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The Bill on Amending Some Nepal Acts Related to Promotion of Good Governance and Public Service Delivery, 2081 BS has been presented in the House of Representatives.

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung tabled the bill on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

Presenting the bill, Minister Gurung said the ordinances had to be brought as the related legislations were needed when both the houses of parliament were not in session.

He said any kind of prejudice narrowed the horizon of thinking and it is a parochial view to oppose the ordinance just by its name without going into its contents.

Stating that he respected the lawmakers' views, Minister Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson, urged the MPs to think in a constructive manner.

Contending that the government's bringing the bill is in alignment with the constitution, he requested the cooperation of lawmakers for the bill's passage from the House.

Before this, the House of Representatives' meeting had rejected the note of dissent against the proposal seeking permission to present the bill in the House.

The House meeting rejected by a majority the note of protest on the proposal received from lawmakers Prabhu Saha, Prakash Jwala, Prem Suwal, Hitraj Pandey, Chitra Bahadur KC and Durga Rai.

Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki has said collaborative efforts among the three-tier government are needed to combat drug abuse.

Inaugurating a program entitled 'Fight onward against drug abuse' organized by the Koshi Province Police today, the Chief Minister urged the three-level governments to implement the awareness programs against substance abuse before it is late.

The three-level governments should collaboratively reach the community, making them aware of consequences of drug abuse.

He also pledged to allocate a budget for containment of drug addiction in the upcoming fiscal year.

In a bizarre moment on Monday, outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was seen leaving the House of Commons in Ottawa carrying a chair, with his tongue sticking out. The humorous scene quickly gained traction across social media platforms, sparking widespread attention, The Economic Times reported.

On Monday, Justin Trudeau met with Liberal leader and prime minister-designate Mark Carney to start the transition of power after Carney's landslide win at the Sunday party election.

Trudeau's hilarious exit from Parliament

After the meeting Carney told reporters on Parliament Hill that the transition is expected to be "seamless" and "quick."

Meanwhile Trudeau has started the process to wind down his time in government. A Reuters photographer clicked a picture of Trudeau carrying his House of Commons chair out of Parliament Hill. The image quickly gained traction on social media, with many praising his sense of humour.

"Trudeau's reaction says it all, 'finally I have a normal life and enjoy nature'," a user commented. "This is the pic! Thank you PM Trudeau," wrote another.

"His face reminds me of the Māori people’s Haka dance," a third one quipped. "He don't care. He made his millions, and the new guy will make his," another one said.

"What was this circus all about??," another one curiously asked. "He's too funny!," another one joked.

Trudeau resigns from Liberal party

Trudeau’s resignation as leader of the Liberal Party had been announced earlier on January 6. On Monday, Mark Carney, following a decisive landslide victory, officially succeeded Trudeau as the new leader of the Liberal Party and Canada’s next prime minister.

While the viral image captured the public's eye, it marked a significant shift in Canadian politics, as Carney took the reins of the party after Trudeau's long tenure, according to The Economic Times.

Trudeau’s formal resignation marked the end of his time as both prime minister and MP, though the chair he carried was more about tradition than any protest.

Carney met Trudeau on Monday and said the formal handover of power would be quick. Trudeau is still prime minister until Carney formally takes over the role.

Meanwhile, ahead of the announcement of his successor on Monday, Trudeau highlighted the ‘achievements’ of the Liberal Party over the past decade while looking towards the future.

In his speech at the Liberal Leadership Convention, Trudeau said, “I am damn proud of what we've done over these past 10 years for the middle class and the people working hard to join it.”

As the Liberal Party enters a new era, Trudeau told the crowd that “there is a responsibility to ensure that Canada stays the best country on Earth.”

A senior economic adviser to United States President Donald Trump says a plan to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports to 50 percent has been halted, as the trade war between the two countries continues to sow confusion and uncertainty, Al Jazeera reported.

In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday afternoon, Peter Navarro said the increased US tariffs would not come into effect as planned on Wednesday.

The announcement came just hours after the premier of the Canadian province of Ontario, Doug Ford, said he was temporarily suspending a surcharge on electricity exports to some US states.

That surcharge is what Trump earlier said had prompted his decision to impose the 50 percent tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium – up from the 25 percent levies still set to come into effect on Wednesday.

“Just tamp it down, please, over there,” Navarro said in his CNBC interview, addressing Canada.

The back-and-forth highlights the unpredictable nature of Trump’s “America First” economic policy, and the lack of clarity around his announcements on tariffs.

US-Canada relations have plummeted amid Trump’s push to impose steep tariffs on a range of Canadian goods and his repeated threats to annex the country.

Some US tariffs against Canada came into effect last week as part of what the US president has said is an effort to balance the countries’ trade relationship. But the Canadian government has rejected the measures as “unjustified” and unveiled retaliatory levies, according to Al Jazeera.

The tariffs have spurred anger and frustration in Canada over the past several weeks.

Many Canadians are boycotting US products and calling on the government to reduce the country’s economic dependence on the US.

Ford, the Ontario premier, announced on Monday that his government would impose a 25 percent surcharge on electricity exports to the US states of Michigan, Minnesota and New York.

Ford – who has taken a strong line against Trump’s policies – told reporters that Ontario’s electricity powers 1.5 million US homes and businesses in those US states.

The surcharge, the premier said, would cost families and businesses as much as $276,000 (400,000 Canadian dollars) per day.

“Let me be clear, I will not hesitate to increase this charge. If necessary, if the United States escalates, I will not hesitate to shut the electricity off completely,” Ford had said.

On Tuesday, Mark Carney, the new leader of Canada’s governing Liberal Party and the country’s next prime minister, also slammed Trump’s plan to increase tariffs on steel and aluminium as “an attack on Canadian workers, families, and businesses”.

“My government will ensure our response has maximum impact in the US and minimal impact here in Canada, while supporting the workers impacted,” Carney, who is set to be sworn in as prime minister in the coming days, wrote on social media.

“My government will keep our tariffs on until the Americans show us respect and make credible, reliable commitments to free and fair trade.”

The US stock market plunged this week amid the uncertainty around Trump’s economic and trade policies, Al Jazeera reported.

Canada and the US are major trading partners, with the US importing $412.7bn from its northern neighbour in 2024, according to the Office of the US Trade Representative. US exports to Canada that same year totalled $349.4bn.