Author: The Publisher

PHILIPSBURG — For entrepreneurs across the world, building an online business has never been easier. Platforms like PayPal, Stripe, Revolut, Wise, and N26 give businesses instant access to international payment processing, e-banking, and digital financial services. But on St. Maarten, a troubling reality remains: local entrepreneurs are locked out of this global ecosystem. Because of St. Maarten’s ongoing financial blacklisting status, local businesses cannot register with many of the world’s leading payment gateways or fintech platforms. For many entrepreneurs, this is more than a minor inconvenience — it is a barrier that stifles innovation, growth, and international competitiveness. Trapped in…

PHILIPSBURG – The Sint Maarten Communications Union (SMCU) has sounded the alarm over what it calls an existential threat to the island’s national telecom provider, TELEM, following the government’s recent approval of a five-year license for Starlink SXM B.V. Click here to read press release SMCU>>> The concession, signed off by the Ministry of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunications (TEATT) on May 6, 2025, gives the foreign-owned satellite operator sweeping rights to provide broadband services across land, sea, and airspace. SMCU President Nataly Frans warns that while consumers may welcome better connectivity, the decision risks undermining TELEM’s already fragile…

PHILIPSBURG — Climate change. Again? Yes sir, because St. Maarten is, like many small island states, in the line of fire when rising sea levels become a reality. It is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Handling this challenge requires something that is alien to most of our politicians: long term thinking. The good thing is that we are not alone and that we do not have to re-invent the wheel because others have understood that something needs to be done and that it needs to be done now. St. Maarten is in a rather unique…

By Tom Clifford in Beijing There are taboo subjects in China.The three Ts…Taiwan, Tibet and Tiananmen. Then the three Es…employment, environment and economy. All can be mentioned but within very strict limits. The first three with extreme caution, the second group only in the context of improvement. I came to China in 2010 and I am leaving in September. After a week in China, as the saying goes, one is an expert; after 15 years one realizes how little one knows. But after my stint here I can confidently say there is less optimism than in 2010. China has known…

By Tom Clifford in Beijing A major geopolitical change is taking place in America’s backyard as one of Washington’s key foreign policy tenets is being openly, almost brazenly, challenged. The irony screams. Washington is threatening China, well sort of, kind of, over Taiwan. We might, we will, we’ll consider, we’ll help the island defend its self sums up the mixed messaging from US politicians. But right under Washington’s nose China is dipping its toe into the Caribbean to test the waters. This is not, it must be stressed, for purely commercial reasons or unrelated to Taiwan. The largest cluster of…

~ When the Silence of Support Becomes the Noise of Irresponsibility ~ We at StMaartenNews.com have always operated on a simple but unwavering principle: to serve the people of St. Maarten with credible, ethical, and professional journalism. Our commitment to accuracy, fairness, and responsible reporting is not just a slogan—it is our daily standard. So imagine our position when we recently received a formal legal notice—a cease and desist letter—concerning online content that we did not publish, do not host, and have absolutely no control over. This outrageous incident is not only absurd in its implication, but also deeply troubling…

PHILIPSBURG — More than seven years ago, in June 2018, the seventh annual Governor’s Symposium dealt with an interesting, if not outright alarming, topic: the effect of climate change on St. Maarten. Nobody lost a night’s sleep about it because, after all, the sun kept shining and the cruise industry brought hordes of tourists to our island. Politicians turned a blind eye to the dangers that are staring us right in the face, albeit further down the road. And yet, during this symposium we heard stuff like “the time to act is now” and (from then Governor Drs. Eugene Holiday):…

~ Behind Closed Doors in Beidaihe: Plotting China’s Future Amid Factional Currents ~ By Tom Clifford in Beijing Azure waters lapping golden beaches, top-class accommodation, great food but the coastal town of Beidaihe, north of Beijing, where the party leadership retreats to escape the capital’s heat every August, is no holiday destination for them. This is where the future of China is plotted, discussed and formulated.  It is no place to let your guard down or not be entirely in control of your brief. Sharks, adding a hint of menace, are known to swim nearby. Despite its importance, the annual…

PHILIPSBURG -– On May 31, Ronald Dongor passed away at the age of 72 in his residence in Amersfoort in The Netherlands. His death did not attract any attention, until the Dutch quality newspaper Trouw recently published a tribute to the man who wanted to become a priest but ended up instead as a colonel in the Royal Dutch Marechaussee, the military police. After his retirement, at the age of 55, Dongor spent two years in St. Maarten – between 2008 and 2010 – as a coach for the local police force. The chief of police at the time, Franklyn…

PHILIPSBURG — Sailing under a false flag is becoming a bad habit, these days designed to help Russian and Iranian oil tankers and gas carriers to circumvent sanctions. False flags are nothing new: the term first surfaced in the 16th century. A that time it simply indicated misrepresentation of someone’s allegiance. False flags were used in warfare as well, but now the practice has shifted to merchant vessels like oil tankers. The flag of St. Maarten is alarmingly frequently abused for this purpose, as an investigation by the Dutch investigative platform Follow the Money (and others) revealed recently. Shipping companies…