Volcano Watch: Mount Pelée has moved into a higher-stakes phase, with the Martinique Volcanological and Seismological Observatory reporting 124 volcanic earthquakes in the week to July 31 and 331 across July, alongside ongoing ground swelling near the summit; the alert stays YELLOW, meaning unrest is elevated but an eruption is not expected right away, though medium-term risk can’t be ruled out. Regional Tech & Security: The U.S. unveiled a major submarine cable push for the Caribbean and Central America, urging governments to use “trusted” providers and offering legal and technical help—while Cuba is excluded. Health Lab Capacity: PAHO/WHO and partners ran a regional workshop in Barbados to boost molecular diagnostics skills for diseases like measles, leptospirosis, and hantavirus, using a One Health approach across human and veterinary labs, including Martinique. Environment & Waste: A surge of foreign plastic waste is piling up along the Caribbean, with currents and trade winds turning islands into catchment zones—highlighting that marine litter is transboundary. Soil & Water Resilience: Petite Martinique stakeholders helped shape a 3-year sustainable land and soil management project to restore degraded areas and improve drought resilience, funded by the Global Environment Facility and executed by UNEP.