2024-11-03 - Channel 5 Belize

2 Days to U.S. Presidential Election: 73 Million Votes Cast

With just two days left until Election Day, more than 73 million Americans have already cast their ballots. The race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is too close to call. Recent national polls show Harris leading by only one point, within the margin of error.

On Saturday, Harris campaigned in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she made a passionate appeal to young voters. “I see the promise of America every day in the young leaders who are voting for the first time,” she stated, urging them to take action on issues like gun violence and climate change. Harris also criticised Trump, claiming he lacks a comprehensive plan for the future. “If he is elected, Donald Trump, on day one, would be in that office stewing over his enemies list,” she said. “But when I am elected, I will walk in on your behalf, working on my to-do list.”

Meanwhile, Trump campaigned across North Carolina and Virginia, where he held rallies and focused on his usual themes, including criticism of the media and immigration. At an evening rally in Greensboro, Trump claimed credit for the declining trust in U.S. media. He said, “The fake news back there, they were at 92 percent approval rating when we started this journey in 2015. And now they’re less than Congress, which is in the low 12s.” He added, “I’m very proud of that because I’ve exposed them as being fake.” He then returned to addressing the fears of undocumented immigration into the U.S.

New Vanilla Training Project Launched in Southern Belize

The Ministry of Investment, in collaboration with several partners, officially launched the “Vanilla Training for Women and Girls in Western and Southern Belize” project in Bella Vista Village, Toledo District. This initiative is designed to empower 30 women from Toledo by teaching them how to grow and harvest vanilla.

The training will focus on increasing the acreage of vanilla cultivated in Belize, providing hands-on experience in propagating vanilla vines, and educating participants on the floral biology of vanilla, including the hand-pollination process.

Trainees will learn about harvesting, curing, and exporting their produce, while also receiving guidance on organising efforts within women’s groups to develop the vanilla industry.

The Ministry stated that “vanilla represents a significant economic opportunity for Belize, especially with international demand.” The project will also establish a propagation nursery at Bella Vista Government Secondary School.

NHC Monitoring Two Potential Weather Systems

The National Hurricane Centre is monitoring two weather systems in the Atlantic and Caribbean. The first is Subtropical Storm Patty, which is currently located near the Azores Islands in the northeastern Atlantic.

The second system causing disorganised showers and thunderstorms is located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea (AL97). According to NHC, this system has a high chance of development during the next 48 hours, while it moves generally north to northwestward over the central and western Caribbean Sea.

Additionally, a low-pressure trough near the Greater Antilles is producing showers and gusty winds east of the southeastern Bahamas. This system has low chances of formation through the next 48 hours.

Will COP29 Deliver on Transparency for Climate Financing?

Belize is getting ready for COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference happening in Azerbaijan this November. Building on COP28, this conference is another key opportunity for countries to be held accountable for their environmental actions.

Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Orlando Habet, noted the importance of Belize’s involvement in the decision-making process to protect the country’s interests.

Minister Habet said that while there was agreement on transitioning from fossil fuels, the lack of binding commitments raises concerns. He pointed out that the “Loss and Damage” fund has only received about $800 million in financial support, which is far too low.

For COP29, Minister Habet will be leading in finance discussion and strengthening the region’s negotiating power as he represents the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He said his focus on finance and transparency, stating, “The adaptation fund, they even informed us that that $100 billion that we had been asking for was released in 2022. There’s no transparency on that part. So for COP 29, what we’re asking is more transparency on one, the acquisition of the funding, the facilitation of that funding, and how it is being distributed.