Virgin Islands

What does National Geographic consider the best island in the world? Tahiti? Capri, Italy? Lord Howe Island, Australia? Nope. According to its recent book, "The 10 Best of Everything," it's actually Nantucket, which takes the coveted spot in the ten best islands category.  Nantucket? No disrespect to the Massachusetts hotspot, but it seems a bit of an odd choice on a list that doesn't even include Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, or the Bahamas. Travel writer Leslie Thomas came up with the list for National Geographic and had the following to say about...

What does National Geographic consider the best island in the world? Tahiti? Capri, Italy? Lord Howe Island, Australia? Nope. According to its recent book, "The 10 Best of Everything," it's actually Nantucket, which takes the coveted spot in the ten best islands category.  Nantucket? No disrespect to the Massachusetts hotspot, but it seems a bit of an odd choice on a list that doesn't even include Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, or the Bahamas. Travel writer Leslie Thomas came up with the list for National Geographic and had the following to say about...

"We'd been to many Caribbean islands but never St. John. We knew the snorkeling was supposed to be some of the best in the islands. We wanted to escape winter before the rates went up, and also as a Christmas gift for ourselves.

His friendship with President Obama has sparked talk of a Cabinet appointment or a Supreme Court nomination should the Democrats retain the White House this fall. His travel to presidential primary states, national TV appearances, and book-writing have prompted speculation about his own presidential candidacy in 2016 should Obama lose reelection. And a couple of long weekends in the Berkshires, a lengthy trade mission to South America, and vacations to such exotic locales as Paris and the Virgin Islands have fueled the opinion he's lost interest in the drudgery...

Tourists flocking to the U.S. Virgin Islands should expect to pay a little more for services this year as the government tries to offset an estimated $90 million deficit. The administration of Gov. John de Jongh reminded business owners this week that the hotel room tax has been raised from 8 to 10 percent. Officials also sent out a statement Friday saying that a car rental surcharge has increased from $2 to $3.75 daily. The increases come as the U.S. Caribbean territory seeks additional revenue to balance its budget.

JetBlue Airways says it will launch five weekly seasonal flights between Logan International Airport and St. Thomas International Airport in the Virgin Islands starting Dec. 15. The carrier also said that the service would enable Boston customers to reach St. Croix on JetBlue flights connecting through San Juan.

Information A selection of Caribbean villa rental agencies: Catered To Representing villas in the Virgin Islands 800-424-6641 www.cateredto.com French CaribbeanInternational Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin 800-322-2223 www.frenchcaribbean.com Jamaican Association of Villas and Apartments 800-845-5276 www.villasinjamaica.com LaCure Villas Barbados, Jamaica, St....

RICHMOND, Ind. -- There was one winning ticket for the $314.3 million Powerball lottery prize, and it was sold in this city on the Indiana-Ohio state line, lottery officials said yesterday. Lottery officials won't know who holds that ticket until someone comes forward, said Mark Sirkin, a spokesman for the Hoosier Lottery. "We don't how many people -- if it's one person, or a hundred people -- is the winner. We have no idea. " Sirkin said. The ticket bearing the winning numbers -- 2, 8, 23, 29, 35, and the Powerball: 19 -- that were drawn Saturday night was sold at a Speedway...

His friendship with President Obama has sparked talk of a Cabinet appointment or a Supreme Court nomination should the Democrats retain the White House this fall. His travel to presidential primary states, national TV appearances, and book-writing have prompted speculation about his own presidential candidacy in 2016 should Obama lose reelection. And a couple of long weekends in the Berkshires, a lengthy trade mission to South America, and vacations to such exotic locales as Paris and the Virgin Islands have fueled the opinion he's lost interest...

Safi Mojidi hit 5 of 10 3-pointers and finished with 22 points, leading the University of Rhode Island past Brown, 75-71, yesterday to advance to the championship game of the URI Invitational in Kingston, R.I. Tanya Rhodes added 21 points and 13 rebounds for URI (1-2). Colleen Kelly hit 5 of 7 3-pointers and finished with 18 points for Brown (1-2). Villanova topped Mississippi, 60-49, in the other semifinal and will meet the Rams in today's title game. Maine 88, Kennesaw St. 56 -- Bracey Barker scored 16 points and Abby Schrader added 15 and 10 rebounds to lead the Black...

"I told you this was paradise," Chuck Ward said, as we drove the inflatable dinghy to famous Willy T's bar, located on a pirate ship anchored off Norman Island. The sun, heading to the other side of the world, painted the horizon rosy pink. It was our fifth day on a chartered sailboat trip through the British Virgin Islands, and we had spent it sailing calm waters and swimming and snorkeling in The Caves, a jumble of water-carved openings in craggy sea cliffs, home to a fringing coral reef and thousands of tropical fish.

Tourists flocking to the U.S. Virgin Islands should expect to pay a little more for services this year as the government tries to offset an estimated $90 million deficit. The administration of Gov. John de Jongh reminded business owners this week that the hotel room tax has been raised from 8 to 10 percent. Officials also sent out a statement Friday saying that a car rental surcharge has increased from $2 to $3.75 daily. The increases come as the U.S. Caribbean territory seeks additional revenue to balance its budget.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says toxic waste emissions have gone up in the U.S. Virgin Islands but dropped across Puerto Rico. The agency says four facilities in the U.S. Virgin Islands released nearly 763,000 pounds (346,000 kilograms) of waste last year. It blamed the 13 percent increase on air and water emissions from the state-owned water and power company and on the Hovensa oil refinery on the island of St. Croix. The EPA said Thursday that 115 facilities in Puerto Rico released nearly 5,290,000 pounds (2.4 million kilograms)

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands - Going up against its best opponent thus far in the season, Mississippi knew it would have to control the transition game and shoot well. The Rebels weren't even close. Senior forward Jae Crowder scored a team-high 25 points as No. 21 Marquette ran away with a 96-66 victory over Mississippi in the Paradise Jam semifinals on Sunday. The Golden Eagles (4-0) will meet Norfolk State, a 66-53 winner over TCU, in the tournament championship today.

Federal agents have seized 709 pounds (321 kilograms) of cocaine and arrested three men off the U.S. island of St. John. A Tuesday statement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection department said the agents intercepted the trio on a small boat after the suspects allegedly stashed 10 bales of cocaine on a remote beach. The U.S. agency says the seized drugs have an estimated street value of $8 million. The suspects' boat was first spotted Friday by a maritime surveillance aircraft flying over the U.S. Virgin Islands.

A Norwell woman died Monday after she fell out of a safari bus in the US Virgin Islands in what her family called a freak accident. Sarah Dargon, 20, who was working as an intern at an eco-friendly resort on the island of St. John for the summer, was seated at the rear of a safari bus - a type of converted flat-bed pickup with bench seats and a roof - with her sister, Laura Dargon, 18, heading to a campground around 9:30 p.m. Sunday, said Melody...

Grand Cayman and Grenada are still trying to recover from the unprecedented series of hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean, but other islands are already putting out the welcome mat for tourists. Before you book a visit to any island, try to find out the extent of any damage. Reliable information can be hard to come by in the tourist-dependent Caribbean. Hotel websites are often not reliable. If possible, talk to someone with direct knowledge of an island's or a resort's conditions -- someone who has just been there, for example.

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands - Going up against its best opponent thus far in the season, Mississippi knew it would have to control the transition game and shoot well. The Rebels weren't even close. Senior forward Jae Crowder scored a team-high 25 points as No. 21 Marquette ran away with a 96-66 victory over Mississippi in the Paradise Jam semifinals on Sunday. The Golden Eagles (4-0) will meet Norfolk State, a 66-53 winner over TCU, in the tournament championship today.

JetBlue Airways says it will launch five weekly seasonal flights between Logan International Airport and St. Thomas International Airport in the Virgin Islands starting Dec. 15. The carrier also said that the service would enable Boston customers to reach St. Croix on JetBlue flights connecting through San Juan.

An American boat captain has been sentenced to five years in prison in the British Virgin Islands for his drug-smuggling conviction. Ronald Weisel was captain of the 39-foot Captain Ron in December 2008 when police searched the boat and found 56 kilograms of cocaine. Authorities valued the load at $5.6 million. The New York native was living in St. Thomas at the time. Weisel was convicted in April of charges that included importation of cocaine. Another man on board was acquitted at a separate trial.