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US ‘deeply concerned’ about detention of activists in Cuba

WASHINGTON DC--The United States says it's "deeply concerned" about the latest reports of detentions and arrests by Cuban authorities of peaceful civil society members and activists.

On Wednesday, the State Department said the activists included Luis Quintana Rodriguez, Antonio Rodiles, Danilo Maldonado, Reinaldo Escobar, Marcelino Abreu Bonora and Eliecer Avila.

"We strongly condemn the Cuban government's continued harassment and repeated use of arbitrary detention, at times with violence, to silence critics, disrupt peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and intimidate citizens," said Jeff Rathke, director of the Bureau of Public Affairs in the US Department of State.

"Freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly are internationally recognised human rights, and the Cuban government's lack of respect for these rights, as demonstrated by [the latest – Ed.] detentions, is inconsistent with hemispheric norms and commitments," he added.

"We urge the Government of Cuba to end its practice of repressing these and other internationally protected freedoms and to respect the universal human rights of Cuban citizens," Rathke continued.

The arrests were the most sweeping roundup of dissidents in the two weeks since the United States and Cuba said they would normalise diplomatic relations and President Obama moved to loosen several trade and travel restrictions associated with the five-decade economic embargo.

The New York Times noted on Thursday that President Raul Castro said that Cuba's political system, which limits freedom of expression, will not change.

It said Cuban authorities made it clear that they would not tolerate what they called a "political provocation" by the artist Tania Bruguera and her supporters.

Bruguera, who splits her time between Cuba and New York, had planned to set up the microphone on Tuesday afternoon and allow Cubans to speak for a minute at a time, articulating their visions for the country's future.

Instead, she was detained at her mother's home hours before the event and released Wednesday afternoon, along with several others.

Cuba has made no official statement on the detentions, but the authorities had declined to issue Bruguera a permit for the event Read more

Option Nr.3 has lost!

Dear Editor,

The Daily Herald of Friday Jan 2nd quoted an undisclosed source stating that a number of people on Statia have suspicions about the role of the Post Office with regard to the distribution of the voting cards for last referendum.

The claim is that the majority of Post Office staff are DP party members and the DP was openly against this referendum. This statement insinuates that because of their perceived political affiliation the Post Office workers will-fully have obstructed the referendum Read more

Learn to love the sea in 2015

~ Alfredo Foundation teaches swimming, snorkelling and scuba ~

Need a New Year resolution? Why not earn your scuba diving certificate? It's a shame not to enjoy our island's most abundant natural attraction, especially since Alfredo Foundation offers the training to residents for free.

The sea surrounds us; it is beautiful beyond words, myriad shades of blue, glinting and dancing, inviting us to explore. But too many residents of The Friendly Island find the sea intimidating, and water in general, off limits Read more

A long weekend in…Guyana!

Guyana was not a destination I had ever considered visiting, especially not just for a (long) weekend. But when the opportunity arose, on a Wednesday, to fly to Guyana the next day and stay until the Monday, I didn't have to think about it too long. I was going to take this chance to explore a new country!

Insel Air had kindly invited some journalists on its inaugural flight from St. Maarten, via Curaçao to Georgetown. The schedule was arranged in such a way that the flights connected perfectly, with a minimum waiting time in Curaçao Read more

Editorial - The bigger picture

It took until the last day of 2014, but Port St. Maarten reaching the two million passengers mark for the year (see Friday paper) can only be called a great achievement. Despite fierce and increasing competition, the island continues to hold its own as a still-growing top cruise destination in the Caribbean.

That takes hard work, and all those responsible who contributed to this positive development over the years ought to be commended. The news comes at time when the Harbour Group of Companies is under some public scrutiny about its financial reporting to the shareholder and perceived conflict of interest issues, but one hardly can deny that it regards a major success story.

So, although efforts to address possible integrity shortcomings are needed and to a certain extent already underway, people should not lose sight of this reality Read more

Editorial - Only together

The choice for Person of the Year may surprise a few. After all, the integrity issue was a big story in St. Maarten in 2014, as were the parliamentary elections and their aftermath plus relations with the Netherlands, each linked in some way and resulting in the additional screening of candidates for the new Gumbs cabinet backed by a UP-led coalition, with five rather than seven ministers taking office in Philipsburg.

However, this newspaper serves both the Dutch and the French sides and they are very much interdependent communities that in practice form one population Read more

Cuba releases dissidents from crackdown condemned by US

HAVANA--Cuba freed some leading dissidents on Wednesday after holding them overnight to thwart an unauthorized demonstration in a crackdown that has tested its new detente with the United States.
  Police arrested several political opponents on Tuesday and kept others under virtual house arrest ahead of an open microphone protest that was to have taken place outside the communist government headquarters in Havana's Revolution Square Read more

Alliance challenges residents to be the change they want to see

PHILIPSBURG--The National Alliance (NA) has issued a challenge to the community to "be the change" that they want to see.

The party also wants to see a renewal in the resolve to collectively take St. Maarten forward. This was expressed by NA Deputy Leader Silveria Jacobs in the party's New Year's message issued before dawn on New Year's Day Thursday.

"I hereby extend gratitude to our father God for safe passage, including all the blessings and challenges of 2014 Read more

UP party outlines 2015 resolutions

~ Budget, 7 ministers in first 60 days of 2015 ~

PHILIPSBURG--Financial management and the economy were among the areas highlighted by United People’s (UP) party in its New Year’s resolution for St. Maarten.

UP said in a press release that financial management “is a priority” as the country needs to have an approved budget as soon as possible within the first 60 days of the New Year or less Read more

Governor Berkel responds to flawed referendum allegations

ST. EUSTATIUS--Complaints about 900 voting cards being returned, complaints to the United Nations (UN), and complaints filed by Island Council members about the voters list being not correct have surfaced since the results of the constitutional referendum held on St. Eustatius on December 17, 2014, were announced.

Island Governor Gerald Berkel said that while there are items that can and will be improved, he was "generally pleased" that the technical organization of the referendum occurred in compliance with all relevant existing legislation regarding transparency and civil participation.

Brighter Path Foundation has started drafting a list on which all complaints are compiled Read more

Police treating death of injured man as murder

UPPER PRINCE'S QUARTER--A 72-year-old man passed away around 4:00am Wednesday, December 31, after being found wounded in his home in Upper Prince's Quarter around 2:00am. The police are treating the death as suspicious. The victim has been identified by local sources as Eddy York Sr.

A local source stated that the man had been stabbed while his girlfriend and her teenage daughter were in the house Read more

Port welcomes two-millionth passenger on New Year’s Eve

POINTE BLANCHE--Port St. Maarten has announced that on New Year's Eve, it welcomed the historical two-millionth cruise passenger. By the last day of the year, the country had received approximately 2,000,864 cruise passengers.

John and Marleen Tharpe and their three granddaughters had been on-board the Oasis of the Seas and were selected by newly instated Minister of Tourism Claret Connor at Dr Read more

>On behalf of the National Alliance Board and membership, I hereby extend gratitude to our father God for safe passage including all the blessings and challenges of 2014. It is with this same attitude of gratitude that we wish the entire population of St. Maarten a blessed and loving 2015, a year in which we can renew our resolve to collectively take St. Maarten forward.
Heartfelt greetings of Hope, Faith and Perseverance to those who have experienced serious challenges during the past year and praying that the coming year will see us all making strides towards success, happiness, prosperity and the strength to deal with adversity.
May 2015 be deemed the year of Volunteerism, a year in which all persons within our community realizes his/her own responsiblity and ability to affect true change on St Read more

Minister Connor: Private sector, NGO’s and service are vital for tangible economic growth.

>PHILIPSBURG:--- Minister of Tourism & Economic Affairs Claret Connor says that in the first few months of 2015, Government will share many ideas and initiatives to trigger tangible economic growth and that most of these initiatives will be done in collaboration with the Private sector and Non-government organizations (NGOs) with a strong focus on service.

In addressing the public for the first time since being sworn in, the Minister said he looks forward to starting his tenure with renewed passion and vision that will hopefully effect sustainable economic growth for our country and a better quality of life for all.

"As many would agree, any notable advancement for our country and our livelihood, is contingent on our country's economic development Read more

Port St. Maarten hits historical two millionth cruise passenger mark on New Year’s Eve.

>POINT BLANCHE:--- Port St. Maarten on New Year's Eve, Wednesday, December 31st, 2014, welcomed the historical two (2) millionth cruise passenger in 50-years of cruising. The country at the end of 2014 received for the entire year approximately 2,000,864 cruise passengers.

Family John and Marleen Tharpe along with their three granddaughters, passengers onboard the Oasis of the Seas, were selected by Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport & Telecommunications Hon. Claret Connor on Wednesday, December 31st, 2014 at the Dr Read more

Remembering The Late Vance James Jr.

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - It was on January 1st 2008, residents woke up to the sad news of the passing of former Commissioner and Island Council Member in the then island territory of St. Maarten, Vance James Jr.

He was 59 years old.

The late Vance James was also the managing director of the Voice of St Read more

Up Leader Mp Hon. Theo Heyliger New Year's Message - We Are A Resilient Nation And Proud Caribbean People

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - My Fellow Sint Maarteners,

Today marks January 1st, 2015. The birth of a New Year has taken place. At this time, everybody has prepared their New Year's resolutions on what they would like to accomplish during 2015. As Leader of the UP Party, I have also prepared some resolutions of what I would like to see accomplished for the people of this great country of ours.

Without a doubt, the year 2014 has been a year of challenges for some, but also a positive year for others Read more

Merchants Association

President of the Merchants Association of Marigot René Mathon (left) and Treasurer Philippe Morel.

Read more

Gumbs: Economy a priority in 2015

PHILIPSBURG--The implementation of "deliberate and integrated policies like the counterpart policy, employability through training and skill building for youth and adults, strengthening workplace compliance and formalization of the informal economy that compliment economic growth and reduce unemployment in order to create sustainable development" are top priorities for the Gumbs Cabinet in 2015.

Prime Minister Marcel Gumbs, in his early New Year's message: "The list of priorities is not a short one Read more

Person of the Year

French-side entrepreneur perseveres in difficult times

MARIGOT--For many people Marigot always had the potential to be the more attractive capital of the island and still has, to paraphrase a Kia commercial, "the power to surprise."

After all what could be more enticing to the vacationer than a little corner of France tucked away in the Caribbean, a sea front town with quaint streets, outdoor cafés, markets, shopping, the classic French boulangeries, fine restaurants , the ambiance, the savoir faire? Blend all of this with Caribbean culture and it should be a recipe for success.

The French-side enjoyed its heyday in the 80s and 90s with an up-market clientele, and Americans got a "good bang for their buck" against the franc Read more

Sportsperson of the Year

Rene Leveret

Professional baseball player Rene Leveret of South Reward is The Daily Herald’s Sportsman of the Year for 2014.  Leveret is not only an athlete; he is an unofficial ambassador for the Friendly Island, a role model and a true competitor. The first baseman who also can play left field signed a five-year deal with the Twins just a few months before his 18th birthday in 2003.
  His pro career started that year in the Dominican Republic summer league. Leveret played in 66 games Read more

Country cannot balance budget yet new staff hired. (UPDATED)

style="text-align: center;">Did Government cancel their contract with Cable TV for Wednesday? Is the media being muzzled?

PHILIPSBURG:--- The newly installed Gumbs cabinet has taken some radical decisions as to how they intend to deal with members of the media in the future. A press release from Gumbs press secretariat states that the Government of St. Maarten is the last county to establish a press secretariat, a department they said all other Caribbean nations such as St. Kitts have.
Having read the press release sent out by the press secretariat makes us wonder if St Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- As the yearly challenge comes around to select the person of year, this year was not as challenging as it was in the past years, simply because the candidate that was selected made the headlines both locally and internationally more than any other person on St. Maarten. While being in politics for half of his life, during the entire time he was in opposition for a mere 18 months.
That person is none other than Theodore Heyliger who had over 18 years to make this sunshine city really shine Read more

Prime Minister Lights Fireworks At Court House Tuesday

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - Prime Minister of Sint Maarten the Honorable Marcel Gumbs was invited on Tuesday by the staff of the Court House, to symbolically resume a tradition that has been put aside over the last few years.

This was the lighting of a string of fireworks to close off the working year.

Court House staff welcomed the Prime Minister with snacks and hugs and said the two-minute fireworks presentation was simply the resumption of something many businesses on Frontstreet used to do.

With all safety precautions in place, the Prime Minister lit the string of fireworks Read more