With its official incorportation yesterday Air Dominicana is now closer to becoming a reality. The new airline is expected to be up and running in April 2008 and will operate out of Punta Cana with offices in Santo Domingo.

It was incorporated with initial capital of US$10 million. Of this, the Dominican state has a 40% share, Spanish capital input was 32% and President of Globalia, Juan Jose (Pepe) Hidalgo will have a personal stake of 25%. He will also be Air Dominicana's new president. According to Tourism Minister Felix Jiménez the Dominican state's share will eventually be reduced to 25-30%.

A probe led by former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell is requesting the medical records of dozens of Major League baseball players including Dominican slugger Sammy Sosa according to the New York Times.

Other players included in the investigation are Rafael Palmeiro (who played with Sosa for Baltimore in 2005), Jason Grimsley, David Segui and Fernando Tatis. The Orioles have been requested to release all their medical records to Mitchell. The Daily Times reports that former Oriole Jerry Hairston Jr. has also been included in the probe.

An agreement reached between the Players Union and Major League Baseball says that it will be up to the players to decide whether or not they release their medical records.

Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez and Dominican Episcopal Conference President Monsignor Ramon Benito de la Rosa are calling for political campaigns to be shortened and an end to excessive use of state money to fund those campaigns.

Lopez Rodriguez would like to see campaigns shortened to two weeks and feels that longer campaigns are a waste of money that could be better used on other things.

De la Rosa feels the country could go bankrupt with the amount of money spent on lengthy political campaigns.

They made their comments during the inauguration of a video conference salon installed by the Dominican Telecom Institute (Indotel) at the Episcopal Conference offices.

A powerful tornado touched down in a number of locations in the province of Dajabon yesterday leaving dozens injured and many homes leveled.

Twelve soldiers stationed on the border and three civilians were among the injured taken to the hospital in the city of Dajabon. Trees, billboards and light posts were brought down by the twister and travel in the area was disrupted.

The President has ordered aid agencies to immediately act to aid those affected and to assess the damage in the area. Ambulances and pre-made meals have been sent to the area according to the Health Ministry and a 9pm curfew has been imposed to prevent potential looting.

Dajabon is located about 300 kilometres northwest of Santo Domingo.