Pacific Islands Forum in Palau: New Zealand’s Winston Peters says absences at the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting are “disappointing,” with leaders including Solomon Islands PM Matthew Wale (no-confidence motion) and others not attending, as the summit’s agenda turns on geopolitics, crime, resilience and regional unity. Realm of New Zealand talks: In Auckland, Christopher Luxon met Cook Islands PM Mark Brown, Niue PM Dalton Tagelagi and Tokelau Ulu Alapati Tavite for a “chance to talk” ahead of Palau, with Brown urging deliverables over more strategy. Deep-sea mining risk to sovereignty: A new report warns Pacific governments could face investor-state lawsuits if they tighten environmental rules or change deep-sea mining policy, naming the Cook Islands among those exposed. Domestic shipping upgrade: The MV Tuitui Moana is described as a “lifeline” for the Pa Enua, delivering on the Cook Islands Domestic Shipping Roadmap promise of safer, more reliable inter-island service. Banking outage: Customers report online banking lockouts and security concerns after a manual password reset error at a regional bank in the Cook Islands, though the bank says funds are safe. Local business support: BTIB’s free Mangaia workshop returns in September, focusing on soft loans, UCI branding, business planning, costing/pricing, forecasting and bookkeeping. Politics: Mark Brown is set to return as Cook Islands PM with a strong parliamentary majority after the 2026 election, boosted by support from six independents.