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Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP) President Harka Raj Rai has said that his party will play a constructive role as an opposition party in Parliament.

Rai, who reached the Parliament building at Singha Durbar today to attend the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected MPs, told journalists that he would provide the government with constructive support and healthy criticism.

"As the opposition, we will question the government to hold it accountable, offer support, and provide it with constructive criticism on matters the government must address. We will always play a positive role in supporting the government and the country. As the opposition, we will fulfill our dynamic role," said Rai.

MP Rai, elected from Sunsari Constituency- 1, asserted that as a lawmaker he will strive to ensure access to clean drinking water across the country.

Newly elected members of the House of Representatives took the oath of office and secrecy at the newly constructed multi-purpose hall in Singha Durbar on Thursday.

Senior member of Parliament Arjun Narsingh KC administered the oath to the newly elected lawmakers.

Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane also attended the swearing-in ceremony.

In the election of members of the House of Representatives held on March 5, the Rastriya Swatantra Party came first with 182 seats while the Nepali Congress stood second with 38, the CPN-UML won 25 seats, the Nepali Communist Party 17, the Shram Sanskriti Party seven, and the Rastriya Prajatantra Party won five seats.

The United Nations General Assembly has voted to recognise the enslavement of Africans during the transatlantic slave trade as "the gravest crime against humanity", a move advocates hope will pave the way for healing and justice, BBC reported. 

The resolution - proposed by Ghana - called for this designation, while also urging UN member states to consider apologising for the slave trade and contributing to a reparations fund. It does not mention a specific amount of money.

The proposal was adopted with 123 votes in favour and three against - the United States, Israel and Argentina, according to BBC. 

The Embassy of Pakistan in Kathmandu marked the 86th National Day of Pakistan with a flag-hoisting ceremony on Thursday. 

Ambassador Abrar H. Hashmi raised the national flag at the chancery, while messages from Pakistan’s President, Prime Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister were read, highlighting unity, democracy, regional peace, and support for Kashmir and Palestine.

In his remarks, the Ambassador of Pakistan congratulated the community and families on the occasion. 

He commended their contributions and expressed hope that they will continue to strengthen Pakistan-Nepal relations. Highlighting the historic significance of March 23, 1940 as foundation for the creation of Pakistan, he paid tribute to the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the sacrifices of the forefathers. 

He expressed solidarity with the people of the Middle East over the loss of lives and suffering of innocent, due to the ongoing conflict and announced that the Pakistan National Day Reception, in line with the Prime Minister’s instructions, would not be held this year.

United States President Donald Trump will travel to Beijing for a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May, delaying a planned trip by several weeks as the war against Iran drags on, Reuters reported. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Wednesday that Trump’s trip will now take place on May 14 and 15, instead of its originally planned dates, from March 31 to April 2.

She added that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump expect to host Xi during a visit to Washington, DC, later in the year, according to Reuters. 

A total of 63 members of Nepal’s House of Representatives have chosen to take their oath of office and secrecy in languages other than Nepali.

According to the Federal Parliament Secretariat, 47 MPs have registered to take the oath in their mother tongue, other than Nepali language. And 17 are to take oath in Maithili language.

The oath taking  ceremony is scheduled for 2 pm today, with senior member Arjun Narsingh KC administering the oath.

Lawmakers have been asked to arrive two hours early with required documents, including their election certificate and citizenship copy.

Languages such as Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tamang, Newari, and others have been used in past oath ceremonies, highlighting broader representation in Parliament.

The price of gold has dropped by Rs 2, 900 per tola in the domestic market on Thursday. 

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 285, 600 per tola today.   It was traded at Rs 288, 500 per tola on Wednesday.  

Similarly, the silver is being traded at Rs 4, 820 per tola.

The Nepali Congress has made public the schedule of its 15th General Convention. 

The Central General Convention of the party is being held in October.

According to Krishna Prasad Dulal, Acting Chief Secretary of the party's Central Office, a special campaign for active membership distribution and updating will be held in the lead up to the convention. During this period, membership forms will be sent from the center to the ward level and representatives will be deployed in all 165 constituencies for membership distribution.

Active membership will be distributed and updated from all 6,743 wards from mid-April. Every member needs to update their membership from the ward where they are a member.

According to the schedule, the complaints received by the district-level active membership preliminary investigation committee will have to be investigated and sent to the center by mid-mid-May. The center has set a deadline of mid-June to finalize the membership by conducting the necessary investigation.

Similarly, the deadline for submitting the updated list of active members to the Central Election Committee has been set to mid-July.

According to the schedule, all ward committees will be completed and regional delegates will be elected, while the village and municipality convention will be held by late August. 

The provincial assembly regional convention and the district convention of the districts with only one constituency will be held in early September. Similarly, the district convention will be held in mid-September.

The 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress is scheduled to be held from October 2 to 5, 2026.