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Line honours for Phaedo 3 on day two of Les Voiles

ST. BARTHS--Another serving of clear skies and classic trade winds made it a very good day for promoting racing in the Caribbean, and Les Voiles de St. Barth organizers capitalised on the stellar conditions with a decision to "go big" on the regatta's second day of racing.

Making good on an earlier promise to give the largest, fastest boats here a new marquee race designed for flat-out speed, the race committee sent the Maxi 1, Maxi 2 and Multihull classes on a 42 nm course that started off Gustavia and looped around St Read more

Editorial - Reckless move?

It's always a bit difficult to judge having heard only one side of the story, but Wednesday's news that the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten (CBCS) terminated its agreement with a local contractor for renovation of the complex in Philipsburg due to "signals" of integrity issues no doubt raises questions. It supposedly regards the construction company's role in a project of St. Maarten Housing Development Foundation (SMHDF), where the managing director was dismissed recently based on perceived irregularities.

However, one has to seriously doubt whether such concerns can be a valid reason not only to break a contract for work that seemingly has nothing to do with the SMHDF-case, but also to withhold payment Read more

Gas and diesel fuel prices down today

PHILIPSBURG--Motorists will pay less for gasoline and diesel fuel at the pumps as of 6:00am today, Thursday.

The price of gasoline will drop from NAf. 1.999 to NAf. 1.936 per litre, while the price of diesel fuel will go down from NAf Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- On Tuesday April 14th, the final meeting before the official opening of the Festival Village between the Sint Maarten Carnival Development Foundation, Department of VROMI, Department of Economic Affairs and the Police Department was held at the Philipsburg Police Station. The main topics of this meeting were the "Vending and No Vending" zones in the Philipsburg area, the road closure during all of the parades and the "Opening Jump-up."
Attached to this announcement is a digital color layout of Philipsburg and surrounding areas Read more

St. Martin Football Association seeking integration with FIFA

MARIGOT—President of St. Martin Football Association (SMFA) Fabrice Baly disclosed Monday St. Martin has applied for membership of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) and is awaiting news since submission of the application on March 17.

At the last General Assembly it was agreed St. Martin Football Association would benefit greatly from integration with FIFA but because St. Martin was not an independent country it needed to receive endorsement from the French Federation of Football (FFF) which was done.

CONCACAF and FIFA member Grenada have also supported St Read more

Editorial - In a bad light

It was interesting to see the picture of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in Panama City with St. Maarten's Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs and Telecommunication Claret Connor and Port of St. Maarten CEO Mark Mingo on Monday's front page. The three men attended a round-table meeting about opportunities offered by the expanded Panama Canal, among other things.

This is noteworthy especially because Members of Parliament (MPs) in The Hague, particularly from Rutte's own VVD party, have been very critical about the Harbour Group of Companies on several occasions Read more

Mechanic’s lien is placed on Central Bank building

~ Bank claims ‘signals’ of integrity issues ~

PHILIPSBURG--Taliesin Construction N.V. has placed a “mechanic’s lien” on the building and adjoining properties owned by the Central Bank of Curaçao and St. Maarten as a means of obtaining its pay-out from the bank for the termination of its contract for the renovation of its building on W.J.A. Nisbeth Road.

The company is claiming NAf Read more

Broad support for corruption probe Curaçao, St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--The Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament voted on Tuesday for the motion by Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) and André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party calling for an investigation of the flow of money between criminal organisations and the governments of Curaçao and St. Maarten.

A broad majority of the Second Chamber voted in favour of the motion, which Van Raak presented during a short follow-up meeting last week Wednesday, following the general debate with Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk on March 31 about the level of governance in the Dutch Caribbean countries.

The motion called on the Dutch Government to facilitate an investigation into the (illegal) flow of money between the under- and upper-world in Curaçao and St Read more

Obama concedes Congress role on Iran deal

WASHINGTON--U.S. President Barack Obama conceded on Tuesday that Congress will have the power to review a nuclear deal with Iran, reluctantly giving in to pressure from Republicans and some in his own party after they crafted a rare compromise demanding a say.

The role for the Republican-controlled Congress injects a new element of uncertainty into the delicate final stages of negotiations between major powers and Iran aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Since a preliminary agreement was reached in Switzerland on April 2, the White House had stepped up its lobbying to persuade Democratic senators not to support the bipartisan bill that would give Congress oversight of a final deal, saying it could threaten what Obama hopes will be a legacy-defining foreign-policy achievement Read more

India builds first "smart" city as urban population swells

GANDHINAGAR, India--India's push to accommodate a booming urban population and attract investment rests in large part with dozens of "smart" cities like the one being built on the dusty banks of the Sabarmati river in western India. So far, it boasts modern underground infrastructure, two office blocks and not much else.
  The plan, however, is for a meticulously planned metropolis complete with gleaming towers, drinking water on tap, automated waste collection and a dedicated power supply - luxuries to many Indians Read more

Minister TEATT Connor Signs-off on Chamber of Commerce & Industry Rules of Procedure. Also receives Chamber’s 2015 1Q Report

>PHILIPSBURG:-- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor and the President of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peggy-Ann Brandon, accompanied by members of the Chamber Board and the Minister's Chief of Staff Jean James, signed the Chamber Board's Rules of Procedures document indicating that the Board updated the Rules of Order, and has received the Minister's approval Read more

Minister TEATT Connor receives a visit from the Gagnone’s family long-time tourist visitors

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, received a courtesy visit from a childhood friend St. Maarten Air Traffic Controller Joslyn Rombley at his office last week. Rombley wanted to introduce two long-time visitors to the island Mr. and Mrs. Paul Gagnone, from New Hampshire, United States of America, to the Minister who is responsible for Tourism.
Paul and Yvonne have been coming to St Read more

MP Lake commends PJL on getting seniors involved in computer technology

>PHILIPSBURG:--– United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake would like commend the Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) for hosting a workshop for senior citizens at St. Martin's Home about computer technology.

The Media Lab workshop was organized to assist persons who have little or no experience with computers on how to use this intelligent device.

"I heard that the seniors who took part in the workshop were very pleased and expressed great interests in the subject Read more

Taliesin Construction placed “Mechanics Lien” on Central Bank.

style="text-align: center;">Central Bank Terminated Agreement for Integrity Allegations.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Attorney at law Roland Duncan legal representative of Taliesin Construction that is owned by Carl Critchlow has placed a "Mechanic's Lien" on the Central Bank in order for the bank to pay off the construction company whom they awarded a contract to remodel and renovate the Central Bank building on St Read more

Minister Teatt Connor Signs-Off On Chamber Of Commerce & Industry Rules Of Procedure. Also Receives Chamber's 2015 1Q Report

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor and the President of the St. Maarten Chamber of Commerce and Industry Peggy-Ann Brandon, accompanied by members of the Chamber Board and the Minister's Chief of Staff Jean James, signed the Chamber Board's Rules of Procedures document indicating that the Board updated the Rules of Order, and has received the Minister's approval Read more

Ser To Be Featured On Tv Program

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten— The Department of Communication (DCOMM) recently conducted an interview with the advisory body, the Social Economic Council, in Dutch Sociaal Economishche Raad, also widely known as SER for its TV Program Inside Government.

DCOMM spoke to the chairlady of the SER board, Oldine Bryson-Pantophlet, who elaborated on the role of the board and the responsibilities of its board members.

Chairlady Bryson-Pantophlet talked about who can bring issues to the table for the organization of SER to discuss and provide advice on Read more

Mp Wescot-Williams Seeks Information On Governing Programme

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The governing programme was once again addressed by leader of the Democratic and Member of Parliament, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams during the Parliamentary meeting handling the draft National Ordinance for the establishment of an Integrity Chamber.

Whilst addressing that subject, Read more

Mp Lake Commends Pjl On Getting Seniors Involved In Computer Technology

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) party Member of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake would like commend the Philipsburg Jubilee Library (PJL) for hosting a workshop for senior citizens at St. Martin's Home about computer technology.

The Media Lab workshop was organized to assist persons who have little or no experience with computers on how to use this intelligent device.

"I heard that the seniors who took part in the workshop were very pleased and expressed great interests in the subject Read more

Minister Teatt Connor Receives A Visit From The Gagnone's Family Long-Time Tourist Visitors

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (Ministry TEATT) Hon. Claret Connor, received a courtesy visit from a childhood friend St. Maarten Air Traffic Controller Joslyn Rombley at his office last week.

Rombley wanted to introduce two long-time visitors to the island Mr. and Mrs Read more

Guenter Grass, author of The Tin Drum, dies at 87

BERLIN--German novelist Guenter Grass, the Nobel Prize-winning author of "The Tin Drum", an epic treatment of the Nazi era, died on Monday at the age of 87, his publishers said.

A broad-shouldered man with a drooping moustache, Grass spurned the German tradition of keeping a cool intellectual distance, insisting that a writer's duty was to be at the frontline of moral and political debate. For many, he was the voice of a German generation that came of age in World War Two and bore the burden of their parents' guilt for the atrocities of the Nazis.

The independent German Cultural Council called him "more than a writer .. Read more

Editorial - Lesser of two evils

It appears there might not be majority backing in Parliament for the draft ordinance to establish an Integrity Chamber. No voting has taken place yet, as the matter was discussed only in the Central Committee, so the public won't know for sure until the draft legislation is up for approval in a Plenary Session.

However, judging by the comments during Monday's meeting, several members of the coalition and even within the UP fraction have differing views on the matter Read more

Rutte, Eman meet with Raúl Castro

THE HAGUE--Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte held talks with Cuba President Raúl Castro and several Latin American leaders of government in Panama City over the weekend.

The meeting between Castro and Rutte, who was accompanied by Aruba's Prime Minister Mike Eman and Curaçao's Minister of Finance José Jardim, on Saturday evening lasted an hour and mostly focused on the historical reconciliation between Cuba and the United States of America and its consequences for the Caribbean.

"Hopefully the reconciliation will result in a more open Cuba, as well as economic growth and democratic development Read more

MPs still have reservations about Integrity Chamber

~ Meyers: Independence only choice ~

PHILIPSBURG--Several Members of Parliament (MPs) made it crystal clear on Monday that if the proposed Integrity Chamber stagnates the growth of the country and hampers St. Maarteners from prospering, the law to establish the chamber will not receive their support.

Chief among those speaking out about the draft law was coalition member MP Franklin Meyers (United People's (UP) party) Read more

St. Maarten should seek to have its own Attorney General --- Current Attorney General does not work in the interest of St. Maarten --- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson.

style="text-align: center;">Ruling Majority totally against draft ordinance.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Justice Dennis Richardson did not mingle with words on Monday morning when he was responding to questions regarding the draft ordinance to establish the integrity chamber on St. Maarten.
On the question as to who is responsible for justice on St. Maarten, Minister Richardson said that the Minister of Justice is responsible for justice in each country, however, he made clear that St Read more