Marshall Islands–Guam–Nebraska security deal: The Republic of the Marshall Islands has officially joined the U.S. State Partnership Program, signing a tri-lateral agreement with the Guam and Nebraska National Guards focused on emergency management, cyber defense, and security cooperation. Pacific Islands Forum in Palau: Leaders are heading to the 55th Pacific Islands Forum in Koror, Palau (about 2,000 attendees), with a packed agenda on climate resilience, ocean stewardship, energy security, and regional security—while geopolitics and transnational crime add pressure to keep the region united. Taiwan’s renewed Pacific push: The U.S. is backing Taiwan’s continued participation in PIF-related events, and Taiwan’s foreign minister is attending Palau’s Pacific Prosperity Exhibit and dialogue sessions, highlighting cooperation in low-carbon energy, smart agriculture, digital resilience, and healthcare. Shipping and energy risk in the Strait of Hormuz: Iran-linked reports and UK maritime updates point to renewed tanker disruption claims and heightened inbound scrutiny, as Washington escalates “economic D-Day” sanctions and warns of mine-clearance enforcement. Maritime decarbonisation debate: A Marshall Islands-based transport policy center says Japan’s IMO proposal for shipping emissions targets is too weak and shifts too much toward flexible offsetting. Onchain finance for RMI: Virtu, Tradeweb, and M1X completed a fast onchain repo using the Marshall Islands’ sovereign digital bond as collateral, signaling momentum for new capital-market rails. Industry and trade signals: Hanwha Shipping’s first VLCC delivery (Marshall Islands-registered) underscores accelerating fleet construction, while MCST’s shipping emissions critique keeps the focus on costs and climate impacts for shipping-dependent Pacific economies.