Independence Watch: Dominica has unveiled the programme for its 48th Independence celebrations under “Our Journey, Our Legacy, Our Future,” running Sept. 19 to Nov. 4, with prayer days, an official opening at the State House Conference Centre (Sept. 25) and a parade walkthrough at the Botanic Gardens (Sept. 26). Legal & Governance: The Dominica Bar Association says it still has confidence in the CCJ after leaked internal correspondence sparked regional calls for investigations, arguing disagreements inside the court shouldn’t be read as a collapse of its judicial work. Regional Diplomacy: The U.S. has nominated Kimberly Greenwood—wife of “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood—as ambassador to Barbados and concurrently to Dominica and other Eastern Caribbean states, pending Senate confirmation. Security & Foreign Affairs: A Dominica-flagged tanker, Daisy, was caught in the Gulf of Aden after Houthi claims of an attack; Human Rights Watch also warns some Houthi attacks on commercial ships may amount to war crimes. Local Development: Roseau North MP Ashma McDougall proposes a constituency “Business Support Desk” to help micro and small businesses access finance and better manage records. Public Policy: Government has suspended a planned increase in firearm license fees while it consults stakeholders on licensing reform. Climate & Health: National Ozone Officer Sophia Anselm-Larocque calls for stronger cooperation to make sustainable cooling work; Nurse Priscilla Prevost urges healthier eating as NCD and cancer concerns rise. Infrastructure Delivery: Dominica is among four countries now able to tap the new RIISE facility for technical help to push climate-resilient projects past implementation bottlenecks.