PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Police Force (KPSM) is currently investigating a shooting incident that occurred tonight at approximately 20:50 pm, Thursday, July 09th, which left one young male seriously injured.

Police Central Dispatch received a notification that a gunshot victim had been transported to the Sint Maarten Medical Center for emergency medical treatment. Upon arrival, officers learned that the victim had sustained at least one gunshot wound to the lower abdomen.

At this stage of the investigation, the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain unclear. Detectives, together with members of the Forensic Department, are actively investigating the incident and gathering evidence to determine exactly what transpired.

The victim remains hospitalized at the Sint Maarten Medical Center, where he is receiving medical treatment. He is reported to be in serious but stable condition.

KPSM urges anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information that could assist the investigation to come forward and contact the Police Force at +1 (721) 542-2222 or the anonymous tip line at 9300.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Caribbean Literature Day 2026 commemoration will be hosted by the Sint Maarten Library in partnership with the Conscious Lyrics Foundation and Tiny Lib’s Coffee & Soda Biscuits Association on Sunday, July 12, 2026, featuring a special Children’s Literature Authors Panel celebrating the island’s rich literary heritage and the growing community of local authors from Sint Maarten/Saint Martin.

The library will present the virtual panel, continuing the program that was first launched as part of the St. Martin Book Fair 2026. The initiative emphasizes the importance of increasing access to stories that reflect Sint Maarten’s history, culture, traditions, and identity, while providing a platform for emerging and established writers to share their work, discuss their creative journeys, and explore topics such as publishing, collaboration, and storytelling.

In observance of Caribbean Literature Day, the panel will feature authors from Sint Maarten and Saint Martin discussing the significance of locally written stories in preserving the island’s cultural heritage and ensuring that future generations have opportunities to connect with narratives that reflect their own experiences and communities.

The recorded discussion will be made available through the digital platforms of the Sint Maarten Library, the Conscious Lyrics Foundation, and Tiny Lib’s Coffee & Soda Biscuits Association, allowing audiences throughout the Caribbean and beyond to view, reflect on, and engage with this celebration of Caribbean literature.

This collaborative initiative highlights the creativity, culture, and literary identity of the people of Sint Maarten while supporting local authors, illustrators, educators, and storytellers. Taking place during the wider season of Caribbean literary celebrations, the event serves as an opportunity to recognize the island’s literary achievements and encourage greater appreciation for Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and Caribbean literature.

The partnership also reflects a shared commitment to strengthening literacy, encouraging reading, supporting lifelong learning, and preserving cultural heritage through literature. Through storytelling, the initiative continues to address the importance of safeguarding cultural identity and promoting literacy within the community.

The celebration will continue throughout the following weeks with a Caribbean Literature Campaign led by the Sint Maarten Library. Patrons and visitors are encouraged to explore, read, and borrow books by talented Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and Caribbean authors. Whether through children’s stories, poetry, history, or cultural narratives, every reader can discover a local and/or Caribbean story that resonates and becomes part of the region’s literary journey.

The public is invited to participate by sharing a photo of their favorite Sint Maarten / Saint Martin and Caribbean book or book cover on social media and tagging the Sint Maarten Library. Join the celebration and help showcase the powerful voices, stories, and creativity of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin and the wider Caribbean.

#SxmLibraryRising #FutureOfReading #CaribbeanLiteratureDay2026 #SupportLocalAuthors #CaribbeanAuthors #CaribbeanPoetry #ReadCaribbean #SintMaarten #SaintMartin #CaribbeanCulture

~More than 20 persons attended Workshop Focused on Stocks, ETFs, AI tools, and Wealth Creation~

PHILIPSBURG:---  On Sunday, June 28, 2026, Islandpreneur hosted Invest in 2026, a hands-on financial education workshop that helped more than 20 residents in St. Maarten understand investing, the stock market, and how to build long-term wealth.
Held from 3:00 to 7:00 PM as part of Islandpreneur’s Essentials series, the workshop covered how the stock market works, how to choose between stocks and ETFs, and how to start investing locally.
The workshop was facilitated by Isaiah Peterson, a National Youth Pitch (NYP) alumnus and 2021 winning team captain who has invested since age 12, and Member of Parliament Ardwell Irion, also a long-term investor. Together, they combined practical investing knowledge, financial literacy, and technology to empower residents with tools for better financial decisions.
Live demonstrations brought the concepts to life, showing participants how compound interest, dividend growth, and portfolio management drive long-term financial growth.
The session also featured AI-powered tools that helped attendees organize information, compare scenarios, and simulate investment outcomes — supporting research and informed planning rather than replacing personal judgment.

Topics covered during the workshop included:
• Stock market fundamentals, including how markets function and the differences between stocks and ETFs
• Compounding, dividends, and building a simple, realistic investment plan
• Understanding risk, diversification strategies, and how to invest from St. Maarten
• Using AI tools to enhance financial learning, research, and decision-making
• The importance of long-term investing, consistency, discipline, and avoiding emotional decisions
• Overview of beginner-friendly investment platforms and tools available to Caribbean residents
Throughout, facilitators emphasized that investing is a long-term wealth-building process rooted in education, consistency, and responsible decision-making — not a get-rich-quick scheme.
“Financial literacy is not only about personal wealth. It is about opportunity, confidence, and giving people the tools to make better decisions for themselves, their families, and their future,” the organizers stated. “Invest in 2026 was designed to remove the fear around investing and show that the stock market can be understood when it is explained in a practical and accessible way.”
Islandpreneur continues to create learning experiences in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and AI education across St. Maarten and the wider Caribbean, making important financial topics more accessible through practical, technology-supported instruction.
Invest in 2026 reinforced a central message: investing is not only for the wealthy — it is a skill anyone can learn, at any time, on the path to financial freedom.
For more information about Islandpreneur’s events, including workshops, visit https://islandpreneur.co/events. To become an official member and get free access to tools, events, and international network, go to https://community.islandpreneur.co/p/member_signup

PHILIPSBURG:--- The Plenary of the Permanent Conference of Political Parties of Latin America and the Caribbean (COPPPAL) unanimously elected James Finies as the new President of the COPPPAL Decolonization Committee.
COPPPAL brings together 80 political parties from 30 countries and is headquartered in Mexico City, the capital of the United Mexican States.
In recognition of Finies international and worldwide advocacy concerning Bonaire and other Caribbean territories administered by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the 43rd COPPPAL Plenary Meeting appointed James Finies to chair the Decolonization Committee.
The Committee's mandate is to promote dialogue and international attention on decolonization issues relating to Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius (Statia), and Saba, as well as matters concerning Puerto Rico and the Malvinas (Falkland Islands).
During its plenary session at the former Senate building of Mexico, COPPPAL reaffirmed its longstanding position opposing colonialism in all its forms.
The organization encouraged continued discussion of these issues within the United Nations and other international forums and expressed its support for ongoing international engagement regarding Bonaire and other non-self-governing territorial matters.
COPPPAL also reiterated its solidarity with Puerto Rico and reaffirmed Argentina's position regarding the Malvinas (Falkland Islands).
As part of the plenary program, James Finies addressed delegates from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and Asia on contemporary decolonization issues.
In his presentation, he highlighted concerns regarding the protection of Bonaire's cultural identity, the implementation of international legal standards, and the importance of ensuring that matters relating to the island continue to receive appropriate international attention through established multilateral mechanisms.
James Finies also drew special attention to what he described as the increasing marginalization of the people of Bonaire through institutionally steered laws and policies resulting into significant demographic changes over recent years.
Finies noted concerns that the proportion of the island's natives and long-established local population has steadily systematically declined as a minority percentage of the total population, raising important questions about the ongoing erasure of Bonaire's cultural heritage, identity, language, and meaningful participation in public affairs.
James Finies emphasized that these developments warrant continued dialogue and consideration within the framework of applicable international standards and the United Nations decolonization process.