More Top Stories
$12.9m approved for solar battery project, NZ confirms
12 March 2025
Crown Law Office on track for record number of lawyers
12 March 2025
‘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
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Articles by Talaia Mika
Suspicious death of Mauke woman treated as homicide
Tuesday 1 April 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Crime, National
Cook Islands Police are treating the suspicious death of a 58-year-old Mauke woman, whose body was exhumed over the weekend for investigation, as a homicide.
NES staff enhance expertise in environmental management and sustainability
Tuesday 1 April 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Environment, National
National Environment Service (NES) director Halatoa Fua and three staff members have successfully completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Management and Sustainability at the University of Newcastle, Australia.
Sheraton redevelopment 12 months behind, but developer remains hopeful
Monday 31 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Business, National
The long-awaited redevelopment of the old Sheraton Hotel in Vaimaanga is running 12 months behind schedule, but developer Chris Vaile remains hopeful that key aspects of the project – such as the completion of the tennis courts and the 850-square-metre swimming pool – will be finished this year.
Police caution public against posting personal info online
Monday 31 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Crime, National
The Cook Islands Police have cautioned the public against posting personal identification items such as credit cards, driver’s licences and passports on social media when they find them.
Juveniles’ cases under review
Friday 28 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Crime, National
The cases of four juvenile offenders arrested in connection with recent burglary incidents have now been submitted to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Committee (JCPC), according to Cook Islands Police spokesperson Trevor Pitt.
Cook Islands Police upskill officers amid staff shortages
Thursday 27 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Crime, National
Despite ongoing staff shortages, the Cook Islands Police Service remains committed to upskilling its officers, with a two-week training programme underway earlier this week.
Victim’s fiancé describes distress following alleged indecent assault
Thursday 27 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in
The judge-alone trial involving a man charged with three counts of indecent assault continued with more witnesses appearing at the Cook Islands High Court yesterday.
‘He was like a brother’: Judge-alone trial hears victim's testimony in indecent assault case
Wednesday 26 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Court, National
The Cook Islands High Court is hearing a case where a woman alleges indecent assault by the defendant, whom she considered a brother figure, while the defence is arguing that she consented.
‘Political sidelining’ fuels Mangaia’s push for independent development
Wednesday 26 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Economy, National, Outer Islands, Politics
Mangaia’s traditional leaders are taking the island’s development into their own hands, citing years of neglect and political sidelining as reasons for seeking alternative solutions.
Traditional leaders seek direct funding for conservation efforts
Tuesday 25 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Culture, Environment, Local, National
The House of Ariki welcomed representatives from an American nonprofit environmental organisation to discuss funding challenges and the implementation of conservation projects in the Cook Islands.
Police arrest adult linked to recent juvenile burglary cases
Tuesday 25 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Crime, National
Police have confirmed that a 23-year-old man arrested on Friday is linked to four known juvenile offenders who were recently arrested in connection with burglary cases.
Green Hydrogen - an off-grid energy solution
Monday 24 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Environment, National, Technology
A groundbreaking load management test conducted at Motu Beachfront Villas Resort on Thursday is a significant step towards developing an off-grid energy solution powered by green hydrogen.
A beacon of progress: First transgender mayor hopes to inspire local community
Saturday 22 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Features, Weekend
Six months into her term, Mauke’s new mayor Joanne Rongoape Stephens is celebrated as the Cook Islands’ first transgender mayor, inspiring the LGBTQ+ community and aiming to foster growth and unity in her island.
Chestnut season brings joy and income to local vendors
Saturday 22 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Local, National
Several weeks into the Cook Islands’ longest chestnut harvesting season, local women are particularly enjoying the bounty from the impressive chestnut trees planted by their ancestors.
Chamber calls for proactive approach to electricity debt
Friday 21 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Local, National
The Cook Islands Chamber of Commerce is urging businesses struggling with high electricity costs in Rarotonga to engage with Te Aponga Uira (TAU) to avoid disconnection while also encouraging for a proactive approach from the electricity provider.
Green hydrogen project enters phase two with community engagement
Friday 21 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Environment, Local, National, Tourism
Motu Beachfront Art Villas is ramping up its commitment to sustainability as it moves into the second phase of a pioneering Green Hydrogen Project.
11 chickenpox cases confirmed, parents urged to be vigilant
Friday 21 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Health, National
Cook Islands is experiencing ‘sporadic’ chickenpox cases, primarily in young children, prompting health officials to urge vigilance but not yet declare an outbreak.
Tereora College opens new counselling space
Thursday 20 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Education, Health, Local, National
A newly relocated Counselling Space at Tereora College is now open, offering support services for students dealing with various challenges.
Te Aponga Uira disconnects customers over unpaid bills
Thursday 20 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in Economy, Local, National
Electricity provider Te Aponga Uira (TAU) has disconnected services to a number of customers this week who have persistently failed to pay their long-standing electricity debts, some of which date back more than five years and exceed $10,000.
Police reopen investigation into teen assault case on Mauke
Thursday 20 March 2025 | Written by Talaia Mika | Published in BREAKING NEWS, Crime, National, Outer Islands
More than a year after a shocking assault on a teenage girl with an intellectual disability in Mauke, police have confirmed they are re-investigating the case.