Ocean Sovereignty & Seabed Mining: Indigenous leaders across the Pacific are pushing back on deep-sea mining, framing it as a sovereignty issue—not just an environmental one—after New Caledonia adopted a 50-year ban on commercial seabed mining. Whale Protection Lawmaking: The Moananui Sanctuary Trust released two model legislative frameworks for public consultation, aiming to give whales stronger legal rights rooted in Pacific traditions. French Polynesia Marine Expansion: President Moetai Brotherson says fully protected “no-take” zones inside Tainui Ātea will grow from 1.1 to 1.6 million sq km, adding new protected areas near the Marquesas and Austral Islands. World Ocean Day Conservation-Tourism Link: Local voices argue conservation and tourism can reinforce each other when protections are real and locally grounded. UN Decolonisation Pressure: BVI and other Pacific advocates urged the UN C24 committee to use “good offices” and visiting missions to speed decolonisation of remaining territories. Regional Security & Cyber Drills: U.S. Army Pacific’s new TIAD unit joined France-led Marara 26 in French Polynesia, expanding cooperation into cyber defense. Local Governance Watchdog: A French Polynesia audit finds management and monitoring gaps at UNESCO sites like Taputapuatea and the Marquesas Islands. Disaster Preparedness: After a 7.8 quake near Mindanao, tsunami advisories covered parts of the Pacific including French Polynesia, with authorities told to keep coastal populations informed.