Pacific Islands Forum & Realm talks: Cook Islands PM Mark Brown joined NZ PM Christopher Luxon, Niue PM Dalton Tagelagi and Tokelau Ulu Alapati Tavite for the inaugural four-way Realm meeting in Auckland ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, with leaders flagging tougher regional work on geopolitics, transnational crime, resilience and regional integration. Regional diplomacy watch: Kiribati is considering a constitutional change that would make it harder for future governments to switch diplomatic recognition away from China, after repeated shifts between Beijing and Taipei. Culture & identity in the spotlight: Cook Islands Miss World delegate Tiare Henry-Anguna spoke about belonging and cultural roots at the pageant’s Head-to-Head challenge, while a Cook Islands menopause awareness programme brought long-silent health conversations into the open. Wayfinding heritage: Polynesian wayfinding stories continue to travel, with new Pwo Navigator inductions in Hawaiʻi highlighting leadership and stewardship in traditional navigation. Sport with Pacific pride: Joey Manu—Cook Islands and Māori heritage—has signed with the PNG Chiefs for their 2028 NRL debut, framed as building a “Pacific team,” and Cook Islands pickleball heads to its World Cup debut in Vietnam. Local sport updates: Cook Islands National Triples finals are set after postponement, and the national pickleball squad departs for Da Nang. Arts & media: Te Maeva Nui content creators were recognised for sharing behind-the-scenes cultural stories, and artist Mahiriki Tangaroa’s “Our Days of Harvest” exhibition spotlights agriculture and heritage preservation.