the Belize Police Department. The Yo Creek resident remains in an induced coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being shot multiple times during an altercation involving a team of B.D.F. soldiers and customs personnel in the Orange Walk District. The incident reportedly stemmed […]
The decision to postpone re-registration to 2018, after the municipal elections and before a planned referendum to the International Court of Justice, has raised hackles. Having waited twenty years, opponents say Belize should not wait a moment longer to clean up the voters’ list. But the Government maintains, according to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, that […]
The first issue raised on the adjournment of the House was the ongoing impasse between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and American Sugar Refining/Belize Sugar Industries Limited. The Association last month wrote the millers announcing that while it supports the investment of twenty-two million dollars for production of direct consumption and value-added sugars at […]
On Thursday, former Foreign Minister Lisa Shoman publicly criticized current Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington for his repeated statements suggesting that Belize does not have internationally recognized borders, especially with Guatemala. She went as far as to convey skepticism about Belize moving forward with resolving the unfounded claim at the International Court of Justice. But could […]
Twenty-one year old Christian Espat of San Pedro Town will remain behind bars for another week since his bail application was not heard today. The Director of Public Prosecutions’ office has raised strong objections to Espat being granted bail. Espat is accused of attempted murder of two minors and twenty-seven year old Lloyd Tindall after […]
In our last story from the House, the sole bill introduced today to go through all its stages was an amendment to the Town Councils Act which purports to give greater autonomy to the municipal bodies for raising funds for capital projects. It directly benefits the United Democratic Party-controlled San Ignacio/Santa Elena Town Council, which […]
The Ministry of Health says that suspected fish poisoning, specifically Ciguatera poisoning, was detected in persons who had consumed barracuda bought from a vendor in Ladyville, Belize District. The toxin does not affect the appearance, odor or taste; and freezing or cooking the contaminated fish will not prevent the poisoning. Individuals, who have come in […]
The National Institute of Culture and History is calling on the BSCAP Board to present certified and audited financials to its membership at an annual general meeting to be convened. This follows the claims by former C.E.O. Shyne Barrow that the more than half a million dollars claimed by Chairlady Heather Cunningham pales in comparison […]
This afternoon Mayor Darrell Bradley and several of his councilors hosted three National Team Track and Field athletes and their coach at the City Hall. The team was presented with plaques and cash before given a tour of the City Hall. Ashantie and Ashontie Card and Faith Morris are all young athletes who have represented […]
Over a hundred young athletes under the age of fifteen years, are traveling to Honduras this weekend to participate in the CODICADER Games. Despite initial concerns that Belize would be ineligible to host future competitions once it was unable to send a delegation, the National Sports Council has secured resources necessary to take part in […]
Chief of Mission, Charlie Slusher, also shared with the audience the sentiments of other CODICADER executives who are in support of Belize, despite the financial difficulties in defraying the cost of participation. Charlie Slusher, Chief of Mission, CODICADER Games “The good news that I have for Belize is that all indication is that all […]
Over a hundred persons with disabilities and their families converged at the Inspiration Center just outside Belize City. But today’s session was not for the routine visits for therapy, the group was there to end their summer with fun. So they came from all over the country, from north to south, to engage in a […]
Just before we close tonight’s newscast, we have the highlights of our ninth annual Summer Fest held this morning on our outdoor stage right here at our compound on Coney Drive. Over five hundred children attended the show along with their parents, as over thirty-three truly talented youths, as young as eight years old took […]
