El Niño Fire Crisis in West New Britain: Severe El Niño conditions are driving fast-moving wildfires through coconut and oil palm plantations in Hoskins, destroying vegetation and food gardens, choking communities with smoke and ash, and threatening wildlife, ecosystems and even aircraft operations. Cross-Border Ranger Cooperation: Torres Strait (Zenadth Kes) rangers and PNG’s South Fly Rangers held a three-day knowledge exchange under the Torres Strait Treaty, sharing traditional ecological knowledge and western science to strengthen land and sea conservation, including dugong and turtle management, amid climate and food-water pressures. Pacific Climate Diplomacy at Pre-COP31: PNG’s Environment and Climate Change Permanent Secretary Dr Sivendra Michael says Pre-COP31 will be a disappointment unless ministers in Nadi and Tuvalu push for stronger action, warning “no decision is better than a weak decision” and linking just transition to real finance. Ocean Conservation Funding for PNG: The Bezos Earth Fund announced $25M in new ocean grants across Cook Islands, Kiribati, PNG, Tonga and Vanuatu, including support for PNG’s first large offshore marine protected area and broader efforts to protect connected marine habitats. Water Rescue for Farmers: PNG’s Fresh Produce Development Agency released K1 million for water cartage and irrigation rollouts to help drought-hit farmers keep crops alive and protect food security. Health and Malaria Research: PNG and Japan launched a five-year project to eliminate malaria, with field work focused on East Sepik and support in Madang and Port Moresby to strengthen prevention, detection and response. Community-Led Innovation Spotlight: At a PNG science conference in Goroka, University of Natural Resources and Environment researcher Kathleen Diapong won Innovator of the Year for a local stockfeed formulation, highlighting practical solutions for sustainable livelihoods.