Speaking at Thursday’s New Zealand citizenship ceremony from his official residence in Ngatipa, High Commissioner Peter Marshall said that the 11 new citizens before him “epitomise the energy and the diversity of the New Zealand that has now become a very exciting place”.

While a smoke signal in yesterday’s CINews might have beaten any official announcement to the punch, CINews can now confirm that cabinet minister George Maggie is currently on a government trip to South Korea, representing the Cook Islands in his capacity as minister of cultural development.

Auckland-based Aitutakian artist Clinton Hewett has returned to his home island for some important work, collecting together old stories and legends of Aitutaki for a graphic novel he plans on publishing.

It was a diverse group of prospective new New Zealand citizens who gathered together at the New Zealand High Commissioner’s official residence yesterday to take the oath and swear allegiance to New Zealand and Her Majesty The Queen.

British woman Phoebe Howlett is on a mission to visit all 197 countries in the world, and right now she’s in the Cook Islands.

Artist Apii Rongo has been away from Rarotonga for five years, but to him it doesn’t seem that long.

Cook Islands Tourism hosted several events this week in support of their new local cuisine strategy, Takurua.

Staff from the Cook Islands Red Cross were kept busy on Thursday replenishing Rarotonga’s blood stocks with another round of blood donations from some of their registered donors.

After falling from a total of nine in March to seven in April and four in May, it looks like motorbike thefts are on the rise again.

After spending 10 days in Rarotonga, New Zealand yachties Mike George and Sue Harvey were headed north to Suwarrow yesterday, carrying with them a load of general stores and gardening tools for National Environment Service rangers Harry Papai and John Samuel – along with a box of beers courtesy of Te Ipukarea Society.