Cook Islands Tourism strengthened its European partnerships and promoted its destination through strategic business-to-business meetings and incentive programmes, aiming to increase visitor numbers and expenditure.
The Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) hosted visiting Government of Niue senior immigration officer Olive Kapaga recently for a comprehensive study tour.
Two military planes and a container ship launched a major search and rescue mission to locate a Kiwi man who fell from a yacht just off Rarotonga early on Wednesday afternoon. The man was aboard the 14-metre Wild Goose, which was berthed in Avatiu harbour until Wednesday and departed for Opua in the Bay of […]
Officers were able to track down and arrest a 38-year-old man believed to be responsible for an Arorangi burglary. He allegedly stole a laptop computer valued at $1500, cash and jewellery from a Betela home while its occupants were sleeping. He is due to appear before the court. Officers also recovered a stolen motorbike in […]
CIP consider baby bonus vouchers The Cook Islands Party has reacted to concerns about its proposed $1000 baby bonus by suggesting vouchers could be used to ensure it is used as intended – to cover some of the initial costs of a new baby. The Democratic Party also released a policy to pay a $1500 […]
Work on the Ministry of Education’s new headquarters building at Nikao has begun, with contractors preparing the site for construction. The Chinese government granted $1.6 million for the project a couple of years ago, when ministry staff were temporarily moved to a base near the University of the South Pacific campus in Avarua. Ministry of […]
This election Ngatangiia Independent candidate Sir Terepai Maoate hopes to win his seat back for another four-year term in parliament. Sir Terepai, 76, was first elected in 1983 and has since served at least four terms – a political career spanning more than a quarter of a century. Here he talks candidly about the highs […]
Esther Honey Foundation Animal Clinic staff are hoping the issue of animal cruelty will be given some consideration during the lead-up to the general election. Clinic director Gregg Young said animal welfare should be taken seriously by candidates and voters alike. “We hope that improving animal welfare will appear on some candidate’s list of priorities, […]
Murienua Democratic Party candidate James Beer says it is irresponsible of the party to offer a $1500 baby bonus and is hoping it will withdraw the pledge. He believes the policy, along with the CIP’s promise of a $1000 baby bonus, is a ploy, mostly designed to buy votes at the election. “I would like […]
Murienua candidate James Beer is holding a ‘meet the candidate’ opportunity at the Kavera meeting house this evening. The Democratic Party candidate distanced himself even more from the party this week, speaking out against the $1500 baby bonus pledge. He says he will talk about this and some of his pledges at the meeting. “It’s […]
CIP Leader Henry Puna returned from a three-day visit to Mitiaro with CIP vice president Mark Brown last weekend pleased with their reception from the Mitiaro community. They say their public meeting on Thursday night at the Mitiaro Community Centre was well attended by community leaders as well as the general population. Puna thanked the […]
The Business Trade Investment Board is “taking a keen interest” in a dispute between a local business developer and foreign investor, says its chief executive Terry Rangi. Christine Backer, of Queensland, invested $105,000 to secure 20 per cent of Vaka Television – of which local Dave Reuther is chief executive. A dispute between the two […]
‘Exit interview’ revelations from ex-financial secretary Former financial secretary Kevin Carr says he is satisfied in the work he has done for government since the early 1990s. Before his shock dismissal as acting Finsec last month, he was still working on areas of improvements in MFEM. Carr, 68, was Finsec for almost a decade before […]
The proportion of Pacific Islander doctors in the New Zealand workforce has dropped from 1.8 to just 1.4 per cent of all doctors. The workforce survey figures from the Medical Council of New Zealand show that both Pacific and Maori doctors are under-represented compared to their proportion of the population. Medical Council chair John Adams […]
A Takuvaine home burned to the ground last week. At 3.34 am last Tuesday, Airport Authority’s Rescue Fire Service was called to respond to a fire in the Takuvaine valley. Rescue Fire dispatched one truck to the scene and the Puaikura Volunteer Fire Brigade dispatched another. Rescue Fire Chief Nga Jessie said that once firefighters […]
The Office of Ethnic Affairs (OEA) in New Zealand has withdrawn its support for the Auckland International Carnival on the grounds that the carnival’s website featured photos which are ‘highly inappropriate’ and offensive to Muslims. The NZ Herald reports that one of the photos in question is of a Cook Islands dance troupe. OEA director […]
Advance voting began over a week ago and already about 166 votes have been cast this way for the November 17 election. Normally a person enters a polling place within their constituency on voting day, has their name marked off the roll, receives a ballot paper and votes in secrecy – but there are cases […]
Schools in the southern group of islands will be receiving supplies of photocopying paper this week, through an HSBC Trustee Cook Islands initiative. Each year the organisation works with the Ministry of Education and Air Rarotonga to deliver paper free of charge to schools throughout the country. This year schools on Aitutaki, Mauke, Atiu, Mangaia, […]
Ruaau Independent candidate Ngamau Tou says when foreign investment and workers are needed to assist in growing the economy, there will always be the risk of erosion of our Cook Islands identity. Tou was one of just a handful of election candidates who attended the public meetings on foreign investment last week. She says a […]
Rupana Keno, the Kiwi visitor who fell off his hired motorbike last week, is now in intensive care at Auckland City Hospital. He was successfully airlifted to New Zealand on Saturday afternoon – nearly two full days after he sustained serious head injuries in a motor vehicle crash at Blackrock. Keno was admitted to Rarotonga […]
American Bill Vanderheide always looks forward to his annual trip to Rarotonga, which allows him to play out his three passions: travel, teaching and amateur or ham radio. Vanderheide is a ham radio enthusiast – in radio circles, a ‘ham’ – and considers the north-facing side of the island one of the most ideal spots […]
Relaxed and ready to have some fun – that’s the aim of international sevens defending champions the Rebels. The Rebels was a last minute throw together local team that went on to win the 2009 tournament. This year they are a bit more organised but with the same aim as when they joined last – […]
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