Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) - Over 2,000 Palestinian hunger strikers redefined courage. Their willingness to die for justice was unprecedented. On May 14, an Egyptian brokered deal was reached. Strike leaders and Israel Prison Service (IPS) officials agreed on terms. They included:
Endangered species Burlesque Bank of England Cultural trips Nuclear waste
Opposition sources said Wednesday that an Iranian diplomat was assassinated in Damascus. No further details were available.Meanwhile, gunfire and explosions were heard Tuesday night in several neighborhoods of Damascus.
Early Wednesday, an explosion and gunfire were heard in Baghdad street and in Bab Touma, the Christian quarter of the capital, according to the Local Coordination committees (LCC). According to the LCC, the area of Tadamoun, in the south of the capital, was targeted by mortar fire early Wednesday morning.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/news/report-claims-iranian-diplomat-killed-syria-clashes-go-436461
Employment law Middle East Extradition Gabriel Agbonlahor JS Bach Conservation
PHILIPSBURG--The Claude Wathey Political Awareness Foundation held its 14th annual recognition and wreath laying ceremony of the birthday of Claude Wathey, the late Democratic Party co-founder and leader. Wathey would have been 86 years old. He passed away in January 1998.
Gathered at his statue in front of the Government Administration Building were representatives of the foundation, the Wathey family, the United People's (UP) party, the Democratic Party and the University of St. Martin, an institution Wathey also established.
Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin, filling in for Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams who is in Washington D.C., laid a wreath at the base of Wathey's statue. He was accompanied by Minister Silveria Jacobs and Minister Cornelius DeWeever.
Valerie Giterson-Pantophlet and Member of Parliament Roy Marlin laid a wreath on behalf of the foundation, Glen Yeung and Annelies van den Assem on behalf of USM, Josianne Fleming-Artsen and MP Gracita Arrindell on behalf of the UP, Norman and Sue Wathey on behalf of the Wathey family and Andy Wescot and Michael Ferrier on behalf of the DP.
A separate wreath laying ceremony was also held at Wathey's statue at the harbour on Tuesday. Present for that ceremony representing the Harbour Group of Companies were, Hector Peters, Operations Manager, Humphrey Mezas, Supervisory Board Member, Renald Williams, Supervisory Board Member and Ichel Moeslikan, Cruise & Yachting OPS.
Leader of the UP Theo Heyliger is currently off island.
Conservation Economic growth (GDP) Strictly Come Dancing Noel Coward al-Qaida Credit cards
MARIGOT--I Love My Island Dog Association board member Thierry Coranson was involved unexpectedly in the saving of a large turtle at Le Galion Beach last Friday morning.
He was walking the beach when he saw something strange in the sea and realised it was a turtle in distress, caught in a net. The turtle had difficulty coming to the surface to breathe and appeared to be drowning. He swam out to the turtle and attempted to free it but the net was very strong.
Despite not having a knife with him, he was able to untangle the net to free the turtle which was by now completely exhausted. He carried the turtle to the beach and as he had no phone asked some passers-by for help. They called the Island Dog Association who in turn advised calling Réserve Naturelle.
In the meantime to protect the turtle from dogs and anyone who might want to steal it, he took it to the Butterfly Farm until Réserve Naturelle arrived.
Rangers from Réserve Naturelle determined that she was in good enough shape to be put back into the sea and the turtle was duly returned to the ocean.
I love My Island Dog President Ursula Oppikofer described the rescue as an "excellent collaboration" between the association and Réserve Naturelle.
"Hopefully turtles won't meet any more floating nets...too much debris is thrown into the sea. It's really sad for our sea world," she said.
Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/29492--turtle-freed-from-net-at-le-galion.html
Al-Futtaim Motors, exclusive distributor for Lexus in the UAE, today unveiled the all-new 2013 ES. Featuring a progressive new design and enhanced handling, the 2013 ES sedan is set to continue as a favourite of luxury car buyers.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/al-futtaim-motors-lexus-es-436628
New Castle United Tromso Lee Bowyer Beach holidays Weather The FA
GE, a worldwide partner of the Olympic Games, today announced it has exceeded US$1 billion in infrastructure sales over the past four Olympic Games. Since 2006, GE has worked closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic Games venues, health centers and surrounding commercial buildings. The technology provided aims to support the organizing committees’ goals of building sustainable Olympic Games that improve the host city and provide state-of-the-art healthcare for Olympic athletes.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/ge-olympic-games-436535
Middle East Extradition Gabriel Agbonlahor JS Bach Conservation Economic growth (GDP)
PHILIPSBURG--Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) maintains its position that government should not permit the plans for the Rainforest Adventures attraction to continue and should continue its efforts to purchase Emilio Wilson Estate for the establishment of Country St. Maarten's first land-based protected area and National Park.
The foundation said that after having met with Rainforest Adventures representatives on several occasions, it had come to the conclusion that Rainforest Adventures was green-washing its true plans for Emilio Wilson Estate to gain social and political support.
"The Rainforest Adventures project/Rockland Estate Park is not in any way a good example of eco-tourism or eco-activities as the developer is attempting to make the population believe," the foundation said in a press release.
"This project is focused on the commercial, mass exploitation of Emilio Wilson Estate in the form of an amusement park with no noteworthy conservation initiatives and no genuine regard for the cultural significance of the area and our ancestors who toiled on the estate for generations during slavery.
"Furthermore the proposed project does not sufficiently provide for educational activities regarding Emilio Wilson Estate's history and its importance as a unique aspect of St. Maarten's, the Dutch Kingdom's and the Caribbean's shared heritage."
The foundation said St. Maarten did not need a foreign company like Rainforest Adventures to come to the island to dictate how the island's natural resources should be managed. "There are enough St. Maarteners with years of experience in natural-resource management."
"The Daily Herald of Tuesday, November 15, 2011, featured a Job Vacancy for a General Manager at Rainforest Adventures St. Maarten. The required qualifications read as follows: 'University Degree preferably Engineer, minimum 25 years in Park Operations with a background in Ski Lift Installation, Operations and Maintenance.'
"The foundation wonders if Rainforest Adventures and Mr. John Dalton truly expected to find an engineer in St. Maarten with 25 years of experience in ski-lift installation or if the vacancy was just an elaborate scheme to facilitate Mr. Dalton and his other non-resident colleagues' attempts to secure residence and working permits."
The foundation believes Rainforest Adventures' constant attempts to compare St. Maarten to countries such as Costa Rica and Jamaica, where Rainforest Adventures has established amusement parks in green areas, are a clear indication of the limited understanding the company has of conservation efforts.
"Jamaica covers a surface area of some 4,240 square miles while the Dutch side of St. Maarten covers only 16 square miles. In addition, Jamaica has several large, protected areas which cover hundreds of square miles. The negative effects on natural resources as a consequence of establishing a Rainforest Adventures Amusement Park in Jamaica are therefore comparatively much smaller than what they would be for St. Maarten, a much smaller country with no land-based protected areas," the foundation pointed out.
"Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation urges Government to put the interest of the people of St. Maarten above the interest of large, foreign companies such as Rainforest Adventures and their partners Carnival Cruise Lines and to purchase, protect and establish Emilio Wilson Estate as St. Maarten's first National Park for current and future generations of residents and visitors to enjoy," the foundation concluded.
Oscars Niclas Alexandersson Mark Bright Robert Schumann Dorset Internet
At least 40 Syrian officers were killed Tuesday in combat and others captured by rebels during attacks on two police offices in the south of Aleppo, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).
"Hundreds of rebels attacked two police stations in Salhine and Bab Nairab (south) and at least 40 policemen were killed during the fighting that lasted for hours," said Rami Abdel Rahamn, president of the SOHR.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/news/rebels-say-they-control-most-aleppo-436359
Twilight Dolomites Arsène Wenger Bulgaria Stock markets Energy efficiency
By Iqbal Jassat
As Syria disintegrates and important landmarks in cities across many of its region displaying visible scars of war, it’s becoming clear that the Assad regime's reign is terminal.
While this outcome is predictable, the images circulating via Syrian state broadcast suggest that Bashar al Assad is firmly in control and on the verge of restoring law and order.
"Law and order"? It’s a strange phenomenon indeed!
Western imperialism and American designs in particular, especially in a post-cold war theatre, had placed a huge premium on retaining dictators in the Arab world to deny democracy to Muslims for a variety of strange reasons.
One such has been the ridiculous argument that open societies in the Arab/Muslim world would equate to lawlessness and anarchy.
Thus the preference for dictatorships who would keep their populations on a tight leash to impose "law and order".
Until he was forced to vacate his American-funded tyranny by a popular revolt, Hosni Mubarak represented the archetypal benevolent dictator who ensured "law and order" facilitated rape of Egypt's honour and dignity.
It was similarly in line with the plunder of Tunisia by its deposed leader that so-called "law and order" shielded Europe's complicity in Ben Ali's corrupt rule!
Following Hafez al Assad's death, the ascendancy of his British educated son Bashar was heralded in the West as a continuation of his father's "moderate" policies.
Of course it goes without saying that his repression of fundamental human rights targeting the Islamic Movement enjoyed unflinching support of Western states.
The same holds true today in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Yemen and the Gulf Sheikdoms: "law and order" imposed at the barrel of American-funded guns!
Syria today, like Iraq under the former Saddam Hussein regime, has fallen out of favour with Western interest, despite decades of investment in the cultivation of policies sympathetic to the zionist colonial-settler state known as Israel!
Not surprising therefore that chaos, anarchy, death and destruction in Syria today, is a preferred option actively pursued by the United States through a motley of diverse rebel formations as an expedient measure to achieve regime change.
Will it pave the way for a more "moderate" West-leaning client-state able to trade-off the Occupied Golan Heights for "peace" with apartheid Israel is left to be seen.
What is certain though is that the US and her allies will unhesitatingly cut a deal with Assad if he fore goes ties with Iran and Hezbollah and by permitting American-Zionist lawmakers to re-write Syria's political script.
That's the choice: "law and order" as an explicit alternate to the current mayhem!
Who cares then if freedom is mortgaged once again to Uncle Sam!
- Iqbal Jassat is an Executive Member of the Media Review Network, Johannesburg - South Africa. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19454
TV ratings Roy Hodgson Canada Tony Cottee Peter Beardsley Fulham
Paraguay urged the Organization of American States, OAS, on Wednesday to say whether it will be taking measures or not against the country following the removal of Fernando Lugo from the presidency, a political incident that has reverberated in the whole continent.
Twitter Chalkboards France Nuclear power Manchester United Shola Ameobi
PHILIPSBURG--The Court of First Instance will be dealing with a case of sexual abuse allegedly involving a 50-year-old man and a girl who was born in 2000, during its sitting of August 16.
The case against E.C.G. was postponed on Wednesday because the file had not been ready until Monday, July 16, and because the defendant's attorney Geert Hatzmann is currently on vacation.
Prosecutor Dounia Benammar called the case and said the suspect had allegedly lured his victim into his house where he had committed various lewd acts upon the girl, between January 1, and April 4, 2012.
The suspect will also be charged with possession of a hunting rifle and a handgun, which he allegedly had shown the girl. The Prosecutor said he had also made the girl fire a shot. He had allegedly threatened to kill the girl's mother and sisters if she ever informed them about what had transpired.
Attorney Luciano Dundas requested the Court to lift E.C.G's detention pending the August 16 hearing. The lawyer questioned the credibility of witnesses, who had stated that E.C.G. had also been sexually involved with other girls. Dundas found these statements were irrelevant, and said his client would be pleading not guilty.
With regard to the firearm possession, Dundas said his client had no criminal record and had not taken the weapons to the streets, but had kept them in his house. This led Prosecutor Benammar to respond that weapons can also be used for crimes indoors, which had actually happened in the case at hand.
Judge Maria Paulides had flown in from Curaçao to preside over Wednesday's criminal sitting. She temporarily filled the gap left by Judge Monique Keppels, who completed her three-year stint in St. Maarten and will be returning to The Netherlands. A new residing judge for St. Maarten is expected to be sworn in by the Joint Court in August.
Judge Paulides turned down the request to suspend E.C.G.'s detention and postponed the hearing.
Japan Disability Restaurants Social networking War crimes World Cup 2018
Palestine, (Pal Telegraph) - Over 2,000 Palestinian hunger strikers redefined courage. Their willingness to die for justice was unprecedented. On May 14, an Egyptian brokered deal was reached. Strike leaders and Israel Prison Service (IPS) officials agreed on terms. They included:
Debit cards Gender Retail industry Endangered species Burlesque Bank of England
Emirates’ A380 route network has extended to the Netherlands today with the launch of services to Amsterdam.
Emirates is the first carrier to offer a scheduled A380 service to the Netherlands, after just two years since its first flight to Amsterdam.
Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/pr/emirates-a380-amsterdam-436686
World Cup 2018 Supermarkets Florida Banking Ryan Babel Labour
PHILIPSBURG--GEBE Shareholding Foundation Chairman Ralph Richardson said on Monday that the company's Supervisory Board Chairman Julius Lambert has withdrawn his resignation letter and will remain in his position until otherwise instructed.
Richardson's disclosure confirmed rampant speculation on the matter that has not been publicly addressed by Lambert or government to date even though his resignation was addressed in a very public manner.
Richardson explained that had Lambert gone through with his resignation as per July 8, 2012, when his four-year term ended, it would have left the board with just two members, one from Saba and one from Statia. This is not a legal make-up under the company's articles of incorporation.
Richardson further explained that Lambert had withdrawn his letter of resignation after the NA/DP/I3 government was sworn in on May 21, 2012, and after the said government withdrew the nominees for the GEBE board as had been put forward by the former UP/DP government.
The former United People's (UP) party/DP government had submitted the names of Mark Mingo, Veronica Webster-Jansen and Rene Richardson to the Corporate Governance Council for vetting as candidates to serve on the GEBE board. Those three, had they been accepted, would have replaced Lambert, Joseph Dollison and Gregory Richardson. The latter two have already resigned.
Lambert issued his resignation letter to Ralph Richardson in mid-March, after the UP/DP Council of Ministers (COM) had dispatched a letter to Richardson requesting that the shareholding foundation seek the immediate resignation of GEBE's Supervisory Board members. The letter was dated March 12 and signed by the Prime Minister on behalf of the COM. The COM framed its request in terms of the reorganisation of GEBE in light of the new policy for government utility companies.
Richardson said on Monday that the Shareholding Foundation could not just appoint members as it chose, but had to wait on recommendations from government. Thus far, he added, the foundation has not received any notification that new nominees for the board have been identified.
He said he hopes a new board could be put in place as early as next month.
Regarding Lambert's position, Richardson said that while the articles of incorporation allowed for a second four-year term, this was not the case in this regard. Lambert will remain in place until a new board is identified and discussions can commence on the way forward.
As for the division of shares of the company, Richardson said he understood that the current government had accepted the MOU signed by St. Maarten, Saba and Statia for the division of shares. The MOU was spearheaded by former Minister of Energy Affairs Theo Heyliger.
Richardson said the governments of the three islands now must instruct the Shareholding Foundation to transfer the shares and as of what date they would like to see this done.
Heyliger, Saba's Commissioner of Energy Chris Johnson and Statia's Commissioner of Energy Koos Sneek signed the MOU in April 2012. With an action plan and with the shares transfer agreement of October 2011 incorporated into the MOU, the three islands entered an 18-month transition phase that will culminate in the division of shares and in Saba and Statia establishing their own electricity companies by January 1, 2014.
GEBE St. Maarten will buy out Saba's 3.1 per cent and Statia's 4.5 per cent shares in GEBE to the tune of approximately US $15.2 million combined, so that St. Maarten becomes the 100 per cent owner of the company.
Peter Atherton Regulators Norway International criminal court US economic growth and recession Digital media
The new Investment Funds Regulation implemented by the UAE Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) this week applies to all matters relating to domestic investment funds and to the promotion and offering of foreign funds in the UAE, with particular implications for DIFC funds or funds marketed by DIFC firms.
© 2012 CPI Financial. All rights reserved. Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/new-rules-uae-436710
Peter Atherton Regulators Norway International criminal court US economic growth and recession Digital media
WILLEMSTAD--A second firearm was discovered in Curaçao's prison during cell searches following the shooting death of inmate Kenroy "Mana Mana" Stefania in cell bloc number four earlier this week. That is also where authorities found another gun inside the cell of detained suspect Rosa, who was arrested too.
As reported earlier, prisoners Chavel "Diablo" Waterfort and Frailon Pieter had already been held in connection with the fatal incident and a .38 calibre revolver confiscated. Both men are serving long-term sentences for murder and other violent crimes.
Stefania himself had killed fellow-inmate Isidro Valks in prison and saw another 16 years added to his term of incarceration. He had managed to escape from the Pointe Blanche Prison when transferred to St. Maarten in 2005, but was recaptured a month later.
During the latest cell searches drugs and other illicit items such as cell phones were also found. The exact motive for the killing remains unclear.
Oil fluctuated in New York as European economic confidence worsened in July amid speculation that European policy makers will act to resolve the region's debt crisis.Prices swung between $89.40 and $90.95 as an index of executive and consumer sentiment in the euro area dropped to 87.9 this month from 89.9 in June, the European Commission said in Brussels. That's the lowest level since September 2009.Crude for September delivery slipped 3 cents to $90.10 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
© Muscat Press and Publishing House SAOC 2012 Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/oil-prices-oscillate-europes-yo-yo-confidence-436367
Liverpool Gay and lesbian travel Family finances Lancashire Incineration Clint Eastwood
~ A 'severe, but necessary remedy,' says Rutte; Willemstad to appeal decision ~
THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers "instructed" Curaçao on Friday to put its 2012 budget in order and to find a solution for the NAf. 55 million deficit by September 1. Curaçao does not agree with the decision and will appeal to the Council of State.
Curaçao must find a solution to "realistically" contain the delay of the basic health insurance and the dividend policy. The country also has to compensate for the losses of previous years in the amount of NAf. 98 million.
The instruction also means that Willemstad must open its books to the Committee for Financial Supervision CFT every month and, via the CFT, inform the Kingdom Council of Ministers of its progress in executing the CFT's advice on a monthly basis, beginning August 24.
This means that the Kingdom Council of Ministers will discuss Curaçao's budget in its first meeting after the recess and in all monthly meetings after that. Curaçao's Minister of Finance George Jamaloodin will have to approve all expenditures.
The Kingdom Council of Ministers went along with the advice of the CFT to give an instruction to Curacao to ensure that the 2012 budget complies with the requirements of the Law on Financial Supervision for Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The instruction orders Willemstad to defer from taking new loans as long as the budget is not balanced. This means that the Schotte cabinet is not allowed to obtain a new loan for St. Elisabeth Hospital Sehos as long as the restructuring of public health care has not gone into effect and a break-even of the hospital's operational cost cannot be guaranteed.
Curaçao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte told the media after the meeting that an instruction had not been necessary, because measures already were being taken that would be judged by the Advisory Council and the Social Economic Council.
"We are already doing what the CFT is telling us to do, so an instruction is superfluous. However, the Kingdom Council of Ministers considered an instruction a sign of support," said Schotte. He announced that his government would file an appeal with the Council of State based on Article 27 of the Law on Financial Supervision. The appeal will not put off the instruction by the Kingdom Council of Ministers.
At a press conference after Friday's Kingdom Council of Ministers meeting in The Hague, Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the instruction a "severe, but necessary remedy."
Rutte said an unbalanced budget was a "serious matter" that had to be dealt with in the best interest of the people of Curaçao.
Dutch caretaker Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies added that Curaçao needed healthy finances so it could guarantee basic necessities like proper education and health care for its people.
Both Rutte and Spies said the decision to give Curaçao an instruction had not been taken lightly. The Kingdom Council of Ministers was left no other choice but to take this decision after months of negotiation and effort through the CFT to get Curaçao's budget balanced. "Time after time the CFT determined that there was a shortfall. There are plans, but no hard decisions to balance the budget," said Spies.
Rutte spoke of executing the constitutional agreements of October 10, 2010, "step by step, in an orderly fashion."
"A lot of money then went to the islands so they could start their new constitutional status with a clean slate. No more money will be coming from The Netherlands. The islands will truly have to do this exercise themselves," he said.
Spies mentioned the fact that St. Maarten's amended budget had been approved by the CFT and said St. Maarten would have to speed up its efforts to further improve its financial management and the functioning of its Tax Department. "Our concerns have not entirely vanished, but there was no reason for an instruction for St. Maarten," she said.
Spies did not give a concrete answer to repeated questions by the press about possible measures that would be taken if Curaçao did not comply with the order to realise a balanced budget.
"We assume that Curaçao – which finds autonomy very important and wants to give serious content to its responsibility to its people – will get to work. We hope that the ambitions that Schotte expressed in the meeting will be realised soon," she said. "Curaçao will have to move a bit faster than it has done so far."
Rutte said partners in the Kingdom should never be afraid to have a "robust" discussion. He said that in principle relations were "professional and businesslike." He spoke of the opportunities the Kingdom provided, the gateway position the islands had and the "great joint interests." But "there are also big problems that have to be solved in the interest of the people," he added.
St. Maarten Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and her Aruban counterpart Mike Eman both called the Curaçao situation regrettable.
"It leaves a bitter taste," said Wescot-Williams.
Eman said it had been a "very hard meeting" for Curaçao. "The instruction is a moment of reflection for Curaçao. We all find it a pity."
Eman had pointed out during the meeting with the Kingdom Council of Ministers that it was important to maintain norms, values and good governance as benchmarks in the Kingdom. "We have to reach those benchmarks together and we all have to stick to them. That is part of assuming a mature attitude in the Kingdom," he said.
He noted that Curaçao and St. Maarten were still in the process of developing as countries and that cooperation and consideration were important.
Australia cricket team Aston villa Obama administration Australasia Weir Japan
WILLEMSTAD--The future of the Schotte cabinet in Curaçao is once again uncertain, now that parliamentarian Eugene Cleopa (MAN) has informed his party's board that he can no longer support the MFK/PS/MAN government. Without his backing the coalition, which has 11 seats in the 21-seat legislature, would lose its minimal one-seat majority.
The news comes amid separate reports that Minister of Finance George "Jorge" Jamaloodin (MFK) informed other cabinet members in writing recently of his intention to step down effective January 31, 2013. However, he never officially submitted his resignation and the letter in question had not been handled by the Council of Ministers.
MAN president Efi van der Meent confirmed Cleopa's letter to the board and said it would be discussed in a special party congress Thursday night. Party leader Minister Charles Cooper is abroad, but is expected to be back just in time for the meeting.
Asked on TeleCuraçao whether this meant Cleopa would resign as party member, Van der Meent said Cleopa would stay with MAN and probably in Parliament. He did not want to explain how that could work as member of the MAN fraction, but not in support of the coalition, stating that the congress would have to take a decision and he would not speculate.
Van der Meent succeeded Cleopa as party president only recently. The latter had already indicated at the time that he was making his position as such available because he had not been totally happy about certain decisions within MAN regarding the actions of the current government.
There has been more and more criticism among the rank and file of the blue party founded by Don Martina about its participation.
Rumours that Jamaloodin might throw in the towel have been circulating since Parliament approved a "motion of disapproval" that allowed him to stay in office and the MFK/PS/MAN coalition later turned down a motion of no-confidence by the main opposition party PAR that would have forced him to quit.
There also were rumours that the resignations of MFK fraction leader Dean Rozier and Health Minister Jacinta Scoop-Constantia (MFK) supposedly were imminent as well. MFK president Amerigo Thode laughingly dismissed these rumours regarding party members, saying he was not aware of any such thing.
Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/30006-curacao-coalition-hangs-by-a-thread-.html
The Ashes Redrow Consumer affairs Public sector cuts Wigan Athletic Lloyds Banking Group
~ Says Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation ~
PHILIPSBURG--Emilio Wilson Estate Foundation (EWEF) called on Minister of Infrastructure William Marlin on Monday to keep his commitments and protect and establish the entire Emilio Wilson Estate as St. Maarten's first National Park.
EWEF, via press release on Monday, reminded Minister Marlin that on March 22 this year he and the entire National Alliance (NA) parliamentary group had supported a motion by independent Member of Parliament (MP) Frans Richardson to protect the entire Emilio Wilson Estate and have it established as a Nature Park or land-based protected area.
"It would be exceptionally hypocritical of Minister Marlin, the NA and MP Frans Richardson to reverse their position on protecting Emilio Wilson Estate after having so passionately spoken about the need to protect the entire area during the Parliamentary meeting of March 22, 2012, when the aforementioned motion was tabled and debated," the foundation said.
It also reminded Marlin, the governing coalition, MP Frans Richardson and in particular the NA parliamentary group that the entire Emilio Wilson Estate had been placed on the monument list to prevent residential and commercial development of the area.
"It should also be noted that the Executive Council of the former Island Territory of St. Maarten decided to commence with the drafting of a zoning plan geared at the conservation of the entire Estate in July of 2008," the foundation said.
The foundation also said it was extremely disappointed, but not at all surprised, that Rainforest Adventures had stopped the archaeological survey that was being carried out by St. Maarten Archaeological Centre Simarc.
EWEF is of the opinion that the archaeological survey is nothing more than a permit requirement and a means to an end for Rainforest Adventures and that by stopping the archaeological survey Rainforest Adventures has shown its true colours.
"It is extremely unfortunate that Rainforest Adventures and the owners of Emilio Wilson Estate will not allow for the continuation of the archaeological research. Rainforest Adventures is in essence keeping the people's patrimony hostage, a situation the foundation is confident will only get worse if Government were to allow the company's plans for an amusement park at the Estate to continue.
"The foundation wonders if Rainforest Adventures plans to withhold residents from their heritage as a bargaining tool whenever there is a conflict with Government or as a manner of securing additional permits in the future," EWEF said.
Government has informed the owner of the estate that it is willing to purchase a part of the estate for US $17 million. In return, the owner of the property will be able to develop residential homes. Rainforest Adventures has since sought a meeting with Prime Minister Sarah Wescot-Williams and Marlin to obtain clarity, but has not been granted this audience as yet.
Neither Marlin nor Wescot-Williams has commented on the reported $17 million deal, despite persistent efforts to obtain information from them.
West Ham United US constitution and civil liberties United Kingdom Cobham Liverpool Gay and lesbian travel
BEIRUT: Lebanon has lost around $150 million in exports since the beginning of 2012, the head of the state-run Export Development Council was quoted as saying Wednesday.
Khaled Farshoukh warned that an imminent crisis would hit the industrial and agricultural sectors if the government failed to secure export routes bypassing Syria, were the security situation has been deteriorating since an uprising started March 2011.
“[Lebanese exports would face] a disaster if border crossings with Syria become completely closed,” the National News Agency quoted Farshoukh as saying.
Copyright © 2012, The Daily Star. All rights reserved. Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/syria-crisis-lebanon-436658
The far right European football Energy Office for National Statistics Manchester United Australia cricket team
PHILIPSBURG--The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, and Infrastructure (VROMI) is informing the general public that Backstreet will be closed in sections to vehicular traffic on Sunday, July 22, from 7:30am to 3:30pm. Pedestrians are urged to take precaution.
The reason for the road closure is to allow GEBE to carry out maintenance works. The work will consist of the removal of their existing wooden electricity poles and overhead electrical cables.
All side streets/roads from Cannegieter road leading to Front street will remain open. So it will be possible to move to and from Cannegieter road and Front Street.
The Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Development, and Infrastructure (VROMI) apologizes for any inconvenience this will cause.
Aston villa Obama administration Australasia Weir Japan Disability
WILLEMSTAD--Hotel workers in Curaçao who saw water coming out from under the door of one of the rooms Sunday evening discovered two children floating in the bathtub. The 35-year-old mother S.M.P.V. was later rescued from the sea nearby after an apparent suicide attempt.
The woman was staying at the Marriott Resort in Piscadera with the children and their grandmother since last week. Police soon learned the suspected mother had been seen leaving the hotel by car.
Not much later a woman was heard screaming in the sea near Hooks Hut. Two people on a water scooter were able to pull her out and bring her to shore, where it turned out to be the mother.
The naked woman was in a confused state and after some minor treatment at the hospital has been interned at the Capriles mental health clinic. She reportedly claims her mother was responsible for killing the girls.
It involves six-year-old twins, both with the initials A.A.C.N.M. An autopsy has been ordered and the investigation continues.
The father has meanwhile been notified. The local honorary consul of Belgium Ivan Moreno received instructions from the Embassy in Caracas not to make any statements on the case.
The grandmother will have to remain on the island for now. She is being questioned by police, while psychologists were going to have to talk with the crazed mother.
Source: http://www.thedailyherald.com/islands/1-islands-news/29968-two-kids-found-dead-in-bathtub-.html
By Hakim and Kathy Kelly – Kabul
Abdulhai remembers his father being killed by the Taliban. 'Anyone who takes up a weapon in revenge, whether the Talib or any other, is acting like the Talibs who murdered my father,' he says, in a matter of fact way. “The solution does not lie in taking revenge, but in people coming together like the people of Egypt to defend themselves in a nonviolent way.”
Nine people gathered this morning for an unexpected although welcome meeting here in Kabul, in the home of the Afghan Peace Volunteers, at which Raz Mohammed, a member of the group who is from Wardak province, had arrived along with a fellow student, named Rohullah. The meeting included Tajiks, Hazaras and one Pashtoon. We were surprised and pleased to see our good friend.
His companion Rohullah, a Tajik, came from the Pul-e-Khumri district of Baghlan province. We'd been involved in a conversation, the previous night, about how to deal with Talib fighters, so now one of the Afghan Peace Volunteers wondered if there were Talibs living in Rohullah’s district. “Yes,” said Rohullah, “though Talib fighters are relatively few in number.”
Rohullah believes it is important for locals to discuss and try to understand main Talib demands. Local people can manage negotiations, whereas foreigners are slow to grasp the conservative expectations of the Taliban. He emphasized that it’s important to talk with the Taliban. “A soft neck will not be slaughtered by the sword,” says Rohullah, quoting a Dari saying. “A Talib will have a conscience. If we offer him our ‘soft neck’ in negotiations, he will not use his ‘sword’.”
He feels certain that under the present circumstances foreign forces shouldn’t be there. Negotiations cannot be facilitated by foreigners, and in fact a resolution of the conflict hinges on ejecting the foreigners.
Ordinary Afghans are cornered, caught in the cross-fire between angry Taliban and angry foreign forces, as the NGO Oxfam insisted in their 2010 report fittingly titled ‘Nowhere to Turn’.
People are not happy about encroachment into their homes through night raids, whether conducted by foreign or Afghan forces. Personally, Rohullah believes the night raids aren’t effective, building up hatred when civilians are inevitably hurt or killed.
“Drones also come,” says Rohullah, “and the operators of these drones don’t have accurate information about the places where they attack.”
Hakim then asked all of us to consider a hypothetical situation: if each of us came face to face with an angry, fundamentalist Talib fighter who believed he must kill all who oppose him, what would we do? Kill him? Send him to prison? Discuss issues with him?
As we went around the circle, none of the young people favored killing the Talib fighter. “Speak gently,” said Raz Mohammad. “Find the origin of support for the Talib fighter,” Rohullah said. Then he posed practical questions. “Where do the weapons come from? How can we cut the flow of weapons? Who are the elders who influence this man and how can we speak to them?”
Ghulamai, the youngest among us, says we must try to talk with the Talib.
Abaz thinks there must be some coordinating body for the Taliban, leading him to wonder who would be directing this Talib to act viciously. He reminds us that all of the Talibs are human. And he wonders if some people, from all sides, keep fighting because they want to perpetuate conflict. Perhaps they profit from it.
Ali says it is best to speak with the Talib, to find out where they are coming from, to listen, show respect, and yet try to persuade them that fighting isn’t the way forward. Help them see alternatives to revenge.
Nao Rozi is the only one among us who has fought in the Afghan Army. In 2008, he enlisted. At first, he worked as a security guard, but later he was sent to Kunar where, over the course of one year, he participated in many operations. In one operation, a spray of bullets killed twelve young Talibs, and he guessed that they were all no more than 20 years of age.
At that point, he realized that he was fighting an enemy he didn’t know. Wanting nothing more to do with the fighting, nor willing to take the risk of hurting civilians, he left the Afghan Army one and a half years before his commission ended. He experienced severe trauma, so serious that he began to harm himself, even attempting suicide. His family encouraged him to see a psychiatrist, and together, they helped him recover. Now, he is upbeat, friendly, considerate and funny.
He’s also thoughtful and can be very intense during discussions such as the one held this morning. “We must build and increase relationships, especially between more fundamentalist Taliban and those who live in mainstream communities that don’t hold comparable views. We must believe that people can broaden their worldviews through human interaction.
In answer to Hakim’s question, Nao Rozi imagined himself facing a Talib who had already decided to kill him. “I would ask, ‘is there anyone in your life whom you love?’ Then I would say, ‘I have someone too.’ Perhaps this would help humanize the situation.”
Faiz, whose brother was killed before his eyes by a Hazara fighter, says we must try to understand the source of the Talib fighter’s hatred and why they choose violent ways. If face to face with a Talib, he would ask the Talib why he is doing these things and try to show that they have many things in common. “If we always look through the lens of prejudice,” Faiz adds, “we are just as bad as extremists. How then can we reform our own thinking, far less theirs?”
It seems to us that these are young people with “soft necks.” Not one of them suggested killing or revenge as acceptable answers. All of them look for ways to recognize every person’s humanity, and to choose effective ways to resolve their politicized animosities. They are far, far away from governments that choose the stiff-necked and abysmally failed methods of war.
They could easily become overwhelmed - as so many ordinary people everywhere - by their own apparent powerlessness - their own potential irrelevance as little people of no import. They could seek out power by aligning in blind allegiance to one armed force or another. Despair and anger are tempting, and equally conventional are stiff-necked, responses. Instead our friends here choose to support one another, holding true to their vision of peace and holding forth the vision that they can at least change themselves, developing and widening relationships that strengthen their vision, and point the way toward the better world they long to build. If we're all spared the sword, here in Kabul, in America, and elsewhere, it will likely be this powerful vision, nurtured and upheld by ordinary youth, that has saved us.
- Hakim (weeteckyoung@gmail.com) is a mentor for the Afghan Peace Volunteers in Kabul -www.ourjourneytosmile.com.
- Kathy Kelly (kathy@vcnv.org) co-coordinates Voices for Creative Nonviolence (www.vcnv.org) and is presently a guest of the Afghan Peace Volunteers in Kabul. She contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.
Source: http://palestinechronicle.com/view_article_details.php?id=19443
Milan Baros Economic policy European debt crisis Pakistan cricket betting scandal BlackBurn Rovers Spending review 2010
PHILIPSBURG--Cruise passengers from the world's largest cruise ship – Oasis of the Seas – who were visiting St. Maarten, have another unique experience to tell family and friends about: feeling the earthquake that shook the country just before the ship left port Wednesday afternoon.
The earthquake measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, according to a special bulletin from the Meteorological Department of Curaçao (MDC) which also said the tremor had occurred eight kilometres (five miles) East-Southeast of Stoney Ground, Anguilla, around 5:29pm.
Based on information from the United States Geological Survey, this tremor was at a depth of some 35 miles below the bottom of the ocean. The epicentre was located near 18.4 degrees North and 62.9 degrees West, or about 21 miles North-Northeast of the Northernmost point of French St. Martin.
A report from the Department of Disaster Management in Anguilla said the epicentre was 17 miles from The Valley and 20 miles from Sandy Ground.
Here in St. Maarten, the heavy shaking sent people who were still at work hurrying out of buildings in Philipsburg and elsewhere. Police officers and other personnel from the Philipsburg police station flowed onto the street, as did people from the Government Administration Building.
The cellular phone network was jammed immediately as family and friends attempted to check on loved ones or to ask the familiar question after a quake: "Did you feel it?" BlackBerry messenger (BBm) continued to function; users quickly "broadcast" information of the magnitude of the earthquake or updated their statuses on Facebook.
In Anguilla, many persons who felt the tremor said they had heard a roaring noise. Up to press time, there were no reports of damage.
Manchester City Annuities Darren Bent Employment law Middle East Extradition
COLE BAY--Fai Wong Restaurant on Wellington Road was robbed around 8:30pm on Saturday, July 22.
Two men wearing masks completely covering their faces, jackets and one wearing a backpack arrived at the restaurant on a scooter, entered the restaurant and demanded money from the cashier attendant. The robber with the backpack ordered the cashier attendant to place all the money in the backpack, but no coins, avoiding fingerprints being left behind.
Diners at the restaurant were robbed as well as the robbers ordered them to place their personal belongings like mobile phones and wallets into the backpacks. The two men then escaped on their scooter.
Police arrived on the scene soon after they were called and began investigating the situation. It has been reported that this is the second time that Fai Wong Restaurant has been the victim of a robbery within a week.
Sweden Simon Cowell Lake District Global climate talks Local politics Financial sector
THE HAGUE--The Kingdom Council of Ministers will be left no choice to deploy the guarantee function if the Curaçao Government does not execute the instruction that it got in The Hague last Friday to get its 2012 budget in order.
"In the unlikely event that the input by Curaçao of the necessary efforts and the consequent results fail to materialise, Curaçao will legally head for the only possibility to adjust within the Kingdom, namely the deployment of the guarantee function," stated Dutch caretaker Minister of Home Affairs and Kingdom Relations Liesbeth Spies in a letter that she sent to the Second Chamber on Wednesday.
In the letter, Spies informs the Second Chamber of the background and reasoning of the Kingdom Council of Ministers to give the Schotte cabinet a formal instruction (aanwijzing) to balance its 2012 budget deficit of NAf. 55 million, and to compensate the losses from previous years amounting to NAf. 98 million. "It is up to Curaçao as an autonomous country to take the necessary measures and to not burden the Kingdom partners with the consequences of its handling," stated Spies.
Spies hoped that Curaçao would be wise enough to avoid the deployment of the guarantee function as defined in the Kingdom Charter. "I assume that Curaçao will want to avoid a situation as such." At a press conference following Friday's Kingdom Council of Ministers, Spies did not want to specifically mention the guarantee function. At that time she spoke of 'possibilities in the Charter.'
The Minister warned that the financial supervision would continue "unabated and vigilantly." "Any diminishing of the supervision is out of the question. The Netherlands cannot accept the adverse consequences of the own choices of Curaçao," she stated.
Pointing out that an unchanged policy would create an immense financial burden for the Curaçao people, Spies stated that it was important to make sure that Willemstad complied with the responsibilities under the Law on Financial Supervision for Curaçao and St. Maarten.
The Minister made clear that, in line with the wish of the Second Chamber, the Dutch Government will reject any possible request by Curaçao for additional financial assistance.
She said that Curaçao did "absolutely insufficient" to deal with its financial challenges of producing a balanced budget. According to her, Willemstad insufficiently recognised and acknowledged its financial problem. "It has repeatedly become clear that the direction and commitment of the Curaçao Government was insufficient to take the necessary steps to deal with the budgetary problem."
Spies stated that Curaçao seemed determined to stick to a financial policy that will lead to "an accumulation of structural problems" for Curaçao. "Suffice to say that this is not good for the relations in the Kingdom. But more importantly, the people of Curaçao will ultimately pay the price for this because the facilities will come under pressure because of bad financial management."
The Minister hoped that the Curaçao Government would assume its responsibility with the instruction and that it would adequately execute the required measures. She also hoped that Willemstad would find its own strength to realise sound financial practice whereby the financial balance "for now and for later" would be guaranteed.
The instruction of the Kingdom Council of Ministers went into effect in the form of a Royal Decree dated July 18. The decree was sent to Curaçao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte the same day, Wednesday. Copies also went to the Curaçao Parliament, Curaçao Finance Minister George Jamaloodin and Curaçao Governor Frits Goedgedrag.
Radio 1 Boxing Marcus Bent Alexander McCall Smith Carlos Tevez New Castle United
PHILIPSBURG--GEBE Shareholding Foundation Chairman Ralph Richardson said on Monday that the company's Supervisory Board Chairman Julius Lambert has withdrawn his resignation letter and will remain in his position until otherwise instructed.
Richardson's disclosure confirmed rampant speculation on the matter that has not been publicly addressed by Lambert or government to date even though his resignation was addressed in a very public manner.
Richardson explained that had Lambert gone through with his resignation as per July 8, 2012, when his four-year term ended, it would have left the board with just two members, one from Saba and one from Statia. This is not a legal make-up under the company's articles of incorporation.
Richardson further explained that Lambert had withdrawn his letter of resignation after the NA/DP/I3 government was sworn in on May 21, 2012, and after the said government withdrew the nominees for the GEBE board as had been put forward by the former UP/DP government.
The former United People's (UP) party/DP government had submitted the names of Mark Mingo, Veronica Webster-Jansen and Rene Richardson to the Corporate Governance Council for vetting as candidates to serve on the GEBE board. Those three, had they been accepted, would have replaced Lambert, Joseph Dollison and Gregory Richardson. The latter two have already resigned.
Lambert issued his resignation letter to Ralph Richardson in mid-March, after the UP/DP Council of Ministers (COM) had dispatched a letter to Richardson requesting that the shareholding foundation seek the immediate resignation of GEBE's Supervisory Board members. The letter was dated March 12 and signed by the Prime Minister on behalf of the COM. The COM framed its request in terms of the reorganisation of GEBE in light of the new policy for government utility companies.
Richardson said on Monday that the Shareholding Foundation could not just appoint members as it chose, but had to wait on recommendations from government. Thus far, he added, the foundation has not received any notification that new nominees for the board have been identified.
He said he hopes a new board could be put in place as early as next month.
Regarding Lambert's position, Richardson said that while the articles of incorporation allowed for a second four-year term, this was not the case in this regard. Lambert will remain in place until a new board is identified and discussions can commence on the way forward.
As for the division of shares of the company, Richardson said he understood that the current government had accepted the MOU signed by St. Maarten, Saba and Statia for the division of shares. The MOU was spearheaded by former Minister of Energy Affairs Theo Heyliger.
Richardson said the governments of the three islands now must instruct the Shareholding Foundation to transfer the shares and as of what date they would like to see this done.
Heyliger, Saba's Commissioner of Energy Chris Johnson and Statia's Commissioner of Energy Koos Sneek signed the MOU in April 2012. With an action plan and with the shares transfer agreement of October 2011 incorporated into the MOU, the three islands entered an 18-month transition phase that will culminate in the division of shares and in Saba and Statia establishing their own electricity companies by January 1, 2014.
GEBE St. Maarten will buy out Saba's 3.1 per cent and Statia's 4.5 per cent shares in GEBE to the tune of approximately US $15.2 million combined, so that St. Maarten becomes the 100 per cent owner of the company.
Protest Iran Everton Xabi Alonso Snowboarding Guantánamo Bay
 |
| (Reuters) - Turkey has set up a secret base with allies Saudi Arabia and Qatar to direct vital military and communications aid to Syria's rebels from a city near the border, Gulf sources have told Reuters. News of the clandestine Middle East-run "nerve centre" working to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad underlines the extent to which Western powers - who played a key role in unseating Muammar Gaddafi in Libya - have avoided military involvement so far in Syria."It's the Turks who are militarily controlling it. Turkey is the main co-ordinator/facilitator. Think of a triangle, with Turkey at the top and Saudi Arabia and Qatar at the bottom," said a Doha-based source."The Americans are very hands-off on this. U.S. intel(ligence) are working through middlemen. Middlemen are controlling access to weapons and routes."The centre in Adana, a city in southern Turkey about 100 km (60 miles) from the Syrian border, was set up after Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah al-Saud visited Turkey and requested it, a source in the Gulf said. The Turks liked the idea of having the base in Adana so that they could supervise its operations, he added.A Saudi foreign ministry official was not immediately available to comment on the operation.Adana is home to Incirlik, a large Turkish/U.S. air force base which Washington has used in the past for reconnaissance and military logistics operations. It was not clear from the sources whether the anti-Syrian "nerve centre" was located inside Incirlik base or in the city of Adana.Qatar, the tiny gas-rich Gulf state which played a leading part in supplying weapons to Libyan rebels, has a key role in directing operations at the Adana base, the sources said. Qatari military intelligence and state security officials are involved."Three governments are supplying weapons: Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia," said a Doha-based source.Ankara has officially denied supplying weapons."All weaponry is Russian. The obvious reason is that these guys (the Syrian rebels) are trained to use Russian weapons, also because the Americans don't want their hands on it. All weapons are from the black market. The other way they get weapons is to steal them from the Syrian army. They raid weapons stores."The source added: "The Turks have been desperate to improve their weak surveillance, and have been begging Washington for drones and surveillance." The pleas appear to have failed. "So they have hired some private guys come do the job."President Barack Obama has so far preferred to use diplomatic means to try to oust Assad, although Secretary of State Hillary Clinton signaled this week that Washington plans to step up help to the rebels.Reuters has established that Obama's aides have drafted a resolution which would authorize greater covert assistance to the rebels but still stop short of arming them.The White House's wariness is shared by other Western powers. It reflects concerns about what might follow Assad in Syria and about the substantial presence of anti-Western Islamists and jihadi fighters among the rebels.The presence of the secret Middle East-run "nerve centre" may explain how the Syrian rebels, a rag-tag assortment of ill-armed and poorly organized groups, have pulled off major strikes such as the devastating bomb attack on July 18 which killed at least four key Assad aides including the defense minister.A Turkish diplomat in the region insisted however that his country played no part in the Damascus bombing."That's out of the question," he said. "The Syrian minister of information blamed Turkey and other countries for the killing. Turkey doesn't do such things. We are not a terrorist country. Turkey condemns such attacks."However, two former senior U.S. security officials said that Turkey has been playing an increasing role in sheltering and training Syrian rebels who have crossed into its territory.One of the former officials, who is also an adviser to a government in the region, told Reuters that 20 former Syrian generals are now based in Turkey, from where they are helping shape the rebel forces. Israel believes up to 20,000 Syrian troops may now have defected to the opposition.Former officials said there is reason to believe the Turks stepped up their support for anti-Assad forces after Syria shot down a Turkish plane which had made several passes over border areas.Sources in Qatar said the Gulf state is providing training and supplies to the Syrian rebels."The Qataris mobilized their special forces team two weeks ago. Their remit is to train and help logistically, not to fight," said a Doha-based source with ties to the FSA.Qatar's military intelligence directorate, Foreign Ministry and State Security Bureau are involved, sa ... Source: http://www.tayyar.org/Tayyar/News/PoliticalNews/en-US/Syria-Turkey-mt-906603071.htm European debt crisis Pakistan cricket betting scandal BlackBurn Rovers Spending review 2010 Antigua & Barbuda Christina Aguilera More UAE travellers going onlineThe method by which travellers in the UAE purchase their flights and hotel nights is changing rapidly according to a pilot study of 50,000 users of travel comparison site, Wego. With growing confidence in e-commerce sites and the safety of web-based transactions, a critical mass of travellers are now searching for options online, resulting in a growing number booking with Wego partner sites.   Copyright 2012 Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing Group Source: http://www.albawaba.com/business/uae-online-travel-436580 France Nuclear power Manchester United Shola Ameobi Hacking Documentary New president plans to bring Parliament and people closerPHILIPSBURG--New President of Parliament Rodolphe Samuel says one of his priorities will be to bring "the meaning and purpose of Parliament closer to the people of St. Maarten." Samuel, a veteran legislator, having served in the Parliament of the former Netherlands Antilles and in the Island Council of St. Maarten, started his tenure on Sunday, July 15, with his first working day on Monday. He spent his first day meeting with the Secretary-General of Parliament and staff discussing some of the structural things that are pending and can be addressed while Parliament is on recess. These include some repairs in the hall and other technical issues that can improve the transmission of meetings. In an invited comment, Samuel said he would work in accordance with the governing programme of the NA/DP/I3 coalition and what the coalition wants to accomplish in general. In guiding the process, he added, the workings of Parliament are still very new to the people of St. Maarten and he intends to sharpen the public's understanding of Parliament. "Those of us who have lived in Aruba and Curaçao have experienced Parliament and Government. Now the people of St. Maarten need to understand how they can approach and use their Parliament for whatever wishes they may have," Samuel said. Parliament returns from recess in the first week of August and although no meetings have been scheduled as yet, Samuel said there was an indication from Minister of Finance Roland Tuitt that he might approach Parliament for a meeting on financial matters. However, the minister has not done so as yet. Samuel also met with Deputy Prime Minister William Marlin on Sunday after a church service to "go over some thoughts, which I think was necessary to do." As for what kind of President of Parliament the people will be getting, Samuel said the people could expect "the same guy – someone you can always approach, willing to listen and hear you and open." Disability Restaurants Social networking War crimes World Cup 2018 Supermarkets All is set for students’ departure on Sunday~ Says Education Minister ~ PHILIPSBURG--A group of 58 students is scheduled to depart St. Maarten on Sunday to pursue their tertiary studies in The Netherlands. All the necessary arrangements for the students - including the arrangements for their tickets - have been finalised, Education Minister Silveria Jacobs told The Daily Herald on Friday. Students are set to depart at 12:30pm. Check-in time is 9:00am. Of the 58 students scheduled to depart, 32 will be pursuing HBO/Bachelor's degree programmes, six WO Master's degree programmes and 20 MBO/Advanced Secondary Education programmes. A press release issued on the matter stated that specifics such as tickets, decrees and start-up allowances for the students had been finalised. While the process to compensate the travel agent for the payment of the students' tickets encountered a delay, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport (ECSY) "was ultimately successful with enabling the facilitation of the students being able to travel to The Netherlands." As for the delay in payments to the travel agent, the matter concerned payments that had been made to the travel agent beyond the agreed-on date. The ministry became aware of this matter on Tuesday, "following which the Minister of Finance was immediately contacted and all efforts and resources were put in place to correct the situation." Jacobs held an emergency meeting on Wednesday to ascertain why the final information session had been held prior to finalising the tickets, etc., and to ensure that all stakeholders were working together on the same page. Jacobs told this newspaper that once in The Netherlands students would be sent off to the cities in which they would be studying, where they would be taken care of by St. Maarten representatives. All appeals pertaining to studies in The Netherlands have been handled and others are still pending, the release stated. The ministry thanked the members of the appeals committee for their work and said they had been "sacrificing their personal time in the evening hours after work in order to fulfil this task." Students have been advised to travel light, with only essential items, to avoid having overweight luggage while travelling. Postal Services St. Maarten (PSS) is offering a special for students to mail boxes to The Netherlands. The special will run until August 28. Domino's Pizza and United Telecommunications Services (UTS) have provided the students with bags and sweaters. Domino's Pizza also will be organising some special activities for students at the airport. Once in The Netherlands Jacobs will meet with Minister Plenipotentiary Mathias Voges; St. Maarten Student Support Services S4; Anna Maria Andriol of Haagse Hogeschool on the subject of language development; and ROC Zwolle to explore the possibility of establishing of a cooperation agreement with the school. She also will meet with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science concerning a cooperation protocol, budget for studying in the region, establishing a career/study centre in St. Maarten, the quality of higher education, ministerial places and accreditation of University of St. Martin/Adult Education Programmes; Soualiga Foundation; and Netherlands Institute for Master's Education, among other meetings. Jacobs met on Friday, July 20, with the Special Needs Education work group from within the ministry chaired by the head of Division Education Innovations (DEI). The workgroup gave an update on a plan of approach for the reform and upgrading of Special Needs education. The topics presented dealt with the background, principles and beliefs concerning Special Needs Education. A new scope for special needs education and inclusive education, and the results of an audit carried out at the present Prins Willem-Alexander School also were presented. Areas for short term improvement were highlighted and decisions involving 'The Way Forward' were discussed. These included a more global audit of special needs in all schools, classification of the types of special needs on the island, new busing arrangements for students of Prins Willem Alexander School, an awareness campaign concerning Special Needs Education, a Summit on Special Education, Implementation of a new plan for Special Needs Education and an upcoming course at USM for special needs education teachers. The minister's itinerary was worked out by S4 and the Cabinets of the Minister and the Minister Plenipotentiary.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
|
