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Trapped driver cut out of vehicle in bad accident Fri

PHILIPSBURG--The trapped driver of a white Toyota Corolla had to be cut out of his vehicle, which was involved in a terrible accident on A.J.C. Brouwer Road near Harold Jack lookout point mid-evening Friday.

It is unclear how the collision between the Corolla and a sports utility vehicle (SUV) occurred, but police spokesperson Chief Inspector Ricardo Henson told The Daily Herald on Sunday that the impact had been quite severe Read more

Teachers reject new pay offer

KINGSTON, Jamaica--Despite an increased offer late Friday night from the Government, public school teachers voted overwhelmingly Saturday to reject their latest pay offer.

The ballot, which followed a prolonged presentation from Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President Doran Dixon, which appeared to be aimed at reducing the growing tension inside the Jamaica College auditorium, resulted in 243 of the 315 delegates voting against the Government’s package.

Of the number, 71 delegates voted for the package, which included the latest wage offer of seven per cent over two years Read more

After midnight in the library, Putin sets out his world view

ST PETERSBURG, Russia--It was two minutes before midnight when Russian President Vladimir Putin finally entered the meeting room in the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, more than three hours late, to be interviewed by a dozen exhausted journalists.

His retinue seemed wearily accustomed to the late-night regimen, but Putin himself - after back-to-back meetings, a speech and an on-stage interview at his annual business conference here in his home town of St Petersburg - was fresh, fulsome and feisty Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- United People’s (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says he has drafted a legislation agenda which he will be working on during the second half of 2015 after parliament returns from recess.
“Government has already started working on abolishing the Expat law in the public sector and making changes to the law for the private sector, and this will save Government approximately one million guilders Read more

Port St. Maarten empowers MPC Science Technology Project ‘Near Space Experience’

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POINTE BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten – Students and teachers of the HAVO/VWO Department of the Milton Peters College (MPC) have embarked on a unique Science/Technology project called the N.S.E. “Near Space Experience.”
Port St. Maarten is supporting the project financially as a partner during the pre and post phases which includes video and graphic productions, launch, along with rendering technical support to help guarantee the success of the project.
This is the first time known so far that this exciting initiative is being realized in the Caribbean by High School students Read more

Take It Or Leave, Dennis Stays But You The Us Party May Go!

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – St. Maarten was not surprised at all when the UP party told their coalition partner the US party of MP Frans Richardson to take a hike but Dennis stays.

The US party should have drawn their conclusion from the statement made by the honorable Prime Minister that Minister Richardson isn't going anywhere.

According to the Prime Minister if Minister Richardson goes, then the entire cabinet is going and the Prime Minister would then have no choice but to dissolve the parliament of St Read more

Jan Beaujon Addresses The Role Of The Media In Providing "Checks And Balances"As A Key Component Of Good Governance

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Under the theme, "Governance: The Value of Checks and Balances", the annual Governor's Symposium took place at the Westin Dawn Beach Resort over the weekend.

Attendees to conference, which took place on Friday June 19th, heard from several speakers including the host Drs. Eugene Holiday, Prime Minister the Honorable Marcel G Read more

Port St. Maarten Empowers Mpc Science Technology Project ‘Near Space Experience’

POINTE BLANCHE, St. Maarten – Students and teachers of the HAVO/VWO Department of the Milton Peters College (MPC) have embarked on a unique Science/Technology project called the N.S.E. "Near Space Experience."

Port St. Maarten is supporting the project financially as a partner during the pre and post phases which includes video and graphic productions, launch, along with rendering technical support to help guarantee the success of the project.

This is the first time known so far that this exciting initiative is being realized in the Caribbean by High School students Read more

Mp Lake Prepares Legislation Agenda For Second Half Of 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake, says he has drafted a legislation agenda which he will be working on during the second half of 2015 after parliament returns from recess.

"Government has already started working on abolishing the Expat law in the public sector and making changes to the law for the private sector, and this will save Government approximately one million guilders Read more

Gearing up to a new era of colonialism and nepotism

Dear Editor,

Lately, our representatives seem to worry a lot -and sometimes rightly so- about the Dutch (post) colonial powers. So far, the apogee of this independence rhetoric came to light when an MP was quoted as saying that he would rather “die on his feet than live on his knees”. The MP was quick to forget that Dutch PM Rutte already indicated that independence is just a phone call away.

So why so much noise? It is nothing more than putting up smokescreens in order to derive the attention from the real problem, namely the new era of (corporate) colonialism and nepotism which is upon us Read more

Canada Conservatives lose another minister ahead of October election

OTTAWA--Canadian Industry Minister James Moore announced on Friday that he would leave politics, the third surprise departure from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's cabinet as the ruling Conservatives head for an October election trailing in the opinion polls.

Citing personal reasons, including "some difficult news" about the health of his disabled son, Moore said he would not run for re-election, but believes Harper and his nine-year-old right-leaning government would prevail.

"I have every confidence that Prime Minister Harper and our Conservative government will be re-elected, and I wish I could be part of the next Conservative government," Moore said in a Facebook posting.

"With health challenges in my family, I have concluded it is impossible for me to seek another term in office," Moore said.

Opinion polls show Harper's government has slipped behind the left-leaning New Democratic Party in a tight three-way race just four months before the national vote Read more

Insulted daughter-in-law

Dear Queenie,

My father-in-law is always making remarks about how one of our children doesn’t look anything like my husband. He seems to think that means the boy isn’t really my husband’s son.

The fact of the matter is that the boy looks a lot like my husband’s mother, but my father-in-law hasn’t noticed that, or if he has he never says anything about it. Instead he keeps saying things that imply that I cheated on my husband, which never happened.

Queenie, how can I shut him up?—Insulted daughter-in-law

Dear Insulted,

It is nearly impossible to shut up someone like that, but if your mother-in-law is ever around when Mr Read more

St. Maarten signatory to OCT sustainable Energy Roadmap

BRUSSELS, Belgium--Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Artsen signed on the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) Sustainable Energy Roadmap on behalf of government on Thursday. The roadmap was the end result of the Summit of the OCTs Energy Ministers in Brussels, Belgium, from June 16 to 18.

The roadmap facilitates and supports the path to lower fossil fuel dependency, and increases energy efficiency to further assist OCTs in the transition to sustainable energy.

OCT governments agreed at the summit to support the development of an OCT Sustainable Energy Roadmap to help reduce their reliance on fossil fuels and improve their energy efficiency.

A selection of the identified sustainable energy priority areas for the Caribbean OCTs and a proposal for a possible joint project were shared with the participants of the summit.

The Energy Summit gave OCTs the opportunity to provide guidance regarding sustainable energy priorities for the Thematic Programme (16-18 million euros) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).

Sustainable energy was identified as an essential area of cooperation at the OCTs Ministerial Conference, held in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, on February 26.

St Read more

Public primary schools host joint graduation

COLE BAY--Some 194 pupils celebrated their graduation with a joint school leaving exercise for St. Maarten's six public primary schools, in a ceremony filled with song under the banner "Why fit in when you were born to stand out?" held Friday morning at Princess Port de Plaisance Resort.

Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Affairs Rita Bourne-Gumbs and Head of Division of Public Education Glenderlin Davis-Holiday joined family members of the pupils, and past and present school officials of the Leonald Conner School, Marie Genevieve de Weever School, Oranje School, Ruby Labega Primary School, Dr Read more

GEBE Supervisory Board only ended Maduro’s service contract

~Suspended as Managing Director~

PHILIPSBURG—GEBE’s Supervisory Board chose not to renew Chief Operations Officer (COO) Romelio Maduro’s “service contract”, while suspending him as Managing Director, Chairman of the Board Rene Richardson explained The Daily Herald on Friday.

The Council of Ministers (COM) is to consult with lawyers and speak again to the GEBE Supervisory Board of Directors in around one week, after the board presented them information about Maduro on Thursday.

At the end of last month, Government as shareholder of GEBE, had rejected a request of the GEBE board not to extend Maduro's contract, and on the evening of June 11, a statement to the press on behalf of the board stated that Maduro had been "suspended and placed on non-active duty" as of that day Read more

Lack of transparency disguises working of checks and balances

PHILIPSBURG--The lack of transparency in government “disguises how checks and balances are working in a country,” said Director Professor Trevor Monroe, Jamaica’s National Integrity Action Executive Director and keynote speaker at the fourth annual Governor’s Symposium, themed “Governance: The Value of Checks and Balances,” held in The Westin St. Maarten Dawn Beach Resort and Spa on Friday.

The symposium was hosted by Governor Eugene Holiday.

Munroe highlighted for the gathering of government, corporate and civil society leaders a number of remedial actions to bring about transparency and effective checks and balances Read more

Families of South Carolina church massacre victims offer forgiveness

CHARLESTON, South Carolina--As the young white man charged with murdering nine people inside an historic black church in South Carolina stood blankly silent during a court hearing on Friday, relatives of slain worshippers addressed him one by one, offering tearful words of grief and forgiveness.

Dylann Roof, 21, who authorities say spent an hour in Bible study with parishioners at the nearly 200-year-old Emanuel African Methodist Church before opening fire on them, stood quietly, stoically, as he appeared via video feed for an initial bond hearing before a magistrate judge.

Dressed in a black-and-white prison uniform and flanked by two guards in body armour, Roof showed no reaction as the judge ordered him held without bail Read more

Governors Symposium 2015 Held At Westin Resort

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The 2015 Governors Symposium was held Friday morning at the Westin Resort Conference Center.

The symposium was held under the theme; Governance: The value of checks and balances and sought to give a perspective on the role it plays with the community overall, government and civil society.

His Excellency Governor Eugene Holiday gave the first address in which he brought attention to the role of the governor in fostering checks and balances within the government of St Read more

St. Martin ‘5th Most Attractive Island’ at TripAdvisor awards

MARIGOT--St. Martin/St. Maarten was voted fifth Most Attractive Island of the Caribbean for "its duality of culture and landscape" at the Traveller's Choice Best Islands for 2015 awards ceremony on June 4, St. Martin Tourism Office announced.

The awards ceremony was hosted by TripAdvisor during New York's Caribbean Week organised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) and held June 1 to 7.

The island won two more awards, one for Orient Bay for its "paradise setting and range of activities" and Grand Case as "third best place to hang out for gastronomy lovers, diving, and West Indian rhythm of life."

The Caribbean Week trade show was attended by President of the St Read more

UP does not support call for minister’s resignation

PHILIPSBURG--The United People's (UP) party does not support the call of coalition partner United St. Maarten Party (USP) for Justice Minister Dennis Richardson's resignation.

UP's stance is said to have been communicated to USP leader Member of Parliament Frans Richardson in a coalition meeting on Monday and was followed on Thursday evening with an official letter signed by UP fraction leader MP Franklin Meyers.

USP was informed that UP could not support the removal of the Justice Minister because this would only create turmoil for government and possibly have far-reaching consequences for the country.

St Read more

What’s is in it for me? Gearing up to a new era of colonialism and nepotism

Dear Editor,

Lately, our representatives seem to worry a lot, and sometimes rightly so, about the Dutch (post) colonial powers. Some of our MP's are calling for independence while presenting themselves as the last of the Mohicans. So far, the apogee of this independence rhetoric came to light when an MP was quoted as saying that he rather "die on his feet than live on his knees." The MP was quick to forget that Dutch PM Rutte already indicated that independence is just a phone call away (i).

So why so much noise? It is nothing more than putting up smokescreens in order to dr0ive the attention from the real problem, namely the new era of (corporate) colonialism and nepotism which is upon us Read more

Editorial - A word to the wise

It may seem like "the same old story," but a warning by the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT (see Thursday paper) against taking up too much debt should not go unheeded. After the Antillean debt relief by the Netherlands that accompanied the constitutional reforms per 10-10-10 Curaçao's debt again has reached 40 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP), the norm internationally considered acceptable.

St Read more

> PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament George Pantophlet is still waiting on answers to questions posed to Ministers Marcel Gumbs and Marten Hassink respectively. These questions were submitted through the President of Parliament in his letter of May 19, 2015 Read more

GEBE Supervisory Board of Directors met with Council of Ministers on Thursday.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The Supervisory Board of Directors of GEBE met with the Council of Ministers on Thursday to provide information government requested from the government owned company.
SMN News learnt that the board met with government mostly to give full explanation as to why they took the decision not to renew the contract for the Chief Operations Officer Romelio Maduro and also why they sought legal representation.
The Prime Minister of St. Maarten indicated earlier that he will be ordering a forensic investigation at GEBE Read more