2013

DR1 is taking a break for the holidays and the Daily News digest will not be updated on Monday, 30 December, Tuesday, 31 December or Wednesday, 1 January 2014. News will be compiled for the Thursday, 2 January edition. Let’s hope that “no news is good news,” but regardless the DR1 Forums are open 24/7 …

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The Presidency has designated 2014 as the Year of Overcoming Illiteracy by Decree 375-13 released yesterday, Thursday 26 December. The National Literacy Plan has sought to eradicate illiteracy in the country. Pedro Luis Castellanos, who coordinates the national team that oversees the program at the Presidency, said that 505,518 people are taking part in the …

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On Thursday, 26 December, the president of the Central Electoral Board (JCE), the government department in charge of civil registry and the elections, signed a deal with Copy Solutions International for the latter to process the new ID cards. Roberto Rosario Marquez, president of the JCE, and Jose Manuel Infante Rodriguez for Copy Solutions signed …

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The Emergency Operations Center (COE) is launching the second phase of its “For Dominicanness, Values and Your Safety” plan with the participation of more than 33,000 people, including military personnel, doctors and police agents. According to COE director General Juan Manuel Mendez, 1,600 aid posts, 164 ambulances, three helicopters, a mobile hospital and nine regional …

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Minister of Foreign Relations Carlos Morales Troncoso’s absence of more than three months for health reasons and adverse international reactions to the Constitutional Court ruling on nationality is putting the Dominican Republic at a disadvantage when it comes to foreign policy, reports Diario Libre. In its analysis today, Friday 27 December the newspaper comments that …

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The Ministry of Higher Education says that it granted 7,779 scholarships for studies in universities in the DR and abroad in 2013. Of the total, 5,334 were for students to cover tuition fees and living allowances at Dominican universities and 2,445 were for studies abroad in the US, Spain, Russia, France and the UK. Minister …

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Impunity continues to be rife in government in the Dominican Republic, according to the annual report from civic group Citizen Participation. The group says that impunity affects citizen safety. “The undisputable ally for the safety of citizens is transparency and accountability,” says the organization, calling for the guarantee that anyone who has broken the law, …

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The management of the Duquesa garbage landfill says garbage collection operations in Santo Domingo are proceeding normally. As reported in El Nacional, there were no queues of garbage trucks at the dump on Thursday, 26 December. Saldivar Hernandez told El Nacional denied press reports that the dump had closed on Christmas Day, saying that they …

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A political analysis piece in El Dia examines the covert battle underway between supporters of President Danilo Medina and followers of party strongman and former President Leonel Fernandez for control of the ruling PLD. The party is led by former President Leonel Fernandez, who also masterminded the selection of the incumbents who control the legislative …

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President Leonel Fernandez was at Funglode to celebrate his 60th birthday yesterday Thursday 26 December with well-wishers for his return to the Presidency in 2016. “I always let matters be decided by time. 2013 has not ended and the election is in 2016, there is still plenty of time. I always will be aware of …

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