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Seven cruise ships in today

POINTE BLANCHE--Today, Thursday, December 18, will be one of the busiest days of St. Maarten's cruise tourism season, a Port St. Maarten press release stated. Seven cruise vessels in port will translate to a combined estimated 18,000 cruise passengers and another 8,000 crew members.

The smallest vessel will be Windstar Cruises' Wind Surf with more than 300 passengers and the largest Freedom of the Seas with more than 3,600 Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Thursday December 18th, 2014, a press briefing was organized between the Department of VROMI and the Police Department regarding traffic measures that will take place during the busy Christmas Holiday Season. The press briefing was held at the Philipsburg Police Station. These measures are to alleviate the serious traffic congestion that occurs during this period by creating better traffic circulation throughout the Philipsburg area.
Later during that evening between 5:00 p.m Read more

Traffic Measure Implemented

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - On Thursday December 18th a press briefing was organized between the Department of VROMI and the Police Department regarding traffic measures that will take place during the busy Christmas Holiday Season.

The press briefing was held at the Philipsburg Police Station.

These measures are to alleviate the serious traffic congestion that occurs during this period by creating better traffic circulation throughout the Philipsburg area.

Later during that evening between 05.00 p.m Read more

>POINT BLANCHE:--- Thursday, 18 December, will be one of the busiest days of the cruise tourism season for destination St. Maarten with seven cruise vessels in port with a combined 18,000 (approximately) cruise passengers. This does not include crew, which could be an additional 8,000.

The smallest vessel will be Wind Surf of Windstar Cruises with over 300 passengers, to the largest, Freedom of the Seas with over 3,600 Read more

High Court ruling sets limits to politicians’ speech freedom

THE HAGUE--A new ruling by the Dutch High Court sets limits on freedom of speech for politicians and has implications for the case against anti-Islam campaigner Geert Wilders.

The Prosecutor's Office is soon to take a decision on whether or not to press ahead with prosecuting Wilders for inciting hatred after leading a crowd of his Party for Freedom PVV followers in an anti-Morocca Read more

Erdogan defends media raids as a response to "dirty" plot

IZMIT, Turkey--Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday defended weekend raids on media outlets close to a U.S.-based Muslim cleric as a necessary response to "dirty operations" by the government's political enemies, and told a critical European Union to mind its own business.

Sunday's raids on the Zaman daily and Samanyolu television marked an escalation in Erdogan's battle with former ally Fethullah Gulen. The two have been in open conflict since a corruption probe targeting Erdogan's inner circle a year ago, which Erdogan blamed on Gulen.

He accuses the cleric of establishing a 'parallel' structure in the state through his supporters in the judiciary, police and other institutions, and of wielding influence through the media Read more

Objections in Parliament to commonwealth proposal

~ Parties say decision is up to islands ~

THE HAGUE--The Labour Party PvdA, Democratic Party D66, Christian Democratic Party CDA and ChristianUnion (CU) turned down on Monday idea of the liberal democratic VVD party and the Socialist Party (SP) to establish a Dutch commonwealth construction with an independent position for Aruba, Curaçao and St Read more

Teens unite to end violence to women

PHILIPSBURG--November 25th was International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls. In observance of the day, Women's Desk with the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour, together with Community Development, Family and Humanitarian Affairs, organised an awareness event for teenagers in the Philipsburg Cultural Centre.

Some 60 youths, both male and female, attended the event, which was part of a month of awareness activities in five high schools on both sides of the island Read more

St. Maarten shows support for Key to Freedom rehab

ST. PETERS--Recovering addict Jacob Alexander and his family joined friends, supporters, staff and clients of the Key to Freedom Christian Rehabilitation Centre at a fundraising event held at Benny’s in St. Peters recently.

The event was held to raise funds for the rehabilitation centre. Claudette Alexander, Jacob’s sister, was one of the organisers of the fun day, which provided fun for the whole family.

Fundraising Event

The event, which received a donation of drinks from Antillean Liquors and Caribbean Liquors, a bouncy castle from Kidsworld, and flyers and posters from Print Services, also saw many other sponsors contributing to help out the rehabilitation centre.

In the afternoon of November 11, more than 200 people attended to join in the fun, which included a barbecue, a children’s fun area, flea market, tombola, dominoes tournament and an open jam session Read more

Nuclear talks extended 7 months after failing to meet the deadline

VIENNA--Iran and six powers failed on Monday for a second time this year to resolve their 12-year stand-off over Tehran's nuclear ambitions, and gave themselves seven more months to clinch an historic deal.

Western officials said they were aiming to secure an agreement on the substance of a final accord by March but that more time would be needed to reach a consensus on the all-important technical details.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, trying to win relief from crippling international economic sanctions by patching up relations with the West, said the gap between the sides had narrowed at the latest round of talks in Vienna Read more

Police substation opens in Maho

MAHO--Police officers joined Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson and invited guests at the opening of the new Police Substation in Maho Village. The substation will serve Maho and the Lowlands.

The new station, which was co-funded by Dutch Funding Agency USONA, will be the hub of Community Police Officer (CPO) Josepha, affectionately known in the community as Officer Jo, four officers with mountain bikes and Segways, and two dog handlers with their four-legged companions.

The exact opening times of the new substation have not yet been determined, but the aim is to keep the station open for as many hours as possible, and to be open at key times for the area.

An official ceremony marked the opening of the substation, with Inspector Ricardo Henson as Master of Ceremonies Read more

‘History of the CXC’ to be launched December 2

KINGSTON, Jamaica--A book chronicling the forty years since the establishment of the Caribbean Examinations Council CXC will be launched during a ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday, December 2.

Entitled A History of the Caribbean Examinations Council, 1973-2013, the book was written by University of the West Indies (UWI) Professor Emeritus and Historian Patrick Bryan in celebration of CXC's 40th anniversary in 2013.

The fascinating history chronicles the story of pre-independence Caribbean leaders who fought for an examinations council that would ultimately transform the regional school system into one that addresses the specific education needs of the region head-on.

From the meeting of Heads of Government of the Commonwealth Caribbean countries in 1964, to the first meeting of the Caribbean Examinations Council in 1973, to the first examinations in 1979, readers will witness all the obstacles the Council faced as it fought for regional and international acceptance in the midst of UK-based examinations' continued presence in the Caribbean.

In his Foreword to the book, Professor E Read more

Children’s Day to be observed in string of awareness activities

~ Child abuse a theme, priority ~

PHILIPSBURG--The Department of Youth Affairs has announced that it is launching an official awareness campaign in observance of International Day of the Rights of the Child, November 20.

The campaign is a collaborative effort of the Department of Youth Affairs, the Department of Sports, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), schools and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and aims to bring awareness to children, parents and the community about children's rights.

"Child abuse," the theme for this year's campaign, will be spearheaded under the slogan "My Rights to My Protection, My Freedom from Abuse." The theme addresses articles 35, 36 and 37 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child and was deemed appropriate by the department considering the spate of reported child abuse incidents since the beginning of 2014.

Consideration also was given based on the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF report entitled "The Situation of Children and Adolescents on St Read more

Department of Youth Affairs to Celebrate 2014 International Day of the Rights of Children.

style="text-align: center;">Awareness campaign to focus on Child Abuse

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Department of Youth Affairs is launching its official annual awareness campaign in commemoration of the International Day of the Rights of the Child, which will be observed on November 20th.

The campaign which is a collaborative effort of the Department of Youth Affairs, the Department of Sports, UNESCO, schools and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) aims to bring awareness to children, parents, and the community about the rights of children.
Child abuse, the theme for this year's campaign, will be spearheaded under the slogan: " My Rights to My Protection, My Freedom from Abuse" Read more

Department Of Youth Affairs To Celebrate 2014 International Day Of The Rights Of Children -Awareness Campaign To Focus On Child Abuse

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Department of Youth Affairs is launching its official annual awareness campaign in commemoration of the International Day of the Rights of the Child, which will be observed on November 20th.

The campaign which is a collaborative effort of the Department of Youth Affairs, the Department of Sports, UNESCO, schools and non-governmental organizations (NGO's) aims to bring awareness to children, parents, and the community about the rights of children.

Child abuse, the theme for this year's campaign, will be spearheaded under the slogan: " My Rights to My Protection, My Freedom from Abuse" Read more

St. Martin/St. Maarten Day message from Collectivité President Hanson

St. Martin and Sint Maarten are once again celebrating another St. Martin Day together, a day that symbolises the union of our people, our culture, our heritage and our fate.

With an eye on history, culture and the future, St. Martiners claimed the right to decide their fate. Love of country and the will to be actively involved in the decisions connected to the future of the island are as vital as the desire for peace and harmony within our community.

This is the way both sides of the island undertook major constitutional changes that correspond better to the reality of our respective territories and the aspiration of the population.

Since the statutory evolution in 2007, the Collectivité now assumes all of the responsibilities granted to us Read more

Minister of Culture St. Maarten/St. Martin’s Day Message.

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Minister of Education, Culture, Youth & Sports Hon. Patricia Lourens-Philip on Sunday released the following message on the occasion of the national day St. Maarten/St. Martin's Day:

My Fellow St. Maarten/St. Martiners,
The significance of St. Maarten/St. Martin Day from a cultural perspective is a day when St. Maarteners from North and South come together to celebrate their national Culture Read more

Some 1,400 pupils participate in public schools’ ‘Unity Walk’

PHILIPSBURG--An estimated 1,411 pupils and 145 teachers, primarily dressed in the colours of the St. Maarten Flag, participated in a vibrant walk through Philipsburg on Friday, as part of the annual pre-St. Martin/St. Maarten Day Unity Walk.

Pupils and their teachers snaked through the streets of Philipsburg in their colourful attire, adding a dash of colour to the streets as they walked. Persons stopped along the route to watch the youngsters walk and the island prepare to celebrate St Read more

Black music, white culture and a legendary US highway

BOSTON--Author Dennis McNally accompanied the Grateful Dead as a publicist and historian on the band's "long strange trip," and he chronicled Jack Kerouac, the Beat Generation author of "On the Road".
  For his latest book, "On Highway 61: Music, Race and the Evolution of Cultural Freedom," McNally twice drove every mile of U.S. Route 61, the legendary Mississippi River road, to document the influence of black music on white America Read more

A Minute With: Sean Hannity on 'disconcerting' election, matchmaking

LOS ANGELES--Sean Hannity, the longtime Fox News Channel anchor and strong voice for American conservatives, is used to taking criticism from all comers, but it was his own unhappiness with his flabby self last year that pushed him to take up a new fight - that of "street" martial artist.

"It's a tough, tough workout," the 52-year-old said of his regimen of jiu-jitsu, blade and firearm training. "It's also really great self-defense ... I'm building muscles that I've never had before."

Hannity, whose eponymous weeknight show averages 1.7 million viewers and ranks in the top five of cable news programs, spoke to Reuters about the upcoming U.S Read more

Other Parties Stay Away From Protest Against Kingdom And Plasterk – Green March Against Instruction

St. Maarten– Between 300 and 400 people took part in the march People United for True Democracy organized yesterday afternoon in protest against the instruction from the Kingdom Council of Ministers to Governor Holiday for a stricter screening of candidate ministers – a handsome turnout with one flaw: only supporters of the United People’s party showed up.

UP party leader Theo Heyliger was there, as were his faction leader Franklin Meyers, MP Tamara Leonard and MP Lloyd Richardson Read more

Christian right will still turn out for Republicans in US midterms

SPRINGDALE, Arkansas--If Republicans win control of the Senate in the midterm elections they should say a prayer of thanks for Christian conservatives.

Although they get little attention from candidates, white evangelical Christian voters are likely to be fundamental to any Republican victories in the key Senate races, especially in the South. Reuters/Ipsos polling data shows evangelicals are more enthusiastic than the general population about the midterms.

The religious right's influence may be much reduced since the days of Moral Majority leader Jerry Falwell's alliances with Republican presidents Read more

Marchers call for ‘respect’ and end to Dutch ‘insult’

PHILIPSBURG--"We didn't vote for Bosman or Van Raak" and "Enough is enough. This is our country" were some of the messages on the placards carried by an estimated 200 marchers who took to the street Sunday afternoon to express their discontent with the Kingdom Council of Ministers' instruction to Governor Eugene Holiday to carry out what has been deemed an invasive, boundless screening into the lives of minister candidates.

The march started off from the ring road with the sizable group heading down W.J.A Read more

style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten and its people will continue to fight for their rights

PHILIPSBURG:--- Organizers of the Peoples United for True Democracy (PUTD) began gathering on the Pondfill just after 1pm on Sunday as they prepared for the march they organized to protest against the instruction the Kingdom Council of Ministers gave to Governor Holiday on September 17th, 2014. The Kingdom Council instructed the Governor of St. Maarten not to sign any Landsbesluit to appoint Ministers that are appointed by the current coalition government.

The march which was scheduled to take off from the vicinity of the WIFOL building on the Pondfill on Sunday afternoon left the location close to 3pm as buses were circling in the various districts to pick up people who wanted to participate in the march deemed as protecting the country and its people's democratic rights.
Despite the delay and several publications in the newspapers, radios, and the social media just about 100 persons attended the march, included were several members from the UP party including its leader Theodore Heyliger, MP Lloyd Richardson and MP Franklyn Meyers, children and even some workers from the brothels on the island were among those that marched down the Pondfill road to the Government Administration Building.
As the marchers marched they chanted they wanted freedom, justice and respect Read more