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Govt approves ‘function book’ for police, prison

PHILIPSBURG--Over four years of lobbying by general police union NAPB seems to have reaped fruit on Thursday when Justice Minister Dennis Richardson made a surprise announcement that government has approved the function book for the police and prison.

Richardson made the announcement during the first of the two-day NAPB National Congress at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort Read more

Editorial - Essential step

Today's news that government finally has approved the so-called "function book" for the police and prison (see related story) is most welcome. It took 4½ years since achieving country status on 10-10-10, but soon the officers and guards should have clarity on their legal position and the organisational structure in which they must work.

The local board of police union NAPB that was installed in June last year had been worried the issue might suffer more delay due to the looming elections and talk of a change in the Police Force command Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Rainforest Adventure got steal of a deal in Long Least at Emilio Wilson Estate.

style="text-align: center;">Government stand to lose Naf1.6M per year --- Reliable Sources.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Rainforest Adventures allegedly got what one could describe as a steal of a deal from the interim Minister of VROMI Marcel Gumbs and Leader of the United Peoples Party Theodore Heyliger.
In an advice it is stated that Rainforest Adventures will get 375,000 square meters land in long lease at the Emilio Wilson Estate that the Government of St Read more

EXCLUSIVE: Maurice Lake Jumps back in order to take up VROMI Minister seat --- Where would this leave Minister Claret Conner? – Reliable Sources.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Member of Parliament Maurice Lake seems to have gotten exactly what he wanted from the leader of the United Peoples Party in order for him to remain a member of the United Peoples Party and to keep the shaky coalition in-tact.
SMN News learnt that MP Maurice Lake wanted to remain in his position as the Minister of VROMI when the UPP/De Weever coalition was formed but his party leader Theodore Heyliger allegedly denied him his request stating that he did not do what he "Heyliger" wanted him to do while he was a Minister Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Interim Minister of VROMI, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Thursday signed the agreement with Mr. Eric van Putten of Designer's Choice N.V. for the sewage connections to the homes and properties directly along the main road in Middle Region.

The agreement is valued at Naf Read more

Tzu Chi gives 60 foot massages, served 250 at Lion’s Fair

>PHILIPSBURG:--- A total of 250 persons were served by Tzu Chi Foundation and some 60 received free Thai reflexology foot massages as well as back massages from the foundation at the Lion Rudy Hoeve Health and Wellness Fair last Saturday.

The massages were popular amongst attendees with people lining up to wait for a massage even before the fair officially began. For some, it was the first time they received a massage.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was amongst those who enjoyed the massage Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Signs For Middle Region Sewage Connections

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Interim Minister of VROMI, Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Thursday signed the agreement with Mr. Eric van Putten of Designer's Choice N.V. for the sewage connections to the homes and properties directly along the main road in Middle Region.

The agreement is valued at Naf Read more

National Alliance Leader William Marlin Looking Forward To Supporting Party In Different Capacity

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Who will be leading the National Alliance in the next election? Will it be the party's current leader William Marlin or is it going to be the deputy leader Silveria Jacobs?

The answer became evident when the question was put to Mr Read more

Protocol For The Improvement Of The Hospital Signed

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - After an intense tripartite meeting between the minister of Public Health, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs, Director of SMMC Mr. Kees Klarenbeek and ad interim Director of SZV Mr. Glen Carty last week Thursday March 19th at the Westin regarding the hospital care in St. Maarten, a protocol between the three parties was signed to bond their cooperation intentions.

Prime Minister Gumbs opened the official meeting to sign the protocol on Thursday, March 26, and thanked everybody for their presence.

With the signing of the protocol minister of VSA said she was looking forward to their future working relationship and their plan to work out a business plan for the improvement of the SMMC.

Mr Read more

Neighbours alarmed over health of elderly man, state of his house

MARIGOT--Neighbours and concerned citizens have raised the alarm over what they believe is a failure of social services to address adequately the situation of a family living in deplorable conditions at 43 Rue de Pic Paradis.

The primary concern is over the health of the senior member of the household, Placido Vrolijk (83), born in Aruba on September 25, 1932. He is currently bedridden and in poor health, and the family is trying to have him moved into a senior citizens home on either the French or Dutch side of the island.

"I've seen how his health is deteriorating on a daily basis," worries neighbour Alan Conner Read more

William: NA leadership transition expected in 2016

PHILIPSBURG--The leadership of the National Alliance (NA) may transition from current party leader Member of Parliament William Marlin to now deputy leader MP Silveria Jacobs at the 2016 NA Party Congress.

Asked at a press conference on Wednesday in Parliament House if discussions on leadership transition have taken place considering the results of the September 2014 Parliamentary Election that saw Jacobs gain more votes than him, Marlin said "absolutely not." There has not been any discussion to that effect.

Marlin said the reason for this is that he told the party congress in 2014 that he was ready for a transition as it is not his intention to remain party leader "for ever and ever."

Jacobs was elected deputy leader of the party at the 2014 congress.

However, it will be "up to the congress" to decide in 2016 "to make the transition," he said.

Marlin claimed it was the indication from him about the desire to transition the leadership of the party that may have reflected in the results of the election Read more

Edward Dest gets symbolic sentence

PHILIPSBURG--More than four years after criminal complaints were filed against him in his capacity as former Tourist Bureau Interim Director and Head of Marketing, Edward Dest was found guilty by the court on Wednesday of embezzlement in his capacity as civil servant. However, the court imposed only a largely symbolic sentence of one day suspended, with one day's probation.

The judge found it proven that Dest had misappropriated funds belonging to the St. Maarten Tourist Office in New York NTO for promoting tourism to St Read more

Cockpit voice tape studied in Airbus Crash, paper claims pilot locked out

SEYNE-LES-ALPES/PARIS--Investigators have retrieved cockpit voice recordings from one of the black boxes of the German Airbus plane that crashed into the Alps, killing everyone onboard, officials said on Wednesday.

The New York Times reported that evidence from the recordings showed that one of the pilots left the cockpit and could not get back in before the flight went down.

"The guy outside is knocking lightly on the door and there is no answer," an unnamed investigator told the Times, citing the recordings Read more

Suspended tax transfers leave Palestinian economy on brink

RAMALLAH, West Bank--Israel's decision to withhold $130 million a month in revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinians is strangling the economy and leaving the banking system dangerously exposed, the Palestinian central bank governor said on Wednesday.

Israel stopped the transfer of revenues from tax and customs duties in January in protest at the Palestinians' move to join the International Criminal Court from April 1, when war crimes charges may be filed against Israel. Since then, more than $500 million has been withheld from the economy, prompting the Palestinian Authority, which administers the West Bank, to cut most of its employees' salaries by 40 percent and resort to an emergency budget.

The government is also in danger of not being able to service its outstanding loans, according to the governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority, the central bank.

"We have informed the Palestinian Authority that we have reached the limits permitted to them, or are about to get there, and that banks will not be able to continue to fund it," Governor Jihad al-Wazir told Reuters Read more

Multi-Jurisdictional Conference Proves The Caribbean Region Can Work Together

>Toronto:--- For over 15 years, the steering committee for the STEP Caribbean Conference has been meeting to produce of the world's best attended and most talked about trust conferences. What makes this off-shore financial services conference so unique is the ability of these steering committee members to work together for the good of the region and for the benefit of their individual jurisdictions – all at the same time.
Unlike other initiatives in the region that attempt to bring together disparate and distinct countries, the STEP Caribbean Conference not only manages to put aside individual country and branch agendas, but also manages to attract international delegates and sponsors and most importantly speakers to the table each and every year.
The STEP Caribbean region, part of the larger STEP worldwide association is fast becoming one of the most influential and largest regions in the STEP world Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Leader of the National Alliance William Marlin clarified on Wednesday when he was asked if he will lead his party in another parliamentary election. Marlin said that during the National Alliance congress in 2014 he along with the members of the National Alliance agreed that he will pass on the leadership of the party to its deputy leader Silveria Jacobs who was duly elected deputy leader Read more

TELEM and SMCU meet on Suriname contractors

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On March 15,2015 the group of illegal workers of Surinam whom was working for Telem left the island without being deported from the island.

In the mean time the SMCU is aware that Telem requested work permits for this group of Surinam workers. SMCU is still of the opinion that this group of Surinam workers infringed with our laws and that they had to be deported with a penalty that they are not allowed to return to the island for a period of one year.

In the mean time SMCU send a mail to the head of the labor affairs department requesting that this office assures that these group of Surinam don't get working permits for the reason of the infringement of our laws Read more

style="text-align: center;">People are fed up and wants to know what the UPP was Ready to do.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The four members of parliament from the National Alliance faction told reporters during a press briefing on Wednesday that they would like to know what the United Peoples Party was ready for when they campaigned in 2014 Parliamentary elections and won seven of the 15 parliamentary seats Read more

Tzu Chi Gives 60 Foot Massages, Served 250 At Lion's Fair

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - A total of 250 persons were served by Tzu Chi Foundation and some 60 received free Thai reflexology foot massages as well as back massages from the foundation at the Lion Rudy Hoeve Health and Wellness Fair last Saturday.

The massages were popular amongst attendees with people lining up to wait for a massage even before the fair officially began. For some, it was the first time they received a massage.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs was amongst those who enjoyed the massage Read more

MPs urged to work with govt on law formulation

PHILIPSBURG--Parliament does not follow instructions on the procedure to write laws, Advisory Council Vice Chairwoman Mavis Brooks-Salmon said in a meeting of Parliament's Central Committee at which only eight of the fifteen Members of Parliament (MPs) were present on Tuesday morning.

The Advisory Council, a body outlined in the Constitution as a necessary organ of governance, has in the past told Parliament to "work with government's Legal Department" when crafting initiative laws. The Legal Department has the necessary expertise to assist with the proper way to formulate and present laws, though the department may be understaffed.

Brooks-Salmon pointed out to MPs that the Advisory Council "does not correct" draft legislation, but is capable of giving legislators guidance on where to seek pertinent information in the research and drafting process.

In response to "burning" questions from National Alliance (NA) MP Christophe Emmanuel about whether or not the five-member Council of Ministers was legal as the Constitution states the country should have seven ministers, Brooks-Salmon said while the Advisory Council will further look into the matter, it should be noted that the Constitution does not state the ministers should be seven different persons.

In the current situation, two ministers of the Marcel Gumbs Cabinet hold dual portfolios Read more

PLP/UPC government to be sworn in Thursday

ST. EUSTATIUS--The new coalition government of Progressive Labour Party (PLP) and United People's Coalition (UPC) will be sworn in on Thursday, formateur and PLP leader Clyde van Putten announced Monday evening during a public address on local radio and television.

The formation of a new government for St. Eustatius followed within five days after the Island Council election of last week Wednesday, in which the PLP and Democratic Party (DP) both obtained two seats and UPC one seat.

As winner of the election, Van Putten was commissioned by Island Governor Gerald Berkel on Friday to form a new Executive Council Read more

Dominican nurse fired For having Haitian parents

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic--Anne Dimanche Saintil was born in the Dominican Republic, earned her nursing degree there and worked at a hospital in the capital, Santo Domingo. Then she was fired, because her parents were from Haiti.

Dimanche is among as many as 110,000 people living in the Dominican Republic without any legal status after the government, following a Supreme Court decision, began denying citizenship to Dominicano-born children of undocumented immigrants, almost all of whom came from neighbouring Haiti Read more

Pantophlet wins Grand Champion, Tae kwon do team earn 14 gold

MIDDLE REGION—Seventeen year old Tyrell Pantophlet won the Grand Champion Trophy at the 22nd Puerto Rico International Tae kwon do Open Championship. A total of 15 athletes from St. Maarten from the King Yen Tae kwon do School returned home with medals.

Under the guidance of Grand master Theo Liu the team ranging in age from six to 17 won 14 gold medals and nine silver.

"This was a great result for us," beamed Master Liu. "I always want to give all the children the chance to experience international competition Read more

Editorial - Stability is the key

If all goes according to plan, a new PLP/UPC government for St. Eustatius will be sworn in on Thursday (see related story). Leaders of the incoming coalition have stated already that it can't be "business as usual."

They want to make a fist against what is considered commanding the island from The Hague. The feeling is that Statia does not receive the same treatment as the European Netherlands and the goal is to put an end to this situation, because colonialism is a thing of the past.

The two parties have emphasised on numerous occasions that St Read more