Climate & Resilience: Pacific nations are upgrading meteorological services and disaster preparedness through PMC-8, with Tonga completing a Joint Multi-Hazard Early Warning Services Centre, Kiribati pushing upgrades to surface stations and upper-air systems, and Tuvalu using AI to speed up forecasting and severe weather monitoring. Education & Skills: A Ministry of Education consultation on replacing New Zealand’s NCEA found broad support for improving the senior secondary system, but many teachers, students and families want refinement rather than scrapping it, as the government proposes a new foundation certificate (Year 11 in 2028), a Certificate of Education (Year 12 in 2029) and an Advanced Certificate of Education (Year 13 in 2030). Culture & Creative Industries: The Pacific Fusion Fashion Show wrapped NZ Fashion Week’s 10-year milestone, spotlighting Pasifika designers and “Legacy” themes—useful for Niue’s creative and fashion sector as a regional model for building brand, talent pipelines and market visibility.