Local

Shipping service stopping?

Saturday 24 March 2012 | Published in Local

The future of shipping seems to again be in dire straits – with news that the next sailing of Pacific Forum will be its last. An information paper concerning the future of shipping in the Cook Islands is being prepared for tabling at Cabinet on Tuesday. This week, Reef Shipping representatives flew to Rarotonga to […]

Local

Grocery grab worth $3967.95

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

It took just three minutes and 30 seconds for an aunty and her niece to create $3967.95 of damage at the CITC Supermarket yesterday. The supermarket was well and truly behind Tai Matenga and her niece Luciana in their isle-by-isle sweep of the store – Tai was the third and final winner of the grocery […]

Local

DPM attends funeral

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

Deputy Prime Minister Tom Marsters and his wife Tuaine Marsters will join New Zealand dignitaries on an Air Force Boeing 757 flight on Tuesday to attend the funeral of King Tupou V of Tonga. The deputy prime minister is currently away in Brussels and on his way back will stop in New Zealand where he […]

Local

Landowners stop Land Rovers

Friday 23 March 2012 | Published in Local

Four-wheel-drive safari tours have been booted off a private track that takes tourists along a bumpy section of off-roading behind the Rarotonga Hospital. Land owner John Rasmussen has filed an injunction against safari tour operators that bans them from using the track up hospital hill. Rasmussen said the track, which has been in use for […]

Local

Clean-up part of 'beautification'

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local

Responding to public complaints about trees being razed along the banks of the Takuvaine stream, National Environment Service (NES) director Vaitoti Tupa says he stands behind his decision to authorise all beautification work being undertaken by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP). The recent cutting of trees in Takuvaine, Tupapa, Arorangi and Titikaveka is […]

Local

16 work complaints to OPSC

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local

Sixteen employment complaints have been lodged with the Office of the Public Service Commissioner over the last calendar year. Amidst agitation about alleged mistreatment of female public servants, Cook Islands News asked the OPSC to explain the procedure by which it deals with formal complaints. “Four were related to bullying, threats, low pay, belittling etc […]

Local

'Bump' in the road

Thursday 22 March 2012 | Published in Local

Motorists passing by the Nikao roads project yesterday morning could be seen chuckling to themselves in disbelief at the airport entrance. Though it is hardly a month old, the road seal laid down by the airport was getting dug up already. The works were contained to a very small area – a hole about one […]

Local

Spanish envoy establishes ties

Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local

The Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain will this week present his credentials to the Queen’s Representative Sir Frederick Goodwin. Ambassador Jesus Miguel Sanz Escorihuela touched down ON Rarotonga yesterday for a four-day visit to the Cook Islands. While here, Sanz Escorihuela will meet with government representatives to discuss bilateral and international relations between Spain […]

Local

PM to chair PALM gathering in Japan

Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local

Prime Minister Henry Puna will co-chair the sixth Pacific Island Leaders Meeting (PALM) alongside Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in May. Customarily the chair of the Pacific Islands Forum – which this year is New Zealand – will co-chair PALM with the Japanese prime minister. This year, however, the Cook Islands has been afforded that […]

Local

Diplomats renew ties before Forum

Wednesday 21 March 2012 | Published in Local

A recent spate of foreign diplomats arriving in the Cook Islands to present their credentials has members of the public wondering whether countries are rushing to establish ties with the Cook Islands before it hosts the Pacific Islands Forum in August, in an effort to be granted observer status. Foreign affairs secretary Jim Gosselin says […]

Local

PM rallies expats to come back to Cooks

Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Local

Superannuation portability, the return of young people back to the Cook Islands and building unity amongst Cook Island communities in the South Island were some of the key topics Prime Minister Henry Puna discussed when he visited with officials in New Zealand last week. His visit to Christchurch, Ashburton, Dunedin and Invercargill was one of […]

Local

Toa must be 'out' by April 30

Tuesday 20 March 2012 | Published in Local

The court yesterday denied an application by landowners for an interim injunction against Apex Agencies in relation to its Toa Petroleum depot. Chief Justice Tom Weston heard submissions from Tim Arnold on behalf of hundreds of landowners, who are being represented by Philip Nicholas, and from New Zealand barrister Paul Dale on behalf of Apex […]

Local

Guarantee necessary

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Local

Tourism officials expect the Los Angeles-Rarotonga flight will never make a profit for the airline operating it, meaning it will stay reliant on the government underwrite that currently guarantees its existence. However, the direct Sydney-Rarotonga flight still has a potential to become more profitable as its popularity increases and if it was used more for […]

Local

Lawyers concerned at debtor penalty

Monday 19 March 2012 | Published in Local

Members of the community last week cautioned a select committee against endorsing the Judicature Amendment Bill in its draft form. Appointed to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the bill, the select committee was this week chaired by opposition leader Wilkie Rasmussen in chairman Henry Puna’s absence. Also on the committee are Norman George, Mona […]

Local

CJ hears Toa case

Saturday 17 March 2012 | Published in Local

Chief Justice Tom Weston will begin hearing cases in the High Court at Avarua from Monday. He arrived in Rarotonga on Thursday, and spent all of yesterday reviewing case files. From 9am on Monday he will hear cases both civil and criminal, and will be presiding until Friday, March 30. On Monday at 9am, the […]

Local

Men urged to seek early treatment

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Local

Several men spoke emotively about the impact prostate cancer had on them or their families during a Wednesday meeting at Sinai Hall, which marked the launch of the Cook Islands Prostate Foundation. They spoke in support of the Cook Islands Prostate Foundation, newly formed to raise awareness of prostate cancer and seek funds for running […]

Local

Women workers fear 'backlash'

Friday 16 March 2012 | Published in Local

The Cook Islands Workers Association (CIWA) has seen an increase in the number of employment grievances being laid by both male and female public servants, says the organisation’s president Anthony Turua. “In recent years we have received an increase in the number of grievances (from) both men and women in the public sector,” he said, […]

Local

Dunedin 'cute'

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in Local

Despite coming from a tiny Pacific island nation, Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna describes Dunedin as “cute”. Puna, his wife Akaiti, Cook Islands High Commissioner to New Zealand Tiki Matapo and Puna’s chief executive Edwin Pittman were greeted with a traditional turou (welcome) by the city’s Cook Islands community at the University of Otago […]

Local

Youthline NZ connecting to Cooks

Thursday 15 March 2012 | Published in Local

Telecom Cook Islands (TCI) is connecting Cook Islands youth with toll-free New Zealand helpline Youthline. The connection is ready to go live, but TCI has yet to announce a launch date as it is still testing the system to ensure it is fully functioning. Two Youthline workers were invited by the youth forum steering committee […]

Local

Cyber crime war goes into schools

Wednesday 14 March 2012 | Published in Local

Pacific police chiefs took a pledge last year to make the rising tide of cybercrime a policing priority. As part of that commitment, senior sergeant Ngatamariki Pouao and information technology officer Aporo Kirikava recently travelled to Brisbane for a Cyber Safety Pasifika conference, administered and funded by the Australian Federal Police. Pouao was chosen to […]

Local

« Previous  1    575  576  577  578  579  580  581  582  583    688  Next »