It was a tense weekend as cane farmers in the north were wondering if B.S.I. would start processing cane today. But that didn’t happen and there may be further delays and potential losses. B.S.I. had announced they would proceed, even if all cane farmers associations were not on board. But then on Friday, the Sugar […]
A.S.R./B.S.I. says it has become evident to the company that the Association wants more money from the mill for sugar cane at a time when the mill says they cannot afford it. A.S.R./B.S.I.’s reluctance to sign an interim agreement to their Commercial Agreement is rooted in the position that the company is not in a […]
When we caught up with Prime Minister Briceño today at an event out west, we sought a comment on the situation of the sugar industry. As a second generation canero himself, PM Briceño commented on the livelihood the industry has afforded his family and many families in the north. Prime Minister John Briceño “Our […]
Reporters also questioned PM Briceño about S.I.C.B.’s position and what he foresees to be the implications of the delay. According to the PM, the delay presents an opportunity for farmers to deliver quality cane when milling does commence. Prime Minister John Briceño “Simply what was pointed out by the SIBC that have said that […]
Land border are set to reopen on January first, but there are concerns as to what measures are being put in place to shield the population from another COVID-19 outbreak. Those measures are yet to be announced. We asked PM Briceño for an update. Prime Minister John Briceño “There are a number of measures. […]
Earlier today, we spoke with Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa, a member of the COVID Medical Response Committee. We got her comments on the reopening of land borders on January first. It is expected that a lot of Belizeans will flock to the northern and western borders to head to Chetumal and Melchor. According to Tourism Minister […]
This morning before the Supreme Court, leave was granted for three companies, including Waterloo, Belize Cruise Development and Belize Logistics Terminal Limited, to join an existing lawsuit involving Stake Bank Enterprise. Earlier this year, the Feinstein Group filed a claim against the Attorney General, the Department of the Environment and the National Environmental Appraisal Committee […]
After over fifteen years of service as a public officer, Doctor Marvin Manzanero is out. Word spread like wildfire over the weekend that Doctor Marvin Manzanero had been terminated and as of Friday, is no longer with the Ministry of Health and Wellness. After testing positive for COVID-19 last December, the return to his substantive […]
The country is seeing the end of a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belize. Active cases are down to four hundred and twenty-eight with a declining daily positivity rate. But, the facts are that almost six hundred people have lost their fight with this deadly disease. The delta variant is still present in […]
Two weeks ago, quarantine regulations were adjusted and curfew hours pushed back to eleven on weekdays and twelve, midnight, for Friday and Saturday. During its surveillance, however, public health officials are finding that some business establishments, particularly restaurants and shopping centers, are overcrowding and not adhering to the public health protocols. But, people need to […]
Vaccinations, as the best way to avoid catching COVID or minimizing the symptoms, continue to be the recommendation from the Ministry of Health and Wellness. To date, over two hundred thousand people have received at least one dose of the four vaccines currently available in Belize. Another one hundred thousand are fully vaccinated. While those […]
Even with active cases down, healthcare providers are still carrying out awareness campaigns to ensure that persons are practicing COVID-19 guidelines and staying safe. Today, Doctor Diaz-Musa headed to Ambergris Caye where over sixty percent of the population on the island has been vaccinated. A visit will also be made to Caye Caulker. Dr. […]
Two employees of the Department of Human Services face disciplinary action after three teen girls were able to escape from the transition home where they were residing. The girls all fled on the same day, December eleventh, from the facility in Belize City, and while one has been located, the other two are still on […]
The Department is now looking for the two adolescents still at large. Vargas said they have worked out an arrangement for the other girl, who was found, to stay with her family for the Christmas holidays. But, this will mean that the Department will also review the freedoms permitted to the residents in order to […]
The first of ten thousand homes under the Briceño Administration’s housing project was handed over today. The fortunate recipient is a single mother from Roaring Creek Village. The Government of Belize will absorb sixty seven percent of the cost of the home, leaving the recipient with a cost of twenty five dollars a week for […]
From housing to infrastructure development….C.E.O. in the Ministry, Victor Espat sought to clarify reports suggesting that a relative of Corozal Southwest Area Representative Ramiro Ramirez is receiving sugar road rehabilitation contracts from G.O.B. C.E.O. Espat defended the decision, saying family relations have no bearing on the company evaluations done and the ability to carry out […]
This morning at the Radisson a cohort of forty-three young men was acknowledged for completing a five-day retreat organized by the Leadership Intervention Unit and several of its counterparts. The idea was to present certificates of completion to these individuals following a trip to Mountain Pine Ridge last week. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. […]
Cabinet has decided to defer the planned one percent Social Security Board payment increase until the beginning of the fiscal year, 2022. The increase was scheduled to take effect in January of 2022. PM Briceño explained today that while the increase is necessary, Belizeans now have more time to prepare. Prime Minister John Briceño […]
Some first responders completed emergency medical training last week in Belmopan. Twelve firefighters from the Belmopan Fire Station participated in the sessions facilitated by the Southern Emergency Services Belize. The three-day training is part of an ongoing series for the Fire Service in the Cayo District, as part of the Virginia Emergency Services Assistance Program […]
The Government of Taiwan has given the Ministry of Health and Wellness four hundred and sixty thousand U.S. dollars to be used for the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) project. The four-year initiative, which began in 2019, will see an improvement in medical imaging systems at the Karl Heusner Memorial, Western Health Regional, and […]
Belizean writer and advocate of the Creole culture, Myrna Manzanares lies critically ill in the Intensive Care Unit of the K.H.M.H. Reports are that she suffered what doctors believe was a stroke last Wednesday. Interim President of the National Kriol Council, Marilyn Garvin, told News Five today that when Manzanares didn’t show up for an […]
Garvin says that a CT scan was performed on Manzanares today, the result of which she now awaits. While the other members of the council hope for the best, Garvin reflected on the contributions that Manzanares has made to the Creole culture since she formed the National Kriol Council back in 1995. Marilyn Garvin, […]
Today, the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas Food Hamper Distribution Drive was slightly different than usual. From as early as seven o’clock this morning, residents were gathered at the headquarters waiting to collect their goodies to make this Christmas a joyous one. But this time around, the team over at Salvation Army were handing out vouchers […]
