More Top Stories
$12.9m approved for solar battery project, NZ confirms
12 March 2025
Crown Law Office on track for record number of lawyers
12 March 2025
‘Nothing to worry about’: Prime Minister Brown on China agreement
16 February 2025
‘Serious questions’: Opposition challenges China partnership
15 February 2025
No-confidence motion against PM and his Cabinet faces delays
15 February 2025
Ruta Mave: People’s Republic of China red flag
10 February 2025
No debt in China deal
8 February 2025
Thomas Wynne: Haka with the taniwha or dance with the dragon?
8 February 2025
‘Paedophile’ gets 13 years in prison
22 January 2025
Thomas Wynne: Where were our leaders while children suffered?
25 January 2025
$541.7m tourism earnings
25 January 2025
Cook Islands passport proposal
6 January 2025
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
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
National
Lego builds bridges in Aitutaki
Autism Cook Islands’ LEGO programme, “We do Lego”, designed to encourage student interaction, was launched in Aitutaki for the first time at Apii Vaitau Primary School Hall last Friday.
Author Tom Neale’s Suwarrow journals donated to National Library of NZ
The Cook Islands High Commission in New Zealand was delighted to attend the handover of renowned author Tom Neale’s journals to the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand in Wellington over a week ago.
Crowning glory
Monday 6: Gorgeous girls, a dazzling show Anyone who bought a ticket for the Miss Cook Islands pageant on Friday night would have got their money’s worth. The six-hour show was jammed-packed with stunning dresses, gorgeous girls and extraordinary performances. The night was set to be special right from the opening number with Janet Dearlove […]
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 […]
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 […]
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
Atiu war memorial monument built
Wednesday 8: Years of hoping and dreaming paid off last month when Atiu completed a war monument or cenotaph to remember the Atiuans who served during the 1914-18 and the 1940-45 conflicts as well as later years. Their efforts and service to King and country can now be recognised and commemorated for years to come. […]
Travel costs disclosed in part
Saturday 4: Infrastructure and Planning ministry secretary Taukea Raui had no problem when contacted this week in revealing that government spent $2058 on his recent trip as part of a delegation to Wellington. Raui says the ministry paid the amount for his four days in New Zealand as part of the four member delegation which […]
Increasing capacity
Wednesday 8: Air New Zealand has announced capacity upgrades on its Auckland-Rarotonga-Auckland route from May to October. A number of A320 airbuses will be replaced with B767 and B777 aircraft adding up to an extra 2854 seats over the six month period. Air NZ Cook Islands manager David Bridge said the airline was pleased to […]
Tax concession explained
Saturday 4: The 200 percent tax concession for sponsors of the Pacific Mini Games and the World Youth Netball Championships will apply to all those who spend over $50,000 on supporting the events. This week financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti explained just how it will work in response to CINews questions. The conditions of the tax […]
Outer island cops arrive
Wednesday 8: Seven northern police officers arrived in Rarotonga on Te Kukupa on Monday. They arrived with police commissioner Pat Tasker who spent 11 days on the patrol boat touring the northern group as part of a police exchange programme. “The trip was uneventful but the hospitality received from the outer islands was excellent,” Tasker […]
Little time blamed for few submissions on Seabed Bill
Saturday 4: Only three public submissions were received on the Seabed Bill during the two weeks the select committee was tasked with reviewing the proposed legislation. Government hopes to pass the bill that sets out how the country’s manganese nodule resource and the mining of it will be managed. The committee had been set up […]
WSBC denies ruining CI reputation
Wednesday 8: WSBC Bank denies ruining the financial reputation of the Cook Islands. And it reckons it would have won the high-profile court case against the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). In a press release issued last week – though not to Cook Islands News – WSBC Bank confirms it will leave at the end of […]
Cooks heed call of G20 on tax info
Saturday 4: Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate has responded to the communiqué issued this week by the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) calling for more cooperation between nations in sharing of information relevant to tax matters. Sir Terepai said that he welcomes this call for more transparency in the […]
New school principals workshop on this week
Tuesday 7: A workshop for new school principals is being held this week by the Ministry of education in partnership with NZAID. The workshop is being held at the Avarua school library under the theme ‘learning for life – effective leadership’. The new principals taking part are mainly from the outer islands and include Mitiaro […]
Fuel rationing at work
Friday 3: Aitutaki vehicle owners were left queuing at Aquila Rentals petrol pumps (above) over the weekend as fuel was being rationed to customers due to a shortage caused in part a fuel pricing issue. Aitutaki businessman and MP Teina Bishop says although he has reopened his petrol pumps since a new price order took […]
Tutaka activated
Tuesday 7: A Rarotonga clean up (tutaka) campaign has been activated this week in response to a growing number of probable dengue cases. Six tutaka teams from public health are heading out into the main village areas and residences of the 63 probable dengue cases have been identified. Public health are asking all residents of […]
Meet Joey the show dazzler
Friday 3: Akavaine Joey Mataele, transgender mother of five, will entertain at tonight’s Miss Cook Islands Pageant She’s performed in front of a United States president, royalty and international celebrities and tonight she’ll grace the stage of the Miss Cook Islands Pageant. Joey Mataele of Tonga has had a whirlwind career that has seen her […]
It's World Health Day
Tuesday 7: It’s World Health Day today – this year’s theme focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. To commemorate the day this year, the World Health Organisation is advocating a series of best practices that can be implemented, in any resource setting, […]