More Top Stories
$12.9m approved for solar battery project, NZ confirms
12 March 2025
Crown Law Office on track for record number of lawyers
12 March 2025
‘Nothing to worry about’: Prime Minister Brown on China agreement
16 February 2025
‘Serious questions’: Opposition challenges China partnership
15 February 2025
No-confidence motion against PM and his Cabinet faces delays
15 February 2025
Ruta Mave: People’s Republic of China red flag
10 February 2025
No debt in China deal
8 February 2025
Thomas Wynne: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?
8 February 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
$541.7m tourism earnings
25 January 2025
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
Police need numbers and bigger budget
9 December 2024
Niki Rattle: A call for stronger human rights protections
10 December 2024
Solid and Hazardous Waste Bill referred to Parliament committee
10 December 2024
DPM defends CIIC finance and travel policies
6 December 2024
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
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
National
MFEM reforms aim to prevent repeat of costly Sheraton project
The Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM) has taken valuable lessons from the controversial Sheraton deal, reinforcing its financial policies and procedures to prevent similar issues from occurring in the future.
Facebook group admin responds to police caution on posting personal IDs
The administrator of the private Facebook group, Rarotonga Community and Beyond, has clarified the group’s stance on posting personal identification items online, following a police caution about the potential risks of such posts.
Humble kuru dish wins hearts at Taste of the Season Cook Off competition
Hundreds turned out to taste the delicious tiopu kuru (breadfruit stew) hearty meals prepared with love by our very own home cooks in the Takurua – Taste of the Season Cook Off competition on Saturday at the Punanga Nui Market.
Cook Islands eyes China investment in blue economy
Cook Islands and China have agreed to cooperate on blue economy investments, including new port wharves and deep sea minerals development, under a newly signed memorandum of understanding (MoU).
Schools spice up Takurua event with cultural challenges
Students, teachers and guests yesterday enjoyed the tender, flavourful vegetables, fish and meat, slow-cooked with the heat of hot river stones and infused with the fragrant sweetness of banana leaves, steam and smoke.
Repeat offender back behind bars
Recidivist offender, 23-year-old Lucas Kamana, has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for charges of burglary, joint burglary and contempt of court.
Hunter seeks shorter term as PSC head
Public Service Commissioner, Carl Sean Hunter, recently reappointed to his position, has confirmed that he requested a two-year term.
Te Ipukarea Society: Citizen science to guide turtle conservation
Turtles are an integral part of marine ecosystems, and the Cook Islands is home to a few species, including the endangered Green Turtle and the critically endangered Hawksbill turtles.
School roll swells, Apii Nikao inducts new prefects
Apii Nikao celebrated the induction of 20 student prefects, who will serve as role models and leaders, while the school’s enrolment has increased from 339 to 389 since January.
Cook Islands’ China deal tests limits of NZ partnership
Cook Islands’ recent agreement with China has raised concerns about potential breaches of its Joint Declaration with New Zealand, with experts debating whether any breach is legal or merely political, depending on the extent of surprise and the details of the agreement, while also considering the broader context of shifting global power dynamics in the Pacific.
Apii Te Uki Ou prefects ready to lead
The newly inducted Apii Te Uki Ou student leaders were reminded to uphold the school’s values at all times and represent it with pride.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms to persist: Met
The ongoing heavy rain and thunderstorms affecting both the Northern and Southern Cook Islands are expected to continue, warned the Cook Islands Meteorological Service.
Seven home cooks vie for kuru crown
Rarotonga residents are in for a treat tomorrow morning when home cooks in the community battle it out in the Takurua tiopu kuru (breadfruit stew) competition at the Punanga Nui Market.
Decades-old Cook Islands ID cards invalid, says Minister
The decades-old Cook Islands identification card, once used for travel before Cook Islanders gained access to New Zealand passports, are now invalid, confirmed the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Immigration.
Hunter reappointed Public Service Commissioner
Public Service Commissioner Carl Sean Hunter has been reappointed to the role for another two years by the King’s Representative Sir Tom Marsters.
Court briefs
Maika Nateru, who appeared before Justice of the Peace Vania Kenning at the Criminal Court in Avarua yesterday, has been ordered to pay a fine of $300 for excess blood alcohol.
Cook Islands and China go halves in $6 million inter-island vessel purchase
Government has allocated $3 million in its supplementary budget to co-fund a new shipping vessel from China, aiming to establish a nationalised shipping service and improve inter-island connectivity, a move that has been met with concern from an existing private shipping operator.
Govt roundtable reinforces commitment to financial service industry growth
A Policymakers Round Table brought together government agencies and industry experts to discuss the future of the financial services industry in the Cook Islands.
Atiu Harbour upgrade to address deterioration and safety concerns
The National Environment Service is seeking public input on an Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed upgrade of Atiu Harbour, which involves dredging, makatea cliff removal and concrete repair to address deterioration and safety concerns.
Māori MP draws parallels between Cook Islands protest and Māori concerns
Aotearoa New Zealand’s Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says Cook Islanders’ protest against their government over key decisions resonate with the feelings of New Zealand Māori in Aotearoa “with a lot of decisions being made about us, without us”.
Court briefs
Two men were sentenced on Tuesday in the Criminal Court in Avarua following separate assaults on women. One of the men was also found guilty on three counts of assaulting a child.
Lack of updates frustrates victims in vehicle incident
Visitors left with severe injuries after being struck by a vehicle in Rarotonga in May 2024 is still waiting for answers, with police failing to provide updates despite multiple follow-ups.
