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Australia and Cook Islands to sign MoU, strengthen maritime security partnership

Cook Islands and Australia are in the process of finalising an enhanced Pacific Maritime Security Program (PMSP) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will strengthen Australia’s support for Te Kukupa II operations and bolster regional security efforts.

Local

Punanga Turuturu Itivaine set to make a positive impact

Punanga Turuturu Itivaine (PTI), the women’s counselling and support centre for survivors of gender based violence (GBV) and abuse, responded to 11 calls for assistance during the festive season.

Exploratory fishing, yeah right

The naivety of our politicians is exceeded only by their inability to take remedial action once they find out that we have had, in my opinion, our pockets picked by offshore sharks, a smoke signaller writes. The Chinese company that has sweet-talked their way into a three year exploratory fishing expedition will have to make […]

National

Pearls and beer in Showcase

Avaiki Black Pearls, Matutu Breweries and Cook Islands Tourism have been invited to represent the Cook Islands at the Pacific Showcase in Auckland early next month. Organised to coincide with the Pacific Islands Forum, the Pacific Showcase will bring together dozens of Pacific businesses, artists and performers for three days (September 6-9) at The Cloud, […]

National

JP gives students a second chance

Schools should not be so quick to turn away troubled youth, Justice of the Peace John Kenning says. He made the comment in relation to the sentencing of two 16-year-old boys who appeared in the Cook Islands High Court at Avarua on Wednesday. Ellis Solomona and Ammon Mitiau, both Tereora College students, have admitted their […]

National

Tax will hit the north more

Governments withholding tax is an unfair burden on Cook Islanders already struggling financially with the recession and relying heavily on every penny saved, deputy opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen says. In parliament on Tuesday evening Rasmussen criticised finance minister Mark Browns comments that government was forced to impose a new tax to balance its books. Rasmussen […]

National

Im pleading bear with us

In an effort to deflect negativity about its controversial withholding tax, government is highlighting all it has done to the countrys benefit since gaining power in last Novembers election. Finance minister Mark Brown spoke in parliament on Tuesday evening, highlighting government achievements in the last nine months. His comments came in relation to a controversial […]

National

Filipino fun day at Muri

A family fun day and miniature Olympics is being held at Muri tomorrow as a celebration by Club Philippines Raro (CPR) of its inaugural foundation day anniversary. CPR president Henry Ereno says the day will comprise various sporting events and fun games for members and their Cook Islands friends. He expects a crowd of more […]

National

Odds not good

Odds are against anglers in this weekends 15th annual Gary Parlour fishing competition, which has grown to be the largest event between the Cook Islands and Aitutaki game fishing clubs. This year Rarotonga hosts the tournament, which began in earnest at 6am yesterday. By 2pm just four fish had been weighed a 9.8kg wahoo, 16.2kg […]

National

Theyre back in support!

The Laughing Samoans cant get enough of Rarotonga. Pictured here, Miss South Pacific Cook Islands contender Uirangi Bishop, Miss Cook Islands 2009 Engara Gosselin, Laughing Samoans Eteuati Ete and Tofiga Fepuleai and Miss Cook Islands Pageant Association president Clee Marsters march into Rarotonga yesterday ahead of this weekends show at the National Auditorium. Last here […]

National

Photo comp gets museums backing

Budding photographers will have the chance to get their work on the walls of the Cook Islands National Museum in the first photographic exhibition to be held at the complex. The Alliance Francaise de Rarotonga will judge the national leg of an international competition looking at the spirit and inspiration of women in the community. […]

National

Nation building and national parties

My sons under 13 rugby mates have been meeting after school behind our house. For the last three weeks theyve been building a tree house in the kuru tree. I enjoy watching all the construction work going on. When they started I watched them have a meeting to decide on the plan and design and […]

National

Tsunami exercise drives upgrade

New tsunami signs will be erected around Rarotonga in the coming weeks in anticipation of a Pacific-wide tsunami response exercise to be held in November. The new roadside signs will provide directions to village tsunami safe zones right around the capital island. They will be put in place before the regional disaster response exercise Pacific […]

National

Atiu trust fund up for discussion

Atiu landowners whose assets were once bound up in the Enuamanu Lands Incorporation are meeting this afternoon to discuss the future of their trust fund. Teenui-Mapumai member of parliament Norman George estimates the dissolved incorporations trust fund contains about $100,000. He says the money has been sitting for over 30 years. George says stakeholders moved […]

National

New envoy wants to prove a point

New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands John Carter is spearheading a research project to determine exactly how mutually beneficial the relationship between Aotearoa and the Cook Islands is. Speaking at a luncheon of Cook Islands business professionals in Rarotonga yesterday, Carter said it is easy for New Zealanders to criticise the amount of […]

National

PM takes communications advice

Prime Minister Henry Puna is beginning to answer media demands for regular disclosure about his administration and has appointed a communications advisor to work in his office. New Zealand Maori journalist and media advisor Damiane Rikihana has been working at the Office of the Prime Minister for the last few weeks. She is a trained […]

National

PM meets Sarkozy, not Gadhafi

Members of parliament enjoyed a laugh at the expense of Prime Minister Henry Puna on Wednesday evening, when he was likened to controversial Libyan leader Moamer Gadhafi. During a question and answer session within parliament, in Punas absence, independent MP Norman George asked where the prime minister was. Has he gone overseas to join Moamer […]

National

Banks not ready for new withholding tax

Governments new withholding tax will not be implemented until October as banks are struggling to re-code their computer systems in time for the initial September 1 deadline. Finance minister Mark Brown says regardless the tax will be backdated to September 1, so government estimates of how much revenue it is expected to generate in this […]

National

Family welfare group attends regional conference

The Cook Islands Family Welfare Association (CIFWA) continues to grow in strength and capacity and this financial year hopes to implement some new initiatives. CIFWA executive director Rongo File has recently returned from Kuala Lumpur where she represented the organisation at the annual International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Asia and Pacific conference. There she attended […]

National

Generator purchase under audit investigation

Audit director Paul Allsworth says a review is warranted to determine whether the previous Democratic government acted inappropriately by purchasing four oversize generators for Manihiki last year. Allsworths interest of the matter was sparked by comments made during a government media conference in Rarotonga this week. Prime Minister Henry Puna announced the government is purchasing […]

National

4 new generators for Manihiki

Manihiki is to have four new diesel generators, despite being in line for renewable energy infrastructure. Prime Minister Henry Puna detailed the purchase this week, citing $110,400 of a capital expenditure fund for outer island projects which will cover the cost of purchase and installation. Puna says the former Democratic government installed four generators on […]

National

Ministry closes wheelbarrow case

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has finished an investigation into reports of a man sleeping in a wheelbarrow, saying they are satisfied his living conditions are adequate and he is happy. Secretary Bredina Drollett said the investigation showed the man aged in his 80s was not using the wheelbarrow as a bed full-time, but to […]

National

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