Transport & Regulation: Rarotonga’s new locally built ride-hailing service, Smartie Rides, is up and running—but it’s also spotlighting a licensing gap in the Cook Islands’ 1967 Transport Licensing Act, with calls to update rules for app-based vehicle-sharing. Cost of Living & Housing: Cook Islands Party PM Mark Brown says cost of living and housing are the top priorities for the first 100 days after the 2026 election, including a promised cost-of-living review and progress on a National Housing Strategy 2030. Seabed Minerals Governance: Cook Islanders have returned from China training on deep-sea resource management, while Kiribati’s fisheries minister visited Rarotonga to study seabed minerals governance arrangements—both pointing to growing regional focus on ocean rules. Regional Diplomacy: The US is being urged to lift its Pacific presence, with a reported Cook Islands link via US investment in the Penrhyn port project. Sports & Youth: Cook Islands opened Netball World Cup Qualifiers with a loss to Tonga, and the country also backed regional sport through events like the Oceania Women’s Handball Championship and school competitions in New Zealand. Governance Scrutiny: A letter asks PM Brown to clarify whether George “Maggie” Angene is still a minister, after claims about his warrant and reports he’s been seen using a government vehicle.