Local
DPM to spend $12,000 on shelf claim ceremony
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 23: Approved sum was not spent in New York, say DPM’s office The office of deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate says that $23,680 was spent on the minister’s delegation to carry out the country’s extension to its continental shelf claim handover in New York this month. And in a press release issued on […]
Govt to defend Triad lawsuit
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 28: Government has now filed initial statements of defence in the case brought against it by Triad Pacific Petroleum on whether its pursuit of a fuel farm scheme breached Cook Islands laws. On Friday Crown Law filed with the high court the statements of defence and an application to set aside or vary the […]
Swine flu screening starts
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 28: The ministry of health has launched its response to the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern for swine influenza. The ministry started airport entry screening measures which it will continue for all flights indefinitely. Yesterday the country’s World Health Organisation focal point group met with government departments to coordinate the […]
Eclipse to draw hundreds to Mangaia in 2010
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 27: Hundreds of tourists are expected to descend on Mangaia next July to see a total eclipse of the sun. Mangaia is directly in the path of the eclipse due to occur on July 11. In the early hours of the morning, these keen visitors will gather at the island’s airstrip on eclipse day […]
Former prime minister passes away
Wednesday 29 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 27: Former prime minister and long-serving Rakahanga Member of Parliament, Sir Pupuke Robati, passed away at the weekend in Auckland. Sir Pupuke, who turned 84 earlier this month, had been in New Zealand, for a few weeks. Papa Pupuke, as he was more commonly known, was born on Rakahanga on April 9, 1925, and […]
Spraying begins in Puaikura
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: A public health team has begun spraying Reslin around the vaka Puaikura area this week in an attempt to combat the growing number of dengue cases there. While the ministry of health has not been able to confirm the outbreak of the mosquito-borne disease because it is still waiting for lab results, the […]
Shipping situation hots up
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: The competition between the two rival shipping companies, Pacific Forum Line and Reef Shipping, is picking up with both releasing schedules for the next few months. Reef’s Southern Tiare voyage 080 is scheduled to leave Auckland on May 4 for Rarotonga but no approval has been granted to the ship as yet. Niue […]
Market to open on ANZAC Day
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: The Punanga Nui market will open this Saturday, despite it being ANZAC Day. ANZAC Day is deemed a public holiday however secretary of internal affairs Tamarii Tutangata says that there is no rule against stores opening on the day. Punanga Nui market manager Elmah McBirney confirmed that the market place will be open […]
Sir Geoffrey new CISNOC head
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Thursday 16: Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Henry said that he agonised over the decision to stand against Tiki Matapo at the Cook Islands Sports & National Olympic Committee annual general meeting on Tuesday night. “Tiki and I are good mates from way back,” said Sir Geoffrey after being voted in as the new president. […]
DPM defends UN trip for continental shelf claim
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Tuesday 21: Cabinet asked for $12,000 for entertainment and gifts Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai has defended the spending of the reported $30,000 for his delegation to undertake the country’s extension to its continental shelf claim handover in New York. Growing criticism of the meeting at the United Nations headquarters last week includes concern that […]
Fuel order for Raro
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: The latest fuel price order for Triad Pacific applies to all islands except Aitutaki. The order which appeared in last Saturday’s paper mistakenly inserted Aitutaki instead of Rarotonga in the advertisement. The maximum retail petrol price for Triad in Rarotonga is set to go up seven cents to $2.14 a litre as of […]
Health appeals for return of waste bin
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: The ministry of health is appealing for the return of a yellow bio-medical waste bin taken from outside the hospital maternity ward this month. The ministry’s maintenance manager Craig Miller says the bright yellow wheelie bin is an expensive one of a kind medical bin and has a code written on the side […]
CICC assembly gets underway
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: The Cook Islands Christian Church 28th general assembly got underway yesterday morning with the opening ceremony at the Nikao CICC church, ‘Kanaana’. The ministers, observers and visitors were welcomed through a guard of honour set up by representatives from the uniformed organisations on Rarotonga. Yesterday’s sermon was delivered by the organisation’s president, Rev. […]
Cooks should benefit from Fiji situation
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Monday 20: New Zealand media reported last week that travel agents say Kiwis are still planning to visit Fiji and Thailand despite unrest in both countries. Both countries are on the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s travel advisory risk list, with Fiji at “some risk” and Thailand at “high risk”. Cook Islands Tourism […]
Opinion on MP with speaker
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 18: Parliament’s speaker Mapu Taia was to have received a legal opinion on the status of Pukapuka-Nassau’s MP. Clerk of parliament Nga Valoa said that he received the opinion from the crown law office on Thursday afternoon, and was due to pass it on to the speaker who was due in Rarotonga yesterday. Valoa […]
DPM is 'out of control', George
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 18: Nothing is more embarrassing than a senior government minister making uninformed, inconsistent and contradictory public statements says Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Norman George. George is once again lashing out at deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate and repeating his claim that the minister is ‘out of control.’ “The DPM, who is not renowned […]
Continental shelf claim lodged with UN
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Saturday 18: The Cook Islands is the first Pacific island country to lodge its extended continental shelf claim, one of the biggest that will be submitted to the United Nations. Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate has successfully submitted the Cook Islands claim to the Secretary of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental […]
Sunday flights decision reserved
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 17: A two-day trial was held this week in Aitutaki over a Sunday flight protest last year. Charlie Okotai and Fernando Ngatipa appeared before Chief Justice David Williams defending a charge of inciting others to commit the offence of wilful trespass. The matter relates to events which occurred on June 29, 2008 at the […]
10 years for rapist
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Friday 17: A girl under 12 has been credited for her bravery and quick thinking after enduring being raped and assaulted by a 41-year-old man. Fakiki Munokoa Araipu was yesterday convicted of rape, detaining a girl with the intent to have sexual intercourse and indecent assault. He was sentenced to serve 10 years in prison […]
Fuel price increases in Aitutaki
Wednesday 22 April 2009 | Published in Local
Wednesday 22: A new fuel price order has been issued for Aitutaki only – the first in almost 10 months. Retail customers on Aitutaki can expect to pay no more than $2.80 per litre for petrol (up from $2.45) and $2.70 for a litre of diesel ($2.32). The price order took effect yesterday. – MM