Pacific Diplomacy & Climate: Biden’s second White House summit with Pacific island leaders included a big signal for Niue, with the U.S. announcing diplomatic recognition for the Cook Islands and Niue, plus new support for secure, sustainable, resilient infrastructure and internet connectivity via undersea cables. Regional Environment Governance: Wallis-et-Futuna is chairing the Fifth SPREP Executive Board Meeting in Apia, aiming to keep smaller territories’ environmental concerns front and centre while reviewing SPREP’s priorities, funding, and new initiatives. Japan–Pacific Security & Resilience: Japan is stepping up engagement across the Pacific, pairing environmental protection cooperation with expanded security assistance and disaster-resilience programmes in places like Fiji and the Solomon Islands. Climate Summit Politics: Australia’s A$20m bill to host a Fiji pre-COP31 climate meeting has sparked a political fight in Canberra, with critics arguing it should not come at a time of household cost-of-living pressure. Critical Minerals Pressure: A U.S. executive order on securing defense supply chains is raising stakes for critical minerals, with American Samoa pushing back on exploration plans and urging attention to alternative sources.