Iris Hakkens (left) aims to work at a senior level within United Nations organisations.

PHILIPSBURG--At 27, Iris Hakkens proudly describes herself as an “island girl” from St. Maarten. Driven by both academic goals and personal curiosity, she is researching Caribbean identity across the former Netherlands Antilles, travelling to Aruba and St. Maarten to explore how people in the region view community, culture and shared belonging within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Sandy Ground Bridge

MARIGOT--French side marine trades association Métimer has accused elected officials and responsible departments for not responding after its President Matt Balège wrote of his “utmost concern” over the Sandy Ground Bridge still not opening after the events of January 18 and 19, in a letter sent January 27.

PHILIPSBURG--Construction prices in St. Maarten were expected to rise in 2025, with sixty per cent of firms forecasting residential construction cost increases of at least five per cent and eighty per cent of firms projecting non-residential construction rises of five-fifteen per cent.

The first set of the containerised generators that arrived on the island in 2024 to supplement GEBE’s power grid with an additional 10 MW of electricity are no longer at the location where they were installed.