More Top Stories
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
ICI explains road works delay in front of old Sheraton site
10 August 2024
Housing crisis hits tourism industry
27 July 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
National
Police seek public cooperation for festive security
Cook Islands Police are launching a community policing initiative with volunteer support from each vaka in Rarotonga to enhance safety and security during the festive season.
Families navigate inflation, businesses stock up for festive season
As Christmas approaches, local families and businesses in Rarotonga are feeling the seasonal buzz. While the island’s shops are busy preparing for the influx of shoppers, families are making sure they have everything needed for the festive season.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
'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 […]
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 […]
Audit reports to go public
Audit reports, such as the review on the Toagate scandal, will now be available for public perusal at the Ministry of Justice and selected local shops. From tomorrow they will also be accessible online on the Audit Office website www.auditoffice.gov.ck The Audit Office aims to improve public access to this information which includes copies of […]
Commission of inquiry unlikely
Government is not keen on ordering a Commission of Inquiry into the Toagate scandal according to Acting Prime Minister and Finance Minister Wilkie Rasmussen. The minister was responding to Opposition MP Norman George’s enquiry on the issue in Parliament yesterday. “There’s already been an extensive and expensive audit probe conducted and we are not at […]
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