Niue Honey & Local Experiences: A rainy morning tour got swapped on the spot, and a Niue Honey visit turned into a behind-the-scenes look at the island’s bee revival—starting from Italian hives brought in the late 1960s, later expanded, then left to the jungle after a caretaker’s death, before being rediscovered and brought back to life by new owners. Pacific Ocean Conservation Funding: The Bezos Earth Fund announced US$25 million in grants to protect tropical Pacific waters, supporting marine protected areas across Cook Islands, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Tonga and Vanuatu, plus work toward international high-seas protections. Travel Policy Watch for Pacific Families: Labour says it would expand visa-waiver travel for citizens of Pacific Islands Forum nations if elected, aiming to make it easier and cheaper for families in Aotearoa to reconnect for weddings, funerals and cultural events. Earthshot Prize Climate Spotlight: Prince William named 15 Earthshot Prize 2026 finalists ahead of awards in Mumbai in November, highlighting environmental innovation worldwide. Regional Ports & Security: The US says any future military presence tied to a planned Penrhyn port upgrade in the northern Cook Islands is “all being negotiated,” even as the port project itself is described as not a US base.