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Economy

Shared Cook Islands and France legacy honoured

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.

Environment

Cooks to receive $500k for Pa Enua projects

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.

H1N1 awareness remains high

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 […]

National

Polynesian art book launched at meeting

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 […]

National

Staircase show a big hit

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 […]

National

An inspired collection

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 […]

National

BTIB chair defends loans

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 […]

National

Departure tax drop considered

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 […]

National

Demos force Ngatangiia run-off

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 […]

National

BSL FACT BOX:

– 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 […]

National

Angene in Parliament

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 […]

National

Law drafted to kill Toa deal

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 […]

National

Campaign 'blinded people': Sir Terepai

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 […]

National

No conflict of interest in loans

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 […]

National

Tempers flare over Toa

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 […]

National

WHAT BSL RECIPIENTS SAY:

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 […]

National

7s squad named to prepare

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 […]

National

Mangaia's harbour takes shape

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 […]

National

Pacific Resort in awards final

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 […]

National

Dog causes bike driver to fall off

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 […]

National

'Working' holiday for Warratahs

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 […]

National

24 CI graduates recognised

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 […]

National

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