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
Social Impact Fund awards $199,825 to 14 community projects
The Cook Islands Social Impact Fund approved 14 proposals totalling $199,825.20 from 21 applications, supporting community initiatives across Rarotonga and the Pa Enua, with a focus on sports, wellness and youth development.
Christmas in the Park brings festive cheer to Rarotonga
Hundreds of locals, visiting families, and tourists gathered at the National Auditorium and Domes on Thursday evening for the annual Christmas in the Park event, hosted by Rotaract Rarotonga.
Air Raro pleased with Manihiki agreement
Monday 6: Air Rarotonga managing director Ewan Smith has met with deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate to discuss the outcome of meetings with Manihiki airport landowners. Smith has told the DPM that he’s extremely pleased that an agreement has been reached. “It’s outstanding that the DPM has been able to achieve agreement between landowners […]
Supplementary budget changes explained
Thursday 2: Government’s latest supplementary budget tabled in parliament yesterday will see its expenditure rise by almost $5 million and its expected revenue decrease by $27,000. The extra expenditure is to go towards covering the costs of the Pacific Mini Games and finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate explained that the reduction in projected crown revenue […]
Aitutaki café tender called for
Wednesday 8: Tenders are being called for the airport café in Aitutaki. Airport Authority’s commercial, operations and quality assurance manager, Mark Vaikai, says the tender calls for the set up of a café on the same premises vacated by the previous operator who closed last week. “The primary intent of having the café in the […]
Joint venture not final
Monday 6: Pacific Mini Games 2009 Ltd and World Youth Netball Championships 2009 Ltd – the companies organising this year’s two big sports events – are near to finalising a joint venture agreement. Games minister Wilkie Rasmussen says that there have been difficulties in finalising the agreement, especially in the areas of sponsorship, marketing and […]
7 MPs want seat declared vacant
Thursday 2: The seven Opposition Cook Islands Party members of parliament are calling for the Pukapuka-Nassau seat to be declared vacant. This is the substance of the letter delivered to the speaker Mapu Taia yesterday by opposition leader Tom Marsters and deputy leader Teina Bishop. The letter calls on the speaker to declare the Pukapuka-Nassau […]
Roadside cleaning tenderers helped with process
Wednesday 8: Having a good tender proposal is the key to winning or losing a contract. This was just one of the messages given to prospective contractors for road and drainage cleaning in Te Au O Tonga at a meeting yesterday. “Putting in a good tender proposal is crucial,” said consultant Patrick Arioka during the […]
Games concerns outlined in letter
Monday 6: ‘Mini’ must be added to the 2009 Pacific Mini Games logo The Pacific Games Council says it requires certain reassurances that various steps will be taken by mini games organisers, or it would place the future of the games at “serious risk”. In his letter of March 19 to games minister Wilkie Rasmussen, […]
Peua under opposition fire
Thursday 2: Pukapuka/Nassau Independent MP Vai Peua came under heavy fire from Opposition CIP members during parliament’s question time yesterday. The first day of the sitting this month saw Peua defending his recent agreement with the Democratic Party and its leader Sir Terepai Maoate. Speaker of the house Mapu Taia had announced to parliament that […]
Rasmussen addresses the ACP-EU assembly
Wednesday 8: The global economic crisis was at the fore of foreign Affairs minister Wilkie Rasmussen’s address to the opening of the 17th session of the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly in Prague, Czech Republic, early this week. Rasmussen also touched on the importance of political will to confront global challenges and the role of developing […]
Minister in Prague
Saturday 4: Cabinet minister Wilkie Rasmussen and foreign affairs secretary Mike Mitchell are in Prague, Czech Republic, attending the 17th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly this week. They are due back in the country on April 11. Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the assembly. -HG
Volunteers wanted!
Monday 6: Become a ‘sign post’ for the country 2009 Pacific Mini Games front man Tua Pittman says the event is not only an opportunity for our sportspeople to shine, but also a chance for us all to showcase what makes our island nation so special and unique. One way to showcase your passion for […]
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 […]
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
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. […]
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 […]