More Top Stories
Cook Islands has its first mosque
14 November 2024
CI Muslim opens up about her faith and journey
16 November 2024
RAC to address mosque legality
19 November 2024
I don’t expect much change: PM Brown on US Elections
6 November 2024
Fifth weekly Sydney flight to Rarotonga announced
23 October 2024
CIIC directors seek $350,000 in damages over defamatory claims
21 October 2024
Man found guilty of rape, burglary
24 September 2024
Tenants face water bill burden
8 October 2024
Concerns over Minister’s role in inmate work releases: PAC
5 October 2024
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Parliament’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Tapaitau and Charlie-Puna released to ‘family jobs’
21 September 2024
Police apprehend four juveniles in connection with motorcycle thefts
23 September 2024
Deep sea dilemma: Cook Islanders weigh the cost of mineral riches
21 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
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 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
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
Features
Health and Beauty: Pure and Natural, a sanctuary for beauty and wellness
Pure and Natural salon and Beauty Spa, tucked away in a convenient new location in Ngatangiia, is offering a refreshing escape for customers seeking expert beauty services on the island.
Nauru Assembly of God visit Rarotonga
Thirty-five members of the Assembly of God youth ministry from Nauru are visiting Rarotonga for two weeks. The worship delegation came to celebrate the 21st birthday celebration of Tinka Marsters, a Nauruan girl who was raised by CICC Reverend Tere Marsters and his wife in the Cook Islands. Reverend Evi Agir, leader of the group […]
'Peace just doesn't turn up'
Song and the fragrance of tiare taina filled the air on Friday, as children, peace ambassadors and the Pan Pacific Southeast Asia Women’s Association (PPSEAWA) observed the International Day of Peace. The rain drove the ceremony into the University of the South Pacific grounds, away from the planned Peace Garden venue, but didn’t dampen the […]
Unusual whale sightings
This marks the first season in 15 years that the Cook Islands’ resident whale expert Nan Hauser has recorded blue whale sightings off Rarotonga. She has logged four blue whale sightings, supported by photographic evidence, and has also documented a Sei whale swimming near motu Taakoka. It’s halfway into whale season, and Hauser says thus […]
Cricket development team to debut
Big match ups are on the cards for the second round of the Computer Man and Edgewater cricket competition this weekend. The Davana ladies had the bye last week but are rearing for action as they head over to Matavera. The Air Raro Matavera ladies had a solid start to their season last weekend with […]
Last call to create wearable art pieces
A last call has been issued for entries in the Clean Up Wearable Arts Competition Showcase. With the theme being ‘My Waste, Your Waste, Our Responsibility’, students from Rarotonga schools have been working over the past four to five weeks to create wearable art out of waste material in order to entertain, educate and inspire […]
'Curry Munchers' arrives in Rarotonga
A new movie hits the islands this week, with an opportunity to watch a Cook Islands resident in action. Nikao Video is releasing the New Zealand produced film ‘Curry Munchers’ – a film that was largely the creation of Aunanda Naaido. Naaido, who is currently working as financial director at The Edgewater Resort and Spa, […]
New lawyer sworn in for Toa litigation work
Chief Justice Tom Weston admitted a new lawyer to the Cook Islands bar on Friday. “This is a slightly more pleasant task than all the sentencing I’ve been doing this morning,” Weston joked before welcoming Auckland lawyer Rebecca Rose to the bar. Rose is in Rarotonga to help the Crown in the Toa Petroleum litigation. […]
Drainlaying students' commitment impresses
Visiting Wintec assessor Pete Shields is impressed at the levels of commitment shown by students on the cusp of completing the first-ever drainlayers qualification. The course, which began in 2010, will see the first lot of graduates finish at the end of the year. The Hamilton-based tutor was on hand at the Cook Islands Trade […]
Experience of a lifetime in Frankfurt
Cook Islands performers have showcased our culture to potentially millions of people in Europe in recent weeks, according to Glenda Tuaine of Motone Productions who reports from the Akirata Dance Troupe tour of Europe. ALL PHOTOS GLENDA TUAINE Frankfurt is a city that feels safe, the centre of German commerce, it radiates a vibe of […]
Dragons scrape home
A composed Ngatangiia-Matavera Dragons senior A team did just enough to outlast the fast finishing Tupapa Panthers in the main match at the weekend to win the game 22-18. With this week’s semi finals in mind it was imperative to build confidence and momentum as both teams suffered forced injuries to key personnel and Saturday’s […]
Second annual arts week
Last week was the second annual arts week at Tereora College. Arts week began as an initiative to promote visual and performing arts as well as to increase the profile of student creativity within the school. Throughout the week there have been student drama and dance performances, guest speakers and screening of documentaries and films […]
Hoopla and Hillary Altogether it's much more than the Forum – its value 'immeasurable'
To refer to the past week as the biggest and busiest of the year would be grossly understating the Forum hype and hoopla that Rarotonga is going to spend September recovering from. The Forum was an occasion of whirlwind proportions for those directly involved – in the newsroom we abandoned all trappings of our extracurricular […]
Wharekura makes good music
A professional standard of musicianship combined with the relaxed nature of an intimate setting made for a fantastic night for the Aotearoa Society’s fundraising concert on Wednesday night. Leon Wharekura left the sold-out Staircase Restaurant and Bar to rounds of applause after a night of fun-filled entertainment for a good cause. All of the ‘two-course […]
Akava wins historic gold in Toque d'Or
Isaia Akava has made history by becoming the first non-New Zealander to win a gold medal in the prestigious Toque d’Or competition held at Auckland’s ASB Showgrounds on Monday. As the only international team in the competition, the students from Rarotonga’s Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre were under pressure to perform, especially after last year’s […]
60 Plus group's new cookbook launched
Friday was a special day for the 60 Plus group of mamas and papas who celebrate five years of friendship and the launch of the group’s new cook book ‘Raurau ki to rima’. The A5 cookbook, printed locally by Cook Islands News, includes kitchen-tested and time-honoured recipes by members of the group. In her address […]
Stepping into an alien universe
Akirata is a group whose age range stretches from 13 to 50. Our young people tell the story best giving their own honest impressions.Here is the first article from our youth on the road, Elsie Hosking, Akirata’s 13-year-old custom packer and musician: We are in Ostrava. There is a lot of people, over 300,000 and […]
Maire's story impresses Oscar Kightley
Sione’s Wedding actor and writer Oscar Kightley sees potential in the Cook Islands’ very own Maire Brown. Kightley chose Brown as one of six finalists in a story contest being staged by New Zealand hip-hop artist Scribe. ‘Scribe With Us’ is a contest comprising four categories – song, story, poem and rap – that aims […]
The journey to Konitara Are Ta'unga
It has been a journey of many years that has ended in the formation of Konitara Are Ta’unga, the Cook Islands Arts Council. The council has been formed by artists in the Cook Islands community, moving ahead through dedication and hard work, when government actions towards forming a council slowed. The role of the arts […]
Good luck in Tahiti
‘Good luck in Tahiti’ was a passive sort of wish that many gave to Reuben Dearlove before he took on July’s Te Aito and last weekend’s Super Aito outrigger races. He valued the sentiment, but deep down, the 37-year-old Cook Islands champion paddler knows that luck has nothing to do with beating French Polynesia’s best […]
Maori entertainer returns for fundraiser concert
Prominent Maori entertainer Leon Wharekura is returning to Rarotonga to help raise funds for the local Aotearoa Society of Rarotonga. The Tainui singer’s arrival comes after the release of his second album, ChameLEON, in July. Where his first album that was simply titled ‘It’s a Love Thing’ featured a majority of covers, the second album […]
Te Tika launch brings 'new era' for Cooks
A premium skincare range containing secret Cook Islands plant extracts was launched in Rarotonga on Thursday night before being rolled out to the rest of the world. Te Tika, meaning ‘truth and integrity’ in Cook Islands Maori, is a skincare range developed over 10 years by Cook Islander Dr Graham Matheson, founder and director of […]