‘True sportsmanship’: Chef de mission Short praises Team Cook Islands

Samasoni Mose Hewitt won gold in the Open Men High Jump at the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau. ACI/25070813 As the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau ended yesterday, Chef de Mission Mark Short says he was extremely proud of the athletes that...

Ruta Mave: The reality of immigration in the Cook Islands

Ruta Tangiiau Mave. Photo: CI NEWS Immigration is the international movement of people from one country to another and is a fundamental aspect of human history, though it was as divisive hundreds of years ago as it is today, writes Ruta Mave....

Cook Islands under scrutiny as deep-sea mining debate shifts from green transition to militarisation

This week, the Cook Islands came under scrutiny for excluding environmentalist groups from deep-sea mining consultations in Queensland, Australia. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to Pacific nations, but an escalating military buildup...

The Cook Islands’ Dilemma: To Mine or Not to Mine

This article is part of our series on responsible mining solutions. The push for clean energy is fueled by a growing demand for minerals, but conventional mining has a track record of harmful social and environmental impacts. Deep-sea mining is...

Cook Islands youth demand transparency in seabed mining talks

Cook Islander Helena Keenan-Williams is calling for greater transparency and genuine consultation over the government’s controversial seabed mining plans. Speaking from Sydney following a last-minute public meeting with Prime Minister Mark Brown,...

Cook Islands lawyer heads law enforcement agency in Fiji

Rokoika Law’s Lavi Rokoika. SUPPLIED/ 25060302 Cook Islands lawyer Lavi Rokoika has been appointed as the acting Commissioner of the Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC). Fiji’s Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka confirmed Rokoika’s...

Letter: Cook Islands sovereignty debate

Dear Editor, Joe T Public’s (JoeTP) (bully-boy tactics letter 20 June) was the clever work of a sophist (a person who peddles a fallacious argument to support a false conclusion) and reads very much like it is Government’s position and coming from...

Cook Islands PM hails strong ties with Australia after Sydney talks

Cook Islands Prime Minister this week met with Australia’s Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Pat Conroy in Sydney to strengthen bilateral ties and push forward shared regional priorities. “Our meeting was productive,...

Cook Islands waits on traditional partners as China shows interest

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (right) met with the Cook Islands’ Foreign Minister Tingika Elikana in Xiamen City, southeast China's Fujian Province, May 28, 2025. Chinese Foreign Ministry/25052803. Cook Islands awaits confirmation from New...

Tottenham vs Chelsea Live Stream: How to watch Premier League 2025/26 London Derby on TV and online

Tottenham face Chelsea in the Premier League this Saturday teatime in what has become one of the fiercest rivalries in recent seasons. The Battle of the Bridge, Tuchel and Conte’s touchline clash, and Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick against nine-man...

Cook Islands PM Brown leads seabed minerals dialogue in Australia

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will lead a 11-member delegation to Australia this week for an “open dialogue” on seabed exploration activities. The delegation includes: Sonny Williams – Associate Minister for Seabed Minerals, Travel Tou...

Liverpool vs Aston Villa live stream: How to watch Premier League 2025/26, TV channels, broadcasters

It's fair to say Liverpool's form has been a rollercoaster. The Reds have endured six defeats in their last seven matches across all competitions and looking to turn their fortunes around. Manager Arne Slot is under increasing pressure looking to...

Cook Islands hosts approximately 2000 foreign workers, says Minister Elikana

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Tingika Elikana in Parliament. LOSIRENE LACANIVALU/ 250217101 There are approximately 2000 foreign workers employed in the Cook Islands, according to Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration Tingika...

Pasifika health services scramble as measles cases rise

Pasifika medical providers are mobilising to vaccinate their community most at risk as the number of measles cases increases to 16 nationwide. While herd immunity needs to be at 95% to prevent an outbreak, data on fully vaccinated kids from a...

Stat of the week: In 2024, the Cook Islands recorded a negative trade balance of -161,697 USD

In 2024, the Cook Islands recorded a negative trade balance of -161,697 USD. This means the value of imports exceeded exports, highlighting ongoing economic pressures and reliance on external goods. As small island economies like the Cook Islands...

Cook Islands supports Australia’s proposal to host Pacific COP

Prime Minister Mark Brown with Australia’s Minister for International Development and Pacific Island Affairs, Pat Conroy MP. OPM/25052921 Prime Minister Mark Brown signalled the Cook Islands’ full support for Australia’s proposal to host a future...

Samoa snap general election: Election observer calls it a test of alignment

Preliminary election results are still trickling in for Samoa's 2025 snap election. Photo: RNZ/ Mark Papalii A Tasmanian academic observing Samoa's snap general election says the results will show whether voters are reaffirming the political shift...

COOK ISLANDS to FIJI to FICAC: As Malimali is suspended and her pony Fotofili has been sent back to his old judicial duties, Lawyer LAVI LOTU Rokoika takes charge as FICAC Acting Commissioner. Who is ROKOIKA?

The Legal Power Couple in Fiji COOK Islands Connection: A-G Graham Leung with Rokoika and her husband Ratu Tevita (alias Tangaroa) Vakalalabure in Cook Islands COOKING UP A NEW IDENTITY IN Fiji, Ratu Tevita Vakalalabure JUNIOR? *A lawyer who was...

Cook Islands seabed minerals consultations under fire for excluding environment groups…

Environmental groups are again raising red flags as the second round of overseas public consultations on seabed mining gets underway in Queensland, Australia, citing the Cook Islands government’s refusal to allow independent environmental experts...

Will New Zealand’s ‘patronising’ aid freeze push Cook Islands closer to China?

What began as a quiet series of infrastructure deals between the Cook Islands and China has erupted into a diplomatic stand-off, with New Zealand halting millions in aid and Pacific leaders accusing Wellington of “patronising” behaviour. New...