DR1 Daily News - Wednesday, 14 December 2016

Dolores1

DR1
May 3, 2000
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Ministry of Environment gets loan to reverse ozone depletion
PLD denies LMD agreement*
Indotel wants to shut down illegal broadcasters
Visiting Dominicans spend more than other tourists
Herrera business: We have to go out and market the country
Consequence of flooding, leptospirosis on the rise
CAASD: City water can be used for brushing teeth
Shortlists for Audit Chambers finalized
One third of Dominicans still living in poverty
Veteran journalist passes away
Human rights still lacking in the Dominican Republic
Peravia senator says there are criminals in general’s uniforms
Fatal accident on Coral Highway
American arrested for child pornography
Haitian arrested for bird trapping in Sierra de Bahoruco
Colecci?n Textil Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal
Christmas story at Teatro Babeque
Hard Rock Live presents Sergio Vargas



Ministry of Environment gets loan to reverse ozone depletion
The Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol, which is committed to reversing the depletion of the Earth's ozone layer, has approved RD$73.9 million to finance the second phase of a Ministry of Environment program aimed at reducing hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC), the gases that contribute to the warming of the Earth.

In a press release, the Ministry of Environment says that the program will be implemented from 2017-2020 through the National Program for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (Pronaoz). The objective is to fulfill the Dominican Republic’s commitment of reducing 40% of HCFC substances used in refrigeration and air conditioning by 2020.

http://www.diariolibre.com/medioamb...ases-que-destruyen-la-capa-de-ozono-EB5715273
http://www.multilateralfund.org/default.aspx


PLD denies LMD agreement
PLD general secretary Reinaldo Pared Perez is denying that an agreement has been reached between the PRD, an ally of the PLD in the 2016 general election, and the ruling political party on the choice for heading the Dominican Municipal League. The league’s official role is to serve as counsel to smaller city governments. The current director, Johnny Jones of the PRSC, has already stayed on an extra year and a new director needs to be chosen during the assembly set for 26 January 2017.

As reported, the agreement appointed Jos? (Neney) Cabrera of the PRD as director for two years, to be followed by two years under Ignacio Ditr?n of the PLD. Ditr?n has also denied accepting the supposed deal.

Pared Perez said that the LMD was not included in any of the political agreements reached before the 2016 general election.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...ya-haya-negociado-la-liga-municipal-DN5719445


Indotel wants to shut down illegal broadcasters
The president of the Dominican Telecommunications Institute (Indotel), Jos? del Castillo has launched an operation to close down around 30 broadcasters that are operating illegally.

He said that the first five stations were closed last week in Monse?or Nouel (Bonao) province and warned that the operation would be extended to almost all the provinces in the country. Del Castillo made the remarks during a visit to the Pantoja neighborhood in the municipality of Los Alcarrizos, where he was attending the inauguration of the Multiple Services Digital Center (CDSM). He said that Indotel is busy reorganizing the Dominican Republic’s radio-electric spectrum.

He called on the owners of illegal broadcasters to legalize their status, or they would be closed and Indotel would confiscate their equipment.

http://almomento.net/indotel-anuncia-cierre-de-otras-50-emisoras-que-operaban-sin-permisos/270852


Visiting Dominicans spend more than other tourists
According to the National Statistics’ Office (ONE), Dominicans resident overseas who visited the country in December 2015 spent six times more than tourists of other nationalities.

In the report, Dominican Republic in Numbers, the ONE said that the average Dominican tourist’s expenditure over Christmas last year was US$825 per person while other tourists spent an average of US$130 per head.

ONE director Alexandra Izquierdo revealed that as well as spending 539.7% more than other tourists, Dominicans tended to stay in the country longer. She said that in December 2015, a total of 113,612 Dominicans who lived overseas came to visit via air which was a 36% increase over the previous year.

In addition more Dominicans returned to the country than left for Christmas with 66% fewer leaving than arriving.

http://almomento.net/dominicanos-vi...-mas-que-turistas-otras-nacionalidades/270802


Herrera business: We have to go out and market the country
According to the Herrera Association of Industries (AEIH) president, Antonio Taveras, Dominican exports in 2016 fell from US$1.8 billion in 2015, or approximately 3.4%. Taveras says the DR has great potential for developing exports. “We have to go out and market the country and find the niches for exports,” he said. He said producers could associate in clusters to achieve the synergy that is needed in order to turn the country into an exporting country.

He advocated for re-launching the Dominican economy based on exports as part of a joint public-private initiative. He said structural reforms must be made now to see the results in 20 or 25 years. He criticized the government for failing to convene the talks leading to the fiscal reform as set out in the National Development Strategy Law.

“The government has the main responsibility for this because it has problems reaching agreements internally,” he pointed out.

http://www.diariolibre.com/economia/industriales-hay-que-salir-a-vender-este-pais-GC5721109


Consequence of flooding, leptospirosis on the rise
National Health Service (SNS) director Nelson Rodriguez Monegro says that in 2016 so far 41 people have died and 560 have been infected with leptospirosis, which now requires strong action in response to the threat to the public.

Rodriguez Monergo attributed the increase in the incidence of the disease to people wading in flooded waters and drinking polluted water following the heavy rains in the north of the country. A total of 27 people have been hospitalized with the disease and four deaths have been reported in the Cibao region. In Santiago, 14 people are reported to have contracted the disease, mainly children who are receiving treatment at the Arturo Grullon Children’s Hospital, the Cabral y Baez Hospital and private clinics.

Rodriguez Monegro, Deputy Minister Mercedes Rodriguez and Regional Director Austria de la Rosa have met with the provincial hospital directors to discuss the situation and define strategies.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...54/sube-a-41-muertos-de-leptospirosis-en-2016


CAASD: City water can be used for brushing teeth
The Santo Domingo Water Corporation (CAASD) says that an item doing the rounds on social media warning residents against using tap water to brush their teeth is unfounded. The CAASD assured that potable water levels of Santo Domingo city water are at 98%. The CAASD says they constant monitor the potability levels of the water. The water is treated with chlorine and aluminum sulfate and CAASD says it is working to reach 100% potability.

Interviewed on the El Mismo Golpe talk show with Jochi Santos, Dr. Alberto Santana said that there is no way that leptospirosis could be caught by brushing teeth using tap water. He said the disease was caused by urine in water. He did recommend washing cans and containers before opening because they could be contaminated by the urine of rats entering storage areas.

The Ministry of Public Health has reported 41 cases of leptospirosis in the aftermath of flooding, especially in the north of the country.

Leptospirosis is spread mainly through contact with water or soil contaminated by the urine of infected animals. People can catch the disease by swimming or wading in fresh unchlorinated water contaminated with animal urine or by coming into contact with wet soil or plants contaminated with animal urine.

In the Dominican Republic, it is customary to either boil the water or use bottled water for drinking. However, tap water is usually used for personal hygiene.

http://www.diariolibre.com/m/notici...a-potabilidad-del-agua-supera-el-98-FN5719135


Shortlists for Audit Chambers finalized
The Chamber of Deputies has approved the five shortlists of the applicants for the Audit Chamber and this will now go to the Senate where there will choose the final members.

The first shortlist, presented by PLD Deputy Ram?n Cabrera, comprises Felix Alvarez Rivera, Margarita Melenciano Corporan and Juan Luis Seliman.

The second list, presented by Guido Cabrera of the PRSC, contains Hugo Francisco Alvarez Perez, Bienvenido Juvenal Vazquez Diaz and Ram?n Antonio Antigua Brito.

The third, presented by PRD deputy Jos? Gonzalez, consists of Marcos Santos Cruz Garcia, Pablo Domingo del Rosario and Rhina Alessandra Diaz Tejada.

The fourth, proposed by PRSC Deputy Nidio Encarnacion, comprises V?ctor Eddy Mateo Vasquez, Pedro Antonio Ortiz Hernandez and Silvia Magnolia Sierra Mendez and the final list, presented by PLD Gustavo Sanchez, is composed of Pedro Carreras Santana, Licelot Marte de Barrios and Carlos Noe Tejada Diaz.

http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...e-de-barrios-aspira-a-la-reeleccion-EM5718314


One third of Dominicans still living in poverty
The World Bank has published a report stating that although the Dominican Republic has one of the highest growth rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, one in every three Dominicans is still classified as poor.

During a ceremony at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday 13 December 2016, President Danilo Medina and the vice president of the World Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, Jorge Familiar, issued a series of policy statements outlining options to keep the country on the growth path in the context of the world economic deceleration.

Medina said that they would fight tirelessly to reduce poverty, which is one of their main goals.

The report issued by the World Bank stays that while the country has enjoyed one of the highest levels of growth over the last 25 years, the incidence of poverty (described as living on under RD$152 a day) has also decreased from 36.4% of the population in 2014 to 32.3% in 2015.

The report, however, goes on to say that the social expenditure in the country is low compared to the rest of the region with 1.6% of GDP on health compared to the regional average of 4.5%, and deficiencies in the trust and quality of the water and electricity are affecting the main growth sectors, including tourism, agriculture and manufacturing.

http://www.diariolibre.com/economia...minicanos-vive-con-152-pesos-al-dia-EX5716798
https://presidencia.gob.do/noticias...otable-en-mejoria-calidad-de-vida-de-la-gente


Veteran journalist passes away
Journalist Ar?stides Reyes died on Tuesday afternoon, 13 December 2016. He had been in the Intensive Care Unit in the Plaza de la Salud hospital in Santo Domingo since 5 December 2016 after suffering a stroke at his home in Las Palmas in Herrera.

Reyes, 58, was a political journalist with more than 30 years experience, including 20 years reporting on the National Congress for El Nacional newspaper.

http://elnacional.com.do/muere-periodista-aristides-reyes/


Human rights still lacking in the Dominican Republic
According to a report by the National Commission for Human Rights (CNDH) on Monday, 12 December 2016, extrajudicial executions, public insecurity and impunity continued to be the norm this year in the Dominican Republic.

The report on Dominican human rights during 2016 states that police have killed some 200 civilians this year, 70% of them young men between the ages of 18 and 30.

The CNDH also denounced large-scale arbitrary arrests, conducted mainly during weekends, and the police practice of demanding bribes in exchange for releasing the detainees.

The police and military forces are the institutions coming in for the most criticism in the report, which expressed “concern” at the “levels of corruption” among the members of the national security forces, who, according to the CNDH commit most of the abuses.

CNDH president Manuel Maria Mercedes expresses concern at the situation where the Dominican judiciary “is experiencing a state of deterioration that has become chronic and structural, mainly due to the lack of resources received by the judicial branch.”

The human rights organization also deplored the fact that 70 women were murdered by their partners or ex-partners this year without the state taking concrete action, adding that the high rates of maternal and child mortality, as well as teenage pregnancies, were of great concern, despite the many programs undertaken with foreign aid to tackle these issues.

The CNDH said, however, that the lack of citizen safety “is the issue that continues to upset and concern most Dominican citizens.”

Other concerns include impunity for corrupt officials, the lack of public policies to improve health services and education, poor conditions in jails, high prices for basic foods and products and forced evictions.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2427023&CategoryId=14092


Peravia senator says there are criminals in general’s uniforms
Peravia senator Wilton Guerrero told President Danilo Medina on Tuesday, 13 December 2016 that “criminals dressed as generals” needed to be removed from the Police. He was speaking out in response to the conduct of the Police in the case of the murder of a taxi driver he knew well in his hometown of Ban?.

Guerrero criticized the cruel way in which the taxi driver, 50-year old Rub?n Dar?o D?az Pimentel was shot dead by a battalion of 21 police agents. The Police reported that the taxi driver was killed in the crossfire with a group of men who tried to rob storeowner Roy Pe?a in the Jos? del Carmen neighbourhood in Ban?. Guerrero is challenging the police explanation that the taxi driver was caught in the crossfire, saying that the taxi driver had been shot on purpose. He also mentioned the case of a mechanic of his acquaintance, 39-year old Tirson Alfonso Perez Mejia, who was also shot by the Police.

In response, Civic Participation (Participaci?n Ciudadana) blamed President Danilo Medina for the conduct of the National Police. Spokeswoman Rosal?a Sosa criticized the murder of the taxi driver and said that senator Wilton Guerrero should promote laws that reform the Police. PC says that the firm will of the President is needed to reform the institution.

http://www.elcaribe.com.do/2016/12/13/wilton-guerrero-policia-hay-delincuentes-vestidos-generales
http://www.cdn.com.do/noticias/naci...medina-de-lo-que-pasa-en-la-policia-nacional/
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias...-en-muerte-de-taxista-y-un-mecanico-IF5722659
http://pn.gob.do/noticias-principal...ales-detiene-a-seis-y-persigue-a-otros-cuatro


Fatal accident on Coral Highway
One man was killed and three people were injured in an accident on the Autopista del Coral between San Pedro de Macoris and La Romana near the Cueva de las Maravillas cave on Monday night, 12 December 2016.

A car collided with an SUV leading to the death of a 51-year-old Spanish man, Javier Zargado Dienaya. Juan Manuel Fern?ndez, 35, Keren Moya, 38 and Julio Oviedo, 52, all residents of Santo Domingo were injured in the crash.

The injured were taken to the emergency room at the Antonio Musa Public Hospital in San Pedro before being transferred to a hospital in Santo Domingo.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...ccidente-proximo-a-la-cueva-de-las-maravillas


American arrested for child pornography
US citizen Denny Allen Ray (alias “El Gringo”) has been sent to three months pre-trial custody on charges of filming pornographic videos using minors. Judge Reyes Rodr?guez of the Oficina de Servicios de Atenci?n Permanente in Puerto Plata issued the sentence after receiving evidence presented by prosecutors Humberto Pascual and Dorca Alvarado. A raid on Ray’s home led to the discovery of pornographic images in his electronic devices.

The man was arrested in a vehicle accompanied by a minor. He will serve his sentence at the Centro de Correcci?n y Rehabilitaci?n San Felipe.

He is accused of violating Article 56 of the Constitution on children, Articles 410-411 of the Child Protection Code (Law 136-03) and Article 64 of the Law 53-07 on High Tech Crimes.

http://www.listindiario.com/la-repu...r-explotacion-sexual-de-menores-y-pornografia


Haitian arrested for bird trapping in Sierra de Bahoruco
A court has sent a Haitian man named as Totolo Mishael to one month of pre-trial custody on charges of illegally trapping protected birds in the Sierra de Bahoruco National Park in the southwestern province of Pedernales.

Military units assigned to the National Environmental Protection Service (Senpa) arrested Mishael in possession of 36 parakeets and a parrot during a joint operation with forest rangers. He is accused of violating Environment Law 64-00 and Protected Areas Law 202-04. The birds were retained by the Provincial Department of the Ministry of Environment in Pedernales for subsequent release back into the forests.

http://hoy.com.do/prision-preventiva-contra-haitiano-capturo-pericos-en-sierra-de-bahoruco/


Colecci?n Textil Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal
See an exhibition of the clothes belonging to the legendary Mirabal sisters whose brutal murder in 1960 marked the start of events that led to the assassination of dictator Trujillo the following year. The exhibition opens Thursday, 15 December 2016 at the Dominican Resistance Memorial Museum in the Colonial City of Santo Domingo.


Christmas story at Teatro Babeque
Teatro Babeque in Santo Domingo presents the musical “A la espera del Mes?as” a Christmas story on Sunday, 18 and 25 December 2016 and 1 January 2017 at 6:30pm. Tickets are RD$100.


Hard Rock Live presents Sergio Vargas
Hard Rock Live in Santo Domingo is advertising a Friday, 23 December 2016 show, “Santo Domingo de Noche en Navidad” with Sergio Vargas, Sexappeal, Mark B and bachata singer Janko Santos. The concert-party will be an evening for listening and dancing to merengue, salsa, bachata and urban music.

Tickets are for sale online at Ticket Express for RD$2,000 general admission and RD$2,500 VIP.


For information on upcoming events:
http://www.dr1.com/calendar


Archived News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/91-Daily-Headline-News

Archived Travel News stories:
http://dr1.com/forums/forumdisplay.php/92-Travel-amp-Tourism-News
 

Waitman

DR1
Dec 12, 2016
110
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waitman.net
Boiled Water

What about making coffee? When I am travelling I usually use bottled water to make coffee, but sometimes I don't have any and use tap water. Coffee makers force the water through a very tiny tube where it super-heats the water to boiling point, so it's possible bacteria and living stuff is killed, however it is a very quick process. I don't recall getting sick from coffee, the times I've gotten sick I believe were consuming drinks with ice.

What do people generally do when they make coffee in DR? Boil the water first or use bottled water?