Education Tech in Samoa: Samoa has launched the Samoa Education Management Information System (SEMIS) to give officials real-time data on students, teachers and schools, aiming to improve planning, accountability and learning outcomes with support from the Pacific Community’s EQAP. Youth & Digital Inclusion: A UN Common Country Analysis youth consultation in Apia drew calls for better jobs, stronger mental health support, more access to digital technology, and a bigger role for young people in decisions shaping Samoa’s future. Payments Upgrade (Cook Islands → wider Pacific): BSP Cook Islands has rolled out faster 4G EFTPoS terminals (Verifone V660P 4G), replacing older devices and cutting wait times; BSP says it has upgraded nearly 7,000 terminals across PNG, Tonga and Samoa and will continue across the region. Ocean Protection vs Deep-Sea Mining: UNICEF Pacific Ambassador Moemoana Schwenke urged Pacific Islanders to oppose deep-sea mining, warning it could irreversibly damage ecosystems and the Moana that sustains Pacific communities. Pacific Ocean Governance: Pacific nations are moving to turn a South Pacific albacore tuna deal into enforceable rules, with new implementing arrangements to guide how fishing levels are set and managed. Samoa Leadership Moves: Cabinet approved CEO appointments including Vaelua Sonny Brown for Samoa Shipping Corporation and Tamaletā Taimang Jensen for the Development Bank of Samoa. Health Research Access: Indigenous health experts in Samoa are pushing for Pacific participation in precision medicine research so genomics and genomics-based care don’t widen existing health gaps.