Electoral Roll Update: France’s Constitutional Council has approved a partial “unfreezing” of New Caledonia’s electoral roll for the 28 June 2026 provincial elections, allowing more than 10,000 additional voters—aimed at people born after November 1998 who were previously blocked under the Nouméa Accord-era restrictions. Health Sector Restructuring: Nouméa’s health stakeholders met for three days to tackle a sector under strain—chronic disease costs, youth addictions, staffing shortages, expensive medical evacuations and fragile finances—with priorities set around making health jobs more attractive, reorganising care delivery, and restoring financial sustainability. Competition Law Passes: Congress adopted a New Caledonia competition bill to curb abusive practices like excessive pricing and late payments, including tighter merger controls and new rules on payment deadlines—while the government removed parts that would have expanded the Competition Authority’s powers, a move criticised as undermining independence. International Travel Signal: The US has lowered its travel advisory for New Caledonia from Level 3 to Level 2, citing improved safety while still warning about petty crime, political demonstrations and limited help outside Nouméa. Regional Fisheries Governance: The Pacific Tuna Initiative expanded to Palau, building on work already underway in Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia to strengthen tuna management and ocean governance.