More Top Stories
11 months jail for man caught smuggling 1.176kg of cannabis
13 August 2024
Helmet safety concerns raised amid enforcement challenges
2 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
STI cases on the rise
2 September 2024
Accused rapist admits to 47 charges, suppression lifted
31 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
Diaspora dismayed over lack of Te Maeva Nui livestream
8 August 2024
Everyone is a winner, says Culture
7 August 2024
Local women outshine global peers in business leadership
8 August 2024
Housing crisis hits tourism industry
27 July 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Tapaitau appeal dismissed
17 July 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
TB cases detected
1 June 2024
Man accused of raping minors face more charges
30 May 2024
‘Budget prioritises vulnerable’
16 May 2024
Solar power battery repairs ‘could take up to 12 months’
15 April 2024
Cook Islands poised for highest Pacific growth
29 April 2024
Regulator defends Starlink users
9 April 2024
National
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
The incidence rate of newly diagnosed mental health cases in the Cook Islands between 2021 and 2023 is nearly five per 1000 population, but a non-governmental organisation claims there are more cases than officially reported.
New council president pledges to drive tourism development
The newly appointed president of the Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council aims to further develop the tourism sector in the Cook Islands, building upon the progress made since the Covid-19 pandemic.
Minister meets the people
Minister William ‘Smiley’ Heather will meet with tourism business operators in the Puaikura vaka today on their concerns on a fly problem in the area to water supply and crime. The new infrastructure and planning (MOIP) minister has vowed to address some of the major infrastructure concerns in the vaka and this meeting is part […]
Financial and enterprise literacy may be introduced in schools
The ministry of education is looking into the potential for having money management and business venture education included in the country’s school curriculum. Financial literacy is considered an essential skill for all learners and the opportunity to develop enterprise education is seen as a way of increasing the range of learning and career pathways for […]
Govt travel cut back
Prime minister Jim Marurai says all overseas travel by public servants will be questioned from now on if it is to be funded by government. He claims that the concern is simply to cut the cost of travel by government. Marurai says he has been assured by minister of finance Wilkie Rasmussen that there are […]
Super board position still available
The Cook Islands National Superannuation Fund board is still looking to appoint a representative for private sector employers who are not members of the Chamber of Commerce. CINSF chief executive Anne Herman says the advertisement for the vacancy has been extended due to the lack of response. Expressions of interest for the vacancy closed on […]
Economic reform: path out of crisis
Economic reform is the path out of the crisis, says chair of the economic development taskforce Tata Crocombe. Crocombe had initially been invited to join the country delegation to attend the three-day Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis in Vanuatu this month. Although he won’t be attending the conference, Crocombe […]
Seabed minerals authority set up costs being assessed
A timetable for the set up of the seabed minerals authority will be announced by mineral and natural resources minister Robert Wigmore once costs and a job specification for the position of authority commissioner are clarified. Prime minister Jim Marurai is supporting a comprehensive ‘steady as she goes’ approach to setting up the framework for […]
Warrants of fitness for overhaul
A committee has been formed to help introduce a standardised warrant of fitness checklist for the Cook Islands. Police held a meeting with motor vehicle industry people last week to assist in drafting a legislation that will tighten WOF regulations. Inspector John Strickland said representatives from the group were chosen and police will be relying […]
CITC employees pass food safety exam
Thirty-six CITC employees last week received certificates of achievement for a food safety course they completed through the Wellington Institute of Technology. The course was coordinated by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority. Course instructor Stephen Pope, executive director Julia Hennessey and head of school Cherie Freeman presented the awards at a ceremony in New Hope […]
Cake ceremonies for 100th birthday
Girl Guides on Rarotonga have been getting into the spirit of celebrating the worldwide movement’s centenary with celebrations of their own. This year is the start of a three-year global celebration with the international organisation WAGGS setting a theme for each year – 2010 (plant), 2011 (grow) and 2012 (share). Centenary ambassador Ngara Katuke says […]
Cyclone Oli causes damage
Cyclone Oli was no longer a threat to the Cook Islands yesterday. At 1am, it was declared a tropical depression by the Fiji Meteorological Service yet a strong wind warning still remained for both the northern and southern groups. Senior Cook Islands met service officer Maara Vaiimene said at 2pm the depression was located 15.2 […]
Juvenile crime noted in economic outlook
Health secretary Tupou Faireka is leading a country delegation to the Pacific Conference on the Human Face of the Global Economic Crisis to be held in Vanuatu this month. More than 200 high level delegates from 16 Pacific island countries are set to gather in Port Vila on February 10-12 to talk about the issues […]
Drunk driver pulled from upturned car
A 24-year-old driver was lucky to escape injury after he flipped a rental car on Saturday morning. Senior sergeant Ngatamariki Pouao said the Nikao man had overtaken a police car in front of their station around 1.44am. Police gave chase to the white Nissan as it was seen driving dangerously and at high speed. The […]
Vaka voyage to Waitangi
The new Cook Islands voyaging vaka Marumaru Atua will add a Polynesian feel to this year’s Waitangi Day celebrations in New Zealand. Cook Islands Voyaging Society president Ian Karika will be among the crew of 16 that will sail the double hulled vaka from Bayswater Marina on the north shore of Auckland to Waitangi in […]
New navy man settles in
Chris Cooper has just settled into his job as the new Maritime Surveillance Adviser down at the Avatiu wharf. The Australian navy has loaned him to Rarotonga for two years, during which he will be directing and supervising Te Kukupa’s patrol of our exclusive economic zone. Cooper will be training the boat’s captain and crew […]
Team to evaluate impact of Paris Declaration
The Aid Management Division of MFEM is currently in the process of recruiting a team of consultants to evaluate the impact of the Paris Declaration on the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands is one of 23 countries in the world to undertake the evaluation, which will measure whether aid is being effectively and appropriately administered […]
'Full story' on car
Former deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate admits that he continued to drive the old grey Honda Accord vehicle after he was sacked. But Sir Terepai claims that he acquired the car on a gentleman’s agreement he had with the prime minister Jim Marurai and deputy prime minister Robert Wigmore. Sir Terepai was responding to […]
Seabed minerals bill still not in force
The landmark law covering the management of the country’s seabed minerals has yet to come into force because Crown Law claims it is ‘too overworked’ to provide a document that, once signed, will complete its passage into law. The seabed minerals bill, passed in parliament last November, still has to receive approval of the Queen’s […]
Airline story was wrong
Dear Editor, Your Smoke Signal under the heading ‘Flying high’ appeared to say that when the country tried to run our own airline in the 1980s it “lost millions – several Toagate worth per year”. The writer is wrong. I led the negotiations for a joint venture airline with Ansett and the formation of Cook […]
Strong enlightened leaders wanted
Dear Editor I wish to respond to a couple of issues raised by Piho Rua MP in Friday’s Cook Islands News. I write as one of the persons involved in putting forward to cabinet options for political reform. In the past three years I have been asked by cabinet to provide proposals for political reform […]
It was back to school this week
It’s been an interesting first week back at school for Rarotonga students. Kids seemed to be starting to settle down and make new friends on Tuesday and Wednesday but on Thursday Rarotonga schools closed their doors for cyclone Nisha. In this week’s Kids Page we look back at the first day of school for Rarotonga […]
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