Pacific Development Deal: Papua New Guinea and Niue signed a framework agreement on development and technical cooperation at the Pacific Islands Forum in Koror, Palau, covering trade, investment, tourism, education, labour mobility, health, agriculture and food security, climate resilience, environmental protection, natural resource management, and infrastructure/digital connectivity. Climate Finance for Communities: The Pacific Resilience Facility is taking 14 community projects to Pacific pre-COP events and COP31, with each member allocated up to US$20,000 for water security, food production, coastal restoration, sanitation, renewable energy and resilience—showcasing examples like Palau’s Coral Youth Council water project and revival of traditional planting. Port Infrastructure & Logistics: The US announced a US$60m deep-sea port development at Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, with New Zealand managing the build and contributing US$10m, positioning the project as a major Pacific shipping and connectivity upgrade tied to rising regional geopolitics. Net Zero Debate: A broader rethink on “net zero” argues the term has drifted from a carbon-budget concept into a catch-all for jobs and growth, raising questions about what it really means in practice.