Accused murdered William “Danny” Mason left the Belize Central Prison momentarily today for another court appearance. Under heavy police guard, he was transported to the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court in a prison van. When he was taken for arraignment before Magistrate Emmerita Anderson he was shielded as he entered the courtroom and was unrepresented. Mason is […]
As we said, the Friesens have once again returned to Canada because of the ordeal they endured during their kidnapping. We asked court prosecutor Chester Williams if their absence from the jurisdiction will affect the case. On the Phone: ACP Chester Williams, Prosecutor “Well the Friessens have not indicated to the police that they […]
A groundbreaking decision on the constitutionality of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code was handed down by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin on Wednesday after a three-and-a-half year delay in judgment. The ruling has polarized the Belizean society. During litigation; however, expert evidence in the form of a submission by Professor Brendan Bain, former Director of […]
While the issue of men having sex with men is not limited to the free society, at the Belize Central Prison homosexual intercourse among inmates is also widespread. According to Enrique Romero, Executive Director of the National AIDS Commission, prior to Wednesday’s ruling all attempts to promote condom usage among inmates were futile since prison […]
Having received funding from at least two agencies earlier this year, the National AIDS Commission, in light of the Section Fifty-three decision will now proceed to appoint a pair of part-time lawyers to the Office of the Ombudsman, as well as UNIBAM. Their role will be to assist members of the LGBT community in understanding […]
Access to healthcare has long been an issue for members of the LGBT community. According to Orozco, they have been shut off from respective medical institutions simply because they are not biologically related to their partners. As a result they are often kept in the dark when it comes to the medical status of their […]
Is gay rights activist Caleb Orozco any safer after Wednesday’s breakthrough decision? The question of his personal safety has always been an issue ever since choosing the pioneering role of challenging the legality of Section Fifty-three of the Criminal Code. At a press conference following the Supreme Court decision, we asked Orozco if he feels […]
Fifty-year-old Cherry Martinez lost everything in a fire on Wednesday night in Ladyville. Martinez reported to police that she left her home on Myrtle Wade Street in the Japan area to attend a church service in the village. That was around seven-thirty. She was subsequently notified of the fire sometime after ten p.m. By that […]
There has been some progress in leadership roles for women but the glass ceiling is still hard to break. In politics, more women are becoming involved but what about the workplace where women are spending up to eight hours per day? A forum taking place in the City looks at the issue of breastfeeding mothers […]
A week after Hurricane Early ravaged the country, CEMO is carrying out assessments of properties in the hard hit areas of Belize City. Councilor Philip Willoughby was today on the ground focusing on damages to houses in the south side as a first step in bringing relief. Affected victims, as a first step, are benefitting […]
Earl hit the City hard and long on Wednesday leaving many without roofs over their heads. Many families are still in shelters and have nowhere to go so NEMO has a plan to deal with the restoration of houses to get victims back on their feet. Phillip Willoughby, CEMO “As we’ve stated in our […]
But the reality is that there’s still a large number of persons still in shelters with Belize City registering the majority. A total of one hundred and nineteen persons need housing in shelter and at least three agencies are coordinating the relief assistance. Phillip Willoughby, CEMO “What the ministry is doing at this time, […]
A trial by judge without jury concluded on Wednesday before Justice Troadio Gonzalez in the Belize City Supreme Court against twenty-two year old Curtis Lamb. The Belize City youth was seventeen years old when he was arrested on August 2011 for the murder of Justin Roaches. Roaches was shot and killed while socializing at the […]
Today, attorney for Michael Modiri, Nazira Myles of Chebat and Co., filed a notice of appeal challenging the amount of damages awarded to Modiri in the case against Bradley Paumen. The appeal was filed before Madam Registrar, Velda Flowers in the Supreme Court. Myles appeared in court as scheduled, but Paumen, the owner of […]
The opening ceremony of a two-day forum on Caribbean Internet Governance was held today at the Radisson. Chairman of the Public Utilities Commission, John Avery, says that Belize is not harnessing all the benefits of the internet. While from a commercial standpoint, tourism depends heavily on the internet, access to the service is behind from […]
Most places in the city and elsewhere are still littered with garbage following the passage of Hurricane Earl. CEMO is working along with the Solid Waste Management Authority and is asking residents to take out their garbage because collection of the debris will begin in earnest early next week. Phillip Willoughby, CEMO “Right now […]
The National AIDS Commission says it welcomes the ruling by the Chief Justice on Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code. The LGBT Community is also celebrating the decision. But what about regular folks? Today, we took a sample of their views in the streets of the city. Here’s what they had to say. Resident […]
The annual Belize International Jazz Festival kicks off this weekend with an opening concert and jam session on Friday night at the Bliss. The music celebration runs through to August twenty-first and features a host of bands, including the Heartland Jazz Orchestra as well as Belize’s own Omolewa Osain. News Five caught up with Theatre […]
After the all-clear was established for Hurricane Earl last week, the Ministry of Health issued an advisory informing Belizeans to monitor their water sources and ensure that the water used for consumption is safe. The flood waters are still moving down towards the river valley and since the storm many communities have been affected by […]
