Author: The Publisher

WILLEMSTAD — The moratorium awarded to the struggling Curacao-based airline company Insel Air, whereby temporary suspension of payments was granted on March 14th of this year, has been extended until August 31st, 2018, during a creditor’s hearing held on Friday, August 25th, in the Court of Justice on the Wilhelminaplein in Willemstad, Curacao. One of the main reasons for the extension granted is the proposed strategic alliance between Insel Air and the Colombian airline company Avianca. Another reason is the proposed re-starting of service with a MD-80 jet aircraft to St. Maarten, Santo Domingo, Suriname and Jamaica. According to the…

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The Police Department, the Public Prosecutors Office and the Minister of Justice are confirming the capture and arrest of Kathron Fortune a.k.a. “Cuchi” after receiving the information from the Royal Police Force of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The arrest took place on Saturday July 29th on the island of Saint Kitts. The Minister of Justice has been informed of this new development and the police department and prosecutors’ office is informing the entire community that they continue to work diligently on the escape of this extremely dangerous escaped convict. Details and other information regarding the arrest of “Cuchi” are unavailable…

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CUL-DE-SAC — Another family on St. Maarten is mourning the loss of a young man. Gary Zorilla, 23 years, succumbed to his injuries in the St. Maarten Medical Center after being involved in a fight in Cole Bay Thursday night on July 20, 2017. 721news.com was live at the crime scene and reported that a group of young men with prior problems encountered each other  around 10pm at the Bush Road Gas Station. A fight broke out and the patrons  at the gas station called the police but the police did not arrive on  time and the two groups split…

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I enjoy drinking beer. Nothing beats coming up from a dive doing research in the Marine Park or after a long day in the office, ordering an ice-cold beer, and downing it in just a few swallows. I also enjoy beer because it is in my genes, with my father being Belgian I have no choice, and I enjoy the complexity of flavors, the variety, the history and the camaraderie that goes into having a few beers with friends. I do not enjoy the headache the following morning when a few turns in to too many. Unfortunately, on Sint Maarten,…

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GREAT BAY – Port St. Maarten has a representative at the 20th Annual General Meeting of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC) in the Cayman Islands. The meeting began yesterday and concludes tomorrow. Yesterday, the PMAC opened with an executive committee meeting followed by a strategic session and welcome reception in the evening. Today, opening remarks will be delivered by the chairman followed by internal organizational business matters. Tomorrow there will be a number of technical sessions. Port Management Association of the Caribbean delegates will review the Strategic Plan 2013-2017 and create an upcoming plan as it relates to 21st century continuous…

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There are several ways to make a country great and some ways to make sure that this never happens. In that last category fall formalities. This thought crossed our mind when we heard Justice Minister Boasman said yesterday that “formally, the Miss Lalie Center does not exist.” The finer points related to this remark are to be found on our front page today. In the real world, the situation is that we have what former Justice Minister Dennis Richardson liked to call a youth care center. That sounds a tad friendlier than youth detention center – because that’s what it…

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Dear Editor, Last week, yet another annual report was added to the long list of reports that Parliament has in its possession. The General Audit Chamber, one of the High Councils of State, submitted for the seventh time, its annual report in both the Dutch and English languages. Hence, Members of Parliament, who are not versed in the Dutch language have no excuse about not being able to read or understand the Chamber’s annual report. I would like to commend the Chamber for producing a very good report. It’s critical, yet objective and minces no words as it lets the…

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GREAT BAY – “I have assured the General Audit Chamber that the Ministry of Justice respects its tasks and that under this minister it will fully cooperate,” Justice Minister Rafael Boasman said at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing in reaction to a question from this newspaper about the fierce criticism the Audit Chamber directed in its 2016 annual report at the ministry for a lack of cooperation with its audit of personnel expenditures in 2015. Minister Boasman said that he was “a bit surprised” when he read the front page article in Today (last Monday’s edition: “Justice Ministry undermines…

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GREAT BAY – “Our drinking water is safe,” Minister Emil lee assured the population at yesterday’s Council of Ministers press briefing. Late on Tuesday evening Inspector-General Dr. Earl best sent out a press release stating that his department is intensifying the supervision of water producers and distributors after bacteriological test found E. Coli and Legionella bacteria in the drinking water. Minister Lee recapped the statement from the inspectorate yesterday, pointing out that Seven Seas produces the island’s potable water from sea water through a reverse osmosis process at its three water plants in Pointe Blanche, Cay Hill and Cupecoy. Gebe…

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