French Aid to New Caledonia: Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says France will add another financial “lifebuoy” for New Caledonia after talks with President Milakulo Tukumuli, targeting a near-collapse of the territory’s pension and healthcare systems and support to close the 2026 accounts (€11m) and balance the 2027 budget (€50m), with the wider package described as €400–€600m. ICJ Pressure Over Pacific Islands: Vanuatu has filed at the International Court of Justice against France over sovereignty of Matthew and Hunter islands (Umaenupne/Umaeneg) and asks for a single maritime boundary with New Caledonia; the ICJ says no case action can proceed without France consenting to jurisdiction, while France reiterates its sovereignty. Kanaky Decolonisation Push: Melanesian Spearhead Group and civil society groups are urging Pacific Islands Forum leaders to keep Kanaky decolonisation, human rights and self-determination high on the agenda, arguing France’s approach is misleading and that monitoring and renewed UN-backed attention are needed. Pacific Forum Reform Agenda: Forum leaders in Palau backed reforms to strengthen regional architecture, boost climate action and security cooperation, and mobilise more funding for the Pacific Resilience Facility as geopolitical competition and climate risks intensify. Nickel Market Watch: Indonesia’s reduced 2026 nickel ore quota (down ~29–31% to ~260–270m wet metric tonnes) tightens feedstock availability and increases policy control, reshaping how smelters and battery-material projects compete for specific ore types.