The Premier bit the bullet.  He ordered his Airports Minister to place a request for proposals to add just shy of 800 feet to the west of the existing runway.  It allows our visitors added safety in take-off but does not, in that form, address the landing threshold.We know that the extension would be more effective at the eastern end but we appear to still be tied up addressing questions based on the business case.  (And we have been directed to cease all activities, oth...

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — Former Turks and Caicos Islands Premier Michael Misick has been sentenced to an effective prison term of four years and 26 days following his conviction in one of the Caribbean’s most significant corruption prosecutions.Justice Rajendra Narine handed down the sentence on Friday in the Supreme Court after Misick was found guilty earlier this year on three counts of bribery linked to government land and tourism development deals during his tim...

Only one term would now be needed to cash in on ‘Greedy Bill’ benefits.

ROAD TOWN, Tortola — The Caribbean banking landscape is poised for a significant transformation following reports that Butterfield Bank has finalized a deal to acquire the regional operations of CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank in several territories, including the Virgin Islands.The acquisition marks one of the most consequential banking developments in the region in recent years and is expected to reshape competition, customer services, and financial operations across multiple...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI — Premier Natalio Wheatley is facing growing public scrutiny over government’s planned Transitional Facility and Social Complex in Long Look, as debate continues over the location, purpose and long-term impact of the controversial project.The proposed facility, which is expected to provide temporary housing and social support services for vulnerable residents, has sparked mixed reactions among members of the Long Look and East End communities. While government ...

LONDON, United Kingdom — A 67-year-old woman has been convicted of manslaughter nearly five decades after the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter in a case that has shocked the United Kingdom and renewed attention on historic child abuse investigations.Janice Nix was found guilty by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court for the 1978 death of Andrea Bernard, who suffered catastrophic burns after being forced into a scalding hot bath at the family’s home in Thornton Heath, South London.T...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola — The Virgin Islands government is preparing to move ahead with a scaled or phased expansion of the Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport while awaiting final approval from the United Kingdom for the territory’s larger runway extension project.Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley said ongoing delays from British authorities have frustrated efforts to begin the long-discussed airport expansion, prompting discussions about advancing portions of the project that may not ...

ROAD TOWN, Tortola — Junior Minister for Financial Services and Economic Development Lorna Smith has defended the government’s decision to effectively dismantle the Virgin Islands Trade Commission, arguing that the statutory body had become financially unsustainable and unnecessarily bureaucratic before it was fully operational.  The move follows the passage of the Virgin Islands Trade Commission (Suspensory) Act, 2023, which halted implementation of the Trade Commission es...