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Guadeloupe
Le Moule, "Ville d'art et d'histoire", the culmination of eight years' work
On August 5, an official ceremony took place to sign the agreement awarding the "Ville d'art et d'histoire" label to the town of Le Moule, reports an article published by RCI. The town thus joins the 220 towns in France, including two in Guadeloupe (Basse-Terre and Pointe-à-Pitre), which already have this label. Although the process of obtaining this designation began in 2017, it was only eight years later that the town of Le Moule received this distinction. This honor from the French Ministry of Culture coincides with the 40th anniversary of the "Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire" label. The head of Le Moule's heritage department told RCI: "It's a great honour for the town, which has been promoting its heritage for 20 years, and introducing young people to the town's heritage and architecture. It's also the coordinated fruit of teamwork with associations, residents, city departments and the DAC (Direction des affaires culturelles, editor's note). "Although the label is only awarded for ten years, the town of Le Moule hopes to use this opportunity to promote heritage tourism and boost its economy through its cultural heritage.
Saint-Martin
A partnership for the professional reintegration of young people
Guadeloupe's Service Pénitentiaire d'Insertion et de Probation (Spip) and the Mission Locale de Saint-Martin are joining forces to facilitate the professional reintegration of young people from Saint-Martin placed under the authority of the justice system. "This partnership illustrates our commitment to leaving no young person without a solution, whatever their situation," explains La Mission Locale president Raphaël Sanchez in an article published by the Soualiga Post on August 6. He adds, "It also strengthens the bridges between the worlds of justice and integration". The tailor-made support package for young people aged 16 to 25 is based on schemes already set up by La Mission Locale, such as the Contrat d'Engagement Jeune (CEJ) and the Parcours Contractualisé d'Accompagnement vers l'Emploi et l'Autonomie (PACEA). The latter involve potential financial support and accompaniment by a referral advisor. The Spip therefore identifies young people eligible for these schemes and refers them to the services of the Mission Locale. The aim is to prevent the social exclusion of young people and open up new prospects for them.
Martinique
Carnival in Lamentin in early August
According to a report by RCI, a large number of people flocked to downtown Lamentin on Sunday August 3 to celebrate the off-season carnival. The event was designed for Martiniquais living in France who return during the summer vacations. Drums and brass kept the streets of Lamentin dancing until early evening, thanks to the participation of some fifteen associations from Martinique and Guadeloupe. This event, just as colorful and lively as the one in February, is specially designed for people who can't be there for Carnival, and also attracts people from the other side of the Atlantic. Florence and her family have come all the way from the Sarthe to attend. We wanted to see how the carnival was prepared," she tells RCI. We've never been here in February, so we wanted to get a feel for the atmosphere. It's really the family, it's really Martinique. ".
Cayman Islands
A student's fund-raising swim
Connor Childs, a 22-year-old student from the Cayman Islands, is undertaking a swim of over 8 kilometers between two islands in the British archipelago this Thursday, August 14, to raise funds for the Cayman Islands National Trust.This is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the natural environment and land conservation. The student told the local newspaper, Cayman Compass, on August 6 that he hoped the money raised would be used to purchase and protect vital ecosystems for future generations. Connor Childs is due to begin his swim at 6 a.m. from the westernmost point of Cayman Brac to the easternmost point of Little Cayman. The student estimates that his challenge will take him between 3h30 and 4 hours. Although he is undertaking his project alone in the water, Connor Childs can count on the safety boat that will follow him throughout his crossing between the two islands. The student will undoubtedly have to share the water with local fish such as blue marlin, wahoo and yellowfin tuna.
Saint Lucia
Passports valid for ten years again
On Tuesday August 5, the St.Lucia Times reported on a press release from the Prime Minister's office indicating that the validity of passports has been extended from five to ten years. For the public, the Prime Minister assures that this change does not imply any additional costs compared to applications for the old passports. This "new" document is, however, only valid for people aged 18 and over, in line with international standards. This decision stems from the government's desire not only to reduce the frequency and cost of passport renewals, but also to modernize public services and make them more convenient for the citizens of Saint Lucia.
Anguilla
Artificial intelligence, a flourishing source of revenue
If artificial intelligence is already a lucrative sector, the island of Anguilla is fortunate enough to reap the benefits in a most atypical way, as mentioned by the DataNews newspaper in an article published on August 4. In fact, when the Internet was launched in the 90s, Anguilla was granted the ".ai" suffix by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to designate websites originating from the island. In recent years, Anguilla has reaped millions of dollars solely from the management and sale of ".ai" domain names. Companies wishing to use this suffix pay $140 for a bi-annual registration, and since 90% of them renew this payment, Anguilla pockets a considerable sum every year. In 2023, these transactions generated $30 million, compared with over $100 million last year. This represents almost 23% of the island's gross domestic product (GDP). The government intends to put this money to work on projects to improve quality of life. Examples include modernizing the airport, providing free healthcare for senior citizens and building up a reserve of funds in the event of a disaster.
Haiti
More than 1,500 dead in three months, according to the UN
On August 1, the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) issued a report on the situation in Haiti, the contents of which were published by the RCI newspaper three days later. BINUH counted 1,520 people killed between May and July 2025. While most of the victims were counted in the vicinity of Port-au-Prince, other regions of the island were also affected. In addition to these deaths, the report mentions over 600 wounded, 185 kidnapped and more than 600 victims of sexual violence. Armed gangs are still at the root of these crimes. They maintain a reign of terror despite the presence of national police officers assisted by those making up the international coalition. However, according to the UN, police interventions are the cause of many injuries and even deaths. In addition to the ongoing security crisis, there is also a humanitarian crisis, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). More than 45,000 people have been displaced since June, bringing the total to nearly 240,000 in the departments of Artibonite and Centre.
Grenada
National debate over allegiance to King Charles III
An article in the Caribbean National Weekly explains that as of August 1, a significant change has been made to the oath of allegiance and the affirmation of allegiance sworn by public servants. Where previously they had to swear allegiance to King Charles III and his heirs and successors, civil servants must now swear allegiance to the State of Grenada itself. The official agreement given by the Governor General, Dame Cécile La Grenade, involves two constitutional amendments approved by the island's Parliament. Civil servants were therefore invited to take a new oath within 12 hours of August 1. However, they have seven days in which to comply with this requirement. Copies of the new legislation are now available in public offices such as libraries, post offices and police stations. This change to the constitution has provoked diametrically opposed reactions from Grenada's socio-political class. On the one hand, the non-governmental organization Independent Caucus for Constitution Reform (ICCR), which, less than a week before the amendment was approved, sent a letter to the Governor General stating that the change was "unacceptable".the change infringed fundamental constitutional principles and jeopardized the democratic checks and balances of which the Governor General is the guardian. On the other, the Citizens for Constitution Reform (CCR) organization, led by Francis Alexis, former Attorney General and government minister, whose main aim is to eliminate allegiance to the British monarchy in favor of loyalty to Grenada itself.
Jamaica
Current situation divides political leaders
An August 6 article in the Jamaica Observer highlights the words of Prime Minister Andrew Holness and Opposition Leader Mark Golding on the anniversary of the island's independence. The current Prime Minister gave a speech full of hope for Jamaica's future, while emphasizing the sacrifices and efforts that are and must be made by the population. He also took the opportunity to mention the improvements made thanks to his party's actions. For example, a 40% reduction in homicides nationwide, and the construction of more affordable housing. While the opposition leader also spoke hopefully of Jamaica's future, the picture he paints of the current situation is far less positive. In particular, he points to a stagnant economy and declining production since 2007, an education system that is failing to meet its learning and achievement targets, and infant and maternal mortality rates worse than those recorded 30 years ago.
Virgin Islands
A homeless aid organization is thrown out of business
The Collective Collaboration Inc (a non-profit organization helping the homeless in the Virgin Islands) was promised funding in 2022 by Governor Albert Bryan Jr. to renovate the building it occupied. However, three years later, work has not even begun, and the organization has been evicted from the premises it occupied by the building's owners. The building belongs to St. John's Episcopal Church, which initiated eviction proceedings in 2022 because the organization was in breach of the agreement between the two organizations. The violation in question concerned the fact that The Collective Collaboration Inc. allowed homeless people to spend the night on the premises. The court ruled in favor of the Episcopal Church, despite the association's appeal. On Monday August 4, the group was given two days to vacate the premises. This deadline could not be met, as founder Karen Dickenson told The Virgin Islands Consortium in an article published on August 6: "We've tried everything to get out of this space. All we get are refusals. Two leases with the government were never signed, the purchase of a building was never financed, and the list goes on. ". The association has appealed to the public for help and opened a GoFundMe campaign to raise $24,000 to find a new space and continue its activities.
