Pacific Islands Forum in Palau: Leaders are gathering in Koror for the 55th Pacific Islands Forum under “BELAU – Building Economies: Life. Action. Unity,” with Solomon Islands’ hosting last year still shaping debate on who gets to attend and how partners engage. Taiwan returns to PIF events: The US-backed Taiwan delegation is attending this year’s summit-related dialogues after being barred in 2025, with Taiwan highlighting cooperation in digital resilience, renewable energy, and smart health. Climate pressure on Australia: Forum coverage points to renewed calls for Australia to cut coal and gas and show climate solidarity as Pacific leaders push for faster emissions action. Marovo Kavachi Seascape Park: Wildlife Conservation Society consultations in Western Province show strong community support for a proposed seascape national park to protect the underwater volcanic area from overfishing, illegal harvesting, and deep-sea mining. Solomon Islands payments upgrade: The Central Bank has launched an Instant Funds Transfer service to speed money transfers between participating banks, with an initial SBD5,000 limit. Education and skills pipeline: Solomon Islands is preparing a fully funded initiative sending 1,000 students to China, starting with 200 later this year, targeting areas like IT, healthcare, agriculture, and fisheries. Forest carbon policy: A new RISE project (Rights, Integrity, Safeguards and Equity) was launched to strengthen safeguards and community leadership in Solomon Islands’ emerging forest carbon market.