Opinion

Kata: Search warrant

New Zealand’s ‘megaphone diplomacy’

Dear Editor, I am a young woman of the Cook Islands, raised on Rarotonga, now studying at the University of Waikato, studying law and politics.

Kata: Power disconnected

Kata: MPs Northern travel idea

Kata: Scam

Ruta Mave: Women urged to lead in upcoming elections

Te Tuhi Kelly made a call to arms for women to join his Progressive Party. A sound idea, however, I believe it is time for women to rise and form a women’s party, writes Ruta Mave.

Letter: Police shortcomings raise concerns

Dear Editor, I would like to add a few words to the story that ran in this paper on 11 March 2025 regarding the court case of Chris Denny.

Kata: Crime is Down

Thomas Wynne: Defining Christian nation

If we are to make the Cook Islands a Christian nation, we must first ask: what version of Christianity are we talking about? Thomas Tarurongo Wynne writes.

Kata: Look at the pile

Te Ipukarea Society: Deep-sea mining- A new environmental crisis looms

This article is based on a recent peer reviewed article, Metal mining on land versus the ocean in the context of the current Biodiversity Crisis, by V. Tunnicliff et.al. published on 5th March 2025 in the NPJ Ocean Sustainability Journal.

Virtues of Paradise: Seeds of compassion  

In 2008, I was invited to speak at a conference in Seattle, Washington, entitled “Seeds of Compassion” hosted by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. By Linda Kavelin-Popov.

Kata: Land reform consultation

Dr Paul R P Allsworth: The passport saga and the rising dragon

The Cook Islands passport saga with New Zealand and the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement with China have raised serious public concerns sending national and international alarm bells that goes far beyond our shores, writes Terea Mataiapo Dr Paul R P Allsworth.

Letter: Who will foot the bill?

We see in “Court News” that co-accused Poe Poila and Romani Katoa in the Boxing Day knife-wielding incident are being processed through the Criminal Court.

Letter: Solar project

It was great to read Talaia Mika’s front page story in Wednesday’s Cook Islands News. However, I perhaps missed something, in essence are we reading that New Zealand is making a grant of $12.9m, not a loan, but a grant for the Northern Group Battery Replacement Project.

Kata: Northern Group battery project

Letter: Enhancing shipping services and infrastructure for Tongareva (Penrhyn)

Dear Editor, As a resident of Tongareva and the Executive Officer of the Tongareva Island Government, I have witnessed the profound impact that irregular shipping services have on our community and the broader Northern Group islands.

Kata: NZ intelligence service

Letter: Preserving Rarotonga’s pristine beauty

Rarotonga is a true paradise – its fragrant floral air, the rhythmic sound of the ocean, and, most impressively, the cleanliness of the island all contribute to its breathtaking beauty.