CBCS raises pledging rate as foreign exchange reserves are expected to decline.

WILLEMSTAD:---   The Centrale Bank van Curaçao en Sint Maarten (CBCS) has increased its pledging rate to 4.50 percent amid projections that the monetary union’s foreign exchange reserves will decline by approximately Cg. 332 million in 2026.

The decision was taken on September 17 against a backdrop of international trade uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and the possibility of renewed disruptions in global energy markets.

The pledging rate is the interest rate commercial banks pay when borrowi...

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Students Kick Off International Coastal Cleanup in Philipsburg.

PHILIPSBURG:--- The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) got off to an energetic start this morning as 96 students from Oranje School, Leonard Conner School, and Charlotte Brookson Academy joined Tim Roosens and EPIC to clean up the beach and boardwalk in Philipsburg.

In just an hour, the students collected an impressive yet concerning amount of trash, totaling 123 kilograms. As a treat after the cleanup, Tim, owner of Le Gelateria, provided ice cream to all participants. The student cleanup marks...

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Macron calls for French unity as rising prices fuel public anger.

PARIS, France:--- French President Emmanuel Macron has called on citizens to remain united as France confronts rising prices, pressure on public finances and the effects of ongoing international crises.
Macron said the surge in prices was not caused by decisions by the French government or national policies, but by the wider geopolitical situation.
“This fire of prices is not the consequence of government decisions or national measures, but of the geopolitical situation,” Macron said.
The French pr...

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Marcus Pantophlet: Fighting Crime Requires an Efficient Justice System.

PHILIPSBURG: --- Addressing crime and strengthening public safety cannot be the police's responsibility alone. Marcus Pantophlet believes Sint Maarten must focus on ensuring that the entire justice system functions efficiently, consistently and with the necessary sense of urgency.

Drawing on his years of experience within law enforcement, Pantophlet says public discussions about crime too often concentrate on what the police are doing, while policing represents only one part of a much larger just...

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