By Tom Clifford Some wizened sage said, or should have said, centuries ago that if a man ever doubted his contribution to society he should take heart from the humble mosquito. That a creature so small could have such an impact is something to both admire and feel annoyed by. That thought came to mind after I applied the anti-scratch ointment for the umpteenth time one recent morning. My leg is beginning to look like a pin cushion. As I write, I am looking out at a view that would inspire artists. The waves lap, as they should, the sand…
Author: The Publisher
By Hilbert Haar Democracy does not magically appear; you have to work for it, or, as the saying goes, if everybody plays by the rules, democracy works. Unfortunately, democracy is under pressure, not only in the United States but elsewhere in the world as well. The alternative is right around the corner: fascism. Fascists ignore the constitution; they ridicule science and the independence of the judicial system, and they smother journalism and freedom of expression. Fair trials? Forget it. Though I have not cast a vote in more than thirty years, I am a democrat at heart, even though I…
PHILIPSBURG — If the government implements and enforces rules, the government should also stick to the rules, the Law Enforcement Council states in its fourth report in six years about the management of St. Maarten’s Crime Fund. That is not happening: the government and the responsible ministry of justice have been dragging their feet for years when it comes to executing five recommendations from the Council. It is therefore not surprising that the Council is threatening with measures. If the structural non-compliance with its recommendations continues it will inform the Dutch Representative of the Kingdom in St. Maarten and the…
WILLEMSTAD — Judge Mauritsz de Kort is per November 4, 2025, the new Governor of Curacao. He succeeds Lucille George-Wout. His 6-year term can be extended once. Ruthsella Agueda Jansen has been appointed as deputy governor. She succeeds Michèle Russel-Capriles, whose term ended on September 1, 2025. De Kort (51) is Curacao’s youngest governor since the island became an autonomous country within the kingdom the Netherlands on October 10, 2010. De Kort was born in Oranjestad, Aruba, in 1973. He attended VWO at the Colegio Arubano, and HEAO in Arnhem. He then went on to study law at Leiden University…
PHILIPSBURG — The Court in First Instance brought down the hammer on former politician Theo Heyliger with a verdict that orders him to pay project developer Zebec $92.1 million for his role in pushing the company out of the Dutch Village project at the harbor cruise facilities. The court denied Zebec’s claim against other parties: the St. Maarten Dutch Quarter Development Company (SMDQC), Danny Ramchandani, Peter Murpuri, and Ocean Drive Properties. But Heyliger, who is already imprisoned for bribery, is the sole loser in this procedure that has by now lasted more than three years. The court ruled that Zebec…
By Tom Clifford The island’s largest private business representative body issued a stark warning that the economic situation would become “more dire” unless urgent reforms, specifically value added tax, are initiated. The Employer Council St Maarten also claimed that “the current economic trajectory is not sustainable.’’ Scheduling a media release for Halloween is fraught with danger but whenever the council’s views on the economy were publicised it would have had a sufficient alarm factor. The council is made up of the St. Maarten Hospitality & Trade Association, the St. Maarten Timeshare Association, the St. Maarten Marine & Trade Association and…
By Tom Clifford It could be an elaborate plan, part of the fog of war, but US President Donald Trump’s seemingly contradictory statements may also suggest uncertainty regarding Venezuela policy in Washington’s corridors of power. But he did firmly indicate that Nicolás Maduro’s days as the Venezuela’s president are drawing to a close. His comments came as the US military upgrades a long-abandoned former Cold War naval base in the Caribbean. Speculation is growing that it could be used for possible actions inside Venezuela. In an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, aired on Sunday, Trump downplayed the likelihood of the…
Publisher’s Piece on Why Rare Earths Matter More Than You Think By Terrance Rey, Publisher – StMaartenNews.com When I first read Tom Clifford’s article on rare earths, I was struck not just by the subject — these obscure minerals that quietly power modern life — but by his final line: “It has not been used by Beijing in the latest trade spat between the two nations.” That understated sentence stayed with me. Clifford had just reminded readers of China’s past warning — “Don’t say we didn’t warn you” — a phrase historically used before armed conflicts. Yet this time, he…
~ From Your Smartphone to the Battlefield; From Invisible Metals to Global Power; The Hidden World of Rare Earths Story ~ By Tom Clifford One of the unintended consequences of using public transport here is that traffic jams provide a perfect opportunity to contemplate. Other passengers were on their phones, rearranging their schedules of just catching up on the gossip. I turned my gaze outside the stationary vehicle and people on the street were using their phones. And then it struck me. Many factors went into making their phones work but one crucial one was the use of rare earths.…
~ 4 Islands One Escape – Embark on the Ultimate Caribbean Adventure! ~ PHILIPSBURG — The Caribbean welcomes a bold new chapter in regional tourism with the launch of “4 Islands, One Escape,” a seamless island-hopping experience designed to showcase the rich diversity and unity of the region. This major initiative was launched on Friday, October 31, at the St. Maarten Tourism Bureau – with King Vers serving as the Master of Ceremony, through an unprecedented collaborative partnership with regional tourism authorities including Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Kitts, Nevis, St. Maarten and St. Martin. Following the successful launch, delegates embarked on…
