The Peoples Tribune

September 11, 2026

GREAT BAY- - On Wednesday, September 9, 2026, students at the St. Maarten Vocational Training School, SVTS, took part in a hands-on bootcamp initiative led by the Royal Netherlands Marines Corps, giving young people on the island a firsthand look at military discipline, t...

September 11, 2026

THE HAGUE--The Dutch government is backing an enforceable European minimum age for social media, joining Spain in calling for a single approach across the European Union as concern grows over children’s exposure to addictive algorithms, harmful content and other online ri...

September 11, 2026

SOUTH REWARD--St. Dominic High School has received strong results from its 2026 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme evaluation, with the official report confirming that all IB requirements are in place and that the school demonstrated development beyond requirements...

September 11, 2026

GREAT BAY--Former Minister Theo Heyliger was admitted to St. Maarten Medical Center on Thursday after his medical condition prompted his doctor to order an immediate referral to the hospital, according to sources familiar with the situation. The precise nature of Heyliger’s co...

September 11, 2026

WILLEMSTAD--International fashion retailer Zara has opened its largest store in the Caribbean at the Sambil shopping center in Curaçao, marking a major expansion of the island’s retail offering and adding another global brand to the growing commercial complex. The new Zara spa...

September 11, 2026

GREAT BAY--The Department of Youth, within the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, is moving ahead with development of St. Maarten’s Early Childhood Development Curriculum Guide, with classroom observations completed at nine ECD centers and a two-week pilot o...

September 11, 2026

GREAT BAY--St. Maarten’s Multicultural Food & Music Festival will take place on Sunday, December 6, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 11:00 PM at the APS Parking Lot. Admission will be FREE. St. Maarten is home to people and cultures from around the world, and that diversity can...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--Government is budgeting approximately Cg 3.64 million for travel in 2027, an increase of just over Cg 317,000, or 9.5 percent, compared with the roughly Cg 3.33 million allocated for 2026, with most ministries showing higher travel provisions in the new national bud...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--The combined reserves of health and social insurance arrangements administered by SZV are projected to fall by more than Cg 100 million between 2025 and 2029, according to government’s own 2027 budget projections, as persistent annual deficits continue to erode the...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--The St. Maarten Library is placing early childhood literacy in the spotlight this month with its “From Peekaboo to Possibilities” campaign, encouraging parents, caregivers and educators to make reading, storytelling and conversation a regular part of children’s...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--St. Maarten has received three Fish Aggregating Devices, or FADs, from the Government of Curaçao in an initiative aimed at expanding offshore fishing opportunities, supporting local fishers and strengthening the country’s long-term food security. Minister of To...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--St. Maarten’s draft 2027 budget shifts millions of guilders across key public services, with more money directed to tourism promotion and road maintenance, while allocations for garbage collection and VSA decline and the Justice budget remains virtually unchanged de...

September 10, 2026

GREAT BAY--Member of Parliament Omar Ottley is questioning whether the 2027 national budget contains any meaningful relief related to GEBE, arguing that submitting the budget on time will mean little if households and businesses continue carrying high electricity costs without...