Pacific Games & Tourism: The Pacific Games Council has given Tahiti 2027 a thumbs-up, saying preparations are on track after facility tours and briefings; key venues and athlete accommodation are expected to be ready by end of Q1 2027. Cruise Industry & Connectivity: Royal Caribbean is expanding its 2027-28 Australian fleet to three ships, with Ovation of the Seas returning to Brisbane after refurbishment—boosting capacity for South Pacific travel that includes French Polynesia. Climate & Regional Policy: Forum foreign ministers backed a stronger climate push ahead of COP31, endorsing the COP31 Pacific Partnership and calling for more climate finance, renewable investment, and Pacific leadership; French Polynesia attended at special envoy level. Environment Governance: SPREP’s fifth Executive Board meeting in Samoa focused on the “triple planetary crises” (climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution), with priorities and funding discussions for the year ahead. Deep-Sea Mining & Local Stakes: Te Ipukarea Society raised Cook Islands concerns at the International Seabed Authority, opposing a US company’s bid for an exploration licence in the South Penrhyn Basin—an area surrounded by Cook Islands, Kiribati and French Polynesia. Ocean Tech & Safety Narrative: Ocean conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle says her DOER Marine “Honu” submersible will make its first dive in French Polynesia later this year, positioning certified deep-sea exploration as safer than flying.