The latest HIV statistics have been released and according to the Ministry of Health report; in 2017, there were a higher number of infections among males than in females. Of the two-hundred and twenty-three new HIV cases, one hundred and twenty-four were among males compared to the ninety-nine females who tested positive. The report also […]
The Belize Women Against Violence Movement in Collaboration with the Building People Movement is holding a series of consultations on sexual crimes legislation reform. The first of the six-part consultations was held today in Belize City where more than ten organizations that work with victims and offenders of sexual offences participated. The purpose was to […]
Attorney-at-law Leslie Mendez is working with the Building People Movement on the drafting of the bill. Today, she says they are looking to strengthen existing laws and legislation in other countries. The aim, according to Mendez, is to ultimately have a set of sexual offences laws that are comprehensive. Leslie Mendez, Attorney-at-law “At this […]
In November 2018, the Belize City Council announced that it would discontinue the twenty percent discount initiative that property owners took advantage of by paying their property tax before the due date. The problem for the council was that this initiative benefited only those who can afford to pay their tax early, which is a […]
The Belize City Council still has plans to restore the natural habitat of Krooman Lagoon. But before that is done, the residents living on the water reserve will need to be relocated. In October 2018, Canadian engineers joined Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner on a visit to Krooman Lagoon to assess the living conditions of […]
There is another worrisome report. A document published by Friends for Conservation and Development in March of 2017 speaks about an increase in cattle ranching along the western border. The report, based on aerial observations and ground assessments, shows the alarming development that if not contained will pose a serious trend in the transformation of […]
While some of the well known threats to the Chiquibul such as xaté and poaching have received attention, narco-cattle ranching has not been addressed by the government despite many reports. It requires a concerted effort from many governmental agencies. Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, Friends for Conservation and Development “We need to understand that if […]
Freetown Area Representative and former P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca took to social media on Wednesday to weigh in on G.O.B.’s move to join five former Foreign Affairs Ministers to sign a declaration in support of a ‘yes’ vote. In his post, Fonseca joins a long line of critics who have said that the government has […]
A national telephone poll on the I.C.J. Referendum conducted by www.pollBelize.org is showing a higher number of persons who would vote ‘no’ on April tenth. The poll was conducted in November 2018, utilizing the same sample design and questionnaire as the previous poll conducted in August. The results of the poll show that more people […]
Five former foreign ministers on Wednesday, however, gave the thumbs up to take the claim before the I.C.J. Former Prime Minister Said Musa, during his second term in office, met with O.A.S. Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza in 2007 to discuss a possible solution to the longstanding territorial claim. At the time, the advice given […]
The integrity of Belize’s territorial sea, internal waters and its exclusive economic zone is also a matter of serious concern for the conservation community. In the context of the pending referendum, questions are being asked about the potential impact of the existing Maritime Areas Act on the country’s legal position, should there be a ‘yes’ […]
There are multiple reports of a big shakeup within the administration of the Belize Police Department. The reported changes come on the heels of the appointment of new Commissioner of Police Chester Williams who officially took office on Wednesday of this week. Since taking up the new role, News Five understands that Williams has already […]
There’s more from Wednesday’s press conference at the Biltmore. Guatemala’s legal argument, if one were to take the prime minister at his word, is shaky at best. In fact, he went on record on Wednesday to say that the prevailing thought among the powers that be in that country is that there is no case […]
With all the talk of an age-old territorial dispute and a possible resolution at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the unfounded claim brought by Guatemala isn’t as clear-cut as one would think. According to Assad Shoman, the nature of Guatemala’s demand is conflicted, since it has argued in the past that the territory which […]
On the heels of a historic show of support by five former foreign ministers on Wednesday, all in support of voting in favor of going to the I.C.J., the Belize Peace Movement has issued a release. The organization, which describes itself as a patriotic and non-political initiative, criticizes the signing of the seven-point declaration as, […]
The Belize Tourism Board has released its stats for the 2018 tourism arrivals. The number of visitors that came to the Jewel grew by sixty-two thousand, a huge increase from the previous year. Cruise tourism also grew by sixteen percent, keeping tourism as the most thriving industry to grow the economy. The months of March […]
Christmas has come and gone – but there a group is still spreading some cheer in southern Belize. A group called the Operation Christmas Child was in Toledo today to give away over eight-thousand gifts. The group promises to reach all the villages in Toledo. Our colleagues from PG TV were there for first part […]
Today inside the Fort Street Tourism Village, there was a flash mob. Taiwanese Americans from Houston, Texas arrived in the Jewel this morning on a cruise and performed cultural songs and dances as part of a mission to promote their heritage. The group, the Taiwanese Chorus, has been performing for over four decades and today […]
It was a rare appearance by four People’s United Party former foreign ministers and Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who has also served as foreign minister. This morning they stood united on stage at the Biltmore Plaza where there was only standing room, shaking off the political mudslinging that has characterized the relationship between the P.U.P. […]
Over the past few months the Belize Peace Movement, a team of politicians from the People’s United Party and the Belize Progressive Party has been running its own counter campaign against going to the I.C.J. The group has pored over the details of the 1859 Treaty and has since come up with specific inadequacies with […]
It was truly a historic moment that played out at the Biltmore today; former P.U.P. Prime Minister Said Musa joined current U.D.P. Prime Minister Dean Barrow sharing the same stage and views on the I.C.J. Absent from the stage was the sitting foreign minister, Wilfred Elrington; but he was in the room as his predecessors […]
Attorney Lisa Shoman was Foreign Affairs Minister between June 2007 and the 2008 general elections. While today she signed the declaration, back in April 2018, Shoman, who made her thoughts known through her Facebook profile, posted a status in which she expressed her disagreement on holding any referendum on going to the I.C.J. until certain […]
A recent poll commissioned by the government revealed that the number of persons who are against taking Guatemala’s claim to the I.C.J. for final resolution has increased by twelve percent when compared to an earlier poll in August 2018. The poll also found that the ‘NO’ vote was prominent in the south and that the […]
Many have criticized the Government’s I.C.J. Referendum Education Campaign, saying that information is not being distributed impartially to the wider population. Prime Minister Dean Barrow today assured that by April tenth, the Referendum Unit would have increased efforts in the campaign to enable voters to make an informed decision. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “Everybody […]
Within minutes of a press conference hosted by Chester Williams, a brief release was issued confirming that Williams is moving up as Commissioner of Police beginning this Wednesday. Allen Whylie is vacating the post to proceed on retirement after almost six years as ComPol. Williams is a career police officer and an attorney. He has […]
