Articles by Utopia Support

Please, stand up for the little people

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor I want to write to you about my sheer frustration at what has happened on the corner of the road to Nikao Maori school and Avatea School. I have children who go to Avatea and am very afraid for their safety. Very quickly we saw a building being erected on the corner of […]

Telecom must change

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Telecom is charging our tourists around 650 per cent more for internet access than we are paying. If you want access to Telecom’s WIFI internet access (Hot Spot) you have to pay a minimum of $15 dollars for 50 megabytes of data. How does this compare to what I pay for 50 mega […]

Kata - May 5, 2010

Wednesday 5 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Woods highlights CI's fragile media freedom

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Local

Cook Islands News managing editor John Woods yesterday spoke proudly about the Cook Islands’ right of free speech and freedom of expression. But, again warned that it was a “fragile freedom”. Woods was in Brisbane speaking as part of the World Press Freedom Day lecture series at the University Of Queensland. He spoke of the […]

New tourism CEO appointed

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Local

The search for a new chief executive for CI Tourism is over Australian Carmel Beattie has been appointed to the position this week. CI Tourism board chairman Tata Crocombe says it’s been a detailed process with outstanding candidates both local and international. Beattie is currently in Rarotonga and signed her contract yesterday. Beattie was previously […]

Dancers wanted

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Local

IN THE BEAT: Auditions for the senior dancer of the year competition, for dancers over 17, will be held on Friday at the national auditorium before the competition night on May 27. Mauri Toa of the ministry of cultural development says they will be looking for the country’s top eight male and female dancers at […]

Case of the mystery woman

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Features

It appears the mystery of a 25-year-old photo may have been solved. Former Muri resident Rick Welland is back on Rarotonga as the artist in residents at the BCA gallery, preparing for an exhibition on May 17. Originally from California, he first arrived in Rarotonga in 1961 and spent over 30 years living and painting […]

Who foots the bill?

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor, Kia orana te iti tangata. It’s me again, Uncle Bob! No surprise on the outcome of Norm’s Court Case. But at whose cost? Take a wild guess, te iti tangata, the bill is yours, say thanks to Pai and co. These crackers have cost the country more than their combined worth. They pushed […]

Police action beggars belief

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor Helen Greig’s account of the disgraceful treatment of her by the police recently makes for sobering reading. How a competent police officers could pursue an innocent person based on such suspect information beggars belief. It is so important the police maintain public confidence in their integrity and objectivity. Helen Greig’s story does not […]

Wrongful arrest disgraceful

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Letters to the Editor

Dear Editor. After reading the story of misdirected justice regarding Helen Greig’s wrongful arrest, I can only say one word – disgraceful. Disgraceful that the police have suddenly become judge and jury, disgraceful that the police can make arrests or hold a member of the public without due diligence and due process, disgraceful that a […]

Kata - May 4, 2010

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Kata

Colourful start to netball

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Netball

Netball got off to a colourful start on Friday and Saturday with balloons, team banners and a flags which highlighted that the passion for netball among staunch supporters is still alive. Cheering and words of encouragement was at its loudest when the babes of netball took to the courts on Saturday afternoon. For most of […]

Alice's tropical wonderland

Tuesday 4 May 2010 | Published in Smoke Signals

A smoke signaller writes: “The recent screening of Alice in Wonderland was certainly timely for us here in the Cook Islands where, like Alice’s experience, reality seems to have been set on its head and all is back to front. On the one hand we have spent well over $1,000,000 chasing an allegation against Norman […]

Media freedom

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Local

May 3 each year has been officially designated by the United Nations General Assembly as World Press Freedom Day. All around the world on this day, supporters of media freedom celebrate the fundamental principles of press and media freedom that are articulated in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. From the Pacific […]

Franklin 'competent'

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Local

Criticism of detective inspector Mark Franklin’s investigation that led to the Operation Slush trial, prompted Justice Nicholson to make his own comment on it in his ruling on Friday. Justice Nicholson said in light of the strong criticism of Franklin during the trial by the defence counsel that he saw fit to comment on it. […]

Three nominated for Titikaveka CIP

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Local

Three people were nominated last week to be the Cook Islands Party candidate for Titikaveka in the election this year. A spokesperson for the Titikaveka CIP committee said it would meet today to review the nominations and then announce the names. When nominations for the candidacy closed on Friday it is understood one of the […]

Telecommunications agreements questioned

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Local

There are possibly four foreign-based telecommunications network providers operating in the Cooks and one local company wanting a network to provide services to consumers is fed up with government over the issue of Telecom’s monopoly. Mervin Communications director William Framhein says he’s had a gut full of Telecom Cook Islands varying application of section 4 […]

Attorney-General details history of freedom

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Features

Journalists from all over the world crowded into the auditorium of the University of Queensland auditorium to hear Australian Attorney-General Cameron Dick and Queensland governor Penelope Wensley speak yesterday about the virtues of a free press. Dick detailed the history of freedom of press and highlighted that in its initial stages, the media encountered the […]

UNESCO head talks of free media

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Features

World Press Freedom Day 2010 opened yesterday with a series of speeches delivered by media supporters. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, spoke about the value of a free media, and stressed the idea that the free circulation of information forms the foundation of a healthy society. Freedom of expression and freedom of information are “indispensable […]

Pacific makes its voice heard

Monday 3 May 2010 | Published in Features

The South Pacific added its two cents yesterday at the World Press Freedom Day conference in Brisbane. A panel made up of media workers from the Pacific featured Cook Islander Lisa Williams-Lahari who said she wears a number of hats, among them freelance journalist, women’s rights activist, wife and mum. Williams-Lahari compared media freedom to […]