Pacific Security & Infrastructure: The US and New Zealand have signed on to build a US$60m deep-sea port on Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, with Washington putting in US$50m and NZ managing the build with US$10m—another sign of rising great-power competition in the Pacific. Niue Veterans’ Commemoration: Thirty-nine memorial headstones have arrived in Niue on an RNZAF C-130J to honour Niuean First World War servicemen, with the headstones to be installed across villages and linked to the Niue RSA and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force legacy. Regional Diplomacy in Motion: Pacific leaders are gathering in Palau for the Pacific Islands Forum, but several key leaders are absent, while New Zealand’s Winston Peters says the meeting still matters despite the empty seats. Realm of New Zealand Talks: In Auckland, Luxon met with Niue PM Dalton Tagelagi, Cook Islands PM Mark Brown and Tokelau’s Alapati Tavite for the first four-way Realm leaders meeting, focusing on shared security, economics and how to turn regional plans into deliverables. Climate Mobility Funding: Fiji’s environment secretary launched a NZ-backed NZ$17.9m climate mobility partnerships programme to help Pacific communities plan relocations and protect rights, implemented with IOM and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. Diplomatic Recognition Pressure: Kiribati is considering a constitutional change that would make it harder for future governments to switch recognition away from UN-recognised states—aimed at locking in ties with China.