More Top Stories
‘Nothing to worry about’: Prime Minister Brown on China agreement
16 February 2025
‘Serious questions’: Opposition challenges China partnership
15 February 2025
No-confidence motion against PM and his Cabinet faces delays
15 February 2025
Ruta Mave: People’s Republic of China red flag
10 February 2025
No debt in China deal
8 February 2025
Thomas Wynne: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?
8 February 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
$541.7m tourism earnings
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
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Pacific
NZ looks forward to talks with Cook Islands govt
New Zealand has indicated to the Cook Islands Government that they are looking forward to discussions between relevant officials on their concerns related to the China / Cook Islands agreement.
Cook Islands seeking New Zealand expertise for Sovereign Wealth Fund
The Cook Islands government has taken further steps towards establishing a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), with officials currently in New Zealand holding discussions with financial experts, Prime Minister Mark Brown told Parliament this week.
Shots fired in Manus Island melee
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea’s Defence Force is investigating an incident in which military personnel fired shots at Australia’s refugee detention centre on Manus Island.
Tribute for woman who designed PNG's flag
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea’s Prime Minister has extended condolences to the family of the woman who designed the national flag, the late Susan Karike Huhume.
Press ban amounts to diplomatic insult
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Australia and Papua New Guinea must review media relations after two separate but equally “shocking” bans on PNG press, according to the Pacific Freedom Forum.
Pay fines or boats will be destroyed
SOLOMON ISLANDS – Vietnamese fishing boats caught fishing illegally in Solomon Islands have been fined US$4.6 million – and if the owners don’t come forward and pay the fines the boats will be destroyed.
Niueans fight to retain language
NIUE – Niuean leaders are calling for locals and Niueans living abroad to fight for the preservation of Niuean language.
PNG press ban a colonial flashback
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A ban on local media from covering press conferences held by Australia’s prime minister Malcolm Turnbull during his visit to Papua New Guinea has been described as an example of remnant attitudes leftover from colonial times.
Students bong session went viral
FIJI – Six students of a high school in Nadi have been removed from the institution after they were photographed allegedly smoking drugs.
Nuie league looking for talent
NIUE – Niue’s rugby league coach is hoping that more players with Niuean heritage will be discovered now that an Emerging Nations World Championship has been confirmed.
Child labour decreasing
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – The International Labour Organisation says Papua New Guinea’s government is making inroads to the problem of child labour.
Backflip on military build-up questioned
GUAM – A chorus of voices on Guam is questioning the governor’s decision to withdraw his support for the military build-up.
Four Vanuatu MPs cross the floor
VANUATU – Four MPs in Vanuatu have crossed the floor strengthening government numbers but still not by enough to ensure proposed constitutional reforms.
Barred from press conferences
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A veteran journalist says she was told she could not attend press conferences during last week’s visit to Papua New Guinea by Australia’s prime minister.
Islands assessing cyclone damage
NEW CALEDONIA – The body of a 73-year-old man has been found a day after he went missing during Cyclone Cook in New Caledonia.
NZ patrol boat Hawea to be stationed in Fiji
FIJI – New Zealand will send the inshore patrol vessel HMNZS Hawea and a crew of 25 to Fiji for six months from May in a major advance in defence cooperation between the two countries.
Herald raises $216,000 for Pacific project
PACIFIC – A joint New Zealand Herald and World Vision effort to raise money for those living in the remote Pacific has brought in more than double its initial target.
Samoa issues typhoid health alert
NEW ZEALAND – Samoan health officials have issued a health alert, warning anyone who has been to Auckland in the past three weeks to get tested for typhoid.
Guam rejects US military build up
GUAM – The Governor of Guam, Eddie Calvo, has withdrawn his support for the build-up of United States military forces in the US territory.
Decrease in Pasifika migrants
NEW ZEALAND – Tighter immigration policies have led to significant falls in the number of approved Pacific migrants to New Zealand over the past five years.
Poverty seen as driver of sorcery
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – A Papua New Guinea NGO says poverty is a prominent factor in ongoing sorcery-related attacks and killings.
'Grand Chief' bids farewell to parliament
PAPUA NEW GUINEA – Papua New Guinea’s former prime minister Sir Michael Somare was given a standing ovation this week as he gave his farewell speech to parliament.