Te reo o te KUKI AIRANI
$2 Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Mike makes its move... Powerful winds lifted the roof of this shelter clean of, at the cemetery in Panama. 14031708
An InTense weather system moving quickly over the southern cooks has been upgraded and named Tropical cyclone Mike. Fiji Meteorological centre made the announcement at about 3pm yesterday and said the cyclone was sitting 55 nautical miles west of Aitutaki and 160 nautical miles north-northwest of Rarotonga late yesterday afternoon. The category one storm was
intensifying and moving in a south-southeast direction at a speed of 18 knots. Fiji Met centre predicted Mike would be at its nearest to Rarotonga – about 30 nautical miles south-southwest - at 2am this morning. “damaging winds are likely to begin a few hours before the cyclone centre passes overhead or nearby,” it said. Tc Mike is expected to be positioned about 180 nautical miles
3pm Tuesday
2am Wednesday
2pm Wednesday
Not to scale. Indicative only
The expected track of Cyclone Mike today. 14031815
south of the island by early this afternoon. Those in Rarotonga, Aitutaki and the other southern islands are being warned to expect winds of 35 to 40 knots, and gusts to 50 knots today. cook Islands Met service director Arona ngari said people should be on alert during today’s high tides – at 11:32am and 5:26pm – when storm surges will be at their greatest risk. Flooding of low lying coastal areas is possible, with big storm surges hitting the coast. He said the worst of the weather should be over by this morning but strong winds, high seas and rain will probably continue. cook Islands Police service activated its emergency Operations centre at 10pm, with teams of oficers on shift rotation throughout the night. Businesses could be seen putting shutters up over windows in Avarua late yesterday afternoon and boats had been pulled out of the water in preparation for the expected gale-force winds. students and parents are being advised by the Ministry of education to listen to Radio cook Islands (AM 630kHz) this morning to learn about the status of schools. executive director at the Ministry of education Gail Townsend said all schools in Rarotonga and the southern Group of islands began preparations yesterday by sending their students home in the afternoon, and told to put their disaster management plans in place. The cook Islands cyclone season runs from november to April and this is the irst cyclone of the season. - BCS/ES
Estall faces retrial after jury fails to reach verdict Accused James estall will have
to face a re-trial after the current jury could not reach a unanimous or three-quarter majority decision.
After an exhaustive six days of trial and 11 hours deliberation spanning over two days, the jury reached an unmovable 7-5 split. Presiding judge Justice sir Hugh
Williams asked them if there was a chance they could at least reach a 9-3 majority. The replied they could not. “I will discharge you from
the jury and remand Mr estall for another trial with another jury, thank you all for your hard work,” he said. estall, 22, was on trial for
$799
will be set for a re-trial. He will be sentenced on Friday for a charge of excess breath alcohol, to which he pleaded guilty to last Thursday. - MWK
pIEcEs
ATIU/AITUTAKI 2 plUs 2 NIghTs packages from
the dangerous driving causing the death of 22-year-old Kulani Takai elikana in 2012. estall will remain on bail until a call-over on July 23, when another date
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
worldneWs nuti no TeIA neI AO 'Idiot' knew he'd win big A UK car mechanic had a feeling he would be the winner of a lottery worth $US2.9 million. Neil Trotter was so conident he would win he told people that “this time tomorrow” he would be a multi-millionaire. “I’ve always thought I’d win big and I’d had a good feeling all week,” he said. “I took out my ticket to check the winning numbers and amazingly one-by-one they matched. “I text my partner, ‘I’ve done it, I’ve won the lottery’. But she text back to ‘shut up and to stop being an idiot’.”
Relatives frustrated Families of passengers demand information, vote on hunger strike BeIJInG – Relatives of the chinese passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight have threatened a hunger strike if the Malaysian authorities fail to provide more accurate information. Families vented their anger at a meeting with the airline in Beijing. Oficials in Malaysia say they are trying to narrow the search area, which now covers about
world BRIeFs search area Is sIze of australIa MALAYSIA – Malaysia says the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet now encompasses an area slightly larger than the entire land mass of Australia. “The entire search area is now 7.7 million square kilometres,” acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said in a daily press brieing. Australia has a land mass of around 7.6 million square kilometres. The search area extends north into south central Asia, passing across far western china, including Xinjiang and Tibet, as well as south deep into the Indian Ocean west of Australia. “This is an enormous search area. And it is something that Malaysia cannot possibly search on its own,” Hishammuddin said. Twelve days after contact was lost with the aircraft and its 239 passengers and crew, there has been minimal progress in determining precisely what happened or where the plane ended up.
tWo KIlleD IN NeWs helIcoPter crash USA – A TV news helicopter has crashed to the ground on top of at least two cars near Seattle’s Space Needle, killing two people and injuring one. The KOMO-TV chopper was apparently taking of from a rooftop helipad this morning outside the local news station’s headquarters when it possibly hit the side of a building and went down, exploding into a ireball as it struck vehicles on a busy innercity street. Two people inside the helicopter were killed and another victim was seen crawling out of his burning car and running with one of his sleeves on ire. The survivor, a 37-year-old man, sufered burns to 50 per cent of his body and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The crash sent a huge plume of black smoke into the sky just metres from the US city’s iconic Space Needle.
DeaD fashIoN DesIGNer oWeD MIllIoNs USA – Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger is denying claims he had split with his designer girlfriend L’Wren Scott before she committed suicide. Before her death Scott, had reportedly told friends the singer had dumped her, and that she was thinking about buying a new home. It’s also been revealed that police investigating the death of the fashion designer – who was millions in debt – have described her as Jagger’s “former” partner. Scott and Jagger, who was 21 years older, had been dating for well over a decade. He was on tour with the Rolling Stones in Australia at the time of her death. Accounts for Scott’s fashion business suggested it was heavily in debt and Scott owed several millions of dollars to creditors. Jagger said the 49-year-old US fashion designer was not only his lover but also his best friend, adding: “I will never forget her.”
JaIleD for hacKING GIrls’ WeBcaMs
7.7 million square kilometres. Flight MH370 went missing on 8 March with 239 people on board. some 25 countries are involved in looking for the plane. A total of 153 chinese nationals were on board the missing aircraft, which was lying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. china’s state media has been criticising the Malaysian operation. some chinese relatives have said they believe the Malaysian authorities are holding information back and have demanded more clarity. After a meeting with oficials from Malaysia Airlines on Tuesday, families held a vote on organising a hunger strike. “What we want is the truth,” said one woman. “don’t let the passengers become the victims of a political ight.” Ahmad Jauhari Yahy, chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, told a news conference on Monday that the airline was doing everything it could for the families. Malaysia says the plane was intentionally diverted and could have flown on either a northern or southern arc from its last known position in the Malacca straits. china said earlier it had started searching its territory for the aircraft. The chinese ambassador to Malaysia, Huang Huikang, also said background checks had shown no evidence to suggest any of the chinese passengers had terror links, Xinhua news agency reported. Meanwhile, the Australian Maritime safety Authority (Amsa) said it had narrowed down its search area in the southern Indian Ocean based on satellite data and analysis of the aircraft’s possible movements. Amsa said the search area was still vast. - BBC
As relatives vote on a hunger strike for information, a woman ofers prayers in solidarity with passengers on board missing Malaysia Airlines light MH370, during a gathering in Kuala Lumpur. AFP
Soldier killed in Crimea sIMFeROPOL – ukraine’s military says an officer has been killed in an attack on a base in crimea, the first such death since pro-Russia forces took control in February. It said all its troops at the simferopol base had been arrested. The ukrainian government said a junior oficer who was on duty in a park inside the simferopol base had been killed and another oficer injured. A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with
iron bars, it said. defence ministry spokesman Vladislav seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by “unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered”. The ukrainians had had their IDs, weapons and money coniscated, he said. The government said it had now authorised the use of weapons by its troops in crimea. Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told an emergency government meeting:
“The conlict is shifting from a political to a military stage. “Russian soldiers have started shooting at ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime.” Reports from the crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defence force member had been shot dead. neither of the accounts can be independently conirmed or whether they relate to the same incident. - BBC
Jagger distraught by suicide PeRTH – sir Mick Jagger has said he is “struggling” to understand the death of his girlfriend L’Wren scott. The celebrated us fashion designer was found dead in her New York lat on Monday, in an apparent suicide. In a statement on his website, Jagger said he still failed “to understand how my lover and best friend could end her life in this tragic way”.
He added: “We spent many wonderful years together and had made a great life for ourselves.” Jagger described his partner as having “had great presence and her talent was much admired, not least by me. “I have been touched by the tributes that people have paid to her, and also the personal messages of support that I have received. I will never forget her.”
The Rolling stones have cancelled the irst date of their Australian tour following the news. The British band was due to play in Perth on Wednesday. Their promoter said no further information was available. The stones are due to perform in sydney, Melbourne and Macedon later this month before playing two dates in Brisbane and Auckland, new Zealand, in April. - BBC
Message of hope etched in chalk
USA – An American teenager who blackmailed young women with compromising images grabbed by hacking their webcams has been jailed for 18 months. Jared James Abrahams broke into about 150 online accounts over a two-year period to commit the crimes. More than two dozen women in the US, Ireland and other nations had their computers hacked by Abrahams. One victim was Miss Teen USA 2013 beauty contest winner – cassidy Wolf. Abrahams was arrested in early 2013 and pleaded guilty to one count of computer hacking and three of extortion in November. Abrahams had then extorted cash from victims by threatening to publicly post nude photos and videos. Abrahams took over email, social media accounts and computers and used this access to remotely turn on webcams and grab pictures when his victims were naked.
No secoND roYal BaBY for tIMe BeING ENGLAND – Britain’s Prince William laughed at rumors his wife, Kate, is pregnant, saying their son, Prince George, will remain an only child for the time being. The Duke Of cambridge, 31, made his remarks to Regimental Sgt. Maj. Ray Collister when the army oicer asked about the pregnancy rumors during Monday’s St. Patrick’s Day parade at Mons Barracks in Aldershot, England, Ok! Magazine reported Tuesday. “Maybe one day. One’s enough at the moment,” William said. The royal couple are scheduled to take their infant son on a lengthy visit to Australia and New Zealand next month.
Today’s daily Bread shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music.
7:21-29 Read: Read: PsalmMatthew 98
Text: Matthew 7:26 Text: Verse 4
Students stand next to a giant mural of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 drawn in chalk on the grounds of their school in Manila as part of global show of solidarity action by concerned artists for the passengers and crew of the missing airliner. AFP
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
regionalneWs nuti no Te PA enuA
Judge inspects detention centre Inquiry judge inds mood ‘tense’ but asylum seekers ‘healthy’ LORenGAu – A Papua new Guinea judge who is conducting a human rights inquiry into the Australian government’s detention centre on Manus Island has described the mood there as “very tense”. under PnG law, the supreme court can initiate its own inquiries into human rights matters seperate from the government.
Justice david cannings did just that after last month’s fatal riot at the detention centre left one asylum seeker dead and scores injured. However, cannings had to first stymie an attempt by the PnG government to disqualify him from presiding over the inquiry. canning appointed a cairnsbased doctor, Paul crouch-chiv-
paciic BRIEFS BaINIMaraMa to lauNch PartY IN MaY FIJI – Reports from Fiji say Frank Bainimarama will register his political party next month and launch it in May. FBc News reports the prime minister revealed this on Monday during a tour of the Lau group. He told the people of Vanuavatu ive parties would compete in the elections and 250 names and photos would be on the ballot paper. He says there would be no campaigning within two weeks of the election date. Four political parties have so far registered to take part in the elections which the regime has promised by the end of September. More than half a million voters have registered so far for the polls to vote in Fiji’s 50 member parliament which is to be based on a single national constituency.
case aGaINst uNIoNIsts terMINateD FIJI – The Nadi Magistrates court has terminated proceedings against the Fiji Trade Unionist, Daniel Urai, and ive others who were charged over an allegedly illegal strike. The six were charged in relation to a New Year’s Eve strike at the Sheraton hotels in Nadi, which they said they had no involvement in. The Director of Public Prosecutions, christopher Pryde, had earlier said that he had reviewed the charges and evidence and was satisied that no ofence was committed. The Fijivillage website reports that the case is now closed and the unionists have had their coniscated possessions returned to them.
Nauru rIot susPects PleaD Not GuIltY NAURU – Nauru’s Resident Magistrate has set hearing dates for various asylum seekers charged after riots at the Australian-run asylum seeker detention centre last July. All 39 defendants who were present in court on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to charges of riot and unlawful assembly. Three of the defendants were also charged with common assault, to which they pleaded not guilty. Trial dates have been set for April, May, July and August where the asylum seekers will be represented by lawyers Vinci clodumar and John Rabuku. The resident magistrate, Ropate cabealawa, said he understood the asylum seekers’ frustrations at court delays, but they must allow the process to take due course. The court is scheduled to hear more cases next Tuesday
Marshalls GoVerNMeNt surVIVes Vote MARSHALL ISLANDS – The second no conidence motion brought against the Marshall Islands government in four months has been defeated. President christopher Loeak’s government won by a vote of 17-13. The vote followed more than four-and-a-half-hours of heated debate over last December’s nomination of Jamil el-Sayed, the former head of Lebanon’s security services, to be the country’s UNEScO representative. Last month the government withdrew its nomination when a French newspaper broke a story that el-Sayed had alleged ties to Hezbollah. Opposition Senators told parliament the appointment violated the constitution because it did not have approval of cabinet and parliament, and it had done damage to the country’s reputation.
fIJI WelcoMeD BacK to the GaMes FIJI – The Australian Government has welcomed Fiji’s inclusion in the commonwealth Games before the country’s return to democracy later in the year, and is pushing for it to be welcomed back into the commonwealth itself. The foreign minister Julie Bishop says the commonwealth Ministerial Action Group’s decision last week to allow Fiji to participate in the competition in Glasgow in July, is consistent with Australia’s new policy on Fiji. She says she welcomes Fiji’s response to the announcement, which was that it now expects to receive a formal invitation to re-join the commonwealth.
DetaIls of cYcloNe Deaths eMerGING VANUATU – In Vanuatu more details have emerged of the deaths caused by cycone Lusi. A landslide in the two villages of Ukoro and Puarante in South Santo claimed the lives of four people, including a pregnant woman and two children. Two more villagers remain missing in the region after devastation caused by looding and mudslides. The Daily Post Newspaper reports four out of the thirteen village households refused to move when warned of a possible landslide. The government has allocated US$136,000 for emergency relief assistance in the aftermath of cyclone Lusi which claimed at least ten lives and damaged crops and infrastructure in Vanuatu.
ers, to inspect the health services at the centre, and instructed that crouch-chivers be given “reasonable access”. The judge earlier disclosed a longstanding friendship with dr crouch-chivers. The inquiry – which began on February 27 – is investigating “alleged human rights violations and complaints about the conditions of detention and disturbances resulting in injuries to such persons”, according to cannings’ opening statement to the Papua new Guinea national court on Monday. He has since visited the centre within the Lorengau naval Base on Manus Island and says the first thing he noticed was the large presence of security personnel. He says the detention centre facilities appeared to have been cobbled together at short notice with cramped dormitories and little space for exercise. He did not speak directly with any asylum seekers but says they tried to complain to him that the toilet and shower blocks had been “scrubbed up” for his visit. Justice cannings says the medical facilities were clean and
well organised, and the asylum seekers looked healthy and wellnourished. Lawyers representing the PnG government also reported that the detainees seemed healthy, well-nourished, clean and appropriately clothed. ABC reporter Liam Fox iled a report from the gates to the Lorengau naval Base – inside which the detention centre is located – saying that was as far as media were allowed to go with Justice canning on his visit to the complex. “Both the PnG and Australian governments have denied repeated requests from the ABc to visit the centre or even just ilm its exterior,” Fox said. “But there was nothing stopping Justice david cannings who visited the centre as part of his inquiry into the living conditions and whether the 1300 detainees are being denied their human rights. “during his visit the judge didn’t speak directly with the asylum seekers but the inquiry has heard that the public solicitor has collected afidavits from 32 detainees which are said to provide an insight into the living conditions in the camp and
references to the recent disturbances.” Fox said Justice canning may visit the centre again later in the week and may allow media to accompany him next time. On Monday morning, prior to the visit to Manus Island, lawyers acting on behalf of the government and PnG’s chief migration oficer Rabura Mataio, iled for Cannings to be disqualiied from the inquiry because of a “reasonable appearance of bias”. “The application is not made lightly,” Peter Kuman, lawyer for the state of Papua new Guinea and for Mataio, said. “It’s a very serious matter. Our reasons were twofold. Firstly that his conduct so far in dealing with the current human rights matter gives rise to a reasonable appearance of bias,” he said. The second reason related to undeined statements Cannings had made in previous court appearances regarding the detention centre. cannings dismissed the application for his disqualiication and said judges were trained to be impartial. cannings’ inquiry is separate to a constitutional challenge
against the centre – which currently holds around 1300 asylum seekers – mounted by the opposition leader, Belden namah. Last month, a five-member bench of the supreme court ruled against the government’s argument that namah was not eligible to launch the challenge. The ruling also noted that detainees appeared to be unaware they could appeal their detention in a PnG court. cannings is conducting the third stage of his inquiry into alleged human rights violations at the Manus Island centre after violent unrest led to the death of 23-year-old Reza Barati and injuries to dozens of other asylum seekers. Amnesty International has made an application to be a party to the inquiry so it may present evidence. Transferees, who are currently represented by PnG’s public solicitor, have applied to be represented by an Australian law irm. A summary of the evidence gathered is expected to be presented by the end of the week. - ABC/PNC
Fiji in rush to make Games suVA – Fiji says it is still waiting
to ind out how many athletes it can send to this year’s commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Fiji was admitted as a late entry to the games last week after the commonwealth Ministerial Action Group decided to ease the Paciic nation’s suspension from the commonwealth in recognition of upcoming national elections. Fiji was suspended from the commonwealth in 2009 after refusing to go ahead with democratic elections after the 2006 military coup. President of Fiji’s Association
of sports and national Olympic committee (FAsnOc), Reg sanday, told Pacific Beat the decision came as a surprise. “As yet we’ve not heard any official communication from the organising committee, only what we’ve read in the news and an informal email that came from London.” “All of the draws were done around about January for many of the team sports and we thought we’d missed the chance,” he said. sanday is hopeful Fiji will still be allowed to send its rugby and women’s netball teams to
the games, which run from July 23 to August 3. “We’d be very disappointed if we are unable to send our main sevens team or our women’s netball team. “It would be like asking Australia to go and compete in the games without your swimming team, or Brazil going to the Olympics without their soccer team,” he said. Fiji has been campaigning since June last year to be allowed to compete in the games. sanday says Fiji still sits high on the commonwealth medal tally despite all the years it has
been barred from competition. “There’s no other country in the commonwealth that has been banned from the commonwealth as many times as Fiji. We’ve been banned three times already, we’ve missed three commonwealth Games. “Our overall medal standing is 29th, we’ve won three gold medals, so we’re in the top 40 per cent. This is in spite of the fact that we’ve missed three games.” FAsnOc hopes to begin selecting official teams as soon as it has finalised details with games organisers. - ABC
‘Overwhelmed and undermanned’ JAKARTA – Indonesian immigration officers in the area where asylum seekers set off for Australia say they are undermanned and overwhelmed, but still stopped almost 1000 people risking their lives last year. Australia’s defence Minister david Johnston is visiting Jakarta as the dificult period in relations with Indonesia continues. defence co-operation was wound back late last year after reports of Australian intelligence monitoring the phones of Indonesia’s leaders. Then Australia apologised to Indonesia when it learned its vessels had breached its terri-
tory during operations to turn asylum seekers away. senator Johnston, accompanied by defence force chief General david Hurley, will attend the fourth annual Jakarta International defence dialogue, where co-operation on asylum seekers is up for discussion. In west Java, Indonesia’s frontline of the problem, immigration oficers stopped 984 people from making the dangerous journey last year, sukabumi Immigration Ofice chief Irfan sapari says. “some were stranded, some were intercepted by the police when they were on land,” he
told AAP. The officers’ area includes the port where an orange lifeboat was taken in January, after asylum seekers were apparently sent back by Australian navy and customs at the border. chief sapari says his crew of six lacks a vehicle capable of getting to remote beaches like those where more capsules have washed up since. “At the moment, we only have one Kijang Innova vehicle as an operational vehicle and that’s usable while we’re in town,” he said. “But to reach dificult areas, it’s hard. “But it’s our job. We have to
make it with what we have.” Another oficer, Eryana Sastra, worries about the dry season ahead, which usually sees an upsurge in activity. “It’s a hugely vast area for our co-ordination and we have limitations in mobility,” he said. Asylum seekers are willing to take the risk even in terrible conditions, he says, so they must always be vigilant. “It could be any time,” he said. Indonesia has expressed discomfort with the boat turnback policy. Australian oficials have conirmed they bought lifeboats but won’t discuss their use. - AFP
Parties to further restrict ishing days HOnIARA – The Parties to the nauru Agreement concluded their annual meeting in Honiara last week with an agreement to further limit catching days and freeze them until 2016. The eight-member country organisation agreed on a col-
lective 44,623 day limit for this year, taking 7827 days off the top of the total allowable effort under a treaty with the united states. The group also called for trials on tracking ish aggregation devices, which cause a by-catch
of juvenile tuna and other species, and which have drawn heavy criticism by conservation groups. The PnA says it’s looking at ways to strengthen its management of FAds using electronic resources. The group says current FAd
technology allows some sonar FAds to identify species and size of tuna, allowing for highly efficient fishing, but it also creates risks for sustainability, particularly of bigeye tuna, the overished sashimi ish. - RNZI
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
regionalneWs nuti no Te PA enuA
Tongan plays part in rugby fairy tale JeRseY – A rugby player who
left Tonga to pursue a professional career in europe 14 years ago has found himself at the centre of a sporting fairytale on a far lung island. Latu Makaai is in his second spell with Jersey rugby club in england. The team from the channel Islands has enjoyed a meteoric rise up the divisions, climbing from obscurity to the second tier of english rugby. “Jersey is a small island. The people that live in Jersey, they really work together,” Makaai told the ABC’s Paciic Beat. “And they all put their life on the line for their rugby club.” And there’s no doubting the amount of effort that’s gone into the club. Ten years ago Jersey was little more than your average team playing in the eighth tier of english rugby. They’re now just one level be-
low the country’s top Premiership divison. Makaai irst arrived at Jersey in 2006 as the club was beginning its rise up the ranks. “They really look after me because they know I turned up from Tonga and came here,” he said. “It’s not about the club, it’s not about rugby, it’s about a family. “everyone knows everyone and everyone hangs out together.” There were no professional players at Jersey when Makaai arrived. now playing in the fully professional championship competition, Jersey now plays famous clubs like Leeds, London Welsh and Bristol on a weekly basis. This season hasn’t been particularly successful for Jersey. But the team looks to have saved itself from relegation af-
ter an impressive win over the much higher placed Plymouth Albion last weekend. Makaai says the team is now changing its focus. “We had a bad start, our head coach is being changed,” he said. “The new coach has just come in. now we’ve found our right direction. “We only need to make sure we save this season and we look forward for next year.” Makaafi says he enjoys the Jersey lifestyle and his somewhat celebrity status. “A lot of people ask me about Tonga, they’ve never heard of it. I try to explain to them.” Although many of the Jersey locals may not know Tonga, Makaai says he certainly hasn’t forgotten about his homeland and is still eager to represent his country. “I still hope I’ve got a chance,” he said.
In the meantime though, Makaai says there’s a job to get done on Jersey. A spot in the top-tier Premiership league would top off the club’s spectacular rise. “That is the dream,” he said. But like most wandering Paciic island sportsmen, his heart is never far from home. Makaafi once said his best ever rugby moment was “returning home to my village during the summer and playing a rugby match for the first time with my brothers”. He said his favourite food is taro, raw ish and roast pig. His favourite drink is ‘homebrew and kava”. -ABC/PNC
RIGHT: Tongan rugby professional Latu Makaai has made his home in the Jersey Islands for now but his heart is still with home and family back in the islands. FACEBOOK
Repelled asylum seekers tell of ordeal MeLBOuRne – Asylum seekers who were forcibly returned to Indonesia by lifeboat have given the irst detailed account of their ordeal, and a unique insight into the Australia Federal Government’s Operation sovereign Borders. new video footage of their journey has also emerged, despite Australian government attempts to keep the turn-back operations secret, Radio Australia reports. The passengers who are now in detention in Indonesia have given the ABc’s 7:30 programme their accounts of being forced onto an orange lifeboat after being held on the Australian customs ship Triton off christmas Island for up to a week. Iranian asylum seeker Arash sedigh, 35, said it was the second time he had tried and failed to reach Australia and been put on one of the orange boats, bought specially for the purpose by the Australian government. sedigh said that during their detention on board the Triton he was separated from the other passengers so he could not warn them about their imminent return. He claims oficers “punched” him before putting him onto the lifeboat. “I asked them, ‘We will die in this orange boat, it’s not suitable for passing the ocean’,” sedigh said.
“They told me, ‘that’s not our problem, that’s yours. If you die in the Indonesian water, it makes Indonesian government in trouble and responsible. That’s not our problem’.” sedigh’s wife, Azi, told 7:30: “I was just screaming, I kept saying, ‘This boat of yours is not suitable for me to board it’.” “I was holding to the sides of the boat that they took us to. I was just screaming. But the only thing they did was to pull me forcefully towards that boat,” she said. sedigh said he had threatened to kill customs officers after he had earlier requested medical attention for a pregnant woman and other sick passengers, a request he alleged was refused. He also claimed that after demanding to know what was going to happen to him and his fellow passengers, oficers said: “We don’t know, you have no rights, you have no rights.” He said that at one point they heard they were to be transferred to christmas Island “very soon”. Instead, the asylum seekers were placed onboard the lifeboat and towed to within a few hours’ sailing time of the Indonesian coast and abandoned. A Pakistani asylum seeker, who wanted to be known only as “Mr dar” – because he had been targeted by Islamic militants in Pakistan and feared for
his family – said he and fellow passengers were treated “like war prisoners”. “But all people were innocents – small babies, ladies, pregnant ladies and everybody was disturbed and in dificulty. Otherwise, why would we go there?” he said. Mr dar said the lifeboat was “very small and very smelly”. “This boat is like a grave,” he said. “The people were neck to neck and knee to knee – somebody vomiting, the bad smell of the vomiting, other people start smoking, vomiting. All the people, one by one, vomiting.” The ABc spoke to a dozen passengers who left Indonesia on a wooden ishing boat on December 27 and were sent back in the Australian lifeboat to Pangandaran on the south coast of West Java on February 5. some agreed to give in-depth interviews but many appointed sedigh as their spokesman and said they agreed with his version of events. The ABc has put detailed questions on the turn-back operation to the Australian customs and Border Protection service, including allegations of mistreatment made by the asylum seekers. A spokesman for Immigration Minister scott Morrison did not answer specific questions. He said navy and customs
and Border Protection oficers working under Border Protection command were “well trained and act in accordance with that training and the guidelines and protocols established for these operations”. “The government rejects unsubstantiated allegations of inappropriate conduct made against our navy and customs
concerns about turn-back operations, and requested details from Australia in February. After not receiving a formal response, the unHcR has been interviewing asylum seekers about their experiences during the turn-backs. UN oficials are collating the responses. - Radio Australia
and Border Protection personnel,” the spokesman said. The new interviews and exclusive footage of the asylum seekers’ journey is the irst installment of a two-part special 7:30 investigation into Operation sovereign Borders. The united nations High commissioner for Refugees (unHcR) told the ABc it had
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6
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
LeTTeRs reta
Tribute to my friend Tamatoa Ariki! dear editor, On the morning of Thursday 13 March a great king of the cook Islands, Tamatoa Ariki, was pronounced dead. By dusk that day he was buried and done and dusted, denying family and friends the opportunity to mourn him. It is an indictment on our social economy that the outer islands don’t have morgues to preserve those who pass so that family and friends can mourn them like we do on Rarotonga, and that we don’t have affordable shipping and air services to bring them to Rarotonga so we can preserve them and mourn them properly. I will long remember the day I returned from new Zealand to renovate our Ziona Tapu church and Tamatoa Ariki sat me down in front of the church and told me he will help me to rebuild our church. He told me Tamatoa Ariki and Taunga Tepaki have always worked together since ancient times and that they are the toki tarai enua (axe that shape the land) of Araura. since that day Tamatoa Ariki and I became the closest of friends, and needless to say I miss my friend! True to his word Tamatoa rallied the youth that became known as the Ziona Tapu boys and between us we renovated
and restructured our church to last another 100 years. so may I take this opportunity, editor, to dedicate the milestone achievement of restoring Ziona Tapu church to my king and friend, Tamatoa Ariki? While restoring our church Tamatoa and I talked about the need to provide work for our youth, so they don’t go running off to new Zealand, which gave birth to the idea of developing Akitua Motu at Ootu peninsula for tourism. Again, Tamatoa rallied the youth and with the help of friends from new Zealand and $200,000 from the cook Islands development Bank we developed the irst 25 units of the resort now known as the Aitutaki Lagoon Resort and spa. so again, editor, may I dedicate this milestone achievement to my king and friend – I say milestone because Ootu peninsula was once wasteland occupied by crabs and mosquitoes and now it’s the prime real estate of Aitutaki, if not the cook Islands. needless to say I researched the close relationship between Tamatoa and Tepaki and it was true enough. It seems Tepaki’s ancestor Makea Takaia, a taunga and ariki from Rarotonga who visited Aitutaki, was embraced by Tamatoa Ariki and
Here’s what people think Letters to the editor. express yourself. Email: editor@cookislandsnews.com
settled on the land now known as Kautea Marae, the Are Taunga marae where all arikis are cleansed before they are taken to Orongo Marae to be anointed. It was plain enough that Makea Takaia begat the Are Taunga of Aitutaki and his great, great, great grandson Tepaki was, of course, the taunga who embraced christianity with Tamatoa Ariki in 1821, and begat the ngati Tepaki tribe. If I may say this about my king and friend, editor, he was a true ariki of the cook Islands. He believed a ariki is duty
bound to serve and protect the people and he did that with all humility, and died a humble ariki with no recognition of his achievements, compelling me to tell this story about the bond between Tamatoa and Tepaki and dedicate the Ziona Tapu restoration and tourism development at Ootu peninsula to him, as we couldn’t have done these projects without him! Rest in peace my king, and friend, as you have served your people and our God well. You will be sorely missed! Tim Tepaki
Pukapuka’s plight is well known with heavy equipment only recently been able to reach the island to repair the runway. Teachers and students are still stranded by a lack of transport. 14031103
Desperate need for decent ship dear editor, I often wonder which governing political party will one day have the revelation that the cook Islands (especially the forgotten people up the northern group) desperately need a permanent and a reasonable ship to cater for them maybe once a month if possible. Goddamn it how often have I heard excuses from respectful politicians justifying their overseas trip. For years now, I think we had better shipping when silk n Boyd had a subsidy from the Government for the monthly trip to the people up north. Why can't Taio shipping get the same subsidy? Also in the past during the negotiation of the sport White elephant complex, I suggested
a simple solution; add on $5 million with the soft loan that china has proposed and buy a decent ship and maybe a plane. Allow Air Raro and Taio shipping to run respectively but with an adhoc body to oversee its implementation to ensure fair and profitable commodities. Is that hard? Know what?
The profit from these crafts will pay for all the loans for sure. Right now? Food, fuel and most things desperately needed are low if not “pau/hulei”. What are our representatives doing to help alleviate that need? Or is it not 2015 yet – election year? come on Koutou:
You made a pledge before your people and God that you will take care of them! The Prime Minister often talks about love and looking out for each other in just about all his speeches. He is also our Manihiki MP. Toku pori, tei iakoe toku tua?? Kia Manuia Peter Kaitara William
Where have all the people gone? dear editor, After more than three years in power can this Government outline how it is tackling the country’s most pressing issue over the past five years – depopulation; outward migration; movement of cook Islanders to Australia or nZ? Just the other day it came to my attention that approximate-
ly a quarter of the voting population of a certain constituency on Rarotonga had migrated abroad. This is really scary stuff, particularly seeing that similar trends are been experienced throughout the entire country. so what tangible steps has the cIP-led administration taken to address this grave issue in a realistic manner? come to think of it, the cIP’s mean policy to begin taxing the pensions of retired cook Islands who have lived and worked abroad but who have decided to return to the cook Islands will only serve to discourage future retirees
from settling back in this country. This policy is both crazy and stupid. The Prime Minister and cabinet like to harp on about the country being world leaders when it comes to adopting renewable energy technologies and creating marine parks. However, what good is achieving these if the entire population has migrated to greener pastures? Politically speaking, the current government is in serious lack of a good leader. disillusioned (name and address supplied)
Another viewpoint on ‘cult’ debate dear editor, I would like to refer to the letter by John uri regarding his issue with dr Kuhlmann's views on the Lds and JW movements. unfortunately, it is John who seems to be naive in his thoughts. The JWs and the Lds have never been considered as part of mainstream christianity. They have always been viewed (except, of course, by those caught in them) to be cults. This is an almost universal view among evangelical christianity. The problem is, that these movements are very good at “christianising” their language. We had numerous encounters
Cook Islands News Building Maraerenga Avarua Rarotonga PO Box 15 Rarotonga Tel (682) 22999 Fax 25303 Email: editor@cookislandsnews.com or adverts@cookislandsnews.com
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with the JW “evangelists” during our time in the cooks and so we know how dangerous and deceptive their teaching can be. I would encourage anyone who is leaning towards these movements or who are involved in them, to seriously examine their teachings and frequent lip-lopping against the Word of God. The Holy spirit of our Lord will open the eyes of any who want to see. The Word of God alone (not in addition to the book of Mormon etc) is suficient to lead all men to the saving knowledge of christ our Lord. God's blessings, nick carter, new Zealand
Publisher John Woods john@cookislandsnews.com chief executive Oicer Liz Woods lizw@cookislandsnews.com General Manager Tony Fe’ao tony@cookislandsnews.com Editor Mark Ebrey mark@cookislandsnews.com Deputy Editor Matariki Wilson matariki@cookislandsnews.com Reporters Emmanuel Samoglou emmanuel@cookislandsnews.com Ben Chapman-Smith ben@cookislandsnews.com Rachel Reeves rachel@cookislandsnews.com Court Reporter Merita Wi-Kaitaia merita@cookislandsnews.com Online & Social Networking Editor Briar Douglas briar@cookislandsnews.com Sales and Marketing Manager Susan Tealby susan@cookislandsnews.com Advertising Assistant Ledua Vivian Engu vivian@cookislandsnews.com Advertising adverts@cookislandsnews.com Oice Manager Tere Joseph tere@cookislandsnews.com Accounts Manager Tangi Tauira tangi@cookislandsnews.com Reception Kura Tauira reception@cookislandsnews.com Oice staf Apii Tua apii@cookislandsnews.com Graphic Design & Layout Mahai Daniel mahai@cookislandsnews.com Adam Tutuvanu adam@cookislandsnews.com Web Developer Daniel Rolls dan@cookislandsnews.com Print Manager Dan Johnston danj@cookislandsnews.com Printers Dennis Campos, Lai Gukisuva
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
MMR Senior Fisheries Oicer Richard Story says sharks are attacking the pockets of ishermen by eating their valuable tuna catches before they make it into the boat. Grey reef sharks (pictured here) are the main culprit, he says. 14031802
Sharks a nuisance to Aitutaki ishers
sHARKs are inlicting substantial inancial losses on ishers in Aitutaki, says a government oficial with the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR). senior Fisheries Officer Richard Story said ishers on the island are experiencing “huge” losses to sharks, which are taking catches and ishing lures. “The tuna season has been very fruitful here on Aitutaki, but these good catches can end up for the beneit of the predators of the ocean,” said story. “Huge tiger sharks and grey reef sharks are the common culprits – they seem to sense when the ishermen have hooked onto a catch and home in for the easy meal. “They even associate engine noise with their free meals at times.” Story said a isher brought in “a good day’s catch of 15 tuna” at the island’s wharf recently, but two additional fish were claimed by sharks. Five lures were also lost with a value of $125. Another isherman told Story four tuna caught – at over 30kgs each – were lost to sharks, resulting in forgone revenue of nearly $1000, plus lures. He said tuna is currently selling for $8-9 a kilogram on the island. Problems with sharks have been on-going in Aitutaki for long time, said story, with large tiger and grey reef sharks between two and four metres in length frequenting prime ishing grounds on the south side of the island. “Fishermen call this area shark point and stories of catches lost to sharks are now an everyday experience for Aitutaki fishermen,” he said. “Frustration and anger is evident when these stories are told – fishermen even admit to shooting these sharks.” story said he thinks a case could be made for a shark cull, and a regional expert should be brought in to advise MMR on how to deal with the problem.
sharks are currently protected under regulations brought in 2012, when a shark sanctuary was established in the cook Islands. At the time, story said many ishermen were against the idea and were wondering who would cover their losses. “When the shark sanctuary came in, most of the ishermen were opposed to it,” he said. In the past, he said ishermen would use spears or heavy-duty hooks to deal with nuisance sharks. shark has never been a preferred meat for consumption because of the ammonia content,
he said, although sometimes it would make it to the dinner table if caught accidentally or if no other ish were available. He said sharks have mainly posed a problem with fishers and have not been known to behave aggressively towards humans. One of the most recently reported attacks against a human occurred in 2007 when an air ambulance was called to pick up a new Zealand tourist in Aitutaki, who had been bit on the arm by a grey reef shark while on a free-dive spear ishing expedition. - Emmanuel Samoglou
Local workers are assisting with the building of accommodation and oice facilities for Chinese workers employed by the CCECC coming to the Cook Islands to work on the Te Mato Vai. Oicials say the local economy will beneit with the project. 14021814
Local economy to be boosted by TMV project say oficials OFFIcIALs involved with Te
Mato Vai say the water infrastructure project is already having a positive effect on the local economy, with the bulk of the beneits still to come. A start to construction is imminent after last week’s environment Impact Assessment (eIA) approval for stage one of the project, which includes replacement and construction of both ring mains which circle the island. To date, 12 locals have been assisting chinese workers with the china civil engineering construction corporation (ccecc) to build the company’s office and living quarters in Takuvaine. The china-based company is tasked with the ring mains replacement and will also be using up to 30 local workers when work hits its peak, said ccecc project manager nie Kefeng, while his company will be importing 38 staff – including electricians, engineers, and plumbers - for the three-year project.
The company has also published expressions of interest for labourers, machinery and equipment hire companies, building material providers and firms with capabilities in road repair. Kefeng said the company is currently in discussions with six companies that have “thrown their hats into the ring” in a bid to work on the three-year long job. Once the ccecc receives its foreign registration from the Business Trade and Investment Board, officials will be able to publish a notice announcing a start date for construction. TMV officials said other examples of the local economy receiving inancial spin-off from the project include Rarotongabased media companies, which have been given advertising opportunities in print, radio and television and running ads produced by cook Islanders. communication responsibilities for the estimated $60 million project have been handled by cook Islander Jaewynn
McKay – who lives in Tupapa and was the overall co-ordinator of the 2012 Paciic Leaders Forum in Raro. Mckay said her philosophy is to employ cook Islands individuals and companies to do work “... like writing, designing,
scripting, printing, ilming and translating.” Together with other resident “locals” such as deputy Project Manager daryl Rairi, Team Administrator Peggy Turua, and Legal Advisor Rebecca Puni, Mckay said they comprise just
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over 50 per cent of the resident Te Mato Vai project team. “Over the three-year life of the project millions of dollars will be spent in the cook Islands on goods and services,” added TMV oficials. - Emmanuel Samoglou
8
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
Assn welcomes Cooks students to Auckland
In TRue cook Island spirit
veteran students from the Auckland university and the Auckland university of Technology got together last Friday (March13) to welcome new students into the group. The Auckland university cook Islands students Association (AucIsA) held its yearly meet and greet event with a great turn out from old and new members. The executive committee made sure the night ran smoothly with ice breakers, games and a kaikai for the 20odd students who attended the event. The group is for students from around the cook Islands attending any of the universities in Auckland, while the association is also open to those who hold a special place for the cook Islands in their hearts. The association is headed by presidents daniel Fisher – who represented the cook Islands at the unescO conference in Paris last year – and Odile Pauka. Fisher and Pauka were pleased with the turn out for this year’s meet and greet and are looking forward to a great year. “Just seeing everyone that came to the meet and greet, the returning members and the new members, I’m really excited about the rest of the year,” says Fisher. next on the agenda for the group is the Taokotaianga event in July hosted by the Victoria university of Wellington cook Islands Association for which the group will be fundraising
for throughout the year with plates of food sales and rafles. Also in the group is Maine Tepaeru Antonina Brown who will be representing the cook Islands in november at this year’s Miss South Paciic. The group has been around since the late 1980s and not only holds social activities for its members but also educational workshops and study groups. - Peka Fisher ffrom Auckland
Auckland University Cook Islands Students Association executive committee for 2014 (from left) Alex Henry, Roimata Wichman, Tiniura Wichman, Daniel Fisher, Rose Rave, Odile Pauka, Tara Ngari, Miriama Arnold, Mati Ngari and Cruz Karauti-Fox. 14031701
The AUCISA 2013 team after their performances at the Taokotaianga Cultural competition in Hamilton last year.
14031702
Mitiaro Maire production boosted by grant MAIRe production on Mitiaro has received a boost with a grant of up to $nZ144,437 for the construction of a Maire nursery and satellite shade houses for planting and enhancing Maire productivity and to increase the volume of Maire grown for the women on Mitiaro island. The grant was announced
yesterday by the Government of Japan at a signing ceremony for the Project for the development of Marie Production in Mitiaro Island under Japan’s Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human security Projects (GGP). Traditionally the co-operative called the Mama-Maireclub consisted of local women
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Community
Education at CITTI APRIL COURSES Cook Islands Dancing —with Uirangi Bishop
Sprouting Sprouts —with Colin Mills
16 April – 21 May
29 April
Dance to basic steps and learn to perform to a song ______________________
Step by step guide in two hours. ______________________
Fix My Furniture
April 22 to 15 May
—with Angaroa Williams
2 -23 April Bring a broken furniture to be ixed at the course. ______________________
Parenting Teens —with Nga Teinangaro
April 28 to May 1 Practical skills raising teens with strong cook Islands cultural values.
Kai Korero —with Makiuti Tongia Improve your conversational Maori in terms of depth, meaning and oratory. ______________________
Raw Food —with Nima McBride 1 - 22 April Going beyond a vegetarian diet to raw food diet. ______________________
Bakery —with Brent Hughes 21 April to 2 May Learn new baking skills making pastry, cakes and biscuits.
For more information or to enroll phone us on 22 628 Or email Violet Tisam at violet.tisam@citti.edu.ck Or visit our Ngatangiia Campus during oice hours All Courses are $50 except for Baking with Brent - $100 and Sprouting with Colin $10
who took a leading role in the cultivation, harvesting and marketing of Maire under the Mitiaro Island council’s initiatives. However, Maire grows near cliffs on a steep hill area, and cultivation and harvest involves rough and dangerous work. due to these factors the productivity of Maire is not sufficient to meet demand. This project is an extension of a pilot initiative of Ministry of Agriculture which had successfully tested the lat land cultivation of Maire. First secretary of the embassy of Japan to the cook Islands Mr Reki Kataoka, attending the ceremony, congratulated the Mama-Maire-club and the Mitiaro Island council on launching
this project and he said: “I have looked forward to this event not only because it is the irst project since I have been posted to the embassy but also because of the potential these grants have to improve the standard of life for members of the Mama-Maireclub and their families through the opportunities of additional income generation.” The Government of the cook Islands has prioritised the promotion of social development including increasing women’s participation, improving economic development and fostering cultural and creative products in the “national sustainable development Plan 20112015 (nsdP)”. Mr Kataoka referred to Japan’s priority areas in
providing oficial development assistance to the cook Islands as identical to the nsdP and said, “This project is aimed at improving women’s social livelihood and promoting traditional industries and techniques.” Mr Kataoka sincerely hoped that with co-operation and assistance of Mama-Marie-club and the Mitiaro Island council, the project would progress smoothly toward its scheduled date of completion. He concluded his congratulatory remarks by saying: “Let us now take the first important step together, which is to sign the grant to enable the Mitiaro Island council and the Mama-Maire-club to begin this project.” - Release/Mark Ebrey
Brown hits back at Opposition FInAnce Minister Mark Brown hit back at the opposition and Wilkie Rasmussen after the democratic Party leader described the recent posting of a surplus over a six-month period as “ictitious” in a media statement. “I am not sure if Opposition Leader Wilkie Rasmussen got his igures from the Demo finance person, James Beer, or his executive office staff, but they cannot even add up their own figures,” said Brown in a statement. It was reported last week that Government is still expecting to run a deicit for the 2013-14 iscal year, despite posting a $4.7 million net surplus on revenues
of $59.5 million for the irst six months of the inancial year. “The difference between $4.9M and $2.8M is $2.1M and not $3.1M as they stated. That is a $1 million dollar error in their calculation. Who is being ictitious here?” said Brown in his description of the demo Party maths. “I would suggest that the only ictitious igures we are seeing are the very misleading igures from the opposition.” “The reality is available for all to read in the budget we passed in June last year,” said Brown. “The Government forecasted a deicit for this inancial year. Our better than expected six month financials suggest that if this performance continues
then we may have a smaller than budgeted deicit or even manage a small surplus for the end of year.” “All of the Government savings, either from the less than budgeted payments of behalf of the crown (POBOc) for the Air nZ underwrite or from ministries not expending their budgets, can be attributed to increased productivity and applying tight iscal discipline in our operations.” “It seems that the opposition feel more comfortable with producing ictional igures to suit the ictional world they would like us all to believe in.” – - MFEM Statement / ES
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Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
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TO: ThE LANDOWNERS OF TE RUAKARA SEcTION 12L, NGATANGIIA AND TIKIOKI SEcTION 47A, TAKITUMU This Notice is to advise that a meeting of the landowners of the above lands will be held at Muri Meeting House in Muri Village on Wednesday 19 March 2014 at 5pm, to seek the landowners’ consent to the laying out of a right of way over the above lands, to be discussed at the meeting. Landowners residing in Rarotonga are requested to attend this meeting. Any further details can be obtained from Matthew Scowcroft, oices of Little & Matysik P.c., Avarua, Rarotonga. Tel 21619.
hip hop 4 Kidz Term 2 starts this Friday 21 March for 5 weeks. Register at dance.rarotonga@ gmail.com or 55652.
The Cook Islands Red cross Society is ofering a Certiied comprehensive First Aid Training course. A 2 year irst aid certiicate will be awarded at the completion of the course. Date: Tuesday 1 & Wednesday 2 April 2014. Venue: cook Islands Red cross Headquarters. Time 8.30am. For any enquiries contact: 22598. Email: irstaid@redcross.org. ck Meitaki maata. 77658 / /2204
Notice of AGM To be held at 6pm on Tuesday 25 March 2014, at cISNOc ofice. Agenda as follows: 1. Annual Report; 2. Sub-committee Reports; 3. Financial Report; 4. Inventory of cIcA’s property and assets; 5. Election of Oice Holders; 6. Motions and Remits; 7. General Business; All nominations for Oice Holders, Motions & Remits and General Business to be sent to oevaka@gmail.com, by 4pm, Monday 18 March. 77325 /36929 /2404
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FOR SALE
Action Man Mowing Services All jobs big or small, free quote. Also introducing coconut tree de-nutting services. Give clint a call on 52074.
LG 4GB desktop computer, 18 inch & 20 inch monitors, web cam, wireless adapter, keyboard, mouse, $1200. Wooden baby cot, innerspring mattress, water proof sheet, itted sheet & mozzie net, $250.
76743 /36544 /2561
77376 /36887 /1839
The Cook Islands Netball Team Fundraiser. Quiz Night on Thursday 20 March at the cI Game Fishing club. 6 players per team at $120. There are Great Prizes to be won. Tasty food will be selling on the night. All proceeds will go towards the preparations for Team cook Islands to the Paciic Netball Series here in Rarotonga on 2-7 June 2014. contact Tupe on 50081 or Inano 54243 to register your team or otherwise email admin@netball.co.ck We welcome everyone to come and enjoy the night with us for a fun-illed evening.
2014 CISNOC Annual General Meeting I wish to give notice of the cook Islands Sports & National Olympic committee (cISNOc) Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 3 April at 6pm, at the Olympic House situated in Nikao. Notice from the cISNOc cEO, Robert Graham. 77590 /37011 /2082
Cook Islands Samoan community Incorporated AGM Annual General Meeting to be held at Robert & Mousie’s residence, Nikao on Monday 31 March 2014 at 5.30pm. 1. Opening prayer 2. Apologies 3. Adoption of Minutes of the last AGM 4. President’s report 5. Treasurer’s report 6. Election of Oice Bearers President Vice - president Treasurer Secretary Subcommittees. 7. General business 8. closing prayer. All members/new members and friends of Samoa are welcome to attend. Fa’afetai Lava President. 77624 /36955 /1931
SERVICES home Care Services Qualiied training care for elderly. Please call Nane on 74013.
Has your drinking got out of control? Call 71744
Piglets for sale More information contact 52378. 77650 /36917 /1931
77523 /36989 /1931
FOR RENT 4 bedroom semi-furnished house in Rangiura, Nikao. Long term preferred. contact 57384 or 56943. 77664 /37023 /1931
Three bedroom fully furnished house in Tepuka. Must be honest and reliable. Phone 76132. 77512 /36874 /1931
1 bedroom house, large yard, private, safe & secure, suit couple. Just of main road Arorangi near SDA church. Viewings Friday, $150pw. 1 bedroom lat self contained. Safe, secure and private inc. of power/gas heated shower. Great views. No separate kitchen, bench top oven and single gas hob and fridge included. Use of washing machine available. Muri, $150pw. Phone 74568.
Saturday 15 February 2014 Saturday 8 March 2014 Saturday 22 March 2014 Payment can also be made via online Bill Pay and by Direct Debit. If you wish to pay online, please enter your plate and phone number in the reference ield If you wish to pay by direct debit, please call into the front oice of BCI to collect a form for lodgement with your bank. ‘Please contact Simona or Tangi on 29341 for more queries or email cash@bci.co.ck 77028
VEhICLES FOR SALE Scooter for sale Perfect working condition, $1200 or best ofer, Yamaha Nouvo 115cc automatic. Phone 73208. 77657 /36995 /1931
AuTiSm Cook islands ph 24065/55976
tiateura@oyster.net.ck
ChEF/COOKS REQUIRED Experienced chefs and cooks required. Must be honest, reliable and available to work weekend shifts. Keen to learn team players preferred. call or txt 54668 for an interview. 77683 / /2592
LABOURER/PLANTING/ CLEANER Job involves digging, planting, cleaning Must be reliable, lexible and hardworking. call me, phone 55041. 77432 /36850 /1931
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Cook IslaNds TeaChers’ INsTITuTe (CITI)
ANNOUNCEMENT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Thursday 20 March, 2014 3:30pm Room 2 Tereora College E kapikianga uipaanga teia na tatou e te au puapii. Ka kite ia kotou ki ko i te Apii Tereora a te Paraparau. 2013-2014 CITI Executives.
77667 /37020 /1931
foundation
ph 22336
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77554
ANNUAl gENERAl MEETINg NOTIcE Wednesday 19th March 2014 5:30pm at the school
Takitumu Primary School
AgENDA • • • •
2013 AgM minutes chairperson’s Report Treasurer’s Report principal’s Report
TO ALL MARKET VENDORS – INTRODUCING ThE BTIB BUSINESS SUPPORT PROGRAMME
• general Business • Election of 2014 – 2015 pTA
IN PARTNERShIP WITh BANK OF ThE COOK ISLANDS AND MINISTRY OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT •
Public Notice
Please be advised that BCI will be open on the following dates between the hours of 9am and 12pm for registrations to be accepted
77673 /37024 /1931
Matavera Backroad Recently completed open plan furnished unit. Suit single or semi professional couple. Long term preferred. Phone 50077.
77449
Motor Vehicle Registration Registration for the 2014-2015 year
2 bedroom home for sale All contents & furniture. Situated in Tupapa, $150,000. For further info phone 28328.
SITUATIONS VACANT
77674 /37029 /1931
Refreshments will be provided. All parents and caregivers are encouraged to attend.
PUBLIC NOTICES
1999 silver Nissan Sunny, 1.5L petrol, automatic, electric windows & power steering, $7000. 77647 /36838 /1931
11 month old pigs for sale Price $200 call phone 75661.
77328 /36888 /1708
REcYclE
STOLEN
77645 /36821 /1931
VEhICLES FOR SALE
77648 /36838 /1931
77671 /37022 /1931
77559 /37004 /2113
Taken from Aroa house. Iphone 4S with blue cover and purple ear phones. Please return it or call Kana on 21320 or 72247.
Pool Doctor * Water testing * chlorine * P.H down * Bufer Discounted rates FREE DELIVERY Phone Tony 56599.
Animal Clinic
77621 / /1780
casual ads must be prepaid. cancellation fee $6.40 incl. VAT. Quotations on request.
1pm sharp. Material deadline for display adverts 24 hours prior.
77665 /37018 /1931
COOK ISLANDS RUGBY UNION Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday 26 March 2013 @ 5pm, cISNOc Buildings in Nikao/Rarotonga. AGENDA 1) Opening prayer. 2) Adoption of minutes from AGM held 26/02/14. 3) 2013 Presidents Report. 4) 2013 Financial Report. 5) Election of Oice bearers for 2014 - 2016 term. 6) Other matters: a) 2014 cIRU Rugby calendar. 7) closing prayer. For further information contact Ben Koteka on cirugby@rugby. co.ck or mb 54469.
RATES Minimum $5.80 incl. VAT for 1-15 words.
DEADLINES Deadline for next day’s classiieds is
22999
preferred
The Committee of the Ngatangiia Democratic Party advise nominations for candidacy for the upcoming elections are now being accepted. Nomination Forms, Instructions and Membership Cards can be obtained from AmoaAmoa – contact 26984/ 55799. All Nomination Forms with attachments must be returned to Amoa Amoa no later than 6pm on Tuesday 25 March 2014. No late nominations will be accepted. A public meeting will be held on Tuesday 1 April 2014 at 6pm at the Ngatangiia Clubhouse to: • conirm and announce eligible Candidates; • hear from the Candidates; and • announce the run-of date and programme. For further information, please contact the following Committee Members: • steven Peyroux – 23997 / 52370 • amoa amoa – 26984 / 55799 • Mann short – 54254 Meitaki Maata. /
Understand basic book-keeping for your small business • Understand accounting and how it works using a simple tool (computer/Basic Excel) • Understand business and personal banking services • Basic computing • Basic Business planning • Types of taxes and how these afect your business • Accountant support/service The “BTIB Business Support Program for Market Vendors” will provide services through workshops and skills training programs and assist market vendors to better understand how to manage their business inance and tax obligations. To take part please contact the BTIB oice for a registration form or contact the Business development team. Business Development Division Business Trade Investment Board Ph 24-296 Fax 24-298 Email: btib@cookislands.gov.ck Registration closes at 4pm on Monday 24 March 2014.
77514
10
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
SITUATIONS VACANT
ChEF WANTED castaway Resort is looking for a chef to join our friendly team to work evenings. Must be experienced, honest, reliable, team player, customer friendly and polite. A top hourly rate will be paid. Email pash@oyster.net.ck or phone Paul Ash 74393. 77502 /36945 /1873
GROUNDSMEN/PICKERS cook Islands Noni Marketing requires two people to mow/ grass-cut/maintain and pick noni plantations. Must have agriculture background and mechanical skills to maintain equipment. Drivers licence/ own vehicle an advantage. Please send cV and references to: cINM, PO Box 104.
SITUATIONS VACANT
SITUATIONS VACANT
Mike Rennie Builders Ltd is seeking an experienced carpenter to join our team on a full time basis. Please ring 21375 to arrange interview.
Pandanus Petrol is looking for an applicant that is honest and reliable, lexible hours and has a good working history, must be a fast learner. Phone 52218.
77534 /36983 /2371
77634 / /2482
Are you an experienced Restaurant Supervisor and enjoy working in busy restaurants & bars? If this is you, we need to hear from you soon. On the job training provided. Great pay & beneits. Do you wake up early in the mornings, have a great attitude & personality & love looking after people in busy restaurants (Breakfast Service Team) If this is you, we need to hear from you soon. On the job training provided. Great pay & beneits. Please text Mii on 78112 to setup an interview or email your resume to oceans@crownbeach.com 77594 / /1969
77516 /36932 /2019
TENDERS
The Ministry of Internal afairs invites applications for the position of: consumer commissioner. A full job description is available upon request. Please contact Eva Mapu, Phone 29370, or email: eva. mapu@cookislands.gov.ck Applications must be addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry. Applications close 31 March 2014.
A rare TENDER in Tikioki !
Peter (55289) or Carey (55678),
Tenders and enquiries to info@cookislands-realestate.com
SITUATIONS VACANT
FINANCIAL CONTROLLER
Vonnia’s have a vacancy for a Shop Assistant to work along with a great team. Applicant must be honest, reliable and Tidy. Must also have excellent customer service and be able to work well with other staf members. Please phone 20927 to arrange an Interview. 77654 / /1893
77637 / /2039
Tenders are invited before 27 March at 12 noon for.... a vacant, “almost completed”, 4 bedroom and 2 bathroom absolute beachfront house over 2 levels. Polished solid timber looring and modern ittings. The living room opens onto a timber deck overlooking the beach and lagoon. Section is 1026 sq meters. and there is space for a guest bungalow(s) and plenty of parking. Lease has almost 50 plus years to run. for tender conditions phone, email or txt
SITUATIONS VACANT
Sous Chef/Baker Wanted Sous chef/Baker or experienced cook (min 2 years preferred) required for our busy little cafe. Must have strong leadership qualities with the ability to work well as a team. Must be organised, punctual and hardworking. come and join our great team at the Koru cafe, Aitutaki. Please forward your cV and covering letter to seeyou@korucafe.biz or apply in person at the Koru cafe, Aitutaki. Front of house staf Wanted Front of House staf required. Must have a great smile, good communication skills and be customer focused. come and join our great team at the Koru cafe, Aitutaki. Please forward your cV and covering letter to seeyou@korucafe.biz or apply in person at the Koru cafe, Aitutaki. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Part-time house cleaner 10-15hrs/wk Good pay. Phone 55567. 77656 /37030 /1931
Chef wanted evening and plus cleaner. Phone 21118, 25433, 73764. 77663 / /2230
La Casita and Rickshaw Excellent Opportunity For Full or Part Time Work In Hospitality. Supervisors with Bar skills, POS skills & Front of House experience. Friendly, Well-spoken and welldressed essential Waiters & Waitresses - experience preferred, training can be given. Kitchen hands - experience preferred, training can be give Great rates of pay for the right applicants. Excellent opportunity for Full or Part Time Work. Please phone: 26487 between 9a.m. - 2p.m. Ask for Komera, Sue or Julie. Email refrences to: : tamarind@ oyster.net.ck 77677 / /1697
Part time handy person, 4 hours a day, 3 days a week. Phone 21787. 77678 / /2463
Classiieds • Phone 22999 • adverts@cookislandsnews.com
77646 /36999 /1931
Are you an ambitious Accountant who has been working for 1 - 2 years and is looking for a challenging and rewarding career with a successful 22 room Resort operating on the beautiful island of Aitutaki in the Cook Islands? We are looking for a Financial Controller for our resort who will: • Be a Qualiied accountant. excel and QuickBooks skills an advantage. Candidates should possess outstanding communication skills, credibility and keen commercial acumen • Be responsible for the accuracy and completeness of the entire Financial Statements (Balance Sheet, P&l and Cash low) • Ensure that appropriate internal controls are in place and consistently applied in order to achieve the most cost-efective control of hotel’s assets and proits are in place • Maintain accurate accounting records in accordance with Cook Island commercial law and interface with external audits • Manage and help deliver the budget/forecast strategic plans. Be able to interpret inancial data, draw inSights, provide recommendations and support the execution of those plans to deliver the necessary solutions in order to maximise the resort’s inancial performance • Have a hands on approach to the receipt, delivery and storage of all hotel stock items and ensure tight cost control • Be able to properly prepare hotel, sales tax, and annual tax documents A competitive salary and accommodation package is available to the successful candidate, as well as the rare opportunity to live and work in Paradise. Interested candidates should email their CV to tamanubeachinancialcontroller@gmail.com 77433
SITUATIONS VACANT
Rarotonga’s newest luxury resort is currently under development in Muri and is due to open in 2014. As the irst stage of this development, the resort’s exclusive beachfront restaurant & bar will be opening in March, and we are now inviting applications for the following positions. • Food and Beverage Wait staf • sous Chef • Chef de Partie • Commis Chef • kitchen hands • security staf • Part – Time receptionist • General Maintenance If you would like the opportunity to join a team of hospitality professionals and have a rewarding career with great working conditions at Rarotonga’s new premier resort, please email Erika on gm@ nautilusresortrarotonga.com or call phone 22779. Further information regarding above positions available upon request. 76183
We deliver.
Get your news delivered to your home or business daily.
every edition, (almost) anywhere on the island, rain or shine Phone our oice on 22999 for delivery rates and conditions
11
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
SITUATIONS VACANT
conident and motivated Vehicle Groomer WANTED! Are you self-motivated and hard working with a keen eye for detail? We are currently looking for Vehicle Groomers to join our dynamic team! To succeed in this role, you’ll need to have: • a friendly and outgoing personality • a can-do attitude • at least 2 years proven work experience • a ‘team player’ work ethic It is also important to have a clean current driver’s license with experience in driving a range of manual & automatic vehicles and motorbikes. You must also be available to work in the weekends. If you think you have the skills and experience to join our team, apply now by contacting Phillip at Avis Cook Islands. Phone 22833. 77588
IN MEMORIAM
Prime Minister Henry Puna and Education and Tourism Minister Teina Bishop recently travelled to a number of outer islands, where they pushed the government’s proposal for political reform. 14031813
PM, Minister push reform in Pa Enua A MOVeMenT being led by cabi-
Tunganekore Mareiti Tare 29 July 1934 - 19 March 2012, Aged 77 years
In loving memory of our dearest beloved Mum, Grandmother, Great Grandmother You left us 2 years ago Today, wonderful memoriesof you remain with us forever From your Husband Mareiti Tare and all the families in NZ, Aust, USA and also here in the Cook Islands Special memories from the Arataura, Tiare and Teaukura Families
BIRThDAy
net for political reform appears to be gathering speed after a series of trips to the outer islands by Prime Minister Henry Puna and education and Tourism Minister Teina Bishop. The two returned from Mangaia earlier this week after previously visiting Atiu and Aitutaki, said a government source, where they were attempting to garner support for their proposal for amending the structure of cook Islands Parliament. The proposal calls for the adoption of a suggested formula
of 1000 voters per seat in Parliament, which would reduce representation in Aitutaki by one seat, Atiu by one seat, and Mangaia by two seats - with an overall reduction in the number of seats to 20. A five-page constitutional amendment including the recommended changes has also been drafted. A majority of twothirds – equal to 16 votes in Parliament – is required to change the constitution and legally implement the proposals. This most recent re-surfacing of the issue of political reform appears to have begun in december
when Bishop – a Member of Parliament in Aitutaki – presented a memorandum on the subject to cabinet which included the proposal’s details. “...cabinet would be naive to think that political reform will not become a matter of general public interest and debate over the next 12 months,” reads the memorandum. “The activities of special interest groups and independent candidates will certainly bring this issue to the fore. “As cabinet is aware, there are political risks in pursuing political reform. When seats are abol-
ished, or promises made to do so, that is sometimes not popular in the electorate.” Bishop’s memorandum appears prophetic in hindsight with last week’s announcement by local businesswoman and community organiser Teina Mackenzie, who kicked off her campaign to run for MP in ngatangiia in the upcoming 2014 general elections. Mackenzie is the co-founder of the Mou Piri Group for Political Reform, which pushed for change in the lead-up to the 2010 national vote. - ES
pRAIsEgODTODAY19MARch2014,OURcOUsIN,NIEcE,gRAND DAUghTER TURNs ONE YEARs OlD, hAppY 1sT BIRThDAY
VERNA NAOMI MAYgODgIVEYOUMANY MOREBIRThDAYsINFUTURE lOTOFKIssEsFROMRITUA MAREVA,VElORY,KOpEA, UNclEpAUlANDAUNTY RUThIE,MUM,DAD,pApA ANDMAMAANDAllThEFAMIlIEsINRAROTONgA,MAUKE,NEW ZEAlAND, AUssIE, sOlOMON IslANDs AND sAMOA.
happy 5th Birthday To our very special boy
stephen We love You Always! Mum, Dad, your grans, Aunties, Uncles and cousins
overseas advertising We can place your message in newspapers around the world. We will get quotes for classiied advertisements and pre-billing. contact our advertising department phone 22999 email: adverts@cookislandsnews.com
Vendors like these ones at the Muri Market will have the chance to learn more about managing their inances and tax obligations. 14031801
Training course for market vendors MARKeT vendors are being invit-
ed to take part in a free training programme designed to help formalise and grow their businesses. The Business Trade Investment Board (BTIB) will be running a series of workshops covering all the basics of running a small business, including bookkeeping and accounting. Business development Manager Tangata Tou said vendors will also be taught how to use simple computer programs, write business plans and un-
derstand business and personal banking services. The idea of running a training program was put forward by cabinet, in light of the growing number of vendors operating in Rarotonga, Tou said. “Because of the increasing activity around the island we thought it was a good idea to help them progress rather that keeping their businesses informal.” The Business support Programme will probably run for three to six months, depending
on the ability of those who attend. “If most of them start from a basic level, it will take time to progress,” Tou said. Many vendors ind it hard to borrow money from the bank because they don’t have any formal records of their activities, he said. The program will also teach vendors about the various types of taxes and how these affect their businesses. Tou said most currently don’t pay taxes because they are under
the tax-free threshold but that could change in the future if they grow their enterprises. He does not know how many vendors operate on the island but estimated there are 200 to 300. some of the training will be run by The Bank of the cook Islands (BcI) and Ministry of Finance and economic Management (MFeM). About 20 people have applied so far and applications close on Monday March 24. - Ben Chapman-Smith
12
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
‘Kids in sports – stay out of court’ THe BOOKends of the cook
Islands community were on the receiving end of generous hands this week from visiting members of the Rotary club of Belfast in Kaiapoi, christchurch. Local junior rugby stars are sure to perform at their best when they don the donated junior touch rugby/rippa rugby jerseys the visiting club had donated to the cook Islands Rugby union. The club had donated more than 60 junior playing jerseys, which are surplus uniforms the club provides to their local Belfast Rugby club. Rotary club of Belfast President Laurence Trott explains that the club fundraises every year to provide the uniforms for their rugby club. club members approached local businesses for sponsorship and their company logos are proudly displayed on the player jerseys and will be on display on the chests of local junior players. The Belfast Rugby club uses the jerseys for their junior touch rugby tournament where more than 45 teams are made up by the club’s junior members. The Rotary club’s support of their local rugby club is all part of the clubs motto that “kids in sports – stay out of court”. cook Islands Rugby union chief executive officer Ben Koteka was over the moon to receive the junior playing jerseys which, he says, will be used to grow rugby in the cook Islands community.
Junior touch rugby/rippa rugby playing jersey’s were donated to the Cook Islands Rugby Union yesterday by the members of the Rotary Club of Belfast in Kaiapoi who have the motto ‘kids in sports – stay out of court’. 14031810 He explained to the donors that in the cooks – rugby is club-based and generally a saturday sport and the local union is focussing on bringing rugby to kids from Monday to Friday through their school physical education programme. He says the jerseys will likely go towards dressing some of the island’s small schools for the annual cI news rippa rugby tournament – one of the biggest participation junior sporting events in the country. The visiting Rotary members
were also proud to share some of the Belfast Rugby club’s stand out members, namely those that have donned the All Blacks jersey such as Tane norton, Billy Bush, Wayne smith and even codehopper sonny Bill Williams was once a member of the club. Junior rugby players are not the only ones beneitting from the Belfast Rotary club’s visit with the elders of the community receiving a helping hand from the visitors. A lick of bright yellow paint has brightened up the Are Pa
Metua building in nikao where the Rotary club of Belfast members have been busy painting through the week. In fact, the new brighter colours of the recreational centre of the elderly are the yellow and blue colours of the Belfast club. despite the rain the men have been enjoying giving back to the community while their wives help out the local economy by
shopping through Avarua. Their helping hand in the cooks is all part of the clubs “world community service” and it was through club member John Jones, who conducts aviation work in Rarotonga, that the club decided to provide a service for the local community. The Rotary club of Rarotonga are grateful for the support from their christchurch counterparts
as well as the sponsorship provided by cITc who have supplied all the paint and equipment for the painting project as well as Bill doherty for supplying the scaffolding for the job. The friendship and partnership between the two Rotary clubs is set to become stronger over the years as the visitors are keen to return and bring their - MW giving spirit.
Big runs in D-league THe cOOK Islands T-20 domestic League cricket produced plenty more big hits last weekend as 356 runs were scored by way of boundaries taking the tournaments total run tally to 1928. With ive matches remaining it is conceivable that the 3500 run mark could be broken. Women’s national player daena Kataina enjoyed success with the bat against opponents Pukapuka as the lefty batted the bulk of the innings to post an unbeaten 42 from 63 balls. national skipper June George sAId that Kataina’s success was representative of the team relishing the challenge of compet-
ing against men in the T-20 domestic League. “each week the team sets itself objectives and each week the team grows in strength. Against Pukapuka the team posted our highest total, batted our full 20 overs and picked up more wickets in an innings than our previous two matches”. One man who didn’t make life easy for the women was Pukapuka’s opening speedster Vinegar Richards. Richards’s iery opening spell produced two wickets conceding just four runs. The Wale lads were methodical in their run chase picking up the win with Terry William
BIRThDAy
hope you have a great day today. love you always xxx Mama Nane & papa Keta Mama Ana & papa John All your Aunties & Uncles & cousins And a special one from Mummy & Daddy Mmmwwwaaahhh...
breaking the 100 run tournament barrier adding to his 72 the week before with 38 runs. The World’s Jeff Viniconbe continues his dominance of the domestic T-20 League collecting his third consecutive half century of the tournament, this time against opponents Rarotonga. Team mate nic Rous posted the highest total for the World XI as the opener batted superbly to notch up a match winning 93 not out to steer his side to an imposing 231. Rarotonga’s captain sepa Tangimetua led the wicket takers with three wickets, brother Vane Tangimetua collected two and steven Kavana was in solid form with two wickets from his opening over before leaving the ield with an unfortunate groin strain. Apii Mamanu lead Rarotonga’s run chase as the big hitting middle order batter pounded 50 runs, however, solid bowling from the World XI, including three wickets for captain Matthew Beasley, saw Rarotonga lose wickets regularly – handing the World XI their third consecutive win. The World XI will try to go four from four against the women’s side this weekend (11am) while Rarotonga takes on Pukapuka at 3pm. Both matches are scheduled for the Turangi Oval. Points: 1st World XI 12 Points (3 wins from 3), 2nd Pukapuka 8 Points (2 from 3), 3rd Rarotonga 4 Points (1 from 2), 4th Aitutaki 4 Points (1 from 3) and 5th cook Islands Women 0 Points (0 from - CIC 3).
Members of the Rotary Club of Belfast in Kaiapoi, Christchurch take time out from paiting the Are Pa Metua for a group photo this week. They are pictured here with Rotary Club of Rarotonga president Mike Pynenburg (far left) who is grateful for the clubs support and generosity. 14031716
Daena Kataina enjoyed success with the bat to post an unbeaten 42 from 63 balls. 14031812
13
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
FLIGhT FROM ARRIVES THURSdAy MArCH 20 Nz748/749 AKL 12.30AM Nz46/745 AKL 4.10PM VT35/36 PPT 2.50PM FRIdAy MArCH 21 VA163/162 AKL 11.55PM Nz46/61 AKL 1.55PM
TO
DEPARTS
AKL AKL PPT
1.30AM 5.25PM 3.50PM
Air Rarotonga
International Flights
Flight Times | Voyage details
1.05AM 3.05PM
AKL SYD
RARO TO ARR DEP WEdNESdAy MArCH 19 0800 AITUTAKI 0850 0910
TO
ARR
RARO
1000
1030
1120
1140
RARO
1230
1530 AITUTAKI 1620 0900 MANGAIA 0940 1100 ATIU 1145
1640 1000 1205
RARO RARO AITUTAKI
1730 1040 1250
1410
RARO
1500
1300
AITUTAKI
MAUKE
1350
1410
MITIARO 1500
DEP
TO
ARR
OLOMANA 24 - ETD AUCK 09/03, ETA RARO 20/03, ETA AITUTAKI 21/03 TIARE MOANA 22 - ETD AUCK 22/03, ETA RARO 30/03, ETA AITUTAKI 1/4
Shipping OLOMANA 25 - ETD AUCK 01/04, ETA RARO 13/04, ETA AITUTAKI 15/04
1310 ATIU
1355
1520 RARO 1610
GOT A STORY? text us on
or call us at cook Islands news
Su-Do-Ku EASY
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Crossword
Instructions
Instructions
Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the blank squares so that no digit is repeated in each row, each column or each 3 x 3 square.
Place the numbers 1 to 9 in the blank squares so that no digit is repeated in each row, each column or each 3 x 3 square.
Answer to Tuesday’s puzzle
Answer to Tuesday’s puzzle
hÄgAR the horrible
By Dik Browne
®
ThE phANTOM
By lee Falk & sy Barry
®
DOMEsTIc VIOlENcE
Is NEVER OK A COOK ISLAnDS nEWS PuBLIC SERvICE MESSAGE
gET hElp.
Weather Forecast to Midnight Issued at 2pm at Rarotonga Special Weather Bulletin Number SIXTEEN for Southern Cooks ON TROPICAL CyCLONE MIKE. ISSued FROM RSMC NAdI Mar 19/0058 uTC 2014 uTC.
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING. A GALe WARNING ReMAINS IN FORCe FOR SOuTheRN COOk ISLANdS. tROPICAL CYCLONe MIke CeNtRe [995HPA] CAt1 wAS LOCATed NeAR 18.7 SOuTh 160.7 WeST AT 2PM ThIS AFTeRNOON 18/03/2014 OR ABOuT 55 NAuTICAL MILeS weSt OF AItUtAkI OR ABOUt 160 NAUtICAL MILeS NORTh-NORThWeST OF RAROTONGA. CYCLONe IS MOVING TOWARdS The SOuTh-SOuTheAST At ABOUt 18 kNOtS. POSItION FAIR. CLOSe tO tHe CeNTRe The CYCLONe IS eSTIMATed TO hAVe AVeRAGe SUStAINed wINdS OF 35 kNOtS ANd MOMeNtARY GUStS tO 50 kNOtS. ON tHIS tRACk, tHe CYCLONe IS eXPeCted tO LIe APPROXIMAteLY 30 NAUtICAL MILeS SOUtHSOuThWeST OF RAROTONGA AT 2AM 19/03/2014 ANd ABOuT 180 NAuTICAL MILeS SOuTh OF RAROTONGA AT 2PM IN The AFTeRNOON 19/03/2014. dAMAGING wINdS ARe LIkeLY tO BeGIN Few HOURS BeFORe The CYCLONe CeNTRe PASSeS OVeRheAd OR NeARBY. Forecast to midnight for Rarotonga and the Southern Cooks: Refer to Latest SWB. Further outlook: Refer to Latest SWB. For the Northern Cooks: Cloudy with showers. East to north easterly winds, Rough northeast swells. Further outlook: Showers.
humidity Wed
19
Thu
20
Morning
92%
Night
75%
Morning
88%
Night
68%
Forecast thanks to Cook Islands Meteorological Service.
Tides Wed High 11.32aM 0.98M
19
Low
Rarotonga Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Forecast Map 2pm Wednesday
5.28aM 0.31M
-
-
4.5M Se
5.56PM 0.28M
0.8M Ne
N
Thu High 12.01aM 0.95M 12.09PM 1.00M
20
Low 6.01aM 0.30M 06.32PM 0.57M
26°
Sun, Moon & Arapo
Se 17ktS New Moon Mar 30 8.45AM
First Quarter apr 6 10.31PM
Full Moon apr 14 9.43PM
Sunshine hours
Third Quarter Mar 23 3.46AM
1.2
ArAPo - otu wed 19 Tanu (Planting)
Wed sun rise 6.43aM sun set 6.51PM
19
Moon Rise 8.21PM Moon Set 9.23aM
Thu sun rise 6.43aM sun set 6.50PM
20
4.5M Se
TauTai (Fishing)
Tanu i te painapa, maniota Kake te moi. Kupenga i te e tae ua atu ki te 13 o te po. aiai. Fish for moi. Net ish Time to plant pineapple in evening. and maniota right through to the 13th night (from Akaoti Amiama).
Moon Rise 9.05PM Moon Set 10.20aM
Front Key:
Cold
Warm
Occluded
4.2M Se
y
Swell direction and size
Stationary
Outer Islands Weather Outlook Wednesday, March 19, 2014 Aitutaki
27° Se 15ktS
Mangaia
26° Se 20ktS
Mitiaro
27° Se 18ktS
Atiu
Penrhyn
27° Se 18ktS
30° Ne 12ktS
Mauke
27° Se 18ktS
14
Wednesday, March 19, 2014 cook Islands News
hoMe of sPorts More sports
tarekareka
sPORT
—PaGe 12
Senior schools soccer semi-inals showdown THe HIGHLY competitive sen-
ior schools soccer semi-inals are on today. Get along to the Matavera Football complex today and watch great sportsmanship and school respect as the students battle it out a spot in the inals. Group A winner Avatea will face off with group B runner up nikao in the girls division. Last year’s competition winners Avarua, winners of group B will not leave anything to chance when they play Arorangi who are group A runner ups. Titikaveka battled it out with Arorangi on Monday in an intense game that went down to the wire, placing them third in group A. Titikaveka will play fourth place group B team Te uki Ou while third place nukutere in group B will play fourth placed Papaaroa. In the boys division group A winner Arorangi will face off with nikao runner up in group B. Group B winner Avarua will play Avatea, nukutere will play Te uki Ou and Titikaveka will
play Papaaroa. It will be an exciting semiinal round not to be missed. Last week’s round three showed innovation and rhythm by the schools, as teams showed great control of the ball, showcasing more football prowess in dribbling, kicking, shooting and passing. The schools showed that playing soccer together, working together and competing in a friendly way can be inspiring with valuable opportunities and life skills to nurture the potential future strong soccer representatives of the cook Islands. Mama Maura Katuke from Arorangi school said: “The school enjoyed playing and they had so much fun.” The students improvement could be seen as the crowd of supporters cheered them on. Fostering and inspiring a love for the game while teaching the students the fundamentals of exercise, respect, sportsmanship and positive attitude in a fast paced active sport is what cIFA development Officer Tahiri elikana said are the goals are
for the school teams. elikana said, “I’m pleased this has been shown through the three rounds of competition and we appreciate all the support from the parents, teachers, coaches and principals.” Third Round of the Rarotonga senior Primary school cup competition results – (Girls) nukutere 2 vs Titikaveka 2, Arorangi 0 vs Avatea 0, nikao 1 vs Te uki Ou 0, Avarua 7 vs Papaaroa 1, (senior boys round 2 results) – nukutere 5 vs Titikaveka 0, Arorangi 1 vs Avatea 1, nikao 4 vs Te uki Ou 0, Avarua 5 vs Papaaroa 0. Today’s semi-inal draw: Girls Round 3 at 2.45pm on Field 1-Avatea vs nikao, on Field 2-Avarua vs Arorangi, Field 3-Titikaveka vs Te uki Ou, Field 4-nukutere vs Papaaroa, senior boys round 3 at 3.20pm – Field 1-Arorangi vs nikao, Field 2-Avarua vs Avatea, Field 3-nukutere vs Te uki Ou, Field 4-Titikaveka vs Papaaroa. Get into the football swagger and come and support the schools in the semi rounds today and play football in 2014. - CIFA Media
volleyball comp purely for fun Touch rugby continues
Arorangi and Avatea school soccer players contest the ball just outside of the Avatea goal mouth in their senior boy’s game recently. 14031803
FAMILY fun and getting physi-
cal is the emphasis of the upcoming “purely social mixed volleyball” competition set to spike off on Tuesday, March 25. Its called “purely social” because that is what it’s all about and the weekly tournament is geared towards youth groups, community groups, work colleagues or sports teams wanting to add some fun into your training regimes.
The tournament will run every Tuesday evening for eight weeks at the Telecom sports Arena in nikao starting on March 25. The fees are just $100 per team and the irst six teams to register will receive its very own volleyball so the team can polish up its skills before hitting the courts on Tuesday evening. For those volleyball fans preparing to represent their Pa enua
at the October Manea Games in Mauke – this tournament is the perfect place to scrub up your skills so you are best prepared to proudly represent your enua. To register your team – contact Hugh Graham on hugh_ grahamhenry@yahoo.com or Moari Allsworth on moari.halston@cookislands.gov.cok and rock up to the TsA ready to have some fun. - Matariki Wilson
If you are looking to improve your volleyball skills ahead of the Manea Games or just purely to have fun – register your team for the upcoming social volleyball tournament today. 14031805
in wet, windy weather WeT And windy conditions didn’t stop touch rugby players taking to the Nikao ield on Monday for their open men’s and women’s games. da Ropaz men’s team handled the rain well, scoring seven dot downs against the Itiki Power lands 7-1. Meanwhile, the nukzpower men won their game against the Western stallions.
In the women’s competition – team FBI disposed of the KAOs 6-2 while team Kimiora did the damage against nukzPower 5-3 and the Bounty Hunters were lucky to secure a one point win against Vaine Toa 4-3. Today teams return to the Nikao ield for the mixed tournament starting at 5pm. - Matariki Wilson Today’s draw – 5pm on field
Nukzpower men’s touch rugby team warm up in the rain.
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one – nukzpower vs Tumeke smurfs, 5pm on field two – Justice vs 1 MFeM, 5.30pm northern stormers vs Tereora college, 5.30pm BcI Transactions vs Wackies, 6pm on ield one – Westpac vs 007, 6pm on field two – MFeM Kings vs Telecom, 6.30pm on field one – Livesmart vs Maritime cook Islands, 6.30pm on field two MOe vs Mongoose.