More Top Stories
$541.7m tourism earnings
25 January 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
Top cop position advertised
7 December 2024
Police need numbers and bigger budget
9 December 2024
Niki Rattle: A call for stronger human rights protections
10 December 2024
Solid and Hazardous Waste Bill referred to Parliament committee
10 December 2024
DPM defends CIIC finance and travel policies
6 December 2024
Cook Islands has its first mosque
14 November 2024
CI Muslim opens up about her faith and journey
16 November 2024
RAC to address mosque legality
19 November 2024
I don’t expect much change: PM Brown on US Elections
6 November 2024
Fifth weekly Sydney flight to Rarotonga announced
23 October 2024
CIIC directors seek $350,000 in damages over defamatory claims
21 October 2024
Man found guilty of rape, burglary
24 September 2024
Tenants face water bill burden
8 October 2024
Concerns over Minister’s role in inmate work releases: PAC
5 October 2024
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Deep sea dilemma: Cook Islanders weigh the cost of mineral riches
21 September 2024
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
Cook Islands deep sea mining poll sparks controversy
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Rising seas, rising costs: Climate impacts on Cook Islands economy
2 September 2024
Inflation eases but concerns remain
31 August 2024
Prime Minister defends $659,000 MPs travel bill
23 August 2024
Taxpayers foot $659,000 bill for MPs travel and allowance
22 August 2024
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
PM Brown eager to hand over Forum chair role to Tonga
13 August 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
Pacific
War on drugs: Fiji soldiers may be deployed to assist police, says Govt
Fiji’s government has announced that military personnel may soon join police in addressing the country’s drug crisis.
Balancing tourism and culture
Cook Islands Tourism’s transparent, inclusive and practical planning public consultation which explored the challenges and opportunities tourism brings in all areas of wellbeing, drew a good number of community members.
Cyclone was 'worst in living memory'
FIJI – A community leader on the Fiji island of Ono-i-lau says the damaging winds from yesterday’s cyclone Gita were the most frightening and dangerous on living memory on the island.
Tonga and Samoa face long recoveries
TONGA – Tonga could take six months or more to recover from what’s being called the worst storm there in 60 years, while nearly half of Fiji island’s residents are still in evacuation centres.
Move to get rid of Poverty
NEW ZEALAND – Captain Cook saw nothing of value in Poverty Bay when he named it in 1769 – but 250 years later that could be about to change.
Collective arbitration urged
FIJI – Pacific countries working together on international arbitration reform is the aim of discussions this week in Fiji.
UN concered at Fiji media curbs
FIJI – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights says the limits imposed on journalists in Fiji are “highly worrying.’’
Samoa needs building materials
SAMOA – Families in Samoa who have had their houses severely affected by the flash floods says building materials is a huge demand post Cyclone Gita.
Neighbours responding with aid
PACIFIC – Aid is on it way to Tonga. A RNZAF C130 Hercules aircraft carrying 12 tonnes of emergency relief supplies departed for Tonga yesterday.
Communications down in Lau islands
FIJI – Fiji’s Red Cross has grave concerns for people on the Southern Lau islands of Ono-i-Lau and Vatoa, after communications went down.
Water, shelter and food main needs in Tonga
TONGA – Disaster assessment teams in Tonga say water, shelter and food are the immediate needs for people still reeling from the destruction brought by Tropical Cyclone Gita.
Housing stocktake 'sobering'
New Zealand’s Housing Minister Phil Twyford has released a “sobering” stocktake on housing which has found homelessness was worse than thought and there was a growing “floating” population of people in insecure housing.
Rain and more rain on the menu
The New Zealand MetService issued a severe weather warning with heavy rain forecast in Northland at midday yesterday.
Tonga takes direct hit from cyclone
TONGA – Tropical cyclone Gita hit Tonga overnight as a category four storm and the most intense to hit the country in 60 years.
Samoa assesses damage
SAMOA – Some parts of Samoa are still under water following Tropical Cyclone Gita as emergency services struggle to clear roads and put back power on.
Ban could be the last straw
HAWAI‘I – A bill to ban the sale and distribution of plastic straws in the US state of Hawaii is gathering support.
Plastic bottles scourge of the Pacific
SAMOA – With a number of Pacific countries banning plastic bags in response to the pollution in the ocean, Samoa continues to face a dilemma on how to manage its waste.
Cyclone Gita churns through islands
SAMOA – Samoa is in recovery mode after Cyclone Gita ravaged the island nation and now the storm system has Tonga in its sights.
Storm lashes islands
SAMOA – Cyclone Gita is hitting Samoa and American Samoa with strong winds and torrential rains, and authorities are warning people to stay indoors.
Taufatofua takes his shirt of again
TONGA – He did it again.
New Zealand to help Kiribati with marine safety
KIRIBATI – New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is planning to look at wider distribution of emergency locator beacons in Kiribati in the wake of last month’s ferry disaster.
Judge orders medivac of refugee teen
AUSTRALIA – Australia has been ordered to bring a young girl from the Nauru detention centre to Australia for urgent psychiatric treatment, with warnings she could take her own life without intervention.