Pacific Islands Forum diplomacy: Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. urged Pacific ACP states to ratify the EU’s 20-year Samoa Agreement, saying leaders need stronger international partnerships as geopolitics tightens. Niue–PNG cooperation: Niue Prime Minister Dalton Tagelagi and PNG PM James Marape signed a framework for development and technical cooperation, opening the door to deals across trade, health, climate resilience, infrastructure and skills. Realm talks in Auckland: New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon met Cook Islands PM Mark Brown, Niue PM Tagelagi and Tokelau Ulu Alapati Tavite for the first four-way Realm leaders’ meeting, focusing on shared security, regional cooperation and practical action ahead of Palau. Regional security and unity: Ahead of the 55th Forum in Palau, leaders flagged a tougher agenda shaped by geopolitics, transnational crime and pressure on regional integration. Niue remembrance: 39 Niuean First World War memorial headstones were delivered to Alofi by NZDF, to be installed across villages to honour servicemen who left more than a century ago. Climate finance on the move: The Pacific Resilience Facility is taking 14 community projects to pre-COP events and COP31, including water, food, coastal restoration and renewable energy initiatives. Pacific infrastructure geopolitics: The US and NZ backed a US$60m deep-sea port plan on Penrhyn in the Cook Islands, with NZ managing construction—another sign of strategic competition in the region.