Officers of the Criminal Investigations Department seized an AK-47 rifle and a quantity of ammunition on Sunday 3 September from a home in Free Bottom. One male was arrested and subsequently charged.Keron Hodge, 21, of Purcell Estate, was charged with one count of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon and two counts of Unlawful Possession of Explosives. He remains in custody until his appearance at the Magistrate’s Court.The RVIPF continues to do its part to reduce the number of illegal firearms on...

The British Virgin Islands Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) has noted a recent increase in the number of persons testing positive for COVID-19 at the Dr. D. Orlando Smith Hospital. The Organization believes that this increase in positive cases serves as a reminder that the Covid-19 virus persists, necessitating ongoing caution and proactive measures to ensure health and safety. As the Omicron variant and other strains of the virus continue to circulate, the BVIHSA urges persons to remain vigil...

Virgin Gorda Yacht Harbour (VGYH) is thrilled to announce, More For 2024, its official New Year’s Eve event.On December 31st, 2023, the grounds of VGYH will be transformed into a premier event space bringing the best of the BVI to Spanish Town, Virgin Gorda. The event will feature a wide selection of entertainment, a vibrant marketplace showcasing an array of local vendors offering delicious food, trendy apparel, and one-of-a-kind crafts and art pieces.”We are excited to host More For 2024 and...

For September, the Virgin Islands' community joins the rest of the world in observing World Alzheimer's Month. The observation of World Alzheimer's Month is being spearheaded by Alzheimer's Disease International to raise awareness of dementia and to help address and eliminate the stigma associated with the disease. Dementia is a degenerative brain condition that robs a person of their memory, competency, comprehension and behavioural awareness, usually slowly, over years and Alzheimer’s disease...

Azim Yonnas, victim in last night’s shooting incident in Long Bush has succumbed to injuries sustained. He was 26 and a resident of Purcell Estate. Gunshots rang out late in the night. Yonnas was taken to the Dr D Orlando Smith Hospital with serious injuries but he later died. "Police can confirm a shooting last night in the Long Bush area. One male was injured and was taken to DOSH. More information will be provided as it becomes available," a RVIPF 4th September statement said.Investigations ...

In a world torn by strife and pain,Where fighting reigns, let's break the chain.No more battles against each other,Let's unite and be sisters and brothers.Cease the gun violence, end the despair,For a future of peace, let's show we care.No more tears shed over senseless killings,Let love be our guide, with hearts fulfilling.Drug trafficking's grip, we must release,For a life of dignity and inner peace.Embrace compassion, lend a helping hand,Together we can make a stand.Let's love and respect, wi...

In separate incidences, Police have arrested and charged four persons, including two females with keeping an unlicensed firearm. On 19 July, Police arrested and charged Dillon Etienne, 24, of Sea Cow’s Bay, for Keeping an Unlicensed Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Explosives, two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Drug and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Drug with Intent to Supply to Another.On 20 July, Police arrested and charged Dion McMaster, ...

In separate incidences, Police have arrested and charged four persons, including two females with keeping an unlicensed firearm. On 19 July, Police arrested and charged Dillon Etienne, 24, of Sea Cow’s Bay, for Keeping an Unlicensed Firearm, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Explosives, two counts of Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Drug and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Drug with Intent to Supply to Another.On 20 July, Police arrested and charged Dion McMaster, ...

Police arrested and later charged two (2) teens with robbery.  On 2nd August, Jason Smith, 18, of Sea Cow’s Bay, was arrested on three (3) counts of Robbery and Kimron White, 19, of Prospect Reef with three (3) counts of robbery on 4th August.Smith was also charged with Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Drug, as well as Resisting Arrest. 

Nine firms have once again submitted bids to participate in the pre-qualification process for the construction of the new West End Ferry Terminal, this time, by the 31st August deadline.Although similar in number, a different composition of firms participated in this pre-qualification business opportunity. These submissions will now be evaluated by a panel of evaluators to arrive at a short list of firms to be invited to bid on the construction works. The RDA will provide an update soon after.Pr...

Director of the Water and Sewage Department Mr. Brian Davis said his department has addressed the situation on Virgin Gorda where residents were encountering a foul odor emanating from their taps.Mr. Davis said that the foul smell which affected residents of the Valley, Virgin Gorda and particularly those who are connected to the public water supply was as a result of seaweed build up around the vicinity of the Handsome Bay Water Production Plant. He said  a number of measures were implemented t...

In a viral video shared some days ago on social media, a man now known to be Venezuelan narco ‘Taliban’ was shown dumped alive into the Caribbean Sea close to Martinique. His legal name Reinaldo Fuentes.In an elaborate - and poorly thought out - ruse, Fuentes, a middleman for the Venezuelan Cartel del Golfo, earlier had dumped a shipment of narcotics at sea and fabricated a fake coast guard pursuit to explain not bringing the drugs back to his bosses and kept the cash.It is being reported that...

Commentary By Ayana Hull

Reports reaching our news room early this morning 23 August are that Officers of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force are on Anegada and searching homes. On Saturday 19 August, we reported a major drug bust on the small island. In a press release dated 19 August 2023, RVIPF confirmed - AIRPLANE SEIZED DURING JOINT OPERATION ON ANEGADA - A joint operation between US Authorities and RVIPF Officers was conducted earlier today (19-8-23) on Anegada. An airplane and a significant amount of what is be...

SEA COWS BAY, Tortola, VI: Two residents of District 3, Ms.  Kishma P. Forbes of Virgin Islands School and Office Supplies and Mr. Julian Willock of Advance Marketing and Professional Services have teamed up to host what they are hoping to be an annual event: a Back-to-School giveaway for students in the district.The back-to-school event will take place on Sunday, August 27, 2023, from 12:00 noon until 5:00pm at the Ebenezer Thomas Primary School Grounds, located in Sea Cows Bay. Ms. Forbes note...

We missed an opportunity to extend the runway of the T.B Lettsome International Airport about 8 years ago when the NDP government stopped to argue about position and positioning of its members and dropped the ball.  The public rewarded them with expulsion from office.That travesty was compounded when the green tide created a spurious argument over a loan guarantee that should have fixed our infrastructure including the airport.Since then, we were fortunate enough to entice American Airlines to m...

On 14 August 2023, a report was made  to the White Collar Crime Unit in St. Kitts & Nevis regarding a case of false pretense involving former BVI Public Prosecutor and most recently, DPP in the St. Kitts’ DPP’s Office. The complaint centered around a vehicle that was purchased in February 2023.According to the report, St. Kitts & Nevis Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. McCarta Browne had purchased a vehicle from former Director of Public Prosecutions Mr. Valston Graham. The report states th...

These are not petty distinctions. This is not mere fussing over semantics to hold on to names that are fast slipping from Virgin Islands usage. As a researcher, educator, and practitioner in Cultural Studies, I say without apology that we are disrespectful to dismiss as quibbling or out-of-touch any Virgin Islanders' claim to the ancestral or folk language that expresses their own sense of heritage and cultural identity.That being said, we have to be honest in acknowledging that decades of incre...

In an unprecedented move today, Honourable Lorna Smith OBE, Deputy Premier and Minister for Financial Services, Trade and Labour when asked for costs on the Mission to Guyana trip, went into her bag and pulled out her tickets as proof of cost and level of travel. “I even sat by a dog, at the very back of the plane.” she gleefully exclaimedThe move humored and surprised those sitting in the room which included Media and other members of the mission trip. Honourable Smith was responding to a que...

Residents of Tortola are notified that the water supply will be shut off in the Road Town area from 9:00 a.m to 1:00 p.m on Tuesday, 15 August.The reason for this interruption is to fix a broken pipeline at the Road Town Port. Residents in the affected area are urged to fill up containers with water before the shutoff time to ensure that they have an adequate supply of water to use during the interruption period. Water supply remains a sore issue for residents across the entire Virgin Islands.