2008 – Page 39

Members of the country’s Evangelical churches have responded to criticisms from Catholic bishops who oppose the General Religious Association Bill that seeks to extend them the same privileges that the government grants the Catholic Church. The Supreme Court of Justice has already ruled that the Concordat agreement, the basis for many of the privileges, between …

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El Dia newspaper reports that an honorary ambassador to the Dominican government, Manuel Mario Perez Rivera, is likely to be removed from his post after accusations of fraud. The newspaper says that he was suspended last week and could be dismissed from the post this week pending a decision by President Leonel Fernandez himself. Perez …

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The Navy has extended search and rescue efforts for a boat that has disappeared in the Mona Passage. The boat was carrying more than 90 Dominicans who were trying to cross to Puerto Rico illegally. US Coast Guards have also helped with rescue efforts, but no clues as to what happened to the boat are …

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Businessman Luis Lantigua Seladillas has been freed after being held captive for two weeks. Versions as to how and why Lantigua was freed differ, but Hoy reports that Lantigua’s family paid a ransom of RD$3 million. Lantigua, who was being held in San Francisco de Macoris, was then dropped off at Piedra Blanca in Bonao …

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Manuel Mendez has been arrested in relation to the murder of Police Major Paula Mercedes. Mercedes, who was assigned to the AMET division, was shot prior to entering her home last week. Making himself the victim in the case, Mendez said that a police “hit squad” was after him in order to kill him and …

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The Tigres are on a roll after a 7-2 victory against the Estrellas. And with continued play like this we could see them back for a championship battle this post-season. Though last night’s game was against the perennial cellar-dwellers Estrellas, it was Licey’s third win in a row. In last night’s other game the Gigantes …

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This evening the National Geographic Channel is airing a documentary on the discovery and study of the Cara Merchant pirate ship, which has been found off Catalina Island in the eastern Dominican Republic. This is the ship that Captain William Kidd commandeered and then abandoned in 1699 as he raced to New York in an …

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As part of an agreement with Wind Telecom, the Ministry of Education will place 5,000 plasma televisions in 1,066 schools around the country beginning in January. Wind Telecom will facilitate the transmission of educational channels including Discovery Channel, Discovery Science, Discovery Civilization, Discovery Turbo, Animal Planet, Biography and The History Channel. The first stage of …

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Blackouts have declined this week as the government begins to pay up on arrears with distributors, but Listin Diario highlights that excessive employment is partly responsible for the financial difficulties that have resulted in long hours of blackouts. While blackouts have increased in recent years, the government has looked the other way as the payroll …

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The Electoral Board of El Salvador is asking the Dominican Central Electoral Board (JCE) to help organize their election. Walter Araujo, president of the Salvadoran Board acknowledged that the Dominican electoral process was efficient, coherent, quick and transparent as reported by observers from El Salvador who monitored the 16 May presidential election in the DR. …

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