Deep-Sea Minerals: Mining firms are moving to extract apple-sized polymetallic nodules in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, a vast deep-Pacific area rich in battery metals like cobalt and manganese—raising major environmental and geopolitical questions for Pacific states. Energy Transition & COP31 Prep: Australia and Turkey’s electrification push is tied to COP31 planning in Antalya, with Pacific nations including Fiji and Tuvalu hosting pre-COP events as fuel costs and energy security pressures grow. Tuvalu Fossil Fuel Fallout: Tuvalu PM Feleti Teo says AFP’s report that the Tuvalu Trust Fund (managed by Mercer) invested in oil and coal is “not a good look,” and the government is reviewing the holdings. EU Seafood Rules: Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu trained in Suva to meet new EU freezer-vessel requirements that could affect about 97% of Pacific Island-flagged vessels exporting to the bloc. Tuvalu Climate Finance Push: Tuvalu’s GEF Assembly representative Maina Vakafua Talia urged “transformational change,” calling for bigger ambition, blended finance, and inclusive resilience for small island states. Solar Jobs in the Pacific: Pacific communities are accelerating solar skills and deployment as rising fuel bills bite, including Fiji’s Solar Scholars training and an Ovalau project aimed at local jobs and long-term maintenance.