2007 – Page 89

All Dominican police officers will be tested for drugs as a way of preventing drug use by members of the force. Police Chief Rafael Guzman Fermin explained that the testing will carried out by the National Drug Council, and would begin immediately.

As of yesterday all American citizens re-entering the US by air must present a valid passport. The new passport rule is part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) and is part of a wider national security program. The rule was originally due to enter into effect in January but the resulting huge number of …

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As another season of Major League Baseball comes to end, the Dominican presence in the sport has been consolidated even further. Pitcher Fausto Carmona of the Cleveland Indians is this year’s front-runner for the AL Cy Young Award, and he was named pitcher of the month for September. Big Papi David Ortiz was named player …

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Dominican-born writer Junot Diaz’s first novel, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” is to be made into a film by Miramax, according to the Hollywood News. The movie rights to the book were bought by producer Scott Rudin. Junot’s novel tells the story of a Dominican immigrant to the city of Patterson, New Jersey. …

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According to all of today’s newspapers, the 24-hour general strike called for tomorrow by the Alternative Social Forum is on, unless the government adopts some of the measures demanded by the Forum. Yesterday, several business organizations and Bishop Jesus Maria de Jesus Moya from San Francisco de Macoris joined in a rejection of the protest. …

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The Alternative Social Forum’s demands are certainly nothing new. According to one reporter, they are “aged claims that have rusted away in the agendas of public officials.” Salary issues, including a call for a 30% wage increase; a government decreed reduction in the costs of medicines and foodstuffs; a one-year halt to government evictions from …

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