It was day two of the education summit and the focus shifted from guaranteeing access to financing investment. The keynote speaker, a former president of BELCAST and P.S. in the Ministry of Education, returned from his post in Washington for the occasion. Dr. Santos Mahung, Dir. of Scholarships & Training, O.A.S. “More schooling generally results […]
Prime Minister Said Musa, just back from a diplomatic mission in the Far East, continues to rack up frequent flier miles… although this time the destination is much closer to home. On Thursday, he will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico for the third summit between leaders of the European Union, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The […]
It has been a source of problems almost since its construction, and despite numerous spot repairs, aviation authorities have finally thrown in the towel on the Caye Caulker airstrip. As of June first, it will be closed. Airline sources tell News 5 that the sinking surface of the strip has made it too dangerous for […]
While all eyes may be focussed on the highly publicised education summit, fifty miles to the west another group is meeting quietly in Belmopan. We may not even think about what they’re doing, but when disaster strikes… we’ll be glad they made their preparations. Janelle Chanona, Reporting Though days away from the official start of […]
Here’s a riddle. What is it that Rodney Dangerfield can’t ever seem to get, that Aretha Franklin has to spell out, and Belize’s nurses find lacking? News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has the answer. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting There are just over four hundred nurses working at various medical centres in the country. These dedicated men and […]
It was billed as the “Education Summit” and was preceded by numerous public consultations and a healthy advertising campaign. Following an official opening on Monday night, the three-day conclave got down to business this morning. Despite annoying problems with the venue’s audio system, the opening plenary session set the tone for what should be a […]
On his return to Belize from over a week in Asia, Prime Minister Said Musa immediately immersed himself in the education summit, delivering the keynote address at Monday night’s opening. But the trip to the Far East was not without its rewards. According to a government press release, officials in Singapore have expressed satisfaction with […]
He was making a routine landing at Belize City Municipal after five this evening when an unusual thing happened: his seat broke. As a result, pilot Michael Bowen lost control of his Cessna and it ran off the side of the runway. The plane suffered some structural damage and Bowen, the aircraft’s sole occupant, was […]
A watchman is dead and his employer wounded in what can only be described as a bizarre incident in the nation’s capital. Today I visited the scene. Corina Godinez, Daughter of the Deceased “It hurt we because he dah the head ah fu we home.” Janelle Chanona, Reporting The family of fifty-five year old Manuel […]
Two Belize City men have been arrested and charged for a killing that occurred at the beginning of the year. Eighteen-year-old Carlton Tasher and nineteen-year-old Brandon Taylor, both of Faber’s Road, were charged with the murder of twenty-five year old Michael Skeet. Skeet was fatally shot as he rode his bike down Central American Boulevard […]
Two more men–this time police officers–were arrested over the weekend and we’re not sure whether to be angry that those sworn to protect us may be robbing us, or to be happy that the system of justice actually worked. Police constables Aurelio Cajon and Marlon Martinez have been charged with extortion following their arrest on […]
And finally, in more pleasant police news, residents of Sittee River have come together to provide their village policemen with a new motorcycle. Chairman of the neighbourhood watch committee, Mary Shave, presented the one hundred and seventy-five CC Yamaha during a ceremony on Monday. Officer Marvin Salaam obliged by giving the machine a test drive. […]
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and we?re rolling out this latest dish of Sports Monday. The Regent Insurance Cup playoffs produce high drama at the M.C.C. Grounds on Sunday as defending champion Kulture Yabra of Belize City hosted Sagitun of Independence in a must win situation. The need for three points prompts the city team […]
The original purchase, in 1992, triggered accusations of scandal that have never been fully put to rest…but today with the sale of its five percent stake in BECOL, the Belize Social Security Board has closed the book on one of its most controversial investments, while managing to turn a profit at the same time. The […]
Meanwhile, in related news, residents of Melchor de Mencos, the Guatemalan town just across the border from Benque Viejo, are complaining about their community’s electricity supply–and are looking to Belize to solve their problems. A report in today’s edition of the Guatemalan daily, Prensa Libre, quotes Melchor residents as beginning negotiations with Belizean authorities for […]
With the formal start of the 2004 hurricane season only ten days away, we decided to make a quick check with the nation’s weather forecasters to see what to expect. According to Ramon Frutos, all signs point to a busy six months. Ramon Frutos, Agro-meteorologist “All the forecasts are indicating that the Atlantic Sea surface […]
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 […]
They are the best overall results since the Primary School Examination was introduced four years ago… with scores up in math, science, and English. And while averages of fifty-four point nine, sixty-six point six, and fifty-five point one percent will not earn many gold stars, the improvement, according to educators, is significant. As for the […]
It is one of those annual events that the media–and public–use to mark the all too rapid passage of time. As usual, this year’s competition was keen, the prizes generous, and the organisation superb. That’s right, we could only be talking about the spelling bee. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting A huge success is the only way […]
Due to a holiday in observance of Commonwealth Day on Monday, the next newscast will be on Tuesday, May twenty-fifth.
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 […]
An early morning fire has taken the life of a Belize City man. News 5’s Patrick Jones visited the scene on New Road and discovered that the tragedy was an accident waiting to happen. Patrick Jones, Reporting The early morning blaze was confined to the sleeping area of fifty-four year old Gilroy Baird. According to […]
It does not exactly come as a shock, since virtually every night on the U.S. news networks we watch as fuel prices climb at the pump. Tomorrow it will be our turn to moan as effective midnight tonight prices will rise by an average of around one percent, or seven cents per gallon. The new […]
Sworn in today for a second four-year term as President of Taiwan was Chen Shui-bian and among the foreign leaders gathered for the occasion was Belizean Prime Minister Said Musa. Prior to the event, Musa and Chen held a short private meeting at which Chen accepted an invitation to visit Belize before the end of […]
