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
Expat guilty of indecent assault on co-worker in judge alone trial
An expat accused of indecently assaulting a co-worker in 2023 was found guilty yesterday by Justice Christopher Toogood after a three-day judge-alone trial.
Mauke death probed after assault claims
Cook Islands Police are investigating the suspicious death of a 58-year-old woman with special needs on Mauke, with a team dispatched to exhume her body after allegations of a prior assault.
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 […]
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 […]
WSBC faces exile from Cook Islands
Friday 27 March: The Cook Islands bank named in money laundering investigations is connected to a New Zealand company seeking a listing on the New Zealand Stock Exchange. The National Business Review in New Zealand this week reports that developments in the Cook Islands will have a bearing on the stock exchange listing. WSBC Bank, […]
Official information process comes under public eye
Wednesday 1: Government officials, organisations and community members gained greater understanding of the Official Information Act last week through several meetings and workshops. Organised by the Cook Islands Ombudsman’s Office, consultation meetings were held with the vaka areas in Rarotonga and with special interest groups. Visiting experts Angie Heffernan of the Pacific Centre for Public […]
June's adventure a talking point
Thursday 26: Inspiring women tonight is an environmentalist, former school principal, mother and a proud Maukean. June Hosking will be the guest speaker at Pan Pacific South East Asia Women’s Association meeting held at the Beachcomber. Held monthly, the PPSEAWA gatherings host a wide range of “outstanding” Cook Islands women to inspire fellow women to […]
It's all good at La Bon Vivant
Tuesday 31: As its name suggests, La Bon Vivant is providing all the “good things in life” under one roof. The newly opened Deli Foods store in Avarua is offering the same fresh product and high quality food and wine that has become synonymous with their parent company in Muri. Store manager Tim Tierney says […]
Rasmussen begins talks on Sunday flights in Aitutaki
Thursday 26: Cabinet minister Wilkie Rasmussen will begin two days of meetings in Aitutaki today on the subject of Sunday flights. On arrival at about 9am this morning, Rasmussen will be welcomed by the island council. He will meet with the council at their chambers at 10.30am before meeting with the Aitutaki Democratic Party executive […]
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 […]
New bike in pageant booty
Tuesday 31: Whoever wins on Friday night will not only be handed the illustrious title of Miss Cook Islands, but will also take home a brand new motorcycle. The Motor Centre in Panama donated a red Daelim City yesterday to be given to the winner. The $3600 motorcycle joins the growing booty of prizes which […]
Importer wants answers to shipping questions
Thursday 26: Emails are doing the rounds in search of answers to questions relating to recent shipping problems being experienced by some of the country’s importers. Importer John Scott has put forward 36 questions to the transport ministry which issues shipping licences. His questions range from the structure of the entities currently running the service […]
CIP want Pukapuka seat declared vacant
Enough is enough as CIP take final step to get rid of MP
Stimulus reviewed
Tuesday 31: Financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti says government is still looking into how the proposed $3 million stimulus package for small businesses will be spent. Last week tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen announced that government is now looking at scrapping the original plan and putting the funds directly into tourism. Ivaiti says from discussions with finance […]
Reality TV returning
Tuesday 31: New Zealand reality television show Celebrity Treasure Island is set to shoot its next season’s show in Aitutaki this May. Tourism minister Wilkie Rasmussen addressed the Aitutaki island council on Thursday, saying that this is just one of the events the island should benefit from this year. He told the council that tourism […]