More Top Stories
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’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Parliament’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Tapaitau and Charlie-Puna released to ‘family jobs’
21 September 2024
Police apprehend four juveniles in connection with motorcycle thefts
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
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
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
National
Starlink users face mandatory shift to new service
The satellite internet provider, Starlink has mandated that users with New Zealand-based Starlink accounts must switch to Cook Islands Starlink accounts, a change expected to impact connectivity and lower subscription costs for residents.
Outdated Compensation Ordinance still under review
The outdated Workers Compensation Ordinance 1964 is still in its reviewing process with the National Workers’ Compensation Policy (including Employers’ Liability Insurance) final draft 2019, also calling for the ordinance to be updated.
We'll be $100m in debt by 2014 says minister
Tuesday 31: National debt seems bound to grow. In meeting with the Democratic Party executive in Aitutaki last week, minister Wilkie Rasmussen revealed that government has been told that by 2014 the country will be in over $100 million in debt – in part due to the new $50 million soft loan from China. Rasmussen […]
Wiser about water
Wednesday 1: Paerangi Mataiapo Moetaua Boaza and Puki Mataiapo Paiere Mokoroa are back in Atiu, after attending the 5th World Water Forum in Turkey late last month. The pair were overwhelmed by the forum which was attended by 12,000 people in Istanbul, and say that attitudes shown towards water by other indigenous people around the […]
Dancer of year comp delayed
Tuesday 31: This year’s dancer of the year competition has been delayed because of the number of activities happening over the coming weeks. The national junior and intermediate finals will now be held on April 30, not April 24 as first scheduled, while the senior finals will take place on May 7 – two weeks […]
Trades training shared with Niue
Wednesday 1: Four teachers from Niue High School visited the trade training centre recently to check up on the transition programmes being run at the Arorangi facility. Principal James Poihega says they are interested in carrying out vocational training programmes at their school, and are keen to learn how the TTC operates, along with the […]
Tourism industry says what it wants
Monday 30: Aitutaki operators call for more government backing Tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen took the time to meet with tourism industry members while in Aitutaki on Friday. In what was the most unemotional meeting of four held by the minister last week to discuss Sunday flights, about 30 members of the tourism industry including members […]
Avatea movie night tomorrow
Wednesday 1: Avatea School is putting on a movie night tomorrow to help raise funds to upgrade its playground and car parking area. There will be two movies screened at Avatea School hall from 5pm – one of them is the popular animated children’s movie Bolt. Bolt is about a canine star of an action […]
Website for tourism
Monday 30: The Tourism Industry Council is hoping its new website will become a focal point for the industry. Council president Greg Stanaway says the website, still being fully developed, was launched about two months ago. Creating an informative website for the public and its members was one of the council’s aims set last year. […]
Regional auditors set plan
Wednesday 1: The Pacific Association of Supreme Audit Institutions (PASAI) Transitional Working Group (TWG) met in Wellington last week to finalise its charter. Members also reviewed programme funding and staff resource arrangements, discussed a framework for a capacity development programme, and developed a proposal for mobilising a cooperative performance audit. The group’s committee chairman, Paul […]
Machinery to be bought for outer islands
Monday 30: Plant and equipment are being bought by tender for infrastructure projects on some of the outer islands. Ministry of Infrastructure & Planning’s Daryl Rairi says requests come in from each island administration every year and are then prioritised. “These projects are funded from the outer islands budget appropriation where outer islands get approximately […]
Centre to keep in touch
Wednesday 1: The Creative Centre in Tupapa has received a brand new mobile phone, thanks to Telecom Cook Islands. TCI has donated a Nokia C118 phone with a prepaid SIM card and $20 credit. The mobile will be mainly used by the bus driver to remain in constant contact with centre management. Creative centre coordinator […]
Thanksgiving tomorrow
Saturday 28 March: A national thanksgiving prayer service planned for tomorrow to coincide with the end of the cyclone season will now be handed over to all the local churches and denominations. This is because of the unavailability of the National Auditorium which is being set up for the Miss Cook Islands Pageant next week. […]
Switch off for Earth Hour
Saturday 28 March: Rarotonga residents are being asked to ‘switch off’ tonight as part of Earth Hour 2009. Te Aponga Uira would like to encourage the public and businesses to switch off their lights for one hour, beginning at 8.30pm. Earth Hour 2009 aims to reach more than one billion people in 1000 cities around […]
CIP want Pukapuka seat declared vacant
Enough is enough as CIP take final step to get rid of MP
Shortland Street extras meet actors
Wednesday 1: Locals involved in the production of a Shortland Street episode being shot here were kept busy yesterday as they tackled some of the 22 scenes for the show this week. South Pacific Pictures’ Shortland Street publicist Rachel Keereweer took Cook Islands News on a bit of a tour of the set for one […]
Aitutaki promotion could bring over 500
Saturday 28 March: A $50,000 initiative by CI Tourism to promote Aitutaki and get 500 extra people on the island from March to June is working so well that it is likely to bring many more visitors. Island Hopper’s Stephen Doherty addressed yesterday’s meeting between the Aitutaki tourism industry and tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen, saying […]
Northern islands back on line
Wednesday 1: Four northern islands were unable to receive or make phone calls on Monday. In a media statement released yesterday, Telecom Cook Islands says the problem occurred during the changeover from the NSS-5 satellite to the new NSS-9 satellite that took place on Monday afternoon. “Unfortunately with the islands of Pukapuka, Nassau, Palmerston and […]
Queen's all for it
Friday 27 March: Manarangi Tutai Ariki says she is all for Sunday flights to Aitutaki continuing, without the need for a referendum. Queen Manarangi, as she is known, is an ex-officio member of the island council and the woman who runs Gina’s Garden Lodges and Gina’s Akaiami Beach Lodge. She expressed her views at the […]
Maina Traders avoids winding-up petition
Wednesday 1: The petition to the high court for the wind-up of Aitutaki MP and associate finance minister Terepai Maoate Jnr’s business Maina Traders is set to be withdrawn following payment of the amount owing to one of its creditors. The petition was filed by Raro Aircon Ltd on March 19 and was due to […]
Demos welcome minister's visit
Friday 27 March: Aitutaki DemocraticParty executives who met with minister Wilkie Rasmussen welcomed his friendly approach yesterday. The minister, who is also the deputy leader of the Democratic Party, met with the executives who have been raising concerns about Sunday flights. Some of them are also proudly protesting the flights eight months from when they […]
NZ 'buy back' idea ridiculous says CIP
Wednesday 1: The Opposition Cook Islands Party has released its position on the new $50 million China loan and says government has been reactive instead of proactive in addressing infrastructure needs. Opposition spokesperson for finance and economics Norman George says while the CIP agrees in principle that the loan be spent on road and water […]