Articles by Utopia Support

New Reef Express delayed

Saturday 5 May 2012 | Published in National

The Reef Express’s first journey to the Cook Islands has been delayed further as the ship undergoes repairs in New Zealand. The ship is now expected to make contact with Rarotonga on May 19 and Aitutaki on May 21 with its new Auckland departure date of May 9. The journey will be the first for […]

Tutaka health checks done

Saturday 5 May 2012 | Published in National

Prioritising the keeping of properties clean and tidy every day of the year, is the message that Public Health inspectors wish to send out to all Rarotonga residents. Tata Vaeau, health protection manager, says that the tutaka health checks went well and he is generally satisfied with the outcome. A few properties were identified as […]

Leaders travel while country struggles

Saturday 5 May 2012 | Published in Smoke Signals

“More overseas travel for ministers and the prime minister is planned,” laments a smoke signaller. “This shows they have got all their priorities in the wrong places. Pet projects such as renewable energy and marine parks will not help struggling families put food on the table. Most schools are now doing their own fundraising, so […]

Celebrating the ascension of Jesus

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Church Talk

The next major event in the Christian calendar is the Ascension of the Lord. Traditionally the feast is celebrated 40 days from Easter on the Thursday in the 6th week of Easter (May 17) or transferred to the Sunday. (May 20). The accounts of the ascension for me are clearest in the gospel of Luke […]

Molten tar burns man

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Local

A labourer who received burns to his foot and hand while working with hot tarmac due for use in the Nikao road works is making marked improvements in hospital. The 22-year-old man received a mix of superficial and deep burns to his foot and hand on Saturday after he came into contact with hot tarmac […]

New dengue outbreak confirmed

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Local

Three cases of dengue fever have been confirmed at Rarotonga and although public health officials expect there will be more to come they are asking people to be alert but not alarmed. All the confirmed cases emanate from Rarotonga so far, but because the three infected individuals come from different parts of the island – […]

Packed bar for papa'a and oldies dancers

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Features

Hidie’s Bar in Avarua was packed to the rafters on Thursday night for the fun and entertaining papaa and golden oldies dancer of the year competitions. In the papaa section, two male dancers, Josh and Karl and two female visitors, Bianca and Kelsy, donned traditional costumes to put their best Cook Islands dance on display. […]

Staffing problems at Titikaveka college

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, The other day I was greatly disturbed to learn that the Ministry of Education had failed thus far to recruit permanent teachers for Titikaveka college so as to replace those teachers who are filling in on a temporary basis. I believe that this problem has been ongoing since the beginning of the school […]

Olympic jokes keep coming

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, While your cartoons of Hagar and the Phantom raise a smile, and Kata is world class, nothing beats the ongoing circus of the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC). Excuses, arguments over procedures and responsibilities, awards to the secretary general, funding for sports not even played in the Cook Islands for […]

Kata - May 4, 2012

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in Kata

Tahitian hospitality for vaka crew

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in National

This report from Tahiti is from the Marumaru Atua blog by crew member Alex Olah. The fleet of sailing vaka is now preparing for the journey to Aitutaki and Rarotonga. It has been a busy week for us here in Tahiti. Early on Sunday morning, after leaving the small bay and pier on Tahiti Iti […]

Old $1m power bill still outstanding

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in National

A historic power bill worth about $1 million remains unpaid on Te Aponga Uira’s (TAU) books and it doesn’t look like the organisation can expect to see any money soon. The Cook Islands government owes the state-owned enterprise about $1 million for a power bill that is more than 15 years old. The bill relates […]

CI seeks to combine loans, make savings

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in National

A Cook Islands delegation attending the Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting in the Philippines has met with representatives of the ADB Treasury to discuss the possibility of combining $63 million worth of outstanding loans the Cook Islands has with the bank. Currently, the Cook Islands has 16 loans with the Asian Development Bank which […]

Pacific ADB members form new group

Friday 4 May 2012 | Published in National

The Cook Islands and other Pacific members of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have outlined their future ambitions for development in the region ahead of the bank’s annual meeting in the Philippines this week. Representatives from the bank’s Pacific constituents – including Cook Islands Minister for Finance and Economic Management Mark Brown, financial secretary Richard […]

Democratic Party aims to take back power

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in Local

The Democratic Party is re-grouping with a long-term vision to take back the majority in parliament at the next general election. Opposition leader and deputy leader of the Democratic Party Wilkie Rasmussen is buoyed by the “unity” and “professionalism” he perceives within the party’s branches in Titikaveka and Aitutaki. Having visited Aitutaki several weeks ago, […]

Govt plans sole fuel supply

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in Local

The government is endeavouring to consolidate the country’s fuel volume requirements. Cook Islands News understands a tender document specifying a sole supplier will be released later this year, around October. The contract will not include the supply of aviation fuel, as Pacific Energy has an arrangement to supply the airport until 2015, but the idea […]

Press freedom: It's your right

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in National

One of our most basic human rights – up there with the right to education and the right to freedom – is the right to information. It’s true – the UN said so. In 1946 the general assembly recognised the right to know as the foundation of all other rights. This was the starting point […]

'Press freedom, a delicate flower in the Pacific'

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in National

Pacific media, for the most part, is free to actively debate and discuss issues and express opinions, unlike media in some regions of the world where journalists face life and death decisions in pursuing certain stories. However, the region is by no means immune to restrictions on press freedom. The situation for some journalists in […]

One of our most precious rights

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in National

Joint message by UN Secretary-General and UNESCO Director-General on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day 2012: Freedom of expression is one of our most precious rights. It underpins every other freedom and provides a foundation for human dignity. Free, pluralistic and independent media is essential for its exercise. This is the message of World […]

Flow of local information not so free in Cook Islands

Thursday 3 May 2012 | Published in National

This opinion piece by staff journalist Eric Parnis talks about press freedom in a local, Cook Islands context. When asked what institutions they think are central to holding up the modern Cook Islands nations, our leaders typically give three answers – the government, the traditional leaders and the church. Rarely or never do they include […]