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Immigrants to lose medical aid under pending law amendment

PHILIPSBURG--Immigrants, whether they hold permanent residence or temporary residence, will see their possibility of accessing medical and financial aid disappear if Parliament passes the draft National Ordinance on improving financial management of social security and care. The ordinance's general goal is cost savings for government.

The draft law is not yet in Parliament's hands, but an overview of it was given to Members of Parliament (MPs) by representatives of the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development and Labour VSA in a public Central Committee meeting on Friday.

The draft ordinance has as its motives introduction of measures to generate income for the Sickness Fund, protecting the country's budget, measures for improved management of health care-spending, improving the quality of care and a stepwise approach to National Health Reform.

To achieve those motives, changes are required to multiple existing legislations – Financial Assistance Ordinance, Medical Aid Ordinance, Social Health and Insurance SZV Ordinance and Sickness Insurance Ordinance.

Proposed change to the Financial Assistance Ordinance seeks to adjust the regulation to coincide with the ordinance regulating admittance and expulsion of immigrants LTU Read more

Robbery Victim Speaks Out: “We Have To Stop These Guys.”

St. Maarten – “This guy is lurking around, looking for people to scam. We have to stop these guys, they have become a nuisance to society, and they are a growing criminal gang – from stealing bags to mugging workers to armed robberies,” said a night worker in the Maho area, who was recently robbed by three armed men. The robbery took place while he was giving an “acquaintance” of his a ride home.

The gentleman believes he was the victim of an elaborate and premeditated ploy organized by his acquaintance, who is said to go by the name of Jean, and is of Haitian descent Read more

Plasterk prefers cooperation to new instruction for St. Maarten

THE HAGUE--Issuing another instruction to St. Maarten, this time in the area of Justice, does not have the preference of Dutch Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Ronald Plasterk. He would rather strengthen St. Maarten's Justice System and improve integrity together with the local government, he told the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament on Wednesday.

"That doesn't have my preference," Plasterk replied to the question of Member of the Second Chamber Roelof van Laar of the Labour Party PvdA, who asked the minister whether a new instruction for St Read more

De Weever again seeks retraction from Bosman

THE HAGUE/PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten attorney-at-law Jairo Bloem by letter dated November 10, 2014, has reminded Member of the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament André Bosman of the liberal democratic VVD party of his demand to retract his "slanderous" statements in relation to his client caretaker Minister Cornelius de Weever.

Mid-October 2014, Bloem sent an open letter to Bosman asking him to do the "honourable thing" and to retract his "erroneous and defaming remarks." On October 1, during the handling of the 2015 draft Kingdom Relations budget in the Second Chamber he stated that De Weever was "simply bought" by United People's Party (UP) Leader Theo Heyliger to join the UP in Parliament as an independent member.

On behalf of his client, Bloem asked Bosman to refrain from making such remarks in the future Read more

Letter From St. Maarten’S Council Of Ministers To Rutte And Plasterk: No Cooperation With Additional Screening

St. Maarten – The Council of Ministers will not cooperate with the instruction to Governor Holiday to subject candidate-ministers for the new cabinet to additional screening. In a letter, signed by outgoing Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams, the council makes this position clear to Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Kingdom Relations Minister Ronald Plasterk Read more

Editorial - Shape up

Once again there was no quorum for a scheduled plenary session of the Parliament of St. Maarten (see related article). On this occasion it regarded formalising the Intellectual Property Bureau, which may not seem like an urgent matter but is no doubt important for whoever is in need of its services.

Moreover, for Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT) Minister Ted Richardson it was an obvious waste of precious time. Only six of the 15 elected representatives signed in for the meeting, two fewer than required.

Of the five opposition members, US leader Frans Richardson and NA's Christophe Emmanuel were present Read more

Mps Unable To Give Update On Government Formation To Youth Parliament 

St. Maarten – As President of the St. Maarten Youth Parliament, Dwayne Griffith submitted to St. Maarten Parliament a motion, requesting an update on the current situation with government and the steps being taken to establish the new Council of Ministers. However, the MPs present were unable to give any information on the developments to the Youth Parliament, as many were not privy to what was taking place. Members of the Youth Parliament met with Parliament members at the Central Committee meeting on Tuesday to discuss the developments in government formation with regard to the instruction for the screening of candidate-ministers from the Kingdom Council of Ministers in The Hague.

“Our faction cannot provide any insight as to whether a list of ministers has been put forward… neither do we know the standards by which they will be screened,” said MP William Marlin Read more

A Minute With: Sean Hannity on 'disconcerting' election, matchmaking

LOS ANGELES--Sean Hannity, the longtime Fox News Channel anchor and strong voice for American conservatives, is used to taking criticism from all comers, but it was his own unhappiness with his flabby self last year that pushed him to take up a new fight - that of "street" martial artist.

"It's a tough, tough workout," the 52-year-old said of his regimen of jiu-jitsu, blade and firearm training. "It's also really great self-defense ... I'm building muscles that I've never had before."

Hannity, whose eponymous weeknight show averages 1.7 million viewers and ranks in the top five of cable news programs, spoke to Reuters about the upcoming U.S Read more

Mosquito fogging to commence Thursday weather permitting

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):---  The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, announced on Wednesday that the country-wide mosquito fogging campaign could not commence as planned on Tuesday, October 28 due to rain and a malfunction of equipment.

In the meantime, the contractor has informed the ministry that fogging will start on Thursday, October 30 weather permitting. The technical problem with the fogging equipment has been resolved.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon Read more

Mosquito Fogging To Commence Thursday Weather Permitting

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, announced on Wednesday that the country-wide mosquito fogging campaign could not commence as planned on Tuesday, October 28 due to rain and a malfunction of equipment.

In the meantime, the contractor has informed the ministry that fogging will start on Thursday, October 30 weather permitting. The technical problem with the fogging equipment has been resolved.

Minister of Public Health, Social Development & Labour Hon Read more

Mosquito Fogging Moved Forward; Commences October 28

St. Maarten – The fogging of mosquitoes originally carded for November 1 has been moved forward to October 28, according to the Collective Preventive Services (CPS).

Residents are asked to bear in mind that fogging is not a total solution to eliminate mosquitos and that fogging activity is kept to a minimum in order to prevent the mosquito population from developing immunity to the chemicals that are deployed.

Fogging is one intervention of several, and the main measure is for every household and business to take action by removing potential mosquito breeding spots in and around their premises on a daily basis Read more

Cuban economists press for deeper reforms

HAVANA--Some of Cuba's best-known economists are openly questioning the very core of the Soviet-style command economy and saying market reforms under way are too modest to boost weak growth.
  Emboldened by freer debate in the country, they are increasingly vocal in criticizing rigid instructions coming down from the top and the uneven management of policies across the economy, from banking to agriculture Read more

Mosquito fogging moved up to Oct 28

PHILIPSBURG--Mosquito fogging, which had been set to commence Saturday, November 1, will now begin sooner, October 28, Collective Preventive Services (CPS) has announced. Taking place throughout the country as part of a regular vector control programme, the fogging will start in the Simpson Bay and Cole Bay areas.

On October 28, Cupecoy, Maho, Blue Mall, Sapphire, Low Lands, Beacon Hill and Airport Boulevard will be fogged from 5:00am to 7:00am, and the Simpson Bay area including the bridge and yacht club area, as well as Pelican Keys and Welfare Road from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

On October 29, Cole Bay areas near the border, roundabout, Cole Bay Villas, Union Road, Harold Jack will be fogged 5:00am to 7:00am; and Cole Bay Welfare Road, Windsor Road, Cape Bay west of the Cemetery, Cole Bay Lagoon and Orange Grove at 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

A complete schedule will soon be published on the Government Information page of both daily newspapers, outlining dates, times and neighbourhoods Read more

Mosquito fogging is moved up to Oct. 28

PHILIPSBURG--Mosquito fogging, which had been set to commence Saturday, November 1, now will begin sooner, on October 28, Collective Preventive Services (CPS) has announced.

Taking place throughout the country as part of a regular vector control programme, the fogging will start in the Simpson Bay and Cole Bay areas.

On October 28, Cupecoy, Maho, Blue Mall, Sapphire, Lowlands, Beacon Hill and Airport Boulevard will be fogged from 5:00am to 7:00am; and the Simpson Bay area, including the bridge and yacht club area, as well as Pelican Keys and Welfare Road from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

On October 29, Cole Bay areas near the border, roundabout, Cole Bay Villas, Union Road and Harold Jack's Place will be fogged 5:00am to 7:00am; and Cole Bay Welfare Road, Windsor Road, Cay Bay west of the cemetery, Cole Bay Lagoon and Orange Grove from 5:00pm to 7:00pm.

A complete schedule will be published soon on the Government Information page of both daily newspapers, outlining dates, times and neighbourhoods Read more

Mosquito fogging moved forward to commence October 28

>GREAT BAY (DCOMM):--- The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, hereby informs that the mosquito fogging throughout the country will start on Tuesday, October 28 instead of November 1.

Residents must bear in mind that fogging is not a total solution to eliminate mosquitos. Fogging activity is kept to a minimum in order to prevent the mosquito population from developing immunity to the chemicals that are deployed.

Fogging is one intervention of several, and the main measure is for every household and business to take action by removing potential mosquito breeding spots in and around their premises on a daily basis.

Residents must bear in mind that rain events can disrupt mosquito fogging activities, therefore the district schedule will be adjusted accordingly and this will be communicated to the community in a timely manner.

Homeowners during the time of the spraying should open all doors and windows Read more

Mosquito Fogging Moved Forward To Commence October 28

GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Collective Preventive Services (CPS), a government agency under the Ministry of Public Health, Social Development & Labour, hereby informs that the mosquito fogging throughout the country will start on Tuesday, October 28 instead of November 1.

Residents must bear in mind that fogging is not a total solution to eliminate mosquitos. Fogging activity is kept to a minimum in order to prevent the mosquito population from developing immunity to the chemicals that are deployed.

Fogging is one intervention of several, and the main measure is for every household and business to take action by removing potential mosquito breeding spots in and around their premises on a daily basis.

Residents must bear in mind that rain events can disrupt mosquito fogging activities, therefore the district schedule will be adjusted accordingly and this will be communicated to the community in a timely manner.

Homeowners during the time of the spraying should open all doors and windows Read more

North Korea unexpectedly releases US citizen Fowle

WASHINGTON--North Korea has freed Jeffrey Fowle, one of three Americans detained by the country, and he is being flown home to his family in Ohio, the White House said on Tuesday.

Spokesman Josh Earnest said the United States welcomed the move, but pressed Pyongyang to free the two remaining Americans. "While this is a positive decision ... we remain focused on the continued detention of Kenneth Bae and Matthew Miller and again call on the DPRK to immediately release them," Earnest said, referring to the country's official name of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The United States will continue to work actively on those cases, he added.

Fowle, 56, a street repair worker from Miamisburg, Ohio, was arrested in May for leaving a Bible at a sailor's club in the North Korean city of Chongjin, where he was traveling as a tourist Read more

Why Saleh is wrong

Dear Editor,

I have much respect for Professor Jaime Saleh, former Governor of the Netherlands Antilles. However, I was very disappointed by his presentation here in Statia on October 4, 2014, on invitation of the Statia DP.

My disappointment stems from the fact that Mr. Saleh seemed not in touch with what is going on in Statia today; he spoke of his days as governor when he walked the streets here and met the local people and listened to their concerns; that would have been a good place to start on this latest trip also Read more

Icon Mike Ferrier Resigns From Democratic Party

St. Maarten – Mike Ferrier has terminated his membership of the Democratic Party out of disappointment over the way party-leader Sarah Wescot-Williams handled the defection of her number 2 candidate Cornelius de Weever to a coalition with the United People’s party and the subsequent decision by Wescot-Williams to follow suit.

“I cannot subscribe to abandoning all that we campaigned on and claimed to stand for prior to August 29, 2014, by joining a government that has been given life by a person, or a couple of people from within our DP-ranks who seem to be driven only by power, greed and self-interest,” Ferrier – who was the party’s public relations officer – writes in a letter to Wescot-Williams dated last Friday, October 17 Read more

Ferrier resigns from DP, against Sarah supporting UP coalition

~ Richelda feels deceived, doesn't support Sarah ~

PHILIPSBURG--Former President of the Democratic Party (DP) and candidate in the August 29 parliamentary election Michael Ferrier has tendered his resignation from DP over the move by party leader Sarah Wescot-Williams to join the United People's (UP) party-led coalition.

DP candidate Richelda Rodriguez-Emmanuel in an email responding to Ferrier's resignation said she still couldn't "get over the feeling of anger, deception, disappointment and disbelief" to put in any form of communication Read more

Efforts To Increase Tax Compliance Fail

Audit Chamber report Optimizing Tax Revenue

St. Maarten – All efforts to increase tax compliance and tax revenue during the past three years have failed. This appears from the performance audit Optimizing Tax Revenue the General Audit Chamber published last week.

The Finance Minister in the first Wescot-Williams cabinet, Hiro Shigemoto, stated in the 2011 budget “that improvement of the functioning of the organization for assessment and collection together with the introduction of a simplified system should lead, in the coming years, to an additional 20 million guilders in tax revenue Read more

Editorial - Not for too long

There can be little doubt anymore that the announced UP/De Weever government will become a reality, now that UP leader Theodore Heyliger has been appointed "formateur" and a governing accord has been signed (see related article) Read more

Global seafloor map reveals details of Earth's depths

WASHINGTON-- Scientists have devised a new map of the Earth's seafloor using satellite data, revealing massive underwater scars and thousands of previously uncharted sea mountains residing in some of the deepest, most remote reaches of the world's oceans.

The researchers said on Thursday they used gravity measurements of the seafloor from radar equipment aboard the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 satellite and NASA's Jason-1 satellite to capture underwater geological features in unprecedented detail.

"The pull of gravity reflects the topography and tectonics of the seafloor," said David Sandwell, a geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego who led the study.

University of Sydney geophysicist Dietmar Müller, another of the researchers, said about 71 percent of the Earth's surface is covered by water and roughly 90 percent of the seafloor is uncharted by survey ships that employ acoustic beams to map the depths.

"We know much more about the topography of Mars than we know about Earth's seafloor," Müller said Read more

>PHILIPSBURG:--- The task ahead for St. Maarten is daunting said Prime Minister Sarah Wescot Williams when addressing the media on Wednesday during the Council of Ministers weekly press briefing. She said St. Maarten will do what is necessary to implement the recommendations given in the PWC integrity report which the Kingdom Council mandated the Governor of St Read more