A Belize Defense Force soldier remains on the run after he was found to have been responsible for taking an M4 Commando rifle from Camp Belizario in Cayo last August. In that incident, several persons were confined at Price Barracks. The weapon was later recovered in Belize City and one soldier was found to be the culprit, but he has been on the run ever since the incident, as Brigadier General Azariel Loria told us.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F
“That one we have recovered it. We recovered that weapon and we had the ruling. We’ve sent our recommendation to the Security Services Commission and they agreed. But the person right now, he’s on the run. He escaped.”
A forgetful Lance Corporal of the B.D.F. is spending a year behind bars for misplacing a high-powered weapon near the Xunantunich Maya temple. The officer was on duty at the Xunantunich Observation Post in Cayo last October and left his post to go to a friend’s house and when he returned, could not determine where he had left the M4 Commando rifle. The soldier was taken before an internal court of inquiry and was found to be culpable. He was sentenced to one year imprisonment at Price Barracks.
Brig. Gen. Azariel Loria, Commander, B.D.F
“The person that left the weapon behind, he was sentenced to one yearimprisonment.”
Marion Ali
“So he’s serving his one year?”
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“He’s serving his one year.”
Marion Ali
“He’s Belize Central Prison?”
Brigadier General Azariel Loria
“That is where we are trying to get a warrant for him to do so at Kolby.”
Kaya Cattouse and a team of five riders from LA Sweat are gearing up for the Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic scheduled for this weekend. The riders are hosting their team camp in Belize City ahead of the big race. Part of their team camp is a ride along with young riders from across the country. That was held just before news time. Riders gathered in front the Marion Jones Sporting Complex and journeyed to Ladyville. We heard from Cattouse and one of her teammates.
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse, LA Sweat Rider
“As you guys know the Women’s Cross-Country Classic is coming up on Sunday. Team LA Sweat is here to compete, and we are also having a team camp this week and a part of our team camp is giving back to the community. That is what we do everywhere we go. That is no different in this team camp in Belize City. We are having a community ride engaging the Belize City youths and youths in cycling from across the country. We have some youths from Griga coming in. We have from Cayo, so that is what we are doing today. We would like to say a big thank you to our local sponsors, the Belize Tourism Board and Honorable Anthony Mahler, Kareem Musa, National Sports Council of Belize. WE also have Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council as well as Loans to Go.”
Mia Scarlato
Mia Scarlato, LA Sweat Rider
“Oh my, the cycling community here is amazing. Everybody is so supportive and so kind and welcoming. It has been more than I could ever ask for. I am so grateful. I think just being able to ride with the kids and show them there are opportunities in cycling. I am a collegiate cyclist as well. I am on a scholarship to ride in college. There are so many opportunities, things to help you go forward in life beyond riding that are available to them. So, showing them those opportunities are there and they are more than capable of doing it is so important.”
Two days ago, we went to Thelma’s Kitchen on Caesar Ridge Road, but it wasn’t to do a story on her fabulous meals. Our visit was to inquire why there seemed to be a smoke issue that her next-door neighbour, Betty Bradley says is affecting her. Bradley said that the breeze blows the smoke from Thelma’s barbeque grill in the direction of her house at times and it has become a nuisance over the years. Thelma explained to us that she does all her cooking now on commercial stoves in her kitchen and the only days she uses the grill is on Thursdays to boil the plantains for her hudut and on Fridays to boil the pigtail for her boil-up sale. She told us that she has had disputes with her neighbour in the past and that she is convinced that the complaint was solely out of spite since the grill is all the way around the corner and is shielded by a wall. So today, the grill was again in use and News Five was called out again to hear another complaint from the neighbour. Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Two days ago, when Betty Bradley called us to complain about a smoke problem from her neighbour, Thelma Arana’s barbeque grill, the grill was not in use. But earlier today it was when Bradley called us to say that the problem remains the same for her: the smoke that the grill produces makes it difficult for her to breathe. The grill is located around the corner of the lane and behind a wall that prevents much of the smoke from drifting to the other yard. But Bradley said when the breeze picks up, the smoke goes right into her house, and she wants it to stop. Today, she called representatives from the Belize City Council to address the matter and they called the National Fire Service to respond.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
Voice of: Betty Bradley, Caesar Ridge Road resident
“They come yesterday and talk to the lady and everything, and the lady say, how ih wa close down the fire hearth and everything, right? But then, this morning, I get up eena peace from six o’clock, say I wa get up and do my lee washing and thing, and when I di wash everything, I see big smoke. I called the City Council.”
Marion Ali
“Okay, and what happened?
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“And it seemed like city council send the fire department.”
Marion Ali
“The fire is still lit, so I think the fire department…”
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“Soh when the man them come out I asked ah “Sir, did you make the lady out the fire hearth? Ih say that da nuh fi dehn job fi out the fire hearth. So, weh you come do?”
Thelma Arana told us that she does not use pinewood and took us to show us the fire that she had lit. She explained that there’s little to no smoke that goes around the house to the neighbour’s yard, but that she has agreed to make whatever necessary adjustments to channel all the smoke through a chimney.
Thelma Arana
Thelma Arana, Owner, Thelma’s Kitchen
“Da nuh pinewood. I nuh use pinewood. We use the coconut husk and the shell. That da weh I use. But I wa end that soon because I need to build like a chimney, a long chimney.”
Marion Ali
“Okay. And will you have anybody come and inspect it to ensure that it’s approved?”
Thelma Arana
“As soon as I finish, I’ll make the fire department come and check it out and see if it’s okay.”
Marion Ali
“And the city council?”
Thelma Arana
“Whosoever come by, I’ll let them see if it’s alright.”
Thelma says that Friday will be the last day that she will use the grill to boil pigtails for her boil-up before making the adjustments because that will require an investment and time to get it done. Bradley says she can cope with one more day without the chimney.
Marion Ali
“How soon will that happen? Because the neighbor is saying that it’s really affecting her.”
Thelma Arana
“That’ll be maybe Monday. Monday. “
Marion Ali
“Okay. Come next week Thursday and Friday, as you have explained when you need to boil your stuff, that won’t be an issue anymore?”
Thelma Arana
“No, that will be no more. This is the last time. Tomorrow will be the last time.”
Marion Ali
“She’s saying she will only do it for one more day, which is tomorrow.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“So I fi sacrifice me and mi life.”
Marion Ali
“She’s just asking for one more day.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“I don’t have nothing with that, mammy. I don’t have nothing with that. This lady could buy ih things tomorrow. Ms Thelma, please, I nuh have nothing against you, Ms Thelma. Please, I’m begging you, all I want to do is to live, to breathe for me and my children them could live and breathe the same fresh air that you guys breathe in.”
Marion Ali
“So she says that by Monday, that problem will be solved.
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“So tomorrow wa be ih last day?”
Marion Ali
“Yes. Is that okay?”
Voice of: Betty Bradley
“It’s okay with me. See, I still di give ah that, Mammy cause me know everybody got to live, Miss.”
The two women, who admit they have had differences in the past, have both expressed that they want the bickering between them to stop. Marion Ali for News Five.
Angela Rayner is one of the most arresting figures in British politics today. A self-declared socialist, she pursued an unorthodox route into politics, leaving school aged 16 while pregnant having gained no formal qualifications. After becoming a care worker, she was a trade union representative before entering the House of Commons in 2015 as the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne. She served as the Shadow Secretary of State for Education for four years from 2016 and was elected deputy leader of the Labour Party in April 2020.
Rayner’s life story has earned her a reputation as an authentic working-class voice and, thanks to her own power base and combative performances in the Commons chamber, she is widely considered to be a standout figure among Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet.
But who is the real Angela Rayner? What does she actually believe in? What is she like behind the scenes? Can she unite the factions of her party to endorse the Starmer project? And does she harbour ambitions for the top job? This careful examination of her background and career seeks to answer these questions and many more.
Michael Ashcroft’s new book follows the journey of a politician who has quickly become an outspoken and charismatic presence in British public life and who promises to be a lively addition to the government should Labour win the next general election.
Belize and Guatemala have called on the Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala to continue to support the work of the Organization of American States (OAS) in the Adjacency Zone in keeping peace in the area. Belize was represented by CEO Amalia Mai, and Guatemala was represented by Francisco Villagrán Kramer.
The Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala consists of more than a dozen countries, including the United States of America, Spain, Honduras, Mexico, and Jamaica.
The Group of Friends of Belize and Guatemala is the only civilian peacekeeping mission deployed in the Hemisphere within the context of a territorial dispute. The OAS Office in the Adjacency Zone plays a crucial role in maintaining peace on the ground, easing tensions, and thus facilitating the ongoing political dialogue.
The OAS also considered the report of the OAS Office in Adjacency Zone 20 years after its establishment. In her speech, CEO Mai thanked the OAS for keeping peace among communities in the area.
The 38th Regional Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) commenced earlier this week in Georgetown, Guyana, with the presence of Ministers and Vice Ministers from all the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean including Belize at the Arthur Chang Conference Centre. The President of Guyana, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, and the Director-General of FAO, QU Dongyu, inaugurated the meeting.
Director-General of FAO, QU Dongyu
“You have big potential to accelerate progress and to do even more with less within and outside your region,” said QU, noting the Region boasts a large share of the world’s biodiversity and water resources and accounts for 13 percent of global food production and 45 percent of net international trade in agrifood products. He also noted that, although the Region is a net food exporter, the reliance on commodity imports and exports exposes its agrifood systems to macroeconomic volatility, global geopolitical instability, and climate change, which in turn negatively impact food prices and incomes and lead to unfavorable food security and nutrition outcomes.
FAO Director-General QU Dongyu and Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana
Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, said that creating resilient and climate-protected agrifood systems is an imperative task going forward, and “decision making must be data driven as far as possible,” he said. He also called for a greater focus on nutrition, calling for a shift “back to the bowl from the box.”
High Commissioner of Belize to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Gale Miller Garnett
During Day One of the Ministerial Session, High Commissioner of Belize to the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Gale Miller Garnett, shared the impact of FAO and the Government of Belize’s collaboration to advance sustainable agriculture. “FAO in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security, and Enterprise has been working on the development a seed policy, an agriculture sector policy strategy and Digital Village to ensure greater linkages to bridge the gap between the tourism market and digital extension program. The digital extension program is what we have benefitted from with partnership with FAO. So this is all being done while enhancing the dynamism and efficiency of our human resources in Belize.”
The High Commissioner further outlined key priorities for the Belize in ensuring sustainable livelihood for local farmers and entrepreneurs. “Our Ministry continues to work with farmers, family farmers and agriculture cooperatives to improve their conditions by introducing contract farming terms and will meanwhile look at new opportunities which are being constantly explored in research, production, manufacturing and value addition.”
A core part of the intervention spotlighted Belize’s current efforts to expand export markets as well strengthen regional and international trade relations.
QU Dongyu explored to the Burma Rice Station. FAO Caribbean-X
“The FAO and Japan Government continue to support value chain addition of locally produced commodities in Belize. The Government of Belize also supports the exportation of excess food from Belize such as live cattle and poultry to neighbouring countries. This provides food security to our neighbours and foreign exchange to our country. Trade ties with Mexico and Guatemala have been strengthened to facilitate trade of agriculture goods as well as for investment programmes with Mexico and CARICOM to increase the production of basic foods and grains such as corns and soya beans”, said the High Commissioner to Guyana.
Miller Garnett reinforced Belize’s commitment to the Mesoamerica sin Hambre, a South-South Cooperation initiative that aims to support healthy diets, nutrition, education, school meal programmes. According to the High Commissioner, the “family farming and school garden concept has taken root in most of the rural areas in Belize.”
The Government of Belize announced that the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) will establish “brand new offices in Belize City.” A release from the government says, “This development underscores the IDB’s deep commitment to Belize and marks a crucial step in our joint efforts to foster economic growth and multisectoral development.”
Strategically positioned to enhance synergy and resource utilization, the new premises will accommodate an expanding team dedicated to amplifying projects across diverse sectors.
The Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment says, “We are happy to hear about the IDB’s new location in Belize. This investment not only strengthens our partnership but also highlights the IDB’s role in supporting Belize’s journey towards sustainable development and economic resilience. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts with the IDB to address our country’s challenges and opportunities and the well-being of the Belizean people.”
IDB Group Country Representative, Rocio Medina Bolivar, said, “We are excited about this new chapter for the IDB in Belize. The new offices not only signify our growth but also underscore the IDB’s support to deepen our long-term engagement and commitment to the Belizean people.”
For over three decades, the IDB Group has been a cornerstone of Belize’s progress, offering comprehensive assistance through its three arms: the IDB, collaborating with the public sector on developmental endeavours; the IDB Lab, fostering innovation; and IDB Invest, the private sector arm. The IDB Group boasts a diverse portfolio in Belize, spanning initiatives in education, water and sanitation, social investment, agriculture and rural development, state modernization, private sector enhancement, healthcare, financial markets, climate action, natural disaster management, and trade.
The likelihood that Prime Minister John Briceño will launch a commission on inquiry into the sugar industry is dwindling. Last night, we told you about the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association’s condemnation of what they describe as poor excuses from Prime Minister John Briceño, almost three months after he committed to establish the commission. Tonight, A.S.R./B.S.I. is denouncing the idea of a commission of inquiry, contending that the decision is politically motivated. According to a release from the miller, it is not the only stakeholder opposed to the commission. B.S.I. says, three of the four associations are against having or participating in an inquiry into the sugar industry. And, the prime minister says it is their right and he cannot force them to participate. PM Briceño argued that members of the B.S.C.F.A. have been acting out of emotions and refuse to listen.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is their right if they don’t want to have a commission of inquiry but at the end of the day we need to have a commission of inquiry to look at the different challenges that industry is facing, form the planting to the harvesting to the transportation and see how we can make the industry more viable and I am hoping that everybody can participate in this proves. It is a process being done in good faith.”
Reporter
“Did you listen to BSCFA’s press conference. They had a lot of negative things to say about you.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t listen to them. The issue of the commission of inquiry I said to them that we are going to do it in one month, but one month later it came to my attention that there was not consultations with the associations and now BSI. If we had not done that then it would have gone to court and be squashed immediately. I was looking after their interest.”
Paul Lopez
“It seems that in spite of any consultations BSI and the other three associations don’t want to participate.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“That is the very point I was trying to make to the BSCFA. So the BSCFA got what they ask for.”
Paul Lopez
“Notwithstanding their objective to participate, the commission of inquiry is still going to go ahead?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t know, because with the commission of inquiry you can’t force them to participate. I don’t want to be listening to one group and we can’t listen to others in the industry then it is of no use. What BSCFA has done is play in the hands of other people and because of thinking emotionally instead of looking at the facts and how we can get things done. They have refused to listen and this is the result.”
And, if you have been following the news then you know that this has been a busy week for PM Briceño. On Monday, he met with stevedores to address their concerns at the Port of Belize. On Tuesday, he was faced with sharp verbal daggers from the members of the B.S.C.F.A. And today, the Prime Minister had to face a group of retired public officers who are no longer interested in verbal promises. All this on top of the 2024 budget debate that will run into Friday. So how does he manage all of this? That was what he was asked today and, of course, he still had more to say to the B.S.C.F.A.’s membership.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“If it is one thing I must be grateful for is my father. He thought me hard work when I was a young boy and use to work in the cane field. So I am not fazed by hard work. But at the same time it is something I love doing to be able to see how we can solve problems and make the country move forward. Every step that I take in my mind I think I am doing the right thing about how we can move. I don’t want to go in a back and forth with the people of the BSCFA. My father was the leader for many years and I know the militancy of the BSCFA. But when they get personal it is best I ignore them, but I am not going to be in a back and forth. But they do have the right to say what they want. Do I agree with them absolutely not.”
