Articles by Utopia Support

Williams rejoins Take That

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

British singer Robbie Williams has rejoined former band Take That to record their first album together since he walked out on them 15 years ago, the group announced on Thursday. Williams got back together with the other four members of the successful British band – Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange and Mark Owen in […]

Film on women's rugby in Iran

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

If a relationship with a New Zealander will do nothing else for someone, it’ll give them an awareness of rugby. In the case of Faramaz Beheshti, a photographer of Iranian descent now living in New Zealand, it led him towards making Salam Rugby, a film on the unlikely subject of women’s rugby in Iran. “I’m […]

Te Maeva Nui goes international

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

Te Maeva Nui will be featured in an episode on locally aired television programme Pacific Pulse. Show presenter Clement Paligaru goes behind the scenes to see just how much work goes into each performance and to find varying views about whether competitions are the key to keeping the Cook Islands culture alive. The annual Te […]

Mobility bus for centre

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

Members of the Creative Centre School (above) in Tupapa proudly show off their new mobility bus which was donated to them by the Thames Rotary Club assisted by the Cook Islands Rotary Club. The bus has a wheelchair access ramp on the back and seats eight passengers, three wheelchair passengers and a driver. Creative Centre […]

Art symposium drawing large crowd

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Features

Around 150 people have already confirmed that they will be attending the prestigious Pacific Art Association’s Xth International Symposium, where many contemporary artists from the region will be displaying their work. “It’s great for the Cook Islands as so few of our artefacts are here. Most of them sit in museums in the northern hemisphere,” […]

'Special' vote causes distress

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, It distresses me to read on the front page of yesterday morning’s Cook Islands News that my “special” vote in yesterday’s Democratic party run-off in the Tupapa electorate will not be counted, and will be thrown away. To put the record straight, I make the following points: Firstly, I registered as an elector […]

Greetings from PNG

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Greetings from Papua New Guinea – The Land of the Unexpected. It is nice to have read of the various news items published in your paper. The paper is very selective of new articles and I personally found that quality of reporting is of high standard. I marvel the publicity of social events […]

Political circus continues

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Like many voters I find the rules being applied by both major parties to the candidate selection process to be unbelievable. The central committees of both parties have been guilty of applying double standards-one rule for their favoured candidates another rule for the challengers. We have seen farcical ‘electorate members meetings’ held-Maoate the […]

Kata - July 17, 2010

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Don't let the dogs out

Saturday 17 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

The news article yesterday about five dogs being poisoned in Tupapa and the finger being pointed at goat farmers, drew two swift responses. One smoke signaller emailed in from Tupapa and began by quoting SPCA president Alistair Macquarie’s comment yesterday that “These farmers need to get off their butts and do something to stop their […]

Time of the essence for Budget tabling

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Local

Prime Minister Jim Marurai is reportedly thinking of calling a sitting of Parliament for July 23 just a week before the deadline for tabling the annual Budget. Finance minister Wilkie Rasmussen told CI News yesterday that the now balanced Budget is ready to go to Parliament following its approval by cabinet this month. Under the […]

Masters return with massive medal haul

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands masters’ athletics team have returned home from Tahiti with a whopping 61 medals –possibly the most medals ever won by a Cook Islands’ sports team. Members of the successful team returned home from the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in Tahiti on Tuesday weighed down with their medals but buoyed by the awesome […]

Selection disappoints hopeful

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Local

Avatiu’s Poko Keu is disappointed at the process carried out to select Sam ‘Gumby’ Crocombe as the Democratic Party election candidate for Ruatonga-Avatiu-Panama-Palmerston-Atupa (RAPPA). He also believes it unfairly all came down to “who had the most money” to mount a successful campaign come election time. On Tuesday party executives announced that a run off […]

Not a good look, Graham

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Oh dear it’s not a good start for Mauke demo candidate Hugh Graham. The NZ Herald recently reported former councillor Graham is under pressure to repay the public salary paid to him while he was absent campaigning in the Cook Islands. Mayor Len Brown added the absentee councillor’s overall performance was not entirely […]

Plea for more convenient flights

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I was fortunate to be one of the passengers on the inaugural flight NZ49 from Sydney to Rarotonga on Sunday, July 4 and returned home on flight NZ46 on Saturday July 9. Having visited the Cook Islands before, this is a great incentive for Australians to conveniently travel to your destination. The wristband, […]

Kata - July 15, 2010

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Kata

Maggie wants Tangi, not Tupa

Thursday 15 July 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

“I have just read the newspaper article ‘Maggie wont vote’,” a smoke signaller writes in reference to the front page article yesterday about the run-off today between John Tangi, Nooroa Tupa and William Framhein for the Democratic Party candidacy in the constituency of Tupapa. “Sure Maggie won’t vote, but he’s been around Tupapa homes campaigning […]

Nothing compares to chasing an eclipse

Tuesday 13 July 2010 | Published in Environment

There’s a reason people of all nationalities follow the promise of an eclipse to the far reaches of the globe for serious eclipse-chasers, nothing compares. American eclipse-chaser Larry Shore has logged nine solar eclipses in places such as Shanghai, Siberia, Egypt and Pitcairn Island, and said that for those who haven’t experienced a total solar […]

All just part of the experience

Tuesday 13 July 2010 | Published in Environment

When amateur astronomer Torsten Rothenwaldt prepares to watch an eclipse, he knows there’s always a chance that poor weather will muddle the experience. He’s travelled from his home country of Germany to Libya, Mongolia and Kiribati chasing eclipses, and believes that they are awe-inspiring shows even if obscured by clouds. Rothenwaldt decided a decade ago […]

Tav case delayed

Tuesday 13 July 2010 | Published in Local

Businesswoman Ellena Tavioni appeared in court yesterday as a petition for the winding up of her clothing business Tav Ltd was presented to the High Court by the Collector of Inland Revenue. But the case of Ministry of Finance & Economic Management (MFEM) vs Tav Ltd was adjourned to August 30 as Tavioni’s lawyer Tony […]