Read the latest news from regional and global sources, presenting different voices and perspectives.
Cook Islands announces bid to host 2029 Pacific Mini Games
Pacific News Service
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Cook Islands is bidding to host its third Pacific Mini Games, hoping to bring the regional sporting event back to Rarotonga after hosting it in 1985 and 2009. Minister for Sports and Youth Vaine “Mac” Mokoroa has announced “with immense pride and...
In the Cook Islands, craft traditions keep national identity alive
National Geographic
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A country comprising 15 islands scattered across 850,000sq miles in the south pacific, the cook islands can feel surprisingly intimate, displaying a strong national identity. It’s a place that celebrates community through unique cultural...
Tyla’s crusade: The grieving mum who wants her son’s death to make a difference
Newstalk ZB
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July 15, 2025
There was pain on the streets of Whangārei, raw and unfiltered, in the form of a march led by Tyla Simona who became a mum at 21 and the mother of a dead child just three years later. That march last week was the second she has led, trying to find...
Letter: Ditching the Kiwi for the Dragon?
Cook Island News
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July 9, 2025
Dear Editor, There’s been a lot of noise lately. Social media threads, barbershop debates, and coconut wireless conversations about whether the Cook Islands should continue accepting aid from New Zealand. Some call it “dependence.” Others call it...
Cook Islands Police struggle with helmet enforcement
Cook Island News
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October 17, 2024
The minor infringement notices (MONs) have been running at a lower level for more than a year due to the impacts of staffing constraints, say Police. POLICE MEDIA/24101616 Helmet infringements are and have generally been lower on the list of fines...
Letter: Medicinal cannabis and the law
Cook Island News
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March 24, 2025
Dear Editor: There are provisions in the Ministry of Health Act under Relationships with other laws that do not limit any other law of the Cook Islands and are not intended to limit or exclude any civil right or remedy unless this is expressly...
Whooping cough alert: Cook Islands Ministry of Health increases border vigilance against illness
Papua New Guinea Post Courier
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December 5, 2024
Cook Islands has increased border vigilance against pertussis (whooping cough) following outbreaks in New Zealand and Samoa. Secretary of Health Bob Williams confirmed that there have been no confirmed cases of whooping cough detected in the Cook...
Health news in brief
Cook Island News
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January 29, 2025
Public health nurse and midwife at Aitutaki Islands Hospital Tohoa Eli Cummings. UNICEF/25011315 January 29, 2025 Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health is planning to conclude its whooping cough vaccination (Boostrix/Tdap) programme for 11-year-olds and...
Survey reveals shocking domestic violence figures in Cook Islands
Cook Island News
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November 30, 2024
From left, Piakura Passfield, Ombudsman Niki Rattle, Australian High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Phoebe Smith, Police Senior Sergeant Rebecca Hosking-Ellis and Dean Kapi-Tangata of the Family Welfare Association at the Australian High...
Fukushima water on agenda as Japan PM meets Cook Islands PM Brown, RMI Minister Kabua, and Forum SG Puna
Pacific News Service
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Talks between Japan and the Pacific are expected to continue as the clock ticks closer for the controversial planned discharge of treated but still radioactive water, into the Pacific Ocean, later this year. Overall, a promise from Japan in PALM9...
Cook Islands artist honours ancestral home with 100th exhibition
Cook Island News
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October 2, 2024
Cook Islands artist Sylvia Marsters. Image courtesy Bergman Gallery/24100111 Cook Islands artist Sylvia Marsters returns to Rarotonga for her 100th career exhibition project with a new collection of paintings and prints, on Tuesday next week at...
First Cook Islander joins prestigious fellowship
Cook Island News
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November 27, 2024
Louisa Castledine and her family. SUPPLIED/24112501 As the first Cook Islander to be accepted into a “lifetime” fellowship, Louisa Castledine is looking forward to introducing Cook Islands to a global league of academic leaders, change-makers and...
Solar power project to boost hospital’s sustainability
Cook Island News
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March 18, 2025
A new solar power system is set to be installed at Rarotonga Hospital. NZ DOCTOR/25031718. A new solar power system is set to be installed at Rarotonga Hospital, marking a significant step toward renewable energy use in the Cook Islands’...
National dialogue on Cook Islands well-being
Cook Island News
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November 26, 2024
The first ‘Cook Islands National Food System Dialogue’ held last week was attended by farmers, fishers, NGOs, government and private sector stakeholders. AGRICULTURE/24112050 Secretary for Agriculture Temarama Anguna-Kamana says there is a decline...
Ink for a cause: Movember Cook Islands tattoo event draws a crowd
Cook Island News
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November 26, 2024
Local artist Luther Berg joins the Movember Cook Islands movement offering tattoos to support men’s health. MELINA ETCHES/24112515 or 2518 Movember is more than just a month for growing mustaches. It is a global movement aimed at raising awareness...
Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce urges government to support tourism growth
Papua New Guinea Post Courier
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October 2, 2024
Government should focus on removing unnecessary barriers and costs that hinder further growth of the tourism industry, says the Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce. The comments follow the revelation that tourism’s contribution to the Cook Islands...
Man avoids jail for sexual violation due to mental health issues
The New Zealand Herald
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March 19, 2025
A teen who was sexually violated during a sleepover at a friend’s house says she now needs medication to help her sleep and has suffered from nightmares and suicidal thoughts. It took her a year to go out by herself following the incident and...
How the Cook Islands is responding to transnational organized crime
Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime
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November 25, 2024
The Global Organized Crime Index (henceforth, ‘the Index’), which tracks criminality and resilience trends, underscores the importance of regional and national resilience to organized criminal actors and their underworld activities Although the...
Upcoming Cook Islands Breast Cancer Foundation Ball To Promote Early Detection
Scoop
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Debbie Sorensen, Chief Executive Officer of the Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) Group, extends her support and solidarity to the Cook Islands Breast Cancer Foundation (CIBCF) as the guest speaker at the Ribbons of Hope: Early Detection Ball,...
Over 55s Travel Trends: Maldives Hot, Cook Islands Not
The National Tribune
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November 25, 2024
Aussie Boomers – also referred to as the ‘SKI’ (Spending the Kids’ Inheritance) generation – are rewriting the travel rules, opting for adventure and cultural immersion over traditional holiday destinations. According to a new report from travel...