Regional mourning: CARICOM and the wider region mourned the death of Gabriel Serville, President of the Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana, who died Sept. 30 at Cayenne University Hospital; Serville had pushed for French Guiana’s accession to CARICOM as an associate member on July 7, 2026. Space & local industry: PLD Space and CNES signed an agreement to expand launch infrastructure at the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, exploring a second pad at ELM-Diamant to boost capacity for PLD’s MIURA rockets. Space science from Kourou: The China-Europe SMILE mission, launched from French Guiana, entered regular science operations and released first aurora images and early magnetosphere data, with improved X-ray views expected mid-October. Cross-border environment & mining: Tribal leaders from French Guiana met in Maripasula to tackle illegal gold mining, pollution and border issues with Suriname, including plans for a joint meeting and renewed work on the River Council. Security & organized crime: INTERPOL warned that cocaine profits are increasingly being laundered through illegal gold mining across the Americas, citing coordinated action in Guyana, Brazil, French Guiana and Suriname. Health travel rule affecting French Guiana: Costa Rica requires yellow fever vaccination certificates for travel starting Oct. 1 to eight higher-risk destinations, including French Guiana.