Arts & Culture Leadership: Jo-Annah Richards has been appointed Director of the Montserrat Arts Council, effective August 10, bringing public-policy, law, internal audit, risk management, and arts administration experience. Mobile Connectivity & Investment: A GSMA Caribbean report says 5G will rise from 10% of connections today to 23% by 2030, but warns the region needs regulatory upgrades, spectrum access, and incentives to close a roughly $1 billion investment gap. Trade & Manufacturing Costs: A new Section 201 safeguard adds a four-year tariff-rate quota on quartz surface products starting August 15, with safeguard duties potentially hitting up to 50% after quarterly quota allocations run out. Biotech Production Funding: ARPA-H awarded $26 million for GE HealthCare-led FLASH, aiming for scalable, modular cell-free DNA manufacturing for faster, on-demand genetic medicines and vaccines. AI, Calypso, and Creator Rights: A ZJB panel urged calypso stakeholders to focus on competition judging, evolving the art, and protecting creators as AI-assisted music grows. Food Traceability Tech: A QR-linked chocolate traceability push uses chemical fingerprinting to verify bean origin and sustainability, targeting mislabelling in premium fine-flavour markets. Fintech Modernisation: Belize Bank announced a six-year digital modernization partnership with Backbase to roll out an AI-native banking platform for retail and business onboarding and cash-flow visibility.