Tax havens ‘using every trick in the book’ to avoid transparency. - Dame Hodge.

Keeping to her promise, Deputy Premier and Minister for Financial Services, Labour and Trade Honourable Lorna Smith, OBE, has on Friday, April 12, 2024, became the first elected representative to officially open a Constituency Office on Anegada.The office which is located in the Settlement, Anegada will be managed by Ms Sylvia V. Faulkner, and shared with District Representative and Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Vincent Wheatley. “I think it's the first tim...

“There were promisesMade in the darkness Promises made in your sleepPromises the gods demand you keep…”In 1990, ‘Once on This Island’ took Broadway by storm but it was short-lived.It dramatized a bargain that a peasant girl in the French Antilles made with the gods to save the life of a wealthy young man whom she loved.BVI bargained and made promises, too.  On 4th April 2022, HE John James Rankin CMG, received the COI report from its lone Commissione...

The Virgin Islands Recovery and Development Agency (RDA) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Virgin Islands Law Enforcement Marine Base (Marine Base), marking another milestone in the Agency’s commitment to excellence in sustainable development through infrastructural investment.This project was jointly funded by the Government of the Virgin Islands and the UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. The construction of the Marine Base, ...

27 people charged in the worldwide money laundering case.

Voting is ongoing.

The Department of Human Resources has now fully converted all public officers to the new Public Service salary structure, as approved by Cabinet. A total of 2499 public officers have been converted to the new structure. In October 2022, Pricewaterhouse Coopers Trinidad and Tobago received a $302,103 contract to do a Compensation Review and Job Classification of the Virgin Islands Public Service. The final report was presented to the Cabinet on Nov. 8, 2023. Premier Dr. Natalio Whe...

The Inter-Primary Schools Track and Field Championships has ended with the Francis Lettsome Primary School being the best primary school in the Territory athletically.The events commenced with an opening ceremony and parade of teams at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds on April 3 to 5 followed by events ranging from three hundred meters races to four by one-hundred meter relays.  The sporting events culminated with the two hundred meter races to the Sprint Medley Relay Finals and announce...

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) has apprehended Jamal Freeman aka Uncle. He has been wanted and on the run since January 1, 2024.Freeman escaped Police custody on Virgin Gorda while seeking medical assistance at the Nurse Iris O’Neal Clinic. He had been arrested on theft-related incidents.According to the RVIPF in a press release dated April 9, 2024, persistent efforts by officers resulted in Freeman's apprehension and subsequent charges.Jamal Freeman, 29, of Long Look, h...

Six months since its official handover, the Anegada Children’s Playground continues to benefit children of all ages on the island.The completed playground is the combined power of a shared vision, and public-private partnerships, as funding was provided by Unite BVI and the Government of the Virgin Islands. Designed to promote physical activity and foster social interaction, the facility represents a hub for families and children to gather, play, and thrive.Key features of the playground i...

Forecasters at the Colorado State University Tropical Meteorology Project are warning that the region will likely see above average levels of storm activity during the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, which begins June 1.Senior Research Scientist Dr. Phil Klotzbach during a presentation at the Topical Weather Conference said that the Atlantic basin is forecast to see 23 named storms over the course of the season. Eleven hurricanes are expected to form, and of those, five are expected to develop i...

Minister for Communications and Works, Honourable Kye M. Rymer will lead a delegation to the 2024 Seatrade Cruise Global event which will take place from April 8 to 11. The event is the world's leading annual gathering for the cruise industry. It attracts top executives, stakeholders, and influential figures from around the globe to Miami Florida where the annual event takes place. The VI delegation, will include representatives from the BVI Ports Authority, the BVI Tourist Board a...

The Royal Virgin Islands Police Force recently concluded a comprehensive four-day Crime Prevention Training. The training which took place in March, included members of the Government of the Virgin Islands' Security, as well as officers and staff from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force.The training aimed to equip attendees with knowledge on security and crime prevention, covering the SARA model, the NDM, and other relevant protocols. Throughout the program, participants learned to de...

In speaking about the Ethiopian Eunuch who the Apostle Philip met on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza, E.G White exclaimed in her ‘Acts of the Apostles’ that:“Many are on the verge of the kingdom, waiting only to be gathered in.”Stated or not, the OTs are important to the UK and vice versa.  That is why we like to think of it as a partnership.The biodiversity claimed by the UK is largely in the OTs.  However, at Kew gardens, over 2.4B seeds from plants around the...

One suspected dead.

Early reports indicate the death of a 10 year old by drowning at Savannah Bay, Virgin Gorda just a couple hours ago. information is still coming in, however, we’re understanding that 3 persons are also being transported to the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital. The incidences are said to have happened at Savannah Bay and the Baths. Red flags are raised today and over the past days indicating unsafe conditions for swimming.Just a few days ago, a chartered catamaran was force...

In a press release issued, the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) is informing the public of ongoing issues with the air conditioning (AC) system at the Dr. D Orlando Smith Hospital.Due to a system control software issue of the AC chilling unit, the hospital is experiencing a temperature control issue that is resulting in on and off cooling cycles. Some weeks ago, our newsroom was contacted by patients experiencing discomfort due to AC issues on the fourth floor of the said hospital. Th...

Easter is the highest point on the christian calendar.  It speaks of a crucified and risen savior.But there are several types of belief systems that people hold in the world.  For this purpose, we define them as atheist, agnostic, skeptic, conditional believer and believer.  And as believers go, the basis of their belief is as varied as sand grains on the beach.  Still, perhaps because the most powerful church in the world is also a state, Easter’s prominence on the cal...

Authors, Joshua Edwards, Dr. Albert Thompkins, and Walter Barrett whose first initials comprise the title, had previously worked on individual projects prior to JAWS. They decided to collaborate on this text, based on the similar aligned interests, passions, and the overall desire to empower people.According to the preface, “J.A.W.S. is not some large, oversized, dangerous predator in the ocean that attacks boats and swimmers, but rather, a massive, living, moving body of thoughts, ideas, ...

Puerto Rico declares public health emergency. Puerto Rico Secretary of Heath Carlos Mellado said the health department has registered 549 cases of dengue so far this year, far exceeding historical numbers.