Pacific Sports & Diplomacy: Australia’s push to fund the PNG Chiefs via a Pacific rugby league partnership comes with political strings tied to China security moves, while Samoa and Tonga leaders are already lining up for the money and pathways. Rugby League Facilities: Tonga’s “daring to dream” plan includes upgrading Teufaiva Stadium and building a high-performance centre, plus school programs and youth/violence prevention funding. Conservation & Birds: Samoa Conservation Society becomes BirdLife International’s 125th partner, aiming to boost protection for the Manumea and expand technical support. Climate & Reefs: New reporting highlights how El Niño can worsen coral bleaching risk across Asia and the Pacific, stressing the need for reef monitoring. Taro Research: USP’s Abhineshwar Vinay Prasad is developing climate-smart taro tools using upgraded APSIM modelling for Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Hydro-Met Recognition: Nominations are open for the Pacific Meteorological Council Awards 2026 in Tonga. Aviation Upgrade: Faleolo International Airport’s new apron and aerobridges mark a major step up in Samoa’s air travel infrastructure. Critical Minerals: The US flags Cook Islands seabed minerals as a top priority, warning small states about China’s growing influence. Tech Reliability: Telstra’s mobile outage is linked to a software fault that reset a GPS node, disrupting network timing and services.