The bills that went through second and third readings in the House of Representatives are intended to help curb the violent crimes that are plaguing the streets of Belize, particularly in the old capital. The bills are highly controversial and seem to target gangs and criminal elements, but further inspection shows that they extend to […]
A protest organized this morning in the Old Capital did not have the numbers that two others had in the past two weeks; only a small group turned out to protest a raft of social ills. The message, however, stayed on course and COLA says it all leads to a big demonstration in the weeks […]
Over thirty representatives from the region, the U.S, the U.K, European Union along with government representatives in Belize are discussing personal and economic security. That’s at the center of the deliberations at a United Nations Development Assessment Framework roll-out workshop that is ongoing at the Radisson Hotel. News Five’s Andrea Polanco reports. Andrea Polanco, Reporting […]
It was not one of the biggest protests, but COLA and Belizeans for Justice stepped up pressure on the government today on a wide gamut of issues from the recent eviction of squatters to the expulsion of Marcel Cardona and the troubles in the transportation industry. The protesters did the talk and walked the walk […]
The forty-first General Assembly of the Organization of American States is underway in El Salvador and is being held under the theme “Citizen Security in the Americas”. Organized transnational crime is a burning issue that is plaguing Belize, like the rest of the region. The assembly brings together the foreign ministers of the thirty-five member […]
A top agenda item at the general assembly is the re-admission of Honduras, which lost its membership after a military coup in June 2009, interrupted the democratic process ousting former president Manuel Zelaya. After a deal was worked out, Zelaya has now returned to Honduras from where he was exiled. Today, Honduran Minister of Public […]
It is more than twenty-four hours since seventy-five persons were left homeless when the police demolished houses from land they have squatted on in Lake Independence where construction is taking place to link that area to Chetumal Street in Belama. The affected persons including infants, school children, women and men bolstered with support from Belizeans […]
After seeing the unfortunate conditions of squatters televised on Wednesday following a pre-dawn operation in the Fabers Road Extension that destroyed their homes, the Women’s Issues Network has stepped in to lend assistance to the displaced families. Today, the organization visited with the area known as Gungulung and offered food for the day. According to […]
You’ve heard many times on our newscast the term ‘Also Known As’ for nicknames. Nicknames come and go but it’s the birth name that follows a person throughout every stage of childhood and into adulthood. So the task of registering a birth, although an important announcement of one’s existence into the world, is not always […]
The Under Seventeen National Basketball team is in Costa Rica for the COCABA Under seventeen Championship Tournament which got underway on Tuesday. In the opening games, Belize walked over Nicaragua by thirty one points and tonight will be going for the win against El Salvador. Today we spoke with Head Coach Fred Garcia via phone […]
Human Trafficking has become a global problem that rarely ends in convictions because victims are reluctant to go before the courts. Today the Embassy of Mexico hosted “A Day for the Rights of the Child,” in Belize and Corozal Districts to highlight the plight of vulnerable groups such as children who are trafficked. In Belize […]
On Tuesday the Council of Churches filed an application in the Supreme Court to join the Attorney General’s Office in a case brought by the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) and its executive president, Caleb Orosco. It’s a case that is attracting local and international attention and high profile lawyers are sitting on both sides […]
Earlier we told you that the churches view the claim on gay rights brought against the attorney general by UNIBAM as an attack on the moral fiber of the nation. According to the UNIBAM executive president, however, the lawsuit is simply a means by which homosexuals are standing up for their basic human rights through […]
On the other hand, Canon Flowers believes the issue extends beyond gay rights. He says the powers vested in marriage officers, specifically priests, are to administer wedding vows only to a man and a woman. Canon Leroy Flowers “There is no denying the fact that it is much more than gay rights per se. I […]
The House of Representatives met in Belmopan on Friday to discuss a range of issues including an amendment to the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Bill which should see an increase in penalties for gang related activities. Most importantly Prime Minister Dean Barrow introduced the Eight Amendment of the Belize Constitution Bill 2011 which allows […]
The HIV/AIDS statistics are improving locally. As we reported in our newscast on Tuesday night, the number of new infections is going down, but the study notes that the Belize District remains the area with the most infections. Tonight, News Five Jose Sanchez looks at the trend of the infectious disease. Jose Sanchez, Reporting Regionally, […]
In February of this year we told you about a law suit concerning sexual orientation that was brought against the Attorney General’s office. This lawsuit, which is a first of its kind for Belize, was filed by the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM) challenging section fifty-three of the Criminal Code which states, “Every person who […]
International Day of the Families is observed on May fifteenth around the world, but in Belize it’s being commemorated, two days earlier, May twelfth and thirteenth. This year, celebrated under the theme ‘Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion’, the National Committee for Families and Children aims to promote the right of children and adolescents to […]
On the occasion of Human Rights Day 2010, the Human Rights Commission of Belize says that it notes that there is now better understanding of the issue among Belizeans. The Commission says that more people are protecting their rights and the rights of others who are too vulnerable to speak out. The Human Rights Commission […]
There are many forms of abuse against women; domestic, sexual or physical. A study conducted by a relatively new organization has found that as many as twenty-three percent of women they surveyed have been abused by their partners. And while victims may not be rushing to make reports, a higher number of persons know of […]
The baking of your ham, turkey and black cake will add to the pinch in your pockets this Christmas. That’s because the price per hundred pound cylinder of butane will be jacked up by a whopping eight dollars across the board. So brace yourselves for the new prices: as of Friday, Belize City and Corozal […]
For months City Council advised that there were only a few spaces available at the Lord Ridge Cemetery. Following Tuesday night’s double murder, there will be even less if any remaining. It’s a problem that has been festering for quite some time. What will Belize City, the municipality with the most monthly recorded deaths, do […]
The Human Development Report is released on a yearly basis; it is a report by the United Nations on the state of the world’s development. The 2010 report was launched today and it warns that the unsustainable patterns of consumption and production are the greatest threats to the anti-poverty drive. The report acknowledges, however, there […]
The President of the Inter American Development Bank, Luis Alberto Moreno, is on a two day visit to Belize. He is meeting with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, other government officials and representatives of the private sector to discuss the IDB’s continued financing of development projects in Belize and other possible areas of funding. Other senior […]
The Department of Human Services told News Five on Thursday that they could not comment on allegations by Gloria Morales and her daughter, Claudia Zetina. But after their story aired on Thursday, there was reaction from the department. According to, Ava Pennill, the Director of Human Services, Claudia is known for behavioral problems and the […]
