Pacific Women Leadership: Australia backs the next phase of Pacific Women Lead with AU$195m, but a Palau leaders’ retreat still shows zero women among 13 national leaders—highlighting selection and political-party pipelines as the real bottleneck. H-1B Shock to Hiring: The Trump administration proposes ending the 60-day grace period for H-1B workers after job loss, forcing faster departures and raising disruption risks for US tech hiring. Singapore AI Accountability: A survey finds 86% of Singapore CEOs fear their jobs if AI fails to deliver measurable gains, pushing firms toward stronger governance and controls. Selective Hiring in Singapore: Even with better revenue, 52% of firms hire selectively; 27% have frozen hiring and 17% are cutting staff as employment expectations weaken. US-India Cyber Blacklist Push: US lawmakers urge blacklisting Indian hack-for-hire firms (BellTroX, CyberRoot, Appin/Sunkissed Organic Farms) over alleged long-running espionage. Pacific Online Harm: A Pacific-focused documentary spotlights cyberbullying and privacy harms in Aotearoa, tying online shame to real-world community impacts. Pacific Mobility Policy: New Zealand First proposes a 24-month clemency for Pacific overstayers, but with deportation and a permanent visa ban after the deadline. Infrastructure Jobs Boost (Australia): The M1 Pacific Motorway extension opens in NSW, funded with $2.24b and drawing 70% of workers from the Hunter region. Oilfield Employment (Uganda): China-built Kingfisher core surface facilities pass completion acceptance, setting up production and expected local jobs. BRICS Diplomacy: Xi Jinping is set to attend BRICS in New Delhi for the first time in seven years, with India aiming to bridge member differences. Bank Strike (India): India’s bank unions plan a nationwide strike on Sept 11, likely disrupting public-sector services for several days.