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Soualiga News II (5572)

More Information forthcoming about the Effects of the General Data Protection Regulation

BONAIRE - As of May 25, 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into effect for the whole of the European Union (EU). The GDPR applies to all organizations large and small, as well as to independents with no staff (ZZP-ers) who process personal data.

Although the current data-privacy legislation will remain in effect on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, organizations will feel the effects of the new EU legislation. With that in mind, the Data Protection Authority BES (the Authority) will intensify its information efforts as regards the consequences of the GDPR. 

From the moment the GDPR comes into effect on May 25, stricter rules will apply to transfer and exchange of personal data to or with countries outside the EU, including Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.

“Many organizations collect and exchange sensitive information with organizations within the EU. It is important for us to be ready by identifying the effects to be expected on Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba as the GDPR comes into force,” according to Roëlla Pourier of the Authority’s secretariat.

Our community and economy have become highly digitized in recent years. While there are many positive aspects to this, it also has its downsides, such as cybercrime, identity fraud, data leaks and economic cybercrime. On account of the high risk of fraud associated with personal data exchanges, the EU has moved to raise their level of privacy protection.

Furthermore, as of May 25, all countries exchanging information with the EU will need to have adequate levels of privacy protection in place. This means that Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba too will need to have privacy regimes in place that are similar to the rules which apply under the GDPR.

Although in many respects, the current privacy legislation does comply, additional measures will be required. What these measures are will be explained in a series of information sessions provided by the Authority in the coming months.

Says Pourier: “We are asking organizations to report to the Secretariat any issues they may be experiencing in connection with the privacy legislation, as this will allow us to better tailor our information efforts to the kind of questions they are dealing with.”

To report any issues in this regard or for more information about the new European GDPR, please contact Roëlla Pourier of the Secretariat: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; telephone: +599 715 8392.

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Benjamin & Parker Director visits Sint Maarten patients in Colombia

SINT MAARTEN/COLOMBIA - On the 20th March, Regional Director of Benjamin & Parker, Terence Jandroep CRA, visited the medical referral patients of Sint Maarten in Colombia.

“The objective of the visit was to talk to the patients as friends, and to show solidarity in a time of distress.

“The director spoke to patients individually and understood the uncertainty of being in a foreign country with a language barrier and a medical condition.

“Patients were surprised that an Aruban living in Colombia came to visit them to bring a word of strength and support. It is the intention to continue visits to the patients for which contact numbers were exchanged to guarantee contact during their stay in Colombia,” Jandroep said in a press release on Wednesday.

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Couple robbed Tuesday night during armed robbery

OYSTER POND - The Special Unit robbery is presently investigating an armed robbery which took place on Oyster Pond Road on Tuesday March 20th at approximately 8.00 p.m.

According to the couple that was robbed while driving towards Dawn beach they were blocked by a car in which two unknown men were driving. These two men jumped out of their vehicle and approached the victims.

The two suspects were armed with guns and threatened to use them. The victims were then robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash, their I-phones and the keys to their vehicle.

After committing this act the suspects jumped back into their vehicle and fled the scene. (Sint Maarten Police Force)

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Fire department issues fire warning due to dry spell

GREAT BAY, (DCOMM) – The Fire Department which falls under the Ministry of General Affairs, is calling on the community to be very conscious by not throwing out lighted cigarettes or matches that could result in bush fires due to the dry spell that the island is currently experiencing.

Persons, who would like to burn bush or garbage in a built-up area, or on a hillside for agricultural activities, are requested to refrain from doing so, and contact the Fire Department for advice. 

The inappropriate use of fire can endanger lives, property and the environment in these dry weather conditions that the country is currently experiencing. Fires can get out of control. 

A person can help by reducing bush fire hazards by acting responsibly and following the aforementioned advice from the national Fire Department. 

Those seeking information can contact the Fire Department at 542-1215, 542-1217, 542-6001 or in case of an emergency 919.

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JOSEPH PRINCE SAFELY RETURNED

PHILIPSBURG - This morning (Monday, March 19) at approximately 10.00 am 12 year old Joseph Prince, who reportedly went missing from his foster home earlier this month was returned to the Juvenile Detective Department at Police Headquarters in Philipsburg.

Prince, who was spotted several times in public with his mother, was returned by her this morning without incident.

After being returned, Prince was handed back over to the Court of Guardianship, who will continue to provide him with the necessary care and support.

The investigation in this case is still ongoing. The Sint Maarten Police Force wants to thank the media and the community, for sharing the police press releases on social media. (Sint Maarten Police Force)

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St. Kitts and Nevis gets digital independence

SINT MAARTEN/ST. KITTS & NEVIS - The government of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis has become the first in the Caribbean to have its own unique identifier on the global Internet. 

An autonomous system number, called an ASN, was assigned to the Caribbean nation by the American Registry for Internet Numbers, ARIN, on March 7. An ASN is used to identify a computer network on the global Internet, and is an important part of the system used to exchange data between the thousands of networks that make up the Internet. 

Previously, the St Kitts and Nevis government network was connected to the Internet through a number assigned by a commercial Internet service provider. Now, with its own autonomous system number, the government joins the ranks of other independent network operators around the world that are identifiable by a unique number. 

“On September 19, 1983, the nation of St Kitts and Nevis achieved political independence. With this allocation of our very own autonomous system number, our government has taken an important step toward network independence.

“We see this as a critical element in our plans to build our government network and to provide our citizens and business community with the digital services they are demanding and deserve,” said Vincent Byron, Attorney General and government minister responsible for Justice, Legal Affairs and Communications. 

As governments and businesses in the Caribbean rely increasingly on the Internet, more investment is being made in securing domestic infrastructure and developing local technical capacity.

ARIN, as well as regional agencies like the Caribbean Telecommunications Union and the Caribbean Network Operators Group, has been working with the Federation to help build and secure government networks and digital services.  

“With autonomy comes greater responsibility,” said Bevil Wooding, Caribbean Outreach Liaison at ARIN, the nonprofit corporation that manages the distribution of Internet number resources in the Caribbean, as well as Canada and the United States.  

“Just as political independence entailed new levels of responsibility, so too does network autonomy.  The government of St Kitts and Nevis has demonstrated its commitment and leadership to building the local digital economy by securing its own autonomous system number.  Next, it must build on this by investing in technical training, policy development and service innovation necessary to foster innovation and new economic opportunity,” Wooding added. 

He was speaking at a training workshop recently held by ARIN in Basseterre, St Kitts, where the allocation of the ASN was announced. ARIN events in Grenada, Barbados, Saint Lucia and St Kitts and Nevis have sparked interest in increasing the number of autonomous networks in the Caribbean. Similar events are being planned for St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica in the coming months. (BY GERARD BEST)

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EC: Reminder Registration of Donations candidates. Calls on political parties to assist candidates

PHILIPSBURG - The Electoral Council (EC) would like to remind the 93 candidates who contested the 2018 parliamentary elections that, in accordance with the National Ordinance on Registration and Finances of Political Parties, they are required to record all donations received, be it in cash, by check or in kind.

These records must be submitted to the Electoral Council ultimately on Monday, March 26, 2018.

Hurricane Irma has left the Electoral Council without its office; therefore, all candidates are invited to submit the donations registration to the representative of the Electoral Council in conference room #4 at the new Government Building on the flowing dates:

  • - March 20 and 21 from 1:30pm-5:30pm
  • - March 22 and 23 from 9:00am-1:00pm
  • - March 26 from 9:00am to 6:00pm

At the beginning of March, the Electoral Council sent the login credentials to all candidates. Candidates who did not receive this email with instructions on how to access the database to complete their donation registration digitally should contact the Electoral Council by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

All candidates, also those with zero (0) donations, are required to submit their original signed and dated donation registration to the Electoral Council.

Candidates and political parties are also informed that- due to the damage to the office - the Electoral Council will not be able to assist candidates with the completion of their donation registration.

Candidates experiencing difficulties with entering the information in the online donation registration are advised to seek assistance from their party. The Electoral Council is calling on all party boards to monitor donations received by their candidates and to assist them with the accurate registration of donations.

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Visionary Leaders Needed: VLF Calls for nominations for VLF’s Leader Worth Following Awards

SINT MAARTEN (BELAIR) - “Visionary leaders are the builders of a new dawn, working with imagination, insight, and boldness. They present a challenge that calls forth the best in people and brings them together around a shared sense of purpose,” says Corinne McLaughlin, Executive Director of The Center for Visionary Leadership and co-author of Spiritual Politics and Builders of the Dawn.

She further states: “They search for solutions that transcend the usual adversarial approaches and address the causal level of problems. They find a higher synthesis of the best of both sides of an issue and address the systemic root causes of problems to create real breakthroughs.” 

With this definition of a visionary leader, Victorious Living Foundation (VLF) the host of Leadercast on St. Maarten for the sixth consecutive year is calling for nominations for this year’s second annual Leader Worth Following Awards. Especially in light of what appears to be a global and local leadership crisis, the nominated visionary leader should demonstrate the following leadership values:

  1. Integrity: Possess honesty and uncompromising morals.
  2. Authenticity: Represent him/herself in a genuine nature.
  3. People-First: Focus on individuals over numbers.
  4. Excellence: Pursue surpassing ordinary standards.
  5. Discipline: Exercise a commitment to a purpose.

Two visionary leadership awards will be awarded to worthy persons in our community and chosen by the general public through online voting. The categories are “Emerging Visionary Leader” award to a youth between 15 and 25 years and an adult “Visionary Leader,” 26 years and above.

Submissions with an essay highlighting how this nominee integrates the five leadership values of integrity, authenticity, people-first, excellence and discipline with his or her visionary leadership should be sent to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or queries to 1-721-524-8731 no later than March 30th. VLF’s Leader Worth Following Awards and Symposium is the grand finale to VLF’s three-day Leadership Summit which is scheduled for May 3rd to 5th 2018.

Leadercast, the world’s largest one day leadership conference simulcast live from Atlanta Georgia to hundreds of host sites including St. Maarten is incorporated into the Leadership Summit. Visionary of Victorious Living Foundation, Dr. Erna Mae Francis Cotton, will be live on http://pjd2radio.com this Monday March 19th for the midday talk show with Wendell Moore, to provide more details.

Persons wanting to learn how to lead themselves will learn from world class leaders at Leadercast.. Businesses wanting to improve customer service, enlist the best employees; and increase employee retention, would want to register for VLF’s Leadership Summit as on day 3 of the Summit, Jasmine Payne, the creator of ServiceBranding™ will share how they can achieve the mentioned objectives.

To register, call 1-721-524-8731; learn about VLF visit www.victoriouslivingsxm.org / or https://www.facebook.com/VLFSXM/.

CUTLINE: Ambassador Liverpool with supporters and Darren Wilson Sr., MC, past Y2Xer.

Ambassador Liverpool with supporters and Darren Wilson Sr. MC past Y2Xer

CUTLINE: Gilbert Benjamin receives award on behalf of Officer Gamali Benjamin.

Gilbert Benjamin receives award on behalf of Officer Gamali Benjamin

CUTLINE: Cross section of audience enjoying comedy at VLF's Leader Worth Following Awards.

Cross section of audience enjoying comedy at VLFs Leader Worth Following Awards

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ORANGE ALERT Remains for Kick ‘Em Jenny Undersea Volcano

SINT MAARTEN/CARIBBEAN - Activity associated with the Kick 'em Jenny submarine volcano near the Caribbean island of Grenada, continues to be low with two minor seismic events being recorded on March 17th, 2018, according to the Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the West Indies. At this stage it is still too early to declare the episode ended. The alert level remains at ORANGE, SRC concludes.

Kick 'em Jenny (KeJ) is a submarine volcano located 8km north of Grenada. The volcano is about 1300m high, and its summit is currently estimated to be about ~200m below the surface of the sea.

The alert system is a four stage system starting at green, then yellow, orange and red.

An ORANGE alert is: Highly elevated level of seismic and/or fumarolic activity or other unusual activity. Eruption may begin with less than twenty-four hours’ notice.

After orange alert, there is the RED alert which is issued when an “eruption is in progress or may begin without further warning.”

A GREEN alert is: Volcano is quiet. Seismicity and fumarolic (steam vent) activity are below the historical level at the volcano. No other unusual activity detected.

A YELLOW alert is: Volcano is restless: seismicity and/or fumarolic activity are above the historical level or other unusual activity has been observed or can be expected without warning.

Monitoring and Alert Levels
The Seismic Research Centre has established a monitoring network and warning system specifically for Kick 'em Jenny. The main purpose of this is to provide warning to shipping in the vicinity, it is not a tsunami warning system.

Recent upgrades in the monitoring system have resulted in a strong network of monitoring equipment surrounding the volcano as well as the development of a small, dedicated volcano observatory on nearby Grenada.

This upgrade was made possible through a grant from the Caribbean Development Bank. The monitoring system includes a network of seismometers (to detect earthquakes), tide gauges (to detect water disturbances), hydrophones (to detect submarine explosions) and tiltmeters and GPS stations (to detect ground deformation). Various combinations of these instruments are installed at Sauteurs, the Sisters rocks, Isle de Ronde, Isle de Caille and Carriacou.

Alert Level System
At any given time, the alert level reflects the status of the volcano. The alert levels for volcanoes in the Commonwealth Caribbean are set by a committee which consists of the professional scientific staff of the Seismic Research Centre although we often consult with other scientists with special knowledge of this region.

Governments with responsibility for the volcano in question are consulted before the alert level is changed but this may not always be possible as alert levels may change very rapidly. For example the Soufriere of St Vincent went from mild premonitory activity to full-scale eruption in less than 18 hours in 1979.

Kick 'em Jenny has been in a state of continuous low-level activity since 1939 at least and it can be dangerous to spend time directly over the volcano. 

SOUALIGA NEWSDAT REPORT

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Prime Minister Romeo-Marlin attends Aruba Flag Day Service

PHILIPSBURG – On Sunday morning Prime Minister Leona Romeo-Marlin joined the Chuchubi Foundation at the St. Martin of Tours Roman Catholic Church in Philipsburg to commemorate Aruba Flag Day on March 18, 2018.

The Chuchubi Foundation played an active role during the program while the Sint Maarten Song and the Aruban Anthem were sung at the end of the church service.

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