The Kathmandu Post - 18 Jul, 2024 (2024)

KATHMANDU,
At a time when transitional justice commissions have been defunct for over two years, Nepal Police has begun inquiries about victims of enforced disappearance, family members say.
On Monday, a police team from Lalitpur visited the houses of such victims in the Thecho area where they asked the families if the missing persons had returned or if they had established any contacts. The team also reached Nagma Mali’s house to inquire about the whereabouts of her father. Nandagopal Mali, who was arrested by the security forces, has been missing since June 22, 2004.
“I was not home when the police arrived. Later they called to ask if I had any updates on my father,” she told the Post. “It came as a shock and I suspect the police have taken up the issue as the transitional justice commissions remain defunct. It is a worrying sign if true.”
Victims’ rights advocates say the police who went door to door on Monday claimed to have received a circular from the Police Headquarters to study the situation.
“The victims have reported that the police who visited their place said they were doing their job as directed by the central office,” Suman Adhikari, founding chairperson of the Conflict Victims Common Platform, told the Post. “What is the government trying to do by mobilising the security agency to look into war-era cases while keeping the transitional justice commissions defunct?”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission for the Investigation of Enforced Disappeared Persons (CIEDP) have been paralysed since July 2022, after the government decided to extend their terms without retaining their chairmen and members. The CIEDP has the responsibility to investigate the cases of enforced disappearances.
Against the government’s claim that the bill to amend the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act would be endorsed by October 2022 and open the door for recruiting new office bearers, there has been no progress even after two years. The government has already given four extensions to the two commissions in two years.
Through its last Cabinet meeting, the Pushpa Kamal Dahal government on July 19 extended their terms by another year.
However, it is still unsure when the Act gets amended and the defunct commissions get their office bearers. The government employees deployed to the commissions lack authority to conduct works other than day-to-day administration.
The Dahal government on April 12 had formed a committee to recommend the office bearers for the two commissions. However, it is yet to hold its first meeting as the National Human Rights Commission has refused to send its representatives until there is commitment from the government and the political parties to endorse the amendment.
“Rather than using intimidation tactics by mobilising the police, the government should work towards a proper revision in the Act and ensuring that the two commissions become functional,” said Adhikari.
Nepal Police, however, denied having issued any such circular recently. “Finding the missing persons is our job, which we always do. However, there has been no circular to subordinate offices to carry out inquiries targeting the missing people from the conflict time,” Dan Bahadur Karki, the Nepal Police spokesperson, told the Post.
“There are separate commissions to look into these matters.”
The commissions were formed in February 2015 with a two-year deadline to investigate cases of atrocities committed during the war. But nine years since, their terms have been extended for around 10 times without any tangible results.
The commission on disappearances got a total of 3,223 complaints. However, it has shortlisted only 2,506 cases for investigation after a study that the other complaints did not fall within its jurisdiction.

KATHMANDU,
Nepal, India and Bangladesh have agreed to sign an agreement on July 28 on the export of Nepal’s 40MW of electricity to Bangladesh via India.
Officials from the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) and the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Ltd (NVVN) of India will sign the agreement at a function in Kathmandu.
Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Dipak Khadka of Nepal; Power Minister Manohar Lal of India; and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Nasrul Hamid of Bangladesh are scheduled to witness the signing ceremony in Kathmandu, NEA Spokesperson Nabinraj Singh said.
“After the signing ceremony in the Capital, joint secretary and secretary level meetings will be held on July 29 and 30, respectively, to expedite the process,” Singh said.
The meetings of the joint-secretary level Nepal-Bangladesh Joint Working Group (JWG) and the secretary level Joint Steering Committee (JSC) will expedite the work as per the agreement.
Nepal and Bangladesh will finalise the deal six years after they reached an understanding on energy cooperation. With this agreement, the NEA will export 40MW hydroelectricity to Bangladesh from June 15 to November 15 every year.
As per the agreement, Nepal is estimated to sell 144,000 MWh (megawatt-hour) electricity in five months at the rate of 6.4 US cents a unit.
Nepal will transmit the energy to India through the 400KV Dhalkebar-Muzaffarpur cross-border transmission line and before India transmits the equivalent to Bangladesh. The NEA will calculate the quantum of exported energy at the Mazaffarpur point. The NEA estimates an earning of around Rs330 million for the country through the sale.
Nepal needs to use Indian transmission facilities to transmit the electricity as Nepal and Bangladesh aren’t directly linked to each other. Energy trade between the two countries became possible only after India was ready to facilitate the process.
A month ago, a meeting of the ‘Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase’ of Bangladesh had approved a proposal to import 40 MW of electricity from Nepal. The proposal was put forth by the Power Division of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB).

BANGKOK,
Initial autopsy results showed traces of cyanide in the blood of six Vietnamese and American guests at a luxury hotel in central Bangkok and one of them is believed to have poisoned the others over a bad investment, Thai authorities said on Wednesday.
The bodies were found on Tuesday in the Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok, a landmark at a central intersection in the capital busy with malls, government buildings and public transit.
The six had last been seen alive when food was delivered to the room on Monday afternoon. The staff saw one woman receive the food, and security video showed the rest arriving one by one shortly after. There were no other visitors, no one was seen leaving and the door was locked from the inside. A maid found them on Tuesday afternoon when they failed to check out of the room.
Upon entering the room, hotel staff found that food ordered from the previous day was left untouched, with some servings of fried rice still under plastic wrap. While the food was untouched, several used teacups were on a nearby table, next to two thermos bottles.
Lt Gen Trairong Piwpan, chief of the Thai police force’s forensic division, said there were traces of cyanide in the cups and bottles.
Initial results from autopsies of the six bodies, performed at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital, were shared later Wednesday.
Kornkiat Vongpaisarnsin, head of the forensic medicine department at Chulalongkorn University’s medical school, said at a news conference that there was cyanide in the blood of all six, and a CAT scan showed no signs of blunt force trauma, reinforcing the hypothesis that they had been poisoned. Chulalongkorn’s dean of medicine, Chanchai Sittipunt, said the team knew enough from the cyanide to determine it was likely the cause of death.
Bangkok police chief Lt Gen Thiti Sangsawang identified the dead as two Vietnamese Americans and four Vietnamese nationals, and said they were three men and three women. Their ages ranged from 37 to 56, according to Noppasin Punsawat, Bangkok deputy police chief. He said the case appeared to be personal and would not impact the safety of tourists. A husband and wife among the dead had invested about 10 million baht ($278,000) with two of the others, and that could be a motive, said Noppasin, citing information obtained from relatives. The investment was meant to build a hospital in Japan and the group might have been meeting to settle the matter. Police say one killed the rest but did not say which of the six was the suspect.
Bangkok police chief Lt Gen Thiti Sangsawang said Tuesday that four bodies were in the living room and two in the bedroom. He said two of the people appeared to have tried to reach the door but collapsed before they could.
Noppasin said on Wednesday that a seventh person whose name was part of the hotel booking was a sibling of one of the six and left Thailand on July 10. Police believe the seventh person had no involvement in the deaths.
The Vietnamese and United States embassies have been contacted over the deaths, and the American FBI was en route, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said. “This wasn’t an act of terrorism or a breach in security. Everything is fine,” he said.
Trairong said a mass suicide was unlikely because some of them had arranged future parts of their trip, such as guides and drivers. He said the bodies being in different parts of the hotel room suggested they did not knowingly consume poison and wait for their deaths together.
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in Washington offered condolences to the families of the dead. He said the US is closely monitoring the situation and would communicate with local authorities. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with his Thai counterpart on Tuesday, but Miller said he thought that call happened before the deaths were reported and he didn’t know if it came up in their conversation.
The five-star Grand Hyatt Erawan is one of Bangkok’s landmark hotels. The Erawan Shrine that sits on the corner of its block has been a major tourist attraction since it was erected on the advice of astrologers during the hotel’s construction in 1956 to ward off bad luck.
Visitors worship at the shrine, requesting divine intervention on issues from relationship troubles to exam preparation. The shrine was the target of a 2015 bombing that killed 20 people and injured more than 100.
In 2023, Thailand was rocked by reports of a serial killer who poisoned 15 people with cyanide over a span of years. Sararat Rangsiwuthap*rn, or “Am Cyanide” as she would later be called, killed at least 14 people whom she owed money to. One person
survived.

KATHMANDU,
In November 2022, after the High Powered Committee for Integrated Development of Bagmati Civilisation (HPCIDBC) issued an ultimatum
to vacate riverside settlements, squatters living on the banks of the Bagmati River protested in Kathmandu against the ultimatum.
The committee, formed under the Ministry of Urban Development with the goal of making Bagmati a “pollution-free river”, had published a notice giving the squatters 10 days to vacate.
“Our ultimatum back then was ignored on the basis that the right to housing is a fundamental constitutional right,” says Uddhav Nepal, the information officer at the committee.
On November 28, the Kathmandu Metropolis deployed security forces to evict the squatters from Thapathali-based settlement. But the area turned into a battleground on the day as the squatters fiercely retaliated.
The metropolis had to backtrack after over a dozen city police personnel were injured after the squatters attacked them with bricks, stones and sharp weapons. Despite the failure to clear the area, the committee was able to ascertain the number of genuine squatters. “As per our data, there were 3,496 households on the Bagmati riverside,” says spokesperson Nepal.
When the HPCIDBC’s efforts to clear the riversides of Kathmandu Valley failed, a Land Commission was formed with a mandate to resolve the matter. However, due to frequent government changes, the commission could not work efficiently.
Now the authorities who were finding it difficult to remove the squatters have found a solid legal ground to do so.
The Supreme Court on Monday directed the authorities to clear the settlements along the banks of the Bagmati River and its tributaries in the Kathmandu Valley, but only after providing alternative housing for genuine squatters.
“The high powered committee will now discuss the full text of the Supreme Court and plan its next move,” Nepal told the Post. “Probably, we will soon start demolishing the huts and other structures along the riverbanks along with coming up with a proper relocation plan.”
A joint bench of Supreme Court Justice Ananda Mohan Bhattarai and Binod Sharma issued the order in order to control river pollution and remove the encroachment of riverside land.
Five persons including advocates Prakashmani Sharma, Narayan Belbase, and Rama Pant Kharel filed a petition on April 22, 2011, on behalf of the Janahit Samrakshan Manch (people’s rights protection forum), a non-profit.
After hearing the petition, the top court issued a verdict on December 19 last year and its full text was made public on Monday evening.
The full text of the court has now cleared the way for the authorities to remove riverside settlements. “To identify the actual squatters and transfer them to the housing built in Ichangu Narayan, to build the required number of houses elsewhere and to facilitate the relocation of the actual squatters who do not want to move to those places… provide cash as immediate relief and remove the encroachment,” reads the Supreme Court order.
Last year, the mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), Balendra Shah, who had tried to evict squatters from Bagmati riverbanks, had to backtrack after the Patan High Court issued an interim order against the KMC’s excavation of the Tukucha river.
Following a preliminary hearing on the writ petition on February 1, 2023, a joint bench of judges Mahesh Sharma Paudel and Rajya Lakshmi Bajracharya ruled in favour of property owners, declaring the KMC’s excavation of the Tukucha River illegal.
But Monday’s Supreme Court decision has in a way vindicated KMC Mayor Shah’s plan to remove squatter settlements from the riverbanks in Kathmandu.
After the verdict, the KMC will again consider removing the riverside squatter settlements, says one of its officials.
“Although nothing has been officially decided, clearing the riverside squatter settlements has been the KMC’s long-standing plan, which had been hindered by the court’s earlier decision,” the official told the Post on the condition of anonymity. “Now, the KMC will again push ahead with its earlier plan.”
When the KMC tried to remove the squatters, it had the support of the central government and its law enforcement bodies, but after the interim order of the High Court, KMC had to backtrack, says the KMC officer.
The squatters residing on the Bagmati river bank said they were not staying there by choice and would be happy to relocate if the government provides an alternative.
“We have for long been waiting for an appropriate government decision on our relocation. People living in squatter settlements will happily accept the government proposal,” says Min Kumar Magar, who resides on the Bagmati riverside settlement at Thapathali. “As citizens of this country, we should abide by its laws, so if the government has some proposal for our relocation, we are ready to accept it.”
However, the squatters earlier refused to move into the government-built housing units. In 2012, the government led by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai had built as many as 230 housing units at Ichangu Narayan area with a plan to relocate the squatters from the Bagmati corridor. But the squatters refused to go there citing accessibility issues, saying Ichangu Narayan was too far from the city.
Between 2010 and 2012, the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction purchased over eight ropani (0.4 hectares) of land in Ichangu Narayan, in ward 2 of the Nagarjun Municipality on the western rim of Kathmandu.
In May 2012, the Bhattarai-led government demolished 251 squatter huts in Thapathali by deploying over 1,000 security personnel. The government spent Rs230 million to build the housing units in Ichangu Narayan. The project proved to be a failure as nobody moved in.
From January 26, 2021 the apartment blocks have been partially used by the Manav Sewa Ashram, a non-profit that provides shelter for the homeless, and by a police unit.
“Those unwilling to reside in the property allotted to them must be removed from the encroached areas, and they should get necessary funds to shift to other places by respecting their rights to housing enshrined in Article 37 (1) of the Constitution of Nepal,” reads one of the points in the latest verdict. Every Nepali citizen has a constitutional right to proper housing.
But Magar, a representative of the squatters, claims they are unaware of plans to relocate them to Ichangu Narayan. “Nobody has come to us to discuss our relocation to Ichangu Narayan. If we receive a formal invitation, we will accept the proposal,” Magar further said. “Nobody likes to live in a vulnerable place like the riverside.”
However, Madan Tamang, 53, who claims to have lived in the squatter settlement at Tripureshwar for more than 40 years, says the Ichangu Narayan housing is not suitable for them.
“Two years back, some of our friends had visited the place, but found it inappropriate to live in,” Tamang told the Post. “If the government wants to relocate us, it should do so according to our needs.”

KANCHANPUR,
Asturni Dagoura turned 75 last May. She spent more than half of her life as a Kamaiya, indentured labourer, in her landlord’s property where her children were born, grew up, eventually following in her footsteps as Kamaiyas themselves. It wasn’t long before she was able to get the family together. She was married at the age of eight to Krishna Bahadur, who also worked as a Kamaiya in a landlord’s house at Badikhalla of Krishnapur Municipality. Asturni did not know how much money he had borrowed or how long he had been there, but she joined him after their marriage.
The practice of such form of slavery (Kamaiya), which is unthinkable in the 21st century, was prevalent across the western Tarai districts of Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali and Kanchanpur, predominantly among the Tharu community. Although the government had announced the liberation of Kamaiyas in the year 2000, the freed families languished in camps for years in lack of effective rehabilitation programmes.
In the past there was fear of epidemics like malaria in the Tarai. Migration was the only way to escape epidemics. Managing land, cattle, and finding accommodation in a new place was challenging. Those who could not manage often worked as labourers in other people’s fields to eke out a living. During those times, those who earned a living by working in other people’s fields were traditionally known as Kamashu (Kamaiya) in the Tharu language.
After the 1960s, many people from the hilly communities started migrating to the Tarai. After that, the landlords started exploiting the Tharu community. In the beginning, those who had a lot of land would allocate land and grain to the indentured workers. But as even landowners struggled due to dwindling land and income, inhumane treatment started as they could not even provide enough for food.
According to a study done by Ram Bahadur Chhetri in 2008, Kamaiya practice has existed for around 200 years in Nepal. Before that, the tribal Tharus owned plenty of land. Over time, as their land dwindled, they started living as Kamaiyas. They were responsible for all household chores, from farming to cattle grazing, at the estates where they worked. Men ploughed, dug, fetched and chopped firewood, while women farmed, washed clothes, and tended to the cattle.
Asturni worked from dawn to dusk. She would rise at 4 in the morning to clean the barn, feed the cattle, cut the grass and wash the clothes. After that, she would work on the farm. For all this work, the moneylender would give a certain amount of paddy and wheat, which would be insufficient. If they asked for more food, their loan would increase, making it almost impossible to escape.
Now, Asturni’s daily life has changed. She doesn’t have to work from morning till evening and her family is together. All are engaged in their own profession. She no longer has to toil like a slave.
On July 17, 2000, the Nepal Government announced the liberation of Kamaiyas. But after the announcement, there was confusion for some time. The freed workers were housed in camps and there was no work. Without employment, finding enough food became a problem. Gradually, the government began distributing land for rehabilitation.
Then they began to feel that they were free. “After we got the land, we decided to live,” said Asturni, “then we gradually started working from farming.” When the freedom of Kamaiyas was announced, 2,462 family records were collected in Kanchanpur. Then in 2002, around 2,000 families were collected and the number of freed Kamaiyas’ families in this district reached about 4,500.
Initially, they were kept in nine camps, and later rehabilitated by providing each family plots ranging from half kattha to five kattha (around 170 square metres to 1700 square metres of land) in different places of the district. The size of the allotted land depended on its value, proximity to markets, and location—rural or urban areas.
However, most of the rehabilitated Kamaiya settlements are situated along riverbanks, so there is a risk of flooding.
A year after their liberation, under the rehabilitation programme, Asturni’s family was allotted five kattha of land (1700 square metres) on the bank of Chaudhar River in Ashapur area of Bedkot Municipality in Kanchanpur district. After that, her sons, who were working in different places as Kamaiyas, reunited with the family at the same place. Asturni was very happy to have the entire family together. Vikram, her eldest son, lived as a Kamaiya in Daiji of Bedkot Municipality, while her middle child, Bal Bahadur was in Krishnapur municipality, and the youngest, Man Bahadur lived in Samadaiji in Bedkot. After their liberation, all of them received land in the same area.
They had received land on the bank of the Chaudhar River, where flooding and erosion occurred during the rainy season. There was a settlement of people from the hill community nearby. Man Bahadur Dagoura recounted how people from the community threatened them claiming that the riverside land belonged to them.
Now a lot has changed in Ashapur. The houses that were built during the rehabilitation of the freed Kamaiyas have all been replaced with concrete houses. Flooded fields have been turned into safe farmlands by constructing embankments. Some residents are engaged in vegetable farming, others as masons, while some have gone to India for employment. Everyone is engaged in some profession. Three people are employed overseas. Initially, a total of 16 families were rehabilitated in the area, but now the number of families has reached 36. There are 15 masons with 15-20 others working as their assistants.
“Now we can do what we want. The income is also good,” said Man Bahadur, adding, “This has changed the lives of us all.” He has built a concrete house at the cost of over Rs2 million earned from vegetable farming, and sends his son to school. He grows seasonal and non-seasonal vegetables on his own five kattha and additional 10 kattha of rented land. He says that he earned a net profit of around Rs400,000-500,000 a year.
Bal Bahadur Dagoura, who spent his 30 years as a Kamaiya, is now a construction worker. After the announcement of the Kamaiya liberation, various organisations provided skill training and Bal Bahadur learned masonry.
Janaki Chaudhari of Ashapur vividly recalls her former landlord’s harsh treatment. She was forced to lift heavy loads, even while pregnant. “The pain and suffering we faced while working as Kamaiya is unspeakable,” said Janaki, who is now engaged in commercial vegetable farming. She says she earns up to Rs250,000 per season.

BIRENDRANAGAR: Four people were injured when a landslide buried temporary shelters of earthquake survivors in Jajarkot. The landslide that occurred at around 8pm on Tuesday buried temporary shelters belonging to Bishnu Thapa and Dalsari Thapa in ward 4 of Kushe Rural Municipality. Dalsari, along with her 4-year-old daughter Hastika and 17-year-old daughter Nirmaya, were injured when the mudslide buried their shelter. Bishnu’s 29-year-old wife Kamala Thapa was also injured in the incident, according to Madhav BK, spokesman for the District Police Office, Jajarkot. According to him, the condition of two of the injured is serious. All the injured have been sent to Surkhet for treatment by a Nepal Army helicopter. Hundreds of earthquake displaced people are still languishing in temporary huts which are at risk of landslides.

NAWALPARASI EAST: A teenager was arrested on the charge of murdering his father in ward 5 of Kawasoti Municipality in Nawalparasi East on Wednesday. According to the District Police Office, Nirajan Kumal, aged 18, hit his 43-year-old father Prem Kumal with a stone on the head. The victim died on the spot, said police. The father and son had a heated discussion after their pet dog died due to alleged assault by the father. Investigation is underway after taking the suspect into custody, said police.

GULMI: Police arrested a 45-year-old man from Chandrakot Rural Municipality in Gulmi on charge of raping a minor. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Shankar Pokharel, the suspect allegedly raped a 13-year-old girl when she was alone in her house on Monday. According to the victim’s mother, the perpetrator had first inquired with the girl about her parents and then committed the crime after learning that they were away in the farm. Detailed investigation is underway into the case, said police.

Former US President Donald Trump has returned from the jaws of death, albeit with a chipped ear, after he suffered a gunshot at a rally in Pennsylvania. Coming on the heels of a poor performance in the first televised live debate by his opposition presidential candidate Joe Biden, the attack has helped the controversial Republican politician consolidate his vote bank. Luckily for him, he could raise his fist and chant “Fight, fight, fight” before being frisked away by Secret Service agents, bettering his chances of returning to the White House as undecided voters seem to buy his arguments about a plot against America. Violence against a candidate at the cusp of election only generates sympathy for them; having seen death up-close, Trump is now eyeing a resurrection of his political career.
But no debate in the social media age follows the straight dichotomy of good versus evil or victim versus perpetrator. Taking cue from Trump’s own modus operandi of creating what he calls “alternative facts,” conspiracy theorists and some of his detractors have been calling the attack a plot by Trump himself to gain public sympathy. An old photo of him, with both his ears intact, has been doing the rounds on the internet, claiming that he was not injured at all. After all, this is the same man who was indicted for instigating an attack on Capitol Hill and trying to overturn the 2020 US presidential election results. From investigating crimes by him to now investigating a crime against him, US law enforcement and investigation agencies have an unexpected, rather strange, task in their hands.
But amid the din of which of the old men returns to the White House as the 47th president of the United States of America or the motive of the 20-year-old Republican voter-turned-gunman or even the misgivings about Trump’s victimhood, an age-old question of gun culture has made a comeback. American gun culture has a central role in the assassination attempt on Trump, and Trump himself is one of the fiercest defenders of such a culture.
And if anyone thinks Trump will now rethink his love for guns, one of his advisers, Chris LaCivita, has clarified that the ex-president will continue to protect gun rights.
For the Republicans, the constitutional guarantee offered by the Second Amendment for individuals to carry guns is sacrosanct; Trump will potentially continue to exploit the Americans’ emotional attachment to the gun as a self-defense instrument.
Such is the gun obsession in the United States, even after seeing the assassination of four presidents—Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley and John F. Kennedy—and assassination attempts on Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and George W Bush, among others, the country is helpless to do much about it. The comfort of amnesia is too dear to America
when it comes to dealing with the tough question of gun violence. And with a morally repugnant record of supplying arms to Israel in its attempts to wipe out the Palestinians, Trump’s opponent and sitting president Joe Biden is lost for words. The United States should really unite to wipe out gun culture.

KATHMANDU,
The Kathmandu Metropolitan City has resumed pavement widening in the New Road area from Wednesday.
Officials at the Public Construction Department under the metropolis said that the contractor resumed the work after the High Court, Patan issued an interim order paving the way for following an interim order from the High Court, Patan allowing the work to proceed.
“Now there is no obstruction from locals nor from federal government agencies,” said Baburam Bhattarai, a member of the City Planning Commission under the KMC. “We hope that the project will be completed at the earliest.”
The metropolis had awarded a contract to widen the sidewalks by 1.5 metres along both sides of the road section between the New Road gate and the Juddha Statue roundabout in the last fiscal year. The work started in the New Road area in May, but a jurisdictional dispute between the city office and the Road Division, Kathmandu, caused the project to come to a halt.
The division confiscated contractors’ equipment, and the federal government deployed police in to prevent the city office from working. Some local residents, too, had demonstrated against the pavement widening plan. The division had even repaired the parts of roads cut for pavement expansion.
And on June 9, the metropolis moved the High Court challenging the breach of jurisdiction by the road division, which is a federal agency, and its intervention in the city’s work.
City officials were already frustrated by the years-long delay by federal agencies in completing another project, the widening of Kathmandu’s Ring Road in the Kalanki-Maharajgunj section, which has caused huge inconvenience to the public due to dust and mud.
Mayor Balendra Shah then directed city officials to dump truckloads of dirt from the Ring Road section in front of the main entrance of the Road Division office at Minbhawan, accusing federal agencies of delaying the work.
The 8.2km Kalanki-Maharajgunj section was set to be widened by the Chinese government, and the work was initially planned to start in early 2020, but the project has not progressed even after years due to Covid and delays in clearing the power poles and in some cases structures along the right of way.
Regarding the jurisdiction dispute over the sidewalk widening work in the city, a division bench of judges Dhurba Raj Nand and Prakash Kharel at the High Court Patan issued an interim order in favour of the metropolis on Sunday.
The City office has already widening pavements by 1 metre on both sides in the Bhrikutimandap area.
“Neither did the federal government agency intervene, nor did locals object while expanding pavement in the Bhrikutimandap area by narrowing the road,” said Bhattarai. “Further decisions on pavement widening in other areas like Thamel, Handigaun and others will be taken after collecting public feedback.”
Officials said that the long-term plan is to restrict motor vehicles altogether in the New Road area due to heavy pedestrian traffic.
“We have also been working to find a solution to the parking problem and weighing various options including setting up multi-storey parking facilities,” said Bhattarai, who is also an urban planner.
Officials said that pavements in the New Road area, which always remain crowded, should be widened to ensure free pedestrian movement. Officials claimed that New Road residents have also requested the city office to expand the pavement.
According to city officials, local residents have, from time to time, complained about feeling unsafe and experiencing sexual harassment on the narrow and crowded sidewalks.

Kathmandu,
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli will go for a floor test on Sunday, barely a week after taking the oath of office.
Oli, who was sworn into the top executive position by President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday, decided to go for the test earlier than expected “in order to execute his work plan more confidently,” said Mahesh Bartuala, chief whip of the Oli-led CPN-UML. He has also been assigned to coordinate among the ruling parties on parliamentary matters.
Oli, as the parliamentary party leader of the UML, had appointed Bartuala as chief whip of the ruling party as per the party charter. The prime minister consulted ministers and party leaders before deciding to schedule the floor test.
After taking the vote of confidence, Oli plans to address the nation the same day, highlighting the objectives and priorities of the new government.
On the same day, a hearing on a writ petition challenging his appointment is due at the Supreme Court.
Advocates Deepak Adhikari, Khagendra Prasad Chapagain and Shailendra Kumar Gupta filed the petition on Monday seeking a mandamus order to annul the appointment for being unconstitutional.
The petitioners argue that the President must call for the formation of a new government under Article 76(3) after the one formed under Article 76(2) fails to secure a vote of confidence.
The Office of the President, the federal parliament secretariat, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba and Prime Minister Oli are among the defendants named in the petition.
Govinda Prasad Ghimire, information officer at the Supreme Court, said a preliminary hearing on the petition has been scheduled for July 21.
The prime minister will address the nation and take part in a question-answer session in the House, said Bartuala. In order to expedite his works, the prime minister is gaining the confidence of majority parliamentarians as soon as possible, he added.
Oli was appointed prime minister as per Article 76(2) of the constitution, and the prime minister thus appointed must take the vote of confidence within 30 days. Article 76(2) states that in cases where no party has a clear majority in the House, the President shall appoint as prime minister “a member of the House who can command a majority with the support of two or more parties”. As per Article 76(3), the President appoints the parliamentary party leader of the largest party the prime minister. The leader then has to seek a vote of confidence within 30 days.
Ahead of the vote, Oli, who aims for the support of more than two thirds of House members, is going to meet the leaders of several fringe parties, including Rajendra Lingden of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, Upendra Yadav of the Janata Samajbadi Party, and CK Raut of the Janamat Party.
Though both Yadav and Raut are positive about extending support to Oli, the RPP is still undecided, said a UML leader. Since the ruling Nepali Congress and UML, the two largest parties in the House of Representatives, have already extended support to the chief minister of Madhesh Province, a Janamat Party member, “we expect the party to vote for Oli on Sunday,” said the UML leader. Yadav’s position has yet to be known.
Oli is certain to secure a majority in favour of his trust motion. On Sunday, he was appointed prime minister on the basis of the signatures collected from 166 lawmakers. The prime minister needs at least 138 votes in the 275-member House to retain his position. Oli, along with 21 Cabinet ministers, took the oath of office on Monday. This is Oli’s fourth stint as the country’s chief executive. First appointed the prime minister in October 2015 (until August 2016), Oli was head of the government from February 2018 to May 2021 and from May 2021 to July 2021.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Oli has started appointing his secretariat members. Rajesh Bajracharya is the chief personal assistant to the prime minister. He has been working closely with Oli for over a decade.
After the vote of confidence, the prime minister is planning to appoint more advisers and members of his private secretariat. These include chief political adviser, foreign relations adviser and press adviser. Bishnu Rimal is said to return as the chief political adviser. Rimal also served Oli in the same capacity earlier.
On Wednesday, on the recommendation of the prime minister, President Paudel appointed senior advocate Ramesh Badal as the new attorney general.
Oli had entrusted Badal to negotiate with Congress leaders before the two parties signed a seven-point deal on July 1. Earlier, Badal served in the Oli government as attorney general from March 19, 2021 to July 13, 2021.
According to the Office of the President, Badal was appointed to the position as per Article 157(2) of the constitution. The attorney general is the government’s chief legal adviser. Dinmani Pokharel, who was appointed attorney general by the Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government in December 2022, had resigned on Tuesday. His resignation followed the customary tradition of the legal adviser quitting with the change in government. Pokharel had courted controversy for issuing a letter to then deputy prime minister and home minister Rabi Lamichhane, stating that no cases had been filed against him in the cooperatives fraud case.

KATHMANDU,
Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song called on Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba at her office in Singha Durbar on Wednesday.
Various matters relating to Nepal-China relations were discussed on the occasion, the foreign ministry said in a post on X.
The Chinese ambassador said he congratulated Minister Rana for her appointment and discussed bilateral ties.
“We agreed to enhance our multifaceted relationship and cooperation, to celebrate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Nepal next year,” he wrote on X.
Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava paid a courtesy call on Minister Rana Deuba on Tuesday. The foreign ministry said in a post on X that various matters relating to Nepal-India relations and cooperation were discussed on the occasion.
Rana assumed her office on Monday.

BHAIRAHAWA,
Belahiya border point in southwest Nepal has been made a hassle-free crossing point, at least for Indian travellers.
Following many complaints from unhappy travellers, especially Indians who visit Nepal in private vehicles, the district administration has started providing service through a one-window system.
The district administration launched an integrated checkpoint, a new facility, last Wednesday.
Indian tourists, who don’t require passports, and drive across the border are not subjected to lengthy customs waits to get a temporary vehicle pass.
Under the new system, police and customs officials will jointly conduct security checks and issue a security clearance card.
Tourism entrepreneurs hailed the government initiative, stating that such a fast-track system would send a positive message and help bring more tourists from India to Nepal.
Earlier, Indian tourists who came via road had to undergo repeated checks, and their vehicles were searched multiple times.
“All the checks are now completed at one place. After the clearance, the Indian vehicles will not require additional checks within Rupandehi district,” said Ganesh Aryal, chief district officer of Rupandehi. “But if the security personnel have suspicions, they can conduct a check at any time.”
The vehicles which have been issued the ‘yellow card’ can go anywhere hassle-free, Aryal said.
The system is basically for Indian tourists, who are not put through the immigration process or need to have their passports stamped like tourists from third countries do.
Belahiya is a major entry point.
It is the gateway to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha, and receives nearly 80 percent of overland foreign tourists.
The point also attracts many Indian visitors, as Chitwan and Pokhara are easily accessible from there. These destinations are becoming most popular for Indian tourists of late.
Tourism entrepreneurs say that once the six-lane Narayanghat-Butwal road is completed, Nepal could receive millions of Indian visitors.
The government has recently allowed Indian visitors to pay in Nepal through the quick response (QR) code system, reducing the hassle of carrying banknotes.
The international airport in Bhairahawa is also waiting for commercial operation. Ek Narayan Aryal, secretary at the home ministry, inaugurated the integrated checkpoint on Wednesday amid a ceremony. He said that Rupandehi had started an excellent work.
“We have taken tourism as a basis for the country’s prosperity. We are willing to welcome as many tourists as possible, but the environment also needs to be conducive,” said Aryal.
Aryal underscored the need for such a system nationwide. “Expanding such facilities to all border points will create an easy environment for tourists.” “The ministry will do what is necessary to expand such a facility nationwide.”
Indian tourist flow has increased in destinations like Pokhara, Chitwan, Kathmandu and Lumbini. Nepal and India share 1,800 km of border points.
Khel Raj Pandey, mayor of Butwal Sub-metropolitan City, said creating a tourist-friendly environment was essential. “We complain about why tourists are not coming, but we don’t do anything to facilitate their visit.”
“Tourists need to be provided with hassle-free services.”
Istiyaq Ahmed Khan, mayor of Siddharthanagar municipality, said many tourists travelling to Nepal using private vehicles complain about the limitation on carrying currency.
“We have demanded that the home secretary allow Indian tourists to carry at least Rs200,000.”
Currently, Indians entering Nepal are not allowed to carry more than INR25,000. Lawmakers have also urged the government to remove restrictions on the amount of currency Indian tourists can use while visiting Nepal.
Krishna Prasad Sharma, president of Lumbini Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that the cash-carrying limitation by Indian tourists needs to be removed. “We want to bring as many tourists as possible to the country but also restrict them from spending here,” he said. “It’s a ridiculous policy.”
India is Nepal’s top tourism source market. In 2023, over 300,000 Indian tourists entered Nepal via air transport. However, the overland Indian visitors’ survey conducted in 2017 by the Nepal Tourism Board showed that 1.36 million Indian tourists travelled to Nepal through the surface route.
The number may be even more significant now.
Though the issue in Belahiya has been settled, tourism entrepreneurs said Indian tourists entering from the Jamunaha border point of Nepalgunj, Banke, also face similar hassles.
After getting customs clearance, Indian vehicles need to visit another checkpoint to obtain a route permit. Since most Indian tourists come to Nepal in private cars, getting route permits can be problematic.
Thakurdwara, a tourist centre in Bardiya, also has many Indian tourists.
But complaints about that point are also galore. The checks on the highways are frequent and tiresome, even after they have completed all formalities at the customs point.
Travel trade entrepreneurs say the security personnel’s behaviour towards the Indian tourists is strange.

LUXEMBOURG,
TikTok lost an appeal Wednesday to escape new digital rules that seek to rein in the power of big tech after an EU court rejected its challenge.
A landmark European Union law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA) entered into force in March, and regulators believe it will create a fairer market.
The European Commission designated six “gatekeepers” under the DMA facing the curbs: Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft—and TikTok owner ByteDance, the only non-US company.
The EU said in May that Booking would also have to apply the law and gave the online travel agent six months to prepare for compliance.
The decision by the Luxembourg-based General Court is the first judgement on a DMA challenge by big tech, with cases lodged by Apple and Meta still pending.
“The Court dismisses ByteDance’s action,” it said. TikTok can appeal against the ruling within two months and 10 days of the decision.
TikTok had insisted it was the “most capable challenger” to entrenched players in the digital sphere, but the court dismissed that argument.
“TikTok had succeeded in increasing its number of users very rapidly and exponentially, reaching, in a short time, half the size of Facebook and of Instagram, and a particularly high engagement rate, with young users in particular, who spent more time on TikTok than on other social networks,” the court said in a statement.
The judges acknowledged that in 2018, video sharing app TikTok was indeed a challenger but it had since then “rapidly consolidated its position and even strengthened that position over the following years” despite the launch of similar rival services.
“We are disappointed with this decision. TikTok is a challenger platform that provides important competition to incumbent players,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
“While we will now evaluate next steps, we already took measures to comply with the relevant obligations of the DMA ahead of last March’s deadline.” But the court determined “ByteDance met the quantitative thresholds laid down in the DMA”.
For Brussels to name a company as a gatekeeper, they must fulfil certain conditions.
The criteria include having more than 45 million monthly active users in the EU and more than 10,000 yearly active business users established in the bloc. Digital companies with an annual turnover in the EU of at least 7.5 billion euros ($8.2 billion) or a market value of above 75 billion euros also face the new curbs.

NEW YORK,
Tens of thousands of Boeing hourly workers have been called Wednesday for a vote in Seattle expected to authorise a potential labour strike if ongoing contract negotiations stumble.
“What can you do to get a good contract?” International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 751 asks on its website. “Attend strike sanction vote on July 17th!”
The local represents nearly 32,000 people in the Seattle, Washington, region, with about 30,000 at Boeing plants in nearby Renton, where the US aerospace giant’s 737 is assembled, and in Everett, where the 777 is put together. A strike would freeze activity at both factories.
The two sides in March began talks on a new contract to replace an agreement that has been in place for 16 years. The contract expires at midnight on September 12.
Wednesday’s vote comes before union members see a proposed contract. A second vote would be required on September 12 to strike if members reject the contract.
Boeing described Wednesday’s vote as a “procedural” step that does not definitely mean a strike will occur.
“We remain confident we can reach a deal that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company,” Boeing said in a statement. Local 751 president Jon Holden has demanded a “substantial” salary hike of at least 40 percent, as well as provisions for health care, retirement and job security.
Holden has called a hefty wage hike imperative after workers only received nominal cost-of-living support over the last eight years despite “massive inflation.” At a Senate hearing last month, Boeing chief executive Dave Calhoun said workers “will definitely get a raise.”
The union is also seeking assurances from Boeing that it will build its next new aircraft—expected around 2035—in the Seattle region.
Holden has said certainty on the next jet being manufactured in the Pacific Northwest amounts to “job security for the next 50 years.”

FLEMMING (Denmark),
At the end of a small country road in Denmark is the “Enorm” factory, an insect farm set up by a Danish woman who wants to revolutionise livestock feed.
Jane Lind Sam and her father, Carsten Lind Pedersen, swapped pigs for soldier flies and created a 22,000-square-metre (237,000 square feet) factory where they intend to produce more than 10,000 tonnes of insect meal and oil a year.
The factory, which opened in December 2023, is the largest of its kind in northern Europe, and its products will initially be used by farmers for animal feed and, perhaps in the future, for human consumption.
The two entrepreneurs are making products that will be “substituting other, maybe less climate friendly products”, Lind Sam, co-owner and chief operations officer, explained to AFP.
They hope to contribute to the evolution of agriculture in a country where the sector’s climate impact is under scrutiny.
In 2020, a report by the University of Copenhagen showed that importing soy products for livestock feed emitted seven million tonnes of planet-heating carbon dioxide, accounting for 60 percent of the total CO2 emissions from Danish agriculture.
However, Enorm—which has started production with the help of public and private investment—still has a modest order book.
“It’s still a virgin industry, the volume in the market is still very limited,” admitted Lind Sam, whose factory has strived to use automation as much as possible.
But according to the International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed, the industry is growing and insect meal production could reach one million tonnes by 2030.
Under turquoise fluorescent lights, millions of black flies buzzed inside some 500 plastic cages, where they lay hundreds of thousands of eggs every day. Inside the facility, it was impossible to escape the roar of insects who incessantly lay eggs throughout their 10-day lifespan.
“The female fly lay its eggs in this piece of cardboard,” Lind Sam explained as she pulled out a sheet with a honeycomb pattern at the bottom of one of the cages.
About 25 kilograms (55 pounds) of eggs are produced per day. A single gram corresponds to about 40,000 eggs.
From these eggs come some of tomorrow’s feeder flies, but also the future maggots which, once they have become pupae, will be transformed.
After 12 days, every 25 kilograms of eggs produces 100 tonnes of moist larvae. Some 500 million maggots are kept in crates in tropical temperatures and fed using waste materials, such as orange peels collected from various local partners.
“They are fascinating animals.
And I think it’s amazing that they can live on any organic matter,” Lind Sam said.
Niels Thomas Eriksen, a biologist at Aalborg University, told AFP that “insects can eat materials that other animals probably won’t so we can make better use” of agricultural byproducts and food waste.
Minimising waste is one of Enorm’s key aims and the manufacturer stressed that the rearing of insects facilitates “the recycling of nutrients”. It takes between 40 and 50 days to produce the finished product, which is mainly flour with a protein content of 55 percent.
It is then distributed across Europe—although Enorm remains discreet about the identity of its customers—used for feed for pig, poultry, fish and pet farms.
The company noted that the larvae also hold “the potential for future integration into human nutrition”.
“It’s partially a cultural thing: ‘Who wants to eat them?’,” Eriksen said.

KATHMANDU: Siddhartha International Hotel Limited, a prominent name in Nepal’s hospitality sector, is set to launch its initial public offering (IPO). The company has appointed Muktinath Capital as the issue manager. Chintamani Neupane, chairman of Siddhartha Hospitality Group and Kabindra Dhoj Joshi, CEO of Muktinath Capital, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. Siddhartha International Hotel Limited operates the luxurious Siddhartha Boutique Hotel in Baudha and the Siddhartha Vilasa in Bhairahawa. Siddhartha Hospitality oversees more than two dozen companies, including Siddhartha Vilasa (five-star), Siddhartha Vaibhav (four-star), and Siddhartha Vatika (three-star), along with ventures in hospitality education, restaurants, cottages, cafes, agricultural farms, trading, and IT services.

KATHMANDU: AD CLUB, a dynamic and autonomous entity under the Advertising Association of Nepal (AAN), hosted a successful networking event on July 12 to mark the establishment of its new board. AD CLUB is a hub for advertising and marketing professionals, a vital platform for individuals and organisations within the advertising and marketing communication landscape. This includes professionals from advertising agencies, corporate marketing departments, artists, influencers, media organisations, and anyone passionate about the ever-evolving advertising world. The event saw AD CLUB celebrate a significant milestone—surpassing 100 members from diverse industries. The new board also presented their vision for the year ahead, outlining a calendar packed with exciting initiatives to elevate Nepal’s advertising and marketing industry.

Kathmandu: Samsung Nepal has officially announced the pre-order of the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, opening the next chapter of Galaxy AI. These versatile phones are perfectly designed to enable a range of unique mobile experiences.
In Su Kim, managing director, Samsung Nepal; Pranaya Ratna Sthapit, director, Samsung Nepal; along with Shrinkhala Khatiwada, Miss Nepal World 2018, unveiled the new Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Fli6 Series at the event in Kathmandu on Wednesday. “Samsung’s continued innovation for foldable has yet to open the next chapter of Galaxy AI with our new Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6. Combining the foldable form factor with an AI-infused connected Galaxy ecosystem, our new products will empower users to unlock new possibilities meeting the unique by delivering an experience like never before,” said Sthapit. Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 are now the slimmest and lightest Galaxy Z series devices ever and come with perfectly symmetrical designs with straight edges. Galaxy Z Fold6 and Flip6 are equipped with the Snapdragon® 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the most advanced Snapdragon mobile processor yet, combining best-in-class CPU, GPU, and NPU performance. The processor is optimised for AI processing and offers enhanced graphics along with improved overall performance. Galaxy Z Flip6 (12+256 GB) is priced at Rs154,999, Galaxy Z Fold6 (12+256 GB) costs Rs234,999 and Galaxy Z Fold6 (12+512 GB) is priced at Rs249,999.

KATHMANDU,
Nepal national women’s cricket team begin their much anticipated ACC Women’s T20 Asia Cup in Dambulla, Sri Lanka on Friday.
They will be heavy underdogs as their group contains ACC Women’s Premier Cup champions the United Arab Emirates, two-time Asia Cup runners-up Pakistan and defending champions and tournament’s most successful side India.
Nepal’s first aim will be to achieve a first ever win at the Asia Cup.
Nepal are making their third appearance in the biennial tournament, after previously participating in 2012 in China and in 2016 in Thailand. But they have yet to win a single match in the competition. In both editions, they finished the group stage winless and at the bottom of the table.
However, Nepal could change that bitter history when they face the UAE in the tournament opener.
“Our first target is to defeat the UAE,” Nepal skipper Indu Barma said.
But the task will be a difficult one.
The UAE are making their second appearance at the Asia Cup. But under captain Esha Oza, they have emerged as the strongest side among the associated nations.
The UAE qualified for the Asia Cup as the winners of the ACC Premier Cup in February. Nepal initially failed to make the Asia Cup but was later included in the main event as one of the two semi-finalists—the other being Thailand—following the expansion of the tournament to eight teams by the Asian Cricket Council.
Two years ago, the UAE and Nepal crossed paths in the ACC T20 Women’s Championship semi-finals. The UAE progressed to the final ahead of Nepal due to a superior net run rate in the group stage after their match yielded no result due to rain. The UAE went on to defeat Malaysia in the final to make their Asia Cup debut.
In the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier as well, the match between Nepal and the UAE was abandoned due to rain. However, the UAE finished the group on top and ahead of Nepal due to net run rate.
Both the UAE and Nepal progressed to the knockouts as the top two teams. Nepal fell to Thailand in the semis but UAE won the tournament and progressed to the global qualifier (2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Qualifier).
The UAE also had a blistering run in the T20 World Cup qualifier but ultimately failed in their mission to make their T20 World Cup debut after they were undone by Sri Lanka in the semi-finals.
Nepal may have received a boost in their confidence when they defeated Sri Lanka Development Squad in the final and third T20 practice match to avoid series sweep, but their recent form suggests that UAE will still be heavily favoured.
According to Barma, if Nepal defeat the UAE, their next goal will be trying to pull off an upset against the big teams and reach the semi-finals.
But things are not as easy as it seems.
Nepal next play Pakistan, who were runners-up in both editions Nepal participated, next Sunday and cricket’s powerhouse India on July 23.
In the 2016 edition, when all six participating teams were in a single group, Pakistan had bundled Nepal for 47 runs before winning the match by nine wickets.
Nepal were also humiliated by India in their next group match when the Indians wrapped up Nepal for just 21 runs to win by 99 runs. Nepal were chasing 121.
India have won seven out of eight editions of the Asia Cup since its inauguration in 2004. Bangladesh won 2018 edition defeating India by three wickets.
Rubina Chhetri, who is now Nepal’s most capped women’s cricketer with 55 appearances in the national team, and Sita Rana Magar were both in Nepal’s squad in 2016.
But Rana Magar hopes Nepal women’s team will be a lot better this time as they have also drawn inspiration from the men’s team who recently participated in the T20 World Cup.
“Our plan is not just to participate in the tournament. We have a feeling that our team can play a good game against big teams like our men’s team,” said Rana Magar.
“We have gained clarity on how to bat for a full 20 overs and how to bowl the ball through mentoring. There are positive changes in the team.”
Former captain Chhetri is in fine form. The batting allrounder has scored 741 runs from 46 innings for Nepal and will bring inspiration to Asia Cup from her outstanding Premier Cup when she scored an unbeaten 118 against the Maldives in their record total of 227-4 to become Nepal’s first player to score a century in women’s T20Is.
Chhetri, who scored 17 (17), 28 (43) and 37 (26) in three warm-up matches against Sri Lanka, will form the core of Nepal’s batting unit alongside Barma and Rana Magar.
Pacer Kabita Joshi also impressed with the ball in the warm-up, while Sabnam Rai and Kritika Marasini will lead the spin threat for Nepal.

MEXICO CITY,
Jaime Lozano was dropped as manager of Mexico’s national football team after rejecting a plan that included a demotion for the upcoming World Cup cycle, the Mexican Football Federation said Tuesday.
The federation announced Lozano’s departure in a statement, adding, “The Mexican Football Federation thanks and recognizes the commitment and dedication of Jaime Lozano. Today his time as Technical Director of the Senior National Team ends.”
The federation said it offered a new contract to Lozano through 2030 that included him working under a “more experienced” coach from 2024 to 2026 for the upcoming World Cup to be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Lozano, under the deal, would have returned at some stage between 2026 and 2030 as the head coach.
The federation said that after Lozano examined the proposal, he “doesn’t wish to continue. We respect his decision.”
A new national team coach is expected to be named next month.
Lozano, 45, was named interim head coach in June 2023 following the firing of Diego Cocca after a 3-0 loss to the US in a CONCACAF Nations League semi-finals.
Mexico won last year’s Gold Cup title under Lozano and last August he was named to stay as the head coach.
Lozano went 10-7 with four draws in his 13 months guiding the Mexican squad.
In this year’s Copa America, a showdown between South American teams and the best from North America, Mexico went 1-1-1 and lost out on the knockout stage to Ecuador by one goal on goal difference.
Mexico beat Jamaica 1-0, lost to Venezuela by the same margin and played Ecuador to a goalless draw.

KATHMANDU,
Nepal’s popular noodles brand Wai Wai on Wednesday provided Rs1 million to Cricket Association of Nepal, an incentive money it promised to the Nepal national men’s cricket team that participated at the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
During the T20 World Cup, which was held in the West Indies and the United States from June 1 to June 29, Wai Wai had announced that it would provide the Nepali cricket team Rs1,000 per run, Rs8,000 for each boundary, Rs12,000 for every six, Rs15,000 for every wicket taken, Rs50,000 for each half-century, Rs100,000 for each century and Rs150,000 for each win.
Wai Wai, a production of CG Foods Private Limited which is a subsidiary of Chaudhary Group, had also announced an incentive of Rs3 million to the national team should they reach the Super Eight stage.
Nepal, who had returned to the T20 World Cup after a decade-long wait, could not make the Super Eight. They suffered a six-wicket defeat against the Netherlands in their opening match, before losing close contests against tournament runners-up South Africa and Bangladesh by one run and 21 runs, respectively. Their group match against Sri Lanka was abandoned due to rain.
“Based on the overall performance of national team at the T20 World Cup, they earned a total of Rs944,000, which included Rs305,000 for total runs, Rs315,000 for total wickets taken, Rs216,000 for boundaries, Rs108,000 for sixes,” the company said in a press release. “The company added Rs56,000 for a total of Rs 1 million.”
CG Foods CEO Pradip Pudasaini handed over the cheque to CAN Secretary Paras Khadka amid a function held at Hotel Vivanta in Lalitpur.
“Chaudhary Group has always contributed in building the foundation of Nepali cricket team,” Pudasaini said. “Nepal participating at the T20I World Cup is itself a great achievement.”
Khadka acknowledged Chaudhary Group’s contribution in making Nepali cricket strong from its root.
Wai Wai, which has been sponsoring the men’s U-19 national cricket team for a long time, also announced a support of Rs3 million to U-19 women’s national cricket team and Rs3 million for other cricketing activities.