International
Virgin Galactic Successfully Launches First Tourists to Space
Virgin Galactic owned by billionaire and naturalised British Virgin Islander Richard Branson achieved a milestone on Thursday sending its first group of tourists to the edge of space.
Passengers on the private space flight included former British Olympian Jon Goodwin, who had purchased his ticket 18 years ago, and a mother-daughter duo from Antigua Keisha Schahaff and Anastatia Mayers.
The rocket ship’s portion of the flight lasted approximately 15 minutes, reaching a height of 55 miles (88 kilometers).
Passengers experienced minutes of weightlessness before gliding back to a runway landing at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert. This successful private customer flight signifies that Virgin Galactic can now begin offering monthly rides, joining the likes of Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Elon Musk’s SpaceX in the space tourism industry.
For Jon Goodwin, 80, who had competed in canoeing in the 1972 Olympics, the experience was nothing short of awe-inspiring. Goodwin had been one of the earliest ticket buyers in 2005 and had worried that his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease would hinder his chances of going to space. However, he has since climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and cycled downhill, hoping to inspire others with Parkinson’s and other illnesses to pursue their dreams.
Ticket prices have increased from $200,000 when Goodwin purchased his ticket to the current cost of $450,000. Joining him on the flight were Keisha Schahaff, a health coach from Antigua, who won a sweepstakes, and her daughter Anastatia Mayers, an 18-year-old student at Scotland’s University of Aberdeen. The mother-daughter duo celebrated their return with high-fives and pumped fists, while expressing their overwhelming joy and gratitude.
Notably, this spaceflight marked the first time women outnumbered men, with four women and two men on board, including the company’s astronaut trainer and one of the pilots.
Although this was Virgin Galactic’s seventh trip to space since 2018, it was the first with a paying customer. Richard Branson had previously joined the first full-size crew ride in 2021, and in June, Italian military and government researchers were the first commercial passengers. Currently, approximately 800 individuals are on Virgin Galactic’s waiting list.
While Virgin Galactic’s rocket ship is launched from a plane, SpaceX and Blue Origin utilize fully automated capsules that parachute back down. Blue Origin, based in West Texas, is currently on hold following a rocket crash last fall, but it has successfully launched 31 people thus far. On the other hand, SpaceX, with its ability to transport customers all the way to orbit, charges a significantly higher price, often in the tens of millions of dollars per seat. It has already completed three private crew missions and has been relied upon by NASA to transport astronauts to the International Space Station since 2020.
Despite the risks involved, as exemplified by the recent submersible implosion and the tragic spaceflight accidents in the past, the allure of space travel continues to attract adventurous individuals. Virgin Galactic itself experienced a tragedy in 2014 when its rocket plane broke apart during a test flight, resulting in the loss of one pilot. However, the desire to venture into space remains strong, with space tourists lining up since the first orbit by a civilian in 2001 alongside the Russians.
Branson, who observed Thursday’s flight from a party in Antigua, celebrated the new space travelers and welcomed them to the club.
International
Wheatley Calls for Stronger Regional Cooperation at Overseas Territories Attorneys General Conference
Premier Hon. Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley said stronger collaboration among Overseas Territories is essential to addressing shared legal and governance challenges, as he opened the Overseas Territories Attorneys General Conference in the Virgin Islands.
The two-day conference, which began on Tuesday, April 14, brings together Madam Chair, attorneys general and delegates from across the Overseas Territories to examine issues including human rights, transnational crime, illicit finance and sanctions, disaster preparedness and recovery, maritime boundaries, sustainable development and the use of technology in crime and justice systems.
“These are not theoretical concerns,” Premier Wheatley said. “They are real, urgent matters that affect the stability, security, and prosperity of each of our jurisdictions.”
The premier said the conference’s theme, “Stronger Together: Common Challenges, Collaborative Solutions,” reflects the need for coordinated responses to issues that extend across jurisdictions while recognizing differences in legal and constitutional systems.
“While our challenges may be similar and our objectives aligned, our contexts are not identical,” he said. “One-size-fits-all responses rarely succeed. What does succeed is the willingness to learn from one another.”
He said the exchange of experience and expertise among territories can improve legal systems and strengthen collective resilience.
“When we collaborate, we elevate the quality of our legal systems. When we share best practices, we strengthen our collective resilience,” Premier Wheatley said.
The conference will focus on strengthening cooperation and developing practical approaches to common legal and governance issues across participating territories.
International
U.N. Declares Enslavement of Africans ‘Gravest Crime Against Humanity’ in Vote Backed by Caribbean Nations
The United Nations General Assembly on March 25 voted 123 to 3 to adopt a resolution declaring the transatlantic enslavement of Africans the “gravest crime against humanity,” a measure strongly backed by the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and African states, with the United States, Israel and Argentina voting against it.
The resolution, introduced by Ghana with support from CARICOM nations, calls for reparatory justice measures, including formal apologies, the return of cultural artifacts and further discussion on compensation for the descendants of enslaved Africans. Caribbean governments have long advocated for international recognition of the enduring social and economic consequences of slavery, framing the issue as central to regional development.
Several European countries, including the United Kingdom, along with members of the European Union, abstained during the vote, citing concerns about potential legal implications and language that could be interpreted as assigning hierarchy among historical atrocities.
While the resolution is nonbinding, Caribbean leaders and regional organizations have described the outcome as a significant step in advancing global acknowledgment of slavery’s impact and strengthening ongoing calls for reparatory justice. CARICOM has been at the forefront of these efforts through its Reparations Commission, which has outlined a framework seeking redress from former colonial powers.
The United States, which opposed the resolution, raised concerns about applying contemporary legal standards to historical actions and cautioned against measures that could create divisions in the interpretation of crimes against humanity.
The vote coincided with the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, underscoring longstanding advocacy by Caribbean and African nations to place the legacy of slavery at the center of international discourse on justice and development.
The United States has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is under indictment on federal drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges, formally asserting that the Venezuelan leader faces criminal prosecution in U.S. courts.
The announcement, made amid sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, confirms that Maduro is accused of conspiring to flood the United States with cocaine in coordination with armed groups and corrupt officials. U.S. prosecutors allege that Maduro played a central role in a criminal enterprise that used Venezuela as a key transit hub for narcotics destined for American cities.
The case remains pending in U.S. federal court, with American officials saying the indictment will stand until Maduro appears before a judge.
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