ROAD TOWN, Tortola, BVI — The political landscape heading into the next British Virgin Islands general election continues to expand beyond the traditional party structure, with Dr. Arlene Smith-Thompson now emerging as an Independent At-Large candidate.Smith-Thompson is no stranger to electoral politics.An educator, administrator and longtime advocate for technical and vocational education and training, she previously contested the Third District in the 2019 General Election as a candidate for ...

Former British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie is asking a U.S. federal appeals court to overturn his convictions, but the latest challenge is raising questions that go beyond whether the evidence against him was sufficient.Fahie’s lawyers are arguing that the integrity of the government’s case itself must be examined — including what federal agents knew about the credibility of a key confidential informant and whether prosecutors properly disclosed that information to the defence.Fahie w...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI — The legal battle surrounding one of the British Virgin Islands’ major recent cocaine seizures is far from over, after the Commissioner of Police moved to appeal a Senior Magistrate’s decision to dismiss charges against five men accused in the case.The Police Commissioner, through the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), filed a notice of appeal in the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court on Thursday, September 10, challenging Senior Magistrate Tamia Richard...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI — The work of the newly launched Robert A. Mathavious Memorial Trusthas officially begun, with a commitment to addressing kidney disease in the Virgin Islands through prevention, treatment, education and support.Established on 3 October 2025 under the laws of the Virgin Islands, the Trust was created in memory of Robert A. Mathavious and is intended to turn his vision for kidney health into a lasting initiative.At the heart of that vision is a simple but powerful belief: ...

LONDON, UK — The failure of a private London hospital to provide preventative blood-thinning medication to Lady Joan Branson contributed to her death from a pulmonary embolism, a coroner has concluded.Lady Branson, 80, the wife of British billionaire and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, died on 24 November 2025 after suffering a cardiac arrest at the private Lister Hospital in Chelsea, west London.At Westminster Coroner’s Court on Wednesday, Senior Coroner Professor Fiona Wilcox concl...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI — The People’s Leadership Movement (PLM), led by former legislator and businessman Mark H. Vanterpool, has unveiled veteran educator and construction professional Clifton Forbes as its candidate for the Third Electoral District, adding another name to the slate ahead of the upcoming general election.Forbes enters the political arena after more than three decades working in technical and vocational education, school administration and the construction industry.His selecti...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, BVI — The British Virgin Islands is confronting a deeply disturbing development in its ongoing struggle with violent crime: a 14-year-old boy has been charged with murder in connection with a fatal shooting — but at the time of the alleged killing, he was only 13.The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) announced Wednesday that the teenager has been charged with the murder of Eric Alexis Albert, who was fatally shot in the Greenland area on June 20, 2025.If confirmed b...

There are some stories that stay with you.Not because you knew the person personally, but because something about the story feels close to home.Miya Marcano’s story is one of those stories.Long before her name became associated with a foundation, a law and a national movement for safer housing, Miya was simply a 19-year-old young woman with a bright smile, a loving family and a future waiting to unfold.She was a daughter.A granddaughter.A young woman with dreams.And for us in the Virgin Islands...