MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) — After 10 years of unprecedented success that redefined the landscape of top-tier English football, Pep Guardiola has formally announced he will step down as head coach of Manchester City at the conclusion of the current season. The announcement came Friday, confirming widespread speculation that first emerged earlier this week.
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Palmer and Foden left out of England World Cup squad
LONDON, UK – In a series of shock selections that have sent ripples through English football, head coach Thomas Tuchel unveiled his England squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada on Friday, leaving multiple high-profile stars out of his roster for the global tournament.
Among the most eye-catching exclusions are Chelsea creative midfielder Cole Palmer and Manchester City’s Phil Foden, both of whom were pivotal to England’s deep run to the Euro 2024 final this past summer. The pair have been dropped after underwhelming club campaigns this season, a call that has already sparked fierce debate among fans and pundits alike. Also missing from the squad is Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin – who sit among the highest-scoring English players in this season’s Premier League – Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw, and Crystal Palace rising star Adam Wharton. Maguire, 33, spoke out publicly after the announcement, saying he was stunned by his omission after a strong domestic season with United, adding he had been confident he would play a key role for the Three Lions at the tournament.
The most unexpected inclusion comes in the form of Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia after moving there in 2024. Toney made a positive impression as a substitute at Euro 2024, but has featured for just two minutes of senior international football since his transfer to the Middle East. Another notable selection sees veteran midfielder and former Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson, now of Brentford, earn his spot ahead of the young Wharton. Tuchel also took a calculated gamble on Manchester City centre-back John Stones, who has barely featured for his club this season after being sidelined by repeated injury issues.
Tasked with ending England’s 58-year drought since their last major international trophy back in 1966, the German manager – who lifted the UEFA Champions League during his tenure at Chelsea, and has previously managed Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich – has openly embraced the high-stakes nature of his controversial selection calls. He admitted that delivering the news to cut players from the squad was an emotionally draining process.
“It was difficult, sometimes painfully difficult. Even through the phone calls, I could feel the raw emotion,” Tuchel told reporters. “I called every player who has been part of our camp at least once. I wanted to show them the appreciation and respect they deserve for everything they’ve given to this team.”
Tuchel explained that his selection process was built on observations from international training camps held across September, October and November, with the final squad balancing promising young talent and battle-hardened veteran experience. For the head coach, tough selection calls are not a weakness, but a necessary step to building a side capable of going all the way to the World Cup title.
“I love the tough decisions because in the end they bring clarity, they bring a certain edge, and that’s exactly what you need to go all the way,” he said. “In the end it all comes down to this: who do we really trust? Who delivered for us? Who helped build our culture, especially from September onwards? Who set the standards, who were the drivers, who made up the leadership group? We relied heavily on that framework, because connection within the squad has to be there.”
England captain Harry Kane, who earned his place in the squad, expressed his excitement ahead of what will be another World Cup campaign for the veteran striker. “I’m extremely proud to be going to another World Cup,” Kane wrote in a social media post. “You never take these moments for granted. This is what you dream of as a kid. Can’t wait to get out there!!”
The Three Lions will kick off their 2026 World Cup Group stage campaign against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, before facing Ghana on June 23 and closing out group play against Panama four days later on June 27.
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Royal Caribbean backs new farm to boost food security
A landmark community farming initiative, backed by major cruise line Royal Caribbean and the Bahamas Ministry of Agriculture, opened its doors to the public in Centreville on Wednesday, marking a key milestone in the country’s push to address local food insecurity and cut reliance on imported food products.
The official launch was marked by a ceremonial ribbon-cutting, drawing a cross-section of attendees including senior government figures, local community organizers, and top executives from Royal Caribbean. The Royal Caribbean Group Foundation has anchored the project with a $75,000 total contribution, allocating $50,000 to cover initial site development and infrastructure costs, and an additional $25,000 earmarked for ongoing operational maintenance. Complementing this private sector support, Jomo Campbell, Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources, announced the ministry would add a $10,000 cash grant alongside $5,000 in agricultural equipment vouchers redeemable through the ministry’s fish and farm store.
Philip Smith, president of the Bahamas Agricultural Development Organization (ADO), explained that the Centreville site is the fifth community farm completed under a national strategic scheme that aims to roll out similar projects across all 41 of the country’s parliamentary constituencies. Under the initiative’s operational model, 70 percent of all fresh produce harvested from the farm will be distributed free of charge to low-income and food-insecure residents within the Centreville community. The remaining 30 percent will be sold to local restaurants, generating recurring revenue to cover long-term operating costs and keep the project self-sustaining.
Smith’s vision for the project grew out of 15 years of experience leading the Bahamas Feeding Network, a regional hunger relief organization that distributes more than 5,000 prepared meals to vulnerable communities each week. Through that work, Smith has repeatedly witnessed the deep systemic gaps in local food access that leave thousands of Bahamians struggling to put nutritious food on the table. The community farm model, he says, is designed to transform the existing feeding network into a more self-sustaining system, while also shifting national consumption patterns toward locally grown agricultural products.
Smith also highlighted Royal Caribbean’s long-standing commitment to hunger relief across the Bahamas, recalling past large-scale donations to the Bahamas Feeding Network, including a previous gift of two 40-foot shipping containers full of frozen meat that allowed the network to expand services to thousands of additional families. “It’s just been amazing,” Smith said of the company’s consistent support.
Philip Simon, president of Royal Caribbean Bahamas, framed the farm project as a strategic investment in both community well-being and long-term national resilience. As global supply chain disruptions and climate change have pushed food security to the forefront of policy concerns for small island nations like the Bahamas, agricultural and sustainability projects have taken on new urgency, Simon explained. Beyond addressing immediate food access gaps, he noted the project also aims to reconnect young Bahamians to the country’s agricultural heritage and encourage the next generation to pursue careers in farming and community development.
“At one point in our national story, farming and fishing were simply a way of life,” Simon said. “Families understood the value of working the land, growing food, and being able to provide not only for themselves but for others as well. So today we hope that we are planting seeds not only in the soil but in the minds of young people who may one day become farmers, entrepreneurs and leaders in our communities.”
Minister Campbell echoed that sentiment, emphasizing that the new farm represents far more than a local food project—it is a critical step forward for national self-sufficiency, agricultural education, and inclusive economic development. “We are planting hope, self-sufficiency, education and sustainability for generations to come,” Campbell said. He added that the farm will serve as a hands-on educational space for local families and young people to learn core agricultural skills, while simultaneously expanding access to affordable fresh produce for all Centreville residents.
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Campbell waits for own survey an overfished marine species
A recent peer-reviewed scientific study has sounded the alarm over widespread overfishing of key commercial marine species across The Bahamas’ waters, but Bahamian officials say they will hold off on crafting regulatory changes until they can complete an independent domestic fisheries assessment. The study, published this week by the Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS), analyzed 72 years of historical catch data stretching from 1950 to 2022, and found that 11 out of the 12 commercially valuable species included in the assessment were suffering from varying degrees of overexploitation.
Among the most at-risk populations, the study labeled Nassau grouper and yellowfin grouper as “grossly overfished”. Research data showed yellowfin grouper populations currently hold just 40 percent of the total biomass required to maintain a sustainable long-term harvest, while Nassau grouper populations sit at only 49 percent of that sustainable threshold. Other species flagged as overfished include queen conch, Caribbean spiny lobster, and black grouper, all of which the study identifies as the “backbone” of The Bahamas’ domestic seafood market. The report warns that ongoing population declines of these iconic species pose a direct threat to national food security and the stability of local seafood supply chains.
Speaking to reporters at a community farming event this week, Agriculture and Marine Resources Minister Jomo Campbell confirmed that ministry staff have reviewed the PIMS findings, but stopped short of endorsing the study’s conclusions. “That was one report,” Campbell told journalists, when asked whether there was risk that future generations of Bahamians could lose access to these culturally and economically important traditional seafood species. “What we first have to establish based on our findings is in fact whether there is overfishing and in what sectors.”
Campbell explained that the Bahamian Department of Marine Resources, led by Acting Director Dr. Gittens, is already in the process of conducting its own independent fisheries survey. Once the domestic assessment is complete, ministry officials will compare the two datasets, gather input from stakeholders across the Bahamian fishing industry, and then develop a formal evidence-based action plan to address any identified issues. Campbell added that the government expects to release its response to the overfishing concerns “in short order” after the internal survey is finalized.
PIMS officials noted they have prepared to share their full dataset and findings with the Department of Marine Resources and national fisheries management working groups, as the government undertakes a broader review of revisions to the country’s national fisheries regulations. In a separate update on the Golden Yolk agricultural development initiative, Campbell confirmed that a second media tour of the project is scheduled to take place within the coming weeks.
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Pintard called out on Cartwright snub
A bitter internal debate has erupted within the Free National Movement (FNM) of the Bahamas in the wake of the party’s crushing defeat in the May 12 general election, after a senior former party figure publicly called out opposition leader Michael Pintard for his controversial Senate selection choices.
Former Cabinet minister Leslie Miller delivered sharp criticism of Pintard this week, labeling the FNM leader’s decision to exclude deputy party leader Shannedon Cartwright from his Senate picks as “mean-spirited” and “spiteful”. Pintard, who successfully held onto his Marco City parliamentary seat despite the party’s poor overall performance, named four people to fill the FNM’s Senate openings: former professional basketball player Rick Fox, two attorneys Elsworth Johnson and Arinthia Komolafe, and Dr Trevor Johnson. Cartwright, who lost his bid for the newly created St James constituency to Progressive Liberal Party candidate Owen Wells, was noticeably absent from the list.
Critics across the party have argued that the snub is a deliberate move to sideline Cartwright, a sitting party deputy who represented the St Barnabas constituency from 2017 up to the 2026 general election. The FNM emerged from the national vote with just eight parliamentary seats, a result that left the party as the official opposition against the governing Progressive Liberal Party.
Miller, who has long standing as a former FNM Cabinet member, argued that Pintard’s exclusion of Cartwright raises serious questions about both his leadership style and how he treats senior party stakeholders. “I just see the leader of opposition as a mean-spirited person on his actions as leader to FNM, has proven that over and over and over again,” Miller told local media.
While Miller acknowledged that Cartwright never personally approached him to say he was seeking a Senate appointment, he added that he is confident the former lawmaker would have accepted the position if it had been offered. Miller also extended his criticism to Pintard’s treatment of two other former senior party figures from the Minnis administration: Desmond Bannister and Renward Wells. He alleged that Pintard has actively worked to push the two veteran politicians out of key frontline political roles, treating them unfairly in the process.
When reporters from The Tribune reached out to Pintard to ask for an explanation for Cartwright’s exclusion from the Senate lineup, the opposition leader declined to provide any on the record comment. As of press time, Cartwright also had not responded to multiple requests for comment on the controversy.
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Dominican employment reaches 5.2 million workers in early 2026
Against a backdrop of widespread global economic uncertainty fueled by Middle Eastern geopolitical tensions, volatile commodity pricing, and elevated transportation costs, the Dominican Republic’s labor market has delivered a resilient performance, posting steady employment expansion through the first quarter of 2026, newly released official survey data shows.
Findings from the country’s National Continuous Labor Force Survey (ENCFT) put total national employment at 5,236,178 workers as of the end of March. Of this total workforce, 2,403,395 positions are in the formal sector, a figure that aligns with official records maintained by the Dominican Social Security Treasury.
When compared to the same three-month period in 2025, the Dominican economy added a net total of 118,631 new jobs, translating to a 2.3% year-on-year growth rate for overall employment. Key labor market metrics remained near their all-time highs: the national employment rate hit 63.0%, while the labor force participation rate landed at 66.3%, a performance that stands out as strong among regional economies.
The survey’s breakdown of new job creation reveals that informal sector growth drove most of the past year’s employment gains. Of the 118,631 net new positions added, 98,127 were generated in the informal economy, accounting for 82.7% of all new job creation. Formal sector employment contributed just 20,504 additional jobs over the same period. Even with informal activity accounting for the majority of new growth, the national informality rate settled at 54.1% – still below the long-term historical average recorded since 2014.
Women emerged as a major driving force behind the country’s labor market expansion in the first quarter. Women make up 43.9% of the Dominican Republic’s total current employed population, and over the 12-month comparison period, female employment grew by 157,078 workers, accounting for the vast majority of all new job creation across the country.
Unemployment metrics also remained stable and favorable, the data confirms. The open unemployment rate held at 5.0% for the January-to-March period, while the broader measure of labor underutilization fell to 8.8%, down from 9.3% in the first quarter of 2025.
The working-age population classified as inactive – meaning individuals who are not currently employed and are not actively seeking work – reached 2.8 million people, equal to 33.7% of the total working-age population. That share marks a slight decrease from the recorded inactive rate in 2025.
Overall, the latest labor force data underscores the Dominican Republic’s economic resilience, as the market maintained low unemployment and continued expansion even amid the external headwinds shaking the global economy in 2026.
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Dominican Ministry of Public Health says respiratory virus circulation remains within expected levels
Public health officials in the Dominican Republic have announced that COVID-19 and other common seasonal respiratory viruses are continuing to circulate at stable, expected levels, with no active epidemiological alerts currently in effect across the country.
Released as part of the official update for Epidemiological Week 18, the latest bulletin from the nation’s Ministry of Public Health outlines that continuous active surveillance is already in place for key circulating pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A(H3N2) and influenza A(H1N1). This proactive monitoring system is designed to flag any sudden shifts in virus transmission patterns that could require a public health response.
to ensure public access to care, the ministry has confirmed that complimentary COVID-19 testing remains widely available for Dominican residents at the National Needle Industry (Inaguja) parking lot, located directly behind the Ministry of Health’s central headquarters. Health officials have also issued a series of public reminders emphasizing core preventive habits to reduce the spread of respiratory illness: frequent handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes to contain respiratory droplets, avoiding close contact with people displaying virus symptoms, maintaining consistent air flow in enclosed indoor spaces, and seeking prompt medical attention if symptoms persist or worsen. The guidance specifically prioritizes COVID-19 vaccination for high-risk groups, including adults over 65, pregnant people, and individuals living with chronic underlying health conditions.
Beyond respiratory virus surveillance, the latest epidemiological report highlights notable progress in controlling multiple other endemic and infectious diseases across the nation. Compared to the same period in 2025, confirmed malaria cases have plummeted by 84%, with only 78 positive cases recorded nationwide in 2026 to date. Dengue fever transmission also remains well under control, with just 93 confirmed cases recorded across the country. Most notably, no confirmed cholera cases or cholera-related deaths have been reported in the Dominican Republic at any point in 2026.
Despite these positive outcomes, public health teams are maintaining heightened vigilance for leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that has already reached 117 confirmed cases in 2026. During the 18th epidemiological week alone, officials recorded nine new confirmed cases and two deaths linked to the disease. Health authorities explained that recent heavy rainfall and current environmental conditions across the country have created favorable conditions for leptospirosis transmission, so ongoing prevention and targeted control operations will continue to be prioritized across high-risk regions.
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CONSTRUEXPO 2026 opens in Punta Cana with construction reform measures
The 18th iteration of CONSTRUEXPO 2026, the Dominican Republic’s premier construction and infrastructure industry exhibition, has officially commenced at the BlueMall Punta Cana Convention Center, shining a spotlight on the explosive expansion of Punta Cana and the country’s eastern region as leading Caribbean hubs for real estate investment, tourism development, and urban growth.
Heading the opening ceremony was Dominican government official Víctor Bisonó, who used the occasion to unveil a slate of targeted policy reforms designed to modernize and cut red tape for the nation’s construction permitting process— a long-standing bottleneck that has hampered infrastructure and real estate progress across the country for years. Two core reforms were highlighted: an updated Single Window for Construction digital platform, which streamlines application processing, and the new NORM system, a regulatory framework created to standardize technical project evaluations and boost institutional transparency for all stakeholders.
In his remarks, Bisonó shared promising early data signaling the reforms are already driving momentum: construction license approvals jumped 93% in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, rising from 380 approved permits to 665. The total value of investments tied to these approved projects surpasses 230 billion Dominican pesos, marking a massive surge in industry activity. Additionally, Bisonó announced the launch of the Alliance for the Promotion of the Construction Sector, a collaborative public-private partnership developed alongside the Association of Industries of the Dominican Republic and leading industry business groups. The alliance aims to strengthen domestic production supply chains and foster long-term, sustainable growth across the sector.
Organized by José Veras & Associates, CONSTRUEXPO 2026 will run through May 21 to 23, hosting more than 48 exhibitors from across the globe. Sixteen of these participating firms are international, hailing from nations including Italy, Spain, Panama, Ecuador, Colombia, and the United States. Over its 18 editions, the expo has grown into one of the most influential business and networking platforms for the construction and infrastructure ecosystem in the Dominican Republic.
Industry leaders in attendance outlined the shifting landscape of the Dominican construction sector, noting that Punta Cana’s ongoing expansion across tourism, residential, commercial, and mixed-use developments is transforming the entire national industry. Annerys Meléndez, a prominent sector voice, emphasized that this period of rapid growth must be paired with intentional sustainable planning to avoid overdevelopment and preserve the region’s natural and economic assets. Meanwhile, fellow industry leader Mario Betances underlined that cutting-edge technology and prefabricated, industrialized construction models will be foundational to the sector’s competitive and efficient future growth.
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Omar Fernández assumes Caribbean vice presidency of ParlAmericas
At a recently concluded plenary assembly held to select new leadership for the 2026-2028 term, Dominican Republic Senator Omar Fernández has officially stepped into the role of Caribbean vice president for ParlAmericas, the inter-parliamentary organization uniting lawmakers from 35 nations across the entire Americas region.
Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, ParlAmericas serves as a critical platform for cross-border legislative collaboration, working to advance democratic governance and inclusive parliamentary participation across North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. Its core programming focuses on pressing regional priorities, including gender equity, open parliamentary governance, climate action, and inclusive economic growth, with a membership roster that spans from Canada, the United States, and Mexico across the Caribbean to major South American economies such as Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
In his new post representing the Caribbean subregion, Fernández has outlined a clear three-part agenda: deepening cross-border legislative ties, facilitating structured political dialogue between member legislatures, and scaling the sharing of proven parliamentary best practices across the region. A sitting senator for the Dominican Republic’s National District, Fernández highlighted that his top priority will be bridging the gap between national legislative institutions and everyday citizens, ensuring that parliamentary deliberations translate into tangible, meaningful improvements in community livelihoods.
“I am here to formally assume the vice presidency of the ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network for the Caribbean,” Fernández confirmed during the assembly, underscoring that transparency and grassroots citizen engagement will be central pillars of his tenure in the role.
Over the 2026-2028 term, Fernández will take point on coordinating regional parliamentary initiatives, leading conversations around forward-thinking, innovative legislative frameworks, and serving as the official representative for Caribbean member states at all major ParlAmericas-hosted global and regional forums.
The Dominican Republic has long been an active contributor to ParlAmericas’ mission of fostering technical cooperation and joint action among regional legislative bodies. Officials and observers note that Fernández’s appointment does more than expand the country’s institutional footprint in regional parliamentary affairs: it also spotlights the Dominican Republic’s expanding leadership role in advancing democratic dialogue and legislative innovation across the Caribbean subregion.
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EGE Haina launches Dominican Republic’s first hybrid wind-solar power plant
In a landmark ceremony led by Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader, independent power producer EGE Haina has officially opened the Esperanza Renovable energy complex in Valverde province – the Caribbean nation’s first utility-scale hybrid wind and solar facility connected to the National Interconnected Electric System (SENI). This milestone project brings together three integrated renewable assets to deliver a combined clean power capacity of 200 megawatts, following a total private investment of $246.5 million.
The Esperanza Renovable complex integrates two newly completed facilities – the 60 MW Esperanza Solar 2 farm and 49.5 MW Esperanza Wind park – with EGE Haina’s already operational 90 MW Esperanza Solar 1 plant, which entered service years earlier. Spanning 246 hectares of land in Valverde, the facility features 259,370 high-efficiency bifacial solar panels and 11 state-of-the-art Vestas wind turbines. Standing 225 meters tall, these turbines are the tallest energy infrastructure structures ever installed in the Dominican Republic. Annually, the complex is projected to generate approximately 485,000 megawatt-hours of carbon-free electricity, enough to power hundreds of thousands of local households annually.
José A. Rodríguez Silvestre, General Manager of EGE Haina, emphasized that the Esperanza Renovable project represents a critical step forward in diversifying the Dominican Republic’s national energy matrix, which has long relied heavily on fossil fuel imports. Looking ahead, the company has already laid out plans to add a 200 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS) to the complex, a upgrade that will smooth out variable wind and solar output, optimize grid distribution, and ensure more consistent delivery of clean power to end users.
Joel Santos Echevarría, the Dominican Republic’s Minister of Energy and Mines, echoed this optimism, noting that the new facility strengthens the country’s long-term energy security by reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and keeps the nation on track to meet its legally binding renewable energy transition targets. For EGE Haina, the project brings the company’s total installed renewable capacity to 576 MW, allowing it to exceed the sustainability target outlined in its green sustainability bond years ahead of schedule.
Beyond its energy and climate benefits, the project has delivered significant economic and community gains to the Valverde region. Over the course of construction, the buildout created 1,400 direct local jobs, providing a major boost to the provincial economy. Once fully operational, the complex is expected to cut annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 275,000 tons, delivering tangible public health and climate benefits for the nation. Since 2022, EGE Haina has also invested more than 34 million Dominican pesos in targeted local community and environmental initiatives across Valverde. These investments include installing solar power systems for local public buildings, upgrading school facilities, improving public infrastructure, and establishing a dedicated arboretum that houses more than 1,000 species of endemic native trees and shrubs, supporting local biodiversity conservation efforts.