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National

‘Govt exists to help our people across all fronts’

The Ceremonial Opening of the 18th Parliament of the Cook Islands – Te Marae Akarau Vānanga o te Kuki Airani – got underway yesterday morning from 10am at Te Are Karioi/National Auditorium (King’s Chambers).

PM invites King Charles III

Members of Parliament finally got the chance to pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II on day two of Parliament yesterday with the Prime Minister revealing an invitation has been sent for King Charles III to attend the Rarotonga International Airport’s 50th Anniversary next year.

New MPs get the nod: Committees established

Parliamentary committees were established on day two of sitting with several new faces on board.

Local

Annandale appointed country’s new Solicitor General

Acting in his capacity as Cook Islands Attorney General, Prime Minister Mark Brown yesterday officially announced the appointment of Lauaki Jason Annandale as the country’s new Solicitor General.

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Local

‘We’re in business now’, MPs sworn in seven months after general election

After a long wait following the 2022 general election on August 1, 2022, the incoming Members of Parliament (MPs) were sworn in yesterday on the first meeting of the 18th Parliament of the Cook Islands.

National

Education

Induction training for Aitutaki Environment Authority members

Local

Sharing the Cook Islands’ human rights story at World Pride event

Local

Cooking up a storm for cyclone relief

Court

Man facing assault and violence charges represent himself

A man with multiple assault and violence charges is representing himself in Court.

Crime

Motorcyclist hospitalised after crash with drunk tourist

A motorcyclist has been hospitalised after suffering fractured ribs and other injuries in a collision with a drunk driver last weekend.

Sports

Paddling

Young paddlers ready for Vaka Iti Junior Paddling Regatta

Around 300 to 400 students will be part of the Vaka Iti – Junior Paddling Regatta tomorrow at Nikao Beach.

League

Glenn inspires future league stars

Former Broncos and Cook Islands captain Alex Glenn is using his story of success to give back to the next generation, heading up the new Broncos Multicultural Youth Leadership Programme.

Local

Panthers coach downplays impressive win

Tupapa Panthers remain humble and focussed on what’s ahead following a blistering performance in Rarotonga on the weekend.

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Soccer

Cook Islands Football embroiled in leadership dispute following ‘dismissal’ of elected president

Cook Islands Football Association (CIFA) is embroiled in a leadership dispute following the ‘provisional dismissal’ of its elected president which the regional and international governing bodies have deemed invalid.

Opinion

Letters to the Editor

LETTER: Investing in education

Dear Editor, Increasing the budget when there is no money for such an expense is not the only option (College faces financial difficulties, March 20).

Letters to the Editor

LETTER TO EDITOR: ‘Dump your wastewater elsewhere’

Dear Editor, I note your article regarding a diplomatic visit from Japan in light of that country’s stated intention to dump its nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. I further note that Japan is bordered by four oceans, two of which comprise significant portions of its EEZ, of which the Pacific Ocean is but one.

Kata

Kata: Parliament

Opinion

Thomas Tarurongo Wynne: ‘We need to be better prepared’

Ka anoano ia tatou kia papa no teia au ra ki mua – As the waters subside back to their usual levels and the devastation has been left bare, we are all here left with this residual feeling – a lingering awakening that we all need to be better prepared.

Features

Putting passion over profession

Luisa Peters may be only 165 centimetres tall but she stands head and shoulders above many when it comes to her professional technique and strength. That goes for both weightlifting and the Police Service where the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) Detective Constable has been a valued member of the team since 2019.

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Culture

‘E Lupe’ all the way from Wale wins Te Mire Atu

Seven talented composers participated in Te Mire Atu 2023 Composers Competition held at The Edgewater Resort this week. The annual event celebrated the original Cook Islands compositions by cultural artists.

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Features

Seabed explorer: Who are Moana Minerals?

Seabed explorer vessel Anuanua Moana has been blessed and named as she prepares for research work in Cook Islands waters. Today she is scheduled to set sail for Atiu, then Aitutaki, before sailing to the Penrhyn Basin where she will start mapping the area with sonar. Moana Minerals chief executive Han Smit is at the helm of the operation and briefs deputy editor Al Williams on what they are up to in our area of the Pacific.

Features

Unlocking dyslexia

Early childhood school days for some children have been and are a real struggle. It is particularly harder for those with dyslexia – a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words.

Pacific

Papua New Guinea

Education crucial to curbing growing numbers of diseases

The occurrence of vector-borne disease in the Pacific is growing and people are being asked to do more to counter it.

Marshall Islands

Activists call for US apology for Marshall Is nuclear tests

Over 100 activist groups, including Greenpeace, Veterans for Peace, and the Arms Control Association have signed a letter calling on US President Joe Biden to apologise for nuclear tests conducted in the Marshall Islands.

Regional

Marine geologists investigate connection between Hunga eruption and tsunami waves

Two New Zealand-based marine geologists have been studying the Hunga volcano, to learn more about how underwater volcanos cause tsunami waves.

Papua New Guinea

Dame Meg Taylor: Pacific needs to sit up and pay close attention to AUKUS

A Pacific elder and former secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum says Pacific leaders need to sit up and pay closer attention to AUKUS and the Indo-Pacific Strategy and China’s response to them. Speaking from Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea, Dame Meg Taylor said Pacific leaders were being sidelined in major geopolitical decisions […]

Kiribati

International help needed for Kiribati water crisis

On World Water Day, March 22, David Kakiakia explained his hope for Kiribati, which is suffering from severe drought. Kiribati has the highest infant mortality rates in the Pacific linked directly to unsafe drinking water, according to Childfund. The country has very low ground water which is contaminated by salt and rubbish. Climate change is making […]