Cook Islands government likely to return after election

Prime Minister Mark Brown is expected to lead the Cook Islands government for a second term after his party won more seats than any other group in this week's parliamentary election, according to the Associated Press. His party took 12 of the 24 seats in the chamber.

One seat remains undecided after bad weather delayed voting on the island of Nassau, but the result is not expected to change the overall picture. With no party holding a clear majority on its own, the focus now shifts to how the next government will be assembled.

The Cook Islands is a small South Pacific nation, and the election drew attention beyond its shores because of the country's outsize voice in regional affairs. What to watch now is the final count, the coalition talks that follow, and the priorities the returning government sets for its second term.