Cook Islands

The Cook Islands traditional voyaging canoe, Marumaru Atua, has made a grand return to her resting place off Rarotonga. In September 2017, the vaka was damaged by fire. Extensive fundraising efforts led to the vessel being shipped to Auckland where she spent almost half a year being repaired. One of its senior crew members, Sam Timoko, said it had been an honour to sail her home to Avana Point, and a very moving moment for all on board.

Cook Islands lawn bowls pair have won the country's first ever Commonwealth Games medal. The duo of Taiki Paniani and New Zealand born Aidan Zittersteijn beat Malta 17-11 in the bronze medal match in the men's pair's bronze medal match. SOURCE: TVNZ ONE NEWS - SPORT

Cook Islands believe their Olympic campaign in Rio has been a success despite missing on most of their targets. Weightlifter Luisa Peters was the country's final athlete to compete on Monday, in the women's over 75kg division. The 23 year old, who was attending her second Olympic Games, had been hoping to break the national record of of 227kg set earlier this year but fell 3kg shy of her previous mark.

The Cook Islands opposition has appointed Rose Brown to lead the coalition - the first female opposition leader in the country's history. Thirty-nine-year-old Ms Brown, a Democratic Party MP, will lead the bloc after the former leader, One Cook Islands MP Teina Bishop, was convicted of corruption last week. Ms Brown is a former member of the governing Cook Islands Party. She crossed the floor last month in an attempted motion of no confidence that was later ruled illegal.

The Fulbright-Creative New Zealand Pacific Writer's Residency at the University of Hawaii has been awarded to a Cook Islands artist for the first time. Miria George is a poet, and writer for theatre, radio and television. An award-winning playwright, her work has toured New Zealand, Australia, Hawai'i, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Cook Islands Parliament has been closed today and no one is permitted entry following a sitting to oust the government yesterday. RNZI's correspondent in Rarotonga reports a security presence is outside the parliament building to prevent the opposition coalition from sitting again. The Clerk of Parliament says the Opposition is doing the work of the devil, causing disunity in the country.