Belau Games: Palau opened the 2026 Belau Games in Koror with full participation—about 1,200 athletes and all 16 states competing through next Wednesday. Tropical Weather: Palau is bracing for choppy seas and gusts up to 30 mph as Invest 97W develops near Yap, with conditions expected to ease later this week. Marianas Forecast: In the Marianas, officials say it’s still too early to judge impacts from Invest 90W, which remains disorganized near Chuuk and is rated low for development. Air Connectivity: Nauru Airlines has ended its scheduled Koror and Pohnpei services, raising questions about future North Pacific Connector links for Palau and FSM. Coast Guard Change: A new commanding officer took over USCGC Myrtle Hazard in Guam, with the cutter recently delivering typhoon relief and supporting port reopenings. Culture & Heritage: Palau mourns Master Navigator Sesario Sewralur, son of Mau Piailug, who died in Taiwan and leaves a legacy of Pacific wayfinding. Public Health: A WHO-UNICEF report says many Pacific countries, including FSM and Palau, are struggling to hit 90% vaccination targets across all vaccine types. Regional Security: Micronesia’s president denounced Japan’s Fukushima water release at the UN, calling it a grave threat to the Blue Pacific. Disaster Finance: PCRIC opened a regional office in Suva, marking 10 years of sovereign disaster risk insurance for Pacific governments.