Wasted millions: $8.3 million Tongiaki catamaran no longer serves Tonga, review finds 

Researchers have discovered a potentially younger and active volcanic hotspot beneath the Cook Islands’ waters, prompting excitement for geological understanding and raising calls for caution regarding seabed mining. The Seabed Minerals Authority...

Offshore Banking After Citizenship Renunciation: How It’s Done

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — In 2025, more high-net-worth Americans than ever are renouncing their U.S. citizenship—and they are doing so with a clear objective in mind: financial privacy, global banking freedom, and legal protection from...

Sea rescue launched for two fishermen heading to Aitutaki

Cook Islands seabed research vessel Anuanua Moana was deployed yesterday to retrieve Kavana and Brothers, who had turned back to Rarotonga. SBMA/25040207 A search and rescue at sea operation swung into action yesterday to locate local fishermen,...

Ministry of Agriculture boosts capacity in plant and soil health

Two specialists from the Pacific Community (SPC) are in Rarotonga this week delivering vital training to help the Ministry of Agriculture build more sustainable farming systems. Standing from left: Dr Rohit Lal, a soil scientist, William Wigmore,...

Pacific Islands News Roundup – July 18 – July 24, 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,...

Live: First waves hit Russia, Japan but no tsunami threat for Australia

1h agoWed 30 Jul 2025 at 3:09am Let's bring you up to speed Good afternoon, and thank you for joining our live coverage of the aftermath of a powerful earthquake off Russia's eastern coast early this morning. Here's what's happened so far: The...

The unique camera China used to film Christopher Luxon and what it means

The Herald asked the cameraman what he was doing using such dated tech. He said the film was for archival purposes so “in a hundred years” there’ll still be a physical record of the meeting. How very flattering for Luxon – the New Zealand media...

Te Ipukarea Society: Ocean lovers unite against deep-sea mining

Saturday July 19, people worldwide gathered to join the call to defend the deep. Our event included creative, imaginative sea-creature costumes, Tumu the eke, and paddling into the water with the large ‘Protect our Ocean’ banner, for a group chant...

Digital isn’t just a choice, ‘it is imperative’: Henderson

The first Cook Islands Digital & Financial Literacy Survey 2025 has been launched. From Left: Eileen Story MFEM Senior Policy Advisor, Mani Mate MFEM Director of the Development Coordination Division (DCD), Garth Henderson MFEM Secretary, Jitka...

‘Clinical Obesity’ Definition Shifts Obesity Prevalence

The adoption of the new “clinical obesity” definition alters prevalence estimates of obesity in many parts of the world compared with BMI-based definitions, new data suggested. In January 2025, a Lancet Commission proposed that the diagnosis of...

Minister Elikana: Climate change our greatest threat

Tingika Elikana, Minister for Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Immigration and Ibu Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations ESCAP for your valuable time during the bilateral meeting. UNESCAP / 25050254 Cook...

A decade of remembrance: marking 10-Year ANZAC commemoration Ceremony

The Cook Islands ANZAC Commemoration Ceremony stands as a vital cultural and historical observance. COOK ISLANDS CONSULATE/ 25042815 In a powerful display of unity and reverence, the Cook Islands community in Auckland gathered last week to mark a...

U.S lawmaker alarmed over China’s headway in race for ocean minerals in the Pacific

BY PACIFIC ISLAND TIMES A powerful committee of the U.S House of Representatives is examining the Department of Defence’s efforts to counter China’s initiatives to mine critical minerals in deep-sea waters, raising concerns that the communist...

U.S lawmaker alarmed over China’s headway in race for ocean minerals…

A powerful committee of the U.S House of Representatives is examining the Department of Defence’s efforts to counter China’s initiatives to mine critical minerals in deep-sea waters, raising concerns that the communist nation is outpacing the U.S...

Beware of Mother’s Day shopping scams

The country head of ANZ Cook Islands, Jason Murray. Photo: ANZ/22080704 ANZ Cook Islands is encouraging customers to remain hyper-vigilant against scams this Mother’s Day, urging families to have an open conversation with each other to ensure they...

Australia Obstructed Probe Into Deadly ‘Rainbow Warrior’ Bombing

Forty years later, David Robie, the only journalist on board the Greenpeace ship in the weeks leading up to its bombing on July 10, 1985, looks back on this act of French state terrorism in a New Zealand port. The Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior...

‘Utu’ as foreign policy: how a Māori worldview can make sense of a shifting world order

There is a growing feeling in New Zealand that the regional geopolitical situation is becoming less stable and more conflicted. China has ramped up its Pacific engagement, most recently with the Cook Islands, and the United States under Donald...

Putin’s Pacific invite shakes Indo-Pacific prospects

Nukualofa—In a stunning diplomatic oddity, Tonga’s former Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni secretly invited Russian President Vladimir Putin as a “special guest” to the 54th Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa in 2024. The unprecedented move,...

Pacific Water, Wastewater conference in Honiara next month

The 9th Pacific Water and Wastewater Ministers Forum and 16th Pacific Water and Wastewater Association (PWWA) Conference and Expo (PWWC25) will be staged in Honiara next month. The Solomon Islands Government, through the Ministry of Mines, Energy...

BUSINESS FEATURE | Putin’s invite shakes Indo-Pacific prospects

IN a stunning diplomatic oddity, Tonga’s former Prime Minister Siaosi Sovaleni secretly invited Russian president Vladimir Putin as a “special guest” to the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum in Nuku’alofa in 2024.The unprecedented move, revealed through...