Articles by Utopia Support

Woman admits drug charge

Friday 13 May 2011 | Published in Local

The first guilty plea to a charge laid under Operation Eagle was entered in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua yesterday. Tina Upu (54), of Atupa, admitted one charge of possessing a class C controlled drug, namely cannabis, at Rarotonga on May 4 when she appeared in the dock before Justice of the Peace […]

Kata - May 13, 2011

Friday 13 May 2011 | Published in Kata

League teams ready for knockouts

Friday 13 May 2011 | Published in League

The rugby league club competition enters knockout territory today with the top four playoffs at BCI Stadium. Opening up the knockout round today will be the 3rd and 4th placed teams in the under 13, under 16, under 19 and premier grades. The reserve grade 3rd and 4th place playoff between the Eels and Panthers […]

Fired up netball team runs for funds

Friday 13 May 2011 | Published in Netball

National netball players will be running around the island this Saturday to raise funds for their trip to Papua New Guinea next month for the Pacific Netball Series. The squad, who have all been training hard, will start their run at 7am on Saturday from the Punanga Nui Markets. The squad will run through Avarua […]

Father of the house faces hearing

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Local

MP Norman George told a select committee he did not turn up to a February sitting of parliament because he must be the sardine which did not want to be part of the school. The Parliamentary Privileges Select Committee met yesterday to decide if Atiu MP George was in contempt of a summons when he […]

Multiple burglaries and thefts

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Local

In addition to the arrest of multiple people on charges of drug possession and distribution, the police arrested one man for allegedly unlawfully taking a bicycle and a motorcycle at the weekend. There were also four burglaries and three thefts at the weekend, though police have not identified any suspects. One Aroko residence was burgled […]

Rain and wind lash Rarotonga

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Local

Heavy rain and winds ripped across Rarotonga on Wednesday night, as a passing tropical depression brought wind gusts of up to 49 knots. Meteorological services director Arona Ngari said the depression passed eventually to the southeast of Rarotonga. Damage was reported in Mitiaro but the storm did not cause any significant damage on Rarotonga apart […]

Its $5-6m

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Local

Between $5 and $6 million from the Avatiu harbour reconstruction project is expected to filter through local businesses, says Business Trade Investment Board (BTIB) chairman Grant Priest. After initially refusing to grant McConnell Dowell foreign enterprise approval, BTIB has allowed the firm to forge ahead provided it incorporates local contractors in the project. Priest said […]

For the record

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Your reporter Rosie Mains must be from another planet. At no time did I say that I refused to attend Parliament on the 17th of February because I was left out of Cabinet. When I did not bother to correct it the first time your newspaper published this fiction, I ignored it hoping […]

Kata - May 12, 2011

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Kata

$840k fine for fish trucking

Thursday 12 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

The debate over allowing exploratory licences for purse seining in our waters isnt going to go away any time soon and one of our readers thought a news article about a recent court case in New Zealand which followed almost two years of investigations was very topical to the issue of making sure fishing companies […]

Complaints over backdating new tariff

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Local

The Te Aponga Uira (TAU) tariff hike is hitting customers, who are indignant over the backdating of the price increase. The tariff increase went into effect on Monday, May 2. TAU chief executive Apii Timoti says while the tariff increase applies to electricity meters read on and after that date, it also applies to the […]

Rumours circulate over drugs bust

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Local

No new arrests have been made in Operation Eagle the countrys largest ever police investigation of any kind, and the largest investigation of drug importation and distribution. To date 13 men and women have been arrested during Operation Eagle, which has been ongoing for more than a year and has involved at least 11 New […]

George fronts up

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Local

Independent MP Norman George will today face the Parliamentary Privileges Committee as it decides if he acted in contempt of a summons from the Queens Representative. George is expected to be at parliament for the 10.30am sitting, which is the third of the committee since it was constituted last month. The committee will decide if […]

Justice must not be cruel

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I am responding to the letter Justice must be served published on Tuesday, May 10. Well, whoever you are it seems like you dont have any children. Yes justice must be served but not in a cruel way, my dear. As mothers we must be strong, clever and have the strength to fight […]

Competition possibility worth investigating

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Id just like to make a few comments regarding the article Affordable Telecom plans to offer more published on Saturday, May 7. I think Mr Jules Maher touched on an important point about the size of the population of the Cook Islands being too small to support competition and to some degree this […]

Purse seine fishing foolish and devastating

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, I write to say that I, as the Member of Parliament for Tongareva (Penrhyn,) and the island oppose the Governments plans to explore the possibility of purse seine fishing in the Cook Islands. If this goes ahead it will be a most foolish exercise and will have the most devastating effect on our […]

Kata - May 11, 2011

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Kata

The sticky question of Web suppression

Wednesday 11 May 2011 | Published in Smoke Signals

The New Zealand media is running articles about the arrest of 13 people here on drugs charges, with varying degrees of detail. On Sunday night a ONE News reporter named one of the accused on the evening news with the relevant part of the 6pm broadcast shown only to viewers in New Zealand and blocked […]

Govt meets Air NZ

Tuesday 10 May 2011 | Published in Local

A private briefing was held yesterday afternoon for Prime Minister Henry Puna and various ministers, following consultation between the Tourism Cook Islands Corporation (TCI) and Air New Zealand officials at present in the country. Cook Islands News understands TCI board members spent most of yesterday at Crown Beach Resort and Spa talking business with the […]