Important Note: This Internet version of 7 News is a verbatum
transcript of our evening television news script. Many interviews on our newscast
are conducted in Creole. In the interest of clarity for our foreign readers,
we attempt to paraphrase the Creole quotes in English
Tonight details are scarce about a murder that occurred around 5 this evening. What we can tell you so far is that the incident occurred near Michael Finnegan Market and one man was shot. Tyrel Robinson succumbed to his injuries and police are on the scene. We'll tell you more details as they become available.
It's been 2 weeks since a massive fish kill in the Belize River has left environmentalists stumped. It's not that fish kills are totally uncommon - it's more than magnitude of marine life - along with reptiles such as crocodiles and hickatees - that have gone belly up.
And today, the Ministry of Sustainable Development hosted a press conference where it provided its most detailed account of their investigation so far. But tonight, important questions still remain unanswered like what caused that oxygen depletion and what role did agricultural activity play? The biggest question, though, is where is the source of the fish kill?
Jaleeza Roberts reports.
It all began with a disturbing sight in the Belize River Valley, dead fish floating along sections of the river, with the heaviest concentration reported between St. Paul's Bank and Grace Bank. On August third, the Department of Environment received the report and deployed teams into the field. Their investigation considered three broad possibilities of disease, toxic contamination, or a heavy organic load entering the river. Disease, the Department says, is now considered highly unlikely which water samples along the river confirmed:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer "We took samples from 150 meters upstream from Santander discharge channel at the channel, the canal, and then 150 meters downstream. We also took samples at St. Paul's Bank, Isabella Bank, Flowers Bank, and Burrell Boom. We also took samples from Santander effluent treatment pond, from the drainage network within the farm, and from the canal itself. So the water quality assessment was quite extensive. We conducted what is called in-situ sampling, that means sample on site. The data that we collected were data of the water quality at that point in time. And we also collected what is called grab sample. So we collected sample in a bottle.We brought these samples to our lab to get tested. In terms of the observation, we observed that the area between St. Paul's Bank and Grace Bank was the area most impacted. That is where we found most of the dead fish. And also the data will show that that is the area where the water quality was spurious, basically, as it relates to dissolved oxygen in particular."
And investigators are looking at more than one possible source, One area that has raised particular concern is a large rice field located north of Santander. The Department says the field is situated in a low-lying area and contains a canal through the middle of the operation.
That canal drains into Laboring Creek, which then flows directly into the Belize River. The concern is significant because rice cultivation requires flooded fields, and when that water is discharged, it can carry organic matter and other substances into surrounding waterways.
The Department says the configuration of this particular field makes the situation especially concerning:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer "So the Department of Environment did our internal checks, and we have found, at least according to our records, that the person does not have environmental clearance for this area, for the development of this area, which is a clear violation of the environmental regulations. A project of this size, in our estimation, would have required to undergo the EIA process. And so violation of that process, the penalty is between $50,000 to $100,000. And so what we will do is when we receive confirmation from the lands department that this person owns the land, we will still give the person an opportunity to provide any permits. That's the way how the process works. And if you can't, then again, the person will be held accountable for the violation."
But saying that it caused low oxygen levels would not fully explain how crocodiles and turtles ended up dying as well, as they use atmospheric oxygen:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer "Well, I had mentioned that, again, when an aquatic ecosystem, when the dissolved oxygen levels go low, it creates what is called an anoxic environment. And so in an environment like that, you have bacteria that thrive well without oxygen. They proliferate and they grow. And they produce hydrogen sulfide. And hydrogen sulfide could be one of the causes of the death of the turtle and the crocodile. And then the other possible cause is mycotoxins. So certain bacteria produces mycotoxins that are very harmful to aquatic life, basically."
And while reports said that Santander had a close looped system, one could only wonder what happens to anything needing to discharge when that system overflows and that's when the Chief environmental officer confirmed that it is not completely closed loop:
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer "So the system is not 100 percent closed loop, per se.The effluent pond discharges into the drainage system. And the drainage system is where water is obtained for irrigation. So in a normal circumstance, it's enclosed. But it's when the area floods, that's when the water goes into the canal and then discharges into the river. But we have already started a conversation with Santander. So we have some broad things that we want to do, some broad corrective actions and Santander are coming up with some very concrete actions that they could put in place to avoid this from happening again. So one of the things that they have presented to us is completely ensuring that the effluent water from the factory itself is completely kind of - it's a circular system they want to put in place so it won't have any discharge, basically. But again, that doesn't resolve the issue of some of the farms in the future or an area of the farm still being flooded and organic matter still entering into the river."
The investigation into this is far from over as whatever is in the river goes to the sea. Jaleeza Roberts, 7 News.
Later, you'll hear what the department has to say about illegal crocodile feedings.
An officer of over two decades was killed in a traffic accident on Saturday afternoon. 46 year old Armando Toledano was riding his motorcycle in Biscayne Village when he was struck by a vehicle. ASP Stacy Smith told us the details.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "PC Toledano succumbed to the injuries he sustain in a traffic accident which occurred on Saturday 15th August 2026 and around 2:50pm near mile 27 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. What we have learned so far in the course of the ongoing investigation is that PC Toledano was traveling on his Lifan brand motorcycle from the direction of Orange Walk to Belize City when upon reaching mile 27, a collision occurred between the motorcycle he was traveling on and a Ford Explorer that was traveling in the opposite direction. A notice of intended prosecution has been served on the driver of the motor vehicle who has been cooperating with police and who has also provided a urine sample. PC Toledano was a serving members of the Belize Police Department for 24 years up to the time of his passing and he was posted at the Eastern Division where he inspired his colleagues and gained the confidence of the public that he served."
Reporter "Was he wearing a helmet?"
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "I believe so yes."
Reporter "What is the policy on blocking off a major roadway, major artery for up to two hours for an incident like this which happened on Saturday. There is no other alternative route between Orange Walk and Belize City at that juncture."
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "Well the integrity of the investigation is paramount. Certainly if there was a matter where life was at risk in terms of the persons in the traffic being upheld that would take paramount conservation but where that is not the concern, the integrity of the scene in terms of conducting a thorough investigation is the paramount consideration. Certainly the view is to do it as expedient as possible but you cannot be expedient at the expense of being thorough."
And another road traffic incident took the life of a 37 year old man in Billy White Village. According to Smith, this incident involved a motorcycle, a vehicle, and a bicycle. Here's what she told us.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "Police have detained a 26 year old male person as a part of an ongoing investigation into a road traffic accident which led to the death of Marcello Moh, 37 years of age of Santa Familia Village and the injury of 26 year old Aidan Humes of Santa Familia Village. The investigation commenced at approximately 2:32am on Sunday 16th August 2026 when police were alerted of a traffic accident in Billy White Village. Initial investigation indicates that the detained male person was traveling onboard an F150 pickup truck from the direction of Billy White Village to Santa Familia Village when upon reaching a curve in that area collision occurred between that vehicle he was traveling in and the motorcycle which was being driven by Humes as well as a bicycle that was being by Moh. Both Moh and Humes sustained injuries in the course of the collision however Moh who received grave injuries succumbed while undergoing treatment. The circumstance of the collision remains under investigation."
There's a new Miss Universe Belize and this weekend saw the former queen, Isabella Zabaneh, passing on the crown to Caleigh-Rose West. But leading up to that crowning on Saturday night, there were many public blunders, starting with a Guatemalan Maya temple on the back drop. Jomarie Lanza broke down the series of events that unfolded. Here is that story.
A Guatemalan Maya temple, a sixth delegate added to the top 5, and a question segment with recycled questions: that's the basic breakdown of events that occurred during the Miss Universe Belize pageant this past weekend. The show was held at Mahogany Bay Village in San Pedro, on Saturday night, and at the start of the show when all 8 delegates took the stage for their opening number, the crowd and viewers at home were quickly taken a back by the bright and colorful stage background proudly displaying the Tikal Mayan Temple, an archeological site located in Guatemala and not Belize. ( Tikal Opening Mp4) Not at all suitable for the occasion.
From there things gradually began to head down hill as the pageant proceeded onto the selection of its top 5 delegates. It went something like this
But right as delegate Caleigh Rose West exited the stage, coordinators instructed her team to return West to the stage and that they would proceed with a top 6 instead of a top 5. Many described it as a major embarrassment to the delegate in what some compared it to a "Steve Harvey Moment" when in 2015 talk show host Steve Harvey who was hosting the international Miss Universe in Las Vegas, had mistakenly crowned Miss Colombia, when the actual winner of the pageant was Miss Philippines.
In a release that was issued by the host Chelsea Munoz through a "MissesBze" page on instagram, she described feeling "Mortified" having realized the error that was made. In her post Munoz says "In the nerves and back and forth of announcing names, trying to read this list that was a bit confusing, I mistakenly continued and called a sixth delegate. That was my mistake, and I immediately took responsibility, apologized and called it a "Steve Harvey moment.It was only afterward that we discovered we had been reading from the wrong list and, by complete chance, the sixth delegate I called, Caleigh-Rose West, was actually one of the rightful Top 5. In fact, five of the six women standing on that stage were the official Top 5."
And while all of this was taking place front and center stage, back stage tells a different story. We take a look now at what Myra Sibrian, a former Miss Universe Belize delegate, shared through her Facebook story. She was operating as part of Caleigh Rose West's team.
Myra Sibrian, Former Miss Universe Belize Delegate "I was back stage with Caleigh Rose West' last night and there are just simply a lot of things that obviously the public doesn't get to see. Everything started to go bad when instead of calling a top 5 they called a top 6 and because of the unfortunate mishap that Caleigh was the sixth person to be called and then the names were repeated then everyone just assumed that, the names were repeated and then she had to leave the stage then everyone assumed that she was the one who did not make it to the top 5. To start with I am not here to bash anyone I am not here to discredit, by all means discredit any of the delegates or the organization or anyone for that matter mistakes happen but there are things I think could have been handled differently so that the public can know what is going on. So backstage was an entirely open space, someone from the organization, approached us, came to us to both Caleigh and I that yes indeed there was an error that there definitely was a top 5 and not a top 6 and a person was called up by error but that person was not Caleigh Rose West. It was another delegate and we will not get into disclosing who that was because this is not about that."
And as the pageant transitioned into another segment the hosts encountered another difficulty during the Q&A portion, where questions that should have been different for each delegate. Again this was clarified in Chelsea Munoz's statement.
She says " There was also confusion during the Q&A when questions began repeating. We were not placing the selected questions back into the bowl. We realized there were duplicate copies among the questions. At that point, trying to process everything while remaining composed was overwhelming. There were mistakes that night, mine included, and things that could have been prevented with clearer communication."
This year's Miss Universe Belize Pageant was under the new directorship of former Miss Earth titleholder Destiny Wagner, She was appointed as its national director. However the MUB Franchise was no longer in the Hands of Belizean ownership, after the franchise had been sold in June of 2025 to an organization based in El Salvador.
But at the end of the pageant as they moved into their top 3 delegates and not long after their final 2, Caleigh Rose West was crowned as the new Miss Universe Belize 2026. We had reached out to the organization for comment following Saturday's events and confusion among its delegates and hosts, but we received no word from the national director, Destiny Wagner.
However We did get to speak with another national director for Miss Black International Ambassador, Ashley Lightburn who was crowned Miss Universe Belize 2022, she shared her pageant experience with us during her tenure. And she highlighted that in every pageant there is always room for growth and improvement.
Ashley Lightburn, Former Miss Universe Belize 2022 "I think every year organizations have a unique opportunity to grow and with every transition that miss universe Belize has seen you have seen the growth so I think from my year we really set the bar on what the new level of Miss universe Belize should be when Destiny Arnold took over I think her and her team did an exceptional job of just elevating that bar a little bit more and with the transition to the Salvador team I think we need to give them a break it is a new organization they are not necessarily from Belize they don't know the lay of the land and they are trying their best. The pageant was rushed and I think they can admit that themselves but I think they did a really good job. I had the opportunity of training one of the contestants Caleigh Rose West, so we you know we saw the short comings but I think there is grace we need to afford to organizations and contestants as they do these things. We have been doing this for a little while now and we are like seriously getting into it more I think more people are seeing that it is a great opportunity for Belize so there was a lot of controversy there were a lot of mistakes that were made but it is not about what happened it is what we do going forward the candidate needs our support not only from the people but from the businesses and the organization needs the support I think we have a unique opportunity here to interact with the Salvadorians and see how they can help us as a country elevate what we are doing here in Belize so we get a placement at Miss Universe."
Up until our news time the MUB organization has not issued a press release or a formal statement, and has also not responded to our requests for comments.
It's the first time Belize has hosted the Miss Black International pageant, with participants from multiple countries including, Ghana and Barbados. And we made history on Saturday night, winning 2 divisions from the pageant. Channel 7's very own Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy was crowned Ms. Black International Ambassador and D'Ancy Ramclam was crowned Teen Black International Ambassador. Former MUB titleholder Ashley Lightburn is serving as the National Director for the Belize branch. We spoke with her about the pageant and she says that it was a success despite their limited timeline to prepare.
Ashley Lightburn, National Director, Miss Black International Ambassador "So we had roughly I think 7 weeks to select and train our delegates. The pageant has three sections so there is a teen section from 14 to 19, a miss from 19 to 29 and there is a Miss divisions from 30-50 and then a division for married women we were nit confident that we could send representation for all four divisions so initially we just wanted to send for the miss which would be the 19-29 division we did like very rushed I would say casting calls so we put out an application we did get some girls but I decided with my team that we should look fro someone that is dynamic because we had a really unique opportunity here to win so we selected Maryam Abdul Qawiy as our Miss from the division 30 to 50 and from the applications that we got we selected then Diansi Ramclam and Felicia Alas for the two categories before so it was a lot to convince them that we would be there for them through it I know pageants tend to be ver y expensive and there are a lot of other things to consider So two girls actually signed up and one we had to convince."
Lightburn also spoke about the significance of Belize's first time competing and winning the top title of the franchise. She says Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy excelled in almost all of the categories.
Ashley Lightburn, National Director, Miss Black International Ambassador "So we knew that Maryam wouldhave been a strong contender for this pageant just because it aligns so much with who she is as a person and it showed in what she took home this weekend, Maryam won I think there were like 8 different categories of like additional prizes that she could have won and she took atlas 6 of those 6 or 7 of them, best costume, best in interview best in evening gown so it was a lot that she really took home and I think she was surprised too but we weren't because we knew she had the capacity to do that. Our teen took home the crown as teen but she was not competing with anyone so she was the only person from all the countries that were approached that were brave enough to take the stage but I am very proud of them especially Maryam because I knew this would have been a good opportunity for her she has past pageant experience and it really showed in the competition."
Earlier in the news you heard from the Department of Environment on their investigation into the most recent fish kill.
Another issue raised by the DOE, along with other conservation groups, was the increase in crocodile activity in areas like San Pedro and Caye Caulker. As we told you last week, their release stated that human interaction can change the behavior of these animals. Today the department reminded the public that crocodiles and humans must coexist. They also warned against tour guides taking tourists to areas and feeding the crocs:
Jal- "Have you all gotten any reports of tour guides taking tourists to feed the crocodiles?"
Yanira Pop, Acting Chief Forest Officer "We had an incident in 2016, 2015, thereabouts, where there was an incident where tourists were basically feeding sharks. And what they did is that every 12 o'clock, in order to get the different tourists to see the sharks, they would start to barbecue and they would start to throw these to the tourists. And so we have had that incident before. We have had some reports, but informal reports, that they are doing that as well with crocodiles. So that is something that is ongoing.So we are trying to work with BTB, with the Tour Guide Association, to educate them and to see what is it that we can work with them. And we are also making them know that through the Wildlife Act, there are penalties for them doing this. So yes, we do have informal reports that this is happening."
Jal - "Would you be able to elaborate on the penalties that we are looking at?"
Yanira Pop, Acting Chief Forest Officer "The penalties are very minimal at this point. With the new wildlife bill that is going to be passed, the penalties can go up from $1,000 to $10,000, depending on the severity of the infraction."
If you come across a crocodile in a populated area, you are advised to keep a safe distance and contact the authorities.
Last week, you heard from the wife of 46 year old Richard Cal, who alleges that her husband was unjustly shot by 3 police officers in plain clothes. The incident occurred on Cal's farm in Pomona Village earlier this month. Cal, whose leg was shattered by the bullet, was then charged with aggravated assault and is currently remanded to prison.
His wife claims that he only pulled out his firearm after the officers started shooting. But today ASP Smith said it was the other way around.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "Police have formally arrested and charged Richard Cal of Stann Creek District for three counts of aggravated assault. These charges stemmed from a report made by three police officers who stated that on Thursday 6th August at around 12:30pm, they were conducting surveillance along a farm road in Pomona Village where they encountered Mr Cal. During the course of the interaction it is alleged that Mr Cal produced a firearm, his licensed firearm and fired upon the officers who in turn returned fire resulting in Mr Cal receiving a gunshot wound to the leg. Mr Cal was transported for medical attention and the scene was processed by crimes scene technicians who were able to retrieve several items of evidential value."
Reporter "Can you say why the officers, well, you said they were conducted surveillance but why were they in plain clothes on his farm?"
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "You stated that they were conducting surveillance. I think that answers the question."
Reporter "So in believing that they were a threat, that doesn't factor into deciding that he needed to protect himself and his farm?"
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "I will not get into too much of the specifics but what I will say is that Mr Cal was asked a series of questions which would have enabled him to put forward his version of events. To my knowledge, the notes of interview that was conducted with him, he was not as forthcoming but the matter continues to be reviewed and the media will be advised accordingly."
"The professional standards branch is also conducting a concurrent internal investigation to determine whether the course of conduct taken by the police officers were justified under the circumstances."
Last week we told you about the fatal stabbing incident that claimed the life of 35-year-old Belize City fisherman Jose Luis Arteaga, out at Ranguana Caye. Police have made a formal arrest of his attacker, ASP Smith gave us more details on the charges today.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "Police have formally arrested and charged 33 year old Mauri Julian Gomez, a Belizean fisherman for the crime of murder and the offense of wounding. The arrest of Gomez follows an investigation into the murder of Jose Luis Arteaga and the injury of another male person. What the investigation has so far established is that Gomez along with Arteaga and other persons were at Rangana Caye when an altercation reportedly ensued. During the course of the altercation Mauri is reported to have stabbed Jose Luis Arteaga a fisherman and injured another person before he was subdued by other fishermen at that location."
Smith added that the incident was drug related and the assailant was intoxicated.
The Tomb of 12 year old Curt Arturo Dominguez was reportedly broken into over the weekend in Corozal town and police have now launched an investigation. ASP Smith shared with us what they know so far about the incident.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer "I can confirm that the officers in Corozal are investigating the disinterment of a body at the cemetery at that location. What we know is that the caretakers at the cemetery reported that on the 16th of August when they were making their rounds, they observed a tomb that was broken into and the remains of the person was exposed. The caretaker indicated that the last time they were in the area and observed it to be in tact was around the 10th so we suspect it occurred between the 10th and the 16th so it's a matter, an investigation much has not been learned however that is the status that it is right now."
"The person was buried I think back in 2018 so quite some time has passed since then however as I stated, police continue to investigate to see what might have caused someone to take that course of action."
According to reports, the child's skeletal remains were scattered on the ground along with the clothes he was buried in. The skull was also missing.
Emancipation Day, Carnival Road March, Panyaad - these are only some of the highly anticipated events of the celebration season. And as September approaches, there's a lot more in store. The National Celebrations Commission released this year's calendar of events and today commission member Kim Vasquez told us some of the activities you can look forward to.
Kim Vasquez, Member, NCC "We can expect that of course, it starts off with emancipation day and now the playbill is out, we had king and queen this weekend, we have road march coming up and living legends, the 10th of September, so it's across the country and it varies and one of the things that we do notice every year is the cross section of activities. There will always be the concerts and celebrations but there are also art exhibits, things that are educational, lectures, talks which really is something that we like to see because it really points to where we are in terms of our vision, our collective vision but also if you think about our theme this year, I know some people had strong feelings about that theme but when you think about Look At Me, I'm Belize, all of those activities that we see on our vibrant calendar are really saying take a look at where and how far we've come and where we are today."
"We have the living legends concert series is back this year, the honoree this year is Supa G this is a big year for him, he's celebrating his 50th birthday he's on his 50th birthday tour and so the living legends concert series has him as a focal point with an all star line up of artists, we also have Panyaad, this year we're anticipating to have a guest performance from Trinidad and Tobago. We're also looking at a fete and foam theme, we're trying different things with the Panyaad as well to change it up, to make it really hype and enjoyable this year. And of course we have other things we need to also pause as a nation as we get ready to celebrate independence and to look at some of our national builders. We have the creative and cultural excellence awards coming up that the NCC does every year, we have 8 awardees and it's everything from dance to cultural practice to even now we have a new category for cultural leadership and so that is coming up on the 2nd of September as well. It's really a rounded calendar, we have the creative youth ideas summit, I think that's a fantastic event as well, really good to bring youths together from across the country, to hear them brainstorm creatively on different issues affecting us as a country, shaping us as a country so that's as well an educational activity that we have on the calendar as well."
Vasquez encourages everyone to not only look at the events in their area but in the rest of the country as well to properly prepare their own calendars.
The PUP held its municipal convention in Punta Gorda Town this past weekend. A total of 1,233 ballots were cast to select one mayoral candidate and six councilors to compete in the upcoming municipal elections. We spoke to the winning PUP mayoral candidate, Maclovio Ack who managed to beat the sitting mayor, Carlos Galvez. He told us via Zoom that they considered the turnout to be successful.
Maclovio Ack, Punta Gorda PUP Mayoral Candidate "Yesterday had the convention it was peaceful, in the morning we had you know the turnout was low but in the afternoon the turnout started to get high. The experience was amazing first experience you know to run as a mayoral candidate but I have been participating in elections in the past years. And people came out we had over 1000 voters who came out to cast their vote so it was a huge turnout and I think this is history first time we had a huge turnout for a convention here in Punta Gorda."
"I felt great it has been something I was preparing for and it was the day I was waiting for so I was on the ground, I did what I had to do so you know I was, when you prepare everything goes good so you know I had my machinery out early in the morning. We had our people out so you know the planning process was very good so you know, when you work hard it pays off after realizing I was victorious it was something that allowed me to know that the people were the ones who made the decision. I am not the winner here, the winner is Punta Gorda town they were the ones who came out to decide who they want to represent them at the convention and I am here now happy to represent them and fulfill the mayoral responsibilities. And I want to prove myself and I will ensure that I work hard towards that because that is how I am known for."
And with the Belize City Convention a little over 2 weeks away, the competition for who will be PUP's next Mayoral candidate is a tight. As you know Eluide Miller and Allan Pollard Jr. are vying for the post. We spoke with PUP Chairman Henry Charles Usher about this last week:
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman "Well, we prepare for it, just like I would prepare for any municipal or any general election. We get our teams ready or Campaigners. The persons that will be on the ground in this particular convention, as you said, I was in two weeks time. It's on the 30th of August, and it is a delegate convention, 787 delegates or so will be determining our, slate going forward, which is more than the, the the opposition was able to get in their open conventions in certain municipalities. So it shows the healthy state of the peoples democratic process that even in a delegate convention, we are able to bring out more persons. Following that and following the successful team, the, the, the all ten constituencies will, of course, activate their campaign machinery, their campaigners on the ground so that we can make sure that we win in March of 2027. We go into all of these elections the same way we go in. We have a plan. We have a campaign team, our communications team. The national executive is also part of that process in determining the campaign forward. We make sure that we can deliver victories in all of the municipalities."
Reporter "Do you believe that since you didn't need to go to a general election, Anthony Mahler, Minister Anthony Mueller as well, did it need to go into a general election that you all should be assigned delegates still?"
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman "Well, you wouldn't want to disenfranchize any constituency or or voters in the city to have that opportunity."
And in the twin towns, Aaron Mai has been endorsed as the Mayoral Candidate but they will be having a convention on Saturday to determine the councillors. Here's what Usher told us about it.
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman "We have one mayoral candidate Mr.Aaron mai, He has been endorsed as the PUP mayoral candidate from March 2027. And I and we have nine persons vying for the six seats for the municipal, for the council candidates in something. Santa Elena, we have, that convention coming up next week, Saturday. And then on Sunday, we have the convention in Benque."
Reporter "How do you all feel about the slate that you will put forward?"
Henry Charles Usher, PUP Chairman "Oh, we are confident we will. You know, let me say run, man was what was victorious in the last, municipal election. He's one of the the current councilors. We think that he brings, a young dynamic, fierce to, the mayoral position. And we're looking forward to the team that will support him."
Mai was the only PUP Councillor to win in the 2024 Municipal election.
The Belize Companies and Corporate Affairs Registry says its investigation into the cybersecurity incident affecting the Online Business Registry System has identified a vulnerability in its passport-based registration process for limited public user accounts.
According to BCCAR, the vulnerability was exploited to gain unauthorized access to information within the system. The registry says it has since addressed the vulnerability, strengthened access controls, and temporarily disabled passport-based registration for limited public accounts.
BCCAR has also introduced a temporary limit of 100 document views or downloads per user per hour, strengthened system logging and monitoring, and reviewed its authentication, configurations and other security controls.
The registry says it has identified documents downloaded during the period of unauthorized access and marked them with a warning icon in the OBRS. The system was restored on August 10, and BCCAR says it continues to work with cybersecurity specialists to independently assess the scope of the incident and determine whether further measures are necessary.
Going forward, BCCAR says it will enhance monitoring of critical systems, alerts for unusual and bulk activity, access-privilege reviews, vulnerability assessments, cybersecurity testing and incident-response procedures.
President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Justice Winston Anderson, has strongly rejected allegations of judicial interference and "panel fixing," describing the claims as completely unfounded, "intellectually dishonest," and "malevolent". In a 10 page press statement issued Friday, Justice Anderson addressed internal leaks published in regional media and defended his administrative actions regarding judicial dress codes, panel assignments, and constitutional advocacy in Guyana.
He categorically denied altering judicial panels to influence case outcomes, calling such assertions "intellectually dishonest" and "malevolent". And regarding the dress code dispute, he confirmed that a colleague judge was removed from a panel solely due to an unresolved disagreement over traditional national dress versus established bench attire. And to eliminate future speculation, every sitting CCJ judge will now automatically serve on every case panel, unless legitimately excused.
Justice Anderson concluded by emphasizing that the CCJ represents decades of regional effort, intellect, and commitment. He assured the public that the court will continue to discharge its responsibilities with independence, fairness, and integrity.
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Tonight details are scarce about a murder that occurred around 5 this evening. What we can tell you so far is that the incident occurred near Michael Finnegan Market and one man was shot. Tyrel Robinson succumbed to his injuries and police are on the scene. We'll tell you more details as they become available. 
It's been 2 weeks since a massive fish kill in the Belize River has left environmentalists stumped. It's not that fish kills are totally uncommon - it's more than magnitude of marine life - along with reptiles such as crocodiles and hickatees - that have gone belly up.
"We took samples from 150 meters upstream from Santander discharge channel at the channel, the canal, and then 150 meters downstream. We also took samples at St. Paul's Bank, Isabella Bank, Flowers Bank, and Burrell Boom. We also took samples from Santander effluent treatment pond, from the drainage network within the farm, and from the canal itself. So the water quality assessment was quite extensive. We conducted what is called in-situ sampling, that means sample on site. The data that we collected were data of the water quality at that point in time. And we also collected what is called grab sample. So we collected sample in a bottle.We brought these samples to our lab to get tested. In terms of the observation, we observed that the area between St. Paul's Bank and Grace Bank was the area most impacted. That is where we found most of the dead fish. And also the data will show that that is the area where the water quality was spurious, basically, as it relates to dissolved oxygen in particular."
An officer of over two decades was killed in a traffic accident on Saturday afternoon. 46 year old Armando Toledano was riding his motorcycle in Biscayne Village when he was struck by a vehicle. ASP Stacy Smith told us the details.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer 
Ashley Lightburn, Former Miss Universe Belize 2022
It's the first time Belize has hosted the Miss Black International pageant, with participants from multiple countries including, Ghana and Barbados. And we made history on Saturday night, winning 2 divisions from the pageant. Channel 7's very own Maryam Abdul-Qawiyy was crowned Ms. Black International Ambassador and D'Ancy Ramclam was crowned Teen Black International Ambassador. Former MUB titleholder Ashley Lightburn is serving as the National Director for the Belize branch. We spoke with her about the pageant and she says that it was a success despite their limited timeline to prepare.
Earlier in the news you heard from the Department of Environment on their investigation into the most recent fish kill.
"We had an incident in 2016, 2015, thereabouts, where there was an incident where tourists were basically feeding sharks. And what they did is that every 12 o'clock, in order to get the different tourists to see the sharks, they would start to barbecue and they would start to throw these to the tourists. And so we have had that incident before. We have had some reports, but informal reports, that they are doing that as well with crocodiles. So that is something that is ongoing.So we are trying to work with BTB, with the Tour Guide Association, to educate them and to see what is it that we can work with them. And we are also making them know that through the Wildlife Act, there are penalties for them doing this. So yes, we do have informal reports that this is happening."
Last week, you heard from the wife of 46 year old Richard Cal, who alleges that her husband was unjustly shot by 3 police officers in plain clothes. The incident occurred on Cal's farm in Pomona Village earlier this month. Cal, whose leg was shattered by the bullet, was then charged with aggravated assault and is currently remanded to prison.
Emancipation Day, Carnival Road March, Panyaad - these are only some of the highly anticipated events of the celebration season. And as September approaches, there's a lot more in store. The National Celebrations Commission released this year's calendar of events and today commission member Kim Vasquez told us some of the activities you can look forward to.
"We have the living legends concert series is back this year, the honoree this year is Supa G this is a big year for him, he's celebrating his 50th birthday he's on his 50th birthday tour and so the living legends concert series has him as a focal point with an all star line up of artists, we also have Panyaad, this year we're anticipating to have a guest performance from Trinidad and Tobago. We're also looking at a fete and foam theme, we're trying different things with the Panyaad as well to change it up, to make it really hype and enjoyable this year. And of course we have other things we need to also pause as a nation as we get ready to celebrate independence and to look at some of our national builders. We have the creative and cultural excellence awards coming up that the NCC does every year, we have 8 awardees and it's everything from dance to cultural practice to even now we have a new category for cultural leadership and so that is coming up on the 2nd of September as well. It's really a rounded calendar, we have the creative youth ideas summit, I think that's a fantastic event as well, really good to bring youths together from across the country, to hear them brainstorm creatively on different issues affecting us as a country, shaping us as a country so that's as well an educational activity that we have on the calendar as well."
"Yesterday had the convention it was peaceful, in the morning we had you know the turnout was low but in the afternoon the turnout started to get high. The experience was amazing first experience you know to run as a mayoral candidate but I have been participating in elections in the past years. And people came out we had over 1000 voters who came out to cast their vote so it was a huge turnout and I think this is history first time we had a huge turnout for a convention here in Punta Gorda."
And with the Belize City Convention a little over 2 weeks away, the competition for who will be PUP's next Mayoral candidate is a tight. As you know Eluide Miller and Allan Pollard Jr. are vying for the post. We spoke with PUP Chairman Henry Charles Usher about this last week:
"Well, we prepare for it, just like I would prepare for any municipal or any general election. We get our teams ready or Campaigners. The persons that will be on the ground in this particular convention, as you said, I was in two weeks time. It's on the 30th of August, and it is a delegate convention, 787 delegates or so will be determining our, slate going forward, which is more than the, the the opposition was able to get in their open conventions in certain municipalities. So it shows the healthy state of the peoples democratic process that even in a delegate convention, we are able to bring out more persons. Following that and following the successful team, the, the, the all ten constituencies will, of course, activate their campaign machinery, their campaigners on the ground so that we can make sure that we win in March of 2027. We go into all of these elections the same way we go in. We have a plan. We have a campaign team, our communications team. The national executive is also part of that process in determining the campaign forward. We make sure that we can deliver victories in all of the municipalities."
And in the twin towns, Aaron Mai has been endorsed as the Mayoral Candidate but they will be having a convention on Saturday to determine the councillors. Here's what Usher told us about it.
