Latest news with #Surinamese
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Natalee Holloway: 20 years since disappearance, Joran van der Sloot's arrest
The Brief Natalee Holloway disappeared in Aruba during a class trip in May 2005. Joran van der Sloot was arrested on June 9, 2005, as the main suspect. In 2023, he confessed to killing Holloway but has not been charged in her death. It's been 20 years since the disappearance of Alabama 18-year-old Natalee Holloway during her class trip to Aruba. On June 9, 2005, the first arrest related to the case was that of Joran van der Sloot, the Dutch national, who was the main suspect. The backstory Holloway, 18, went missing during a high school graduation trip to Aruba with classmates. She was last seen on May 30, 2005, leaving a bar with van der Sloot. Holloway's disappearance quickly became an international sensation, filling evening newscasts with live reports from the island and photos of her smiling face. Her disappearance also spawned countless books, podcasts and movies. A judge eventually declared her dead. The Holloway family has long sought answers about her disappearance, and van der Sloot has given shifting accounts over the years. At one point, he said Holloway was buried in gravel under the foundation of a house but later admitted that was untrue. Timeline Van der Sloot was identified as the main suspect and detained weeks later for questioning, along with two Surinamese brothers, but no charges were filed in the case. But in 2010, U.S. prosecutors said van der Sloot reached out to Beth Holloway, seeking $250,000 to disclose the location of the young woman's body. A grand jury indicted him that year on one count each of wire fraud and extortion. In 2012, van der Sloot pleaded guilty in Peru to killing 21-year-old Stephany Flores, a business student from a prominent Peruvian family. She was killed in 2010, five years to the day after Holloway's disappearance. Van der Sloot married a Peruvian woman in July 2014 in a ceremony at a maximum-security prison. In October 2023, van der Sloot pleaded guilty to extorting Holloway's mother in exchange for a 20-year sentence. The plea deal required van der Sloot to provide all the information he knew about Natalie Holloway's disappearance, allow her parents to hear in "real time" his discussion with law enforcement, and take a polygraph test. He admitted that he beat the young Alabama woman to death on a beach in Aruba after she refused his advances, then dumped her body into the sea. "I smash her head in with it completely," van der Sloot said in an Oct. 3, 2023, interview with federal authorities. "Her face basically, you know, collapses in. Even though it's dark, I can see her face is collapsed in." "I would like the chance to apologize to the Holloway family, my own family," he said, later adding, "I am no longer the person I was back then." He wasn't charged in Holloway's death. RELATED: Joran van der Sloot's confession in Natalee Holloway death provides long-sought answers, mother says What's next In 2023, the Aruba public prosecutor's office said it was not immediately clear whether van der Sloot could face murder charges on the island. The investigation into Holloway's disappearance is still open, and authorities "will follow up on any serious leads," said Ann Angela, a prosecutor's office spokesperson. RELATED: Natalee Holloway's killer Joran van der Sloot jumped by 2 inmates in Peru prison beatdown What they're saying "As far as I'm concerned, it's over," Beth Holloway, Natalee's mother, told reporters outside the federal courthouse in Alabama in 2023. "Joran van der Sloot is no longer the suspect in my daughter's murder. He is the killer." The family agreed to the plea deal because it was a way to get answers, she said. "Questions will forever remain about the extent to which others participated in depriving us of the opportunity to return Natalee's remains to Alabama," Dave Holloway wrote in the letter to the judge in 2023. The Source FOX News and the Associated Press contributed to this story. The information in this story comes from a combination of official court records, media reports, and public statements from law enforcement and the Holloway family over the past two decades. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
By Ank Kuipers PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's ruling party and its top opposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentary seats in an election on Sunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomes the country's next president. The South American nation is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning for the ballot featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income. With 43 polling stations yet to be counted, results showed the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544 votes. The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won 17 seats, with 75,983. Smaller parties, now potential kingmakers, won the remaining 16 of 51 total seats. An unknown number of votes from the uncounted polling stations remained to be added to the tally as of early Monday. Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters. Negotiations between parties to choose a president and cabinet ministers for the former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were already expected to take weeks even prior to the tight result. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect the president. FIRST MAJOR OFFSHORE PROJECT Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissioner who has campaigned to remain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker, just under 40,000. "We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that, we now have to move forward. It is up to us to have talks with other political parties based on this," Santokhi, who has not ruled out cooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the Suriname Herald. The NDP is set to back its party head Jennifer Simons, a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020, for president. Simons was second in vote tallies, winning 34,750 votes. The NDP will not work with the VHP, NDP Vice Chair Sergio Akiemboto told reporters late on Sunday. NDP founder Bouterse left office in 2020, the year after he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at the age of 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. Suriname's first big offshore energy development, the Gran Morgu oil and gas project, is set to begin production in 2028. The project is led by TotalEnergies. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer.
Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
FILE PHOTO: Suriname's President and chairman of the Progressive Reform Party (VHP) Chan Santokhi addresses supporters before voters go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new parliament, in Paramaribo, Suriname May 23, 2025. REUTERS/Ranu Abhelakh/File Photo Suriname's opposition leader Jennifer Geerlings-Simons of the National Democratic Party (NDP) celebrates with supporters as she proclaims herself the winner of the presidency as counting continues during the National Assembly election, in Paramaribo, Suriname, May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Ranu Abhelakh PARAMARIBO - Suriname's ruling party and its top opposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentary seats in an election on Sunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomes the country's next president. The South American nation is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning for the ballot featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income. With 43 polling stations yet to be counted, results showed the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544 votes. The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won 17 seats, with 75,983. Smaller parties, now potential kingmakers, won the remaining 16 of 51 total seats. An unknown number of votes from the uncounted polling stations remained to be added to the tally as of early Monday. Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters. Negotiations between parties to choose a president and cabinet ministers for the former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were already expected to take weeks even prior to the tight result. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect the president. FIRST MAJOR OFFSHORE PROJECT Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissioner who has campaigned to remain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker, just under 40,000. "We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that, we now have to move forward. It is up to us to have talks with other political parties based on this," Santokhi, who has not ruled out cooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the Suriname Herald. The NDP is set to back its party head Jennifer Simons, a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020, for president. Simons was second in vote tallies, winning 34,750 votes. The NDP will not work with the VHP, NDP Vice Chair Sergio Akiemboto told reporters late on Sunday. NDP founder Bouterse left office in 2020, the year after he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at the age of 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. Suriname's first big offshore energy development, the Gran Morgu oil and gas project, is set to begin production in 2028. The project is led by TotalEnergies. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Suriname's ruling party, opposition nearly tied in parliamentary election
Suriname's opposition leader Jennifer Geerlings-Simons of the National Democratic Party (NDP) celebrates with supporters as she proclaims herself the winner of the presidency as counting continues during the National Assembly election, in Paramaribo, Suriname, May 26, 2025. REUTERS/Ranu Abhelakh PARAMARIBO (Reuters) -Suriname's ruling party and its top opposition rival won almost the same number of parliamentary seats in an election on Sunday, setting the stage for complex coalition negotiations that will determine who becomes the country's next president. The South American nation is on the cusp of a predicted oil boom, but campaigning for the ballot featured little debate about what the next government, which will hold power until 2030, should do with the income. With 43 polling stations yet to be counted, results showed the opposition National Democratic Party (NDP) - founded by former President Desi Bouterse, who dominated Surinamese politics for decades but died a fugitive last year - had won 18 seats, with 79,544 votes. The ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) of current President Chan Santokhi won 17 seats, with 75,983. Smaller parties, now potential kingmakers, won the remaining 16 of 51 total seats. An unknown number of votes from the uncounted polling stations remained to be added to the tally as of early Monday. Turnout so far was 58% of about 400,000 eligible voters. Negotiations between parties to choose a president and cabinet ministers for the former Dutch colony, independent since 1975, were already expected to take weeks even prior to the tight result. A two-thirds majority in parliament is required to elect the president. FIRST MAJOR OFFSHORE PROJECT Santokhi, a 66-year-old former police commissioner who has campaigned to remain in office, won more votes than any other lawmaker, just under 40,000. "We asked for a mandate and this is the mandate that the people have given. With that, we now have to move forward. It is up to us to have talks with other political parties based on this," Santokhi, who has not ruled out cooperation with any other party, told local newspaper the SurinameHerald. The NDP is set to back its party head Jennifer Simons, a doctor who served as parliamentary speaker for a decade until 2020, for president. Simons was second in vote tallies, winning 34,750 votes. The NDP will not work with the VHP, NDP Vice Chair Sergio Akiemboto told reporters late on Sunday. NDP founder Bouterse left office in 2020, the year after he was convicted in the 1982 murders of 15 government critics. When the conviction was upheld in 2023, Bouterse went into hiding, dying at the age of 79 at an unknown location on Christmas Eve. Suriname's first big offshore energy development, the Gran Morgu oil and gas project, is set to begin production in 2028. The project is led by TotalEnergies. Discovered reserves may allow Suriname to compete with neighbor Guyana - whose economy grew 43.6% last year - as a prominent producer. (Reporting by Ank Kuipers in Paramaribo;Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb;Editing by Helen Popper)
Kuwait Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Suriname poised for cash inflow from newly discovered oil
PARAMARIBO, Suriname: Suriname, South America's smallest country, is preparing for an inflow of cash from a huge offshore oil find, with the president insisting the population will receive a direct share of the wealth. The Dutch-speaking nation of about 600,000 people expects to rake in about $10 billion in the next decade or two, with crude extraction set to begin in 2028. Projected output is 220,000 barrels per day (bpd) -- up from about 5,000 to 6,000 -- in a country where one in five people live in poverty. 'From 2028, we'll be an oil-producing country,' President Chan Santokhi told AFP ahead of elections Sunday for lawmakers who will choose the next president. He is one of several candidates in the running to steer the former Dutch colony wedged between Brazil, Guyana and French Guiana. 'It will be a huge amount of income for the country,' Santokhi said. 'We are now able... to do more for our people so that everyone can be part of the growth of the nation.' Besides investing in agriculture, tourism, health, education and green energy, some of the oil money is being paid directly to Surinamese citizens under a program Santokhi has dubbed 'Royalties for Everyone'—RVI for its Dutch acronym. 'It's their share,' he said. Victorine Moti, a finance ministry official responsible for the fund, told AFP: 'The whole population of Suriname is eligible for this program, everybody who was born before the 1st of January 2025 and had the Surinamese nationality.' 'In figures, it's 572,000 people.' All eligible citizens can register to receive a one-off payment equivalent to $750 paid into an account with an interest yield of seven percent per year. 'With the certificate, they can go to the bank and they have two options: they can withdraw the money or they can choose to save. Hopefully, they will try to save and not cash out immediately,' said Moti. The first beneficiaries are the elderly and disabled, paid with funds advanced by banks. Next in line will be people 60 and older, then—once the revenues start flowing in 2028 -- the biggest group of people aged 18-59. People who save their money for 10 years will receive a bonus of $150 on top of interest earned. Naslem Doelsan, 80, has already received her certificate and told AFP she will cash out 'to buy good food and some household stuff.' 'Why do I need... money in the bank? I'm already old and I want to enjoy my money,' she said. Fellow retiree Jai Abas, 91, told AFP he would keep the money in the bank for now, and maybe give his granddaughter, who lives in the Netherlands, some 'pocket money' when she visits. 'What would I do with money? I am old. I can't go anywhere,' said Abas, adding his only vice is cigarettes. Anuschka Tolud, a 38-year-old in a wheelchair, said she would save her payout in the hopes it can one day augment her $113 monthly welfare payout. Santokhi had previously spoken about avoiding the so-called 'oil curse,' also known as 'Dutch disease,' that had befallen other resource-rich countries, such as Venezuela, Angola and Algeria, that were unable to turn oil wealth into economic success. Norway became an exception by creating a sovereign wealth fund. Suriname, the president said, would take a 'unique' approach, well aware that its crude resources will last only about 40 years. 'We have income from the profit of the oil, we will have income from our fiscal revenues and we will have income from the royalties,' he said. In 2024, French multinational TotalEnergies committed to investing $10.5 billion in the offshore oil field of GranMorgu in the Atlantic Ocean. An article in the Surinamese Constitution states that 'natural riches and resources are property of the nation and shall be used to promote economic, social and cultural development.' But some worry that the benefits may not find their way to all citizens, especially those who live in rural areas, Indigenous communities and Maroons—descendants of African slaves. 'I myself am curious as to how funds and bureaucracy will be accessed by Indigenous and Maroon communities,' Giovanna Montenegro, director of the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program at Binghamton University in New York State, said. — AFP
