2009 – Page 40

Dominican Taekwondo champion Gabriel Mercedes is still on a winning streak. This time he took the gold medal and US$20,000 purse at the World Taekwondo Tour, recently held in Mexico City. The silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics was facing the strongest competition yet in his post-Olympic career. The 16 toughest taekwondo artists in the …

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The National Symphony Orchestra, directed by Maestro Mihnea Ignat and featuring invited violinist Ruben Mendoza, presents its Wednesday, 18 November program. The program is: Beethoven: Coriolan Overture. Mendelssohn: Concert for Violin and Orchestra. Dvorak: Symphony No. 9. Maximo Aviles Blonda Hall, Palacio de Bellas Artes. For more information and reservations, Tel 809 687-0504 ext. 2213 …

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Cherito, Darlyn, Jandy Ventura, Rafely and Big Band Masa are just some of the bands that will be playing at the Santo Domingo Festival across the Malecon seafront avenue on Sunday, 6 December. The bash, which is sponsored by the Santo Domingo City Council, marks the start of the Christmas season partying. Now in its …

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President Leonel Fernandez is chairing a meeting of the National Development Council (CND) in the Presidential Palace today to analyze line items of the 2010 National Budget. Minister of Hacienda Vicente Bengoa says that the budget will exceed this year’s RD$329 billion total. Bengoa told reporters that Budget Director Luis Hernandez would present the project …

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This afternoon the National Revisory Assembly for the Constitution will take on the final text of the Constitution of the Republic during the second reading, using reports from the Verification and Auditing Commission and the Style Commission as guidelines. The meeting is scheduled for 3pm and during the session the complete text of what will …

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Despite Metropolitan Transport Authority (AMET) citations, nearly weekly reports of victims and the publicized suffering caused by traffic accidents, the news is still bleak: 1,569 people have died in traffic accidents so far this year. This compares to 1,854 fatalities from traffic accidents in 2008. AMET chief Rafael Oscar Bencosme Candelier and Dario Contreras Hospital …

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The Department of Taxes (DGII) reported over the weekend that just 47% of car and truck owners have renewed their “marbete” stickers for 2009-2010. Half a million have yet to get the annual permit for their vehicle to use the nation’s streets and highways. Today is the deadline for getting the sticker without having to …

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Drivers are advised to avoid the area of the overpass that leads to Avenida Luperon at the Km12 intersection with Haina. The Km12 Sanchez overpass is undergoing repairs and the Ministry of Public Works announced that it was closing off one of the sections of this highway every week. This means there will be traffic …

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Former Central Bank governor Carlos Despradel has expressed his concern about the government’s continual increase of the foreign debt, as reported in Hoy. Speaking on the TV program Aeromundo, he said that as of June 2009 the DR’s foreign debt totaled US$17 billion. He said that the goal in the long term is for the …

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The ruling PLD party has removed 22 pre-candidates for legislative and municipal posts after it emerged that several had been linked to crime in the DR or had criminal records abroad. Their identities were not disclosed. As reported by Listin Diario, several were found to have ties to asset laundering and drug trafficking, and others …

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