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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal visited Maharajgunj-based Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH) to inquire about the health condition of President Ram Chandra Paudel. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said that PM Dahal visited the hospital this morning. President Paudel was admitted to the TUTH on Saturday evening after he complained of persistent abdominal pain. During the visit, PM Dahal inquired about his health. President Paudel is currently under doctors’ observation.

Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Paudyal and Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chan Song held a meeting in Singha Durbar on Friday. During the meeting, they discussed various matters related to bilateral cooperation and other issues of mutual interests, a source at the Foreign Ministry said. The source claimed that preparations are being made for a high-level visit between the two countries in the near future and the duo held the meeting to discuss the same. Earlier on Thursday, the Chinese Ambassador had met CPN-UML senior Vice-Chairman Ishwor Pokharel. Though China had invited Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal to take part in the Boao conference, he did not participate in the meeting citing internal reasons.  

Newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy on Friday. President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to 10 newly appointed ministers amidst a function this afternoon. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal today appointed 10 ministers from the 10-party alliance. Purna Bahadur Khadka has been appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister, Prakash Sharan Mahat as the Finance Minister, Ramesh Rijal as the Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister and Sita Gurung as the Urban Development Minister from the Nepali Congress. Similarly, Shakti Bahadur Basnet has been appointed as the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation from the CPN (Maoist Center). Deputy Prime Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha was given the responsibility of Home Ministry while the posts of other Maoist ministers have been kept intact. Likewise, Beduram Bhusal has been appointed as the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development and Prakash Jwala as the Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport from the CPN (Unified Socialist). Similarly, Ashok Rai has been appointed as the Minister for Education, Science and Technology from the Janata Samajbadi Party, Sharad Singh Bhandari as the Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security from the Democratic Socialist Party, Mahendra Raya as the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens from the Nepal Samajbadi and Ranjita Shrestha as the Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation from the Nagarik Unmukti Party. Meanwhile, Drinking Water Minister Abdul Khan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Dahal. Khan, who is also the Vice-Chairman of the Janamat Party, tendered his resignation after he did not get the Ministry of Industry. Dahal was appointed as the Prime Minister on December 25. The CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Dahal, who had forged an alliance with the CPN-UML, took the oath of office and secrecy on December 26. The UML quit the government by withdrawing the support extended to Dahal on March 27 after the Maoist decided to support Nepal Congress in the presidential and vice-presidential elections. Prime Minister Dahal, who had led the 10-party alliance, secured a vote of confidence for the second time on March 20.  

Rastriya Swatantra Party has made public the preliminary name list of the candidates vying in the April 23 by-election. The party published the name list of the candidates as per Article 71 of the party's statute. As per the name list, Rabi Lamichhane will contest from Chitwan constituency 2, Dr Swarnim Wagle, Ishwor Lamichhane and Dr Rupak BK Ghimire from Tanahun 1, and Ramesh Kharel and Yubaraj Neupane from Bara 2. The timeframe for filing complaints against the preliminary candidacy is 11am today, said the party's general secretary and spokesperson Dr Mukul Dhakal.