Aging, stealthy, suspected of sabotage: What to know about Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’

The Cook Islands-registered oil tanker Eagle S is anchored near the Kilpilahti port in Porvoo on the Gulf of Finland, Dec. 30, 2024. (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP, File) The European Union and Britain adopted new sanctions against Russia’s...

Tsunami warnings still active after Russian earthquake

Some countries in the Pacific and South America remain on tsunami alert after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, while many other countries have downgraded their warnings after avoiding the worst. The magnitude-8.8 tremor off Russia's...

Te Ipukarea Society: Waste management – not just the government’s problem

“The Flower represents the beauty of our island and the euphoric thought held inside tourists and Cook Islanders who haven’t seen the true reality of it. Contrasting with the compacted rubbish behind the flower, which shows the harsh reality of...

Pacific Islands Forum mission completes visit to Japan

Commitments to further engage in “intensive dialogue” and information sharing on the proposed Fukushima ALPS treated nuclear wastewater discharge into the Pacific are the leading outcomes of the Forum’s high level visit to Japan. The high-level...

As the Pacific grapples with dengue fever, here's what you need to know

Each morning in Samoa, fumigation teams gear up to spray schools and buildings, battling tirelessly against a dengue outbreak. Since the outbreak was declared on April 17, Samoa's Ministry of Health says more than 5,600 clinically diagnosed cases...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – July 25 – July 31, 2025 

Editor’s Note: We are undergoing a web host migration process and may need to make necessary modifications to our format and frequency over the next several weeks. Thank you in advance for your understanding. Political Leadership and Regionalism,...

Half of children in Australia forecast to be obese or overweight by 2050

Funder: The study was supported by the Gates Foundation. Jess Kerr is funded by the Centre of Research Excellence in Driving Global Investment in Adolescent Health funded by the NHMRC (1171981). From: Murdoch Children's Research Institute (MCRI)...

Letter: Officials urged to walk the talk

Dear Editor, CINews recently reported on Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) Secretary Temarama Anguna-Kamana, along with Director of NES (National Environment Service), Halatoa Fua, attending the 2025 BRS Conference in Stockholm, representing the Cook...

Samoan family loses second son to dengue fever in days

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — A 2-year-old boy died just days after his 9-year-old brother, the fifth recent death from the disease at the Pacific island nation, all of whom have been children. A family member paid tribute on social media, with the...

Dementia an emerging leading mental health challenge

Pictured at the Primary Care Psychiatry Course for Frontliners and Volunteers, facilitated by Te Kainga O Pa Taunga (TKOT) - the Cook Islands’ leading provider of mental health care are: Martha Makimare (left), Lee Marie - Aitutaki charge nurse,...

Gordon Campbell On New Zealand’s Role In The New ANZUS Remake

Want Donald Trump to lower the tariffs on your exports to US markets? Easy. Offer him money. Lots of it. As the New York Times explained yesterday (in a story headlined “Trump’s Demand to Trading Partners: Pledge Money or Get Higher Tariffs) South...

VIDEO: New Zealand's Air Force Performs 'Daring' Rescue of Americans from Antarctica

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) rescued three Americans from Antarctica during a risky overnight operation on Tuesday. The medical evacuation was conducted in freezing temperatures and complete darkness, Fox News reported on Wednesday....

Cyclist Fyfa Dawson’s death prompts call for safety measures and timelier investigations

The death of a teen cyclist killed after a collision with a concrete truck has prompted calls for change from the coroner – and the victim’s grieving family. Fyfa Dawson was cycling through a temporary traffic management site on Springs Rd during...

Diving deep into our timeless Indigenous past

Deep History: Country and Sovereignty is a collection of thought-provoking writings on the tussle between colonial and First Nations histories and sovereignties. It is much more than a scholarly work and is accessible yet challenging to all who...

Former PM Puna joins deep-sea mining company board

Former Cook Islands PM Henry Puna. CIIC/25050824 A former Cook Islands prime minister, who championed one of the world’s largest multi-use marine protected areas, has been appointed to the board of the government-owned deep-sea mining company. The...

These 14 Holiday Spots Get All the Attention (But Should They?)

Travel marketing has created some of the world’s most successful myths, convincing millions of people that certain destinations represent the pinnacle of vacation experiences. But what happens when you actually visit these legendary places and...

Pacific people in deprived areas less likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition

Pacific peoples in Aotearoa are less likely to be diagnosed with a mental health condition if they live in a more deprived area, unlike the rest of the New Zealand population, which may be due to financial barriers to diagnoses and care....

Into the deep sea: China joins global effort to explore hadal zone

A pioneering international initiative for hadal zone exploration, led by Chinese scientists, has received official approval from the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). The Global Hadal Exploration...

Interview: Gaye Searancke, Chief Executive, LINZ

New Zealand is a country of abundant natural beautiful and widely varying landscapes, from snowy mountain peaks to fertile farmland, from active volcanoes to pristine sandy shores. It’s also quite large, with a land area about 15% greater than...

Pacific avoids major damage after powerful quake off Russia

The tsunami waves, caused by a massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia, have now rolled on southeastward toward South America. Photo: RNZ Pacific/Caleb Fotheringham Pacific countries have emerged relatively unscathed from a...