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PHILIPSBURG: --- Minister of VSA Omar Ottley tells the court on Friday morning that he will not be a scapegoat or posterchild for corruption on St. Maarten, corruption that took place in the past or present Ottley addressed the court in the defamation case he brought against businessman Olivier Arrindell for slander and defamation. In addressing the court, he said the only thing he had was his name and he worked very hard for the assets he obtained in life Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---  In a heartfelt appeal letter addressed to the Minister of Justice Anna Richardson, and co-copied by the council of ministers and the Parliament of Sint Maarten, Fabio Doralice, Interim President of the Haitian Association of Sint Maarten (HASMA), is urging the Government of Sint Maarten to temporarily halt the forced returns of Haitian nationals a midst the dire humanitarian crisis currently engulfing Haiti Read more

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PHLIPSBURG:--- As the Prime Minister of Sint Maarten, and someone who has held public office in this great nation, I stake my reputation on passion and dedication to service in the political arena. I have never wavered in my integrity and service to the people of St. Maarten. Because of this, I initially had no intention to respond to the ridiculous allegations being made against me.
Contrary to what has been promoted by Mr. Arrindell, this civil case is to ensure the freedom of speech as guaranteed by our constitution in article 10, cannot lead to a violation of other human rights an individual has, such as the right to privacy and family life Read more

Businessman Oliver Arrindell Did Not Appear In Case Brought Against Him Pm Jacobs.

 ~ Defense admits that Arrindell went too far. ~

PHILIPSBURG: --- The Court of First Instance had to make two courtrooms available on Friday afternoon to accommodate members of the public who showed up at the Courthouse in support of Prime Minister Silveria Jacobs who filed a civil case against businessperson Olivier Arrindell for slander and defamation.
Arrindell who is currently in Congo Africa, was supposed to attend the hearing virtually but he did not do so because he claimed that his internet connection in Africa was not stable Read more

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Patient In Dominican Republic Had Surgery At Smmc.

~ Doctor mocks patient at SMMC. No agreement in place between the Dominican Republic and St. Maarten.~

PHILIPSBURG/ Dominican Republic:--- The St. Maarten resident Egbert Hector Richardson who is currently a patient at CEDIMAT Dominican Republic went overseas on his own to seek further medical treatment after having surgery at the St. Maarten Medical Center.

Edison Adamus the Director and Pastor of Key to Freedom said that Richardson lives at Key to Freedom since he is in rehabilitation for substance abuse.
He explained that Richardson had a hernia and he was operated upon at the St Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- A World Bank mission, led by Mr. Alex Kamurase visited Sint Maarten from September 11 to 15, 2023 to assess the progress of the Resources for Community Resilience program (R4CR). The delegation also included Ms. Natalia Bavio, a Financial Consultant, and Ms. Chanelle Fingal, a Social Development Consultant. Their primary objectives were to evaluate the overall progress, operational implementation, and compliance of the R4CR program with the World Banks standards in the key areas of financial management, procurement, and social and environmental safeguards.

During their visit, the World Bank team engaged with various other stakeholders, including the National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and R4CR's Project Technical Committee Read more

Deadline Extended For Emotional Freedom Techniques Course To Sept 5Th.

~BE EQUIPPED TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY~

PHILIPSBURG:---  In light of the many challenging issues that our families, individuals, and communities face daily, Dr. N. Erna Mae Francis Cotton visionary of Victorious Living and the counseling program developer at the GHBU, St. Maarten Campus designed a Masters Level counseling degree program in 2015 to meet the growing socio-emotional and psychological needs in our community. The program covers topics such as effective grief counseling, suicide prevention and assessment, effective marriage counseling, and effective techniques for working with children.
Francis-Cotton, who also co-developed the Grief Counseling curriculum for the University of West Indies BSC in Social Work program, recognizes the significance of providing practical and evidenced-based tools for counselors to effectively help their clients to heal Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- This Saturday, August 12, 2023, Ms. Tefari Prevoo Francisco, returned from a five-week summer intensive music program at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. She successfully completed this preliminary course to the Bachelor program and received a glowing introductory letter from Mr. Witness Matlou, a South African Jazz Pianist and a music theory professor at Berklee. Ms. Tefari Prevoo Franciscos participation in the course was made possible through assistance by the Division of Study Financing, the Department of Culture, and the Cabinet of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport (MECYS) Read more

PHILIPSBURG:--- We did not stumble into the present, and are not stumbling into our future, said Prof. Hillary Beckles to the CARICOM and African Union (AU) representatives at one session of the Reparations and Racial Healing Study Tour in Barbados, July 24 28, 2023.
The CARICOM-AU conference brought together perspectives from government and civil society leaders and Reparations advocates from the Caribbean, Africa, and African Diaspora communities on developing a unified front on Reparations from historical crimes Read more

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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

~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

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PHILIPSBURG:---  The 160th Annual Emancipation Day celebration will take place on July 1st, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sport drs Rodolphe Samuel invites all interested citizens and persons residing on Sint Maarten to join in the celebration that is scheduled to take place in Philipsburg. The celebration will begin with an Ecumenical Church Service at 5:30 am at the Anglican Church on Backstreet, followed by a Freedom March to the Boardwalk (Sports Park) for the Born Free cultural manifestation.

Emancipation Day was the first public holiday established by the Parliament of Sint Maarten since becoming a Country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:---The Minister of Public Health, Social Development, and Labor, Omar Ottley, led a high-level delegation to the 111th International Conference held in Geneva. The delegation included Secretary-General Joy Arnell, Department Head of Labor Linda Froston, Cabinet Members Alissa Rios and Johnnie Richardson, as well as representatives from the employers Ms Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation and its volunteers on Sunday began the process to repair the home of a local resident which was severely damaged by hurricane Irma, which battered the island in September last year.

The damaged home is located on Bush Road and it represents the first housing project to be executed by Tzu Chi Foundation following the devastating hurricane.

The project is being executed in collaboration with Key to Freedom Foundation and its Director Elvision Adamus Read more

Chairperson of Parliament, Members of Parliament
Prime-Minister, Ministers,
Préfète déléguée of Saint Martin and St. Barths
President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin
Distinguished Guests, Good Morning,

On November 2, 2017, a shift in the majority in Parliament took place creating the basis for the transfer of governing responsibility to a new team of Ministers. Today, almost two and half months later we have before us a council of ministers supported by the new majority in Parliament.
During the formation period for this interim cabinet, I consulted with various persons and named Mr Read more

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PHILIPSBURG:--- It is like the day of yesterday, that I recall the establishment of the Beyond Writing Foundation in 2003, now named Beyond Kultura Events Foundation’s with the most important aim to enhance reading and Storytelling amongst the youth, Loekie Morales stated. We have accomplished that with tangible results over the course of the years, not only for Sint Maarten but for the other Dutch Windward Islands and Leeward Island as well.
She is the founding mother of this foundation and of the Caribbean Living Statues Festivals, as a unique festival with many aims Read more

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PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- Royal Caribbean International (RCI) Grandeur of the Seas will be RCI’s first ship to return to the destination on a commercial cruise visit on Sunday. A host of welcome activities has been planned by stakeholders to welcome the near 2000 guests.
The first RCI vessel on Sunday will kick-off weekly port calls from RCI cruise ships. Port St. Maarten Management would like to remind all stakeholders and the populace to continue to welcome our cruise passengers with a warm St Read more

Connecting sustainable businesses, investments, innovation, between the Netherlands, Dutch Caribbean, and Latin America.

GREAT BAY:--- St. Maarten joined countries of the kingdom for a two-part trade mission in the Netherlands, this week. The event looked at ways to achieve sustainable business between the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Latin America and the Caribbean region and to explore what opportunities entrepreneurs have on all sides.

The theme for the event was ‘Connecting sustainable businesses, investments, innovation, between the Netherlands, Dutch Caribbean, and Latin America’ Read more

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Cruise Ship Call Schedule For December. Two Ships In Port On Christmas Day.

PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- Port St. Maarten would like to present the December month cruise ship call schedule as information for the community and for business establishment planning purposes. There will be two ships in port on Christmas day December 25.
Cruise ships will be in port on the following days: December 4, 5, 8, 17, 19, 25, 26, 27, 29, and 31. This is the latest cruise ship call information that the port has at this point in time as cruise lines continue to update their itineraries.
Royal Caribbean International (RCI) Grandeur of the Seas will be the first RCI cruise ship to rediscover the marquee destination on December 17.
The RCI ships and dates are as follows: Independence of the Seas, December 25 and 29; Jewel of the Seas, December 26; Freedom of the Seas, December 27; and Adventure of the Seas, December 31.
Port St Read more

PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- A Port St. Maarten delegation from the Cruise Business Unit met recently with Royal Caribbean International (RCI) representatives in Miami, Florida, to provide an update on the progress of current recovery efforts in destination Sint Maarten.
During the discussions, Royal Caribbean reiterated its commitment to the destination and provided a schedule of the vessels that will call on Sint Maarten starting in mid-December, just in time for the peak family travel season.
Grandeur of the Seas will be the first cruise ship bringing guests to rediscover the marquee destination on December 17, followed by daily visits across six vessels, including two of the world’s largest cruise ships.
The ships and dates are as follows: Independence of the Seas, December 25 and 29; Jewel of the Seas, December 26; Freedom of the Seas, December 27; Adventure of the Seas, December 31; and Harmony of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas on January 2 and 3, 2018 respectively.
Celebrity Cruises has also announced that Celebrity Eclipse will be returning to the island on February 4, 2018 Read more

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Gebe To Commence Trench And Road Work As Of Monday August 7Th.

PHILIPSBURG:--- NV GEBE announces that starting on Monday the 07th August 2017, there will be trench and road work activities taking place at the Yrausquin Boulevard and Buncamper Street starting at the Point Blanche cargo terminal to the Freedom Fighters roundabout near Sundial School.
The works will be carried out by Windward Roads and will be executed in collaboration with The Ministry of VROMI, Cable TV, Telem, and UTS to install the main water line, sewerage, high voltage cables and other utilities.
The project has been divided into sections which are as follows:

• Easement to Water Tank Point Blanche.
• Trenching Phase 1: Cargo Entrance – Dock Maarten (Chesterfields) - (Total 742 m)
• Trenching Phase 2: Dock Maarten (Chesterfields) – Emmaplein (total 508 m)
• Trenching Phase 3: Emmaplein – Freedom Fighters round-About (Total 409 m)
• Trenching Phase 4: Sewerage from W.G Read more

THE HAGUE:--- On Monday, July 31st, 2017, Minister Doran-York addressed the 34 Sint Maarten students after their in The Netherlands.
The same as last year, the Minister saw to it that the Cabinet was well represented while forming part of the welcoming team at the Airport.
Also present from the Cabinet were Deputy Minister Hasani Ellis, Cabinet Director Irene Simmons along with other members of the Cabinet waiving the Sint Maarten's Flag as the students exited the arrival hall.
Minister Doran-York addressed the students during an introductory meeting at the Steinberger Hotel, where they were transported to, immediately after their arrival.
The Minister and her staff are looking forward towards officially welcoming the students to the Cabinet upcoming Friday, August 4th where they will be addressed by Deputy Minister Hasani Ellis.
Below is the text of the address of the Minister Plenipotentiary Henrietta Doran-York to the students on Monday.

"First of all, I would like to thank the organizing body of this event, the USC, (Unified Sint Maarten Connection) for the invitation to address you here today Read more

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Students cried as board tried to sabotage their examination.

PHILIPSBURG:--- An RN teacher at NIPA Farrah Busby Richardson had to face police on Tuesday whose students were taking their final examinations in order to graduate.
Police showed up at the school when they were called by the chairman of the supervisory board Antonio Aventurin to escort the teacher out of the school because she submitted her resignation letter to the school stating that her resignation goes into effect as of July 8th after her students finalize their examination on July 7th.
According to information provided to SMN News when police reached the school, they met with Aventurin and was asked why he wanted the teacher removed, after given full explanation police informed Aventurin that he has no grounds to remove the teacher from the school and they left.
The situation on Tuesday created a huge turmoil for the students that were busy taking their examinations, some even called their parents, one parent even went to NIPA screaming saying that the board of NIPA is busy ruining her child’s examination Read more

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GREAT BAY:--- Presentation copies of the new book Pen on Paper: St. Martin 1970 – 2001 by Joseph H. Lake, Jr. was recently purchased by NAGICO, said Nzinga Lake, the book’s publicist.
NAGICO’s CEO Imran Mcsood Amjad was also presented with an autographed copy of Pen on Paper by Author Lake, Jr Read more