Pacific Islands Forum: The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will be held in Palau from August 30 to September 4, with a focus on “Building Economies: Life, Action, Unity,” and analysts flag major Indo-Pacific geopolitical stakes as China and the United States compete for influence in the region. Drug crisis push: A new Pacific Security College paper calls for a regional summit next year to tackle a rapidly escalating methamphetamine crisis, warning it’s spreading beyond trafficking routes and straining health and justice systems while fueling violence and social stress. Family policy in focus: Coverage highlights how maternity and paternity leave can improve maternal recovery, mental health, breastfeeding, child outcomes, and gender equity—while noting Pacific implementation still has work to do. Plastic pollution pressure: Kiribati is urging stronger upstream action on plastics, citing daily plastic waste and limited options for treatment, with remoteness and small land area making the problem harder to manage.