National
Infection spreading
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in Local
An outbreak of conjunctivitis is spreading on Rarotonga and people are being asked to see a doctor if they have any of the symptoms. The first case was diagnosed before Christmas but numbers have been increasing steadily ever since. On Wednesday, 12 people were diagnosed with it. Conjunctivitis affects the eyes causing uncomfortable or irritating […]
21 stand for Mayor
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in Local
The list of candidates for the Island Council elections, taking place on January 13, was released yesterday. Nine elections are being held – one for every island except Palmerston. Palmerston has its own system of deciding on island’s mayor and council and does not run official elections. Three heads and three elders are chosen from […]
Minister wants to see pride
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in Local
Minister of Infrastructure and Planning Teariki Heather comes from a successful background in business and sees a big difference between the way staff in public service work and those in private enterprise. After a two and a half hour meeting with head of the Ministry of Infrastructure, Otheniel Tangianau, he decided that it would be […]
'I had the tress cut down'
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in Local
Teariki Heather, the new Minister of Infrastructure and Planning, cheerfully takes responsibility for cutting down the coconut trees along the main road by the golf course. “Yes, I had them cut them down,” he said yesterday. “The thing is, if you do something, you get criticised. If you don’t, you get criticised. I’m willing to […]
French president to attend Pacific Games
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in National
NOUMA, January 7 – French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s office has earlier this week announced a Presidential visit to New Caledonia in late July 2011 for the official opening of the Pacific Games, this year hosted in the French Pacific territory. The visit would be the first to the Pacific for the French head of state, […]
Slump a major concern
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in National
Cook Islands maire exports have hit bottom, says Hawaii-based agent Dave Thompson. While there is huge demand for Cook Islands maire in Hawaii, production continues to fall off and the supply continues to dwindle. Maire earns a potential $300,000 per annum for the country but Thompson reckons exports are down by 60 per cent, which […]
Sole woman MP 'sad'
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in National
Former CI politician disappointed that more women not in parliament Former Cook Islands politician Fanaura Kingstone says she’s happy the Cook Islands Party is back in power but also saddened that there is now only one woman left in the House. “Naturally as a CIP supporter, I am glad they are back as the caretaker […]
HIV name confidential
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in National
Radio New Zealand International yesterday reported that the government of the Cook Islands has decided it will not identify the first person to test positive for HIV in the country. The decision follows criticism from many commentators after the government sought legal advice over whether to identify the HIV positive resident. RNZI’s website report says […]
Fix-it man just does it
Friday 7 January 2011 | Published in National
Minister of Infrastructure and Planning Teariki Heather wants to start work to stop pollution of the lagoon – and is doing everything in his power to get things moving. He says that the time for talking about which septic tank to use is over. “There were so many examples or suggestions of how to solve […]
Cooling gear under survey
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in Environment
Young people recently surveyed the island to find out how environmentally friendly our cooling units are. Businesses and homes answered questions on their use of HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) in refrigerants. The survey was organised by national ozone officer at the National Environment Service, Tauraki Raea. The aim was to find out what impact phasing out of […]
Still promoting Pacific Ombudsman
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in Local
Andrew Turua Pamatatau has been awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his 33 years in public service. “I owe this to my wife and family and all my associates, especially my family who have tolerated so many absences from home. “We are often reluctant to recommend our own people for an award. […]
Punanga Nui expansion in the pipeline
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in Local
Minister for the Cook Islands Investment Corporation Mark Brown says government is likely to give further consideration to a proposal to expand the Punanga Nui marketplace through reclamation. Brown said the materials dredged from the Avatiu Harbour during its upgrade over the next 18 months could be used to fill in part of the lagoon […]
Island council structure criticised
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in Local
As the team at the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning prepares for the four-yearly outer island elections on Thursday January 13, the structure of the outer islands councils faces criticism. Aitutaki Mayor Tai Herman has been in office for five terms. He said that the structure of outer islands council has been severely neglected by […]
Strangers become friends
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
More confident and responsible Seventh Day Adventist youth is what Cook Islands SDA president Pastor Eliu Eliu is expecting from his young congregation after last week’s Pathfinders camporee. Pastor Eliu says that the camporee, which attracted close to 1000 youths from across the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Tahiti, was about getting the youth to […]
UK website draws visitors
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
John Roberts is working wonders for the Cook Islands in the United Kingdom. His website www.cookislands.org.uk has had a quarter of a million visitors in the past year. Because of his fascination with all things Cook Islands, Roberts has spent the last four years researching the life of Palmerston’s founding father William Marsters, and has […]
Duo win 'trip of a lifetime'
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
Two Auckland-based Cook Islanders were among the 25 Air New Zealand staff members who won a trip of a lifetime flying to Los Angeles last week and retuning on Christmas Eve on the company’s brand new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Property and Facilities Department officer Yolande Browne and Financial Shared Services Department officer Tara Marie Aperau […]
War hero, Ettie Rout
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
Moves to preserve prominent woman’s Rarotonga grave A New Zealand safe sex advocate is hoping to preserve the Avarua gravesite of Kiwi World War One heroine Ettie Rout as a memorial, 74 years on from the pioneer’s death. Wellington-based Dr Dame Margaret Sparrow has started the Ettie Rout Fund to be able to start regular […]
Samoa PM rejects call
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
APIA, January 6 – Samoa’s Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi has rejected a call by a leader of the Congregational Christian Church to ban all business operations on Sunday. The call followed claims by the church that Sunday business was the reason why people are not attending services. He says it is not for the […]
Fiscal update upholds tourism
Thursday 6 January 2011 | Published in National
The government aims to increase tourist arrivals in 2011-12 by 13 per cent with three-year airline underwriting agreements and concerted destination marketing efforts. The Government’s Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update, issued last week, states that spending on underwriting flights is capped at $10 million, and the additional spend on marketing will be $2 million. […]
Making a difference
Wednesday 5 January 2011 | Published in National
Mauke’s Tekura Purea’s decades of hard work for the community is being rewarded with a British Empire Medal, Civil Division. And Purea says that after all that effort, she’s happy to accept the medal. “I really want the award if they want to give it to me. I think I deserve it – I’ve been […]
« Previous 1 … 1,710 1,711 1,712 1,713 1,714 1,715 1,716 1,717 1,718 … 1,898 Next »