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Abolition of slavery celebrated with speeches, song and dance

MARIGOT--The 167th anniversary of the Abolition of Slavery was commemorated Wednesday at the Agrément roundabout with Lady Liberty looking on approvingly as the scourge of slavery was re-enacted in dance, music and the spoken word by various performers.

Despite an overcast sky threatening rain, only a little came down from time to time but umbrellas were ready.

The audience comprising the entire Territorial Council, Préfet Philippe Chopin, MP Daniel Gibbs, former Mayor Albert Fleming, Economic and Cultural Council President Georges Gumbs, and representatives from the district councils were all seated under a tent to watch the activities.

The ceremony was opened by Malaïka Maxwell singing the song "when you believe" by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston before Percussionist Hélier Coquillas called out the freedom fighters with a conch shell and remained to provide the drumming for the different segments.

President of the Territorial Council Aline Hanson said in her address the commemoration is an opportunity to remember the big sacrifices made by the ancestors for freedom.

"Today we celebrate this freedom and all the people who fought body and soul to liberate our islands and get this precious freedom Read more

Coalition loses majority in Senate by two seats

THE HAGUE--As expected, the Dutch coalition cabinet has lost its majority in the Dutch Parliament's First Chamber, forcing it to look outside the three friendly opposition parties for support.

The 570 members of the 12 provincial councils in the Netherlands cast their votes for the First Chamber on Tuesday, meaning the make-up of the First Chamber reflects the results of March's provincial vote.

After the vote, the ruling conservative VVD remains the biggest party in the 75-member Senate with 13 seats, a loss of three compared with four years ago.

Centre-democrat D66 is second with 10 seats after this party doubled its 2011 total.

The anti-immigration Party for Freedom PVV and the Socialist Party (SP) now both have nine seats, while junior coalition partner Labour PvdA has eight seats after its loss of six.

The minor religious parties ChristenUnie and SGP, which together with D66 prop up the coalition in the First Chamber, respectively won three and two seats Read more

Fate of domestic surveillance program uncertain after vote

WASHINGTON--The U.S. Senate blocked a measure to extend spy agencies' bulk collection of Americans' telephone records early on Saturday, leaving the fate of the program uncertain days before its June 1 expiration.
  By a vote of 54-45, the Senate failed to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to advance a bill that would have extended for two months provisions of the "USA Patriot Act" that allow the collection of vast amounts of telephone "metadata."
  The data collection program, in which the National Security Agency sweeps up vast amounts of Americans' telephone records and business information, was exposed two years ago by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, who is now a fugitive in Russia.
  The vote against the extension came after the Senate narrowly blocked the "USA Freedom Act," a bill that would end the bulk telephone data collection and replace it with a more targeted program Read more

Tzu Chi Spreads Love At Triple Celebration Donates Relief Items To 100 Families

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten - The St. Maarten Tzu Chi Foundation helped spread cheer on Sunday, May 10, when it held its annual triple celebration of Mother's Day, Tzu Chi Day and Buddha's Birthday.

During the ceremony, held at Tzu Chi's location on L.B. Scott Road, Tzu Chi helped persons in need by donating relief items to a total of 100 families. The 49 volunteers who participated in the exercise put their best foot forward to keep the 161 guests in attendance engaged during the event.

The triple celebration was preceded by a tour of the various sections at Tzu Chi Foundation Read more

Egyptian court seeks death penalty for ex-president

CAIRO--An Egyptian court on Saturday sought the death penalty for former president Mohamed Mursi and 106 supporters of his Muslim Brotherhood in connection with a mass jail break in 2011.
  Mursi and his fellow defendants, including top Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie, were convicted for killing and kidnapping policemen, attacking police facilities and breaking out of jail during the uprising, against then-president Hosni Mubarak. The court's request drew condemnations from Amnesty International and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan.
  A final ruling is expected on June 2 Read more

Gunman in Mohammad cartoon attack was monitored for years

GARLAND, Texas/PHOENIX--Federal agents for years monitored one of the two gunmen who were shot dead after opening fire with assault rifles at a heavily guarded Texas exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad.

Two government sources who asked not to be named said the shooters were roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, of Phoenix. Court documents show that Simpson had been under surveillance since 2006 and convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents over his desire to join violent jihad in Somalia.

FBI agents and police searched the two men's home at the Autumn Ridge Apartments in north-central Phoenix, cordoning off the complex and evacuating residents for several hours in the early morning.

The shooting incident in the Dallas suburb of Garland was an echo of past attacks or threats in other Western countries against images depicting the Prophet Mohammad Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:---- Sunday 3rd of May marks World Press Freedom Day. Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs would like to congratulate the nation's journalist as well as those from the North side of the island (St. Martin) on this internationally renowned day.

The theme this year is "Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, & Media Safety in the Digital Age."

"The right to freedom of expression allows journalist to inform about what us going on in order for civil society to be informed of developments taking place here and abroad Read more

Prime Minister Gumbs Congratulates Sint Maarten/St. Martin Journalists On World Press Freedom Day

PHILIPSBURG, St. Maarten – Sunday 3rd of May marks World Press Freedom Day. Prime Minister Hon. Marcel Gumbs would like to congratulate the nation's journalist as well as those from the North side of the island (St. Martin) on this internationally renowned day.

The theme this year is "Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, & Media Safety in the Digital Age."

"The right to freedom of expression allows journalist to inform about what us going on in order for civil society to be informed of developments taking place here and abroad Read more