2008 – Page 83

Yesterday the Senate selected nine judges for the Chamber of Accounts, the body entrusted with auditing government spending. Most of the new appointees are well known for their political activism, as well as for their support for President Leonel Fernandez’s reelection aspirations. The new members, chosen from a selection of candidates proposed by President Fernandez …

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Deputy Environment Minister Eleuterio Martinez is not joining those who are actively pushing for the start of the construction of a new south-north roadway connection, the so-called Cibao-Sur highway. In a column published in today’s Hoy, Martinez writes that there are no guarantees that the proposed tunnels would not affect the Central Cordillera water sources …

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Tourism Minister Francisco Javier Garcia has announced that he would revoke the ban on construction of new tourism and residential developments in Las Terrenas, Samana this month. The ban was issued by his predecessor, Felix Jimenez in July. Garcia said the government would carry out major infrastructure works in Samana to ensure its full tourism …

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The Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Supachai Panitchpakdi and Heiner Flassbeck, director of the Division on Globalization and Development Strategies of the UNCTAD said yesterday in Santo Domingo that the DR will feel the brunt of the international financial crisis more acutely than other countries because of its …

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Under the leadership of Monsignor Agripino Nunez Collado, the PUCMM has launched the public forums for discussing the changes to the Constitution submitted to Congress by President Leonel Fernandez. Three forums have been scheduled. These discussions are in parallel to the work of the Senate that is responsible for modifications to the Constitution.

After becoming a victim of robbers who broke into his own home in Santiago, Governor Jose Izquierdo commissioned a poll to determine how prevalent crime is in Santiago. The results indicate that 20.5% of Santiago residents have been victims of some kind of crime during the past year. The Centro Economico del Cibao carried out …

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The first Dominican Christmas movie will be premiering in Santo Domingo movie houses as of 13 November, in time for the Christmas season. This time, Santa will not come from the North Pole nor will he be white-haired with blue eyes. Movie director Jose Enrique Pintor of Sanky-Panky fame has created a Dominicanized version of …

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Results of a recent study carried out by researchers at the Universidad Central del Este (San Pedro de Macoris) working closely with the University of Puerto Rico (Mayaguez) reveal that 15-18% of Dominicans living in the eastern part of the country have indigenous genetic makeup. The researchers plan to test 1,200 people and 538 DNA …

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El Dia newspaper is denouncing reports that Haitian immigrants living in Hormigo, Villa Altagracia are toppling trees for making charcoal for cooking, a practice that is common in Haiti and has led to almost total deforestation there. The newspaper says that the practice is increasing amidst the silence and complicity of the authorities. The report …

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Chief of Police Rafael Guzman Fermin explained the reasons for the suspension of the director of the International Police division in the DR, Colonel Frener Bello Arias. Yesterday, two foreigners – Massimo Dalla Mora and Lidija Rizvanovic – gave an interview to yesterday’s Hoy newspaper, claiming they had been the victims of an extortion attempt …

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