A small fire breaks out in a tower in Piantini; the Dominican economy grows 6.3% in January 2022; the Dominican peso strengthens almost 5% against the dollar; Texas crude oil closes with a 7% increase, reaching $110.60; the Dominican Republic urges Russia and Ukraine to urgently lay down their arms; Operation Discovery operated more than 10 call centers in the country; Banreservas launches Expo Fomenta Pymes with rates starting at 7.95%; Free Trade Zones are the fastest-growing sector in the Dominican Republic since the start of the pandemic; Russian and Ukrainian tourists will be allowed to remain in the Dominican Republic until their situation is resolved; the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a major blow to tourism in Puerto Plata; merchants "agree" to reduce profit margins, some with conditions; the Dominican Republic detects the BA.2 subvariant of Omicron in a child; Mary Louis Ventura is remanded in custody in the Patricia Ascuasiati case.
Fire outbreak occurs in Piant i ni tower
A small fire broke out in the Alco Suites tower, located on Max Henríquez Ureña Street at the corner of Federico Geraldino, in Piantini, National District, on Wednesday night, leaving several people suffering from smoke inhalation.
Dominican economy grows 6.3% in January 2022
The Central Bank reported that in January 2022 the Monthly Indicator of Economic Activity (IMAE) registered a year-on-year expansion of 6.3%, performing better than expected in the context of an accelerated spread in the country of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 during the first month of the year.
The Dominican peso strengthened almost 5% against the dollar
In the first two months of 2022, the average exchange rate of the dollar in the Dominican Republic has lost almost three pesos, in an environment marked by inflation above what the authorities projected and an armed conflict in Eastern Europe.
Texas crude oil closed with a 7% increase, to $110.60
The price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil closed Wednesday with a 7% increase, settling at $110.60 a barrel, pressured by the OPEC+ alliance's decision to maintain its plan for a gradual increase in production .
The Dominican Republic recommends that Russia and Ukraine urgently lay down their arms
The Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador José Blanco, recommended that Russia and Ukraine urgently lay down their arms and prioritize diplomatic negotiations.
Operation Discovery operated more than 10 call centers in the country; millions of dollars' worth of assets, high-end vehicles and weapons were seized.
The members of the alleged new criminal network dismantled by the Public Prosecutor's Office through Operation Discovery operated more than 10 call centers ,the Attorney General's Office reported. Millions of dollars' worth of assets, luxury vehicles, and weapons were seized in Operation Discovery, launched this Wednesday by the Public Prosecutor's Office and other agencies against transnational cybercrime.
Banreservas begins Expo Fomenta Pymes with rates startingat 7.95%
Banco de Reservas inaugurated Expo Fomenta Pymes Banreservas 2022 yesterday, offering businesses access to working capital to develop and consolidate their operations during this period of economic recovery. According to a press release, the event will run from March 1st to April 30th.
Free Trade Zones, the fastest growing sector in the Republicsince the start of the pandemic
The president of the Dominican Association of Free Zones (Adozona), Luis José Bonilla, presented the growth data of the different sectors of the Dominican economy, which show that Free Zones is the sector with the greatest consolidated growth in the last two years.
Russian and Ukrainian tourists will be allowed to remain in the Dominican Republic until their situation is resolved
The Tourism Cabinet agreed with the National Association of Hotels and Restaurants (Asonahores) and hotel representatives to guarantee the stays of Ukrainian and Russian tourists who are in the country in those holiday centers until a definitive solution is found to their situation, after the conflict that arose in their countries.
The armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a major blow to tourism in Puerto Plata
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is negatively impacting tourism in the province of Puerto Plata, which received 6,252 visitors from both nations during 2021. Of that total, 5,471 were Russian and the remaining 781 were Ukrainian, according to a report from the Central Bank.
Merchants "agree" to reduce profit margins, some with conditions
With the goal of keeping the prices of basic goods from reaching consumers so high, merchants committed to the National Institute for the Protection of Consumer Rights (Pro Consumidor) to standardize profit margins. However, Iván García, representative of the Dominican Federation of Merchants, said that price reductions will only occur once the government accepts the importers' proposal.
RD detects Omicron BA.2 subvariant in child
The Ministry of Public Health reported yesterday the detection of the first case of the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, in an eight-year-old child from the National District, unvaccinated, with mild symptoms and evolving positively.
Pretrial detention for Mary Louise Venturin the Patricia Ascuasiati case
The Villa Altagracia Permanent Attention Court ordered three months of pretrial detention for Mary Louise Ventura, accused of running over her friend Patricia Ascuasiati. The dancer will serve her sentence at the Najayo Women's Prison, and her case will be reviewed on June 7.
RUSSIA/UKRAINE
Russia intensifies attacks against Ukraine, and the UN condemns them
Most of the world united at the UN on Wednesday against Moscow to demand its withdrawal from Ukraine, as Russian forces resumed shelling the country's second-largest city, threatened its capital, and besieged its strategic ports. Russia reported military casualties for the first time since the invasion began last week, saying nearly 500 of its soldiers had been killed and almost 1,600 wounded. Ukraine did not immediately release its figures but said more than 2,000 civilians had been killed, a claim that could not be independently verified.
Dominican woman caught in the war in Ukraine reports attack on building where she lives
Escarlin Cuevas, the Dominican woman trapped in the attack on Ukraine, reported yesterday, Wednesday, that the building where she lives was bombed by the Russians. “Planes flew by and bombed here. Please pray for me,” she said in one of her Instagram stories.
The European Union disconnects seven Russian banks from Swift but not Sberbank
The European Union yesterday published the rule that expels seven banks from the SWIFT financial messaging system, as a consequence of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the list does not include Sberbank, the country's largest entity, nor Gazprombank, because they process a large part of the energy transactions with the bloc.
Russia suggests negotiating under a ceasefire
Russia said it was ready to discuss a ceasefire with Ukraine on Thursday, although it intensified its bombing of that country and faced an investigation by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes.
US: House of Representatives approves resolution supporting Ukraine
The United States House of Representatives yesterday passed “firmly, unconditionally, proudly and fervently” a resolution of support for Ukraine that had the backing of an overwhelming majority.
The invasion of Ukraine complicates the task of central banks
The task of central banks has become more complicated in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as sanctions against the former and the evolution of the conflict will generate more pressure on global inflation, warned Claudio Borio, director of the Economic and Monetary Department of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
Sources: Diario Libre, El Día, Hoy, Listín Diario
