EU Outermost Regions Strategy: The European Commission has adopted a new strategic vision for the EU’s outermost regions, explicitly naming French Guiana, and pairing it with a regulatory package to adapt EU rules to local realities. The plan targets sectors like agriculture, forestry, fisheries, migration, and taxation, and is built around four goals: boosting geostrategic role and regional integration, improving competitiveness and access to the single market, strengthening resilience and climate adaptation, and promoting social equity—while also stressing biodiversity protection and better disaster preparedness. Space From French Guiana: EUMETSAT took over control of Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 (MTG-I2) after it launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on 27 August and reached geostationary orbit; calibration and validation are now underway for operational service expected in Q2 2027. Launch Industry Moves: ICEYE and Arianespace signed an MoU to evaluate Ariane 6 integration for sovereign SAR missions, with a focus on meeting European governmental needs using launches from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou. Wildlife Trade Pressure: A report on Bangkok’s Chatuchak market describes rising sales of Latin American wildlife, including animals trafficked from the Amazon, raising animal welfare and biodiversity concerns. Local Governance Tensions: Sardinia’s governor criticized Italy’s unilateral plan to relocate high-security prisoners to the island, calling it “Devil’s Island” treatment—an issue that echoes French Guiana’s penal-colony history.