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Serious Accident On The Sucker Garden Road

Sint Maarten – The Traffic Department was alerted to a serious traffic accident that took place on the Sucker Garden road on the evening of December 28th 2019 around 09.45 pm.

 Personnel of the dispatch received a call that  the driver of a black Suzuki jeep, travelling from Freedom Fighters Roundabout towards sucker-garden lost control, veered to the left side of the road and collided with another white truck travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Suzuki jeep and a passage who was on the back of the truck suffered some minor injuries.

 The victims were both treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken to St Read more

Serious Accident On The Sucker Garden Road

SUCKER GARDEN, Sint Maarten – The Traffic Department was alerted to a serious traffic accident that took place on the Sucker Garden road on the evening of December 28th 2019 around 09.45 pm.
Personnel of the dispatch received a call that the driver of a black Suzuki jeep, travelling from Freedom Fighters
Roundabout towards sucker-garden lost control, veered to the left side of the road and collided with another white truck travelling in the opposite direction.

The driver of the Suzuki jeep and a passage who was on the back of the truck suffered some minor injuries.
The victims were both treated on the scene by paramedics and then taken to St Read more

Victorious Living To Launch H.A.P.P.E. Life Pilot Program At St. Maarten Academy Psve In Partnership With: Dutch Representative & Dr. John Beiter

EBENEZER, St. Maarten – “Violence and other forms of inappropriate behaviours have become a growing concern and challenge in our society and particularly in our schools. This situation is seriously affecting the performance and output of our students. As such there is a need for urgent intervention to curb this situation which has been growing into a crisis of untold consequences,” stated Dr. Erna Mae Francis Cotton, visionary of Victorious Living.

To curb this growing trend, Dr Read more

Jamaican Woman Wins $.2 Million After Detention In Trinidad

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – A Jamaican woman has been awarded more than $200,000 in damages by the courts for unlawful detention by Immigration authorities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Her lawyers said it was unlawful for police and Immigration authorities to round up foreigners and detain them at the Immigration Detention Centre, Aripo, where they are denied fundamental human rights.Read more

Acm President To Be Recognised By Nabj

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – President of the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM), Wesley Gibbings will receive the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Percy Qoboza Foreign Journalist Award at the NABJ Convention and Career Fair in New Orleans next month.

Gib Read more

St Vincent Pm Warns Caricom Of Plot Against Venezuela

KINGSTON, St. Vincent – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves has cautioned the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to refrain from allowing a small group of powerful nations to dilute the “collective strength” of the 15 member regional grouping.

Gonsalves, in a three-page letter to CARICOM leaders, warned that a wedge is being driven through CARICOM over a plan for “regime change” in Venezuela and the group of powerful nations with the Organisation of America States (OAS) has an “agenda of naked self-interest”.

He said the group has “strategically invited select CARICOM countries to their meetings and ignored the others Read more

Opposition Leader Denies Involvement In Alleged Plot To Overthrow The Government

ROSEAU, Dominica  –  Opposition Leader Lennox Linton Monday denied any involvement in an alleged plot to overthrow the Dominica government and says he fears he could be arrested on trumped up charges to that effect.

In a posting on his Facebook page, Linton said that a number of “Dominican patriots” will be at the police headquarters to “monitor events” surrounding the question of economist Dr. Thomas Fontaine, an opposition member of the United Workers Party (UWP) who was detained for several hours by police following his radio show on Sunday.

Linton said that while, Fontaine, a former employee of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was due to return to the police station on Monday for further questioning, “I am hearing the plan is to have me arrested today.

“I am hearing as well that they are going to arrest me in connection with the bogus story that (Prime Minister Roosevelt) Skerrit told about overthrowing the government of Dominica.

“Now… let me be very clear, I know absolutely nothing about any coup or any attempt to overthrow the government apart from what I heard Roosevelt Skerrit say in his address to the nation.

“It is Roosevelt Skerrit who has this story Read more

Citizenship By Investment: A Symbiotic Relationship Between Country And Applicant

NEW YORK AND LONDON  –  The United States’ investigative show, ‘60 Minutes,’ recently focused its attention on the citizenship by investment programs offered by Caribbean and European jurisdictions, expressing a particular and unfair viewpoint on the programs in the Caribbean.

Initially, the 60 Minutes crew approached CS Global Partners, requesting the company, as the leading firm specializing in citizenship solutions, to participate in the show. Wisely, we declined to partake, aware that regardless of our accurate portrayal of the industry, a salacious and prejudiced rendition of citizenship by investment would be presented.

This burgeoning industry is often misunderstood, despite the importance of the outcome for countries offering their valued citizenship, and in return attracting investment from legitimate persons seeking security for their families.

CS Global Partners recognizes the tremendous impact that citizenship by investment can have on countries, and above all we are committed to producing a win-win scenario where clients attain greater personal freedom, safety, and security through citizenship, and Governments ensure sustainable growth.

The Caribbean pioneered citizenship by investment – with the twin-island Federation of St Read more

Thousands Of Cubans Gather To View Caravan Bearing Fidel Castro’S Ashes

MATANZAS, Cuba — When the motorcade carrying Fidel Castro’s ashes approached this northern shore town’s Freedom Plaza on Wednesday, the crowd lining the sidewalks, benches, rooftops, balconies and even window bars started to chant his name.

“Yo soy Fidel!” (“I am Fidel!”), hundreds of people shouted in Spanish. “Viva Fidel!” (“Long live Fidel”).

Some carried Cuban flags, many held smartphones to record the moment, and a few cried Read more

Pm William Marlin St Martin Day Address

PHILIPSBURG St. Maarten - Fellow St. Maarteners, Brothers and sisters, Family all. Many rains ago, when I was a teacher, I asked my class to write about what St. Martin Day meant to them. One shy, little boy, whose name I can’t remember now, wrote in his assignment the following: “St. Martin Day is the day for the people of this island to come together as family and enjoy each other and remember those who have gone before us.”

That simple answer stuck in my mind up till now because it captures the essence of what we are supposed to be celebrating today Read more

Historic Film Made In Barbados Will Have World Premiere In Toronto On November 12Th!

TORONTO, Ontario - ERROL BARROW:FREEDOM FIGHTER will screen for the first time on Saturday, November 12 at 8 p.m. at INNIS TOWN HALL CINEMA, University of Toronto, 2 Sussex Ave., Toronto.

This docudrama is a passionate story about the courage of one man who relentlessly preached a gospel of economic self reliance and self respect to the people of his native country Barbados and the Caribbean. He defied the status quo, confronted racism and classicism, fought colonial oppression and selflessly led his people to political and economic freedom Read more

Up Party Urge Citizens To Let Democracy Reign In Wake Smcp Candidate Stoning

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten — The United People’s party has issued a call on the community to “let democracy reign in our country” following the stoning of the candidates on the St. Maarten Christian Party SMCP in Belvedere, Wednesday night.

Leader of the UP Party and Member of Parliament Theodore Heyliger said he and the rest of the UP Board and candidates were utterly shocked and disappointed to learn that such malevolent behaviour could be mated out by people on the “friendly island.”

The UP party issued a press release on Thursday in which Heyliger was quoted saying, “Since the time of my grandfather the late Dr Claude Wathey, our country has had a proud and healthy political campaign Read more

Prime Ministers Of Barbados & Jamaica Hold Talks

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart and Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness today discussed the state of bilateral relations between the two countries via telephone.

The discussions took place against the background of two recent incidents related to Jamaican travellers to Barbados and came a day after Prime Minister Stuart received the Letter of Introduction of the new non-resident High Commissioner of Jamaica to Barbados, His Excellency David Prendergast, at his Ilaro Court residence Read more

Tzu Chi Continues Rice Relief, 611 Bags Of Rice Given To 605 Families

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation continued its massive “love rice” relief distribution programme in August donating 611 bags of rice to 605 families around the island in that month.

The foundation estimates that the number of family members that will benefit from last month’s relief is almost doubled at 1,735. Each bag of rice weighs 10 kilograms. August rice distribution brings the total amount of rice Tzu Chi has distributed since the programme started just over two months ago to1,141 bags of rice to 1,084 families.

  The relief effort in August was possible thanks to the participation of the foundation’s committed volunteers who set aside time to visit families in the various districts to make the distribution Read more

Regional Media Group Urges St Vincent To Rethink Cybercrime Legislation

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – The regional umbrella media group — the Association of Caribbean Media Workers (ACM) — yesterday expressed concern about a push by St Vincent and the Grenadines to address legitimate issues associated with harmful online content through legislation.

The ACM said that such a move “tramples on important principles associated with freedom of expression and freedom of the press”.

It noted that some of its international partners, including the International Press Institute (IPI), Reporters Without Borders, and the Centre for Law and Democracy (CLD), have recently addressed in fair detail offending sections of the Cybercrime Bill of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“We endorse their positions on such matters Read more

Alexander, Usp To Distribute Constitution To Population

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Lisa Alexander, who will be contesting the upcoming September 26 Parliamentary Elections with the United St. Maarten Party (USP), has committed herself to distributing printed copies of the Constitution of St Read more

Dp Leader Calls On St. Maarten'ers To Get The Emancipation Spirit

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - On Friday, July 1st, Emancipation Day was celebrated for the 5th consecutive year on the island with a host of activities at the Emilio Wilson Park.

During the celebration and in observation, many of the speakers spoke of the importance of the day for St. Maarten and its people, and for leader of the Democratic Party, Chairlady of Parliament, the Honorable Sarah Wescot-Williams, this was no exception.

In echoing this sentiment, she spoke of the need for the entire community of St Read more

Police Report; Report On The “Jouvert Jump-Up”

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The Public Prosecutors Office and the Police Force are glad to report that the “Jouvert Jump up” which was held on Wednesday April 27th 2016 and which was very well attended by thousands of residents and visitors to island was a success. The jump-up started at approximately 04.15 a.m. on the Walter Nisbet road at the Salt Picker round about and headed around the Salt Pond via the Freedom Fighter round about, Sucker garden road, Arch road, A Read more

The University Of St. Martin (Usm) Well Represented At The Leeward Island Debating Competition (Lidc)

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The USM is proud to announce the accomplishments of two students who participated in the LIDC as part of team St. Maarten, Mr. Dwayne Griffith who is enrolled in the USM GED Tutorial program and Ms. Alexandria Baly Stanford who is a second year student in the General Liberal Arts program.

Team St. Maarten participated in three debates; Debate 1 which was won by the team with Dwayne Griffith as 1st speaker. Debate 2 which were also won by Team St. Maarten with Alexandria Baly Stanford as 2nd speaker, finally Debate 3 where team St Read more

Obama Meets Castro In Cuba

HAVANA, Cuba – “This is a new day between our two countries,” President Obama said after meeting with Cuban President Raúl Castro in Havana.

The two leaders agreed that there are still deep fissures between the two countries and that a healthy relationship between them will take work.

That uneasiness was apparent as soon as journalists began asking questions. Obama and Castro were not supposed to take questions, but a last minute change made that possible.

In Spanish, a journalist asked Castro why his country kept political prisoners.

Clearly miffed, Castro asked the reporter to hand over a list of political prisoners.

“If there are political prisoners, they will be released by nightfall,” Castro said.

Obama was diplomatic when he addressed Cuba’s human rights record Read more

Antigua & Barbuda’S Journey To The Ccj

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – A three-month public education campaign was launched on Thursday in Antigua & Barbuda as the government prepares to hold a referendum to determine whether to replace the London based Privy Council as its apex court with the Trinidad based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ).

The campaign, which has bi-partisan support, will span three months on a budget which government said will exceed two million dollars.

Demonstrating a united front, Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Leader of the Opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) Baldwin Spencer who were both at the head table at the launch, urged the electorate to choose the CCJ, contending it will provide easier access to justice.

Spencer noted that “true freedom” will only come when the country and region move from a position “where colonialism and imperialism controlled our decision making processes to a position where we are not only a free people, but we have to make sure we form a society in which our decision making processes are ours.”

Supporting Spencer, PM Browne made “a clarion call for all registered voters in Antigua and Barbuda to support this important institution of regional Governance and sovereignty.”

He said the current final appellate court “is clearly an outmoded colonial construct that was designed exclusively for the wealthy few and has failed to provide broad-based accessibility and dispensation of justice to the masses.”

Elaborating on Spencer’s point on access to justice, PM Browne said justice is not only delayed because of the remoteness of the Privy Council but, in many instances was denied because of inaccessibility associated with the prohibitively high costs.

“Even today, justice is being denied to the majority of our people who find it cost-prohibitive to take their case to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council,” he said.

“Having the CCJ as an all-inclusive final appellate court, will cure this egregious injustice of exclusivity that has plagued us since 1834,” Browne said, while adding that the fact that the CCJ is an itinerant court (travelling court) will help offset costs for litigants.

Former attorney general Justin Simon QC noted that between 2007 and 2014 about a dozen cases from Antigua and Barbuda were taken before the Privy Council, while over 30 cases were taken before the CCJ which was inaugurated in 2005 and which also serves as an international tribunal interpreting the Revised treaty of Chaguaramas.

Simon said the statistics suggest there is a serious problem of a lack of access to justice as he pointed to two cases where litigants spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover legal expenses before the Privy Council.

In a video message, Caricom Secretary General Irwin LaRocque also expressed support from the proposed move, stressing it will “complete the country’s circle of independence.”

He said the court was set up with the highest levels of international standards and steps were taken, and remain in place to ensure there’s no political interference in the management and operations of the court.

According to him, the CCJ is also staffed with some of the “highest intellectual minds” and “there’s no other court in the world as independent” as the CCJ since it is funded under a unique trust fund arrangement and does not have to rely on governments for money.

Another point noted was that the judges are not appointed by the heads of government.

CCJ President Sir Dennis Byron, who applauded the main opposition UPP and the ruling administration for dealing with this issue with “political maturity”, said there’s no evidence justifying public concern of political interference, while he highlighted that the “high quality” judgments of the court are readily available for public perusal.

Explaining the system used to ensure the financial independence of the institution, he said, “The financial arrangements of the court included the establishment of a trust fund where member states invested US$100 million with the expectation that the interest of that investment would fund the court in perpetuity.”

Meanwhile, head of the education campaign mission, Ambassador Dr Clarence Henry said in order for the national referendum to be executed, elections rules must be drafted and that is currently being done by Dr Francis Alexis, a constitutional lawyer based in Grenada.

“He has been provided with all necessary legislation from which draft rules for the referendum will be drawn, in consultation with the Antigua and Barbuda Electoral Commission and there’s also a parliamentary process to be followed,” he reported.

On Friday morning, there will be another session which will be led by youth Read more

The Salt Reaper “Seasons The Listener With A Local And Global Flavor” Rediscovering The Collaboration Of Lasana Sekou And Angelo Rombley

GRAND CASE, St. Martin —The Salt Reaper – selected poems from the flats by Lasana M. Sekou is a poetry-music CD from which each spoken word track unfolds like a morsel for the listener.

As the poet’s voice and the negotiating music by Angelo Rombley travel into each poem or enter the listener, the whole palette of the listener’s senses becomes tantalized.

The Salt Reaper poems vary from stingingly salty and succulently sweet, to scorchingly sour and bitingly bitter. The sounds, riffs, and beats manage to add a fresh dimension to reveal The Salt Reaper’s flesh and inner core.

Each time the spoken word-sound hurls through speakers, air, or headphones there’s a sense of a developing Salt Reaper persona that we can also see, smell, touch, and feel.

St Read more

Quotable Caribbean

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - "The path of violence and hatred does not solve the problems of humanity, and using the name of God to justify this path is blasphemy." - Pope Francis (New York Times)

 "Terrorism is a scourge upon our common humanity. The people of all countries have a right to live in freedom within the laws that govern our international system. In our 21st Century world, which has become inextricably interlinked, terrorism in all its forms, particularly directed at innocent civilians, must be halted by global action Read more

Caribbean Congress Of Labour And Caribbean Employers’ Confederation Agree To Establish Formal National Bipartite Forums

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad and Tobago - A Regional Bipartite Meeting attended by representatives from senior trade union and employer organizations from fifteen Caribbean countries was held 3-5 November 2015 in Grenada, under a Project* funded by the European Union and executed by the International Labour Organization (ILO).

In a joint statement, David Massiah, President of the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) and Wayne Chen, President of the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) announced the agreement to establish formal bipartite forums in each of the fifteen Caribbean States Read more