New Zealand has suspended NZ$18.2 million (U.S. $10.8 million) in budget funding to the Cook Islands amid growing tensions over the island nation’s deepening ties with China and concerns over a lack of transparency.
New Zealand halted core sector support funding for the Cook Islands for 2025-26, citing the need for a high-trust bilateral relationship that has been strained by the Cook Islands’ increasing partnership with China.
The suspension follows concerns over inadequate consultation on agreements the Cook Islands signed with Beijing, particularly in areas excluding security cooperation.
New Zealand demands concrete steps to restore trust before resuming financial support. The move comes amid Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to China, where he is expected to raise issues about China’s growing influence in the Pacific.
The Cook Islands affirmed its commitment to repairing relations with New Zealand and reiterated the longstanding partnership on security and defence.
Experts warn that using aid as leverage could backfire by pushing Pacific nations closer to China.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it had authorised 32 vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Wash...
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and a...
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are...
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military co...
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday....
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are hampering efforts to contain the virus.
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military command infrastructure.
The UK is experiencing potentially record-breaking temperatures after forecasters confirmed some areas reached highs close to 34°C on Monday.
The inaugural Enhanced Games began in Las Vegas on Sunday (24 May), launching one of the most controversial experiments in modern sport, in which athletes openly compete using performance-enhancing drugs banned under traditional anti-doping rules.
A peace agreement between Washington and Tehran is yet to materialise, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying that negotiations are incomplete and an Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman saying that a deal isn't imminent.
A "largely negotiated" memorandum of understanding on an Iran peace deal would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday, though the Iranian Fars news agency disputed that claim.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
Police fired tear gas and clashed with protesters in central Belgrade on Saturday, as tens of thousands gathered to demand early elections and an end to the more than decade-long rule of Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić.
Doctors working on the front lines of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo say attacks on treatment centres and fleeing patients are hampering efforts to contain the virus.
Russia has warned foreign nationals to leave Kyiv, saying it has launched a new wave of strikes targeting Ukraine’s defence industry and military command infrastructure.
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that the fast-moving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda was outpacing response efforts, with 220 suspected deaths reported so far.
China has launched three taikonauts to its Tiangong space station, including one crew member set to spend a full year in orbit in one of the longest planned space missions ever attempted.
Chinese President Xi Jinping praised the “unbreakable friendship” between China and Pakistan as he met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday, a day after companies from both countries signed cooperation agreements worth $1.22 billion.
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