Governor John Rankin chaired Cabinet meetings on Nov. 2, 5 and 10 at the Financial Services Commission’s Conference Room. All members were present except Natural Resources, Labour and Immigration Minister …
Minister denounces violence against women
In recognition of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women organised by the United Nations, government leaders are planning 16 days of activism to oppose gender-based violence. …
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Self-determination discussed at UK meetings
Fresh off their diplomatic travels to Europe last month, government leaders explained their progress on planning for the future of environmental management, national security, marijuana legalisation, and greater self-determination. During …
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Climate a focus as JMC wound down
At the conclusion of the Joint Ministerial Council meeting in London last week, Prince William made an appearance as world leaders turned their attention to how climate change is impacting …
Protesters call for no-confidence motion
On the heels of celebrating the inaugural 1949 Great March and Restoration Day, community members took to the streets in protest of poor school conditions, political victimisation, and other issues …
1949 march brought to life
Partway through an evening of storytelling, poetry and music on Nov. 21, event organisers called everyone’s attention to the clock at 5:30, the exact moment when about 1,500 people arrived …
Cabinet Briefs (Oct. 22, Oct. 27 & Nov. 11, 2021)
Governor John Rankin chaired a virtual Cabinet meeting on Oct. 22 and an in-person meeting on Nov. 3. Deputy Governor David Archer also chaired a meeting on Oct. 27, when …
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UK-VI relations raised in London
At the first in-person Joint Ministerial Council meeting since 2019, Premier Andrew Fahie is in discussions with United Kingdom leaders this week about sustainable development, Covid-19, UK relations, economic resilience, …
Premier presents $397m budget
Following another year of economic struggles amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Premier Andrew Fahie promised a brighter 2022 during his budget address on Nov. 11. Government, he said, hopes to tap …
2022 holiday list gets House approval
Following a debate that stressed the importance of sharing Virgin Islands history with new generations, the House of Assembly brought the Public Holidays Amendment Act, 2021 for first, second and …
HOA sends Willock fee motion to committee
The House of Assembly did not decide outright last week whether or not to excuse Speaker Julian Willock from personally paying more than $120,000 in legal fees he incurred while …
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Cabinet Briefs (Oct. 13, 2021)
Governor John Rankin chaired a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 13 at the Financial Services Commission’s conference room. All members were present, and Cabinet took the following actions, according to a …
House considers procurement bill
A proposed new procurement law is designed to promote international commerce while ensuring that the government’s contractor selection process is transparent and fair to Virgin Islands businesses, according to Premier …
HOA okays two more Neville Smith contracts
The House of Assembly last week voted once again to exempt Deputy Speaker Neville Smith from vacating his HOA seat because of two more government contracts for a firm where …
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Plan to pay speaker’s fees sparks protest
A constellation of issues rose to the surface when about two dozen protesters demonstrated Monday morning in front of the Save the Seed Energy Centre — the House of Assembly’s …
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Royal Navy ship visits Virgin Islands
The HMS Medway’s four-day visit proved to be not only a valuable opportunity to coordinate with the Virgin Islands’ lead organisations for dealing with disaster management, but also gave the …
Facing COI, Fahie explains rocky UK relationship
In response to allegations of poor governance aired during the ongoing Commission of Inquiry, Premier Andrew Fahie last week described a pattern of systemic problems with the Virgin Islands’ constitutional …
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Cabinet Briefs (Oct. 6, 2021)
Governor John Rankin chaired a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 6 at the Financial Services Commission’s Conference Room. All members were present except Deputy Premier Dr. Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley, who was …
COI probes Crown land transfers
Crown land makes up a third of all the land in the Virgin Islands, and last week’s Commission of Inquiry hearings delved into how those parcels change hands. Over the …
Covid curfew lifts as tourism reboots
On Oct. 15, crowd-size restrictions were eased and the territory-wide curfew was completely lifted for the first time since the July spike in Covid-19 cases. “Cabinet met on Wednesday and …
VI heroes heralded on historic holiday
Past and present collided as some of the Virgin Islands’ brightest minds looked back on history’s change-makers during the inaugural Heroes and Forefathers Day on Oct. 18, drawing comparisons between …
Cabinet Briefs (Sept. 15, 21 & 29, 2021)
Governor John Rankin chaired Cabinet meetings on Sept. 15 and 29 at the Financial Services Commission conference room in Pasea. Additionally, acting Governor David Archer Jr. chaired a meeting on …
Asked about NPP, Fahie points to late premier
When the Commission of Inquiry asked Premier Andrew Fahie on Monday about his role in the controversial Neighbourhood Partnership Project from 2008 to 2010, he repeatedly deflected responsibility to late …
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New batch of vaccines arrives
An additional 2,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine arrived in the territory on Oct. 7 from the United Kingdom, ending the brief gap in availability from when the last batch …
Cruise ships return to Tortola
Stakeholders on Tortola rolled out the red carpet for cruise ship visitors this week for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, touting the territory’s readiness to receive …