Pacific Islands Forum in Palau: Leaders are heading into the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting with a packed agenda shaped by geopolitics, transnational crime, and the push to keep regional unity while major powers compete for influence and ocean resources. Realm ties (NZ–Niue–Cook Islands–Tokelau): New Zealand says its connections to its Realm countries remain strong and stable after the first “family reunion” meeting in Auckland, with Niue PM Dalton Tagelagi among those coordinating ahead of Palau. PNG–Niue cooperation framework: Papua New Guinea and Niue signed a framework agreement on development and technical cooperation, covering trade, investment, tourism, education and labour mobility, health, agriculture and food security, climate resilience, infrastructure, digital development, and people-to-people exchanges. Community climate funding push: The Pacific Resilience Facility is taking 14 community projects to pre-COP events and COP31, including water security, food production, coastal restoration, sanitation, renewable energy, and resilience initiatives.