Nauru–Israel Diplomacy: Naoero (Nauru) opened its embassy in Jerusalem this week, with Vice President and Foreign Affairs Minister Lionel Rouwen Aingimea attending the ribbon-cutting alongside Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar—an event framed as a milestone in the two countries’ friendship. Pacific Social Protection: A UN DESA policy brief says Pacific Small Island Developing States need stronger social protection to cut poverty and build resilience to climate and economic shocks; it notes Nauru and Fiji cover about two-thirds of people, while several others sit below 30%. Pacific Security & Sovereignty: At the Pacific Islands Forum summit, 16 of 18 states backed a joint statement over China’s recent intercontinental ballistic missile test overflying the region without adequate notice; Nauru and Kiribati were the only holdouts. Deep-Sea Mining Permits: The U.S. is accelerating seabed mining licensing and permits, turning its dormant framework into a “seabed gold rush” test—raising questions for Pacific stakeholders about speed versus environmental review and legitimacy. Weather & Early Warning: Pacific meteorological leaders met to strengthen weather services and early warning systems, highlighting progress in Tonga, Kiribati and Tuvalu, including faster forecasting using AI. Regional Mobility for Work: Australia’s Labor government says farmers facing backpacker shortages under immigration changes should use the PALM scheme to recruit Pacific island workers and Timor-Leste.