And cleaning up that financial act may be easy compared to the task of regaining the public’s confidence in the wake of allegations of widespread misuse of public funds. While the focus has been on activities of the Belize Social Security Board, the S.S.B.?s sins at this point appear to be only a small part […]
On yesterday’s newscast, we reported on problems that tour operators were having with newly imposed visitor fees at Goff’s Caye. But while the northern half of Belize deals with the dramatic rise of cruise ship based tourists, coastal communities in the south are coming to terms with the rapid expansion of a different kind of […]
The plenary sessions of the twenty-fourth annual convention of the Caribbean Association of Pharmacists ended this evening at the Princess Hotel in Belize City. Over the last five days, delegates representing countries in the Caribbean, as well as the United States, Canada and United Kingdom have been discussing issues relating to the twenty-eight year old […]
Artistic endeavor is a wonderful thing…but even in the best of times financing for the arts in Belize is tight. What to do? Find performances that entertain…and fill the cash register. Jacqueline Woods, Reporting The Mythical Rainforest is the latest production to hit the stage at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts. The play […]
At nine Friday morning, the new Cabinet will sit together in its first official meeting since the line-up was announced on Wednesday evening. According to Cabinet Secretary Bobby Leslie, plans were being made all day to take care of the constitutional arrangements; that is the official swearing in of new members Ainslie Leslie, Mike Espat, […]
While the spectacle of Civil War in Belmopan has captivated the nation’s imagination over the last week, it is the controversy over misuse of public funds that will likely remain with us long after the last political shots have been fired. Today, following up on discussions held Monday with Social Security General Manager Narda Garcia […]
The Government of Belize today confirmed the visit of the president of Taiwan next month. According to a press release, President Chen Shui-Bian will arrive for a two day state visit on September second. He will be accompanied by a delegation of Taiwanese legislators, cabinet members, mayors, and businessmen. While the highlight of the visit […]
On August First, the Costal Zone Management Authority and Institute, which manages Goff’s Caye, put into effect a ten U.S. dollar entrance fee for tourists visiting the island. It was estimated that through this new system, CZMAI would earn approximately one hundred and forty-four thousand Belize dollars a month during the high season, and ninety-four […]
While thousands of students are enjoying the last two weeks of their summer vacation, planners in the Ministries of Education, Health, and Human development are finalizing a document that will formalize the teaching of life skills not included in the traditional curriculum. A weeklong meeting underway at the Belize Institute of Management has arrived at […]
Former Chief Justice of Belize George Moe died this week in his native Barbados. Family members say the seventy-two year old jurist passed away on Monday night at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Moe, whose tenure on the Supreme Court bench in Belize spans the period 1982 to 1985, has served with distinction in various capacities […]
If you believe the pre-concert advertisements, you’d think the artist that arrived in Belize today was a combination of Tupac and Biggie with a little bit of Shyne thrown in. Viewers in Dangriga will be able to discover his abilities for themselves tonight…but in the meantime News 5’s Jacqueline Woods managed to catch him this […]
There’s a new cabinet tonight and while we had to wait a whole day to get it, here’s the Prime Minister in a speech that was embargoed until seven P.M. Statement to the Nation by Prime Minister, Hon. Said Musa My fellow Belizeans, A year and a half ago, in March 2003, Belizeans, in an […]
Joining me in studio tonight is Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow, who will comment on the Prime Minister’s address to the nation and Cabinet shuffle. Janelle Chanona “Mr. Barrow, I know you’ve just only watched the P.M.’s address in our studio, but your snap analysis of what he said.” Dean Barrow, Leader of the […]
After several weeks of relative calm on city streets the familiar sound of gunshots has returned. And once more a heartbroken family seeks justice as their loved one lies in the hospital. Janelle Chanona Tonight fourteen-year-old Ryan Alvarez continues to fight for his life in the Intensive Care Unit at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital […]
Two weeks ago Caribbean broadcasters gathered in Placencia for their annual assembly. Today the region’s pharmacists–far greater in number–began their yearly gettogether in Belize City. News 5?s Patrick Jones has the story. Patrick Jones, Reporting Pharmacists from across the region began their weeklong convention with a call to maintain focus on professional development. President of […]
It?s a drama in which the last act keeps being re-written…and the actors don?t know if it?s an episode of the Sopranos or Scooby Doo. The fate of the gang of seven continues to hang in the balance tonight, as latest word out of Belmopan is that “discussions continue”. At two twenty this afternoon, former […]
It looks like Belize City police have another murder to investigate; their only problem is putting a name on the corpse. News 5?s Patrick Jones has the story. Patrick Jones, Reporting The remains found in the swamps at the end of Malcom Street in the Port Loyola Area have not been positively identified. One area […]
On last night?s newscast we ran a clip from a session in which the bosses at the Development Finance Corporation and Social Security Board met with the press to explain exactly what transpired between those two institutions with respect to a set of loans bundled for securitization and sale by D.F.C. and guaranteed by the […]
Aside from supervising the process more carefully, is there anything that the two executives have to say to the public? Narda Garcia, General Manager, S.S.B. ?In the case of S.S.B., I would say that we participated in the whole transaction because we were assured and insured that there was enough level of coverage in terms […]
Word out of Athens today is that Belizean Marion Jones has been selected to run on the U.S. four by one hundred metre relay team. She will take the second leg of the relay behind Angela Williams and ahead of Lauryn Williams and LaTasha Colander. U.S. Women?s coach Sue Humphrey told the press that she […]
The sidetracking of the National Health Insurance programme has been a major financial blow to a number of private medical ventures, but that has not stopped them from expanding their services and sophistication. News 5?s Jacqueline Woods reports on the latest development. Dr. Fernando Cuellar ?Well this is a mile stone that we have reached […]
When the Prime Minster on Thursday delivered the address that was essentially written for him by seven renegade cabinet ministers, it was thought that the wording of the document, calling for “restructuring at the highest levels” with “implementation by month?s end” was sufficiently vague to buy the P.M. at least two weeks time to do […]
With a majority of the cabinet now relegated to life on the backbench the obvious question arises of what happens next. In a phone call late this afternoon Press Secretary Ernesto Vasquez, released the following recording made by Cabinet Secretary Robert Leslie. Robert Leslie, Cabinet Secretary ?Today, August sixteenth 2004, the Prime Minister received the […]
Today none of the combatants in the P.U.P. civil war were talking to the media although a press conference by the seven samurai has been tentatively scheduled for tomorrow. One man who was only too happy to comment, however, was Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow, who called the resignations "the most fascinating development in […]
While the political bombshell of seven cabinet resignations has dominated today’s headlines, the issue that refuses to go away is the one that prompted the crisis in the first place: that is the Government and Social Security Board guarantees that were given to millions of dollars in questionable loans to former P.U.P. Minister Glenn Godfrey. […]
