SXMElections.com

>PHILIPSBURG – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, endorses the upcoming Rotaract District 7020 Conference 2015 which will be taking place here under the banner, "Helping Hands, Touching Hearts, Changing Lives."

Rotaract is a service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30 who are dedicated to community and international service Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- SMN News received two phone calls on Monday  from two adults in Colombia who wanted to know if there is any restaurant or club by the name of "Lucky Shot" on St. Maarten. The two adults said that since the Minister of Foreign Relations of the Kingdom and Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs announced that they have decided to waive the visa requirements for Columbians travelling to Curacao and St Read more

Minister Connor To Be A Presenter At Rotaract District 7020 Conference 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, endorses the upcoming Rotaract District 7020 Conference 2015 which will be taking place here under the banner, "Helping Hands, Touching Hearts, Changing Lives."

Rotaract is a service club for young men and women ages 18 to 30 who are dedicated to community and international service Read more

Minister Connor Presents School Garden Pumpkin To I-Can Foster Home

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, recently presented the I-CAN Foster Home a pumpkin that he received from the school garden at the Seventh Day Adventist School that he visited last week.

"I would like to thank the Seventh Day Adventist School for the donation of the pumpkin grown in their school garden.

I am happy to have been able to present to I-CAN Foundation the pumpkin for their supper Read more

Parliamentary Committee For Kingdom Affairs And Inter Parliamentary Relations Preparing For Holland Talks

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Parliamentary committee for Kingdom affairs and inter parliamentary relations meet on Monday morning.

During their meeting the committee which is chaired by MP Sarah Wescot-Williams handled matters pertaining to the upcoming Tri Partite and IPKO meeting which are scheduled to take place in Holland from May 25th to the 29th.

Chairlady Wescot-Williams also confirmed during the meeting that the tentative agenda for the meeting has been received.

There is however one area of urgency and that is with relevant and important information that is needed from government.

MP's the Honorable Cornelius de Weever and Leona Romeo Marlin is adamant that government not only come to parliament to provide the vital information needed in order to prepare for the Tri Partite and IPKO meeting but also that they come with the information and not just tell parliament where they can find it.

President of Parliament Dr Read more

Candlelight Memorial

A large gathering reflected on this year’s theme “Supporting the future” at the annual St. Maarten AIDS Foundation and Helping Ourselves in a Positive Environment HOPE International Candlelight Memorial at Carl’s Unique Inn on Sunday. The event was attended by several government officials, including Health Minister Rita Bourne-Gumbs and Member of Parliament Cornelius de Weever, donors, well-wishers and supporters from all walks of life Read more

George queries whether SZV, APS, govt reach agreement

PHILIPSBURG--National Alliance (NA) Member of Parliament (MP) George Pantophlet wants to know whether an agreement has been reached amongst government and the Social and Health Insurance SZV and the General Pension Fund APS.

In a press release on Sunday, Pantophlet said the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT on several occasions had urged government to come to an agreement as to how it will pay the arrears of these funds Read more

Confiscation of PCs, phones bottleneck for Police Force

PHILIPSBURG--The confiscation of items such as computers and telephones was cited as one of the main bottlenecks for the Police Force in a Council for Law Enforcement report on the daily confiscation of items by the police.

The report was one of two the Council presented to Justice Minister Dennis Richardson on Friday. According to the report, these items “are not centrally managed or registered. With the absence of an administrator, there is no overview of such items and the storage is scattered.”

The report also said management safeguarded insufficiently the interests of security and transparency in the confiscation of these items Read more

Egyptian court seeks death penalty for ex-president

CAIRO--An Egyptian court on Saturday sought the death penalty for former president Mohamed Mursi and 106 supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood in connection with a mass jail break in 2011.
  Mursi and his fellow defendants, including top Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, were convicted for killing and kidnapping policemen, attacking police facilities and breaking out of jail during the uprising, against then-president Hosni Mubarak. The court's request drew condemnations from Amnesty International and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
  A final ruling is expected on June 2 Read more

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Dear Editor,

In a democracy, elections are the main catalyst for change or status quo in most conservative societies. It seems extremely difficult to accurately describe the stagnation here in what we like to call "country St. Maarten". Not so long ago, a few months short of a year, everyone was euphoric during the elections, while predicting a victory for their colour/party. And as elections go in St. Maarten, the last one was no different with the candidates doing their utmost to convince the voters, and of course, the unintended character assassinations Read more

St. Maarten Soccer Association elects Singh as new president

COLEBAY- Sudesh ‘Johnny’ Singh was elected president of the St. Maarten Soccer Association Saturday.  Three candidates postulated for the position including Singh, president Nicky Owen and vice-president Elton Jones.
   Singh won with seven out of the nine votes cast. Singh has a long history of being involved in football as a player, referee and coach on the island and was president of the local Futsal Association.
  Elected to the board were Noris Richards of FC Veendam, Danaë Daal of Oualichi Women’s Soccer Association,  Dwain Wright and Natasha Wright of Flames United Sports Club, Stanley York of FC Superstars and  Orien Allen of C&D Connections.
  Concacaf representative Marco Leal and members of the St Read more

Minister TEATT visits Seventh Day Adventist School Garden – Promoting Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits

>PHILIPSBURG:----   Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor earlier in the week visited the school garden of the Seventh Day Adventist School in Cole Bay. Minister Connor, was very impressed with what the elementary school children along with their teachers have been able to achieve, and pointed out that school gardens help promote lifelong healthy eating habits.

The school garden is part of the community school and teaching kids how to grow vegetables and fruits is part of the curriculum.

In general school gardens are cultivation areas or so-called 'school laboratories.' The aforementioned provides agricultural knowledge and skills, and makes the teaching of Science and Environmental Education more relevant and effective.

It also may benefit pupils, as the future food producers and provide some nutritional support to them.

These gardens mainly produce vegetables and fruits, and some may include small-scale animal husbandry and fishery, beekeeping, ornamental plants, and shading, and small scale staple food production.

"School gardens are gaining prominence in all parts of the world according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Read more

>Dawn Beach:---  St. Maarten, May 15, 2015: During a meeting held at the premises of the property on May 14, Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Hotel was officially awarded with the "Certificate of Recognition for Exceptional Guest Ratings and Reviews" by the international online travel agency Hotels.com, part of Expedia Inc., one of the most important online travel corporations in the world.
This certificate recognizes accommodation properties which receive the highest guest reviews and ratings as part of the feedback that guest leave at hotels.com regarding the service provided by the property they booked.

"This latest award is an affirmation of the commitment and dedication of every staff member at Princess Heights Read more

Minister of Telecommunications Connor Congratulates all working in Telecom and ICT sectors in WTISD Message

>PHILIPSBURG:----  Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor on Sunday, 17th of May congratulated via a press statement all telecommunication sector workers on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), which is being internationally observed today.

The theme for WTISD is "Telecommunications and ICTs: Drivers of innovation." 17th of May has been identified as a day to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all telecommunication workers as well as all those working in ICT in this WTISD message Read more

Minister Of Telecommunications Connor Congratulates All Working In Telecom And Ict Sectors In Wtisd Message

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor on Sunday, 17th of May congratulated via a press statement all telecommunication sector workers on World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), which is being internationally observed today.

The theme for WTISD is "Telecommunications and ICTs: Drivers of innovation." 17th of May has been identified as a day to help raise awareness of the possibilities that the use of the internet and other information and communication technologies (ICT) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all telecommunication workers as well as all those working in ICT in this WTISD message Read more

Minister Teatt Visits Seventh Day Adventist School Garden – Promoting Lifelong Healthy Eating Habits

PHILIPSBURG,St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor earlier in the week visited the school garden of the Seventh Day Adventist School in Cole Bay.

Minister Connor, was very impressed with what the elementary school children along with their teachers have been able to achieve, and pointed out that school gardens help promote lifelong healthy eating habits.

The school garden is part of the community school and teaching kids how to grow vegetables and fruits is part of the curriculum.

In general school gardens are cultivation areas or so-called 'school laboratories.' The aforementioned provides agricultural knowledge and skills, and makes the teaching of Science and Environmental Education more relevant and effective.

It also may benefit pupils, as the future food producers and provide some nutritional support to them.

These gardens mainly produce vegetables and fruits, and some may include small-scale animal husbandry and fishery, beekeeping, ornamental plants, and shading, and small scale staple food production.

"School gardens are gaining prominence in all parts of the world according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization Read more

Princess Heights Hotel Awarded With Certificate Of Recognition For High Quality Service By Hotels.Com

DAWN BEACH, St. Maarten - During a meeting held at the premises of the property on May 14, Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Hotel was officially awarded with the "Certificate of Recognition for Exceptional Guest Ratings and Reviews" by the international online travel agency Hotels.com, part of Expedia Inc., one of the most important online travel corporations in the world.

This certificate recognizes accommodation properties which receive the highest guest reviews and ratings as part of the feedback that guest leave at hotels.com regarding the service provided by the property they booked.

"This latest award is an affirmation of the commitment and dedication of every staff member at Princess Heights Read more

Blues legend B.B. King dies at age 89

LAS VEAGS--Blues legend B.B. King, who took his music from rural juke joints to the mainstream and inspired a generation of guitarists from Eric Clapton to Stevie Ray Vaughan, has died in Las Vegas. He was 89.
  King, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, had said in May he was in hospice care at his home after being hospitalized in April with dehydration related to diabetes.
  "The blues has lost its king, and America has lost a legend," President Barack Obama said in a statement, recalling how he sang "Sweet Home Chicago" with King at a White House blues concert three years ago Read more

The more things change, the more they remain the same

~ Police in the Windward Islands ~

By Jessica Vance Roitman

Two recent items in the media caught my attention: the first was Mr. Will Johnson’s latest post on his blog, The Saba Islander. He wrote about the fact that the Dutch colonial governor in Curaçao used to write to the Commander of Saba in English, thereby respecting the fact that he was governing an English-speaking territory. Mr. Johnson laments that things have changed since the 1860s. The understanding – exemplified by this employment of English in official correspondence – which used to exist between those who exercised Dutch colonial authority and those they governed in the Windward Islands, seems to have faded away Read more

SNSM sea rescue RIB christened at marina

MARIGOT--The volunteers of French-side sea rescue service SNSM savoured an uplifting moment Friday evening when their second-hand semi-rigid inflatable boat (RIB) was christened officially at a ceremony on the shore next to Marina Fort Louis in front of elected officials and many invited guests.

The yellow RIB came into view with its crew just before the ceremony began, followed by the lifeboats SNSM 269 from St. Barths and Rescue 2 from the St. Maarten Sea Rescue Foundation, both vessels sounding their horns for the celebratory occasion before tying up to the entrance dock.

The 12-metre-long 3.62-metre-wide RIB named Rescue Star is powered by two 275-horsepower outboard engines and in calm sea conditions can reach speeds of 35-40 knots Read more

Woman admits leaving baby to die on cruise ship docked here

HAMMOND, INDIANA--A Northwest Indiana woman has pleaded guilty to giving birth on Carnival Dream and leaving the baby girl to die under a bed.

The deceased infant was discovered in a guest cabin by a Carnival Dream employee while the ship was in port in St. Maarten on October 12, 2011. The cruise line informed authorities in St. Maarten about the incident. That same day Dutch authorities took custody of the infant's body and interviewed the mother Read more

Minister Teatt Connor Officially Opens Smart 2015

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor officially opened the 14th Edition of St. Maarten/St. Martin Annual Regional Trade Show (SMART) 2015 on Wednesday at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino.

SMART is a three day event bringing together tourism stakeholders such as Tour Operators, Travel Agents, Travel Writers, and Event Planners to support, interact and promote tourism to the Eastern Caribbean.

International stakeholders come from as far as the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and Latin America.

During the Ministers address to SMART attendees, he pointed out the successes of 2014: a record two million plus cruise passengers; stay-over tourism visitors' increase of 10 per cent compared to 2013; overall hotel occupancy averaged upwards of 80 per cent; Port St Read more

SMART hosts 14th annual tradeshow

MAHO--The on-going fourteenth St. Martin/St. Maarten Annual Regional Tradeshow (SMART), dubbed the most important tradeshow of the Northeastern Caribbean, hosted its main day of activities at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino yesterday, May 14.

Although attendance was not as high as the 2014 event, which boasted one of the best turnouts in years, even participants who did not make any new connections pointed to the importance and usefulness of the annual event that targets local, regional and international tourism stakeholders.

However, noticeable was the lack of participants from South America that had been a major characteristic in 2014, and the non-presence of some regional islands Read more

Multiracial coalition unseats Guyana ruling PPP/C party

GEORGETOWN--Guyana's multiracial opposition coalition has won a national election, breaking the ruling Indo-Guyanese party's 23 year-old grip on power, the election board said on Thursday, signalling a new era in the ethnically-divided South American nation.

The APNU+AFC coalition, led by former army brigadier and publisher David Granger, won 206,817 votes, versus 201,457 for President Donald Ramotar's PPP party, the election authorities said after all votes were counted.

Ramotar said the elections were rigged and demanded a recount, without giving more details of his accusations.

Diplomats from the United Kingdom and the United States said they were free and fair, and the Guyana Elections Commission said its first tally was unlikely to change on review.

Since gaining independence from Britain in 1966, the nation of just 740,000 people has suffered tensions, and occasional violence, between citizens of Indian and African descent.

The People's Progressive Party (PPP) has ruled since 1992 and Afro-Guyanese complain they are marginalized.

But the coalition, a recent fusion between the traditional black party and a smaller third party, had campaigned to break that hegemony, cheered on by youth less hung up on ethnicity and increasingly fed up with the status quo.

"We are a six-party coalition and we are the closest Guyana has ever gotten to a government of national unity and that makes me very happy," said a beaming Granger at his Georgetown home after results were announced.

The 69-year-old has a degree in history and received military training in Nigeria, Brazil and the United Kingdom Read more