Simpson Bay, St. Maarten, April 2nd, 2026 — Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIAE) is proud to announce the return of its aviation photography competition, ToppiX, after a 10-year hiatus. Last held in 2016, the competition is making a highly anticipated comeback in 2026, marking a special moment for aviation enthusiasts and the local community. The relaunch of ToppiX coincides with the inaugural arrival of Southwest Airlines to Sint Maarten on April 7, 2026, offering participants a unique opportunity to capture this historic milestone. Participants are invited to photograph the first Southwest landing at SXM from any safe and permitted location,…
Author: Glenton Pantophlet
By Hilbert Haar To say that gambling is part of the human DNA is probably correct. People gamble for different reasons and the most important one is, according to me: gamblers expect that chances they hit the jackpot are far greater than the chance that they will die tomorrow. Archeologists discovered clay dice more than 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, located in present day Iraq. Back in those days, the dice were used for entertainment and for divination. Interesting little fact: the word gamble stems from the Latin word cambiare, which means exchange or trade. Dice games stuck around and…
ORANJESTAD – While Sint Maarten considers itself a beginner in the field of being an autonomous country, Aruba marked the fortieth anniversary since it obtained status aparte back in 1986. King Willem-Alexander received the memorial book Resilient People/ 40 years of Country Aruba during his visit to the island from Prime Minister Mike Eman. The book is a bundle of observations written by local stakeholder and scientists. They write about the benefits of the status aparte but also about what can still be improved. Fifteen guest writers share their personal memories about their cooperation with the country’s first Prime Minister,…
PHILIPSBURG — Member of Parliament Egbert J. Doran is continuing his efforts to explore structured, military-based training opportunities for Sint Maarten’s youth aged 18 and older, following recent talks with Aruba’s Minister of Justice, the Honorable Arthur Dowers. The discussions form part of Doran’s ongoing follow-up to a proposal he submitted last year to the Government of Sint Maarten, addressed to both the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice. In that proposal, he called on Government to reconsider allowing local youth access to structured military-oriented training programs abroad. To date, no official response has been received from the Government…
