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Australian Ambassador to Nepal Felicity Volk paid a courtesy call on Minister for Foreign Affairs NP Saud on Thursday. The meeting focused on expanding bilateral cooperation, especially people to people relations, tourism and education sectors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.    

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has said its attention has been drawn towards the programs carried out by political parties and their sister organizations in some schools within the KMC. The KMC directed such political parties and their sister organizations not to organize political activities in schools onwards as the KMC Education Department has received complaints with evidence that political parties and their sister organizations held programs in schools against existing Education Act and Regulations. KMC Education Officer Sitaram Koirala said the KMC would monitor the schools based on the complaints and it has made preparations to take departmental action to principal of such schools if political activities were found carried out there. Similarly, 'Book Free Friday' program is going to be launched in all community schools from this academic session. The KMC has asked all the community schools to mandatorily run the program. As per the program, students will go to school on regular time on every Friday without carrying bags and return home after participating in extracurricular activities and practical knowledge, added Koirala. The KMC has already distributed Rs 100,000 budget to every secondary school for the same and preparation has been made to increase the budget up to Rs 200,000 next year. Likewise, the KMC has set a plan to expand the program at private schools from next year. There are 89 community schools and 540 private schools within KMC.

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader Surendra Pandey has been appointed as the chief minister of Gandaki Province. Province Chief Prithvi Subba Gurung appointed Pandey as the chief minister as per Article 168 (2) of the Constitution. Now, the newly appointed chief minister has to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days. Pandey laid his claim for the chief ministership before the province chief with the signatures of the majority of the lawmakers on Thursday. Earlier on March 23, CPN-UML Parliamentary Party leader and Chief Minister Khagraj Adhikari had failed to secure a vote of confidence. Nepali Congress has 27 lawmakers in Gandaki Province, CPN-UML 22, CPN (Maoist Center) eight and Rastriya Prajatantra Party has two lawmakers in the province. The province has one independent lawmaker.

Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader in Lumbini Province Dilli Bahadur Chaudhary has staked claim for the post of chief minister in the province today. As per the Article 168 (2) of the Constitution, Chaudhary laid his claim for the chief ministership before Lumbini Province Chief Amik Sherchan. Province Chief Sherchan on Tuesday had called on parties for the formation of a new government after the Chief Minister of CPN-UML-led government Leela Giri, failed to secure a vote of confidence in a proposal presented by him at the Province Assembly meeting on Monday. The Province Chief had asked the provincial members and parties to show a majority to stake their claim for the post of the Chief Minister and form a government with the support of two or more than two political parties within 4:00 pm today. With the signatures of 53 members of the provincial assembly-- eight political parties and one independent lawmaker, Chaudhary presented a claim for the same. He has the support of CPN (Maoist Centre), Janata Samajbadi Party, Democratic Socialist Party, nagarik Unmukti Party, Janamat Party, Rastriya Janamorcha and CPN (Unified Socialist). Of the 87-member Lumbini Province Assembly, CPN-UML has 29 members, Nepali Congress 27 and CPN (Maoist Centre) 11. Similarly, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Nagarik Unmukti Party have four lawmakers each, Janamat Party, Janata Samajbadi Party and Loktantrik Samajbadi Party have three lawmakers each and Rastriya Janamorcha and CPN (Unified Socialist) have one lawmaker each and one independent lawmaker.