Gunfire and explosions at Saint George’s Caye crash a wedding party in progress as armed soldiers storm the beach. It happed on Thursday night as a group of twenty-six guests, who have been staying at the St. George’s Caye Resort for the past several days, were in the middle of the wedding party. Sometime after […]
The leadership of the Belize Defence Force is under fire tonight, but not from Guatemala. Internal information forwarded to News Five indicates that several senior officers may be in violation of their mandatory retirement ages from the force. This includes the man holding over for retired Brigadier General David Jones. The top leadership is said […]
The House of Representatives’ Public Accounts Committee’s last two meetings wound up canceled. One was by its chairman Julius Espat because Auditor General Dorothy Bradley was not able to attend. The other happened after three members who are Government ministers caught the flu and viral conjunctivitis within days of each other. At that time the […]
One of the contentions raised by Espat and echoed by the social partners is that Public Accounts Committee meetings should be held in public as the name suggests. But Patrick Faber contends that there are pitfalls to such a plan – namely worries that some will cherry-pick what is said and use it against the […]
This evening, we sought a response from the Committee’s Chair, Julius Espat. For the most part, he said, the meeting was an education in the role and responsibility of the Auditor General’s office and its relationship with the committee, which in Belize’s case is for the most part non-existent. Espat says the entities must work […]
Espat told us that with respect to the past absences, he has made it clear to his fellow parliamentarians that he will tolerate no excuses for future absences from meetings. The issue is important enough that a united bi-partisan front is critical to solving the myriad issues with the government and public service. And while […]
A primary argument for those opposed to the recent decriminalization law is that Belize already has high rates of students smoking marijuana fairly regularly. They argue that decriminalization would increase that rate and make it more attractive. While the law does allow that no marijuana can be carried onto school properties, today Minister of Education […]
One week ago, Minister of Education Patrick Faber called out the Belize National Teachers’ Union. During an interview last Thursday, Faber said the leadership of the union is neglecting its duty to teachers and what ought to be its priorities. He cited the removal of B.N.T.U. president Elena Smith from the Teaching Services Commission, based […]
It was created in 2008 and first brought to Belize seven years later. But the Raspberry Pi computer has become the base of the Public Utilities Commission’s Young Innovators Program. The P.U.C.’s vision is to support the country’s future inventors, scientists and specialists in mathematics, the sciences, technology and engineering. Today students from across the […]
A small protest against corruption was held this morning in front of the Complex Building on Mahogany Street this morning. It was organized a group of very vocal activists and had the support of grassroots organizations. In the front lines we found tour operator Yong Rosado, who is feeling pressure from the GST Department. He […]
Shooting victim Leon Usher tells News Five that Ladyville Police are lying on him. He says they fabricated a report that he threatened, aggressed and attempted to take away a firearm from one of the officers who responded to a domestic dispute with his common-law-wife Tiffara Tillett at his home. Usher called News Five to […]
Police have since launched a criminal and intern investigation into the shooting incident. Usher says that the cop who shot him should be held responsible. He told us that his leg was shattered in six places because of the gunshot and now he is in the hospital with no help. On the Phone: Leon […]
Twenty-seven-year-old Llamont Wade is in the hospital in a critical condition after he was stabbed multiple times. According to police, sometime after four this morning, they were called out to the Northern Regional Hospital where they saw Wade with stab wounds to the chest, abdomen and back. Police say that around four this morning, Wade […]
Belize hosted the World Youth Conference 2017 this week and it concluded on Thursday night. More than one hundred and fifty youths from across the world gathered in Belize to come up with an action plan that centered on the sustainable development goals and outlined ways that youths can positively contribute to their home countries. […]
Tonight we introduce to you a new feature to our News Five line up. Over a decade ago, Channel Five partnered with the National Committee for Families and Children (NCFC) to create a space for youths to express their thoughts and concerns about issues affecting them through the newscast. The NCFC then established the Informed […]
The 2017 Belize International Film Festival officially opened on Thursday night at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. Professionals in the audio and visual art industries walked the red carpet at the start of the three-day event. The annual festival has been growing steadily and this year, there are more entries in film and […]
Youth Empowerment Services and the Child Development Foundation partnered today to find out the status of children in the work force, particularly in the sugar industry. Available data shows that children below the ages of eighteen are already working in the industry and have dropped out of school. Forty-two percent of the population comprises children […]
Collet area representative and Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber announced in April that some one hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars would be spent on upgrades to the football field adjacent to the basketball court and Grace Primary School in the Fabers’ Road Extension area. The main road is of course being re-done by Imer Hernandez […]
There’s a massive pre-Battle of the Drums event scheduled to kick off at the Punta Gorda Multipurpose Complex shortly. After two years of work, the facility is finally completed and ready for use. On Thursday, an extensive site visit was conducted with the Local Sports Council Management Committee to certify that the facility is ready […]
