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WORLD NEWSWednesday 17 February

US, Cuba sign deal restoring commercial flights Gas explosions
in the Dominican
M. WEISSENSTEIN opened bidding by Ameri- 2014 that they would begin day in the relationship be- Republic hurt 40
Associated Press can air carriers on as many normalizing ties after a half- tween Cuba and the U.S.,”
HAVANA (AP) — The United as 110 U.S.-Cuba flights a century of Cold War oppo- U.S. Transportation Secre- EZEQUIEL LOPEZ
States and Cuba on Tues- day - more than five times sition. The Obama admin- tary Anthony Foxx said af- Associated Press
day signed a deal restor- the current number. All istration is eager to make ter he and Transportation SANTO DOMINGO, Domini-
Minister Adel Yzquierdo Ro- can Republic (AP) — Early
United States Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx and Cuba’s Minister of Transportation Adel driguez signed the deal in morning explosions rocked
Yzquierdo Rodriguez, right, sign the airline transportation agreement in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, a ceremony at Havana’s an LPG distribution station
Feb. 16, 2016. Cuba and the United States signed the agreement that will allow U.S. commercial Hotel Nacional. “It repre- in a densely populated
airlines to begin operating flights to the island and vice-versa for the first time in decades. sents a critically important neighborhood of the Do-
milestone in the U.S. effort minican Republic’s capital
(AP Photo/Desmond Boylan) to engage with Cuba.” Tuesday, destroying sev-
The U.S. Department of eral homes and injuring at
ing commercial air traffic flights operating between rapid progress on build- Transportation expects to least 40 people, officials
for the first time in five de- the two countries today ing trade and diplomatic award the new routes by said.
cades, allowing of dozens are charters. Barring other ties with Cuba before the the summer. The winning Soldiers and Civil Defense
of new daily flights to bring major announcements, the president leaves office. The airlines then must negotiate workers used dogs to find
hundreds of thousands restart of commercial flights coming weeks are seen as their own deals with Cuba. survivors in the ruins of the
more American travelers a will be the most significant particularly crucial to build- Yzquierdo declined an in- buildings but determined
year to the island as early development in U.S.-Cu- ing momentum ahead of terview request but Foxx everyone was accounted
as this fall. Immediately af- ba trade since Presidents a trip he hopes to make said after meeting with the for as crews started clear-
ter the signing, the U.S. De- Barack Obama and Raul to Havana by the end of Cuban minister that he be- ing debris from the area in
partment of Transportation Castro announced in late March. “Today is a historic lieved Cuba was eager to the Los Rios community in
restore commercial air ser- the northern part of Santo
vice as quickly as possible. Domingo.
“Every indication I have in Fire Chief Oscar Garcia
the conversations we’ve said the 40 victims were
had today is that the Cu- hospitalized and officials
bans want to move as fast were investigating what
as we’re able to move,” caused the explosion at
Foxx said. “People will ac- the Solgas station. Six peo-
tually be able to go buy a ple taken to one nearby
ticket and fly to Cuba on a hospital had burns on up
commercial airline. That’s a to 50 percent of their body,
pretty big step. We haven’t said Eddy Bruno, burn unit
been able to do that in 50 director at the Luis Eduar-
years.” The agreement al- do Aybar hospital.
lows 20 regular daily U.S. Onlookers stood on roof-
flights to Havana, in addi- tops to observe blown-
tion to the current 10-15 out doors and windows,
charter flights a day. The downed power lines and
rest would be to other Cu- crumpled cars, including
ban cities.q one that had a woman’s
sandal on its hood.
Puerto Rico approves bill to aid power company Neighbors had streamed
out of their homes around
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico against the bill, which seeks by Tuesday’s deadline. energy commission. dawn because they
(AP) — Legislators in Puerto to reduce the company’s The Puerto Rico Electric The power company smelled gas, and the first
Rico have approved a $9 billion debt as well as Power Authority reached a said the deal requires explosion occurred shortly
last-minute bill needed to diversify energy resources restructuring deal late last bondholders and monoline afterward, around 6 a.m.
finalize a deal to restructure and boost public-private month with bondholders. insurers to buy 50 percent “It was horrible. We took off
the U.S. territory’s heavily partnerships to overhaul It said the bondholder of the bonds once the bill running,” said Maria Casil-
indebted public power aging infrastructure at group and other creditors is approved. However, the da Bonilla, who was in her
company. the largest U.S. public would provide $111 million deal only involves those second-floor apartment
The measure passed late power utility. The island’s through the purchase of holding 70 percent of the with a 22-year-old son.
Monday with the minimum Senate is now expected new bonds. Half the notes agency’s debt. A second explosion oc-
26 votes needed from to review the bill and vote would be issued once the The company has warned curred about 40 minutes
the island’s House of on it. Bondholders had bill is passed and the other it would run out of cash later, leveling a three-story
Representatives. Twenty- threatened to go to court half once the securitization by summer without debt building owned by Eleno
two legislators voted if the bill was not approved structure is submitted to an restructuring. q Olivares.q