Pacific Islands Forum in Palau: Niue Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi is heading to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (Aug 30–Sept 4), where leaders are pushing for more control over security and ocean resources as China, the US and partners compete for influence. Energy and resilience agenda: New Zealand and Realm leaders say energy security will be a key focus, with heavy reliance on fossil fuels raising costs and risk for Pacific economies. Realm leaders coordination (Auckland): Before Palau, New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met Niue’s Tagelagi alongside Cook Islands PM Mark Brown and Tokelau’s Ulu Alapati Tavite to align on priorities for the summit. Regional unity and crime: Forum officials flag a tougher year ahead, with geopolitical pressure, transnational crime and the challenge of keeping regional integration on track. NZ–Realm ties: RNZ reports Luxon stressing “strong and stable” connections across the four Realm partners, after earlier strains tied to security decisions. Forestry context (global): A separate ranking highlights how a small set of countries dominates global forest area, led by Russia (20.1%), Brazil (11.7%) and Canada (8.9%), underscoring the wider resource stakes facing small economies.