More Top Stories
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
Top cop position advertised
7 December 2024
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
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
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
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
National
Jewels of the Cook Islands ready to shine at Dine and Dance event
A New Zealand-based Cook Islands entertainment group is on the island and is set to perform tonight in what they say will be a magical night of dining and dancing in Rarotonga.
Aitutaki community re-establishes traditional ra’ui to protect marine
The Aitutaki community has re-established a traditional ra’ui, a temporary fishing ban, in their lagoon to protect marine life and ensure sustainable resource management, with support from the National Environment Service.
Otago in harbour after patrol
The HMNZS Otago is due to berth in Avatiu Harbour at 1 o’clock this afternoon (Wednesday), after a week-long joint exercise boarding fishing vessels in Cook Islands waters. The Otago carried out the exercise in the northern part of the Cooks exclusive economic zone (EEZ) with a Cook Islands police boarding party. Boarding foreign fishing […]
Inquest may bring 'closure'
Five more witnesses have been heard in the inquest into the disappearance of 31-year-old handicapped woman Ngatupuna Pokotea. Pokotea, who suffered from epileptic fits and could not talk, vanished from her Turoa residence on July 11, 2006. The inquest has been held in the High Court by Coroner Nooapii Tearea last Friday and yesterday (Tuesday). […]
Penrhyn fisherman alleges torture
A Penrhyn fisherman says the way he was treated by police, prison and probation services amounted to torture and is a breach of the Cook Islands constitution and international law. Arumia Robert Samatua is suing the attorney-general for over $970,000 on behalf of the police, prison and probation services for treatment he alleges was a […]
Community respond to smacking comments
How to discipline children is always a contentious issue, and minister Teariki Heather stirred up the debate on the subject in Parliament on Tuesday. During question and answer time, Heather responded to Nikao MP Ngamau ‘Aunty Mau’ Munokoa’s query on how to deal with youth crime by saying the government needed to allow ”parents to […]
Current debt of $93.6m 'manageable'
Crown debt is expected to increase over the long-term. Total gross debt is estimated to reach $93.6 million by the end of this month. The figure has been reduced from last year’s balance on account of a favourable movement in the US to New Zealand dollar exchange rate. At present 80 percent of Crown debt […]
PM praises vaka crew
Prime Minister Henry Puna made mention of the sailors aboard Cook Islands vaka Marumaru Atua in Parliament yesterday. ”I am very proud of these young people,“ he said. ”First they went to the United States, the continent, they landed over there, came back and went to Samoa and also to Fiji. And I came on […]
Customs legislation passes easily
A 600-page bill listing goods that are imported to and exported from the Cook Islands, and their accompanying duties and preferential rates, has passed through Parliament without amendment. The Customs Tariff Bill 2012 passed without objection yesterday. The legislation replaced its 32-year-old predecessor, directly following the passage of the Customs Revenue and Border Protection Bill. […]
Licences restrict by-catch: Bishop
Minister of marine resources Teina Bishop has said that exploratory fishing licences expressly restrict by-catch – or the accidental netting of a species not being targeted, like shark. Last week in Parliament Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen asked Bishop to confirm or deny allegations that foreign vessels licenced under the exploratory regime were finning sharks. Bishop […]
BTIB learns to help small business
Two officials from the Business Trade Investment Board (BTIB) recently came back from a workshop in Fiji that taught them how to coach struggling small businesses. Melina Tuiravakai, BTIB’s business, trade and marketing manager, and Ratu Mato, the finance and administration manager, attended the week-long workshop run by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) […]
Government tendering and procurement process explained
Minister of Finance Mark Brown encourages anyone suspicious of government tendering and procurement processes to download a policies and procedures manual from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management website. Yesterday in Parliament, opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen asked Brown to explain government tendering processes. ”Could you please explain to the house and to members of […]
New law provides insurance protection
The Insurance Amendment Bill passed without amendment in Parliament yesterday. Finance minister Mark Brown read the bill, and explained its objective. ”In the course of carrying out the licensing of insurers to conduct insurance business in the Cook Islands, the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) noted some unworkable provisions in the Insurance Act of 2008,“ he […]
Banks 'failing the people'
Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen has said that local banks are ”failing“ the Cook Islands people. ”Failing in the sense that the interest rates are so high in the Cook Islands – from our perspective they are very high – and the interest rates are so high on mortgages (that they are) difficult for Cook Islanders […]
Banking 'tidy up' law passed
The Banking Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament yesterday. The Bill amends the Banking Act, which was passed in December of last year and which received royal assent from the Queen’s Representative on December 13. Finance minister Mark Brown read the amendment bill’s explanatory note in Parliament yesterday. ”This bill is to make an amendment […]
Going public
Finance minister Mark Brown says government is keen to publicise a forthcoming report analysing Cook Islands banking institutions, which is currently being drafted by the founding chief executive of Kiwibank Sam Knowles. ”He (Knowles) has provided some initial explanations to myself, however his final report will be due very shortly and it will be a […]
Slow down and watch those animals
Here at the Esther Honey Foundation our number one case seems to be vehicular in nature – animals being hit by cars, bikes, jumping out of cars, trucks or being run over from sleeping under cars. At this point we have four dogs and three cats which all have serious injuries from being in vehicular […]
Sunset Road portrays life of local artist
A play based on the life of local artist Ian George – and written and directed by his daughter Miria – premieres today (June 20) in Wellington. While her theatre experience is extensive, ‘Sunset Road’ is the first play Miria has both written and directed. ”It is inspired by my Dad’s life – but has […]
'Go green'
Associate minister of agriculture Kiriau Turepu has said that Titikaveka Growers Association deserves more financial support. ”I am happy with what the Titikaveka Growers are doing today,“ he said in Parliament on Friday. ”They are looking at various options of how to use their own soil rather than bringing soil from abroad. I fully support […]
Tongareva gives thanks
Penrhyn MP Wilkie Rasmussen has extended his sincerest thanks to New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter and his team for supplying Penrhyn with fuel. In Parliament yesterday Rasmussen made special mention of the three warships that travelled to Tongareva bearing 60,000 litres of diesel – 30,000 litres for the island and 30,000 for Te Kukupa […]
Retrospective tender waiver not granted
A Cook Islands Tourism Corporation request to retrospectively waive the tender process for four of its marketing campaigns was not granted, meaning funding was not given. After realising they might not be complying with the proper tender process, the corporation met with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Management (MFEM), which then requested a Public […]
Heather answers contracting questions
Infrastructure minister Teariki Heather has said that T&M Heather has secured all its contracts legally and fairly. In Parliament yesterday Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen asked Heather to address concerns voiced by members of the public pertaining to T&M contracts. ”Some time ago the opposition through me raised concerns in the media about the company T&M […]
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