Pacific climate + water/food risk: ChildFund NZ warns the Pacific is still reeling from fuel crisis impacts as a strengthening El Niño brings drought in some areas and heavier rain in others, raising pressure on safe drinking water, food supplies and children’s health. Regional diplomacy: The Philippines used the 55th Pacific Islands Forum in Palau to push deeper Pacific integration via its Philippine-Pacific Initiative, with Niue among the leaders present. Niue development ties: Papua New Guinea and Niue signed a framework agreement for development and technical cooperation, covering trade, investment, tourism, education and labour mobility, renewable energy, digital connectivity, and people-to-people exchanges. Community climate finance: 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—showing how Pacific-owned climate funding can reach communities directly. Infrastructure + logistics: The US announced a US$60m deep-sea port at Penrhyn (Cook Islands), with New Zealand contributing US$10m and managing the build—an important shipping/logistics move for the wider region. Forum geopolitics: Coverage from Palau highlights rising China–US tensions and criticism that Australia and NZ did little meaningful on climate change.