SXMElections.com

Spirit Airlines To Explore Code-Sharing Opportunities, Enhance Connections

TEATT Minister Grisha Heyliger-Marten with Spirit Airlines Senior Director of Network Planning Mathew Glover.

~ Water supply, Customs process concerns ~

PHILIPSBURG--Spirits were high when Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) Read more

Vsa Minister Briefed On Sls During Visit

The VSA Minister during her SLS visit.

PHILIPSBURG--Minister of Public Health, Social Development and Labor VSA Veronica Jansen-Webster, accompanied by her support staff, received what was referred to as a comprehensive briefing on the operations of St. Maarten Laboratory Services (SLS) during a visit on July 5.

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Ottley Lauds Achievements Of Local Bodybuilder Calvin Mardembrough

Calvin Mardembrough.

PHILIPSBURG--United People's Party (UP) leader Member of Parliament Omar Ottley has lauded the achievements of rising star in the world of bodybuilding, Calvin Mardembrough.

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High Court Backs Same-Sex Marriage

Celebrating the outcome.

THE HAGUE--Same-sex couples are now permitted to marry immediately in Aruba and Curaao, as decided by the High Court in the Netherlands on Friday. It affirmed an earlier ruling by the Joint Court of Justice for the Dutch Caribbean.

The latter determined on December 6, 2022, that marriages between people of the same sex must be permitted in Aruba and Curaao. Both governments turned to the High Court, which has now rejected their appeals.

The case was brought by Fundacion Orguyo Aruba and Human Rights Caribbean (HRC) in Curaao Read more

4 Graduate With Geds, 2 After Vocational Training

Master of Ceremonies Alex Lindo addressing the graduates.

 ST. EUSTATIUS--New Challenges Foundation (NCF) held a graduation ceremony at William and Christine Flanders Community Centre on July 3 for four students who received their General Educational Development (GED) diplomas and two who completed vocational training.

This celebration is a testament to the power of second chances, said NCF Director Francine Foe at the ceremony. Our graduates have shown that with grit, determination and the right support, anyone can overcome adversity and achieve their dreams.

The ceremonys theme Dont Watch the Clock, Do What It Does, Keep Going was a fitting tribute to the graduates, emphasising the importance of perseverance, resilience and staying focused.

The ceremony started with a rousing rendition of the St Read more

Lewis Condemns Gun Violence, Says Culprits Will Face Full Extent Of Law

The wave of fear in the community intensified on Monday when news started circulating that a fourth shooting had occurred, this time on Bush Road. The shooting occurred around 3:20am. A male was injured. He was transported to St Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) and had been undergoing treatment. His condition was listed as serious, but stable. Mondays shooting followed three shootings in two districts on Saturday: two in Dutch Quarter and one in Simpson Bay in which three males were injured and nursing gunshot wounds in SMMC Read more

Vng Caribbean Desk Set To Launch On July 1

 HAZERSWOUDE-DORP--The Ministry of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations BZK and the Association of Dutch Municipalities VNG have come together to open the VNG Caribbean Desk for the Caribbean Netherlands, which will serve as a central point of contact for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. The VNG Caribbean Desk will open on Monday, July 1, 2024, and is co-financed by BZK.

VNG Chairperson Sharon Dijksma and BZK Ministry Kingdom Relations Director-general Roald Lapperre announced the VNG Caribbean Desk during the annual VNG congress at a large plant nursery in HazersWoude-Dorp in the Netherlands on Tuesday, June 25.

With the launch of the Caribbean Desk, VNG wants to further contribute to increasing support to the public entities Bonaire, St Read more

Solar Energy Best Option For St. Maarten, Tno Concludes, But No Clear Plans In Sight

PHILIPSBURG--Solar energy appears to be the best option for increasing renewable electricity in St. Maarten, according to TNO, which studied the energy transition in Aruba, Curaao, and St. Maarten.

TNO, founded in 1932, is established by law as the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, an independent non-profit research institute.

Given that the demand peak in St. Maarten is between 10:00am and 2:00pm, solar panels are an attractive option, as their production peak aligns with this period Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Thursday 13th June 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Friday midday (12:00 LST) 14th June 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Friday midday: Hot and humid, with isolated showers.Forecast High: 33 C / 91 F              Forecast Low: 28 C / 82 FSunset Today: 6:49 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Friday midday: Northeast to southeasterly with a light to gentle breeze of 6 to 12 mph.SYNOPSIS: A relatively stable atmosphere and gentle winds support hot and humid conditions across the region today Read more

Cooperation Agreement Announced To Boost Msme Support In St. Maarten

NRPB Director Claret Connor (centre, right) and SEDC President Pearl Hendrickson (centre, left) solidify the MOU signing with a handshake, observed by ESP Project Manager Anisa Dijkhoffz (right), and SEDC Vice President Avril Isaac (left).

PHILIPSBURG--National Recovery Program Bureau (NRPB) and St. Maarten Entrepreneurship Developme Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Wednesday 12th June 2024 @ 12:00 LST (16:00 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) 13th June 2024 WEATHER:This afternoon through Thursday midday: Hot and humid daytime conditions, and a warm night. Forecast High: 33C / 91F               Forecast Low: 28C / 82F Sunset Today: 6:48 P.M.                    Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M. SURFACE WINDS: Today through Thursday midday: Northeast to easterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 06 to 15 mph. SYNOPSIS: Stable conditions and gentle to moderate winds persist, supporting hot and humid conditions Read more

Ursm Denies Having Influenced MaingretteS Decision To Return

PHILIPSBURG--On Saturday, in response to a letter sent to Governor Ajamu Baly by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Maingrette renewing his support to the Mercelina-led coalition in Parliament, Unified Resilient St. Maarten MovementRead more

Independent Mp Kevin Maingrette Withdraws Support From Great Eight

PHILIPSBURG--Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Maingrette, who declared his support to the seven-member National Alliance/United People party opposition on Monday, resulting in a landslide in Parliament resulting in a new coalition of eight, changed his mind Read more

PHILIPSBURGIn a letter to Prime minister Luc Mercelina, the Central Voting Bureau has announced a proposed postponement of Election Day to August 19, 2024, citing significant legal and practical concerns. The Bureau has suggested a revised timeline to ensure a fair, free, and transparent electoral process.

The revised election timeline, as proposed by the Central Voting Bureau:

Voter Registry Closure: Monday, June 3, 2024

Deadline for Registration of Political Parties: Monday, June 17, 2024

Postulation Day: Tuesday, July 2, 2024

Election Day: Monday, August 19, 2024

Assembly of New Parliament: Friday, September 20, 2024

On May 21, 2024, a National Decree was signed calling for new elections under Article 59 of the Constitution, which mandates a three-month timeframe Read more

 DATE ISSUED: Wednesday 22nd May 2024 @ 11:50 LST (15:50 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Thursday midday (12:00 LST) 23rd May 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Thursday midday: Cloudy with scattered showers. Isolated thunderstorms are likely.Forecast High: 30C / 86F               Forecast Low: 26C / 79FSunset Today: 6:41 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Thursday midday: East to southeasterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 8 to 18 mph and higher gusts in showers.SYNOPSIS: Unstable conditions associated with an upper-level trough results in cloudiness, rain-showers, and possible thunderstorms across the region Read more

DATE ISSUED: Tuesday 21st May 2024 @ 11:45 LST (15:45 UTC) VALID UNTIL: Wednesday midday (12:00 LST) 22nd May 2024WEATHER:This afternoon through Wednesday midday: Fair to partly cloudy with isolated showers.Forecast High: 32C / 90F               Forecast Low: 27C / 81FSunset Today: 6:41 P.M.                   Sunrise Tomorrow: 5:37 A.M.SURFACE WINDS: This afternoon through Wednesday midday: East to southeasterly with a gentle to moderate breeze of 7 to 14 mph.SYNOPSIS: The high-pressure system maintains hot, and humid conditions, and gentle winds across the region Read more

Maingrette Withdraws Support From Coalition, Joins Forces With Up, Na

PHILIPSBURG--Member of Parliament (MP) Kevin Maingrette, who was elected on the slate of the Nation Opportunity Wealth (NOW), has officially withdrawn his support from the current "two-by-four" coalition government comprising United Resilient St Read more

Ex-Cbcs President In Court On Charges Of Fraud, Money-Laundering And Bribery

Emsley Tromp

 ~ Lengthy prison sentence sought ~

WILLEMSTAD/PHILIPSBURG--In a court appearance in Curaao on Tuesday, Emsley Tromp, former President of the Central Bank of Curaao and St. Maarten (CBCS), defended himself against allegations of fraud stemming from his involvement in the Curaao Fashion Group (CFG). Tromp emphasised that he has meticulously maintained a separation between his roles, establishing what he described as Chinese walls to ensure ethical integrity.

Tromp is a suspect in the Hercules case Read more

Carnival Restructuring Policy Released In National Gazette

PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Justice, under the guidance of former Minister Anna Richardson, has published a new policy aimed at restructuring St. Maarten Carnival.

As stated in the recent publication of the National Gazette, the decision followed in response to a number of challenges currently facing the annual event, including inconsistent management structures, financial instability, under-representation of local culture, safety concerns and the need for better integration of technological advancements Read more

Carnival 2024 Wraps Up Challenging Year

~ Carnival 2025 scheduled from April 21 to May 5 ~

PHILIPSBURG--After a year filled with unprecedented challenges, St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has closed the 53rd edition of Carnival.

Despite facing various obstacles, the SCDF expressed gratitude for being able to reach the finish line, with SCDF President Edwardo Radjouki saying in a press release on Sunday, This can never happen again, this is not who we are.

Reflecting on a Carnival that looked and felt different from previous years, Radjouki referred to the division of Carnival people by one individual to please that individuals personal feelings Read more

President Of Parliament Continues Courtesy Visits

From left: Parliament Secretary General Garrick Richardson; President of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams with TWO local team members Leona Romeo and Tjandra Lake.

PHILIPSBURG--President of Parliament, Member of Parliament Sarah Wescot-Williams is continuing her courtesy introductory visits Read more

Postal Services Acquires Cpost Intl.S Operations

PSS Director Marinka Gumbs (left) extended her gratitude to Jervhes Josephia, CEO of Cpost International N.V. (right) for his collaborative approach and vision in initiating their partnership.

PHILIPSBURG--In a strategic move aimed at bolstering its presence in the region, Postal Services of St. Maarten (PSS N.V.) has finalised the acquisition of Cpost International N.V.s (Cposts) operations, including PuntoMio, EuroMio, and MoneyGram services.

The integration of Cposts operations into PSS N.V Read more

Education Institutes In Kingdom Work Together

Group photo

WILLEMSTAD--Eighteen educational and knowledge institutions from the Caribbean part of the Kingdom and the Netherlands will continue, build and intensify their joint efforts in the fields of education, research and science. For example, they want to pursue and develop joint educational programmes.

  This special collaboration was highlighted during a recent knowledge mission led by caretaker Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science OCW Robbert Dijkgraaf in Curaao.

  Together with my fellow ministers from the other three kingdom countries, we have worked hard in recent years to increase cooperation within the kingdom, successfully Read more

Jicn Info Market About Detention, Reintegration

Interest was reportedly high.

KRALENDIJK--An information market on detention and reintegration was held in Bonaire on Thursday, attended by judicial law enforcement system partners and other stakeholders. Organised by Judicial Institution Caribbean Netherlands (JICN), it brought together a wide range of professionals involved in detention and reintegration, with the aim of exchanging knowledge, networking and promoting a successful return to society for persons from jail.

The gathering offered an opportunity to learn from each others expertise, share experiences and work together to improve detention and reintegration processes Read more