Deep-Sea Mining & Governance: Nauru-backed NORI and Tonga Offshore Mining (TOML) have filed parallel cases at ITLOS challenging the International Seabed Authority’s compliance inquiry, arguing due process, transparency, and non-discrimination breaches—an early stress test for seabed rules that could shape Nauru’s mining future. Critical Minerals Policy: A Vancouver CEO tied to The Metals Company says the firm is ready to work with the Trump administration as the U.S. pushes faster deep-sea mining, including moves that reach beyond U.S. waters—raising new pressure on the multilateral system. Pacific Fisheries Cooperation: New Zealand hosted Pacific Fisheries Ministers for the Forum Fisheries Committee meeting, focusing on sustainable management of the region’s fisheries and strengthening cooperation across the Blue Pacific. Security Pacts in the Pacific: Australia and Vanuatu signed the Nakamal Agreement, a security deal framed around preventing militarization and foreign interference, while Solomon Islands PM Matthew Wale’s Australia/NZ trip signals a shift away from China amid intensifying regional competition. Energy & Cost Pressures: A review of the Pacific fuel crisis shows diesel price ceilings rising sharply across islands and renewed calls for solar and renewables to reduce future shocks. Public Health: A global obesity ranking highlights Nauru’s extreme burden, with health impacts tied to the island’s economic and environmental history.