Phuentsholing and her residents stood the test of time with unwavering resilience through the face of the pandemic, earns ovations and salutations for National Award Tashi Namgyal/Thimphu Touted as the longest lockdown in the world, Phuentsholing and its residents stood still for 2,880 hours when the town went into its fourth lockdown. Phuentsholing has witnessed the worst lockdown in the …

Car ownership growing by 15% annually By Tashi Namgyal/Thimphu Bhutan declared itself carbon neutral during climate talks more than a decade ago. It was the first time in the world that happened.Few noticed. “Governments were so busy arguing with one another and blaming each other for causing climate change, that when a small country raised our hands and announced, ‘We …

By Phurpa Wangmo The government insists that they are not here to bring an end to the Drayang business but to professionalize it. Earlier Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering stated that if Drayangs decided to close, the government would look at the loans and accumulated rents of their businesses and even work on the rehabilitation of the girls working in …

By Staff Reporter The Ministry of Education (MoE), marking the International Youth Day celebration on August 12, acknowledged Her Majesty the Gyalyum Tseyring Pem Wangchuck, the President of Bhutan Youth Development Fund for Her Majesty’s contribution in ensuring the development and wellbeing of children and youth in Bhutan. According to a press release from the ministry, Her Majesty has worked …

Compiled by Tandin Wangchuk In a world which is suppressed by the coronavirus pandemic, Bhutan’s covid-19 vaccination story has become a beacon of hope for many countries across the world. Global Voices wrote that the Kingdom of Bhutan, the tiny South Asian country in the Eastern Himalayas, has pulled off a rare feat: as of the end of July 2021, …

By Phurpa Wangmo Young people living in Bhutan are among those at risk of the impacts of climate change, threatening their health, education, and protection, according to a UNICEF report launched this week. ‘The Climate Crisis Is a Child Rights Crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index’ is the first comprehensive analysis of climate risk from a child’s perspective. It …

By Tandin Dendup Farmers across the country are facing acute shortages of fertilizers and pesticides due to the prolonged border closure triggered by the coronavirus pandemic. These days’ farmers in Punakha dzongkhag say there is a problem in acquiring the required number of fertilizer and pesticides, especially herbicides as it is time to do weeding of their paddy fields. The …

By Chimi Wangmo The Royal Government of Bhutan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a USD 4.854 million project funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF).  The initiative, a child project of the Global Wildlife Program (GWP) will be implemented by Tourism Council as part of Tourism Flagship Programme in the 12th Five-year Plan. The project seeks to …

Staff Reporter Upon command of His Holiness the Je Khenpo, the Central Monastic Body is currently conducting a weeklong Kurim in Phuentsholing to avert the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The prayer ceremony began on Tuesday this week and will end on coming Monday. The prayers are held at the Rinchending Goenpa and is led by the Laytshog Lopen …

Staff Reporter His Majesty The King this week visited the De-suung Skilling Centre at Dzongkhalum, Trongsa to inspect the facility and meet with the first cohort of De-Suups participating in training programmes there. The De-Suung Skilling Programme (DSP) is a series of multiple short-term accelerated trainings by local and foreign experts, focusing on practical, hands-on skilling, customised for our youth. …