Pacific Security & Drugs: Australia pledges a $600m Pacific surveillance push under the Waqa Moana initiative to target narco-submarines and small smuggling vessels, aiming to curb a surge of cocaine shipments headed toward Australia. US-Pacific Funding: The U.S. announced $150m+ for Pacific priorities at the Palau PIF, including a proposed $60m regional fuel security effort, $17m to counter illegal fishing, plus port, digital and law-enforcement support. Micronesia Connectivity: A landmark East Micronesia Cable project has been delivered, bringing faster internet to over 100,000 people across FSM, Kiribati and Naoero, with Australia contributing about $65m. Climate-Resilient Schools: A new €17m EU-UNICEF program will upgrade Pacific school infrastructure and services so classrooms can stay open during cyclones, floods and sea-level impacts. Guam Regional Role: Guam Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero urged PIF members to grant Guam full membership, arguing the territory “watches through the window” while missing financing and partnerships. Deep-Sea Mining Pushback: American Samoa leaders and Greenpeace confronted NOAA’s Okeanos Explorer over concerns tied to proposed commercial deep-sea mining in U.S. waters. Diplomacy & Sovereignty: Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine told the U.S. to show “mutual respect” after Trump’s social media labeling of freely associated states as U.S. territories. Aviation Costs: Micronesian nations are exploring a regional airline consortium to break United’s Island Hopper monopoly and cut fares. Shipping Security: Guam customs flagged tampering and missing items on containers with broken seals, as lawmakers consider higher penalties for high-security seal failures.