Amelia Earhart search in Kiribati: The Taraia Object expedition has completed its team assembly in Tarawa and is preparing to sail to Nikumaroro, with a planned Oct. 7 departure after logistics checks and coordination with the Kiribati National Shipping Line. The Purdue-led, Archaeological Legacy Institute-backed effort aims to investigate a lagoon anomaly tied to Earhart’s missing Lockheed Electra 10-E. Disability & climate finance: Pacific disability advocates at Fiji Pre-COP31 are pushing for disability justice in climate planning, warning that inaccessible evacuation planning, infrastructure and services leave people with disabilities exposed as sea levels rise and cyclones intensify. Pacific health security funding: WHO and partners unveiled a Western Pacific Pandemic Fund multi-country project for 12 countries, including Kiribati, to strengthen surveillance, lab capacity and emergency response with a $35.99 million grant. Ocean conservation grants: The Bezos Earth Fund announced $25+ million in new ocean protection grants across five Pacific island nations, including Kiribati, targeting conservation across 625,000+ square miles and supporting longer-term marine management. Climate risk for atoll nations: A 1.5 to Stay Alive forum highlights how small increases in sea level can sharply worsen flooding and food and fisheries risks for places like Kiribati.