Tourism Economy: Tourism-related tax revenue in the Dominican Republic has tripled over the past decade, climbing from about RD$15 billion to over RD$45 billion in 2025, with tourism’s wider impact reaching 15.9% of GDP. Business Climate: The Santo Domingo Chamber of Commerce says 18,000 new companies were created in the first half of 2026, while exports rose to US$9.267 billion in the first seven months. Tech & Skills: Amazon Web Services and the government launched AWS Entrena República Dominicana, offering 50,000 free scholarships in AI and cloud computing by 2028. Education Pressure: New PISA 2025 reporting highlights a major student disengagement problem, with the DR showing the steepest global drop in perseverance and persistence among 15-year-olds, even as other areas show gains. Disaster Readiness: The country tested nationwide earthquake alerts and emergency response in a drill that reached over 72% of the population, with remaining gaps tied to the rollout of Cell Broadcast. Migration & Security: The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 51 Dominican and Haitian migrants intercepted near Puerto Rico. Diplomacy: Nicaragua decided to close its embassy in Santo Domingo amid escalating tensions with the Dominican Republic. Sports Spotlight: Joheirry Mola Domínguez was crowned Miss World 2026, bringing the title back to the DR for the first time in 44 years.