Extreme Weather Watch: Communities across the Marianas and Micronesia are bracing for more severe storms after Supertyphoons Mawar and Sinlaku, as NOAA says El Niño has developed and is likely to intensify to moderate or strong levels this fall, with a 63% chance Pacific waters exceed 2.0°C—shifting cyclone formation east and giving storms more time to intensify before reaching Guam and the wider region. Pacific Tourism Tech: South Pacific Pocket Guide launched VanuatuPocketGuide.com after a five-week research trip, publishing 202 articles and 1,614 photos, with more planned to help independent travellers plan trips and support local tourism operators. Regional Security & Sovereignty: Pacific Elders warned that geopolitical competition is reshaping the region, urging security to stay under Pacific leadership and stressing sovereignty, transparency, and equal decision-making. Seabed Minerals & Investment: Reuters reports the U.S. is raising the priority of Cook Islands seabed minerals, with Ambassador Jared Novelly saying critical minerals are now top-tier on his agenda and warning Niue and other small states about risks from China’s growing influence while pointing to U.S. investment and partnerships.