The Fiji Times - Limited

Kathmandu (Reuters) – Local authorities in a village in Nepal registered the Himalayan nation’s first same-sex marriage on Wednesday, officials and activists said, five months after the Supreme Court issued an interim order clearing the way for such marriages in the largely conservative country.

Bula Government has rejected two deals inked by American wind turbine company Infinite Power Clean Energy (Fiji) Ltd and two government agencies, saying certain processes were not followed. “I just want to advise that with those two agreements, due process was not followed and as such both agreements are unenforceable,” said Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica in a media conference yesterday.

Geneva (Reuters) – A U.N. commission of inquiry investigating war crimes on both sides of the Israel-Hamas conflict will focus on sexual violence by Hamas in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and is about to launch an appeal for evidence, its chair told Reuters on Wednesday.

A new cycle of reviews of the United Nations Human Rights Treaty Body in Fiji is about to begin with Fiji taking a strong position that it covers national policies. Speaking at the UN Human Rights Treaty Body Follow-up Review Pilot for Vanuatu, Tonga and Fiji in Nadi yesterday, Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection Lynda Tabuya said this would ensure their voices are heard.

A newly-launched organisation geared towards supporting patients living with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) has outlined its intentions. Heart Heroes Fiji aims to provide counselling, peer-to-peer support, raise awareness and provide patient empowerment, says Dr Sainimere Boladuadua, a public health physician. While acknowledging the limitations faced by relevant ministries, Dr Boladuadua said the organisation, which was launched on Monday, hopes to close these gaps.

(Reuters) – A mystery respiratory illness has stricken dogs in at least 14 states, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association, which is asking vets to report cases while laboratories race to isolate the pathogen. Researchers are still attempting to determine if the disease, which can be fatal, is viral or bacterial, and whether it could be a variant of the well-understood canine disease known as “kennel cough,” the association said.

VISHANT Reddy made a memorable debut at the Pacific Games on Tuesday winning a bronze medal in the men’s 800-meter final in Honiara, Solomon Islands. The 20-year-old took the local athletics scene by storm when he won gold for Korovuto College in the 1500m and 3000m events at the 2022 Coca-Cola Games. Reddy dedicated his medal to his family back in Fiji, who he says are his biggest supporters since day one.

(Reuters) -The North American wolverine, a fierce mountain predator closely related to badgers and skunks, gained U.S. protection as a threatened species on Wednesday under a Biden administration policy citing threats to the animal’s snowy habitat from climate change.

(Reuters) – Billionaire Elon Musk told advertisers that have fled his social media platform X over antisemitic content to “Go fuck yourself” in a fiery Wednesday interview. His profanity-laced remarks followed a moment of contrition in a New York Times DealBook Summit interview. Musk said repeatedly he was sorry for publishing a tweet on Nov. 15 that agreed with an anti-Jewish post. Musk has faced a torrent of criticism since Nov.

Wellington (Reuters) – New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Thursday his country would seek to strengthen engagement with the United States on strategic and security challenges while also looking to unlock potential in their economic relationship.