India–CARICOM push: India’s External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar wrapped talks in Jamaica, Suriname and Trinidad & Tobago, with eight MoUs signed and practical support rolling out fast—laptops for schoolchildren, upgrades to cultural heritage sites, and prosthetics work linked to the 2025 Jaipur Foot Camp, with a 12-month skills-transfer plan aimed at expanding services across CARICOM. Saint Lucia–Martinique trade: Closer ties are also brewing across the French islands: Saint Lucia and Martinique are discussing import-export facilitation for 15 product lines, with a 400,000-strong Martinique market seen as a major opportunity for local producers. Carnival & culture: Calypso season is in full swing—Kaiso Pros Tent opened with a packed, polished show that blended traditional calypso with a later soca/Dennery segment—while Piton Malta stepped in as title sponsor for Lucian Junior Carnival 2026, backing the next generation of performers. Local business pressure: Castries vendors are still feeling the heat from the Vendors Arcade redevelopment as compensation promises meet ongoing relocation anxiety. Regional connectivity: The ECCU/CARICOM transport debate keeps sharpening as carriers cut routes and losses mount, renewing calls for a unified air-and-sea strategy.