DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 7 September 2016

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President Medina skips PLD meeting
Deputy ministers and agency directors appointed
New equipment for intensive care units
New civil registry offices in Ver?n
The high cost of the Tucanos
INTEC gets first university patent
Investiture of new Santo Domingo archbishop on Saturday
Luis Abinader gets keys to Miami
Injured still critical following explosion
Another arrest in Blas Olivo case
Peravia Bank accused try for deals
Colombian drug traffickers to face court
Triathletes head for Puerto Plata
Ne-Yo in concert in Punta Cana



President Medina skips PLD meeting
The ruling PLD political committee?s Monday evening, 5 September 2016 went ahead without being attended by President Danilo Medina.

Senator Cristina Lizardo, C?sar Pina Toribio and Jos? Joaqu?n Bid? Medina also sent their apologies along with Jose Tom?s P?rez, the Dominican ambassador in Washington, D.C.

President of the PLD, former President Leonel Fernandez chaired the meeting.

A total of 29 members discussed the proposals for the Electoral Bill and the reform of the Political Parties? Bill. The agenda also included a report from a special committee that investigated the PLD members who voted for opposition candidate in the last elections.

http://almomento.net/comite-politico-del-pld-esta-reunido-el-presidente-medina-no-asistio/241190


Deputy ministers and agency directors appointed
President Danilo Medina issued Decree 215-16 on 6 September 2016 announcing the appointments of 41 deputy ministers and directors in nine ministries. Diario Libre reports that at least 11 members of the PRD party, a key ally for President Danilo Medina?s re-election bid, were appointed to several of the posts.

The appointments include former ambassador in Panama, Cesar Medina who was designated deputy minister for bilateral foreign policy at the Ministry of Foreign Relations. Another appointment to the Foreign Relations Ministry is Hugo Rivera, as deputy minister for economic affairs and international cooperation. Meanwhile, Cesar Dargam was appointed to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to head the Foreign Trade Agency (Dicoex) at the ministry.

See the list of new cabinet members here:
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...na-viceministros-y-directores-departamentales


New equipment for intensive care units
The National Health Service (SNS) has announced the purchase of 90 ventilators and 75 monitors to improve intensive care services in 21 of the country?s main hospitals.

SNS director Nelson Rodr?guez Monegro made the announcement during a meeting at the Robert Reid Cabral Children?s Hospital with Metropolitan Health Service director Felix Hern?ndez and directors of other beneficiary hospitals.

He said that most of the equipment, purchased at a cost of RD$95 million was already up and running.

The Santo Domingo hospitals that received the equipment were Padre Billini, Francisco Moscoso Puello, Salvador B. Gautier, Robert Reid Cabral, Vinicio Calventi, Marcelino Velez Santana and the La Altagracia and San Lorenzo de Los Mina maternity hospitals.

In the provinces, the beneficiary hospitals included Jose Maria Cabral and Baez and Arturo Grull?n in Santiago, San Vicente de Paul in San Francisco de Macor?s, Jaime Mota in Barahona, Antonio Musa in San Pedro de Macor?s, Alejandro Cabral in San Juan de la Maguana, the Taiwan hospital in Azua, Luis Bogaert in Valverde and Luis Morillo King in La Vega.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...a-de-ventiladores-y-monitores-a-21-hospitales


New civil registry offices in Ver?n
The east coast town of Ver?n now has a new building housing the civil registry, ID services.

The new Central Electoral Board (JCE) facility reportedly cost RD$29.6 million to build.

The JCE also announced new offices in Comendador (El?as Pi?a), Azua, Villa Mella, Guerra, Nigua and La Vega as part of the decentralization process of civil registry services.


The high cost of the Tucanos
A report in Diario Libre on Wednesday 7 September 2016 estimates that the cost of purchasing eight Tucano aircraft purchased by the Leonel Fernandez administration in 2009 was equivalent to 60% of the budget the government had assigned to the National Drug Control Agency over the previous nine years. While the government had assigned RD$5.4 billion to the agency, the airplanes cost US$93.6 million, which at the time was equivalent to RD$3.2 billion (at an exchange rate of RD$34.5 to US$1).

At the time, former attorney general Francisco Dominguez Brito (now the Minister of Environment) had said that a single flight hour was going to cost more than the fuel spent on combating drug trafficking in the Cibao region in the entire month of January.

In the Diario Libre interview, former Police colonel Juan Tom?s Taveras says the purchase of the Tucanos was an error. He said the aircraft would only be effective if their purchase was matched with a good radar system that allows the authorities to identify illicit trafficking operations in good time. ?What?s the point of these planes if the radars are not working? All that money was invested in attacking unauthorized flights when there was no way of detecting them,? he stated.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...s-el-presupuesto-asignado-a-la-dncd-JI4875803


INTEC gets first university patent
INTEC mechatronics student Francarlos Bencosme and UASD electrical engineering student Keyron Figueroa, two 21-year old high school friends, are the inventors of a vehicle engine catalytic converter that has become the first patent to be registered by a Dominican university. This catalytic converter is innovative in that it enters into operation as soon as the vehicle is turned on. It can also be used by industries that use combustion engines.

Intec University has registered the catalytic converter that reduces direct pollution by 90%. As reported in Diario Libre, the two friends had the idea for the system when they were in junior year in high school. It took them three years to build the prototype with the help of a RD$150,000 from an entrepreneurship fund at INTEC.

INTEC took on the task of registering the patent at the National Industrial Property Office (Onapi) thus becoming the country?s first university to be awarded an invention patent.

They now want to obtain an international patent and take the invention abroad.
Bencosme is thinking big. ?Toyota Motors would be a great option,? he stated.

http://www.diariolibre.com/ciencia-...hiculos-de-calentamiento-automatico-BI4864232
http://www.listindiario.com/economi...educe-90-emisiones-contaminantes-en-vehiculos


Investiture of new Santo Domingo archbishop on Saturday
The Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic has announced the program for the investiture of the new Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Francisco Ozoria Acosta, who replaces long time Cardinal Nicolas Lopez Rodr?guez, who is retiring. Lopez Rodr?guez was appointed archbishop in 1978.

The activities begin with a ceremony at the Cathedral of Santo Domingo on Saturday, 10 September 2016 at 9am with the reading of the papal bull with the appointment. At 11am, mass will be celebrated at the Palacio de los Deportes. The mass is open to the public.

Papal Nuncio Jude Thadeus Okolo announced on 4 July 2016 that the then-bishop of San Pedro de Macor?s, Francisco Ozoria Acosta would be the new archbishop. The Roman Catholic Church installed him as archbishop on 6 September.

Ozoria Acosta was born in Nagua, Mar?a Trinidad S?nchez province, on 10 October 1951. He was ordained a priest in San Francisco de Macor?s on 2 September 1978. In 1997 he was appointed Bishop of San Pedro de Macor?s.


Luis Abinader gets keys to Miami
Miami Mayor Tom?s Regalado presented the key of the city of Miami to former PRM presidential candidate Luis Abinader on Tuesday, 6 September 2016. Abinader was the runner-up in the 15 May 2016 general elections.

Regalado said that the honor was being bestowed because of Abinader?s contributions to democracy and development in the Dominican Republic.

During the event, the former presidential candidate highlighted the strong links between Dominicans and the state of Florida where a large number of Dominicans have settled and are active professionals or own second homes. He also stressed Miami?s importance as a strong center for trade with the Dominican Republic, with the DR as its fifth largest trading partner.

Abinader was accompanied by his wife Raquel Arbaje and his father, former senator for Santiago Jos? Rafael Abinader.

Abinader is touring the United States to express his appreciation to overseas-based Dominicans for supporting his candidacy. In addition to Miami, he has planned stops in Orlando, New York and New Jersey.

http://beta.eldia.com.do/abinader-resalta-vinculos-entre-rd-y-miami-recibe-llaves-de-la-ciudad/


Injured still critical following explosion
Five employees who were injured in an explosion at the Tropico products factory in Madre Vieja in San Cristobal on Monday, 5 September 2016 remain in critical condition.

According to Dr. Eddy Bruno, director of the Burn Unit at the Luis Eduardo Aybar Hospital, the patients in critical condition are 45-year old Hilda Batista, and Argelio Valdez, both with burns over 60% of their bodies, 49-year old Pablo Valdez with 45% burns, Confesor Ger?nimo, 45, with 27%, and 38-year old Fremio Michel Santana with 20%.

The doctor said that Hilda Batista was undergoing surgery yesterday, Tuesday, 6 September.

Ana Beltr?, 44 and Francisco Germ?n are due to be discharged shortly but Juan Lara who has 27% burns and Enrique Castro who has 12% are still being treated in the Ney Arias Lora Hospital.

So far the cause of the explosion, which killed two people, is unknown.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...bal-se-encuentran-en-estado-critico-XK4873606


Another arrest in Blas Olivo case
According to police spokesman Nelson Rosario, another arrest was made on Monday, 5 September 2016, in connection with the murder of journalist Blas Olivo in April 2015.

Joel Pe?a Rodr?guez (Joel Neta), 29, was arrested in Bonao. He admitted to murdering another four people and injuring three, including a 17-year old.
According to the police, Pe?a Rodr?guez admitted his role in the murder of the journalist in 2015 along with another five people identified only as ?Anton?, ?Nananina?, ?El Loquillo?, ?Los Mellos? and ?El Pato?.

Pe?a Rodr?guez confirmed that the journalist had been shot on the left side of his chest and in the left leg and that his Toyota Land Cruiser had been stolen following his murder.

Pe?a Rodr?guez is also reported to have admitted to shooting and killing 21-year Jeison Fortuna Vasquez, and to shooting and wounding Euri Fernando M?ndez P?rez, on 16 March 2015. He also said he murdered Ramon Andr?s Alvarez on 6 May 2012 as well as ?Chalequito? and ?Cabuya?.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...-acusado-de-asesinar-al-periodista-blas-olivo


Peravia Bank accused try for deals
Several of the accused in the RD$3 billion Peravia Bank fraud case are trying to make a deal with the Public Prosecution Service and the monetary authorities. They are apparently offering to hand over some of their goods in exchange for a quick trial that will reduce or annul any jail time they might have to serve.

The El Nacional newspaper says that the bank?s vice president, Venezuelan Daniel Alejandro Morales Santoro, via his lawyer, has offered to return US$2 million to the savers, claiming that this was the sum he acquired via loans. However his cooperation is conditional on him testifying against the other accused in exchange for a deal, according to a source.

Meetings have also taken place between the lawyers and relatives of the accused Jorge Serret, Neson Serret and Yesenia Serret and prosecutor Yeni Berenice Reynoso to try to reach a deal, but it fell at the first hurdle as the accused are denying the charges and the Public Prosecution Service is looking at jail terms of 20 years each if they won?t admit to them. The meeting was aimed at reducing their sentences on condition that they admit to the crimes of which they are accused.

Also in connection with the case, the National District Prosecution Service is now having to use cats to prevent rats from chewing the cables in the 50 vehicles which were confiscated from those accused of fraud.

http://elnacional.com.do/acusados-fraude-peravia-buscan-negociar-pacto/


Colombian drug traffickers to face court
The three Colombians who were captured with 575 packages of cocaine weighing 614 kilos in Cumayasa in San Pedro de Macor?s on Monday, 5 September 2016 are appearing in court today, Wednesday, 7 September 2016.

They were named as 23-year old Robin Olaya G?mez, Robinson Hern?ndez Guti?rrez, 21, and 60-year old Jaime Rogers Mengual, who was also found in possession of 42 marijuana cigarettes.

According to the National Drug Control Agency (DNCD) the accused were in a 28-foot speedboat that came from Colombia and were arrested as they reached the beach in the Dominican Republic.

In a press conference held on Tuesday 6 September 2016, DNCD spokesman Carlos Devertz said that as well as the drugs they have confiscated an Uzi machine gun, two walkie-talkies, a GPS device and a number of cell phones.

Investigations are underway to establish which cartel the drugs came from, where they were being sent and whether there are any links with Dominican drug dealing gangs.

http://elnacional.com.do/entregan-mp-colombianos-trajeron-coca/


Triathletes head for Puerto Plata
The Triathlon Puerto Plata (Tripop) takes place on Sunday, 18 September 2016. Athletes can register for the following events:

Sprint (750m swim, 20km bike and 5km run)
Olympic (1,500m swim, 40km bike and 10km run)
Open Waters Swim (distance of 250m, 750, 1,500m and 3km)
Recreational run 5K.

The cost to register to compete is:
- Triathlon Sprint and Olympic Individual RD$2,000.00
- Triathlon Sprint and Olympic Relay RD$3,000.00
- All Open Waters categories RD$800.00
- 5K Recreational Run RD$800.00

Registration is open online at http://www.laboleteria.do.

Register in person in Puerto Plata at the Ranger Bike and Total Training businesses. In Santiago, register at the Sport3Store.


Ne-Yo in concert in Punta Cana
US rhythm and blues singer Ne-Yo will be in concert at the Fillmore Hall Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana on 29 October 2016. He is best known for his hits that include ?Beautiful Monster,? ?One in a Million?, ?So Sick,? and ?Miss Independent.?

The show coincides with Halloween, so there will be costume contests.

Cirque le Soir will be performing at the Oro Disco.

Tickets are for sale online at Uepa Tickets.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana sells concert + hotel packages.

Listen to his music at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J2dwFVZHsY

For more on ongoing and upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


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