2006 – Page 272

President Leonel Fernandez and First Lady Margarita Cedeno were received by Queen Elizabeth II yesterday, as part of the President’s official visit to the United Kingdom. He also visited the university city of Cambridge, where a cooperation agreement was signed between the libraries of Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo (UASD) and Cambridge University. UASD Rector …

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The irregular reception and registration of candidates for the May 2006 Congressional and municipal elections and the decision about their approval or annulment has captured the country’s interest, especially that of political parties that are participating in the process. Diario Libre reports that today, the Central Electoral Board (JCE) will hold a plenary session despite …

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The World Bank Executive Directorate has approved a US$25 million loan yesterday aimed at improving the employment prospects of young people in the DR. According to Caroline Anstey, WB Director for the Caribbean, the lack of opportunities for youth is fostering dangerous behavior patterns that affect the Dominican Republic on several levels. Diario Libre reports …

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Representatives of the Haitian and Dominican health authorities are meeting today in Jimani to establish joint policies aimed at reducing the risk of bird flu in both nations. The meeting is being coordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural Cooperation Institute, the Project for the Support of Agro-feeding Competitive Transition, and the United States …

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Institutionalism and Justice Foundation (FINJUS) Executive Vice President Dr. Servio Tulio Castanos Guzman says that the state protects corruption and that this situation has caused serious confusion among citizens in relation to the institutions that are supposed to prevent and punish it. According to a report by El Caribe, Castanos added that because of this …

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Civil society group Participacion Ciudadana’s Legislative Monitoring Report issued yesterday says that the majority of laws passed by Congress have to do with territorial division or pensions, leaving aside a group of bills within the “anti-corruption agenda”. The organization reports that three new municipalities have been created, as have been 26 municipal districts and 8 …

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Electric generating companies earned at least US$40 million in addition to their normal profitability by purchasing cheaper energy on the spot market, which they later sold at higher prices through the distributors. Diario Libre reports that because of this, EdeNorte, EdeSur and EdeEste also lost the opportunity to save at least US$31 million if they …

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Former Vice President Milagros Ortiz Bosch has announced the formation of a new movement within the PRD, claiming that she cannot remain indifferent to the party’s situation after the election candidates were selected. The “Force for Renewal” movement is aimed at completing the PRD’s modernization and political transformation, contributing to reestablishing its democratic vocation and …

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Yesterday, Grupo Progreso presented the consultants it has hired for the lawsuit in the US against former executive president Pedro Castillo. Attorney Stephen Lavier from Patton Boggs law firm, and Auditor John Wilkinson, from Price Waterhouse, a firm that specializes in forensic investigations and has worked on several similar cases around the world, were presented …

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Old time singer/composer Juan Lockward, who had been in poor health for the last few years, has died, according to relatives. Lockward was a famous composer whose songs were performed and recorded by many Dominican and foreign singers. He began his singing career in the 1930s in his native Puerto Plata, where he would accompany …

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