More Top Stories
‘Nothing to worry about’: Prime Minister Brown on China agreement
16 February 2025
‘Serious questions’: Opposition challenges China partnership
15 February 2025
No-confidence motion against PM and his Cabinet faces delays
15 February 2025
Ruta Mave: People’s Republic of China red flag
10 February 2025
No debt in China deal
8 February 2025
Thomas Wynne: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?
8 February 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
$541.7m tourism earnings
25 January 2025
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
Top cop position advertised
7 December 2024
Police need numbers and bigger budget
9 December 2024
Niki Rattle: A call for stronger human rights protections
10 December 2024
Solid and Hazardous Waste Bill referred to Parliament committee
10 December 2024
DPM defends CIIC finance and travel policies
6 December 2024
Cook Islands has its first mosque
14 November 2024
CI Muslim opens up about her faith and journey
16 November 2024
RAC to address mosque legality
19 November 2024
I don’t expect much change: PM Brown on US Elections
6 November 2024
Fifth weekly Sydney flight to Rarotonga announced
23 October 2024
CIIC directors seek $350,000 in damages over defamatory claims
21 October 2024
Man found guilty of rape, burglary
24 September 2024
Tenants face water bill burden
8 October 2024
Concerns over Minister’s role in inmate work releases: PAC
5 October 2024
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Deep sea dilemma: Cook Islanders weigh the cost of mineral riches
21 September 2024
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
Cook Islands deep sea mining poll sparks controversy
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Articles by Melina Etches
Grateful for the support
Monday 31 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
Brutal winds and torrential rain in the early hours of Saturday morning over a week ago sounded like ‘planes flying over dropping bombs’, says Kavera resident Tabitha Ahsin, who lost the roof of her home that night.
Steady flow of people as vaccination rollout resumes
Saturday 29 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Health, National
There was a steady flow of people coming to get their first, second and third booster dose of the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccination yesterday.
Poor turnout for island wide clean up operation
Saturday 29 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Economy, National
There was a disappointing and poor turnout of non-essential public servants for the island wide clean up campaign yesterday.
Market reopens with appropriate health measures
Saturday 29 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Entertainment, National
The Punanga Nui Market (PNM) will be open for vendors, customers, visitors, and the general public today with appropriate Covid-related public health measures in place.
Complaint against arrest procedures
Saturday 29 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Crime, National
Denied contact to a lawyer after his arrest and the failure of police to press charges within 24 hours were among claims Quinton Schofield made in a letter of complaint to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Cozzies ‘quietly’ mark Australia Day celebrations
Friday 28 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Economy, National
Although the crowd was not as big as last year’s event, a decent number of locals and visitors turned up to celebrate Australia Day at the Vaiana’s Bar & Bistro in Nikao on Wednesday night.
Niki Rattle appointed new Ombudsman
Friday 28 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Economy, National
Former Speaker of the Cook Islands Parliament Niki Rattle is the country’s new Ombudsman.
Vaccination rollout to resume in Rarotonga
Thursday 27 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Health, National
The Covid-19 Pfizer vaccination rollout will resume in Rarotonga this Friday and Saturday for all eligible people over 12.
Nurses take charge of Airport Rapid Antigen Tests
Thursday 27 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Tourism
The Arataki Cook Islands team are the Covid-19 health and safety officers responsible for the Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) that are required by travellers departing Rarotonga for the Pa Enua (by sea or air travel).
Island wide clean up to avoid dengue outbreak
Thursday 27 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Health, National
Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health is anticipating a possible dengue outbreak following a week of extreme weather that caused flash flooding and damages to properties especially in the coastal areas of Rarotonga.
Masked and ready to serve
Wednesday 26 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Features, Food
Xaeon Henry waits patiently for customers at the Punanga Nui Market yesterday at her stall laden with ripe mangoes, fresh fruit and vegetables
Learning the art of traditional canoe building
Wednesday 26 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Art, Features
Using a traditional canoe for fishing will soon become a reality for the youth of the Kōrero o te 'Ōrau 'Ātui'anga ki te Tango programme.
Resident ‘lucky’ to escape damage from flash flood
Tuesday 25 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
Extreme flash floods on Friday from tropical depression TD05F affected low lying areas, wetlands and surrounding properties around Rarotonga. Affected residents were yesterday assessing the damage, some thankful the water did not enter their homes.
Cook Islands Aussies gear up for Australia Day
Tuesday 25 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Entertainment, National
The worst of the tropical depression TD05F has passed by and after a big clean-up of clearing sand and debris yesterday morning, Vaiana’s Bar and Bistro is gearing up to celebrate Australia Day tomorrow afternoon.
Back into waters, fisherman shares ‘scary’ sea surge ordeal
Tuesday 25 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
Fisherman Junior Ioapa made the most of the calmer seas early yesterday morning catching 10 decent sized and one weighing 15 kilo yellow fin tuna.
Dwindling tropical depression leaves trail of destruction
Monday 24 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
The Tropical Depression TD05F extreme weather experienced over the weekend was not the worst the Cook Islands had experienced but it proved devastating enough, leaving behind a trail of destruction especially to properties in the coastal areas of Rarotonga.
$22,500 raised to support Tonga
Monday 24 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Local, National
In aid of the Tonga relief effort, $22,500 was raised from the Cook Islands Red Cross Society radiothon on Friday afternoon from 12pm-6pm on Radio Cook Islands.
Damaging high sea surge, heavy rain smash Raro
Saturday 22 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
Heavy rain continued to pelt down yesterday evening with water level of the Empire Bridge threatening to spill over and areas prone to flooding around Rarotonga filling up rapidly and overflowing before the high tide at 11.30pm last night.
Unvaxed and unwelcomed
Friday 21 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Economy, National
Since the reopening of the borders on January 13 and implementation of new rules and regulations, some Rarotonga businesses and workplaces have come down hard on those who are unvaccinated against Covid-19.
Chances of tropical cyclone ‘moderate’, says Met Office
Friday 21 January 2022 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in National, Weather
The residents of Rarotonga and neighbouring Southern Group islands were last night bracing for a rough weather following multiple special weather bulletins on tropical disturbance TD05F from the Cook Islands Meteorological Services.
