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  • Tupac Murder Trial Begins: Witness Recalls “All Hell Broke Loose” as Shots Rang Out

    Tupac Murder Trial Begins: Witness Recalls “All Hell Broke Loose” as Shots Rang Out

    It has been almost 30 years since iconic rapper Tupac Shakur was killed in a 1996 drive-by shooting, and the long-awaited murder trial of Duane “Keffe D” Davis finally got underway this week in a Las Vegas courtroom. The 63-year-old defendant faces a single charge of murder with a deadly weapon, and he has formally entered a plea of not guilty to the accusation.

    Prosecutors have laid out their case arguing that Davis did not fire the fatal shots himself, but served as the mastermind who organized the fatal attack as the leader of the group involved in the killing. According to the prosecution’s opening address to the jury, on the night of the shooting, Davis and his companions—including his nephew Orlando Anderson—were traveling through Las Vegas in a white Cadillac when they spotted Shakur and Suge Knight, the head of Death Row Records, near the Strip. The group made a sudden U-turn to intercept the pair, prosecutors claim, with Davis, seated in the front passenger seat, handing a firearm over to the backseat, after which Anderson opened fire directly into the vehicle carrying Shakur and Knight.

    The prosecution says the shooting was an act of retaliation for a public altercation earlier that same evening, following a Mike Tyson boxing match, where Shakur and members of his security entourage assaulted Anderson. The entire confrontation was captured on venue security footage. Prosecutors also noted that Davis openly discussed his anger over the assault in his 2019 memoir, and previously admitted his role in organizing the killing during a conversation with a federal task force probing the 1997 murder of fellow rap star Christopher Wallace, better known as The Notorious B.I.G. That conversation was secretly recorded, and Davis had also spoken publicly about his involvement in the killing back in 2017.

    Davis’ legal team has launched a forceful counterattack in its opening statement, urging jurors to approach the prosecution’s narrative with significant skepticism. Defense attorney Michael Sanft argued that the entire case is built on a decades-long investigation rife with procedural errors, including missing original police reports, mishandled physical evidence, and untrustworthy witnesses who have prior criminal records and stand to gain financially from their testimony against Davis.

    Since the trial began, prosecutors have begun calling their first witnesses to the stand. A retired Las Vegas police officer testified that he had pulled over Shakur and Knight’s vehicle earlier that night because of a missing rear license plate, and later accompanied Shakur in the ambulance after the shooting, recalling the moment he asked the rapper who had attacked him.

    Another witness, Ingrid Stokes, who was driving in the immediate area when the shooting broke out, recounted the sudden chaos that unfolded as gunfire erupted all around her vehicle. “All hell broke loose,” Stokes told the court, describing the fear and confusion of the night.

    As the trial continues to progress, additional witnesses are scheduled to testify over the coming days, with both sides expected to lay out all evidence before the jury delivers a verdict in one of the most high-profile unsolved murders in modern entertainment history.

  • CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Haiti crushes French Guiana [5-2]

    CFU Challenge 2026 (U-14) : Haiti crushes French Guiana [5-2]

    The 2026 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) U-14 Boys Challenge got underway on August 17, 2026 at the Cap Cana Sports City complex in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Haiti’s young national squad, nicknamed the Grenadiers, made an unforgettable opening statement with a dominant 5-2 victory over French Guiana’s Yana Dòkò side.

    Leading the charge for Haiti was attacking standout Jodley Sheeck Delmas, who delivered a once-in-a-tournament performance by finding the back of the net four times, powering his side to an opening win that puts Haiti atop Group B in the provisional standings heading into the second round of group matches.

    The first breakthrough for Haiti came just 10 minutes into the fixture, when winger Wensley Dumorne whipped in a precise cross that forward Jerry Petit-Homme guided under the opposing crossbar to put Haiti up 1-0. Sixteen minutes later, Petit-Homme turned from goalscorer to provider, playing a pinpoint free kick into the path of Delmas, who volleyed home to double Haiti’s lead to 2-0.

    French Guiana responded in the 37th minute, when Railey Jean Marie converted a penalty to cut the deficit to 2-1, but Delmas quickly restored Haiti’s two-goal advantage five minutes before halftime, curling a spectacular free kick into the net from a tight, difficult angle to make the score 3-1.

    Just before the break, Haiti was awarded a second penalty, but Ronelson Pelé Janvier’s strike was turned away by French Guiana goalkeeper Dos Anjos. Delmas did not let the missed chance dampen his momentum, however: just one minute into the second half, he controlled a short corner, cut inside a covering defender, and fired a powerful shot past the keeper to complete his hat trick and push Haiti’s lead to 4-1.

    French Guiana pulled another goal back in the 64th minute, when Railey Berg Jean Louis pounced on a loose ball in the 18-yard box to make the score 4-2. But Delmas put the result beyond all doubt four minutes later, unleashing a blistering long-range strike from outside the penalty area that found the top corner, closing out his four-goal haul and sealing the 5-2 final score for Haiti.

    Haiti’s starting lineup for the opening fixture featured 10 players from domestic Haitian clubs, with one addition based in the United States: starting goalkeeper Benoît Athan Pierre of NEFC (USA), Marc-Evens Lubin of Ideal FC, Kendy Dolbrun of Flamengo FC, Eddyson Paul-Jean of EFAT, Cedric Claremond of Les Rouleurs FC, Marvens Fenelon of La Reserve, Woodney Charleston of SLGA, Wensley Dumorne of MERCURE, Delmas of EXAFOOT, Janvier of Les Rouleurs FC, and Petit-Homme of FC Toro.

    Following the opening win, Haiti sits alone at the top of Group B’s provisional standings with three points from one match, holding a +3 goal difference after scoring five and conceding two. Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago each sit on one point after drawing their opening fixture 1-1, while French Guiana sits at the bottom of the group with zero points and a -3 goal difference after their opening defeat.

    The young Grenadiers will look to build on their strong opening when they face their next Group B opponent, Trinidad and Tobago’s Young Warriors, on Tuesday, August 18 at 12:00 PM local and Haitian time, at the same Cap Cana Sports City venue. Haiti will wrap up their group stage campaign against Puerto Rico on August 19. All matches from the 2026 CFU Challenge are broadcast live for free on the CFU’s official YouTube channel.

  • While GST-Free Lasted One Day, Belizeans Crossed the Border by the Thousands

    While GST-Free Lasted One Day, Belizeans Crossed the Border by the Thousands

    As Belize launched its first annual one-day GST-free shopping event for back-to-school supplies this August, border data reveals a surprising trend: thousands of local residents opted to cross the western border into Guatemala to take advantage of cheaper retail options south of the boundary.

    The mass cross-border shopping excursion unfolded over the weekend of August 15 and 16, coinciding with Belize’s inaugural tax-free promotion. Lawrence Thompson, Director of Border Management and Immigration, confirmed that the western checkpoint at Melchor de Mencos saw a dramatic surge in passenger travel, with a total of 4,900 passenger movements recorded across the two days. Of that total, roughly 1,760 travelers listed shopping excursions as their primary purpose of travel, accounting for 35% of all traffic at the western border that weekend – a share far higher than typical non-essential travel volumes.

    In contrast to the western border’s shopping rush, the northern Corozal border checkpoint saw no comparable spike in excursion-focused travel. Thompson noted that while 5,800 total passenger movements passed through Corozal over the same weekend, with higher volumes recorded on Saturday the 15th, nearly all travel fit normal patterns, with no visible uptick in cross-border shopping trips. He added that during peak back-to-school season in August and the year-end Christmas shopping period, combined passenger traffic across both border checkpoints regularly exceeds 10,000 total movements, making the western surge this year an notable deviation from baseline trends.

    Meanwhile, Belize Tax Services reported that the domestic GST-free event ran without major disruptions or complaints. Deputy Director Vilma Broaster stated that the agency received only a handful of feedback submissions, most centered on claims that local retailers had raised base prices on eligible goods ahead of the tax exemption. Broaster clarified that the tax agency does not have regulatory authority over base retail pricing, and confirmed that no reports were filed of consumers still being charged GST on officially tax-exempt school supplies. She also noted that the tax break only applies to purchases from businesses that are formally registered for GST in Belize.

    For consumers who missed the first tax-free shopping day, a second and final GST-free Saturday is scheduled for August 29. This event will extend tax exemptions to both back-to-school supplies and laptop computers, with specific rules already published for eligible electronics purchases.

  • Merian-goudmijn: US$ 127 miljoen aan belastingen en royalty’s in 2025

    Merian-goudmijn: US$ 127 miljoen aan belastingen en royalty’s in 2025

    Newmont Suriname has announced that the total economic contribution of its Merian gold mine to the Surinamese economy reached approximately $634 million in 2025, marking a 17% increase compared to 2024 figures. The company released the updated data on Monday, clarifying that the total contribution does not solely consist of revenue directed to the Surinamese government, with more than half of the sum allocated to local and external supply chain partners.

    Breaking down the $634 million total, the largest single line item is $345 million in payments to suppliers and contracted service providers, followed by $78 million in employee salaries. Combined income and payroll taxes paid by the operation amount to $79 million, with an additional $48 million in royalties directed to the state, bringing total government tax and royalty revenue to $127 million. Newmont has not yet provided a separate breakdown of how much of the $79 million tax figure is attributable to corporate income tax versus payroll withholding.

    As a 25% co-owner of the Merian mine, alongside Newmont’s 75% controlling stake, the state-owned energy firm Staatsolie received $84 million in net profit share for 2025. This dividend payment is separate from taxes and royalties paid to the government, bringing the total of state-linked earnings from the project to $211 million, though not all of this sum enters the national government’s general treasury.

    According to Newmont’s disclosure, 75% of the total economic value generated by Merian mining operations remained within Suriname’s domestic economy in 2025. A total of 308 Surinamese suppliers and contractors were part of the mine’s supply chain last year, though the company did not specify what share of the $345 million in supply chain payments went to these domestic businesses. The mine directly employs approximately 1,277 workers, and Newmont says it continues to invest in upskilling and professional development for its local workforce.

    The release of Merian’s 2025 economic data comes as the Surinamese government undertakes a broad regulatory overhaul of the country’s gold mining sector. President Jennifer Simons has ordered a temporary pause on issuing new gold mining concessions and processing existing concession extension requests, as the administration works to build a clearer picture of current sector conditions and strengthen regulatory oversight and transparency across the industry.

    Beyond maximizing economic returns, the regulatory review is centered on protecting residential and traditional territories of Indigenous and Tribal communities, safeguarding ecologically sensitive natural areas, and mitigating the environmental harm caused by unregulated gold extraction. In response to these policy priorities, Newmont says its Merian operations adhere to the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) when engaging with Indigenous and Tribal communities, with a commitment to open dialogue, full transparency, and inclusive participation in local decision-making processes.

    Newmont has also outlined a dedicated strategy to support formalization of Suriname’s artisanal and small-scale mining sector, focused on delivering technical assistance, building local regulatory capacity, developing alternative livelihood options for small-scale miners, and reducing mercury use in artisanal extraction. The company says it is exploring pathways to bring more unregulated small-scale operations into formal compliance with existing national mining laws.

    Currently, the Merian gold mine is projected to remain in operation until 2040, with Newmont reporting that it is actively exploring additional reserve expansion opportunities that could extend the mine’s operational lifespan beyond the current timeline.

  • Tweede deel Domineestraat moet nog worden aangepakt; oplevering in november

    Tweede deel Domineestraat moet nog worden aangepakt; oplevering in november

    A major infrastructure upgrade project on Domineestraat, one of the busiest and most important thoroughfares in downtown Paramaribo, Suriname, has hit a key milestone: the first phase of reconstruction has been completed, and the street has been reopened to vehicle and pedestrian traffic as of Sunday, though the full project remains far from finished. Contracted by the Surinamese Ministry of Public Works and Spatial Planning (OWRO), local construction firm Tjongalanga N.V. is leading the rehabilitation work, which targets decades-old aging infrastructure in the high-traffic downtown corridor.

    Company director Dave van der Lee explained that preparatory work for the project kicked off in late May, with close coordination between the construction team, local utility providers, and nearby business owners to minimize disruption to daily operations in the area. The completed first section stretches between Neumanpad and Steenbakkerijstraat, where crews have already installed new PVC sewage pipes along both sides of the roadway, replacing outdated original infrastructure that ran through the center of the street. All household connections and street drainage gullies have been reconnected to the new system, which routes wastewater through pipes under Jodenbreestraat to the pumping station at the end of the road before discharging it into the Suriname River.

    After utility companies finished their underground upgrades, excavation work on the roadway itself began on August 3. Crews removed the original 60 to 70-year-old asphalt layer, as well as the existing 50-year-old sewage network that was in severe disrepair. Inspection of the existing ground base revealed it had degraded to an unsafe condition, requiring crews to excavate the full roadway to a depth of one meter before rebuilding the foundation from scratch: the new base consists of 80 centimeters of clinker sand and 20 centimeters of base course, topped with an initial six-centimeter layer of fresh asphalt.

    Even with the street now open to traffic, construction work continues on the first segment. Temporary road markings, including crosswalks, lane sorting boxes, and a center dividing line, will be installed within the next two weeks, with all work on this component required to be finished before September 3. Local utility providers still have final tasks to wrap up as well: the Suriname Water Company (SWM) is completing remaining connection work, while Energiebedrijven Suriname (EBS) is responsible for upgrading the street’s public lighting network. Once these utility tasks are done, crews will rebuild sidewalks and reconfigure existing parking bays along the first segment.

    The second, unstarted phase of the project covers the stretch from Steenbakkerijstraat to Zwartenhovenbrugstreet, which will begin once all remaining work on the first segment is wrapped up. According to van der Lee, the full project is still on track to be completed and handed over to the government in mid-November.

    OWRO Minister Stephen Tsang emphasized that the rehabilitation project delivers more than just improved road infrastructure. The overhaul is also designed to enhance the overall appearance of the downtown core and support the local tourism sector. “When completed, this street will bring a beautiful new aesthetic to the heart of our city,” Tsang stated.

  • Moore concerned over unfinished Charles Rowe Bridge works

    Moore concerned over unfinished Charles Rowe Bridge works

    As a tropical storm system barreled toward Barbados triggering an urgent flash flood watch for the island, a sitting lawmaker is sounding the alarm over critical flood mitigation works that remain incomplete nearly 12 months after a deadly flooding disaster killed residents at Charles Rowe Bridge. Toni Moore, the Member of Parliament for St George North constituency, delivered the stark warning at a weekend party meeting Sunday, emphasizing that the island’s peak hurricane season puts local communities at unnecessary risk due to the stalled infrastructure project.

    Moore told attendees gathered at the Valley Resource Centre that in the wake of last year’s tragic flooding event at the site, government promised a sweeping series of drainage upgrades to reduce future flood risk. But as of mid-hurricane season, that critical work has not moved forward at the pace residents expected, leaving the community vulnerable to heavy storm downpours. “We are right in the heart of hurricane season, and the outstanding drainage works are our biggest source of anxiety right now,” Moore said. “All we can do is pray that we avoid a severe storm that would bring devastating fallout to this area, because the protections we were promised still aren’t in place. We hope that by next hurricane season, we won’t still be facing this same fear.”

    Beyond the unfinished flood works, Moore addressed ongoing delays to another high-priority infrastructure project in her constituency: the long-awaited upgrade to Sweet Vale Road. Originally slated to break ground in March of this year, the project has been pushed back indefinitely after coordination with local utility companies forced a full redesign of a planned roundabout, a feature first approved years ago under former MP Gline Clarke.

    Moore explained that after early consultations with utility providers, engineers discovered the original roundabout layout conflicted with existing underground utility lines, making the initial design unworkable. Subsequent back-and-forth discussions between Ministry of Transport and Works engineering teams and the contracted construction firm uncovered additional unforeseen technical issues that required even more design adjustments. Rather than rushing construction to meet an arbitrary deadline and risk having to excavate the completed road to fix damaged utility lines later – a move that would create far more disruption for local residents – Moore said the decision was made to restart the design process from scratch.

    “I know this delay is frustrating for everyone who has been waiting for this road upgrade, but cutting corners now would only create bigger problems down the line,” she said. “If we rushed and hit a water main after paving, we’d have to dig up the entire road just a few years down the line, and that would cause even more anger and disruption. After waiting this long, it’s far more important to get it right the first time: to make sure utility lines are properly laid, sidewalks are built to last, and streetlights are installed correctly the first time around.” Moore added that she could not yet give a firm completion date for the project, as design work is still ongoing.

    To offset frustration over the Sweet Vale Road delays, Moore highlighted the early completion of upgrades to Taitt Hill – a project that was not included in the original annual infrastructure schedule for the constituency, but was prioritized after residents pushed for repairs. Moore stressed that constituent feedback does not fall on deaf ears, even when technical challenges slow down planned projects.

    “Residents’ concerns are not being ignored, but sometimes unforeseen technical issues have to be worked through thoroughly to make sure we deliver infrastructure that serves this community for decades to come,” she said.

  • Bowen and Bowen Awards Scholarships to 16 Employees’ Children

    Bowen and Bowen Awards Scholarships to 16 Employees’ Children

    It was an ordinary afternoon at home for 16-year-old Kyra Santos, until a surprise phone call from her mother — who works at Belize’s Bowen and Bowen company — completely reshaped her long-term educational plans. Within moments of hearing the announcement that she had been selected for one of the firm’s annual education scholarships, Santos broke into tears of joy and excitement, overwhelmed by the opportunity that had just opened up for her.

    Santos is among 16 children of current Bowen and Bowen employees to receive the company’s scholarship awards this year, marking the latest cohort in a programme that has now poured more than $1 million into accessible education across Belize over the past 12 years. The initiative covers all core educational costs for recipients, including full tuition, textbook fees, and institutional charges, for students pursuing pathways through secondary school, tertiary university education, and vocational training programmes.

    For Michael Bowen, Chief Executive Officer of Bowen and Bowen, the milestone of crossing $1 million in total investment is less important than the core mission that drives the programme. “We are all interconnected members of one community, whether we work inside the walls of Bowen and Bowen or call the entire nation of Belize home,” Bowen explained in comments announcing this year’s recipients. “We all have a responsibility to lift each other up, and most importantly, to invest in the future of Belize. Education is the single most powerful tool we can use to do that. It gives young people the chance to learn, to think critically, and to ask the questions that move our country forward. Ultimately, it creates choice: choice of career, choice of where you build your life and work, and autonomy over your future overall.”

    To qualify for the competitive scholarship awards, candidates must first be a child of a current company employee and demonstrate strong academic potential to succeed in their chosen field. But the application process also requires active commitment from the entire student’s family, who must submit materials proving their ongoing investment in their child’s educational journey. Unlike many one-time grant programmes that simply provide financial support and end involvement, Bowen and Bowen pairs each scholarship recipient with a dedicated mentor through the company’s human resources team, who offer ongoing guidance and support throughout the recipient’s studies.

    This is a developing story, and full coverage of the 2026 scholarship recipients will air during News 5 Live’s 6 p.m. broadcast this evening.

  • Dominica Lions Club extends support to families and community care facilities

    Dominica Lions Club extends support to families and community care facilities

    Community service is taking tangible form on the Caribbean island of Dominica, where the local chapter of Lions Clubs International is expanding its grassroots outreach to lift up those facing economic and personal hardship, living its global organizational motto of “We Serve” through targeted, practical support.

    In a recent act of international solidarity within the Lions network, the Dominica Lions Club has confirmed it received a substantial charitable gift from Lion Jean Joseph, the immediate past president of the New York Lions chapter. According to an official press statement issued by the local club, the donation included a wide range of essential daily goods: adult incontinence diapers, infant diapers, cleansing wipes, disposable protective gloves, and a variety of non-perishable food items.

    Following the arrival of the donation, club volunteers completed a coordinated distribution effort that reached directly 13 vulnerable individuals across the island. Recipients included single parents managing households on limited incomes and other community members navigating prolonged difficult circumstances, filling critical gaps in access to basic supplies for those who needed them most.

    The impact of the cross-border contribution extended beyond individual support to four local community-serving institutions that provide ongoing care and support to marginalized groups. The donated supplies were allocated to the Grotto Home for the Homeless, Agape Nursing Home, Delices House of Hope, and the food pantry operated by the Dominica Planned Parenthood Association, each of which serves high-need populations that benefit from extra community support.

    Club leadership emphasized that this distribution initiative is far more than a one-off act of charity: it embodies the core values that drive the global Lions movement, including collective compassion, cross-community solidarity, and consistent, action-oriented service. The project serves as a clear demonstration of how coordinated local support, even when sourced from international partners, can create measurable, meaningful improvements in the daily lives of people experiencing hardship.

    Beyond the immediate impact of this donation, the contribution also underscores the Dominica Lions Club’s ongoing call for broader collaboration across sectors. The organization is actively seeking partnerships with like-minded nonprofits, local businesses, and individual community members who share a commitment to giving back to vulnerable populations in Dominica.

    Inviting these potential partners to join its efforts, the club aims to collectively build stronger, more compassionate, and more resilient local communities that can better support residents facing hardship. For any individuals or groups interested in learning more about the club’s service initiatives or exploring a partnership, more information is available through the Dominica Lions Club’s official Facebook page.

  • Major GWI contractor to take legal action against Opposition Leader

    Major GWI contractor to take legal action against Opposition Leader

    GEORGETOWN, Guyana – August 17, 2026 – Bangladesh-headquartered engineering contractor Sigma Engineers Ltd Inc. has announced it will pursue formal legal action against Guyana’s Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed over damaging public claims related to the award of some GY$12 billion in state contracts issued by Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), the firm confirmed in an official statement released Monday.

    In the statement, the company issued a full categorical rejection of the claims brought by Mohamed, describing the opposition leader’s assertions as serious misrepresentations of key facts. Having already retained specialized legal counsel to address the matter, Sigma Engineers is moving forward with all appropriate legal remedies to address the false statements, per the company’s announcement.

    “Further updates on both our operational activities and the specific allegations raised will be released at a proper juncture, as our legal team continues to review the details of this case,” the company added.

    Mohamed made the allegations in a 12-minute audio-visual address posted to Facebook earlier on Monday, in which he also named Mohamed Aqtar Ali – the brother of sitting Guyanese President Irfaan Ali – in connection to the contracts. As of Monday afternoon, neither the state-owned water utility GWI nor President Ali had issued a public response to the opposition leader’s claims.

    To correct what it calls widespread misinformation about its origins and contracting history in Guyana, Sigma Engineers explicitly denied the false claim that the firm was incorporated just five days before being awarded a government contract. The company clarified that its parent entity was originally established and has operated continuously in Bangladesh since 2003, and it completed formal registration to do business in Guyana on October 6, 2022. Its first contract in the country was awarded following a full competitive public bidding process overseen by Guyana’s National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) in 2026, the firm confirmed.

    Sigma’s track record of water infrastructure projects in Guyana dates back more than three years: In August 2023, GWI first selected the Bangladesh-based firm as the lead contractor for a new water treatment plant serving communities from Soesdyke to Craig along Guyana’s East Bank Demerara. A year and a half later, in March 2024, GWI awarded Sigma additional contracts to deliver two more water treatment plants in Cummings Lodge and Caledonia. By October 2025, the new Cummings Lodge facility – constructed by Sigma at a total cost of GY$1.3 billion, with a large workforce of local Guyanese staff – was completed.

    Addressing the naming of Mohamed Aqtar Ali, the President’s brother, Sigma Engineers confirmed that Ali has been contracted to the firm’s Guyana operations as a senior technical consultant. The company stressed that Ali holds no ownership or formal affiliation with its parent Bangladesh-based entity.

    Sigma Engineers emphasized in its statement that it remains fully committed to operating in full compliance with all Guyanese laws and regulatory requirements, while upholding the highest standards of professional conduct, accountability, and integrity across all its projects. “We respect the principle of due process, and we believe all public discussion regarding companies operating in Guyana must be rooted in accurate, verifiable information,” the statement concluded.

  • “An Honest Mistake” or a Miss Universe Belize Riddled with Controversy?

    “An Honest Mistake” or a Miss Universe Belize Riddled with Controversy?

    The 2026 Miss Universe Belize pageant has become the center of heated public debate, just months after the national franchise changed hands to new foreign leadership, bringing fresh scrutiny to an event that has been dogged by public backlash for three consecutive years.

    Established to celebrate Belizean cultural heritage and feminine beauty, while offering the titleholder a public platform to advance community-focused advocacy work, the Miss Universe Belize franchise has rarely stayed out of the headlines for the right reasons in recent years. In 2024, then-titleholder Halima Hoy drew widespread criticism for a costume design drawing inspiration from the traditional Maya Deer Dance. The following year, the competition’s executive team faced allegations of using AI-generated costume designs for contestants, while 2025 titleholder Isabella Zabeneh sparked public outrage after weighing in on the contentious Mira Millions debate during a political party meeting in Dangriga. Zabeneh later defended her comments, clarifying that she spoke as a private citizen, voter and Belizean exercising freedom of speech, not in her official capacity as titleholder.

    The latest controversy unfolded on the night of the 2026 national final, during the highly anticipated announcement of the Top 5 finalists. In an embarrassing live on-stage error, organizers announced six names instead of the planned five. Caleigh Rose-West, who was ultimately crowned the new Miss Universe Belize, was initially called out as the sixth contestant and briefly asked to leave the stage, leaving both in-person spectators and online viewers questioning whether she had legitimately earned a spot in the final five competing for the crown.

    Chelsea Muñoz, co-host of the live broadcast, has described the incident as nothing more than an “honest mistake” during a chaotic live production. Speaking to local outlet News 5, Muñoz explained that the hosting team was incorrectly given an outdated tabulation sheet containing contestant scores, and read from the wrong list when rolling out the finalists. “We read a different list from the tabulation scores. So it truly was an honest mistake,” Muñoz stated. She defended Rose-West’s placement, emphasizing that the newly crowned queen had rightfully earned her spot in the Top 5, and the error was simply a misstep in a high-pressure live environment. “It’s easy for people from the outside to look and judge what was happening, without being in that position,” she added.

    But members of Rose-West’s own support team have raised questions about how the error was handled post-blunder. Susie Sibrian, a representative for Rose-West’s delegate team, revealed in a post-pageant livestream that organizers privately confirmed the mistake to Rose-West’s camp immediately after the incident, but chose not to issue any public correction or clarification on stage. “The organisation made the decision to proceed with the pageant with all six announced finalists without correcting or naming who was not in fact in the top five,” Sibrian said. “Mistakes happen, but there are things that I think could have been handled differently so that the public can know what exactly was going on.”

    The Top 5 announcement error is not the only criticism leveled at the 2026 pageant. Viewers also called out organizers for featuring Guatemala’s iconic Tikal archaeological monument in a pre-recorded segment meant to celebrate Belizean national heritage, a misstep that fueled further skepticism about the new leadership’s familiarity with the country’s cultural identity.

    The controversy comes just weeks after the Miss Universe Belize franchise was sold to a new foreign-owned organization based in El Salvador. Even before the competition kicked off, critics raised questions about whether the new executive team had sufficient time to plan and prepare for a national event of this scale. News 5 has confirmed it has reached out to newly appointed National Director Destiny Wagner for additional comment on the controversies, as of publication no response has been issued.