November 06, 2026 No comments
Two men sentenced to prison for armed robbery of Ocean Jewelers at JW Marriott Hotel
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Court of First Instance of Sint Maarten sentenced two men to prison on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, for their involvement in the armed robbery of Ocean Jewelers at the JW Marriott Hotel in Oyster Pond on October 17, 2025. M.Y.F. received a five-year prison sentence, while K.O.R. was sentenced to six years. Both were convicted of participating in the robbery, during which employees were threatened with firearms and a hammer was used to smash display cases containing jewelry. The robbery occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. when three masked men entered the jewelry store. One of the robbers threatened employees with a firearm while the others smashed display cases and removed jewelry, including gold items, watches and...
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November 05, 2026 No comments
VROMI MINISTER GUMBS MEETS WITH SOLID WASTE BIDDERS
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT The Minister of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure (VROMI), Mr. Patrice Gumbs, held a meeting with the participants that bid on the solid waste tender to discuss the evaluation process and the next steps. The meeting followed from questions raised by the bidders after receiving results from the Mercell tender software. The Minister used the opportunity to address those questions directly and to explain how the process will move forward. As stated in the Terms of Reference, “the highest-ranked compliant Bidder shall be identified as the potential contractor. Prior to award, an indemnification form shall be signed, and the contractor shall substantiate the availability of required equipment in accordance with Article 20. Failure to do so shall...
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November 05, 2026 No comments
Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle & WIB celebrate Literacy and Excellence at 2026 Spelling Bee Competition
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The Rotary Club of Sint Maarten-Mid Isle, in partnership with Windward Islands Bank (WIB), successfully launched its 2026 Annual Spelling Bee Competition with the preliminary round held on Sunday, November 1, at Paradise Event Hall. The event brought together 26 students, ages 9 to 10, representing seven schools from St. Maarten and three schools from Anguilla, all competing for a spot in the semi-finals. Participating schools from St. Maarten included Asha Stevens Hillside Christian School, St. Dominic Primary School, Seventh-day Adventist School, Leonald Conner School, MAC John A. Gumbs Campus, Learning Unlimited Preparatory School (LU), and Caribbean International Academy (CIA). Anguilla was represented by Alwyn Allison Richardson Primary School, Orealia Kelly Primary School, and Omololu International School. The competition opened with inspiring remarks from Grace Linger, President of...
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November 05, 2026 No comments
CAS-BES Fire Department Commanders agree to enhance cooperation
SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - During the CAS -BES Commanders’ meeting in ’s -Hertogenbosch, the fire department commanders of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten (CAS) and the Caribbean Netherlands made agreements on enhancing their mutual cooperation and on establishing joint priorities for 2027. The meeting focused on ways to make the respective organisations more professional, on the quality of fire service training and on how operational collaboration can be enhanced. Other issues which were addressed included the quality of instructors and examiners, fire safety, incident response and the continued development of fire service education. The focus in the coming year is going to be on further professionalisation, knowledge sharing, boosting operational cooperation and developing joint initiatives, all while taking explicit account of the specific...
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November 05, 2026 No comments
4th CBCS Fintech Conference Brings Together Local and International Experts to Discuss the Future of the Financial Sector
SINT MAARTEN/CURACAO - The future of financial services took center stage at the fourth edition of the annual CBCS Fintech Conference, organized by the Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) in Curaçao on October 30. International speakers shared their insights on stablecoins, tokenization, digital payments, digital assets, and developments in regulation and supervision. The conference’s central message was clear: innovation and trust must go hand in hand. In his opening remarks, CBCS acting president Ference Lamp emphasized the importance of trust as the foundation for meaningful and sustainable financial innovation. This message served as a common thread throughout the conference. Technological progress can create new opportunities for the financial sector, but at the same time requires attention to risks, consumer protection,...
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