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Claire Gioun-Firmin appointed Riu Palace Assistant Director

MARIGOT--Claire Javois Guion-Firmin was recently appointed to the position of Assistant Director of the Riu Palace Hotel in Anse Marcel, St. Martin Tourism Office President Jeanne Rogers-Vanterpool disclosed Read more

style="text-align: center;">People of St. Maarten should take the time to read the document Issued by the Dutch Regarding Integrity on St. Maarten.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Ethelwoldus Josepha, President of the NAPB Police union has issued a strong call on the people of St. Maarten, mainly civil servants and politicians to take their time and read the document sent to St. Maarten Government regarding the higher supervision placed on St Read more

Wescott-Williams: “New Tax System Cannot Be Introduced Overnight”

St. Maarten —A new tax system cannot be introduced overnight, notes leader of the Democratic Party faction in Parliament MP Sarah Wescott-Williams, who said she intends to discuss this new tax system in a meeting with the Minister of Finance. MP Wescott-Williams pointed out that the need for introducing a new tax system has been in discussions for years but there must be consultations and there are a lot of different aspects to take into consideration.

While acknowledging that the new tax system cannot be introduced overnight, the DP leader said a start must be made Read more

Princess Heights Awarded Green Key Eco-Label

St. Maarten -The Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) awarded Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Condo Hotel with the first and only Green Key Eco-Label certification in St. Maarten, solidifying St. Maarten’s reputation as a destination that is serious about the environment.

“Here at Princess Heights, we’ve been using Green Key guidelines as a model for best practices for many years,” said Emil Lee, General Manager of Princess Heights.  “If ‘being green’ translated to higher prices, it would not be sustainable for businesses to make green choices Read more

Dp Wants Answers From Gebe

St. Maarten -A list of pertinent questions will be forwarded to Gebe by the Democratic Party faction in parliament following a recent meeting between the company representatives and the parliament.

Leader of the Democratic Party faction in parliament Sarah Wescott-Williams noted that there is a government endorsed energy plan for the Country St Read more

Are we in Cuba or St. Maarten --- Prime Minister allegedly running a booth camp in Government Building.

style="text-align: center;">Civil Servants disgusted and ready to take action.

PHILIPSBURG:--- Several civil servants working at the Government Administration Building are disgusted and are ready to take action if Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs continues with what they consider as 'dictatorship" attitude. The civil servants who prefer to remain anonymous said that if they are seen in the corridor talking to a colleague or going to the kitchen the Prime Minister will come up to them and say "get back to work, it's not yet happy hour." Those who spoke to SMN News said that the Prime Minister would go as far as checking to see if civil servants are at their desk working Read more

Shujah’s pick of books for “the ‘readingist’ month” of the year

by Shujah Reiph

When I first glanced at the Facebook post from Nehesi House at the end of January, about February being "the readingist month" of the year, I had to laugh, because that is a big statement to make without any backup information.

I was about to call Lasana right away, for proof, since he always drills me about evidence and having "multiple sources" when I find some new historical information. Nehesi House is the Facebook page of House of Nehesi Publishers (HNP). Lasana Sekou is a poet and projects director of HNP Read more

Chikungunya thrives in climate variability of the Caribbean

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad--Jenny had gone to bed feeling well, but an hour into her sleep she suddenly awoke with a "stiff, cramping pain" behind one knee. Within the next hour the pains had multiplied and both knees began to lock, followed by stiffened fingers and pains in her chest, along with a fever.

Jenny Gittens (61) described her experience with chikungunya over the next two weeks as marked by excruciating pain Read more

Caravanserai owners unique amongst victims of takeover

BEACON HILL--A California couple who cashed in part of their retirement fund to invest in buying a unit at the former Caravanserai Beach Resort have been thrown into the same basket as approximately 2,200 timeshare owners who had their rights at the same property annulled when it was taken over by Alegria Real Estate BV. The couple received an eviction order earlier this month, after a trial of which they reportedly had not been informed took place.

Chasing ownership

John and Shandrea Degen signed the relevant paperwork with Caravanserai in 2007 Read more

‘Welkom op St. Maarten’ on top 5 travel guides list

SIMPSON BAY--The book Welkom op Sint Maarten: The Friendly Island is now among the country's top five travel guides thanks to a list compiled by Website

stmaartenvakantie.nl . The book is noted as worthwhile to read and to take on vacation to the Dutch Caribbean.

The Dutch language book was launched internationally last year with a limited edition presented to then-Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams by authors Ina Kruize, Esther de Vries and Marlene van Asten.

The book informs people who are moving to St Read more

First 11 guesthouses receive star ratings by Collectivité

MARIGOT--Plaques were presented by elected officials at a ceremony on Friday to proprietors of the first eleven guesthouses that were classified and rated by the Collectivité in 2014.

The awards bring guesthouses into focus with a guarantee of quality while diversifying the hospitality sector's range of accommodation options available to tourists.

The guesthouses have a maximum 10 rooms or less and received ratings from one star to five stars. Each star a guesthouse earns comes with the guarantee that a set of standards has been met and in some cases surpassed.

In the French system guesthouses are not classified, but the Collectivité decided in February 2014 to adopt a classification system for St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---  United People's (UP) Party Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake and Hon. Johan Leonard, attended a birthday thanksgiving service organized by Home Away from Home Taking Care of the Golden Age Foundation of Patsy Flanders.

The service was for seniors 80 years and older with the eldest celebrating her 96th birthday on Saturday.

The service was held in the John Larmonie Center and was conducted by Brother Nathaniel Richardson.

"It is always a blessing to be invited by the seniors of our country Read more

Press Secretariat in Shambles, Granger submitted letter of Resignation to PM on Friday.

>PHILIPSBURG: --- Reliable sources within the Prime Minister's cabinet disclosed that the owner of M&M PR and Marketing Consultancy Michael Granger has submitted a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs on Friday. According to information SMN News gathered is that Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs told Granger that he had to choose between working for his cabinet and being the President of the St Read more

Mps Lake And Leonard Hang Out With Seniors During Birthday Thanksgiving Service

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – United People's (UP) Party Members of Parliament (MP) Hon. Maurice Lake and Hon. Johan Leonard, attended a birthday thanksgiving service organized by Home Away from Home Taking Care of the Golden Age Foundation of Patsy Flanders.

The service was for seniors 80 years and older with the eldest celebrating her 96th birthday on Saturday.

The service was held in the John Larmonie Center and was conducted by Brother Nathaniel Richardson.

"It is always a blessing to be invited by the seniors of our country Read more

Theo: No meeting ever held with Schotte, VDC member

PHILIPSBURG--"I am getting tired of being associated with Gerrit Schotte. I have never met with Schotte at the UP headquarters. I have never met anyone that identified themselves as the secret service of Curaçao. Nor have I ever wanted to. I had no meetings with them. I have never asked for information from them."

That was the statement from United People's (UP) party leader Member of Parliament (MP) Theo Heyliger upon reading Thursday about supposedly "secret documents" released online by anti-St Read more

Editorial - Quite a legacy

The winds of change have blown in St. Kitts-Nevis, where the Labour Party lost Monday's parliamentary vote after governing the country for two decades straight. While the war of words with the united opposition during the campaign had been fierce, in the end the process went peacefully and so did the transfer of power.

Unfortunately, the final outcome was not known immediately because the election supervisor halted the announcing of results early Tuesday morning, citing possible irregularities Read more

Self Defense Seminar to help Petition to Expel Pedophiles

COLE BAY--Renzo Gracie Jiu Jitsu St. Maarten (SXM BJJ) is hosting a fund-raising self-defense class for girls age eight to 20 on Saturday from 10:00 to 11:00am. The fundraiser will benefit Mhakeda Shillingford's organization Petition to Expel Pedophiles (PEP).

Sixteen year old Shillingford had a terrifying experience in December when a bus driver kept pestering her for her name and telephone number. He did not cease his behavior when she told him she was only 16, and then refused to let her get off the bus unless she provided her details.

This strong young woman happens to be vice-president of the Youth Parliament of St Read more

New political party emerges with goal to be deal breaker

GEORGETOWN, Guyana--A new political party has emerged in Guyana with hopes of truly breaking away from an ethnic divide and providing a balance between Guyana's two main political parties – a united Alliance For Change (AFC)/A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) and the incumbent People's Progressive Party.

The Healing the Nation Theocracy Party (HTNTP) believes that it can rally the support of Guyanese at the upcoming May 11 polls by opening "your eyes to the poverty we are experiencing .. Read more

Schotte, Heyliger met with security service man in 2010

~ Ronald van Raak publishes online article ~

THE HAGUE--Secret documents, supplied to Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament Ronald van Raak of the Socialist Party (SP) and published on Tuesday on the website ThePostOnline.nl, revealed a meeting on or around the 2010 elections in St. Maarten between a member of the Curaçao Security Agency VDC, candidate Curaçao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte, candidate minister George Jamaloodin and United People's Party Leader Theo Heyliger.

The meeting in St Read more

Airport ‘on the radar’ of various air carriers

~ Details opportunities, threats ~

AIRPORT--In reference to opportunities discussed at the Routes Americas 2015 Conference earlier this month, Princess Juliana International Airport SXM says it "remains firmly on the radar of various airlines, with several carriers stating that they are very pleased with the airport."

An airport press release said, "During one-on-one meetings between a St. Maarten delegation and a number of airlines and airport representatives at the Routes Americas 2015 Conference to discuss current and new air service opportunities, the United States carriers indicated that the 2014 load factors were good and that no changes were expected in the market."

The delegation was led by Tourism and Transport Minister Claret Connor and included airport Managing Director Regina LaBega and other top airport officials Read more

Police union says Dutch want St. Maarten to give up its rights

~Wants local politicians to react~

PHILIPSBURG--General Police Union NAPB says it is of the impression that Dutch authorities want St. Maarten to "give up its rights" and "its patriotism" with some of the things it wants to impose on the country.

Union President Ethelwoldus Josepha says local politicians should make their positions clear on the issues that have been developing lately and tell the people of St Read more

style="text-align: center;">Sir Richard Branson Commends Islands on Shark and Ocean Conservation Efforts

Bimini- Political Leaders, Government Representatives and Conservationists from the Dutch Caribbean attended a high-level Caribbean Shark Conservation Leadership Retreat in Bimini, Bahamas last week, where significant discussions were held regarding the conservation of Sharks and Rays and the protection of the Ocean Environment in the wider-Caribbean Region. The Retreat, hosted by the PEW Charitable Trust; former President of Costa Rica and co-chair of the Global Ocean's Commission Jose-Maria Figures; and well-known businessman and environmental steward Sir Richard Branson, brought together conservation and political leaders, filmmakers and scientists from around the wider Caribbean region in order to discuss the protection and conservation of sharks and the Marine Environment.

During the event the delegates from the Dutch Caribbean; Commissioner Chris Johnson of Saba, Commissioner Carlisle Tearr from St Read more

Editorial - No ifs, no buts

Concerns expressed by the Democratic Party (DP) parliamentarians in Tuesday's paper regarding a perceived lack of tourism marketing should not go unnoticed. As stated before, there is currently no representation in Europe and contracts for the all-important North American continent apparently expired.

The opposition members have a point when questioning why and how Economic Affairs Minister Claret Connor is – as he stated – reorganising, reviewing and revisiting the already established St Read more

EU patience frays as Greek PM refuses "blackmail"

BRUSSELS/ATHENS--A war of words between Greece and EU paymaster Germany escalated on Tuesday with Athens' new leftist prime minister rejecting what he called "blackmail" to extend an international bailout and vowing to rush through laws to reverse labour reforms.

A source close to the government said Greece intends to ask on Wednesday for an extension for up to six months of a loan agreement with the euro zone, on conditions to be negotiated. The source drew a distinction between a loan agreement and the full bailout programme which the government insists is dead.

However hardline German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble dismissed the Greek gambit, telling broadcaster ZDF: "It's not about extending a credit programme but about whether this bailout programme will be fulfilled, yes or no."

Financial markets held their nerve after the latest talks among euro zone finance ministers broke down late on Monday and EU partners gave Greece until the end of the week to request an extension or lose financial assistance Read more