More Top Stories
‘Budget prioritises vulnerable’
16 May 2024
Alleged rapist in remand
27 April 2024
Rarotonga residents push back on water tariff plan
12 April 2024
High hopes for chronic patients
4 May 2024
Solar power battery repairs ‘could take up to 12 months’
15 April 2024
Cook Islands poised for highest Pacific growth
29 April 2024
Ex-DPM appeals ‘excessive sentence’, hearing date set
26 April 2024
Mass milkfish die-off in Penrhyn raises concerns
3 April 2024
Regulator defends Starlink users
9 April 2024
Cook Islands set to play in new World Series
10 October 2023
Corruption report exposes ‘bribe and sexual favours’
17 January 2023
Moana target 2025 World Cup
11 November 2022
National
Graham appointed new Secretary of Cook Islands Ministry of Justice
Peter William Graham has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), effective June 4, 2024, for a term of three years, replacing Tamatoa Jonassen.
Cook Islands passes Health Bill to improve health outcomes
The Cook Islands Public Health Bill 2024 that aims to protect and promote the health of all people of the Cook Islands by reducing the incidence of disease and ill-health was passed on Thursday.
Supplementary budget changes explained
Thursday 2: Government’s latest supplementary budget tabled in parliament yesterday will see its expenditure rise by almost $5 million and its expected revenue decrease by $27,000. The extra expenditure is to go towards covering the costs of the Pacific Mini Games and finance minister Sir Terepai Maoate explained that the reduction in projected crown revenue […]
Aitutaki café tender called for
Wednesday 8: Tenders are being called for the airport café in Aitutaki. Airport Authority’s commercial, operations and quality assurance manager, Mark Vaikai, says the tender calls for the set up of a café on the same premises vacated by the previous operator who closed last week. “The primary intent of having the café in the […]
Joint venture not final
Monday 6: Pacific Mini Games 2009 Ltd and World Youth Netball Championships 2009 Ltd – the companies organising this year’s two big sports events – are near to finalising a joint venture agreement. Games minister Wilkie Rasmussen says that there have been difficulties in finalising the agreement, especially in the areas of sponsorship, marketing and […]
7 MPs want seat declared vacant
Thursday 2: The seven Opposition Cook Islands Party members of parliament are calling for the Pukapuka-Nassau seat to be declared vacant. This is the substance of the letter delivered to the speaker Mapu Taia yesterday by opposition leader Tom Marsters and deputy leader Teina Bishop. The letter calls on the speaker to declare the Pukapuka-Nassau […]
Roadside cleaning tenderers helped with process
Wednesday 8: Having a good tender proposal is the key to winning or losing a contract. This was just one of the messages given to prospective contractors for road and drainage cleaning in Te Au O Tonga at a meeting yesterday. “Putting in a good tender proposal is crucial,” said consultant Patrick Arioka during the […]
Games concerns outlined in letter
Monday 6: ‘Mini’ must be added to the 2009 Pacific Mini Games logo The Pacific Games Council says it requires certain reassurances that various steps will be taken by mini games organisers, or it would place the future of the games at “serious risk”. In his letter of March 19 to games minister Wilkie Rasmussen, […]
Peua under opposition fire
Thursday 2: Pukapuka/Nassau Independent MP Vai Peua came under heavy fire from Opposition CIP members during parliament’s question time yesterday. The first day of the sitting this month saw Peua defending his recent agreement with the Democratic Party and its leader Sir Terepai Maoate. Speaker of the house Mapu Taia had announced to parliament that […]
Volunteers wanted!
Monday 6: Become a ‘sign post’ for the country 2009 Pacific Mini Games front man Tua Pittman says the event is not only an opportunity for our sportspeople to shine, but also a chance for us all to showcase what makes our island nation so special and unique. One way to showcase your passion for […]
Rasmussen addresses the ACP-EU assembly
Wednesday 8: The global economic crisis was at the fore of foreign Affairs minister Wilkie Rasmussen’s address to the opening of the 17th session of the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly in Prague, Czech Republic, early this week. Rasmussen also touched on the importance of political will to confront global challenges and the role of developing […]
Minister in Prague
Saturday 4: Cabinet minister Wilkie Rasmussen and foreign affairs secretary Mike Mitchell are in Prague, Czech Republic, attending the 17th session of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly this week. They are due back in the country on April 11. Travel and accommodation costs are covered by the assembly. -HG
Atiu war memorial monument built
Wednesday 8: Years of hoping and dreaming paid off last month when Atiu completed a war monument or cenotaph to remember the Atiuans who served during the 1914-18 and the 1940-45 conflicts as well as later years. Their efforts and service to King and country can now be recognised and commemorated for years to come. […]
Travel costs disclosed in part
Saturday 4: Infrastructure and Planning ministry secretary Taukea Raui had no problem when contacted this week in revealing that government spent $2058 on his recent trip as part of a delegation to Wellington. Raui says the ministry paid the amount for his four days in New Zealand as part of the four member delegation which […]
Increasing capacity
Wednesday 8: Air New Zealand has announced capacity upgrades on its Auckland-Rarotonga-Auckland route from May to October. A number of A320 airbuses will be replaced with B767 and B777 aircraft adding up to an extra 2854 seats over the six month period. Air NZ Cook Islands manager David Bridge said the airline was pleased to […]
Tax concession explained
Saturday 4: The 200 percent tax concession for sponsors of the Pacific Mini Games and the World Youth Netball Championships will apply to all those who spend over $50,000 on supporting the events. This week financial secretary Sholan Ivaiti explained just how it will work in response to CINews questions. The conditions of the tax […]
Outer island cops arrive
Wednesday 8: Seven northern police officers arrived in Rarotonga on Te Kukupa on Monday. They arrived with police commissioner Pat Tasker who spent 11 days on the patrol boat touring the northern group as part of a police exchange programme. “The trip was uneventful but the hospitality received from the outer islands was excellent,” Tasker […]
Little time blamed for few submissions on Seabed Bill
Saturday 4: Only three public submissions were received on the Seabed Bill during the two weeks the select committee was tasked with reviewing the proposed legislation. Government hopes to pass the bill that sets out how the country’s manganese nodule resource and the mining of it will be managed. The committee had been set up […]
WSBC denies ruining CI reputation
Wednesday 8: WSBC Bank denies ruining the financial reputation of the Cook Islands. And it reckons it would have won the high-profile court case against the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC). In a press release issued last week – though not to Cook Islands News – WSBC Bank confirms it will leave at the end of […]
Cooks heed call of G20 on tax info
Saturday 4: Deputy prime minister Sir Terepai Maoate has responded to the communiqué issued this week by the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (G20) calling for more cooperation between nations in sharing of information relevant to tax matters. Sir Terepai said that he welcomes this call for more transparency in the […]
New school principals workshop on this week
Tuesday 7: A workshop for new school principals is being held this week by the Ministry of education in partnership with NZAID. The workshop is being held at the Avarua school library under the theme ‘learning for life – effective leadership’. The new principals taking part are mainly from the outer islands and include Mitiaro […]
Fuel rationing at work
Friday 3: Aitutaki vehicle owners were left queuing at Aquila Rentals petrol pumps (above) over the weekend as fuel was being rationed to customers due to a shortage caused in part a fuel pricing issue. Aitutaki businessman and MP Teina Bishop says although he has reopened his petrol pumps since a new price order took […]