Jarabacoa. – The City Council of the municipal district of Manabao, in La Vega, filed a formal complaint against the current treasurer Yohani Muñoz Sánchez, for misuse of funds. The council, represented by Ángeles Ulerio and Carlos Madera, reported that the legal action is based on an alleged misuse of funds belonging to the mayor's […]
Las Terrenas, Samaná. – The municipal mayor, Eduardo Esteban Polanco, offered statements after concluding a meeting with the Minister of Interior and Police, Faride Raful, along with municipal and provincial authorities. The meeting, held at the Las Terrenas City Hall, was part of the preliminary coordination for Easter Week 2026. You can read more: Governor […]
Santo Domingo.– The Chamber of Deputies approved this Tuesday in second reading an organic bill that eliminates the figure of independent candidacies from the electoral regime, in a decision that has generated questions for contradicting a previous ruling of the Constitutional Court. With this measure, the National Congress nullifies articles 156, 157, and 158 of […]
Santo Domingo.- The Minister of Housing, Habitat and Buildings (MIVHED), Víctor -Ito- Bisonó, led the first session of the Oversight Commission for public investment procurement and contracting processes in infrastructure, formalizing its implementation as a mechanism for supervision and monitoring of these institutional processes. The commission, of an honorary nature, was created by Resolution No. […]
Las Terrenas, Samaná. – The lawyer and public servant Raylian Adames Hidalgo, 28 years old, was appointed as the new director of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources office in this tourist municipality, with the aim of strengthening the protection of natural resources, environmental management, and promoting a vision of sustainable development in line […]
Santo Domingo. – The volleyball team of the National District defeated the La Vega sextet in straight sets 25-14 and 25-10 during the start of the Santo Domingo 2026 Women's Games. Among the most outstanding players, Harleny de los Santos scored 15 points and Yamil Moya, seven. You may be interested in:Ciudad Juan Bosch celebrates […]
30% of the participants arrived from Chile, Argentina, the United States, Cuba, and Puerto Rico, consolidating the international character of the event, which took place in the Cibao region. La Vega, Dominican Republic. – With the participation of more than three hundred national and international cyclists, the Gran Fondo Cycling Challenge RD 2026 successfully celebrated […]
Punta Cana.- The final of the Dominican Republic Open Copa Cap Cana (ATP Challenger 175 category), which was being played between Italian tennis player Mattia Bellucci and Argentine Mariano Navone, has been temporarily suspended due to the high temperatures recorded during the day. Given the conditions of extreme heat, the match referee and tournament organizers […]
SANTO DOMINGO. – Dominican world champion Carlos Adames, known as “El Caballo Bronco” (The Bronco Horse), will defend his middleweight title (160 pounds) sanctioned by the World Boxing Council against American Austin Williams, on March 21st at the Caribe Royale Resort, in Orlando, Florida. You may be interested in:Kelvin Cruz doubles economic contribution to TBS […]
The Atlanta Braves player will lose his season salary and will not be able to participate in the World Baseball Classic United States - Atlanta Braves designated hitter Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance for the second time in the last year, sources told ESPN. You […]
The streaming platform Spotify launched a new feature that allows users to know how the song they are listening to was created, offering a deeper and more interactive experience. The tool, called “About the Song”, displays information about the creative process, inspiration, and details behind each musical theme. This function appears through informative cards that […]
Google Photos incorporated a little-known feature that allows you to free up space in your account without having to delete photos or videos. It is the "storage saver" option, a tool that automatically compresses files to reduce their size without significantly affecting their visual quality. This alternative arises in response to an increasingly common problem […]
Miami.- The SLS (Space Launch System) rocket of the Artemis II mission, in which four astronauts will orbit the Moon, returned this Friday to the launch pad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it maintains the expectation of departing on April 1. The rocket's move, with the Orion spacecraft to which the four […]
Vienna.- 'Online' fraud already accounts for the majority of scams and artificial intelligence (AI) is accelerating its expansion, while many states are not prepared to stop a crime with which organized crime earns billions of dollars, warns the UN on the eve of a summit in Vienna on this phenomenon. "At this moment, fraud, and […]
New York.- The dating app Tinder announced that it will incorporate more artificial intelligence (AI) into its platform to create 'more personalized' matches and make smarter recommendations to users. In a statement, the company announced this Friday that it launched its Chemistry pilot function in the United States and Canada, based on artificial intelligence, which […]
The White House rejected the proposal by businessman Elon Musk to assume the payment of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers during the partial shutdown affecting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and has caused delays at airports in the United States, sources told CBS News. The offer proposed by the technology entrepreneur amounted to […]
On March 20, a report by The New York Times was published stating that the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, is under criminal investigation by the federal prosecutors of Manhattan and Brooklyn in the United States. The investigations, in an initial phase, analyze possible links between Petro and drug traffickers and whether his presidential campaign […]
Error al procesar la solicitud Scientists from the Cape Eleuthera Institute and international allies have analyzed blood samples from 85 sharks and found illicit substances, stimulants, or drugs. This would be the first time in the world that scientific research reveals caffeine and acetaminophen in sharks, as reported this Thursday by local media, and they […]
The fear of the imminent rupture of the Wahiawa dam, a structure built in 1906 on the north coast of Oahu island, in Hawaii, forced the immediate evacuation of more than four thousand residents after heavy rains that caused flooding and damage to homes and access roads, according to the international news agency The Associated […]
Cancún.- The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, received this Thursday in Cancún, in the Mexican Caribbean mexicano, the German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in a meeting where they will address commercial cooperation, investment, education and culture, shortly before the signing of the modernization of the agreement with the European Union (EU). The Mexican ruler received Steinmeier […]
Santo Domingo, R.D. — The businessman and CEO of Alofoke Media Group, Santiago Matías, once again demonstrates his social sensitivity by responding positively to the call of Christian music singer Martha Candela, who recently requested his help to acquire a vehicle. In an interview given in New York City to the program Opción New York, […]
After their impressive performance at Vive Latino, La Mosca continues its 2026 World Tour with an intense series of shows in Mexico, where they will perform in Puebla, San Luis Potosí, and Guadalajara, reaffirming the strong bond with their audience. During April, the tour will continue through Argentina and Chile, and then jump to North […]
J Álvarez presents the official video for “El Boss”, one of the songs from “El Dueño del Sistema Vol. 3”, continuing the visual strategy of the project and amplifying its reach on digital platforms. "El Dueño del Sistema Vol. 3" continues to show a solid performance on digital platforms, approaching 14 million accumulated streams. During […]
Businessman Santiago Matías reported that he made a formal request to YouTube to limit access in Venezuela to his new and ambitious project Planeta Alofoke during a live broadcast on the night of this Monday of Alofoke Radio Show. In that context, Matías assured that he will not give Venezuelan citizens the opportunity to participate […]
Businessman Santiago Matías announced that he will initiate legal action against Gregorio Giuseppe Begnini Arcia, a participant in the first season of the reality show La Casa de Alofoke. According to his explanation, the contestant would have violated the regulations established in his participation contract, including image use and rights transfer agreements signed to be […]
Although the Central Electoral Board has not officially kicked off the presidential pre-campaign for 2028, the Dominican political scene shows unequivocal signs of early activation. The main parties are moving as if the contest were underway, multiplying events, refining speeches and appealing to polls to legitimize positions, in a context where public opinion is beginning […]
A country can ignite from a chat: WhatsApp sets the agenda before the media. A single forward surpasses any headline. In the digital age, the real information crisis doesn't ignite in the newsrooms of a media outlet, nor on the front pages of newspapers: it begins in a simple WhatsApp chat. Before any media outlet […]
In the Dominican Republic, presidents don't fall because of the opposition. They fall because of something more intimate and devastating: their own family. When corruption shares the same last name as the presidential band, it ceases to be a case and becomes a sentence. It's not a contract that is judged: it's the entire credibility […]
In 2015, an internal crisis within the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) forced the leadership of that organization to promote a constitutional reform to enable President Danilo Medina, who had been elected in 2012 through a constitution that prohibited consecutive re-election. Medina was eligible to try to return in 2020, that is, after a period, a […]
For days, Leonardo Aguilera has been the target of a campaign as evidently coordinated as it is poorly executed. Defamation, slander, and half-truths circulate on networks and certain media with suspicious synchronicity. Who's sending them? Who's biting their nails? The formula is old: fabricate scandals where they don't exist, repeat lies until they seem like […]
Santiago.- The Association of Merchants and Industrialists of Santiago (ACIS) and the Association of Wholesalers in Provisions of Santiago (Amaprosan) warned this Tuesday that the growth of the so-called private label brands in large commercial chains would be displacing national products, affecting the sales of local companies and creating a scenario that, if not regulated, […]
National and international specialists agreed that the Preliminary Draft Organic Law on Antitrust and Economic Competition represents a decisive step to strengthen the functioning of markets in the Dominican Republic, generating more transparent conditions for competition, greater security for investment, and direct benefits for consumers. During a technical dialogue entitled "Clear Rules for Competing: Dialogue […]
By the end of December 2025, a total of 2,432,540 workers contribute to the Dominican Social Security System (SDSS), generating 2,527,123 contributions registered in the system, according to the most recent Statistical Bulletin of the Contributory Regime published by the Social Security Treasury (TSS). The report, prepared from the administrative records of the Single Information, […]
Santo Domingo.- The Dominican Republic received $887.6 million in remittances in February, 9.6% less than the amount received in January of this year ($982.8 million), and also $29.4 million less compared to the same month of 2025, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported this Sunday. The BCRD indicated that this reduction in […]
Caracas.- The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, informed this Saturday of the entry of 300 million dollars to a recently created fund for "social protection" from an "extraordinary sale" of fuel oil, a fuel derived from petroleum. In an act broadcast by the state channel Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), the Chavista leader assured that […]
Santiago.- The Jesus with the Children Volunteer announced on the afternoon of this Monday the celebration of the fourth edition of the walk “Heroes of the Heart”, a solidarity day that seeks to raise awareness about childhood cancer and raise funds for the treatments of children treated in the Hematology-Oncology Unit of the Dr. Arturo […]
Do you think you know everything? Science and history continue to reveal surprising data that shows the world is full of mysteries and curiosities. These facts, supported by scientific research, can change the way we see reality. 1. Humans and bananas share part of their DNA Although it may sound strange, humans share some genes […]
Santo Domingo.– The Miss and Mister of Dominican Republic organization officially launched its concentration week, marking the beginning of a new stage in the country's beauty pageants. Alejandro Martínez, one of the event directors, reported that throughout the week the candidates will participate in various activities, including talent competition, "head to head" dynamics, interviews with […]
Bogotá, Colombia.- The Minister of Tourism, David Collado, inaugurated the Dominican stand at the tourism fair La Vitrina de ANATO, which began this Wednesday in Bogotá, Colombia and will run until Friday. Accompanied by businessmen, bankers, diplomats and other sector actors, Minister Collado cut the ribbon, after assuring that he will continue making his greatest […]
Madrid, Spain.- Dominican journalist Cristian Santana presented a new installment of his program Sabor de la Calle, this time broadcasting from the city of Madrid, where he toured some of the most emblematic gastronomic points of the Spanish capital, combining local tradition with the authentic flavor of the Dominican community abroad. During the tour, Santana […]
If anything has been highlighted by the prolonged Haitian crisis, it is the historical debt that the Dominican Republic has with its own border. The provinces that guard that line of more than 390 kilometers not only face the direct consequences of the collapse of the Haitian state, but have also been, for decades, forgotten […]
Without a doubt, the tourism sector represents one of the greatest successes of the governments of President Luis Abinader, an area that he already knew well before his arrival at the Presidency of the Republic, due to his experience as a local businessman. Since his swearing-in in August 2020, the Tourism Cabinet was implemented, coordinated […]
This July 4th, the United States commemorates the 249th anniversary of its independence, a date that marks the beginning of a nation forged in the fight for freedom, civil rights, and self-determination. Since then, this feat has been celebrated in multiple cultural expressions that exalt patriotic pride and the sense of national belonging. However, on […]
Today we proudly and gratefully celebrate the fourth anniversary of De Último Minuto, a project that was born with the firm conviction of transforming the way information is reported in the Dominican Republic. In these four years, we have witnessed —and been protagonists— of a revolution in digital journalism, marked by immediacy, technological innovation, and […]
On the eve of celebrating the fourth anniversary of De Último Minuto, we reaffirm our commitment to innovation, technology and, above all, to you: our readers. We are driven by the constant desire to evolve, to do things differently and to keep up with the times. Therefore, today we present two new products that will […]
The legal victory of Bad Bunny in the dispute over “Enséñame a bailar” opened a new legal front. After the definitive dismissal of the lawsuit for alleged misuse of a sample, the Puerto Rican artist seeks that the plaintiff cover the costs of his defense.
According to Billboard, the singer's lawyers filed a formal request for the African record label emPawa Africa to pay $465,612 in legal fees accumulated during the process. The figure includes the work of a legal team that, according to the document, dedicated "hundreds of hours" to dismantling the accusations.
A Conflict Over a Musical Sample
The dispute began in 2024, when emPawa Africa — a company linked to the Nigerian composer Dera (Ezeani Chidera Godfrey) — sued Bad Bunny for allegedly using without authorization a fragment of the song “Empty My Pocket” (2019) in “Enséñame a bailar” from the album Un Verano Sin Ti.
The plaintiffs maintained that the sample was not only present in the instrumental, but that it "permeates the entire song," and claimed to have previously notified the artist's team without receiving a response. The artist's legal team included lawyers with fees of up to $680 per hour (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
At the time, the lawyers even questioned the singer's conduct, pointing out that “it is not very common for a musical artist of the caliber and sophistication of Bad Bunny to use music from another person without permission, and then ignore that person's efforts to resolve the problem”.
However, the artist's defense presented a completely different version: the use of the sample had been authorized by another copyright holder of the original work, the producer Lakizo. This point became the central focus of the case.
The litigation did not reach a resolution on the merits. In early March 2026, federal judge Otis Wright dismissed the legal dispute with prejudice — that is, definitively — after the plaintiffs stopped moving forward with the case.
According to the resolution cited by Billboard, Dera “did not respond in time” to a key deadline set by the court, which led to “the court dismissing this action and all claims filed in it”.
The situation worsened after the law firm Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP, which represented the plaintiffs, withdrew from the case in January 2026 due to "irreparable differences" with its clients. Without legal representation, both the artist and the company stopped filing documents and meeting court deadlines.
Following the dismissal, Bad Bunny's legal team went on the offensive. In their request for reimbursement, the lawyers maintain that the accusation "lacked merit from the beginning" and was driven by financial motives. The album Un Verano Sin Ti spent 13 weeks at number one on the Billboard 200. (photo: El Colombiano)
"This case should never have been brought," notes the document cited by Billboard. "emPawa presented it and litigated aggressively, apparently expecting that Bad Bunny's wealth, prominence, and desire to avoid legal fees and bad publicity would allow emPawa to obtain an undeserved multimillion-dollar settlement."
Furthermore, the defense accuses the company of having deliberately prolonged the process, using tactics to "delay and postpone" the litigation, before withdrawing in the evidence discovery phase.
A relevant detail is that the reimbursement request does not target Dera personally. According to the defendants, they consider that the composer "was not the main person responsible for processing the claim, nor did he finance the litigation."
Bad Bunny's request falls within a relatively common practice in copyright disputes in the United States. The law allows the winning party to recover their legal fees if they can demonstrate that the claims were frivolous or unreasonably managed.
This type of measure seeks to discourage unsubstantiated lawsuits. Recent cases include Mariah Carey, who also requested millionaire compensation after winning a lawsuit, or the rapper Nelly, who claimed tens of thousands of dollars in similar circumstances.
The recent conflict within Camila has generated great attention after Samo decided to speak publicly following Mario Domm's statements during a concert in Mexico. The singer broke the silence to explain his absence from the Irapuato show and respond to the criticisms that arose against him. During an urgently convened press conference, Samo apologized to […]
The Organization of American States (OAS) requested to guarantee transparency and integrity in the selection process of the next Attorney General of Guatemala, during a meeting held with President Bernardo Arévalo. The call was made within the framework of a meeting with a special mission from the regional organization, which is monitoring the institutional situation […]
Washington.- The head of the United States Central Command (Centcom), Admiral Brad Cooper, assured this Wednesday that US forces have attacked more than 10,000 military targets in Iran since the beginning of the conflict on February 28, in a new update on the development of the war. In a three-minute video message, Cooper indicated that […]
"Te Quiero Ver Campeón" is the new song born from the heart of eleven of the most beloved artists of Colombian popular music: Jessi Uribe, Pipe Bueno, Luis Alfonso, Jhon Alex Castaño, Alzate, Jhonny Rivera, Luisito Muñoz, Ciro Quiñonez, Arelys Henao, Francy and Paola Jara. Together they created what they hope will become the unofficial […]
Los Angeles.- HBO launched this Wednesday the first trailer for the first season of the Harry Potter series, which will consist of eight episodes and whose premiere is scheduled for Christmas. Under the iconic title ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ (‘Harry Potter y la piedra filosofal’), the expected television adaptation faithfully embraces the legacy […]
Moca, Espaillat.– A violent incident shook the Maco Tibio sector in this municipality after a young woman reported being attacked with boiling oil, allegedly by a woman who came to collect a debt of one thousand pesos, causing her considerable burns on different parts of her body. The victim was identified as Mónica Germosén, who […]
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