Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic), Apr. 18 : US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has candidly admitted to the United States having failed in trying to build its ties with Cuba, and suggested that the Obama administration will attempt to change the uncompromising policy of the previous Bush administration.

Santo Domingo  - The north-west of the Dominican Republic has undergone a make-over in recent years with more sand on its beaches, new hotels and less garbage along its highways.

These are just a few of the signs that the region around Puerto Plata and Sosua is becoming attractive again for foreign tourists.

About 10 years ago, the region was making headlines in the tourist trade for its rock bottom prices. Then, investment suddenly dried up, hotels fell into disrepair and beaches became gradually dirty and uninviting.

But that's a thing of the past and Puerto Plata now compares favourably with the more expensive holiday resorts at Punta Cana and Cap Can in the east.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  - At least 13 people died and more than 6,000 were displaced due to the effects of Hurricane Gustav on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, authorities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic said Wednesday.

Gustav made landfall on Haiti on Tuesday as a hurricane, but weakened and was downgraded to a tropical storm early Wednesday, with sustained winds of 95 kilometres per hour and higher gusts, the Miami-based US National Hurricane Centre said.

Santo Domingo  - Leonel Fernandez was inaugurated Saturday for his third term as president of the Dominican Republic in a ceremony attended by nine heads of state, who were delayed by Tropical Storm Fay, which soaked the country Saturday.

Spanish Crown Prince Felipe and presidents Alvaro Uribe of Colombia and Michelle Bachelet of Chile made it to the ceremony despite the heavy rain.

Fernandez, 54, has had a good relationship with all Latin American leaders, and the absence of the presidents of Venezuela, Argentina and Brazil stood out.

Santo Domingo  - Centre-right incumbent Leonel Fernandez sealed another term with 53.2 per cent of the vote, election officials said Saturday.

With 80 per cent of the vote from Friday counted, election officials said the most serious of six opponents, social democrat Miguel Vargas, took 41 per cent of the vote.

Vargas accepted the results and conceded victory to Fernandez.

Santo Domingo - Centre-right incumbent Leonel Fernandez was leading six other presidential candidates in the Dominican Republic in early election results, election authorities said late Friday.