More Top Stories
Solar power battery repairs ‘could take up to 12 months’
15 April 2024
Police shortage leads to drop in checkpoints
9 April 2024
Sarakura declared new Penrhyn MP
16 March 2024
Govt says $1.3m invested in Lady Samoa charter
22 February 2024
Mass milkfish die-off in Penrhyn raises concerns
3 April 2024
Regulator defends Starlink users
9 April 2024
Aitutaki’s heritage preserved in new anthology
4 January 2024
Avatiu Eels retain Nines title
8 January 2024
Beddoes crowned top athlete
8 January 2024
NRL player Dargan dies in Aitutaki motorcycle crash
24 December 2023
‘Please heed the signs’: resident makes plea to tourists
20 December 2023
Cook Islands set to play in new World Series
10 October 2023
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
Corruption in the Cook Islands?
21 January 2023
Moana target 2025 World Cup
11 November 2022
National
Five months prison for Aitutaki indecent assault, other charges
A man who was convicted for 12 separate offences including indecent assault has been sentenced to five months imprisonment.
Probation for repeat offender
The fourth accused in a Nikao brawl incident on January 28 this year has been sentenced to 12 months’ probation.
Man on probation seeks passport to visit ill father in Fiji
A 33-year-old Fijian citizen, Semesa Nalalakiwai, recently sentenced to 16 months’ probation with the first six months on community service, applied for his passport release to visit his ill father in Fiji.
Court discharges woman accused of forging receipt in car purchase
A woman accused of forging a receipt for a vehicle purchase that never occurred has been discharged of the charge of obtaining by false pretense.
Te Are Pa Metua welcomes back seniors for activities and socialisation
Te Are Pa Metua centre for the elderly is back in full swing, resuming their usual programmes and activities on February 1.
U-turn on electric vehicles: Government retains unsold vehicles due to lack of bids
Government will retain and distribute eight electric vehicles (EVs) it previously tried to sell due to lack of bids likely caused by affordability concerns.
Award-winning photographer calls for protection of Cook Islands marine life
Cook Islands photographer Charlotte Piho, who represented the Oceania region at the Xposure Festival in Dubai last week, received another photography award.
Operator raises concerns over increased motorised boats in lagoon
A turtle tour operator has raised concerns that there has been an increased use of motorised boats in the Avaavaroa Passage.
Pastor claims ‘friend’ forged receipts in alleged vehicle scam
The defendant jury trial of a woman accused of allegedly forging a receipt for a vehicle purchase that never occurred continues at the High Court in Avarua today.
No charger issues, says Te Aponga Uira
Rarotonga electricity company Te Aponga Uira (TAU) has clarified that its electric vehicle chargers have always been compatible with the government’s newly purchased EVs.
Rakahanga School sees enrolment rise with families returning to island
Rakahanga School, located on one of the Cook Islands’ most isolated islands 42 kilometres south of its sister island Manihiki, has seen its roll number increase to 22 this year compared to last year’s roll of 15.
Education’s teaching qualifications not recognised overseas: Ministry
Ministry of Education says it is exploring options to widen the scope of recognition for offering qualifications that are recognised beyond the Cook Islands, after confirming its teaching credentials were not recognised overseas.
Letter: Accreditations, NCEA practices questioned
Dear Editor, 1. The Cook Islands Ministry of Education is not an accredited tertiary body in the Cook Islands. (Only CITTI, CEIT, USP, the Theological College and Te Vānanga Are Tapere O Takitumu are). So a question that needs to be asked is: what does it mean to earn a Certificate of Diploma from a unaccredited tertiary body/institution? Where are these qualifications recognised (outside of the Cook Islands)? If nowhere then one needs to ask many more questions.
Tourism, Snorkel Cook Islands clash over turtle tour regulations
Cook Islands Tourism has responded to Snorkel Cook Islands’ claims, stating that the operator’s model does not meet the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreed upon by nine other turtle tour operators.
New book explores Ma’uke’s connection to the London Missionary Society
Author Moana Moeka’a has launched his fourth book, “Ma’uke Mission 200 Years”, a story about the island’s connection, his father’s homeland, to the London Missionary Society (LMS).
Two involved in Nikao brawl plead guilty
Two accused involved in a brawl outside Super Brown supermarket in Nikao on January 28 have both pleaded guilty.
Domestic violence assault earns suspended sentence
A man who punched and slapped a woman twice has been given a suspended sentence.
Cook Islands grapples with highest childhood obesity rates in the world
Cook Islands has the highest childhood obesity rate, with over 30 per cent of children having obesity, a recent study on worldwide trends in underweight and obesity reveals.
Cook Islands balances tourism growth with sustainability
Cook Islands emerged from the Covid-19 slump with a tourism boom in 2023.
Beyond the numbers: How tourism benefits everyday life in the Cook Islands
January saw a record breaking 10,368 visitors arrive on our shores. They’re staying longer, and spending more on average. But what do these facts and figures look like in the daily lives of Cook Islanders? Cook Islands News journalist Candice Luke spoke to locals about how the tourist dollar is affecting them, their families, and their businesses right now.
Education takes flight as Manihiki and Penrhyn learners graduate for first time
The Cook Islands Tertiary Training Institute (CITTI) is expanding its reach to offer accredited qualifications to learners in the Pa Enua, with this week’s graduation ceremony celebrating the achievements of students from Manihiki and Penrhyn.
Te Ipukarea Society: Pacific partners talk tourism
Te Ipukarea Society recently participated in the Pacific Tourism Partners Immersion Programme organised by Griffith Institute for Tourism based in Brisbane, Australia.
