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Nepal has signed diplomatic ties with Nauru on Thursday. The Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations in New York, Amrit Rai, and the Permanent Representative of Nauru Ambassador Margo Deiye signed a joint communique in New York, establishing the diplomatic relations between the two countries, according to Nepal's Mission to the UN in New York. With this, the number of countries having diplomatic ties with Nepal reached 179. The ambassadors of both the countries have shared this information to the UN Secretary-General, it has been learnt. The ambassadors of the two countries have expressed their commitment to enhancing cooperation in international forums, work in development aspirations and deepen people to people ties. Nauru is a country in the northeast of Australia near the Pacific Ocean and had gotten the status of an independent nation in 1968.  

Newly appointed ministers took oath of office and secrecy on Thursday. President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to the newly appointed ministers amidst a program organized in Sheetal Niwas this afternoon. Dhan Raj Gurung was appointed as the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Mohan Bahadur Basnet as Minister for Health and Population and Dig Bahadur Limbu as Minister for Youth and Sports. President Paudel appointed the trio as ministers on the recommendation of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. All the three newly appointed ministers are the lawmakers elected from the Nepali Congress.  

Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey secured a vote of confidence in the Province Assembly on Thursday. He received 35 votes while 22 voted against him. The UML lawmakers cast their votes against Pandey. Two lawmakers of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party remained neutral. Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Pandey was appointed as the chief minister on April 27. Earlier, the then chief minister CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader Khagraj Adhikari failed to secure a vote of confidence on April 22.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli held a meeting on Thursday. During the meeting took place at the Singha Durbar-based Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the two discussed contemporary political issues. Talking briefly with journalists after the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the meeting dwelt on contemporary political issues, government’s upcoming policies and programs and the budget. Similarly, Oli said that those involved in the fake Bhutanese refugees’ case should be brought under the purview of law. Earlier on Wednesday, an arrest warrant was issued against former Energy Minister and CPN-UML Secretary Top Bahadur Rayamajhi for his alleged involvement in the case.