2011 – Page 251

President Leonel Fernandez departed for Madrid on Monday evening, 24 January, a first stop in a trip that will take him to Switzerland and India. Foreign Relations Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso said that President Fernandez’ trip to Switzerland and India will be one of the most important that he has ever made. He said that …

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On Saturday, 29 January, President Leonel Fernandez is scheduled to travel from Switzerland to India, with a first stop in Mumbai for meetings with film industry executives. On Sunday, 30 January he is due to hold a meeting with executives of the Essar Group, a multinational conglomerate and a leading player in the sectors of …

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President Rene Preval of Haiti visited the DR on Saturday, 22 January and held a three-hour meeting with President Leonel Fernandez. Hoy reported that the Haitian President arrived by helicopter, without a tie, and caught the Presidential Palace press corps by surprise. According to Hoy newspaper, Preval came to the DR to discuss the tense …

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The director general of the Ground Transport Office (Transito Terrestre), Luis Estrella announced yesterday that the agency would be making it easier for motorcycle drivers to get their drivers license. There are an estimated 1.6 motorcycles in use in the country. The theoretical exam will be replaced by an educational talk. He added that these …

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The Consumer Protection Agency, known as Proconsumidor, has warned that if standard form contracts are not registered with the agency, besides being in contempt, the offending parties could also have the contracts declared null and void in case of lawsuits. Proconsumidor director Altagracia Paulino told El Nuevo Diario that she would be talking to the …

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The attempt by the government to establish a special RD$1 fee on fuels to fund housing for members of the public transport owners union favored by the government is meeting strong resistance. Guillermo Caram of the PRSC described the move as a “joke in very bad taste and an insult to society”. Some days ago, …

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A group of popular organizations has announced a transport strike and street demonstrations for Wednesday at various points around the country. According to El Caribe, these protests against the latest fuel and food price increases, will be led by the Broad Front of Popular Organizations (FALPO) and have the backing of the PRD, which called …

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The Ministry of Public Works has announced the closure of the highway between Jarabacoa and Constanza, currently under reconstruction, from today until 30 April, from early morning until 7pm. The temporary road closure stretches from Paso Bajito to the Salto de Jimenoa, and affects the communities of El Rio, La Pocilga, La Pita, Redondo and …

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A Haitian man who had visited relatives in Haiti is the DR’s first fatality in the cholera epidemic. So far, 238 people have contracted the disease in the DR. So far this year, 54 cases have been reported. The Ministry of Public Health confirmed the first death from cholera of 53-year old Renauld Francois on …

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National Police spokesman Colonel Maximo Baez Aybar revealed yesterday that 30 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Virgilio Casilla Minaya, and added that the commission that is handling the case has information that suggests that the high-ranking officer had been offered a RD$50,000 bribe to take names …

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