Article

…𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒆 𝒃𝒚 2026, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒐𝒏 𝒓𝒖𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 By Tashi Tshewang In a significant step toward strengthening youth engagement in southern Bhutan, a new youth center is set to be established in Samtse, with construction expected to be completed in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. The center, spanning an area …

…𝒂𝒍𝒄𝒐𝒉𝒐𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒔, 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏. By Yeshi Dolma and Zhenphen Chokden Bhutan continues to grapple with a substantial health and economic burden due to alcohol-related harm. With 9,717 active alcohol-selling establishments across the country- roughly one for every 75 people- alcohol remains …

… 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍, 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 By Tashi TshewangBhutan is moving forward with plans to expand domestic air connectivity through the construction of two new airstrips, one in Yoeseltse, Samtse, and the other in Samrang, Samdrup Jongkhar. The proposal has drawn both anticipation and concern, as the government promotes it as a step toward …

…𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕-𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒇𝒕 By Kinzang Lhamo In a major development for Bhutan’s aviation sector, Drukair – Royal Bhutan Airlines has officially signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with SMBC Aviation Capital for the lease of a brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft. The signing ceremony was held in Bangkok on May 10, 2025, …

…𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆-𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏 𝑻𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑫𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒏𝒂 By Kinzang Lhamo In country, a fresh wave of opportunity is emerging for communities across districts like Tsirang and Dagana, where locals are now pioneering the production of value-added agricultural products such as ginger candy, buckwheat cookies, ginger roll candy, ginger marmalade, papaya candy, green pea …

By Kezang ChodenThe National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) is on track to test siphon technology aimed at reducing the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) from Thorthormi Lake in Lunana. The key components of the siphon system High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) pipes have already reached Lunana. The materials were transported from the Punakha helipad by the Drukair Helicopter …

…𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏-𝒕𝒐-𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒆𝒔 By Yeshi DolmaIn a quiet room inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital, a young mother holds her tiny newborn against her chest. There are no monitors beeping loudly or incubators buzzing- just warmth, breath, and life supported by the …

…𝒄𝒂𝒔𝒉-𝒅𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒗𝒖𝒍𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒔 By Zhenphen chokdenAn alarming surge in counterfeit Bhutanese banknotes, particularly fake Nu. 500 bills, has stirred concern among financial institutions, law enforcement, and small business owners across the country. While the total number of incidents remains limited, the implications are significant, undermining public trust in the national currency, hurting small …

…𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒂𝒈𝒆-𝒔𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒂𝒅𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒔 By Yeshi DolmaThe Ministry of Health(MoH) officially launched the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Healthy Ageing (RMNCAH+A) Strategy 2025-2029, reaffirming Bhutan’s commitment to promoting health and wellbeing across all stages of life, from preconception through old age on May …

…𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒄𝒂𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒅𝒔 By Lhendup Wangmo Rangthangling Gewog, located in Tsirang Dzongkhag, continues to be a model of resilience and determination, with its farmers building on past successes to drive new agricultural ventures. After establishing a reputation for thriving sugarcane cultivation, the farmers of this gewog are now setting their …