Pacific Islands Forum: The 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting will be held in Palau from Aug 30–Sep 4, with “Building Economies: Life, Action, Unity” and big Indo-Pacific geopolitical stakes as China and the US compete for influence and regional tensions run across Polynesian, Micronesian, and Melanesian lines. Drug Crisis: A new Pacific Security College paper backs a proposed regional summit 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 breakdown. Family Policy: Coverage highlights why maternity and paternity leave matter for health, bonding, gender equity, and postpartum wellbeing—while noting Pacific implementation still lags commitments. Climate & Care: Another story flags a gap: care services are often missing from National Adaptation Plans and NDCs, even as El Niño-linked heat and disasters threaten the most vulnerable. Plastic Pollution: Kiribati is pushing upstream action as plastic waste piles up daily, with limited capacity to treat or export recyclables.