Children’s rights have been a central issue for the United Nations Children’s Fund and UNICEF has facilitated a number of successful events to demonstrate that commitment. On Friday, twenty one high school students from around the country will be facing ministers of government at the National Assembly in Belmopan for the “Keeping the Promise” children’s […]
Judging from the number of calls to media houses, last night more than a few Belizeans were convinced that a hurricane was bearing down on Belize. In fact the scary weather reports and emergency bulletins were part of an elaborate bit of play-acting… but the purpose was deadly serious. Jose Sanchez reports from Belmopan. Jose […]
On this newscast you are most likely to see members of the Police Department collaring suspects, walking criminals to court or lifting dead bodies into the back of a pickup. But tonight we’ve caught some officers in a different light. No, not taking bribes or brutalising prisoners, but working with what will hopefully be a […]
An exercise to help Belize better prepare for hurricanes commenced today countrywide. Designated “Caribbean Breeze,” the exercise will simulate a hurricane striking the coast and is designed to focus on the efficient operation of shelters. As part of the simulation the National Emergency Management Organisation, NEMO, convened this morning in Belmopan under the chairmanship of […]
For those viewers, primarily male, who may not be acquainted with the miraculous multi-purpose uses of the product known as bleach, this next story may be a revelation. Apparently bleach is used for washing clothes, removing stains, disinfecting, mopping, cleaning, purifying water and even taking the tarnish off silverware. It’s sale is so profitable that […]
He does his work methodically and quietly, without profiling or press coverage… but don’t let the Ombudsman’s courteous manner fool you. He investigates each case thoroughly and where necessary displays the tenacity of a pit bull. This week Paul Rodriguez issued his second annual report. Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting The one hundred and forty-eight-page report documents […]
The long holiday weekend was the backdrop for three drownings. Branch Mouth, the area where the Macal and Mopan merge to form the Belize River, was the scene of a death Saturday. Twenty-three year old Nicholas Mencias of August Pine Ridge, was swimming around three in the afternoon when a friend saw him go underwater […]
We often hear horror stories of third world women and children being exploited in everything from forced prostitution to outright slavery. Today Belize began the process of looking at its own situation. Jose Sanchez reports. Jose Sanchez, Reporting The extent of sexual exploitation of women and children in Central America is not precisely known but […]
Its demise may not be attributed to a Blackhawk helicopter, but the wreckage of a small plane discovered near Belmopan on Tuesday had all the earmarks of an unsolved mystery. Around one thirty in the afternoon a pilot flying near Belmopan spotted a wrecked plane two hundred yards north of the Western Highway on the […]
We don’t know if it’s coincidence or not, but following last night’s News 5 story on hardships caused by certain aspects of the new environmental tax, we are reliably informed that the customs department has today removed plastic shrink wrap from the list of packaging materials as defined by the law. This means that goods […]
The subject has been out of the headlines ever since the three illegal Guatemalan settlements of Machaquila, Rio Blanco and Valentin Camp were evacuated over a month ago, the residents paid off and presumably resettled across the border. But as I speak, another settlement of illegal Guatemalan farmers continues to flourish on Belizean soil. The […]
Consumers may not have felt it quite yet, but in the coming weeks a number of imported goods will soon sport higher price tags. The reason: a new tax which was supposed to help the environment is in the first instance just increasing the cost of living. Jose Sanchez reports. Jose Sanchez, Reporting It sailed […]
Belize Electricity Limited is breathing a little bit easier tonight as it appears that the power supply from Mexico is back on track. The big Merida Three plant returned to service as scheduled on Friday night and the Commision Federal de Electricidad has been selling Belize twenty-five megawatts of electricity ever since. If the supply […]
On Friday the town of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye inaugurated its new fire station. The facility, located on Middle Street near the centre of the community, was built largely by the firemen themselves at a cost of ninety thousand dollars. The station will house two fire trucks as well as office space, training room and […]
Regular viewers of this newscast need no reminder that as much as we may love our wonderful country, sometime things go radically wrong. And whether that wrong is a driveby shooting, a high-speed traffic accident or a natural disaster like hurricane or fire, chances are that the victim will need to be given blood. Today, […]
Officials at Belize Electricity Limited are once again keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that assurances given by Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission are reliable. B.E.L. has been told that the four hundred and eighty megawatt Merida Three plant, which has been down for repairs for over a month, will come back online sometime tonight. If it […]
Back in the days when streets in Belize City and the district towns were unpaved, the dust somehow didn’t seem so bad… probably because there were much fewer vehicles. Today, however, we found at least one choking resident who says he’s ready to go to jail if that’s what it takes to put down the […]
There is still no positive news to report on the electricity front. The Merida Three plant in Mexico remains offline, but officials are saying that it will return to service by ten Friday night. In the meantime, B.E.L. managed to avoid load shedding today, but has scheduled selected blackouts tonight from seven to ten in […]
The term “human development” covers a lot of ground, and today those officials, both in and out of government who fall under that topic’s wide umbrella, met to formalize the direction in which they’ll be heading. Ann-Marie Williams reports. Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting Belize leads the charge among her Caribbean sisters in developing a twenty-year human […]
For more times than we care to count, a promise by Mexico’s Federal Electricity Commission has failed to come through, and as a result thousands of Belizeans will once again be left in the dark. Cities and towns nationwide will be hit by blackout tonight as the Merida Three plant, scheduled to return to service […]
Skilled tradesman like carpenters, welders, electricians and mechanics always seem to be in short supply in Belize… so it only stands to reason that more and more people would become interested in acquiring those valuable skills. Ann-Marie met a few of them this morning. Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting It takes determination… Student “If you’re not determined […]
If you are watching this newscast live at six-thirty, then consider yourself lucky, as almost half your fellow Belizeans cannot. The reason is a massive series of rolling power outages that were initiated this morning by Belize Electricity Limited. Worsening generation problems in Mexico have left Belize holding a bag full of empty promises and […]
What appears to be a seasonal epidemic of drowning continued on Monday, with a Cayo man as the latest victim. Paul Kaufman, a preacher from the Homestead Acres area on the Western Highway, had gone swimming in the river around three thirty, Monday afternoon. Around seven that night his wife became distraught when he did […]
Though B.E.L. is having some difficulty keeping the power on, they are making some advances in consumer relations. In addition to having a customer care representative available until nine p.m., individual billing information will soon be available on the world wide web. Sean Fuller, Information Systems Manager, B.E.L. “Customers will be able to log on […]
It certainly wasn’t planned that way, but just as one justice of the Supreme Court was suspended, another has appeared to take his place. Ann-Marie Williams was on hand this morning for the swearing in. Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting Justice Samuel Lungole-Awich officially took his oath of office this morning and joined his colleagues on the […]
