Cook Islands Tourism & Cost of Living: A hotel boss says tourism is booming, but families are still feeling the pinch, with power, water and imported goods costs hitting hardest. Energy & Household Relief: Fuel prices are expected to fall within weeks, but food relief is likely to take at least six months. ADB Investment in Local Business: ADB Frontier Seed backs Cook Islands fashion brand Manini Wear with USD 130,000 to cut ocean freight emissions and expand retail into Aitutaki. Banking & Sport Sponsorship: Bank South Pacific is confirmed as a major sponsor of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, supporting regional pride and community engagement. Climate Finance Delays: The Loss and Damage fund won’t approve its first projects until December, after a large gap between needs and available resources. Deep-Sea Mining Debate: Te Ipukarea Society calls for open public discussion of deep-seabed mining ahead of elections, arguing voters deserve clarity on candidates’ positions. Youth & Elections: The Cook Islands National Youth Council launches a candidate dialogue series to boost young people’s participation in the General Election. Regional Banking Leadership: ANZ announces a Pacific leadership reshuffle, with a new Samoa country head overseeing ANZ Cook Islands and ANZ Tonga. Governance & Payments Transparency: A letter questions why an accommodation payments initiative is led by MFEM rather than Tourism Cook Islands, urging clearer transparency for businesses.