Pre-COP31 Cost Fight: Australia’s A$20m bill to host the Pre-COP31 climate summit in Fiji has triggered a political clash in Canberra, with opposition MPs saying households can’t afford more spending while the government calls it regional climate leadership. Tuvalu-Japan Climate Diplomacy: Tuvalu PM Feleti Teo has invited Japan’s PM Sanae Takaichi to attend Tuvalu’s Pre-COP31 Leaders’ Event, aiming to boost direct engagement on climate, resilience, and climate finance. Tuvalu Shipping Emissions Rules: Tuvalu has proposed the toughest amendments to the IMO Net-Zero Framework, including shifting key compliance steps and raising remedial unit prices—pushing harder costs onto shipping pollution. Ocean & Fisheries Push: Pacific foreign ministers backed stronger fisheries protection, ocean governance, and maritime boundaries, endorsing a new regional fisheries strategy for 2026–2035. El Niño Water Stress: El Niño is already tightening water and food supplies across the Pacific, with Fiji warning of possible drastic measures and Papua New Guinea preparing for partial water shutdowns. Digital Safety & AI Principles: Pacific ministers backed regional AI rules and safer digital spaces as connectivity expands, linking tech governance to broader regional security. Climate–Peace Framing: A new policy brief urges the Pacific to move from a “climate–conflict” focus toward climate–peace approaches rooted in social cohesion, culture, and ecological stewardship. Tuvalu in UN Peacekeeping: Tuvalu has deployed its first four police officers to a UN mission in South Sudan, marking a major step in international peace-support capacity.