SXMElections.com

DATE ISSUED: Monday, July 03, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Tuesday midday (12:00 LST) July 04, 2023

WEATHER:
This afternoon through Tuesday midday: Partly cloudy, breezy and hazy, becoming cloudy at times with isolated showers possible.

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 28C / 82F

  

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:41 A.M.  

  

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Tuesday midday: East northeasterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 09 to 17 mph.

SYNOPSIS: 

Moisture associated with a tropical wave will increase the probability of showers during this forecast period Read more

9 Indian Nationals Feared Dead At Sea, Left Dominica To St. Martin By Boat.

~ Official complaint filed with authorities as relatives seek information on the missing persons~

MARIGOT:--- Nine Indian nationals have gone missing at sea since February 3rd, 2023. The nine persons whose names are listed below entered a boat on the island of Dominica destined for Saint Martin.

Relatives of the missing had contact with the nine people around 6 pm the same day however they were in the seas close to Guadeloupe.

A relative of the missing persons has filed an official complaint with the Gendarmerie as they seek information in finding the missing persons Read more

Santo Domingo:--- The Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL) has announced the release of a Technical Standard for Medical Tourism, aimed at establishing quality criteria for the entire value chain of the sector. The standard aims to ensure the best practices and safety of patients and their families while promoting protocols and standards that enhance confidence in the Dominican Republic as a destination for health services.
Lorenzo Ramrez, the general director of INDOCAL, stated that the NORDOM ISO 22525:2020 standard, approved by the Dominican Council for Quality (CODOCA), takes a comprehensive approach to medical care throughout the patients journey.
Ramrez further explained that this standard, in line with national development goals, was developed through an extensive consultation process involving the INDOCAL Technical Tourism Committee Read more

SABA:--- Saba marked the start of the Commemoration Year of the Slavery Past on Saturday, July 1, with a well-attended Emancipation Day event with a number of speakers and a number of powerful performances.

The events theme, liberation through healing, was most fitting, said Commissioner of Culture Eviton Heyliger. Although healing hundreds of years of trauma will not happen overnight, we need to start the dialogue. By engaging in healing practices, as a community we can reclaim our agency, reconnect with our inner strength, and restore our sense of wholeness, he said in his speech.

Collectively, we can contribute to social transformation and liberation by dismantling oppressive systems, challenging inequities, and promoting justice Read more

ORANJESTAD, ARUBA:---  Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba (FPNA) today announced it has appointed Tyson Lopez as the organizations new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), as part of the Executive Board will spearhead the implementation of FPNAs Multi-Annual Corporate Strategy 2023 2032 (MACS) to transform the organization from a traditional park management organization to a high-performing, modern conservation management organization.
Fundacion Parke Nacional Aruba is an independent conservation management organization, encharged with the conservation of nature, and the management of protected areas in Aruba which as of today encompass just over 24% of Arubas natural terrain and 0.02% of Arubas territorial waters Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Adult Probation, Department of Family Guardianship, and Foster Families Central Unit of the Foundation Judicial Institutes St. Maarten, were honored to receive a visit from the esteemed Minister of Justice, Anna Richardson, on June 28, 2023. The visit provided an excellent opportunity for the Minister to gain valuable insights into the operations of the organization and the important role played by these departments within the judicial system Read more

New Mou Allows Non-Big-Registered Professionals To Work In St. Maarten

PHILIPSBURG--A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) formalising the agreement on new method for evaluating medical professionals and medical specialists with a foreign diploma was recently signed between the Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor Omar Ottley, and Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands, Ernst K Read more

Drinking Water Treatment Unit Inaugurated By Eeasm

MARIGOT--The water authority tablissement des Eaux et de lAssainissement EEASM and its President Raphal Sanchez inaugurated a new temporary mobile drinking water unit at the Galisbay water production plant on Friday.

This is the first step in the rehabilitation of the plant undertaken by EEASM and the Collectivit, which should enable production to be increased to meet the territory's needs while enabling safety work to be carried out at the plant. A detailed presentation on the mobile units technology and advanced features was given by a team of experts on site.

Sanchez was accompanied by Prfet Vincent Berton, new EEASM Director Sbastien Gallego and SAUR Saint-Martin Director Mlissa Nicolas.

This cutting-edge technology will enable us to meet our needs to minimise the water consumption of our territory as much as possible, said Sanchez in his speech Read more

~Ministry of Finance launches new electronic payment app~

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry of Finance recently announced its newest innovation at the Islandpreneur Live 2023 event. The innovation comes in the form of a new app called Sen, something the Minister of Finance Ardwell Irion called, a hybrid between Cash App and Venmo. It is with this description that the Minister set the stage to introduce the app and some details about what the people of Sint Maarten can expect from Sen.
The name Sen is a play on the colloquial Sint Maarten use of the word send, as in the app will be used to send money, from one use to another among other features Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- History was made on Saturday, June 24, 2023, as Cloyd Ohndhae Marlin officially launched his political career, building upon the steadfast foundation of his father and numerous supporters. During this ceremony, the Hon. M.P. William Marlin passed on the baton of political leadership, as well as, his "black book" of political knowledge to his son, affectionately known as Ohndhae Read more

PHILIPSBURG:---  The Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor Omar Ottley, on behalf of the government of Sint Maarten, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement with the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport of the Netherlands, Ernst Kuipers in order to structure the collaboration on how the quality and competency of medical professionals and medical specialists with a foreign diploma, who intend to establish themselves and practice their profession on Sint Maarten shall be assessed.

The MOU went into effect on June 30th for a period of five years and will jointly be evaluated after two (2) years, in order to decide on the continuation of the collaboration Read more

DATE ISSUED: Friday, June 30, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Saturday midday (12:00 LST) July 01, 2023 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Saturday midday: Partly cloudy and hazy, with brief showers possible. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 26C / 79F 

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:40 A.M.  

SURFACE WINDS: 
This afternoon through Saturday midday: East-southeasterly to easterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 08 to 15 mph. 

SYNOPSIS:   

A combination of drier air and Saharan dust is anticipated to restrict significant precipitation across the region Read more

Signing at building site.

KRALENDIJK--The Executive Council of Bonaire and Hugo de Jonge, Dutch Minister for Housing and Spatial Planning, on Thursday jointly signed the housing deal for Bonaire. The aim is to realise 2,124 affordable homes by the end of 2030.

The Netherlands will be making 10 million euros available for the first phase for 600 units and the accompanying infrastructure, as of 2025.

At this moment in time, construction activities are in full swing on Bonaire Read more

DATE ISSUED: Thursday, June 29, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)  

VALID UNTIL: Friday midday (12:00 LST) June 30, 2023 

THE HEAVY RAINFALL/FLOOD ADVISORY HAS BEEN CANCELED 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Friday midday: Cloudy to partly cloudy, and hazy with brief local showers possible. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             

Forecast Low: 26C / 79F 

   

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M Read more

Minister Of Justice Warns Of Fake Immigration Consultants

PHILIPSBURG--Foreigners who feel they have been or are being defrauded by an immigration consultant on St. Maarten are urged by the Ministry of Justice to call the St. Maarten Police Force KPSM Fraud Department. Justice Minister Anna Richardson on Wednesday warned of ghost consultants scamming residence permit applicants out of th Read more

Young Talents Caribbean Region 2023 LOral-Unesco For Women In Science.

~ Breaking barriers for women in Caribbean Science, Technology, and Innovations.~

Kingston, Jamaica:--- The world needs science and science needs women. The Young Talents Caribbean Region L'Oral-UNESCO For Women in Science programme is a joint programme between LOral Caribe, the UNESCO Office for the Caribbean, and the Caribbean Academy of Sciences all seeking to connect the dots between Caribbean development challenges, scientific research, and women empowerment.

SUPPORTING CARIBBEAN WOMEN IN SCIENCE

The Caribbeans development is intrinsically linked to science, technology, and innovation, and it is vital that women play a significant role in this arena Read more

MARIGOT:--- Former Mayor Albert Fleming passed away on Wednesday at the Louis Constant Fleming Hospital.
A close family member of Fleming confirmed to SMN News that he passed today after being flown back from Guadeloupe.
According to the relative the former Mayor suffered a heart attack on Monday and was flown to Guadeloupe for further medical treatment Read more

DATE ISSUED: Wednesday, June 28, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) 

VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) June 29, 2023 

A HEAVY RAINFALL/FLOOD ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
ST. MAARTEN UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE 

WEATHER:     

This afternoon through Thursday midday: Partly cloudy to cloudy, breezy, and hazy with isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms. 

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             

Forecast Low: 26C / 79F 

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M Read more

Willemstad:--- On the opening day of the conference entitled "Living longer, working longer: the sustainability of the pension system in the Dutch Caribbean," Drs. Raul Henriquez, director/general secretary of the Social and Economic Council (SER) of Curaao, spoke about the future challenges and sustainability of the pension system in Curaao. The two-day conference, organized by the Algemeen Pensioenfonds Curaao (APC) and the University of Curaao (UOC) on Thursday, June 22, and Friday, June 23, took place in the auditorium of the UOC Read more

Ncf Holds Ceremony For Second Chance Graduates

Keynote speaker Gracita R. Arrindell with the graduates

ST. EUSTATIUS--New Challenges Foundation (NCF) held a graduation ceremony for the second chance education graduates under the theme Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.

The ceremony was held at Mike van Putten Youth Centre/Lions Den on Thursday, June 22. The 10 graduates were Marley Brown, Erika Simmons, Jamile Redan, Tallijah Pers, Ashanti Carti, Shadiro Simmons, Anajah Smith, DShandra Turner, Isiah Courtar and Marques Schrewhardt.

The ceremony featured speeches by board members and invited guests, Commissioner of Education Reuben Merkman, NCF president Charles Lindo and director Francine Foe, who all congratulated the graduates on this hard-fought achievement and offered words of wisdom and encouragement.

President of the Parliament of St Read more

Dutch Caribbean Institutions Sign Mous Towards Higher Education

From left: USM President Dr. Antonio Carmona Be; Dr. Elisabeth Echteld of the University of Curaao; Drs. Marilyn Richardson of IPA and Rector of the University of Aruba Dr. Viola Heutger.

 POND ISLAND--The four main institutions of higher education and research in the Carib Read more

Global Risks To Outlook Remain.

~Economic recovery gathers pace across monetary union~

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG:--- The economic recovery gathered pace across the monetary union in 2022 with real GDP expanding by 7.9% in Curaao and 9.8% in Sint Maarten, stated the President of the Centrale Bank van Curaao en Sint Maarten (CBCS), Richard Doornbosch, in CBCSs Economic Bulletin June 2023. In both countries, growth was driven primarily by an increase in net foreign demand, along with a positive contribution from domestic demand Read more

DATE ISSUED: Tuesday, June 27, 2023 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC)

VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) June 28, 2023

WEATHER: 

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Partly cloudy to cloudy with light haze, isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms.

Forecast High: 32C / 90F             Forecast Low: 27C / 81F

Sunset Today: 6:52 P.M.                Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:40 A.M. 

SURFACE WINDS: 

This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Easterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 08 to 16 mph and occasional higher gusts possible.

SYNOPSIS:

A combination of favorable upper level conditions and an approaching tropical wave, will account for isolated showers and a chance of isolated thunderstorms across the local area Read more

Pupils of Sr. Regina School with story reader Doris Dedier (left)

 SIMPSON BAY--Beyond Kultura Events Foundation (BKEF) recently closed off its story reading programme at Sister Regina Primary School in Simpson Bay. For ten weeks, children of groups 5 cycle 2 and 7 cycle 2, were fully engaged in comprehensive story reading by BKEFs certified reader Doris Dedier.

Per group session, Dedier read an average of two stories from author Loekie Morales childrens book Zonnesproetjes Tropisch Nestje in the Dutch language.

Last year, the English translation of these books, The Freckled Bunch Tropical Shelter, was donated to all primary schools of St Read more