More Top Stories
Charlie-Puna admits to café visit, loses prison privileges
10 September 2024
Browne calls for investigation into prison work release programme
11 September 2024
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
Cook Islands deep sea mining poll sparks controversy
7 September 2024
11 months jail for man caught smuggling 1.176kg of cannabis
13 August 2024
Helmet safety concerns raised amid enforcement challenges
2 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
STI cases on the rise
2 September 2024
Accused rapist admits to 47 charges, suppression lifted
31 August 2024
Rising seas, rising costs: Climate impacts on Cook Islands economy
2 September 2024
Inflation eases but concerns remain
31 August 2024
Prime Minister defends $659,000 MPs travel bill
23 August 2024
Taxpayers foot $659,000 bill for MPs travel and allowance
22 August 2024
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
PM Brown eager to hand over Forum chair role to Tonga
13 August 2024
ICI explains road works delay in front of old Sheraton site
10 August 2024
Diaspora dismayed over lack of Te Maeva Nui livestream
8 August 2024
Everyone is a winner, says Culture
7 August 2024
Local women outshine global peers in business leadership
8 August 2024
Housing crisis hits tourism industry
27 July 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Tapaitau appeal dismissed
17 July 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
TB cases detected
1 June 2024
Features
Priced out of paradise
Despite its efforts to address depopulation, Cook Islands is facing a steady decline in its population due to a combination of economic, social and health factors, leading many residents to seek better opportunities abroad.
‘He waka eke noa – We are all in this together’
Cook Islands last week bid farewell to Tūī Dewes, the former Aotearoa New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, who completed a four-year term on September 6, 2024. In an interview with senior journalist Melina Etches, Dewes reflects on her achievements and contributions, shared interests and enhancing Māori-to-Māori ties.
Kingston women celebrate achievements
Cook Islanders helped to celebrate the networking achievements of women in the Kingston, Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia, last month. Also present was Kingston’s new mayor Steve Staikos who spoke at the Victorian Women’s Link event on Sunday December 6 at the Westall Primary School grounds. More than a 100 people, mostly women and children, celebrated […]
Art piece dresses space
Local artist Krick Barraud continues to use the methodology of ‘dressing space’ to address the cultural landscape with the instalment of her latest piece – ‘lemon, lime and bitter’. Her latest work was revealed recently, suspended from a beam inside the ‘wrapped’ limestone building in which the artists used in her first instalment ‘endangered species’. […]
Banyan Tree exhibition comes to Rarotonga
An exciting visual art exhibition touring the world – The Banyan Tree project — is coming to Rarotonga next week. The exhibition opens at the Cook Islands National Museum next Thursday at 5pm and will run from January 8-22. Two Cook Islands artists – Mahiriki Tangaroa and NZ based Mereana Hutchinson are among the 50 […]
OUR REVIEW OF 2009
Outspoken Pacific Mini Games chief executive David Lobb is sacked by the board for “poor performance” and for his statements made to the media. BCI pledges $500,000 to support the mini games and World Youth Netball Championships. Seventeen-year-old Daniel Mare escapes from prison – he was caught while attempting to buy an air ticket to […]
Taka'i family reunion
It was a toast to the both the last and the next seventy years for one member of the Taka’i family, at a family reunion. “I turn 70 in June so this here is the next 70 years,” said Tata Taka’i of his grand neice, Mason Vaireka, who happily sat on his lap. Over 100 […]
Cook Islands Tourism on facebook
Cook Islands Tourism is using all measures to promote the nation after creating their own page on popular social network site, facebook. With 478 friends, the website is a favourite for locals, tourists and Cook Islanders living overseas. Recent updates include a link to the feeler music clip which was recorded in Rarotonga last month […]
The Feelers rock Raro!
Captivating a full house at Captain Andy’s Beach Bar & Grill at The Rarotongan Beach Resort & Spa last month, the Feelers belted out Blue Skies accompanied by fast-beat traditional Rarotongan drumming using pate and pau drums, really capturing the essence of this idyllic tropical island with such lyrics as ‘Blue skies take me away, […]
Mauke immerses in culture
Students of Apii Mauke this month immersed in Cook Islands culture. Kua riro teia epetoma i te akaora mai i te peu Maori a to matou ui tupuna. Ka riro te puapii akaaere e te tuanga apii Te Reo Maori a Uriau Teatai te akateretere i te au angaanga o teia epetoma e kua tauturuia […]
What do our politicians think? Referendum the only way forward
1) What does political reform mean to you? 2) The economic task force has recommended that there be (a) 19 seats in parliament (10 natial-based seats plus nine constituency seats where the MP is mayor/in charge of local government); (b) that the prime minister be elected by the country; (c) that the PM appoints his […]
Renowned poet who took words for a walk
SATURDAY 22: Cook Islands-born poet Alistair Te Ariki Campbell passed away in Wellington on Sunday at the age of 84. Campbell, born in Penrhyn, was a renowned poet, playwright and novelist. He was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2005. His funeral was held earlier this week at St Mark’s […]
Home grown uni grads
SATURDAY 22: Delivering on accelerated in-country programmes has been a key focus in the Cook Islands by the University of the South Pacific. In addressing yesterday’s graduation at the Are Karioi Nui, USP vice-chancellor professor Rajesh Chandra said that these programmes allowed students to complete their degree while continuing to live and work in-country. “The […]
SATURDAY 22: Return to the reef
Dear Editor, We write to express our sadness at the passing of a son of the Cook Islands, the celebrated poet Alistair Te Ariki Campbell, who died last weekend in New Zealand. Although he left the Cook Islands involuntarily 76 years ago, his affinity with the place of his birth remained, and grew stronger in […]
The world's most exciting game
Saturday 15: Rarotonga schools have been hit with netball fever as each cheer their adopted nation on at the World Youth Netball Championships. This week’s kid’s page shows their passion and love of the game. Netball is fun you Exercise a lot and Teams get better and better at it But it’s a bit of […]
KIDS PAGE - Rain doesn't stop parade for Aussies
Saturday 15: Rain may have delayed the Australian under 21 netball side’s visit to host school St Joseph’s yesterday. But it didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of pupils who walked with team members along St Joseph’s Road – to the sound of drums – to where they were given a traditional welcome at the school’s entrance. […]
PNG visits Nikao Maori School
Saturday 15: Papua New Guinea took some time out of their bye day to visit their host school Nikao Maori yesterday morning. They may have been an hour late, but the children still enthusiastically lined up to provide a path for the team to move through the formal turou (welcome) in which the whole school […]
Arorangi school welcomes teams
Saturday 15: I’m amazed! Let all the adults of the world step aside and let the children show how a welcome should be done. England and Fiji Under 21 teams for the WYNC were treated to a special welcoming by Arorangi School. The children were ready from 8.30am to receive their guests – they had […]
Share the moments!
Saturday 15: When local composer Thomas Mereana-Ngauru composed his theme song for the Pacific Mini Games – there was very little going on about the event. “At the time I composed the song there really wasn’t much buzz about the games and I wanted to compose a song that would get people into the mood […]
Pacific must address gender equality to combat HIV
Saturday 15: As indigenous peoples around the world contemplate how to strengthen efforts to tackle HIV in their communities, an HIV advocate in the Pacific believes that more emphasis should be put on addressing the gender dimension of the disease. Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) prevention officer Jovesa Saladoka says if efforts to curb […]
More magic than just a postcard
Saturday 15: Tired of sending the same old postcards to friends and relatives overseas? If so, check out the newest range of postcards by Mauke residents Andrew and June Hosking and Edna Torea-Allan under the Taeria (towards awareness of environmental responsibility and individual action) and Mauke Magic labels. The new postcards not only show the […]
ENTERTAINMENT - New CD for Andre
Saturday 8: Entertainer Andre Tapena releases his fifth CD since returning to Rarotonga this morning, Saturday at the Punanga Nui market. ‘Where’s the road to Pape’ete?’ is Tapena’s new album and it is based on the experience of a Cook Islander who asked this question to a Tahitian resident while in Pape’ete. The main title […]