More Top Stories
Cook Islands has its first mosque
14 November 2024
CI Muslim opens up about her faith and journey
16 November 2024
RAC to address mosque legality
19 November 2024
I don’t expect much change: PM Brown on US Elections
6 November 2024
Fifth weekly Sydney flight to Rarotonga announced
23 October 2024
CIIC directors seek $350,000 in damages over defamatory claims
21 October 2024
Man found guilty of rape, burglary
24 September 2024
Tenants face water bill burden
8 October 2024
Concerns over Minister’s role in inmate work releases: PAC
5 October 2024
Tourism contribution set to surpass half-billion dollar mark
25 September 2024
Parliament’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Parliament Clerk sparks outrage over deep sea mining statement
23 September 2024
Parliament’s 12 sitting days sufficient for business: Clerk
24 September 2024
Tapaitau and Charlie-Puna released to ‘family jobs’
21 September 2024
Police apprehend four juveniles in connection with motorcycle thefts
23 September 2024
Deep sea dilemma: Cook Islanders weigh the cost of mineral riches
21 September 2024
Anxiety on the rise: Cook Islands faces mental health challenge
7 September 2024
Cook Islands deep sea mining poll sparks controversy
7 September 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Rising seas, rising costs: Climate impacts on Cook Islands economy
2 September 2024
Inflation eases but concerns remain
31 August 2024
Prime Minister defends $659,000 MPs travel bill
23 August 2024
Taxpayers foot $659,000 bill for MPs travel and allowance
22 August 2024
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
PM Brown eager to hand over Forum chair role to Tonga
13 August 2024
ICI explains road works delay in front of old Sheraton site
10 August 2024
Diaspora dismayed over lack of Te Maeva Nui livestream
8 August 2024
Everyone is a winner, says Culture
7 August 2024
Local women outshine global peers in business leadership
8 August 2024
Housing crisis hits tourism industry
27 July 2024
MCI rejects ‘dark fleet’ label
3 August 2024
Challenging ‘rape culture’
8 July 2024
Opinion
Virtues in Paradise: Unconditional thanksgiving
My birth country, which is fractured and divided as never before, has held a presidential election leaving half the country cheering for victory and the other half grieving the loss of cherished ideals and gob smacked at the power now wielded by leaders they do not trust. By Linda Kavelin-Popov.
LETTER: Have we earned our NZ citizenship, or not?
If the Cooks wanted to become a sovereign nation, it needed its own citizenship. Cook Islanders would remain New Zealand citizens but "if they want to change it, they can." Then Prime Minister Helen Clark said in June 2001 "If they want to exert full independence, New Zealand will not stand in their way."
LETTER TO EDITOR: Homosexual Law reform remains in limbo
‘Science shows us that people are born LGBTQ+’
‘Vicious and uncivilised’ marijuana laws
Dear Editor, Did you know that under the Ministry of Health Act 2013 that marijuana fits the description of a medicine? In the Act it reads in part that, “Medicine means any substance whether of animal, plant or synthetic origin which is used internally or externally for alleviating disease”.
Lawmakers – Hypocrites or pearly white?
Dear Editor, This writer sat in the High Court, Criminal Division, on Friday and watched two sentences handed down from the 2021 Police operation on Aitutaki – the operation that brought an end to the international, million dollar drug cartel carried out by the young criminals of that island. I would have sat through more of the sentencing, but it was just too painful seeing young lives destroyed.
Gossip – is it true, is it kind, is it useful?
There are no good ends to those who like to gossip with unconstrained conversation about other people without confirming if they are true, writes Ruta Mave.
LETTER TO EDITOR: History behind Kimiangatau’s founding
Dear Editor, While it’s good to get new local programmes on CITV, it is not good practice to source material from just one person and not do any cross-checking.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Give us clean water or come clean
Dear Editor, While the stated “nearly $90 million” cost to date for Te Mato Vai may not be correct (and many think it’s closer to $120m), we all need to be reminded that when the project was announced at a budget of $59 million, multiple Cook Islanders argued that something like $15 million would put […]
Legal recreational drug of choice
Dear Editor, Perhaps you have a young cub reporter on staff who could work his or her way through the last five or so years of Cook Islands News and come up with a rough estimate of the percentage of newsprint reporting on the downside of our national acceptance of alcohol as our legal recreational drug of choice
‘Fighting for what is right, writing to make things right’
Good people who see bad things and say nothing are as bad as the bad people doing them. We need people to stand up and say ‘The emperor is wearing no clothes’, writes Ruta Mave.
Why we need a moratorium on deep seabed mining
Do we have to trash the ocean to save our climate? No, we do not. New analysis shows how technological innovation and circular economy models can meet the demand for minerals without deep seabed mining.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Time to review electricity rates?
TAU (Te Aponga Uira) were quick to respond to fuel increases by increasing their electricity rates across the board.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Making up law as they go?
Dear Editor, In 2020, Te Marae Ora, through the Director of Clinical Services put out a release that stated “There are no laid down import regulations for methadone”. Methadone is a Class B controlled drug in the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004.
Too much of a good thing?
One in five people treat their own infections instead of seeing a doctor or nurse practitioner to get it checked and get an appropriate antibiotic prescribed if one is needed, says Te Marae Ora chief pharmacist.
Taking care of your ears: Why it’s so important
What do ears do? The obvious answer is – hear sounds. Without getting too scientific, that is true. But ears do other things too, writes Dr Michael Baer, Te Are Manu Vet Clinic medical director.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Pero’s airline ‘a missed opportunity’
Dear Editor, It’s disappointing that this government would choose to reject this new airline proposal (Pero’s national airline dreams dashed again, Cook Islands News, November 19).
Time for climate change action is now – urgency demands it
It was my privilege to lead a delegation from the Cook Islands to Cop27, which was hosted by Egypt, at Sharm El Sheikh, writes Prime Minister Mark Brown.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Airline’s ‘monopolistic airfares’
Dear Editor, Browsing online through NZ Herald today there’s an Air New Zealand advertisement offering one-way airfares from Auckland to Honolulu at $589. The distance between Auckland and Honolulu is three times that between Auckland and Rarotonga.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Where are our ministries?
Dear Editor, Did you know that under the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004, there is a provision that would allow relief of the physical and emotional pain of the Cook Islands people, with the introduction of medicinal cannabis but the TMO, Crown Law and Customs are too inept to bring this to fruition.
RUTA MAVE: ‘It is time to stop talking and start walking’
Beggars can’t be choosers is a phrase that has become defunct in our modern communities.
LETTER TO EDITOR: Medicinal cannabis plan
Dear Editor, Given that the vast majority of Cook Islanders, 62 per cent voted in favour of medicinal cannabis being introduced into the Cook Islands, the Prime Minister Mark Brown has the authority and the command to legally change the Narcotics and Misuse of Drugs Act 2004 in so many different ways, in order to introduce a medicinal cannabis plan that suits us and does not defeat the purpose of making this medicine available at cost effective prices.