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.
SOEs to make $2.1m
State-owned enterprises are due to generate $2.1 million in dividends for this financial year. This is $1 million less than the $3.1 million that were forecasted for the last financial year. It appears as a decrease because, according to Budget Book 1, of a one-off dividend paid in by Te Aponga Uira (TAU) in 2011/12. […]
Network outages not widely advertised
Planned network outages occurred around Rarotonga at the weekend, but Telecom gave only some businesses written warning. The outages, which occurred because technicians were doing maintenance work, affected mobiles in the Avarua cell site area from the Cook Islands Motor Centre to the Avarua CICC church between 2pm and 5pm on Saturday. There was also […]
Teariki Matenga campaigns for youth
Teariki Matenga believes giving youth an alternative future in trades is the way to stop Titikaveka’s crime problem. The Cook Island Party (CIP) candidate is busy campaigning for the Titikaveka seat in the June 21 by-election. His campaign deals with a number of issues, including agriculture and social welfare, but youth is a focus. ”My […]
Village consultation meetings for NGOs
Cook Islands Civil Society Organisations are inviting members of the public to attend three village consultations this week and next. Cook Islands Civil Society Organisations (CICSO) is the national umbrella body which manages all local and regional non-government organisations (NGOs). Discussions will be held on what sort of work CICSO covers, plus a wide range […]
Obituary: Rangi Moeka'a, educator
Rangitukua Moeka’a – the first Cook Islander to hold the post of director of education – passed away in New Zealand last week after a long illness and was laid to rest on Rarotonga at the weekend. Rangitukua Moeka’a replaced former director Russell Gerard in 1972, at a time when public service positions were beginning […]
35% of expenditure on public sector salaries
Thirty-five percent of the government’s expenditures relate to employee salaries. The public service includes ministries, outer island administrations, Crown agencies (Crown Law, Parliament, Police, Office of the Ombudsman, Audit, Business and Trade Investment Board, Ministry of Environment, Cook Islands Tourism Corporation, Head of State, Financial Intelligence Unit, Cook Islands Investment Corporation, Cook Islands National Superfund, […]
Demo MPs call for pa enua job creation
Oneroa Member of Parliament Winton Pickering raised the dormant issue of outer islands agriculture project Te One Kura in Parliament yesterday. He asked whether government intends to increase funding for the project as a means of pa enua job creation. ”The people of Mangaia and Atiu are all leaving. I can tell you that todayWe […]
Budget all 'show' – Opposition
Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen has said Budget 2012 is ”for show“ and ”about appearances only, (not) substance“. He opened the Budget debate in Parliament yesterday, framing his speech as a ”right of reply“. ”The Budget that was presented by the minister of finance last Thursday with a small surplus of $98,000 I describe as an […]
Fishing exports offset pearl slump
Though the black pearl industry is under-performing, the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) expects its revenue to increase by 4 percent this year due to increases in fisheries exports. Thereafter, fisheries exports are expected to increase by 5 percent per annum. For the 2010/11 financial year the marine sector was expected to make $4.9 million […]
Extra 20 fishing licences questioned
Minister of Marine Resources Teina Bishop says no additional exploratory fishing licences have been issued to overseas interests. Budget 2012 contains a projection that 20 ”additional“ licences – to be issued this financial year – will generate $2.4 million in revenue for the country. Cook Islands News reported the fact accordingly, as marine resources regulations […]
First cultural competition for kids
Rarotonga school children tested their traditional skills at the first ever schools cultural competition organised and sponsored by Highland Paradise last week. More than 60 school children from three schools took on the challenge to make an umu, weaving, story telling, drumming and performing an ute. Tutu Teuira, co-owner of Highland Paradise, believes that the […]
Toa has a temporary licence
A story about Toa’s petrol shortage that ran in Cook Islands News last Wednesday mentioned that Toa does not have a licence to operate from its Nikao premises. In fact, Toa has a provisional licence to operate and an agreement with the Ministry of Internal Affairs to store its petrol in tanktainers temporarily, until such […]
Major water works planned
By 2015, all Rarotonga taps should be safe to drink from. This, at least, is the government’s goal, which it aims to achieve by undertaking a $43 million overhaul of Rarotonga’s water and sanitation systems. The full upgrade will rely on a blended finance arrangement, or loans and grants provided under a ‘Water Partnership’ scheme […]
Firearms expert heads new programme
The outdated firearms act may not have got its much-needed overhaul, but gun safety procedures are at the forefront of a new firearms programme run by police. The Police Department has recently lifted a ban on the importation of firearms into the country, but procedures surrounding imports have been tightened. In addition to usual applications […]
Firearm ban lifted
The Ministry of Police has lifted a blanket ban on importing firearms, despite no changes to firearm laws. The ban, which has been in place since the start of 2011, was on police recommendation as they wanted to review outdated legislation – the 1954 Firearms Act. At police commissioner Maara Tetava’s request the ban has […]
PM at tripartite meeting
Prime Minister Henry Puna is in Auckland from Monday to Thursday next week attending a tripartite meeting between Pacific leaders, the Pacific Island Forum, and the European Union. EU relations in the Pacific region will be discussed. The meeting will also be attended by New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully and a minister from […]
CPI on the rise
The consumer price index has been revised upwards on account of increases in the price of fuel. The index, or CPI, relates to the cost of living and inflation, and indicates price changes for consumers. The most recent CPI data available relates to the March 2012 quarter, and is recorded at 121.84 for all groups […]
'Zero hope, bleak possibilities'
Opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen yesterday issued this statement on the new Budget, which he perceives to be a document of ”zero hope and of bleak possibilities“. An annual Budget by any government is something that the people of the Cook Islands look into for hope of better things. But this Budget presented on Thursday by […]
Pa happy with fizzy levy
New import levies on sweetened drinks are likely to increase the cost of the average soft drink by 25 cents – and Pa Marie Ariki is thrilled. For months she has been trying to promote messages of healthy eating and living, and applauds the government for taking the initiative to discourage consumption of sweetened drinks. […]
'Nagging queen' promotes chia
Pa Marie Ariki is a woman on a mission, and her ultimate goal is to transform her nation into a fit and healthy one. She has been actively promoting healthful messages, emphasising the nutritional value of locally-grown fruits and vegetables – in particular the coconut – and liaising with doctors overseas about setting up a […]
« Previous 1 … 508 509 510 511 512 513 514 515 516 … 801 Next »