Oceans & fisheries policy: Pacific leaders meeting in Palau tightened their stance on ocean sovereignty, fisheries, deep-sea minerals and marine pollution, backing a regional ocean statement and pushing preparations for the 2027 BBNJ talks. Climate pressure on the Marshall Islands: Marshall Islands Climate Envoy Tina Stege and other leaders warned that UNEP findings show the world is on track to overshoot 1.5°C, threatening coral, tuna and island survival—calling for faster emissions cuts and a fossil-fuel phase-out. Pacific Islands Forum geopolitics: China’s “Wolf Warrior” diplomacy flared after Taiwan attended the PIF leaders’ meeting; China warned of “consequences,” while Palau and others also registered concern over China’s missile test and demanded transparency. Marshall Islands sovereignty row: Marshall Islands President Hilda Heine urged Washington to respect the country’s sovereignty after a Trump social media post lumped it among “U.S. territories.” Maritime business & compliance: Star Bulk moved toward a parallel listing and equity offering in Greece, while a separate report highlighted how shipping flags and ownership structures can complicate labor and environmental rules. Security & maritime economy: Australia announced a $600m Pacific surveillance push under the Waqa Moana initiative to target narco-smuggling routes. U.S. investment push: The U.S. pledged $150m+ for Pacific projects, including energy storage and port upgrades, with Marshall Islands support for mobile network modernization and a renewed Peace Corps presence. Gambling enforcement: Dutch authorities escalated action against Skyhills, with corporate links reported across multiple jurisdictions including the Marshall Islands. Local industry angle: A boatbuilding school in the Marshall Islands is training women to build fishing boats using modern plywood methods, aiming to improve inter-island transport capacity.