In about two weeks, the United States of America will inaugurate its 47th president—Donald J. Trump. With this come major shifts under Trump’s anticipated rigorous administration, particularly in the immigration sector, with new policies expected to tighten deportations.
Guatemala is open to accepting citizens from other Central American countries who are deported from the United States as part of efforts to build a positive relationship with the incoming Trump administration. It has also been reported that Guatemala is willing to play a role in the regional response to the increase in deportations expected under President-elect Donald Trump. A Guatemalan official noted, “There has to be a regional response… and we want to be part of the solution.”
This move comes as the U.S. struggles to deport people from countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Haiti, with strained relations complicating deportation efforts. Guatemala, however, is actively preparing for an uptick in deportation flights and is already receiving 14 per week under President Biden. This figure is expected to rise under Trump. Guatemala sees this influx as an opportunity to utilise the skills of the deportees, many of whom have experience in industries like construction and service and speak English. The country aims to integrate these individuals into the private sector, although officials are concerned about the strain deportations may put on the economy, especially if remittances from the U.S. decline.
Neighbouring countries like El Salvador and Honduras are also bracing for an increase in deportees. Honduras has already been receiving 10 deportation flights per week, with their foreign minister stating the country is preparing for a significant rise.
But what could this mean for Belize? Given the already porous nature of its borders, Belize can expect many challenges. Attorney Audrey Matura shared with the viewers of the morning show, Open Your Eyes, on Thursday that this can mean more individuals attempting to cross into Belize. Matura stated, “Our border is porous. These people will find their way back into Belize, maybe trying to make it back to Mexico. We need to prepare for that… It’s going to have a big political impact and economic impact on Belize.”
Five Belizeans have been selected for recognition in the 2025 New Year Honours list.
Former Lands Commissioner and NEMO Coordinator, Phillippa Noreen Fairweather, has been appointed to the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.), the second-highest honour awarded by the British for extraordinary work within a region or country. Fairweather’s recognition stems from her significant contributions to community and public service.
Four other Belizeans have been named to receive the Member of the British Empire (M.B.E.), the third-highest award. Dr. Marcelino Avila, who currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Galen University, has previously held the role of Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister and will be honoured for his contributions to public service. Gregoria Aragon and Lucilo Enrique Alcoser will be honoured for their service to the community and contribution to the music industry, respectively. Rudolph Bernard Coye will be recognised for his distinguished service in the tourism industry.
These awards, which range from Commander (CBE) to Officer (OBE) and Member (MBE), are bestowed by His Majesty the King following recommendations from the Prime Minister and senior government ministers.
China is currently witnessing a rise in Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) infections, sparking concerns of another health crisis after the COVID-19 pandemic. Reports and online discussions indicate widespread transmission, with some alleging that hospitals and crematoriums are overwhelmed. Circulating videos depict overcrowded medical facilities, and social media users mention the concurrent spread of influenza A, HMPV, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and COVID-19. Some accounts link the increase in HMPV infections to a rise in deaths, particularly among individuals aged 40 to 80.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reportedly observed an uptick in HMPV-positive cases, particularly among children aged 14 and under.
Neither Chinese health authorities nor the World Health Organization (WHO) have validated claims of an epidemic or emergency declaration.
HMPV, first identified in 2001, belongs to the Pneumoviridae family, which also includes respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Research indicates it has circulated in humans for over six decades. The virus primarily causes respiratory illnesses and poses the greatest risk to young children, older adults, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
The WHO has reiterated its call for transparency from China regarding the origins of COVID-19. In a statement issued Monday, the organisation emphasised, “We continue to call on China to share data and provide access to help us understand the origins of COVID-19. This is a moral and scientific imperative.” The WHO further warned that without global transparency, data sharing, and cooperation, the world remains unprepared to effectively prevent and respond to future epidemics and pandemics.
Simone Biles, the Belizean-American gymnastics icon, has added another remarkable accomplishment to her illustrious career. On Thursday, Biles was named Sports Illustrated 2024 Sportsperson of the Year. Her journey from humble beginnings to global superstardom has broken barriers in terms of race, age, and mental health advocacy, said the magazine.
This prestigious recognition comes after her triumphant return to the Olympics in Paris, where she not only overcame personal challenges but also solidified her place as one of the greatest athletes in history.The 11-time Olympic medallist added four new medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including three golds and a silver. This made her one of the most decorated female gymnasts in history.
Sports Illustrated praised Biles for her stellar performances and her impact on the sport, writing, “She changed the face of her sport and the conversations around athletes.” Biles will receive the award at Sports Illustrated’s annual ceremony in Las Vegas on January 7.
A young woman and man are lucky to be alive today after they were involved in an accident reportedly caused by a taxi driver.
The incident happened near the corner of the Philip Goldson Highway and Captain Eily Street in Belize City. According to reports, the duo was travelling on a motorcycle northbound when a taxi was attempting to overtake them. Lacking sufficient space, the taxi driver grazed the cycle, causing them to momentarily lose balance.
The taxi driver then stopped quickly, causing the cycle to crash into its rear. The duo was sent flying. They sustained minor injuries. Police were called to the scene.
San Pedro resident Alex Wade has come forward with serious allegations of police brutality, claiming he was assaulted by four police officers while in custody. He says the assault resulted in multiple injuries, including a fractured elbow. According to Wade, the incident occurred earlier after he was detained for a public altercation in San Pedro Town.
“I was chilling outside of right here at Centavos at the roadside and a guy passed and messed with me, but he threw a stone, right? And I threw a stone back to him and he went and called the police and they come, ker us da the station and thing, put me in the cell”
He alleges that after requesting a phone call, which was denied, and using obscene language toward an officer, he was attacked in his cell.
“Two of them came in and they started beating me and I think I tried to defend myself. I shoved one of them off and he went out and he came in back with a metal level. That is when he lashed me about like four times on my elbow. Fractured my elbow.”
Wade says he plans to press charges and take legal action against the officers involved.
Relatively moist and unstable conditions continue to affect the country, resulting in a forecast of cloudy spells with a few showers or periods of rain primarily along the coast today and over southern areas tonight.
Marine Conditions
Marine activities should note winds from the north-northeast at 5-15 knots, with moderate seas and wave heights ranging between 4 to 6 feet.
Outlook
For Saturday and Saturday night, expect cloudy spells with occasional showers focused over southern areas.
Temperature Forecast
Coastal Areas: Highs of 80°F (27°C) and lows of 72°F (23°C).
Inland Areas: Highs of 82°F (28°C) and lows of 68°F (20°C).
Hills: Highs of 70°F (21°C) and lows of 63°F (17°C).
Astronomical Conditions
Tides:
Low tide at 6:51 AM and 6:18 PM today.
High tide at 12:57 PM today and 12:25 AM tomorrow.
Sunrise and Sunset: The sun rises at 6:23 AM and sets at 5:30 PM.
Moonrise and Moonset: The moon rises at 9:29 AM and sets at 9:19 PM.
Stay prepared and plan your day accordingly to avoid being caught off guard by the showers.
2025 has just begun, and already several Belize City residents have been hospitalized due to gunshot injuries, including a four-year-old girl. Just after midnight on January first, the little girl was watching fireworks with her family on Levi Slusher Street when she suddenly felt a pain in her arm. At first, her family thought a stray stone had hit her, but an x-ray revealed the shocking truth: she had been struck by a bullet. Thankfully, she is expected to make a full recovery, but the incident has left her family traumatized and the community deeply shaken. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
On Wednesday, as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, Belize was alive with the sounds of fireworks and dynamite. The dazzling lights and booming sounds are a beloved tradition for families, friends, and communities to welcome the new year. However, this celebration can quickly turn dangerous, as the sound of dynamite is almost indistinguishable from gunshots. One Belize City family experienced this firsthand when their four-year-old daughter was struck by a bullet while watching the fireworks. The girl’s mother shared the harrowing details of this terrifying incident.
Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim
Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim
“ Two minutes after our firework show finished, her hand was up and I bring it down and she da like mommy, I get hurt. When she say, Mommy, I got hurt, I look, but it’s like a cut, it almost look like it was open. So I yell for my brother and I tell her, da weh happened, the baby get hurt. He say, that probably a stone, got in there weh fly off of the street or the fireworks. So my second brother come and he check it, the neighbors surrounded me and the baby and look at it. So he run upstairs, get the cloth tie it and then I noticed they have a big object inside of her hand. So I mi di hold down weh part the object and mek it no move and fold her hand and we left to the hospital.”
At the hospital, the family made the horrifying discovery that their little girl had been injured by a bullet. Thankfully, doctors were able to remove the bullet from her arm. While the mother is deeply traumatized by the incident, she is doing her best to stay strong for her daughter. Remarkably, the child didn’t cry during the ordeal and is now recovering well, according to her mother.
Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim
“ She has cerebral palsy, so she can’t walk. So most of the time she sleeps, and when she wakes, I don’t know if she’s traumatized, she keeps asking, like, when is my home going to get better? And question, why did the man hurt me? And those questions got me very emotional because explaining to her that she got a gun wound in her hand, it’s rough. Because it keeps replaying and she keeps questioning it.”
After the bullet was removed, the family headed to the police station to file a formal report. The mother claims they spent over three hours there with her daughter. During the interview, she alleges that the officers were hostile and initially didn’t believe her story.
Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim
“She started to interrogate me and the way how I process it, the questions and doing her job, right? I let her ask her question, but the way she was stating it, because many of my family member has license gun. And my brothers have license gun as well, but she was trying to let me confess that my brother probably pulled out his firearm and make shots in the air. But before that, I request if they can test bullet to see what gun it comes from to see which gun it come from, because I even wanted to know what kind of bullet it was when I was at the hospital, I asked, but the inspector couldn’t tell. So he said, leave it up to the professionals. And I agree, but then it, during the interrogation, the officer was stiff, but I keep to my words, but she would want, she wanted me to switch. But how can I switch when I’m telling the truth?”
While the child is on the mend, many questions remain unanswered. The family is still in the dark about where the bullet came from, leaving them with a sense of unease and uncertainty.
Britney Gordon
“Do you have any idea where this stray bullet might have come from?”
Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim
“ No ma’am. No idea. You couldn’t detect or determine if or from a right, left anyway. Because it’s hard for you to determine whether it was fireworks Big dynamite or gunshot or stone because it was literally twelve o’clock when everyone was losing out their stuff.”
In the early hours of New Year’s Day, three men had a close call with a gunman but were lucky to escape with their lives. Around three a.m., eighteen-year-old Anwar Smith from Cet Site, twenty-two-year-old Jody Ortiz from Western Pines, and Dennis Aranda were hanging out in a yard on Linda Vista Street in Belize City when a white vehicle approached from La Croix Boulevard. Suddenly, a gunman opened fire on the group. The men were rushed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment, but remarkably, they only sustained minor injuries as the bullets had merely grazed them. Police are still investigating the incident.
On Wednesday, a twenty-one-year-old Belize City resident became the fourth person injured in a New Year’s Day shooting. Around 4:30 a.m., Shemar Gillett was walking home when a vehicle stopped at the corner of Gibnut Street and Marigold Alley, and shots were fired from inside. Gillett was hit in his left arm and rushed to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment. We spoke with Gillett earlier today, and he informed us that his arm is recovering well and has already regained movement. Interestingly, Gillett was involved in another shooting incident in 2022, but as the alleged shooter. Reports indicate that gunshots were fired at the corner of Gibnut and Curassow Street, causing damage to two vehicles. Police believe Anthony Parham was the intended target of that incident. The investigation into the 2025 shooting is ongoing.
