French Polynesia Election: Pro-independence forces won the second round of regional elections, with Oscar Temaru’s Tavini huiraatira taking 44.3% and an absolute majority in the assembly, setting up a likely nomination of Moetai Brotherson to lead the government and reopening the door to renewed pressure for a status referendum. France–Pacific Security: French Pacific Command chief Rear Adm. Guillaume Pinget says France had advance notice of China’s SLBM launch into the South Pacific and frames it as a test of nuclear deterrence, while stressing France’s role as a “resident Pacific power.” Nuclear-Free Pacific Push: Pacific civil society groups condemned nuclear and missile testing across the region, calling the Pacific “an ocean of peace, not a battleground” and rejecting militarisation regardless of who conducts it. Ocean Governance & Mining: A Bloomberg Philanthropies donation targets gaps in implementing the UN High Seas Treaty, while a separate report highlights a US push to seek approval for seabed mining exploration just beyond French Polynesia, Cook Islands, and Kiribati rights—raising new legal and political questions for the region. Fukushima Waste Concerns: Pacific Islands Forum leaders want more answers and evidence-based science on Japan’s plan to discharge treated Fukushima wastewater into the Pacific, citing the need for independent assessments. Biodiversity in French Polynesia: London Zoo conservation work for endangered partula snails includes markings to track their return to French Polynesia later this year, linking local conservation to broader policy attention. Tourism & Local Life: A separate travel story notes growing family travel demand even in classic luxury honeymoon destinations, including French Polynesia—an indirect signal of how visitor expectations may shape local services.