National
Italian and Dutch credentials presented
Wednesday 12 September 2012 | Published in National
The Italian and Dutch ambassadors participated in an historic credentials ceremony at Government House yesterday. It was the first time two national representatives have presented credentials to Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin on the same day while the visit was also the first from a Dutch ambassador. Italian ambassador Alessandro Levi Sandri is his country’s […]
Meeting tonight
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
Questions surrounding the make-up of the Punanga Nui market committee are sure to add some extra spice to the first stallholders meeting since the market was turned over to the agriculture ministry. The Sinai Hall is the venue of tonight’s public meeting and matters including the management of the market are on the agenda. But […]
Recycling bins improve Punanga Nui
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
Punanga Nui market manager Elmah McBirney is hoping people will get the message of responsible recycling after six stations were installed around the marketplace. All of the stations are housed beneath signs created to inform the public of making the right choice with recycling. The four bins are categorised into aluminium cans, plastic bottles, glass […]
Oceania conservation role for Tiraa
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Environment
The Cook Islands has a greater presence on the international conservation stage. Te Ipukarea Society member Ana Tiraa was voted in as an Oceania councillor for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She joins Australian Brendon Mackey and Andrew Bignell from New Zealand as the three new representatives from the Oceania region. A […]
Hot, dirty rubbish roundup
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Environment
The first event of Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative’s 2012 Rubbish Roundup, supported by CITC, National Environment Service (NES), WATSAN and General Transport, was a community driven success. Volunteers comprised of large groups from Turama Pacific, the Filipino Community and Telecom, who sponsored the Blackrock/Social Centre event on Saturday. Fifty participants collected and sorted 249kg of […]
$1.2m not paid in Coca-Cola levies
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Local
A damning Audit report reveals that for over 20 years, CITC avoided paying full levies on Coca Cola, thereby depriving government of millions in taxation revenue. Owing to an arrangement with Customs, CITC routinely separated contents from packaging on invoice sheets – paying a 10 percent levy on packaging and a 40 percent levy on […]
Maintenance workers back at work
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in Local
A poorly worded and interpreted Budget Policy Directive is being blamed for the misunderstanding that had five Cook Islands Investment Corporation maintenance workers thinking they had lost their jobs. The CIIC work gang of five men were yesterday assured they are still employed – resulting in broad smiles and handshakes all round. Yesterday minister of […]
146kg striped marlin sets a new record
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
Akura Fishing Charters crew have every right to boast about always catching the biggest fish after hauling in a record breaking 146kg striped marlin. Caught out from the Kiikii fad on Monday morning – it had Akura crewman Cameron Thorp feeling the monster was a record breaker from the outset. Each of the six anglers […]
Westpac manager resigns
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
Westpac Cook Islands is due to have a change in management, after the bank’s general manager Carmel Butler handed in her resignation. The Australian banker took over the position on a two-year contract in October last year, but will return to her homeland at the beginning of October with the goal to pursue other opportunities […]
MFEM balances the end of year books
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
After initially projecting a $3 million deficit, government has managed to balance its books. Finance Minister Mark Brown told media recently he was happy with the country’s financial performance at the end of the financial year, after the June quarterly financial report shows the predicted deficit turned into a surplus of $769,000. He said this […]
Clearing debt the first priority
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
If government does not take ‘strong action’ to address deficiencies in the banking system, the Cook Islands is unlikely to return to sustained economic growth. The upshot of that is dismal – that “without strong economic growth the objective expressed by all of reversing the current trend of increasing emigration will not be achieved”, according […]
Online toon amusement
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
The political cartoonist at the New Zealand Herald is having a bit of fun with the paata custom, the Cook Islands’ relationship with Chinese fishing enterprises, and the Pacific Islands Forum’s exclusion of Fiji. Cartoons have surfaced on the New Zealand Herald Online that prove the Cook Islands is still more or less in the […]
Late ship blamed for fuel shortage
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
The delayed arrival of Reef Shipping vessel Southern Reef was responsible for the weekend’s petrol crisis. “This is the consequence of relying on the national shipping service from New Zealand – we’re buying in tanktainers rather than in bulk,” Toa Petroleum director Brett Porter said yesterday. “If you’re buying in bulk you’re buying two, three […]
Act before disaster
Tuesday 11 September 2012 | Published in National
Recovery plans should be made by governments before disasters strike, the United Nations says. One of the key outcomes of a three-day workshop on disaster recovery training in Fiji recently was that Pacific governments need to focus on building resilience. United Nations representative Knut Ostby gave the workshop’s closing address to over 40 professionals working […]
Nukutere students adopted Vanuatu
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in National
Nukutere College were the lucky recipients of a surprise visit from their adopted country during the Pacific Leaders Forum. Ham Lini, deputy prime minister of Vanuatu, made time in his busy schedule to drop in at the school and meet the students. Donna Nahu, principal at Nukutere College, said Lini was so impressed by the […]
First aid test a competition
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in National
Developing first aid skills and passing them on to others was the primary objective behind a revived Rarotonga First Aid Competition. While International Red Cross Day was actually on Saturday, the celebrations organised by the Cook Islands Red Cross were brought back a day to combine their efforts simultaneously with New Zealand, who marked the […]
Seeto's rollercoaster
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in National
An opportunity to serve the community has lead to Rotary district governor Ron Seeto take on what he believes is an “exhilarating” role. Seeto started as the governor of District 9920, which includes Rarotonga’s club, on July 1. Since then it has been a large, thrilling ride for the architect. “When you’re president like John […]
Airport biosecurity boosted by NZ
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in National
Agriculture secretary Dr Matairangi Purea has hailed New Zealand’s contribution to Rarotonga International Airport’s biosecurity control after about $6000 worth of equipment was handed over to the ministry. Amongst the goods donated by New Zealand’s Ministry of Primary Industries is an amnesty bin stationed at the airport’s arrivals department. The bin will help ensure any […]
Gender equality call welcomed
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in Crime
The Pacific Islands Forum Reference Group to Address Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) has welcomed the adoption by Pacific Island Forum Leaders of the Pacific Leaders’ Gender Equality Declaration. The reference group is an independent high-level group of experts established by the Forum Regional Security Committee to guide the Forum Secretariat and support Forum […]
Suicide awareness campaign underway
Monday 10 September 2012 | Published in National
Today marks the start of a seven-day awareness campaign to promote suicide prevention. The group driving the campaign is made up of people representing Te Marae Ora, Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the private sector, and non-government organisations like the Cook Islands National Youth Council and Te Kainga. Most of the work has been […]
« Previous 1 … 1,400 1,401 1,402 1,403 1,404 1,405 1,406 1,407 1,408 … 1,901 Next »