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…𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒐 𝑭𝑪 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑨𝑭𝑪 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝑨𝒇𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏’𝒔 𝑨𝒃𝒖 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒎 𝑭𝑪 By Tashi Tshewang Bhutan will host an AFC Challenge League Preliminary Stage match on August 12, 2025, when Paro FC, the reigning national champion, takes on Abu Muslim FC from Afghanistan at Changlimithang National Stadium in the capital. The match marks a …

…𝒁𝒉𝒆𝒎𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒅𝒔 41.4 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒑𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕, 𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒚 𝒈𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Yeshey DolmaZhemgang, Bhutan’s poorest dzongkhag, continues to struggle with a poverty rate of 41.4 percent, followed by Samdrup Jongkhar at 24.7 percent and Samtse at 21.9 percent. These figures highlight the persistent challenge of rural poverty despite decades of targeted development …

…𝑩𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒔 𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝑨𝑰 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝑵𝑯 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒏𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒑𝒖𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔, 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒅𝒊𝒈𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 By Sonam ChodenPrime Minister Tshering Tobgay emphasized that Bhutan’s digital transformation is guided by the country’s development philosophy, the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH). “Our digital transformation journey is guided by the belief that technology should uplift the well-being of …

Contributed by Bimal K Chetri (PhD)LecturerSherubtse College Globally, consumers and regulators are placing increasing emphasis on authenticity, safety, and traceability in herbal products. Around 80 percent of the world’s population relies on herbal medicines, contributing to a market valued at USD 148.5 billion in 2022. This market is expected to grow substantially, with forecasts predicting it will exceed USD 386 …

…𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒈𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈-𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎 𝒔𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒍𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒗𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Sonam Choden Bhutan has recorded a notable increase in its snow leopard (Panthera uncia) population, rising from 96 individuals in 2016 to 134 in 2023. This represents a 39.5 percent growth, according to the 2022–2023 National Snow Leopard Survey. Despite this encouraging trend, the long-term sustainability of the species …

…𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔, 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚 By Kezang ChodenResidents of Sangbay and Gakiling Gewogs in Haa Dzongkhag, along with Dophuchen, Denchukha, and Dumtoe Gewogs in Samtse Dzongkhag, have grown increasingly concerned over frequent power outages persisting for more than a decade. According to affected residents, the unreliable electricity …

In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, Bhutan’s approach to AI governance offers an important alternative- one grounded not in economic expediency alone, but in cultural identity, sustainability, and the well-being of all citizens. The country’s plan to align its artificial intelligence development with the principles of Gross National Happiness (GNH) reflects both a bold vision and a necessary …

…𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚-𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 600 𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒔, 𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒑 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 By Kinzang Lhamo A 9.518-kilometre chain-link fencing project in Ramjar Gewog has been completed, offering protection to approximately 613.1 acres of farmland and directly benefiting 275 households. Funded by the Government of India under the Project Tied Assistance (GoI-PTA) initiative, the project is being credited with reducing …

…𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Sonam Choden Human-elephant conflict (HEC) continues to grow as a serious concern in many parts of southern Bhutan, especially in areas bordering forested regions. One such affected area is Baepoteng-Kangdoongphu Chiwog under Tashichhoeling Gewog, where farmers have repeatedly suffered crop damage and property losses due to wild elephants. …

…𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒉𝒖𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒌𝒆𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆 By Kezang Choden The current condition of the Lawala Chorten area has raised growing concern among locals and visitors alike, as it continues to reflect a poor image of one of the key entry points to the popular Gangtey-Phobjikha tourist destination under Wangduephodrang Dzongkhag. Lawala Chorten …