National

Growers study climate communications

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in National

Making best use of the available climate data and communicating that information properly will go a long way in assisting growers in the country. A three-day workshop, aimed at improving the communication of climate information to growers during the current weak El Nino cycle, wrapped up at the Kent Hall yesterday. Horticultural scientist Jane Adams […]

National

Tahiti claimant seeks title

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Crime

One of the claimants for Rarotonga’s chiefly Makea Nui title says one needs to go deeper into Tahitian history to find out the real story behind the title. Oti Oti, who is of Maukean descent and has been in the country for the last three weeks, has been residing in French Polynesia since 1970. Oti […]

Crime

Chicken pieces spill mystery

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Environment

The remains of chicken pieces, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and pumpkin were scraped of the road at the Harley Street corner on Tuesday afternoon. Police, public health and the national environment service were alerted of the spill around 10am, before public health officials cleaned up the mess later that afternoon. It is understood that the equivalent […]

Environment

Dead animals found on foreshore

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Environment

First it was chicken pieces on the road at Nikao on Tuesday. Yesterday morning it was a couple of decaying dogs and a pig carcass discovered on the Matavera foreshore. National environment service compliance officer Keri Herman said they were alerted after a member of the public reported the discovery of the remains to public […]

Environment

6 arrests in police raids

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Local

Police arrested six men after a target operation this week on burglaries, theft and drug offending. An investigation which had been ongoing for the past couple of months culminated with a team of detectives executing search warrants on six homes on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The men arrested ranged from ages 15 to 22 and […]

Local

2 shipping companies merge

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Local

PDL (Pacific Direct Line) and PFL (Pacific Forum Line) have formed a joint venture company to provide shipping to the Cook Islands. The new venture sees the withdrawal of two vessels which will be replaced by the larger MV Forum Pacific. The withdrawn vessels are PDL’s Southern Phoenix, which will no longer operate the New […]

Local

PM presses for reform

Thursday 14 January 2010 | Published in Local

Prime minister Jim Marurai is taking steps to show he’s serious about a referendum on political reform. In a statement issued yesterday he said he wants the public to support him in pressing ahead with political change. The day after announcing he will put together a team to work on preparing the referendum, the PM […]

Local

Office request denied

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Former deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate, who was sacked over the $2 million Toagate scandal just before Christmas, had his request for an MP office and car turned down this week. Prime minister Jim Marurai has confirmed that the request was made during his meeting with the Ngatangiia MP and leader of the Democratic […]

National

Family law up for discussion

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Punanga Tauturu will hold a family law consultation in mid-February. The NGO established a fund for non-molestation orders late last year and legal representative Kairangi Samuela says the organisation receive a large number of inquiries from women seeking the orders. PTI are holding the consultation as part of the effort to streamline what is happening […]

National

Visitors hit 100,000-plus

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Last year was the first time visitor numbers exceeded 100,000 – a growth of 7 percent over 2008 arrivals. Cook Islands Tourism chief executive officer John Dean has welcomed the official numbers for the year to December 2009. According to the monthly Statistics office bulletin for December, the 2009 year saw a total of 101,110 […]

National

Visitor numbers up 7%

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

The bi-annual Cook Islands tourism industry forum will begin next week on a high note following news of a 7 percent increase in visitor numbers in 2009. The country is bucking the regional trend for recording losses in visitor numbers and the forum will cover marketing plans that aim to help continue the upward growth […]

National

'Country in constitutional crisis'

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

The nation is in the middle of an unusual and abnormal ‘breakdown’ of government says opposition MP Norman George. He’s calling the new cabinet a five-headed monster that is only surviving through a loophole in the Constitution. Last week the MP publicly revealed the plans by the 19 MPs outside of cabinet to petition the […]

National

People in place

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Senior constable Taruia Ringiao will be making sure all is well in his neighbourhood. The Takitumu resident has been appointed the Vaka Ngatangiia constable in a reshuffle of community officers. Ringiao replaces constable Tungane Lockington who will be serving in the Te Au o Tonga area while constable Allan Rua remains with the Puiakura vaka. […]

National

Chopper me up

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

It was up and away for Hoani Gibson when dad Brett suggested a HeliRaro chopper ride. It was the younger Gibson’s first ride in a helicopter. The 10-year-old Avatea school student said she was a bit nervous at first, but by the end of the ride she couldn’t chose a favourite part. “My favourite thing […]

National

PM – finance still main concern

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

A proposal to purchase $174,000 worth of new government cars and office computers was turned down by cabinet yesterday in the face of growing concern over finances. Prime minister Jim Marurai said he and cabinet turned down the proposal to spend capital expenditure funds because they have placed a freeze on new spending pending the […]

National

New minister sets up office

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Cabinet minister Apii Piho was one of the first to move into his new ministerial office yesterday. While other ministers are taking their time to move, amid office asset auditing and renovations, Piho was keen to get down to work in his office behind Public Health. Piho says while he’s kept on CEO Ken Buchanan, […]

National

Political situation distracting: businessman

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in National

Businessman James Beer is coy about commenting on the political situation as it stands now and what impact it may have on the country. But he is quick to point out that the situation has been brought about not entirely but mostly by the events of the proposed TOA fuel farm purchase. “I don’t want […]

National

Not sitting soon

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in Local

Parliament is unlikely to sit until government is forced to table a budget in July, says prime minister Jim Marurai. The PM says the threat from the 19 MPs outside of cabinet to have him removed by a vote of no confidence when parliament sits is too great to consider calling a sitting. “The danger […]

Local

PM promises referendum

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in Local

Government now intends to ask every voter in the country if they want political reform through a referendum. Prime minister Jim Marurai has announced that a referendum on political reform will be launched sometime this year either before or at the election scheduled for September. Marurai said that cabinet, which met yesterday, has decided that […]

Local

Happy to be back at 102

Wednesday 13 January 2010 | Published in Local

At 102 years old, Louie Grau has still got her wits about her, and she’s showing no signs of slowing down. Born in New Zealand in 1907, Louie came to the Cook Islands for the first time in the 1930s to be with her brothers. Walter was the Resident Commissioner for Atiu and Harry co-owned […]

Local

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