NCDs and leadership: A CINews letter argues Cook Islands leaders should model healthier lifestyles, pointing to high NCD burden and premature deaths among working-age adults, and questions whether candidates are setting the standard they ask the public to follow. Breast cancer support: The Cook Islands Breast Cancer Foundation’s inaugural Beehive Ball in Wellington (Aug 8) spotlights major entertainment and a mission to save lives through awareness and screening. Language revival: Cook Islands Māori Language Week coverage highlights urgent concerns about te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani survival, with community calls for families and institutions to reconnect with the language. Heart health research: A Cook Islands Māori PhD study explores whether naturally warm lagoon bathing could support heart health, blending medical research with Pacific knowledge and elders’ connections to healing. Dengue warnings for travellers: Samoa is facing a dengue outbreak, and travel advisories urge Australians and others to prevent mosquito bites with repellent and protective clothing. Aitutaki lagoon protection: A public consultation update on Aitutaki’s Lagoon Management Plan focuses on co-management, ra’ui, stronger enforcement, and refreshed bylaws to protect the lagoon. Deep-sea mining debate: American Sāmoa’s pushback reflects the wider Pacific fight over seabed mining, with Cook Islands leaders defending exploration for jobs while critics warn science is uncertain. Scabies as a public health priority: A commentary urges treating scabies as more than an itchy rash, linking it to serious downstream infections and health harms.