Parental Leave Watch: Estonia’s paid maternity and parental leave model is held up as a benchmark, while other countries still leave new parents unpaid or under-supported. Maritime & Trade Disruption: A Russian strike hit a civilian commercial ship unloading mineral fertilizers at Odesa, killing three crew and injuring five, while the Strait of Hormuz remains under full conflict conditions after renewed attacks and legal changes affecting Iranian oil sales. Cybercrime Crackdown: INTERPOL’s Operation First Light 2026 wrapped up with 5,811 arrests and about $293M seized across 97 countries, targeting social engineering scams and laundering networks. Water & Power Recovery (Guam): Guam Waterworks Authority reported thousands still without water after Super Typhoon Bavi, and Guam Power Authority said about 66% of feeders were energized as restoration continues. Palau Industry & Sustainability: Palau is expanding sustainable giant clam farming with a first community-managed satellite hatchery, and a Palau solar-plus-storage site is set to add 19.8MWh of battery storage. Palau Tech & Tourism: Taiwan and Palau are partnering on a Smart Golf Experience Pavilion at the Taiwan–Palau Trade & Cultural Show. Security & Legal: Todd Osterloh was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice of Palau, and PICRC welcomed Sheldon Salvador as its new Security Officer. Shipping Safety (Somalia): The humanitarian situation aboard the Palau-flagged MT HONOUR 25 is worsening, with 17 crew still held and health and food conditions deteriorating.