National

Licence battle continues for Mervin

Wednesday 10 November 2010 | Published in National

Company frustrated at constant rejection of its application Local company Mervin Communications believes its application for a licence to operate mobile and wireless internet networks continues to face obstruction from the government-owned monopoly Telecom Cook Islands (TCI). Despite countless meetings and correspondence with telecommunications minister PM Jim Marurai, the company has had its applications turned […]

National

NZ helps with election resources

Wednesday 10 November 2010 | Published in National

New ballot boxes and other resources have been provided for the November 17 election courtesy of New Zealand’s Electoral Commission. Secretary of Justice Mark Short says the Electoral Office is grateful for the assistance that will enable them to run a well-resourced election. He says a request for resources was put to NZ through NZ […]

National

Kevin Carr responds to Chris Vaile

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Dear Editor I refer to the advertisement by Chris Vaile in last Saturday’s paper. The template that Vaile appears to be referring to is the one agreed in 2006. This was not a guarantee and this was acknowledged by Scott Leith, the advisor for TOA during the negotiations relating to how the guarantee provided for […]

National

Design changes forced by budget cut

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Rarotonga-based architect Romani Katoa is defending his design of the Ministry of Education’s new building at Nikao. Criticism of the $1.6 million complex has been expressed to the Cook Islands News in a letter to the editor, calling the structure “tasteless, boring, and ugly”. Katoa said his initial plans for the building had to be […]

National

Te Puna case back

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Crime

The Te Puna land court case – a four-way legal battle over 147 acres of Takitumu land – ended up back in the appellate court yesterday. Three appellants – Ross Holmes on behalf of Raina Mataiapo, Tina Browne on behalf of the descendants of Tukamaatu, Tepoka and Ria, and Michael Reed for Ngati Karika – […]

Crime

Storm stirs up algae invasion

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Environment

Ministry of Marine Resources officers say that there has not been an algal bloom in recent weeks – those typically occur in high summer – and the presence of large quantities of algae on the foreshore is likely the result of recent storms. MMR project officer Angelie Robinson said that rough seas and stormy conditions […]

Environment

Adventure on offer

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Local

For those who are looking for a traditional Polynesian experience — and have a bit of cash to spare – vaka Marumaru Atua is sailing this week for five or six days and has passenger spots available. The voyaging canoe leaves tomorrow morning at 9am for a 600 mile adventure – the destination is unknown, […]

Local

Carter tipped

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Local

NZ Civil Defence Minister John Carter has been tipped to be offered a diplomatic posting as High Commissioner to the Cook Islands when he retires from Parliament next year. The NZ Herald has reported Carter’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election in 2011, by which time he would have served eight terms (24 years) in […]

Local

Fishing boat to deliver ballot papers

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Local

Advance voting is set to begin in the northern group island of Palmerston today after long line fishing vessel Gold Country was chartered to transport the ballot papers and boxes to Palmerston, Pukapuka and Nassau. The Electoral Office now looks to have solved transport problems to the north by chartering the vessel owned by Ocean […]

Local

CIP legacies still hurting: Demos

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in Local

The Democratic Party has hit back at the CIP calling it sorely lacking when it comes to looking in the ‘mirror of shame’. A statement was issued yesterday in reaction to CIP leader Henry Puna’s comment that the Demos have shamefully distanced themselves from the multimillion dollar Toagate scandal. Democratic Party president Sean Willis says […]

Local

Playing the blame game

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Dear Editor, After reading Terepai Maoate’s interview, it’s obvious he’s doing the blame game. All his problems are everyone else’s fault. He blames his committee and the CIP for losing a run-off against Mann Short and doesn’t accept that more people wanted Mann than him. He said his committee was complacent, they must feel pretty […]

National


Police target drunk drivers

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Police were on high alert at the weekend, staffing eight road checkpoints to keep drunk drivers off the roads. From 9pm until 1.30am, they ran checkpoints in town, in Tupapa and Nikao near the International Sevens tournament at BCI stadium. They caught an underage driver at BCI stadium on Saturday afternoon – they issued a […]

National

Puaikura must keep focus

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Vaka Puaikura has the lowest crime rate of Rarotonga’s three districts, but maintaining that is dependent on keeping its neighbourhood watch programme running at full strength, says community constable Alan Rua. That vaka Puaikura now has the least number of crimes is in stark contrast to what the district once was, as it was known […]

National

Meeting revives neighbourhood watch

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

A recent meeting revived falling interest in the Puaikura Neighbourhood Watch (PNW) programme. PNW is a registered non-profit organisation with a volunteer working committee, which provides surveillance services to its sponsors. Hired wardens also conduct checks of public areas. Twenty-five people attended last Tuesday’s meeting, including police commissioner Maara Tetava, William ‘Smiley’ Heather, President of […]

National

Court supports majority

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

The court of appeal yesterday ruled in favour of Elena Tavioni for Makea Kopu Ariki – an easy decision, given that the respondent agreed to proceed on Tavioni’s terms. Tavioni, together with Mere Macquarie and all Makea Kopu Ariki lines, is currently fighting June Baudinet on behalf of Ngati Raina for Tuarea Nui Section 40 […]

National

Wild Goose man overboard identified

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

The Kiwi man who fell overboard Wild Goose last week after leaving Rarotonga has been identified as 41-year-old Rex Fearon from Wellington. Fearon fell from the 14-metre yacht on Wednesday of last week at a point about 150 nautical miles from Rarotonga. Conditions were reportedly calm. The vessel was skippered by Australian yachtie Jamie Mitchell, […]

National

People, not the system, are the problem

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Aitutakian political candidate Mona Ioane Kake is focused on making key improvements for the community, focusing on key concerns of Aitutakians: water, cyclone recovery, and education. But he also wants to change the way the land court works, and bring back growing to the people of Aitutaki. Kake was a policeman for 22 years after […]

National

People first says Nicholas

Tuesday 9 November 2010 | Published in National

Avatiu-Ruatonga-Palmerston candidate and leader of Party Tumu Albert ‘Peto’ Nicholas says he will continue to be an advocate for youth and sports. He now hopes to build on Avatiu’s sporting strengths with an increased focus on youth support, education and training for those keen to enter the workforce. Party Tumu believes Nicholas is now in […]

National

1st Pacific 'flashmob'

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in National

More than 80 Edgewater and Telecom staff teamed up yesterday (Sunday) to perform what they are calling the first ever Pacific ‘flashmob’. A flashmob is a group of people who come together in a public place for a very brief and sudden performance. A pillow fight in New York’s Time Square, serenades for passengers at […]

National

Party bookkeeping deficient

Monday 8 November 2010 | Published in National

An examination of what financial records the country’s two biggest political parties have kept with the Justice Ministry in recent years reveals deficient bookkeeping by the Cook Islands Party, the first to be founded here over 40 years ago. Financial record keeping had been so inadequate by the the CIP, a registered incorporated society, it […]

National

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