[...] Continue Reading…

Santo Domingo.– The social networking phenomenon is taking over the world country by country and the Dominican Republic is no an exception, with Facebook and Hi5 in its top 10 of most visited websites.

According to Vincenzo Cosenza, the man behind Vincos Blog, focusing on the topics of social networking, social media and photography, Facebook is the most popular social networking site in 100 out of 127 countries, reaching over 350 million users across the planet.

Cosenza recently published an interactive World Map of Social Networks that uses analyzed data from Google Trends for Websites to visually depict the most popular social networks by country.

The map was first published in June 2009, when Facebook had more than 200 million users and was the most popular network in most places in Europe, Canada, Australia and the United States. The updated map shows Facebook’s continuing trend of global domination.

Non-English speaking parts of the world have been “colonized” by the Facebook takeover, and rival social networks such as Orkut (India), Hi5 (Cameroon, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and Nicaragua), Maktoob (Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, [...] Continue Reading…

Santo Domingo.– The Super Tucano intercept planes recently bought by the Dominican Republic will be operated by the Dominican Air Force on missions involving internal security, border patrol, and combating the drug trafficking.

According to Orlando José Ferreira Neto, Embraer Executive Vice President, “the use of the Super Tucano airplanes by the Dominican Air Force will increase the readiness and solidity of the nation’s defense system, by performing patrol missions with the operational efficiency and precision that are already combat proven.”

“The acquisition of these Super Tucano planes, manufactured by Embraer, one of the world’s most prestigious companies, is one more example of the Government’s unshakeable decision to deal with the nation’s vulnerable areas, in order to protect ourselves from the scourge of the drug traffic,” highlighted the Dominican Armed Forces minister Pedro Rafael Peña.

Santo Domingo.– In the Dominican Republic, a country of 9.5 million inhabitants, there are almost the same amount of telephone numbers in use, said Dominican Telecomm Institute (Indotel) director Jose Rafael Vargas.

According to Vargas, the Dominican Republic is ending 2009 with a teledensity of 97%, and is expected to reach 100% in February 2010.

Indotel statistics show there are 963,265 fixed lines (9.9%) and 8,449,283 mobile phones in use (86.7%), which adds up to 9,412,548 (96.6%) lines in a country with a population estimated at 9,742,374 inhabitants.

“Even though we are far from being a society of knowledge, at least we have reached telephone teledensity and we are moving forward on wide access to the Internet,” Vargas pointed out.

Santo Domingo.– A research team has discovered off Nagua, a city in the northeastern Dominican Republic, a galleon ship from Spain that sunk at the end of the 17th century.

The research team is headed by Penny Stock Chaser of Marine Exploration, a US company specialized in underwater archaeological exploration and which was contracted by the Underwater Heritage office to trace the galleon’s origin.

According to historians, the shipwreck occurred in the Atlantic Ocean near the estuary of the Boba River in the northeastern Dominican province of Maria Trinidad Sanchez between 1690 and 1700, and the recovery of the first object, a bell, took place in 1983 when Burt Webber, director of operations for the same company, was exploring the area.

In addition to the vessel, which bears the words Soli Deo Gloria, the divers have also discovered navigation compasses and tools used for measuring the water’s depth, together with silver coins, a pistol, sword-sheaths and other wartime implements, as well as ornaments and jewellery, including a ring with eight diamonds embedded into it.

Santo Domingo.– The increase in bank credit to the private sector helped reactivate the Dominican economy, which will grow this year by around 3.5%, the Central Bank reported.

Due to a strong correlation between the private credit and the GDP growth, the Dominican economy has experienced an important recovery, mainly in 2009’s second quarter, according to the report.

The Central Bank pointed out that the growth has become one of the highest growth rates in Latin America this year and has been progressively larger: 1% in the first quarter, 1.8% in the second quarter, 3.4% in the third, with an overall 2.1% for the first three-quarters.

The entity also said the international reserves will close at record highs, the current account in the balance of payments will have an improvement in its deficit of 4.5% of GSP, lower than the 9.7 of 2008 by 5.2%.

Such achievements, the Central Bank stated, will be reached without risking the goals of keeping inflation in check –the major goal of the monetary policy–, which will help keep the relative stability in the exchange rate for 2010.

Santo Domingo.–The Dominican government is reneging on an agreement to pay private generators around US$200 million owed for energy, as agreed with the World Bank (WB).

A reliable source in the industry revealed today that despite the pledge by State-owned power companies (CDEEE) director Celso Marranzini that the payment would materialize by yearend, Treasure minister Vicente Bengoa is blocking the disbursement.

“This situation is occurring despite the fact that we are generating at full capacity and preventing the blackouts during the holidays,” the source added.

In a related development the State-owned hydreoelectrics (EGEHID) today listed the companies which owe for their turbine power: Distribuidora de Electricidad del Este (EDEESTE), RD$774,010,932; Distribuidora de Electricidad del Norte (EDENORTE), RD$1,151.9 million; Distribuidora de Electricidad del Sur (EDESUR), RD$249.7 million; and Corporacion Dominicana de Empresas Electricas Estatales (CDEEE), RD$1,551.9 million, among others.

Squashed project resurfaces

In another unexpected development, EGEHID listed among its 2010 goals the construction of the ambitious hydroelectric project Manabao-Bejucal-Tavera, which when inicially announced during the Hipolito Mejia presidency (2000 – 2004) caused the entire Jarabacoa town to stage a strike for two days to oppose it.

The project would have [...] Continue Reading…

Truly ocean-front, exclusive private location. Situated nicely, 2 million dollar home to the left, 3 million dollar home to the right, in exclusive gated community next to Laguna Beach, also known as Playa Laguna.

Located in same project as Bluegreen luxury condos (condos over $2 million USD) the condos of Escondido bay are a hidden wonder. Exclusive gated community only allows community members in area, with 24 hour rotating security.

We have Penthouse 2BR and 3BR condos available, as well as value priced 1BR condos within the complex. Huge inground swimming pool for condo members only. Ocean front you can fall asleep to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks. Our windows are fully screened to keep the creepy crawlies and bugs out, it may seem trivial but a lot of vacation rentals do not have screened windows!

All have working air conditioning, new refrigerators, and gas stoves with full oven. All units receive free local cable television which includes english normal and premium channels such as NBC, ABC, FOX, and HBO, Showtime.

24 hour power is provided with backup generator. Local power is replaced for as long as [...] Continue Reading…

Santo Domingo.– Economists and businessmen expect the agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will dinamize the Dominican economy during next year´s fist half, with a lot of money circulating, a broadening tax base and several public expenditures.

Members from the Chamber of Commerce and Production of Santiago expect that 2010 will see a change in the economic model that will allow to successfully overcome great financial challenges.

On the other hand, the National Commercial Businesses Organization (ONEC) chief Pedro Perez said the best thing for the State is to look at 2010 from an economic perspective as a whole and not as two halves, so it can guarantee stability and avoid postponing the solution of the country’s deep problems such as corruption and deficits accumulated over decades in health and education.

Preparing his expedition
On December 11, 1695, Bellomont, who was now governing New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, asked the “trusty and well beloved Captain Kidd”[12] to attack Thomas Tew, John Ireland, Thomas Wake, William Maze, and all others who associated themselves with pirates, along with any enemy French ships. This request preceded the voyage which established Kidd’s reputation as a pirate, and marked his image in history and folklore.

Four-fifths of the cost for the venture was paid for by noble lords, who were among the most powerful men in England: the Earl of Orford, The Baron of Romney, the Duke of Shrewsbury and Sir John Somers. Kidd was presented with a letter of marque, signed personally by King William III of England. This letter reserved 10% of the loot for the Crown, and Henry Gilbert’s The Book of Pirates suggests that the King may have fronted some of the money for the voyage himself. Kidd and an acquaintance, Colonel Robert Livingston, orchestrated the whole plan and paid for the rest. Kidd had to sell his ship Antigua to raise funds.

The new ship, the Adventure Galley,[13] was well suited to the task of catching pirates; weighing over 284 tons, she [...] Continue Reading…