CoveragePost
February 5, 2026
SPECIAL REPORT: By Jason Brown Fast-paced electronic music pumps in the background as a rapid montage of moving images flash across the screen. In a 20 second video, French sailors hunker down in an inflatable speeding over swells. Another sailor, in bright red shorts, is lowered from a helicopter onto the vessel’s back deck. Captured ... <a title="French shrug off cocaine case costs with new smugglers ‘strategy’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/02/05/french-shrug-off-cocaine-case-costs-with-new-smugglers-strategy/" aria-label="Read more about French shrug off cocaine case costs with new smugglers ‘strategy’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 21, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The Cook Islands’ outer islands, or Pa Enua, are emptying as people make the pilgrimage to Rarotonga for constitution celebrations. This year is particularly significant, August 4 marks 60 years of the Cook Islands being in free association with New Zealand. Cook Islands Secretary of Culture Emile Kairua said ... <a title="Cook Islanders flock from outer islands for 60th anniversary celebrations" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/07/21/cook-islanders-flock-from-outer-islands-for-60th-anniversary-celebrations/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islanders flock from outer islands for 60th anniversary celebrations">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 13, 2025
By Melina Etches of the Cook Islands News A motion of no confidence has been filed against the Prime Minister and his Cabinet following the recent fiasco involving the now-abandoned Cook Islands passport proposal and the comprehensive strategic partnership the country will sign with China this week. Cook Islands United Party leader Teariki Heather said ... <a title="Cook Islands opposition files no-confidence motion against PM" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/13/cook-islands-opposition-files-no-confidence-motion-against-pm/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands opposition files no-confidence motion against PM">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 2, 2024
By Alana Musselle of Te Waha Nui Cook Islands News, the national newspaper for the Cook Islands, is one of many Pacific news media agencies expecting change in the face of New Zealand’s NewsHub closure next month. The organisation has content-sharing agreements with traditional NZ media organisations including Stuff, New Zealand Herald, RNZ and TVNZ, ... <a title="Newshub closures: creating waves of change across the Pacific" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/06/02/newshub-closures-creating-waves-of-change-across-the-pacific/" aria-label="Read more about Newshub closures: creating waves of change across the Pacific">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 13, 2022
RNZ Pacific The Queen’s Representative in the Cook Islands, Sir Tom Marsters, has confirmed Mark Brown as the Prime Minister. In a statement issued from Mark Brown’s office, Sir Tom said he was “satisfied” that Mark Brown had the majority of the MPs elected to Parliament. Following the final count of the Cook Islands general ... <a title="Mark Brown confirmed as Cook Islands PM with slim grip" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2022/08/13/mark-brown-confirmed-as-cook-islands-pm-with-slim-grip/" aria-label="Read more about Mark Brown confirmed as Cook Islands PM with slim grip">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 2, 2020
The unopposed motion put forward by Prime Minister Henry Puna was regarding the article titled “MPs seek allowance top-ups in downturn”. In her ruling, Rattle said the headline was unfair and the use of the word “demand” in the first paragraph was inaccurate. READ MORE: Earlier Cook Islands News editorial on the issue The newspaper ... <a title="Cook Islands Speaker rules against motion to ban political journalist" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/07/02/cook-islands-speaker-rules-against-motion-to-ban-political-journalist/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands Speaker rules against motion to ban political journalist">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 24, 2020
By Sri Krishnamurthi, contributing editor of Pacific Media Watch Cook Islands Members of Parliament want to ban a journalist from Parliament for what they claim was inaccurate reporting over them seeking travel perks in the House. They have asked the Speaker, Nikki Rattle, to withdraw senior Cook Islands News journalist and political editor Rashneel Kumar ... <a title="Cook Islands MPs seek to ban political editor for story exposing travel perks" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/06/24/cook-islands-mps-seek-to-ban-political-editor-for-story-exposing-travel-perks/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands MPs seek to ban political editor for story exposing travel perks">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 24, 2020
But their unanimous vote was not to introduce a new weapon in the fight against covid-19; it was to condemn Cook Islands News for its reporting on MPs’ travel allowances. They went further and asked Speaker Niki Rattle to require that Cook Islands News journalist Rashneel Kumar withdraw from reporting Parliament for an (as yet ... <a title="Cook Islands News on journalist ban bid: MPs are all in this together" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2020/06/24/cook-islands-news-on-journalist-ban-bid-mps-are-all-in-this-together/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands News on journalist ban bid: MPs are all in this together">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 24, 2019
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk The Cook Islands censor has backtracked on its initial decision to ban Rocketman. Instead, the Cook Islands Internal Affairs has followed the New Zealand censor’s classification and rated the film R18, reports Cook Islands News. The censor announced the ban last week, after Samoa banned screenings of the film due to ... <a title="Cook Islands backtracks on Rocketman ban" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2019/06/24/cook-islands-backtracks-on-rocketman-ban/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands backtracks on Rocketman ban">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 18, 2019
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk A prominent Cook Islands lawyer intends to take a court challenge against the censor’s impending ban of the film Rocketman, reports the Cook Islands News. Lawyer Heinz Matysik announced he would challenge the ban, if it proceeded. “If the chief censor wants to roll this way, I will bring a full legal ... <a title="Outrage, opposition to Cook Islands Rocketman ban" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2019/06/18/outrage-opposition-to-cook-islands-rocketman-ban/" aria-label="Read more about Outrage, opposition to Cook Islands Rocketman ban">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
June 17, 2019
Pacific Media Watch Newsdesk The movie Rocketman is likely to be banned in the Cook Islands, despite having already been in the cinema for a week, reports the Cook Islands News. The film, a biography of English pop singer Elton John, was banned in Samoa last week due to its graphic depiction of gay sex. ... <a title="Cook Islands to follow Samoa and ban Rocketman" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2019/06/17/cook-islands-to-follow-samoa-and-ban-rocketman/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands to follow Samoa and ban Rocketman">Read more</a>
