2007 – Page 93

More than 7,500 people with HIV/AIDS have been excluded from the government’s new nationwide health plan, the SFS. Hoy explains that more troubling is that funding for anti-retroviral medicines is due to run out in 2009. Presidential AIDS Council (COPRESIDA) director Dr. Humberto Salazar explained that all HIV/AIDS patients are excluded from the program, which …

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Once again, an innocent bystander has become the victim of a tragedy on a public bus. Yesterday 26-year old Angeli Maria Gonzalez, who was on her way home, was shot and killed by retired military captain Rafael Santiago Garcia. Initial reports in Diario Libre say that Santiago, who was drunk, demanded to be let off …

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A fire yesterday evening destroyed the Industrias Meteoro Baterias warehouse at the Industrial Park in Haina. The fire started at 5:50pm. The authorities are launching an investigation to determine the nature of the fire. Initial reports indicate that the warehouse was closed when a 1,000-gallon tank exploded, setting the building alight.

The Alternative Social Forum held a test strike yesterday as a way of warming up for its scheduled 24-hour strike, set for 2 October. Many of the organization’s leaders met at the capital’s Independence Park holding signs and Forum coordinator Jesus Adon said that Tuesday’s protest is against the high cost of living, high gasoline …

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El Caribe is reporting that the Dominican authorities are denying entry into the country to Jose Rodriguez Salvador, a Spanish national who was convicted and sentenced to 311 years in jail, but was recently set free after serving just 16 years in jail. Migration director Carlos Amarante Baret said that all airlines have been notified …

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Diario Libre writes that the DR tourism sector is female-dominated, with women making up 65% of the 250,000 employees in the sector. These statistics come from the World Tourism Organization. As part of the Organization’s World Tourism Day, the theme is “Tourism opens its doors to women”. Listin Diario writes that two-thirds of tourism students …

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Dominican musician Roldan will be performing traditional Dominican music at the World Masters” Festival in Arts & Culture 2007 being held in South Korea, a gathering of 51 countries from around the world. The event is described as a culture Olympics of the traditional artists from the world and is staged to display the traditional …

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President Leonel Fernandez and Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso are waging an intense lobbying campaign for the votes of Latin American, African and Middle Eastern nations during their participation in the UN General Assembly, as reported in El Caribe. Yesterday, Fernandez met with ministers from the Rio Group and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council. …

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The DR has climbed 18 steps up and now is 99th on a list of 178 countries in the World Bank ranking for ease of doing business, up from 117th last year. Countries are ranked by ease of: starting a business, dealing with licenses, employing workers, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, paying taxes, trading …

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The National Administration and Personnel Office (ONAP) is working on a bill to limit some of the expense account “extras” so abused by officialdom. According to Diario Libre, ONAP’s proposal will limit per diem payments to 10% of salary as a way to put a halt to high-ranking officials’ juicy expense accounts. Each person will …

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