Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) Secretary, Tepaeru Herrmann, met with Her Excellency Laurence Beau, Ambassador of the French Republic to the Cook Islands, at MFAI offices yesterday.
Prime Minister Mark Brown hit the ground running on Monday upon arrival at the 2024 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, COP29 signing an agreement for pilot projects in the Pa Enua.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) this week downgraded the H1N1 Influenza A (formerly swine flu) from a pandemic saying that the virus has run its course. However, here in the Cook Islands, the Ministry of Health will maintain its H1N1 awareness and prevention campaign. For the past six or so months, health nurses have been […]
The already-extensive collection of Polynesian art and culture books on sale at the Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium this week expanded on Tuesday. ‘Polynesia: The Blackburn Collection of Polynesian Art’ went public yesterday at a mid-morning book launch. A thick, glossy hardcover, it details, illustrates and explains every Polynesian artefact in Honolulu-based couple Mark and […]
Following Janet Lilo’s exhibit at the Beachcomber Contemporary Art gallery on Tuesday night, Pacific Arts Association (PAA) symposium participants walked next door to Staircase, where the Pacific Sisters had organised a show. The show started rolling just after 9pm, and a number of artists and poets took the stage before guests seated at dinner tables […]
On Monday night, The Art Studio in Arorangi was packed with people, who had come to see Samoan artist Nanette Lela’ulu’s collection of works inspired by her three-month residency on Rarotonga. Lela’ulu was Creative New Zealand’s artist-in-residence in 2006 and painted beautiful portraits of such recognised people as Joan Gragg, Shona Pitt, Paddy Walker and […]
The Business Trade Investment Board did not consider business support loans granted to two politicians to be a conflict of interest, according to its chairman James Beer. Last week government tabled the Audit Office special review into the loans which alleged that former finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate and former associate minister Terepai Maoate Jnr […]
Reducing departure tax has been the subject of recent budget talks says Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen. During Parliament yesterday the Opposition Party again raised concern about travellers being put off by the $55 tax introduced last April. Akaoa MP Teariki Heather asked government when it would look to reduce the tax. Rasmussen admitted a lot […]
A group of Democratic Party supporters in Ngatangiia will attempt to hold a run-off for candidacy despite their plea to the party committee being turned down. Yesterday party president Sean Willis said he received a letter from committee chairman Tutai Purua stating that Sir Terepai Maoate’s candidacy for the election still stands. But candidate-hopefuls Mann […]
– The $550,000 fund provided loans to 21 businesses – 20 of them in the outer islands – Maximum loan amount $30,000 – Repayment of soft loan BCI is three per cent interest over five years – 10 tourism, 8 retail and three trade businesses received loans – BSL recipients spent $248,000 on refinancing existing […]
Cook Islands Party Tupapa-Maraerenga election candidate George Maggie Angene visited Parliament yesterday to acquaint himself better with the roles of an MP. It’s a rare occurrence for election hopefuls to take such a proactive approach – but even rarer to see Angene in a suit and tie. The local builder, traded in the trademark black […]
Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen has revealed government actually drafted a law last year which could have been used to ‘legislate out of existence’ the $5.16 million deal to purchase Toa Petroleum. Cabinet had considered taking the law to Parliament before opting instead to enter into settlement negotiations with the company he said. During Parliament on […]
Former Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sir Terepai Maoate has admitted the extensive public campaign against government by Triad Pacific Petroleum halted plans to nationalise the fuel industry. From December 2008 onwards, Vaile pursued the public campaign, which included full page advertisements in CI News, against the fuel farm scheme. During parliament yesterday, Sir […]
Two legal opinions obtained by the Audit Office say conflict of interest cannot be substantiated against former finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate and his son, Aitutaki MP Terepai Maoate Junior for receiving business support loans last year. A new audit report tabled just last month alleges the pair had a conflict of interest in their […]
Tempers flared when the hard questions on Toagate were put to former Deputy Prime Minister Sir Terepai Maoate in Parliament yesterday. Opposition MP Norman George asked the disgraced MP to provide evidence of his claim that the public wanted government to nationalise the fuel industry to bring fuel prices down. Acting speaker John Tangi had […]
At a time when the Aitutaki business community needed some sort of boost to their businesses to help alleviate the economic downturn which we all had been suffering the past two to three years, the business support loan scheme came as a welcoming sign of support from the government to the outer islands. We as […]
The two-day inaugural CITC Constitution Cup sevens tournament not only showcased the wealth of local rugby talent but also seconded as the national trials. A squad of 27 players has been selected to train and prepare for possible selection into the national team. The local squad will play the best of New Zealand and Australia […]
Still, six years after the harbour was devastated in a cyclone, the harbour remains non-operational. Mangaia MP Winton Pickering said that the island’s lack of a proper harbour makes inter-island shipping a “dangerous” venture. He added that it stands in the way of his plan to “resurrect Mangaia as a centre of commercial agriculture”. “Agriculture […]
Pacific Resort Aitutaki & Pacific Resort Rarotonga have been named as finalists in the 2010 HM Awards for Hotel & Accommodation Excellence, with winners due to be announced in Sydney on September 3. Pacific Resort Aitutaki is a region finalist in the “South Pacific Property of the Year” category, while Pacific Resort Rarotonga is acknowledged […]
On Friday morning, a male driver struck a stray dog on Sanitorium Rd, causing him to fall off his bike. He sustained injuries to the left side of his body and a scratch on the side of his head. Police are still investigating the cause of a fallen power pole at Tepuka. They believe a […]
The Warratahs have arrived on Rarotonga and are gearing up to play two shows this week. Barry Saunders, Nik Brown and Sid Limbert flew in this weekend to reunite with their drummer, local Mo Newport, who otherwise commutes to New Zealand to play gigs. Their faithful production engineer, or ‘sound man’ Lincoln Mail, came with […]
Crown Beach was abuzz on Sunday evening, as 24 Cook Islands students were recognised as Master’s graduates. Five local artists – Loretta Reynolds, Joan Gragg, Eruera Nia, Kay George and Andrea Eimke – accepted their Master’s degrees in Art and Design. David Teata and Michael Tavioni received postgraduate diplomas in art and design. Another 17 […]
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