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Lake Urges Ministry To Get Rid Of Nipa-Board

St. Maarten – United people’s party MP Maurice Lake urged Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs yesterday to get rid of the board at the National Institute of Professional Advancement (Nipa).

“When the school started in 2014 it had 288 students. In 2015 there are just 65,” Lake said. The board does not live up to any deadlines Read more

Verene Shepherd Lectures At University On Saturday

Dr. Verene Shepherd. Photo courtesy VAS

St. Maarten – Dr. Verene Shepherd is the key note speaker at a lecture entitled “Reparatory Justice and the Decade for People of African Descent: The Caricom Case,” organized by the Independence for St. Martin Foundation (ISMF) at the University of St. Martin on Pond Island on Saturday at 8 p.m.

Keynote speaker Dr. Shepherd is an author, historian, and professor at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica. “The lecture focuses on the Caricom case for Reparations Read more

St. Maarten Government Falls – Three Coalition Members Defect

Picture: St. Maarten Parliament

NEWSFLASH!! St. Maarten– The Gumbs government fell shortly after 12.30 p.m. today (Wednesday, September 30, 2015) after the parliament passed a motion of no-confidence submitted by Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams with an 8-7 vote Read more

MPs defer talk on double taxation

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) have deferred discussions about the new tax treaty between St. Maarten and the Netherlands until they can hear from Finance Minister Martin Hassink.

The treaty, said to be in conformity with internationally accepted regulations, was on the agenda of Tuesday's Central Committee sitting in Parliament House. However, independent MP Cornelius de Weever said he had questions about the treaty, especially the effects of it on St Read more

NIPA board refuses to sign agreement with ministry

~ MP tells minster to fire board ~

PHILIPSBURG--The Advanced Vocational Education (AVE) board of National Institute of Professional Advancement (NIPA) has refused to sign an agreement with the Education Ministry geared at improving the institute.

The board also has refused to adhere to a seven-point plan of action to improve things at the institute, Education Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs told Members of Parliament (MPs) during the continuation of a parliamentary session on NIPA and other issues on Tuesday Read more

Sergi, Suarez rescue Barcelona in late win

BARCELONA-- Two late goals in two minutes from Sergi Roberto and Luis Suarez gave European champions Barcelona a dramatic 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.
  Trailing 1-0 at the Nou Camp with 10 minutes to go, Sergi poked in a rebound from close range, and moments later Suarez produced a fine finish for the winner, sweeping home first-time from just inside the area.
  Kyriakos Papadopoulos had put the German side ahead after 22 minutes from a corner, with Barcelona keeper Marc-Andre Ter Stegen beaten in the air.
  For Barcelona, who were without injured talisman Lionel Messi, it was a frustrating game of missed chances until their pressure told.
  "We believed in ourselves until the end," Suarez told reporters.
  "We are the champions Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:----  Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs meeting with the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte last week during his working visit to the Netherlands, was an opportunity to discuss pertinent issues related to the relations between both countries within the Kingdom, Minister Plenipotentiary Josianne Fleming-Artsen said on Tuesday.

“Prime Minister Gumbs touched on all the current issues related to the country, and specifically regarding the Integrity Chamber and the instruction related to financial matters.

“Prime Minister Rutte responded with great respect Read more

>GREAT BAY:---- The new lecture organized by the Independence for St. Martin Foundation (ISMF) is “Reparatory Justice and the Decade for People of African Descent: The CARICOM Case” by Dr. Verene Shepherd.
The lecture will take place at the University of St. Martin (USM) on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at 8 PM, said lecture coordinator Dr. Rhoda Arrindell.
Keynote speaker Dr Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The University of St. Martin donates to Dominica the day after Dominica was hit by heavy rainfalls due to Tropical Storm Erika, the Board of Directors and Management of the University of St. Martin (USM) addressed a letter to the Prime Minister of Dominica Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, in an act of spontaneous solidarity. In that letter USM pledged its support to the recovery of Dominica. That very same day students, faculty, and staff began to pool resources to assist with the relief efforts Read more

Elton Jones About Five Years Country St. Maarten: “Basically We Are Back To Colonial Status”

Former Island Council member and Commissioner Elton Jones. Photo Today / Milton Pieters

St. Maarten /By Hilbert Haar – Eleven days from now, St. Maarten will mark the fifth anniversary of its existence as an autonomous country in the Dutch Kingdom. Are we better off than before, or not? And where do we go from here? Elton Jones, a former Island Council member and a former Commissioner back in the nineties, is of two minds: we’re not better off, but there is still hope for our country.

“The politicians in Philipsburg set the bar far too high,” the former air traffic controller says Read more

Lions Clubs Net Over $6,200 For Dominica Disaster Relief

St. Maarten – A joint Radiothon by Lions Clubs of St. Maarten, Saint Martin and St. Barths raised $6,262.55 for the Dominica relief effort over the weekend. The Lions Clubs of St. Maarten, Fort Louis, Doyen, Qualichi and Ile de St. Barthelemy raised the funds in just four hours.

Even though the result is short of the $30,000 target set for the Radiothon, the Lions Club members are satisfied with the joint effort and the generous pledges that were made by members of the public in such a short time.

“We received very few pledges from the many large companies on St Read more

Can we get financing?

Dear Editor,

I started to comment on a different topic when, what has become a nuisance, the days current went again, this time for almost two hours. Last week G.E.B.E. promised us that there would not be any outages for a while because the problem causing the load shedding was solved. That was like telling us that the mouse will not eat the cheese anymore because we bought a mousetrap.

And then, two days later no Cable TV. The lady at customer service said that they did not have any current because of a G.E.B.E Read more

Obama, Putin clash over working with Assad

UNITED NATIONS--The United States said on Monday it was willing to cooperate with Russia, as well as Iran, to try to end the Syrian civil war, but the two big powers clashed over whether to work with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
  Speaking at the annual United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Barack Obama described Assad as a tyrant and as the chief culprit behind the four-year civil war in which at least 200,000 people have died and millions have been driven from their homes.
  Russian President Vladimir Putin, in contrast, told the gathering of world leaders that there was no alternative to cooperating with Assad's military in an effort to defeat the Islamic State militant group, which has seized parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq Read more

Afghan Taliban seize Kunduz city centre in landmark gain

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan--Taliban fighters on Monday battled their way into the centre of Kunduz, a city in northern Afghanistan, and seized the provincial governor's office in one of the militant group's biggest territorial gains in 14 years, witnesses and officials said.
  In a major setback for Afghan forces, who abandoned a provincial headquarters for the first time since 2001, the insurgents raised their white banner over the central square and freed hundreds of fellow militants from the local jail Read more

Scientists: Water flows on Mars, raising possibility that planet could support life

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida--Briny water flows during the summer months on Mars, raising the possibility that the planet long thought to be arid could support life today, scientists analyzing data from a NASA spacecraft said on Monday.
  Although the source and the chemistry of the water is unknown, the discovery will change scientists' thinking about whether the planet that is most like Earth in the solar system hosts microbial life beneath its radiation-blasted crust.
  "It suggests that it would be possible for life to be on Mars today," John Grunsfeld, NASA's associate administrator for science, told reporters, discussing the study published in the journal Nature Geoscience.
  "Mars is not the dry, arid planet that we thought of in the past Read more

Bouyon for Dominica Benefit Concert this coming Saturday

MARIGOT--The Dominica Foundation of St. Maarten/St. Martin will present the Bouyon for Dominica Benefit Concert this coming Saturday, October 3, to raise funds for the stricken nature island in its post-Erika aftermath.

The much anticipated concert with popular artistes from Dominica and St. Maarten/St. Martin will be held at Festival Village, Philipsburg, from 4:00pm to 3:00am.

The press conference on Monday not only announced the concert but also showed a preview of a documentary film made by MSR Cable TV cameraman Kitian Francis who went to Dominica with St Read more

Talented youths win TelCell Breakthrough competition

MAHO--The Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino’s Theatre Royale exploded with talent on Saturday for the third annual TelCell Breakthrough Talent Show Competition.

Winning the various categories were Aldi Farrell for instruments; Rumari Rogers for rapping; Lian Borsje for dance, Kyanni Atmpawiro for vocals and Paul Brown for “beatboxer.” Special awards were presented to Rogers for Best Team Spirit; Lisha Maduro for Most Punctual; Aldi Farrell for Producers Pick; Celina Monsanto for Most Creative Performance and SMS Campaign winner Leann Richardson.

The TelEm Group said the competition was successfully managed through collaboration of a team of volunteers from TelEm Group and promoter Xtratight Entertainment.

Xtraight Entertainment representative Berteaux “Mr Read more

MPs meet about Schram’s comments on Wednesday

PHILIPSBURG--Members of Parliament (MPs) are set to give their views in a plenary session of Parliament on Wednesday on the comments made by Attorney-General Guus Schram at the installation of a new judge on September 11.

Justice Minister Dennis Richardson has been invited to the session in Parliament House slated to start at 10:00am.

Richardson already has called on Schram to produce evidence of his claims of a serious mixing of the underworld and civil society.

This urgent public meeting was requested by Democratic Party MP Sarah Wescot-Williams and National Alliance MPs William Marlin, Silveria Jacobs, and Christophe Emmanuel.

The parliamentary session will be aired live on St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Leona Marlin-Romeo continues to donate sports equipment to the country’s public primary schools.

The Prins Willem Alexander School, Ruby Labega School, and the Oranje School, all received soccer equipment from the MP.

All six public schools have now received sports eq Read more

>Pond Island:--- TelEm Group personnel capped a month-long campaign of cervical and prostate cancer awareness with a potentially life-saving talk from businessman Michael Ferrier and the KaLaHa Projects founder, Keoman Hamer.
The session took place in the TelEm Group main building Friday with close to 80 persons in attendance. It will be followed up in the coming days with special screening sessions for male and female workers in the company.
The talk was organized by TelEm Group’s Change Champions group in collaboration with the KaLaHa Foundation to bring attention to cervical cancer awareness for women.

“Since we were doing this for women in the company, a decision was taken to also include prostate cancer awareness information for men in the company also,” said Foundation founder Ms Read more

TelCell Breakthrough winners announced following Saturday’s exciting finals

>Pond Island:--- The 3rd annual TelCell Breakthrough talent show at the Theatre Royale, Maho, has been hailed another runaway success by event organizers and Minister of Education Youth & Sports, Mrs. Rita Bourne-Gumbs.

At the end of a grueling night of performances, the judges were very candid in their assessment of all the performers and named the following winners on the night:
Aldi Farrell - Instruments
Rumari Rogers - Rapping
Lian Borsje - Dance
Kyanni Atmpawiro - Vocals
Paul Brown – Beatboxer

Awards were also presented to the finalists for:

Best Team Spirit: Rumari RogersMost Punctual: Lisha MaduroProducer’s Pick: Aldi FarrellMost Creative Performance: Celina MonsantoSMS Campaign Winner: Leann Richardson

According to show organizers, Saturday’s event played to a full house with many persons unable to get into the show where they would have witnessed an impromptu singing performance from Member of Parliament, Tamara Leonard and VIP guest for the night.

Also an honoured guest was Minister of Education, Culture, Sport and Youth Affairs, Mrs Read more

>PHILIPSBURG/MARIGOTSt. BARTHS:---- A joint Radio-thon by Lions Clubs of St. Maarten/St. Martin and St. Barthelemy raised much needed cash for the Dominica relief effort over the weekend. In just four hours, the service club members consisting of the Lions Club of St. Maarten, the Lions Club of Fort Louis, the Lions Club of Doyen, the Lions Club Qualichi and the Lions Club Ile de St. Barthelemy raised an impressive $6,262.55 for Dominica relief.

Even though the amount is short of the $30,000 target set for the Radio-thon, the Lions Club members are satisfied with the joint effort and the generous pledges that were made by members of the public in such a short amount of time.

“We received very few pledges from the many large companies on St Read more

>AIRPORT:--- Stagnating the expansion and projects at the Princess Juliana International Airport has taken yet another level. This time the Council of Ministers decided on August 19th 2015 that they will instruct Domain Affairs not to issue any more long lease land and or renew long lease for any land that the Operating Company of Princess Juliana International Airport (PJAIE) has and that all land must be given to the Holding of the Government owned company.
Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs dispatched a letter to the head of Domain Affairs on August 25th 2015 instructing the department head of the decision taken by the Council of Ministers on August 19th 2015 Read more

Tax-Compliance Measures Are Not Working

Cft: “Structural overhaul personnel costs necessary”

St. Maarten – Measures the government has put in place to increase tax compliance are not working. This appears from the reaction from financial supervisor Cft to the second execution report 2015. In the first half year, tax revenue fell 8 million guilders below budget. For the whole year, St. Maarten expects to collect 8.6 million guilders less than budgeted.

Nevertheless, the government wants to increase income levels for 2015 to 470 million guilders but, as this newspaper already reported last week, this does not have the approval of the financial supervisor.

“By taking additional measures St Read more