GREAT BAY--As the world focuses on lietracy this month, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Melissa Gumbs, as she has on numerous previous occasions, reiterated her concerns about literacy levels among some of St. Maarten’s young people, warning that weaknesses in basic reading, writing, spelling, grammar and comprehension are not only showing up in schools, but are following young people into the workplace and limiting how far they can advance professionally.

THE HAGUE--The Dutch government is expected to reveal on September 15 whether the country packages with St. Maarten, Curaçao and Aruba will continue, with the decision tied directly to the presentation of the Netherlands’ 2027 budget.

THE HAGUE--The VVD has questioned why St. Maarten did not participate in a University of Curaçao study examining the advantages and disadvantages of different relationships between the Caribbean islands and the European Union, pointing specifically to the fact that the French side of the island already operates under a different EU status.

GREAT BAY--St. Maarten performer Natorii Illidge is returning to London’s West End for the third time, this time taking another major step in her career as she joins the cast of the global hit musical MAMMA MIA! in the principal role of Ali.

AMSTERDAM--Three St. Maarten creatives took their talents to an international stage at WorldPride Amsterdam 2026, with choreographer and multidisciplinary creative Andrew Sylveste leading choreography for a performance by British singer and actor Olly Alexander.

CAY HILL--St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) is inviting parents and expecting parents from St. Maarten, Curaçao and Aruba to take part in a new survey on public knowledge, perceptions and preferences around vaccination and the prevention of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in young children.