Pacific Security & Defence: French Pacific Command says it had advance notice of China’s SLBM launch and frames it as a test of nuclear deterrence, while stressing France’s role as a “resident Pacific power.” Local Connectivity Policy: Starlink roaming rules could cut off French Polynesia users as early as Aug. 10 after long stays abroad, pushing the government to draft a bill to authorize Starlink for “white zones” with local registration and a local office. High Seas & Mining Law: A US startup seeks Trump administration approval to lease seabed areas just beyond French Polynesia, Cook Islands, and Kiribati exclusive zones, raising alarms about deep-sea mining bypassing the International Seabed Authority. Ocean Governance Funding: Bloomberg Philanthropies pledges $260M to help small island nations implement and enforce ocean protection plans under the new High Seas Treaty. Indigenous Rights & Conflict Legacy: Indigenous delegates are taking the ongoing impacts of state violence and dispossession to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, arguing peace requires full self-determination. Decolonization Debate: Azerbaijan’s leaders and media forum remarks keep decolonization and colonial governance in the spotlight, directly challenging France’s overseas-territory narrative. Environment Watch: A French marine foundation warns over a third of shark species face extinction, citing overfishing, fin trade, and climate change.