The Virgin Islands sharpened its disaster-response skills last week as regional first responders converged on the territory for an intensive field deployment exercise. From last Monday through last Saturday, a 15-member team of personnel from around the region took part in training led by the...
March 3, 2026Incorporations hit four-year high
In 2025, incorporations in the Virgin Islands surged to their highest levels in four years, new figures show. A total of 31,134 new companies were registered in the territory last year, representing a nearly 14 percent leap over the 27,362 registered in 2024. The 2024...
Boat wreck blamed on speed, lookout failure
Speed, darkness and an over-reliance on electronics led to a speedboat crash in the Sir Francis Drake Channel last July, investigators have found. The 31-foot powerboat Mojaito, which was visiting from Puerto Rico, slammed into a green steel buoy south of Brandywine Bay at about...
Panama office promised this year
The Virgin Islands is making a big push into the Latin American market for financial services with plans to open a business office in Panama this year. The Financial Services Commission, which announced the move on Monday, said it hopes to build on the success...
Cane Garden Bay showcases food, rum
The sound of music and the smell of pork roasting on a spit drew beachgoers to try out local cuisine on Monday during the second annual Cane Garden Bay Rum and Food Festival. Tourists and residents alike explored tents erected by vendors from Rhythm &...
Premier addresses House of Lords
Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley urged the United Kingdom this month to overhaul its policy framework for the overseas territories, warning during an appearance before a House of Lords committee that the promise of a “modern partnership” risks falling short without concrete follow-through. Giving evidence on...
Students explore the ‘blue economy’
Students from across the Virgin Islands discussed the importance of developing the territory’s “blue economy” during a mock House of Assembly sitting last Thursday attended by visiting British House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle. At the debate in the HOA building in Road Town,...
Trial visits site of record drug bust
On Friday morning, a convoy of vehicles left the Magistrates’ Court in Pasea and followed the flashing blue lights of a police jeep to the East End Police Station. Among the passengers were armed police officers, Senior Magistrate Tamia Richards, a crown prosecutor, defence attorneys...
Guv says cops had long been underfunded
Governor Daniel Pruce has criticised the government’s long-time “underfunding” of law and order prior to recent allocations that he said will help rectify the situation. The governor made the comments on Monday at his first 2026 press conference, which he used to hail extra security...
VG med centre back after repairs
After a four-month suspension of services, the six-year-old Nurse Iris O’Neal Medical Centre on Virgin Gorda has resumed operations following the installation of an air-conditioning system and a deep cleaning, officials said. During the closure, which was announced with one day’s notice on Oct. 16,...
Eco-ministry to move to Palm Grove House
The Recovery and Development Agency has signed a $401,533.15 contract with Vanterpool Construction to renovate office space at Palm Grove House to accommodate the full staff of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change, officials said. The project comes as government continues to...