2005 – Page 210

22-year old, six-foot tall Renata de Jesus Sone Savery, one of the favorites, was chosen on Saturday evening to represent the Dominican Republic in the Miss Universe 2005 contest to be held 20 May in Thailand. She is a graduate in psychology and a pre-school teacher. Runner up was Amell Santana from Hato Mayor. Listin …

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The Chamber of Deputies passed three bills that authorize the Executive Branch to issue bonds for RD$8.28 billion to pay internal debts of the government and capital for the Central Bank and the governmental Banco de Reservas. The Executive Branch bills had already been approved in the Senate and thus only require the presidential signature …

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Bear Stearns brokerage firm issues an update on the situation of the restructuring the sovereign bonds and other debt issues. For the complete report, see http://dr1.com/news/2005/040805_bearstearns.pdf

New York District Judge Gerard E. Lynch declined to rule on the petition for change in the solitary confinement (SHU) at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York of arrested former Dominican army captain Quirino Ernesto Paulino Castillo. He said he would leave the decision up to the Judge Kimba Woods who has been in …

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Traffic jams and bottlenecks near the Palacio de la Justicia courthouse marked the start of the first hearings into the Plan Renove case of fraud against the state. The case is based on an audit carried out by the general controller’s office during the past Mejia government that showed major irregularities in purchasing procedures for …

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The Customs Department announced it would relocate to the former 22,000 square meter former Verizon headquarter offices on Abraham Lincoln corner John F. Kennedy. Verizon moved to a new location on John F. Kennedy avenue. Listin Diario reports that the government paid RD$1 billion for the new building. Furthermore, the newspaper says that the government …

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Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez announced funding for infrastructure to launch southwestern Pedernales as a world class beach destination would come from the exchange of land in the area for infrastructure. Jimenez told the press that the government has ordered a US$1 million master plan for the Barahona and Pedernales area that is being prepared by …

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Tourism Minister Felix Jimenez also announced the government would invest millions in Puerto Plata infrastructure, as reported in the Listin Diario. He said the money to pay for planned works would come from the budget, foreign loans and a US$5 surcharge on airline tickets to the Dominican Republic, both on charter and regular flights. The …

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The Dominican Republic plans to export 470 million cigars to Europe and the United States this year, according to a report from the Tobacco Institute (Intabaco). Jose Guillermo Lopez, told the Listin Diario, that 60% of the production of Dominican cigars is exported to the United States. He says that exports to Spain, Germany, the …

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In Santo Domingo, Papal Nuncio Msgr Timothy Broglio will say a special mass on Friday evening in the Columbus Park in front of the Santo Domingo Cathedral on occasion of the burial of Pope John Paul II. For the occasion, a special exhibition of photographs that commemorate the Pope’s three visits to the Dominican Republic …

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