It is not new news, but it is worth keeping in mind. A release today from the World Bank confirms that Belize boasts the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of HIV infection in Central America. According to a UNAIDS document entitled “HIV/AIDS in Central America”, the prevalence of HIV in Belize’s adults is […]
In another set of statistics, a recent study indicates that while the incidence of poverty in Belize remains unacceptably high, some progress is being made. The 2002 measurement survey on living standards indicates that ten point eight percent of the population is very poor or indigent, while thirty-three point five percent are merely poor. The […]
Do you know any person who has been silently helping others in the community but has not yet been recognised for the work? Well, the First Caribbean International Bank has launched an initiative to reward those ordinary people who work selflessly to build their nations and neighbourhoods. This morning the project dubbed “Unsung Heroes” was […]
Redistricting: it’s a subject that does not sound very exciting…but when the new electoral boundaries are finally drawn, you can be sure that the noise from the public, politicians and news media will be deafening. In an effort to keep citizens informed from the start, the Elections and Boundaries Department on Tuesday hosted a half-day […]
Murders in Belize come in many varieties and under differing circumstances, but the killing that occurred over the long holiday weekend in Belize City still has investigators shaking their heads. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods was on the scene this morning and stayed with the story as it grew stranger over the course of the day. […]
A Belize City man is in custody following a shootout with police. Twenty-four year old Moses Gonguez of Yorke Street in Belize City was riding on a bicycle when he approached three police officers. One of the officers noticed that Gonguez was armed with a thirty-eight-calibre handgun and tried to take it away. A struggle […]
A police officer has been arrested for beating up his ex-girlfriend. Twenty-eight year old Wilhelm Young was charged with aggravated assault and harm following a complaint by thirty-year-old Janice Jacobs of Louise Bevans Street in Belize City. Jacobs told police that on Sunday evening around six she was awakened by the presence of Young, her […]
Meanwhile, what appeared to be a cold case in the files of Belmopan police has apparently been solved. Over the weekend three people in the Stann Creek District were arrested following the recovery of an M-16 rifle and twenty-eight rounds of ammunition stolen two years ago from the Police Training Academy. A pair of nineteen […]
It was a bad weekend for weed farmers as on Sunday police raided a major plantation in the Orange Walk District. When the last tree was chopped, the tally totalled over twenty-five thousand plants, located near the village of Gallon Jug. Four men were sighted in the area, but three managed to escape. The one […]
Big time rumours of the imminent privatisation of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital have turned out to be much ado about nothing. A release from Cabinet indicates that at its meeting today a privatisation proposal submitted by Doctor Francis Smith was rejected. Private management, as opposed to a full buyout, was also ruled out for […]
The latest Courts Megabucks promotion travelled to Orange Walk Town on Saturday. This month’s winner, Adrian Chi of August Pine Ridge, spun his way to three thousand dollars in cash. Chi will keep all his winnings, as Courts takes care of the income tax bill. The next draw will be held on November third in […]
Today was nomination day in the Cayo South constituency, where the P.U.P.’s Joaquin Cawich will seek to take over the seat formerly held by his father, the late Pino Cawich. Seeking to thwart those plans is the U.D.P.’s John Saldivar. Over the weekend News 5’s Patrick Jones spent some time with Saldivar and his team […]
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is yet another fresh edition of Sports Monday. In its final regular season appearance in Regent’s Cup play in the B.P.F.L., Builder’s Hardware Bandits of Belmopan found itself the number four seed going into the post season. So they decide to do something about it Saturday night at […]
Due to a public and bank holiday in observance of Pan American Day, there will be no newscast on Monday, October 13th.
This week had been a relatively quiet one for violent crime. But on the eve of a three-day weekend, two Belize City men apparently couldn’t resist the urge for some holiday cash. And while they were ultimately unsuccessful in their hunt for money, two security guards are recovering from gunshot wounds that could have easily […]
It may not have had an impact on this morning’s shootout, but police report that their 922 anti-gun hotline has resulted in another weapons seizure. A pre-dawn raid on a house in Burrell Boom has resulted in the discovery of two illegal weapons and ammo for each. The residence belonged to Anthony Thompson, who was […]
This evening the Young Women’s Christian Association celebrated another achievement in its ongoing efforts to educate youths. This time fifty children will benefit from the Y.W.C.A.’s first day care centre. The centre, which was constructed at a cost of over one hundred thousand dollars, consists of an activity room, a toddlers resting area, infant resting […]
Every family has its own name for it: the runs, the trots, bubble guts, work belly… you get the idea. But beyond a few days of keeping close to a bathroom, few sufferers ever bother to find out exactly what hit them. This week in Belize City, however, the good people who safeguard our food […]
The latest information bulletin released by the Ministry of Health confirms that a growing number of people are becoming infected with the virus that causes AIDS. According to the report for the second quarter, a hundred and fourteen new HIV infections were reported between April and June, with thirty eight more people coming down with […]
It may be getting a little bit late, but if you hustle you can still make it to a concert at the U.W.I. School of Continuing Studies. Patrick Jones has a preview of what amounts to a full week of music, courtesy of our friends from Mexico. Patrick Jones, Reporting The show tonight will feature […]
On yesterday’s newscast we travelled to the Youth Hostel to hear first hand from young people with behavioural problems. Today, on the closing day of Mental Health Week, News 5’s Patrick Jones met with the officials and practitioners who formulate and execute the nation’s policies on mental health. Patrick Jones, Reporting We see them walking […]
Friday marks the celebration of the Republic of China’s National Day…and while the “A list” dignitaries will usher in the ten-ten holiday tonight at the Taiwanese Embassy, yesterday Taiwan’s Foreign Minister announced that President Chen Shui-bian’s upcoming visit to Belize has been cancelled. President Chen was due to embark on a seventeen-day trip at the […]
It’s no secret that the Development Finance Corporation is not enjoying the best of health. Having quadrupled the size of its portfolio during the previous P.U.P. term of office, the government-owned lending institution is suffering from chronic indigestion caused by questionable loans too freely given. Having recently announced its intention to downsize and clean up […]
Lists to compare the relative standing of the nations of the world–whether they measure income, standard of living or some less tangible form of happiness–are better at provoking controversy than providing a serious guide for action. But it’s still fun to compare. The latest list to hit the international wire services comes courtesy of a […]
It’s one of these old fashioned institutions that doesn’t make a lot of noise; it just gets the job done. Today the National 4-H Centre in Belmopan held ceremonies marking the opening of its school year. Thirty-five young men and fifteen young women are enrolled in the ten-month programme that combines traditional academics with career […]
