In an update to the story we broke earlier this week on the shortage of passports, a release from the Government Press Office indicates that help may be on the way. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, it’s possible that passport printer Thomas De La Rue of England may be able to make a […]
Anyone willing to take an honest look at our society knows that Belize is not an ideal environment to raise young women and girls. But one group, instead of just talking about the situation, has decided to do something. They’ve published a handbook on how to agitate for progress. Patrick Jones, Reporting The forty-page publication […]
What appears to be the final negotiating session between the Belize Worker’s Union and Belize Sugar Industries Ltd. ended today with no agreement on a new contract. In the meeting, B.S.I. made a detailed presentation on why it could not offer any salary increases this year, citing low world prices, imminent loss of European Union […]
This week has been set aside for observance as Disability Week. But when you must live with a disability of your own, every week is disability week. This morning I joined a number of Belizeans with disabilities for a demonstration of just what they face in making their way through the old capital. Jacqueline Woods, […]
While our crew was on the highway en route to their assignment in St. Matthew’s, the camera took note of a problem that has become increasingly common. Drivers on the Western Highway are very familiar with the large number of dump trucks on the road, and for the most part, thanks to laws passed several […]
He was brought in to clean up the mess in the Immigration Department in the wake of major scandal. But after less than two years on the job, Director of Immigration Colonel Peter Parchue has found himself in the middle of controversy. His troubles began with the arrest of his daughter, April Parchue, a cashier […]
It may lie in the same district as the nation’s commercial and population hub, but the rural communities of the Belize River Valley sometime seem as isolated as the villages of Toledo. That situation should change however, with the paving of the road from Burrel Boom into the district’s heartland. On Friday, Minister of Works […]
It is a day celebrated every year by what has traditionally been the nation’s monopoly telecommunications provider. This year, with the company under new ownership, News 5’s Patrick Jones discovered that B.T.L. has no plans to rest on its technological laurels. Patrick Jones, Reporting Hundreds of primary school children flocked the display booths to check […]
Finding a job in Belize is never easy in the best of circumstances, but at this time of year, with newly minted graduates pouring onto the job market, the situation is especially tight. That’s why the preparation being given at Youth for the Future is more valuable than ever. Patrick Jones reports. Patrick Jones, Reporting […]
Corruption in the political system is one of those evils that a cynical citizenry has apparently come to expect. But in an effort to at least appear transparent in its dealings, in 1994 government passed the Prevention of Corruption in Public Life Act. The legislation basically requires most elected officials to declare their income, assets […]
The nation of Belize paused to collect its breath today and reflect on the unprecedented and apparently unprovoked killing of three ordinary citizens in as many days. Here at News 5 we did some reflecting of our own. Janelle Chanona, Reporting 2004 began with blood on the ground…with the brutal murder of twenty-six year old […]
One of the traditional complaints about cruise tourism is that visitors are here such a short time that they barely have a chance to acquire even the most superficial understanding of the place they are visiting. That may be true, but today News 5’s Jacqueline Woods found a noteworthy exception. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting When most […]
The Public Utilities Commission’s announcement of interconnection rates last Friday should have ended the ongoing dispute between B.T.L. and INTELCO. But the microphones were barely turned off when the fax machines in media houses across the country began ringing with news that INTELCO is crying foul. This morning News 5’s Patrick Jones sat down with […]
The Public Utilities Commission today announced what it calls “new rates” for the telecommunication industry; but after careful perusal of the document issued at a mid-morning press conference, it appears that the more things change, the more they remain the same. However, those of you carrying around both Intelco and B.T.L. cellular phones will be […]
They were the subject of much speculation both before and after the sale of majority shares in Belize Telecommunications Limited to Innovative Communication Corporation. But today, Prime Minister Said Musa in one fell swoop lay to rest all the controversy and uncertainty over the fate of the shares belonging to the Public Service and Belize […]
We call them man’s best friend, but sometimes, it is the dog that needs a friend. Especially if it has been abandoned on the streets or suffering from mange. Well, a new programme at the Hattieville prison is combining puppies and prisoners, with very positive results… for both parties. Patrick Jones, Reporting It was really […]
A lot of our young people are willing, even eager to work, if only they had the right skills. And next week a new programme designed to help youths help themselves gets underway. News 5 was invited for a preview. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Over fifty at-risk youths living in the Lake Independence area will be […]
There was much fanfare at the ground-breaking for a Carnival Cruise ship terminal in Belize City last week. At that event Prime Minister Said Musa went on record that he sees no clash between the Fort Street Tourism Village owned by Royal Caribbean and the soon to be Carnival port. In fact, he assured both […]
Everyone seems to want name brand clothing, so much so that some unscrupulous manufacturers even fake it, selling items that infringe on the trademark of famous labels. But today, instead of wasting some of these items which made their way into Belize, they were put to good use. Jacqueline Woods reports. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting This […]
The Ministry of Human Development has contracted the services of the National Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect to assist them in confronting the problems that occur in dysfunctional families. NOPCAN, which has traditionally addressed the issue of abuse, is now focusing its attention on prevention and how best the organization can […]
And while our constitution now allows us to democratically debate an issue like redistricting, this right must not be taken for granted. Fifty years ago today, men and women fought hard to earn the right to vote in Belize, successfully achieving universal adult suffrage for all citizens. Today the Elections and Boundaries Department hosted the […]
It is the place just about everyone stops when they get to the nation’s capital…And today a new and improved market, with a new name, the “Friendship Plaza”, was inaugurated in Belmopan. News 5 was there. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting Today Belmopan residents witnessed the opening of their brand new market. The six hundred thousand dollar […]
If the process of setting utility rates seem complicated, that’s because it is…and to be perfectly honest, the medium of television does not deal very well with complexities. But behind all the financial jargon relating to what the P.U.C. calls a seventeen percent revenue increase for Belize Water Services, one thing is clear: somebody’s going […]
We began tonight’s newscast on the subject of water…and it is on that note we will end. This water, however, is not the kind you drink; it’s the equally precious liquid used to put out fires. And according to city fire service officials, it’s becoming dangerously scarce. Patrick Jones reports. Patrick Jones, Reporting When firemen […]
The Public Utilities Commission today announced its final decision regarding Belize Water Services’ application for a rate increase. And while it is not the thirty-two percent rate hike that B.W.S.L. wanted, consumers, with a few exceptions, will now have to pay more every time they turn on the faucet. According to the P.U.C., effective April […]
