Demsley Deon Arnold, 28, a.k.a. “Butta,” a laboratory technician employed with The Pathology Laboratory, located at the corner of Hudson and Eyre Streets, was gunned down at the corner of Vernon Street and Magazine Road on Friday, February 16.

Bishop Gregory G. Ingram, the presiding prelate of the 10th Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church is currently visiting Belize, and will be hosted for a “meet and greet” at the Library of African and Indian Studies on the Kremandala compound at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 20.

This morning the Office of the Prime Minister – and not the People’s United Party (PUP) – issued a public statement announcing that PUP standard bearer for the capital city Belmopan, Moises Cal, had withdrawn himself as candidate for the next general elections “for personal and family reasons.” The news of Cal’s withdrawal had been out since the weekend. The real reason for his abrupt retirement was beginning to leak out late Sunday and early Monday.

In a story somewhat like David and Goliath, the Belize Medical and Dental Union (BMDU), which has only 58 paid members, wants to lead a public protest against Government’s plan to pump public resources into a private hospital, Universal Health Services (UHS), after GOB was forced to make good on the private hospital’s loan guarantee for $17 million, which has now turned into a $33 million public liability.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) said it was hit with a major setback today because two key witnesses who were summoned to testify, failed to show up.

Government is getting ready to close a $33 million deal with the Belize Bank, a Michael Ashcroft company, wherein it will settle the loan of Universal Health Services (UHS) by handing over a large chunk of Northern Ambergris Caye – in excess of 8,000 acres of public property – to the bank.

The elephants are back to fighting over the highly lucrative Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL), and the grass runs the risk of getting trampled in the process all over again. By this we mean that American Jeffrey Prosser is again locking horns with the management of BTL, controlled by British mogul, Lord Michael Ashcroft, and his point man, Dean Boyce.

Reliable information to Amandala is that Mark Seawell, the eldest brother of Dwayne Seawell, was arrested this afternoon after 1:00 at a house in the Belama area because police had received a warrant from the U.S. which said that the authorities there wanted the three brothers – Mark, Dwayne and Gary Seawell in relation to drug trafficking charges in that country

The newspaper is today awaiting a name for the victim of a parachute accident in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, who, we were made to understand, suffered major injuries after his parachute was diverted from the landing site by the strong breeze, causing him to crash into a power line.

Alexander “Lee-Dog” Palacio, Jr., 24, was today sentenced to sixteen long years in prison for manslaughter for the stabbing death of Wasani Belgrave, 22, who was killed on Thursday, May 19, 2005, in the Yabra area.

Labor Commissioner, Adelphino Vasquez, has been meeting with both the Belize Communication Workers Union (BCWU) and the management of the Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL), but at press time today relations between the parties remain in stalemate, as the BCWU reasserted its intent to move ahead with its strike in just 10 days.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is scheduled to resume public hearings on Wednesday, February 14, with two witnesses. Commissioner Merlene Bailey-Martinez, co-chair, said that the Commission has not yet decided if and when it would call David Novelo to testify in public hearings.

About 20 children of the Kwanzaa Club, organized under the auspices of the UBAD Educational Foundation (UEF), delivered a stunning presentation on Sunday evening on the Kremandala compound.

The Chief Justice, Dr. Abdulai Conteh, today heard a suit for libel brought by the Prime Minister, Hon. Said Musa, against the Reporter newspaper and its publisher, Harry Lawrence, for an editorial that was published in the Reporter dated October 2, 2005.