CoveragePost
February 14, 2025
The Chinese have politely told the Kiwis to back off. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters that China and the Cook Islands have had diplomatic relations since 1997 which “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”. “New Zealand is rightly furious about it,” a TVNZ Pacific affairs writer editorialised to the ... <a title="Will New Zealand invade the Cook Islands to stop China? Seriously" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/14/will-new-zealand-invade-the-cook-islands-to-stop-china-seriously/" aria-label="Read more about Will New Zealand invade the Cook Islands to stop China? Seriously">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
February 11, 2025
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist China and the Cook Islands’ relationship “should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party”, says Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, as opposition leaders in Rarotonga express a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Mark Brown. In response to questions from the Associated Press about New Zealand ... <a title="China: Cook Islands’ relationship with Beijing ‘should not be restrained’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/11/china-cook-islands-relationship-with-beijing-should-not-be-restrained/" aria-label="Read more about China: Cook Islands’ relationship with Beijing ‘should not be restrained’">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
February 10, 2025
The Cook Islands finds itself in a precarious dance — one between the promises of foreign investments and the integrity of our own sovereignty. As the country sways between partners China and Aotearoa New Zealand, the Cook Islands News asks: “Do we continue to haka with the Taniwha, our constitutional partner, or do we dance ... <a title="Cook Islands crisis: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/02/10/cook-islands-crisis-haka-with-the-taniwha-or-dance-with-the-dragon/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands crisis: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 3, 2025
By Talaia Mika of the Cook Islands News The Cook Islands will not pursue membership in the United Nations and the Commonwealth due to its inability to meet the criteria for UN membership and existing relationship with New Zealand, which fulfils Commonwealth membership requirements. Prime Minister Mark Brown has clarified that the Cook Islands is ... <a title="Cook Islands ‘not qualified’ for UN membership, says prime minister" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2025/01/03/cook-islands-not-qualified-for-un-membership-says-prime-minister/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands ‘not qualified’ for UN membership, says prime minister">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
December 13, 2024
Significant attempts were made from overseas to hack into the government’s central network a few weeks ago, Prime Minister Mark Brown has revealed. However, the Prime Minister said that the government’s robust firewall security systems were able to fend off these attempts. Brown revealed this while speaking in support of the Financial Transactions Reporting Amendment ... <a title="Cook Islands govt fends off cyberattacks, passes bill to strengthen financial transparency" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/12/13/cook-islands-govt-fends-off-cyberattacks-passes-bill-to-strengthen-financial-transparency/" aria-label="Read more about Cook Islands govt fends off cyberattacks, passes bill to strengthen financial transparency">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 16, 2024
COMMENTARY: By Brittany Nawaqatabu in Suva Regional leaders will gather later this month in Tonga for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Tonga and high on the agenda will be Japan’s dumping oftreated nuclear wastewater in the Pacific Ocean. A week ago on the 6 August 2024, the 79th anniversary of the atomic ... <a title="Brown’s ‘backflip’ over Japanese nuclear wastewater dump poses challenge for Forum" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/08/16/browns-backflip-over-japanese-nuclear-wastewater-dump-poses-challenge-for-forum/" aria-label="Read more about Brown’s ‘backflip’ over Japanese nuclear wastewater dump poses challenge for Forum">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 11, 2024
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist in Suva The high-level Pacific mission to New Caledonia will be a three person-led delegation and it is still expected to happen prior to the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders (PIF) Meeting in Tonga on August 26, says PIF chair Mark Brown. Brown, who is also the Cook Islands Prime ... <a title="Brown, Rabuka and Manele to lead Pacific mission to New Caledonia" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/08/11/brown-rabuka-and-manele-to-lead-pacific-mission-to-new-caledonia/" aria-label="Read more about Brown, Rabuka and Manele to lead Pacific mission to New Caledonia">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
July 20, 2024
By Pita Ligaiula in Tokyo The Pacific Islands Forum hopes to send a high-level delegation to Kanaky New Caledonia to investigate the current political crisis in the French territory before the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders meeting in Tonga in August. According to Pacnews, Forum Chair and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown confirmed this during ... <a title="PIF hopes to send delegation to New Caledonia, says Forum chair" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/07/20/pif-hopes-to-send-delegation-to-new-caledonia-says-forum-chair/" aria-label="Read more about PIF hopes to send delegation to New Caledonia, says Forum chair">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
May 16, 2024
RNZ Pacific Outgoing Secretary-General Henry Puna of the Pacific Islands Forum is “not surprised” with the violent unrest in New Caledonia which has shut down the French Pacific territory. New Caledonia has come to a virtual stop after three days of civil unrest, resulting in burning, shooting and looting, as leaders call for calm. French ... <a title="New Caledonia violence ‘unfortunate’ but ‘not surprising’, says Pacific Forum chief" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2024/05/16/new-caledonia-violence-unfortunate-but-not-surprising-says-pacific-forum-chief/" aria-label="Read more about New Caledonia violence ‘unfortunate’ but ‘not surprising’, says Pacific Forum chief">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
September 27, 2023
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist The New Zealand government has given its full blessing to Cook Islands and Niue establishing diplomatic relations with the United States. At the US-Pacific summit on Monday (Washington time), President Joe Biden said he recognised the two island nations as sovereign and independent states, an announcement which the US ... <a title="NZ govt ‘welcomes’ US diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, Niue" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/09/27/nz-govt-welcomes-us-diplomatic-relations-with-cook-islands-niue/" aria-label="Read more about NZ govt ‘welcomes’ US diplomatic relations with Cook Islands, Niue">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
August 23, 2023
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist A Japanese government spokesperson says it is “not wilfully trying to divide the Pacific” over the Fukushima treated nuclear wastewater release. Japan is set to start discharging more than one million tonnes of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean tomorrow (local time). This comes 12 years after a ... <a title="Countdown starts as Japan poised to release first batch of treated nuclear wastewater" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2023/08/23/countdown-starts-as-japan-poised-to-release-first-batch-of-treated-nuclear-wastewater/" aria-label="Read more about Countdown starts as Japan poised to release first batch of treated nuclear wastewater">Read more</a>
