French Polynesia calls for moratorium on deep sea mining

French Polynesia's President Moetai Brotherson in Honiara for the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting from 8-12 September 2025. Photo: RNZ Pacific / Caleb Fotheringham French Polynesia's president wants Pacific countries to agree to a...

Surya Grahan 2025: Solar Eclipse to occur on..., these places to witness.., Will it be visible in India?

Home Viral Surya Grahan 2025: Solar Eclipse to occur on..., THESE places to witness.., will it be visible in India? Surya Grahan 2025 date and time: This upcoming week, all skygazers will observe a final solar eclipse of the year. There are...

Letter: Defending the deep

‘Open mind’ has not specified exactly what in the article was ‘misinformation’ (Letter: Keeping an ‘open mind on the deep’, Cook Islands News, July 31, 2025). Was it the number of people who attended our Defend the Deep event? Is it the fact that...

Letter: National honour for global win

Dear Editor, In October last year 2024 it was announced that our Cook Islands all girls Robotics Team won the gold medal at the 2024 First Global Robotic Challenge competition somewhere in the world. I understand that this was a world-wide...

Remembering Romani Katoa: A life of service, design and ‘Wale’ pride

Romani Katoa served on the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC), elected to the board six years ago, serving as senior vice-president, and stepping up as acting president from August 2024 to January 2025. He is pictured at...

Solar Eclipse 2025: List of countries to witness the partial ‘Surya Grahan’ with timing and safe viewing tips

The solar eclipse 2025, known in India as Surya Grahan, is set to occur on September 21, 2025, and has already sparked global curiosity. This partial eclipse will be the last celestial eclipse of the year, making it a significant astronomical...

Solar Eclipse 2025 next week: Date, timing, India visibility and all other details

The sky is gearing up for another rare celestial event – the last solar eclipse of 2025, set to occur on September 21. Unlike a total solar eclipse, this one will be partial, which means the Moon will cover only a portion of the Sun, creating a...

Thomas Wynne: Akameitaki for connecting us to the place we call home

Thomas Wynne. I just wanted to use this week’s column to say meitaki and thank the people of the Cook Islands, from the Pa Tokerau to the Pa Tonga, writes Thomas Wynne. From those of us in Avaiki Nui, Avaiki Roa, Avaiki Pamamao and Avaiki Tautau,...

Marape successfully concludes round of meetings with visiting dignitaries

Prime Minister James Marape successfully concluded a long round of back-to-back meetings with heads of governments who arrived in the country to participate in the celebrations marking PNG’s 50th Independence anniversary. The hectic schedule of...

Solar eclipse 2025: Will ‘surya grahan’ be on September 20, 21, or 23? Timings, visibility and everything you need to know

As 2025 draws to a close, the skies are preparing a spectacular farewell gift: a solar eclipse. Throughout history, eclipses were often feared as ominous signs, symbolizing change or forewarning disasters. Today, however, they are celebrated as...

New Zealand’s greatest conman

In 1968 a mysterious man arrived in New Zealand and soon after was promising a miracle cancer cure. He charmed patients, health practitioners and journalists alike. And when he was chased out of the country in 1977, he took his ‘treatment’...

Trump a boon for deep-sea mining: industry boss

Trump a boon for deep-sea mining: industry boss By Steven TRASK Rarotonga, Cook Islands (AFP) July 23, 2025 A leading deep-sea mining company in the paradisal Cook Islands is aiming to start commercial production by 2030, spurred on by Donald...

Deep-sea mining is unregulated. Some want to forge ahead anyway

The Trump administration announced this past week that it has entered talks with the Cook Islands to research and develop seabed mineral resources. The Polynesian archipelago is one of only a handful of countries worldwide that has begun...

The final Solar Eclipse of 2025 arrives with a crescent-shaped dawn. Will it be visible in India?

The last solar eclipse of 2025 will take place on September 21, just a day before the equinox. While this celestial event won’t be visible in India, skywatchers in Antarctica, the South Pacific, and New Zealand will witness a remarkable partial...

Solar Eclipse September 2025: Date, Timings & Will It Be Visible In India?

Solar Eclipse in September 2025: As September 2025 approaches, skywatchers are preparing for a dazzling cosmic display,the final solar eclipse of the year. Unlike total eclipses, where the sun disappears completely, this will be a partial solar...

UNICEF: Childhood Obesity Surpasses Underweight Worldwide

Join more than 5,000 readers who receive the latest news from THE VOICE in their inbox! Key Takeaways: Childhood obesity has doubled in 25 years, now topping 188M cases. Obesity exceeds underweight in nearly every region but Africa and South Asia....

Samoa hints at Forum snub

NEGOTIATIONS are underway in the Cook Islands as the United States seeks a deal which will allow for the exploration of seabed minerals. In an agreement signed on August 5, the US and Cook Islands governments agreed to affirm their “commitment to...

How to regulate an unregulated area: the deep-sea mining challenge

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. Experts are exploring...

Famed cook & fungus lady among Surrey finalists

Twenty writers have made it onto the shortlist for the strangest writers residency award in New Zealand, including a famous cook, an actor who played good old Gamling in Lord of the Rings, and superstar author of Fungi of Aotearoa, Liz Sisson. A...

Solar Eclipse 2025: When is Surya Grahan--on 20, 21, or 23 September?

The last solar eclipse of 2025 is just around the corner and skywatchers across the globe are ready to witness the celestial magic one last time before the year ends. While solar eclipses are not uncommon, each one carries its own unique signature...